Fall Flowers

A few days later, Heron for once had absolutely nothing to do in the afternoon. He had wanted to spend time with Kur in the library but Kur was having one of his few outings that day. Apparently Tira had invited him out for some time with just the two of them.

Even if that made Heron feel a bit lonely he was glad his friend was having some time alone with the girl he loved. It also made him think that there was probably a good chance his feelings were returned. At least it was a good sign that the half-elf wanted time alone with the elven man.

Anyway, somehow though, Heron did not feel like reading in an empty library. He had gotten used to Kur's presence and it felt awkward reading when Elswyth was the only person with him. Mostly because she didn't really read herself, but would often just stare at him. It wasn't too awkward with Kur in the room, but…

He decided to ask Elswyth if she had anything she wanted to do. They had spent most of the past six months doing his things, so he wanted to do something that she wanted to do. Not just training – though he was fairly certain she enjoyed teaching him.

At first when he asked, she was quiet. But then she smiled, "I would actually love to go walking in the gardens with you again. Listening to you talk about the different flowers was actually rather enjoyable."

Heron could not keep himself from smiling at that. It made him pretty happy to know that she had enjoyed that walk as well. He was glad it hadn't bored her and she had just been being polite at the time. But if she was actually asking to do so again, then it must have been enjoyable enough. He was glad of it.

So, they went out again together. Elswyth had him walk in the shade though, she seemed to be trying to keep him from burning. It was a bit embarrassing really, but that was what it was.

There were different flowers blooming now, as it was a different season. There was also less flowers as a whole, though it was noticeable that the white bride was still blooming rather prettily, as was the weeping mother. Those two were year-round flowers and even bloomed in the winter.

Heron was glad that they had come out in this season, because there was a treat to it. On the arches to the garden areas there were two different kinds of flowers that were growing around them. The first was a plant that looked like drooping bells that were a soft pink color. It would bloom in the spring. As it was fall now, the other flowers were in bloom. These ones were a large crimson star shaped flower that had a very aromatic scent. These flowers alone gave the entire garden a very sweet scent.

It was a bit chilly in the air. But walking amidst the flowers and the green bushes was something Heron found delightful. He loved how many flowers these gardens boasted. There were gardens in Amriel of course, but honestly they were nowhere near as good. The climate was not as good for growing all these different kinds. It would grow native plants fairly easily, but it didn't lend itself to other plants very easily.

Jarenkul was different. The climate was acceptable to most plants, and even plants who did not seem to be something that should grow in this climate would. While there was no definite proof of it, Jarenkul supposedly had some sort of blessing of greenery on it that allowed for this. It was more than likely true.

Heron found himself happily talking about the different flowers that were blooming in this season. One of the reasons he so loved flowers was because they weren't as plentiful in Amriel. Oh, they had flowers but there wasn't as much variety. So, he found himself appreciating them as something that was not to be taken for granted.

Elswyth interjected with some of the cultural significance of flowers, to which he was grateful. The books he'd had in Amriel mostly talked of their uses, looks, and where they originated. Most of the time they didn't go into detail on folklore or even that much of history with them.

Anyway, this was fun. He was glad that this was what Elswyth had wanted to do. He would have gladly done and enjoyed anything with her, but he really did love flowers. And he loved talking about them, especially to someone who enjoyed listening about them like this friend of his did.