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Feyrahl, FurAffinity Edition Strengthening Bonds, Ch 3.5 Kenzie's Heglis pulled up between Silas and Cecil once they'd left the campsite behind. "Since this is an opportunity for me to learn on the road, I think I'll lag back a little to watch you blaze the trail, Silas." The Fox cocked an ear, glancing to her out of the corner of his eye, his telling smirk somehow completely obvious yet entirely unreadable-- that impression only got worse when he glanced past her to Ceecil, and then back to the Human. "But of course. Far be it from me to have you lose out on an instructional moment." Without missing a beat, Kenzie turned to regard Ceecil, who's eyes and ears were both focused on her; he immediately adjusted his posture and ears as if he were worried his overt attention would scare her off. Smiling internally, Kenzie spoke up, trying to balance the casual request with just a hint of humerously inflated courtly significance. "Sir Ceecil, considering we're out on the open road, perhaps you'd hold back and join me? I doubt Silas would steer us wrong, but it always pays to be careful and having my guard by my side would help me feel ever-so-much better." The furless insides of the Ferret's ears reddened significantly but he maintained his composure. "Of course... Kenzie." There was no hesitance in his acknowledgement until it came time to say her name; for a moment she wondered if the night chatting with Silas had drained some of the Ferret's self esteem, but Kenzie couldn't think of a way to bring it up without further embarrassing her kind bodyguard. She let the silence pass between them for a few minutes. The odd side-to-side slither of the Heglis had taken some getting used to at first but, within the first ten minutes of riding that morning she'd moved right back into the rhythm-- in many ways it felt smoother than horse riding. When the silence became too heavy Kenzie decided it was time to break it, and she brought up a light, simple topic. "I'm glad you decided to come along for the trip, Ceecil." The Ferret inclined his head, "As am I, Kenzie. It has been quite some time since I've been beyond the walls of the castle and, truth be told, I feel much more comfortable away from the judging eyes of the court." Kenzie tittered at his honesty. "Yeah... you haven't done a very good job of keeping that one close to your chest. I bet just about anyone would be able to tell that you do better when you don't have courtiers breathing down your neck." He offered her a simple-but-pleasant smile. "Just so." Their talk continued and, she noticed, the longer they were at it the easier it became for him. She wasn't sure whether it was because he'd adapted to a comfortable rapport with her or because they were further and further from the castle, but she liked it... especially when she first heard an easy, calm chuckle from him when she brought up the topic of Silas and their apparent joint preference for the wilds. He drew his Heglis a little closer to her's and said in a quiet voice "I enjoy the wilds because it takes me away from people-- he prefers it because it takes him closer to nature." Kenzie smiled pleasantly at that. "Ah... so you're all about avoidance and he's more about exploration? I suppose everyone has their own reason for enjoying isolation." Ceecil seemed a little flustered at her statement. "Oh! It isn't that I enjoy being alone, Kenzie... it's just... I never feel as though I am a part of the court. I am a commoner among nobles, and am often reminded of that fact. Aside from the Emperor, I am quite confident that most of the men and women of the court would rather I not be there." Glancing to the Ferret, she saw that his gaze was focused on his gloved paws, folded across the saddle horn with the reins in them. Kenzie reached across the distance and placed one of her hands atop them. "Well that's THEIR problem, Ceecil, not yours. I, for one, am glad that you're here with me." The Ferret's blush was so fierce that Kenzie was almost certain that she could see the redness even through his furred cheeks. He mumbled out what sounded like it could have been a statement of thanks, and remained clammed up with obvious embarrassment, or perhaps he just didn't know how to respond. Either way, Kenzie found it strikingly charming. * * * * * During their break that afternoon Ceecil excused himself to tend to 'business', leaving Silas alone with Kenzie. Considering one of her most successful discussion topics with Ceecil, she elected to offer the same point for consideration to the Fox. "Ceecil said he likes being out here in the wild so he doesn't have to face people in court. Is your reason a similar one, Master Ranger?" The Fox pulled a knife toward his waiting thumb, using the blade to cut a slice off of an apple he was holding. He slipped the crisp piece of fruit into his muzzle and chewed; at first, Kenzie thought that he hadn't heard her but, just when she was about to repeat herself, she saw instead that he was thinking about her inquiry; his muzzle parted, and a simple answer came out. "I find the social norms and expectations of the court to be... disquieting." <<>> She raised an eyebrow at that. "Disquieting?" she repeated back at him. Kenzie realized right away that the Fox was toying with her when he elaborated. "Yes. It means that the experiences induces feelings of stress or anxie--" The Human woman interrupted. "I know what it means, Silas... I'm wondering what about it causes you such an emotional response." Cutting another slice off his apple, he held it out to her between his knife and thumb, "Ah, my Dear... haven't you spent time in court? I would have thought the answer obvious." She saw right away that he was evading her inquiry and his follow-up wink confirmed it, but also hinted that he'd answer her question if she asked it again. She accepted the apple slice, AND the invitation. "We all have our reasons, I suppose... what's YOURS?" Silas let out a long, deep sigh. "I was born to a lesser noble family. Lesser enough to not keep too tight a reign on me, but far too noble to let me be myself. I am... ah... how best to put it? ... 'non traditional'." Kenzie wasn't entirely sure what he was getting at. "How so? You seem to navigate your way through court exceptionally well, especially for not liking it. Whenever I see you in the company of nobles it feels to me like you belong there." He offered a sardonic smirk, and only a half-hearted attempt at sarcasm. "Oh... how you wound me." She took the knife and apple out of his paw, and began cutting off two more slices-- one for each of them. "I'm serious." Sighing again the Fox accepted the apple slice. "I am more than a little surprised that Sir Cecil has not yet discussed it with you." Kenzie tried to avoid scowling. "He's generally been open to discussing everything BUT you... it almost feels like you two are sharing a private secret that neither of you want me to know about." Silas ate the apple slice she offered him. "My Dear, I can think of few people alive who do not have secrets, and those who carry them are rarely interested in divulging them. However, if you fear that there is some clandestine pact between the two of us, you are mistaken... I do give him credit though for his discretion, as he knows I loathe to discuss certain topics about myself." It took a moment for her to realize that, despite his apparent openness, and the hint that he was going to answer her questions, he had only danced around the topic. He was skilled at leading people where he wanted a conversation to lead, but Kenzie was rather stubborn, and she wasn't always one to go with the flow. She did, however, see that the matter was sensitive to the Fox. She decided to point out to him that she saw what he was doing, but to give him the opportunity to decline talking further. "Do you want to talk about it?" Although his smile was genuine, his eyes shone pure sadness. "I... suppose I do, my little Robin... though I only hope it does not lessen your regard for me." Then, to her surprise, he did just that, and the tale of Silas Longfield finally became known to her.