There was much to consider after his impromptu meeting with the guardian of Taviora. Never in his life had he met a creature like her. She seemed kind and sweet with only the best intentions but he couldn’t shake the inherent wariness that her fae-like appearance had elicited in him. Deciding that he would be better off taking the long way back to Arturio, giving himself a chance to shake the unease that had gripped him in the forest, he slipped through the valley, lingering several minutes in the sunlight before he pressed onward into the fields.

With the intention of making his way to the lake and then perhaps skirting the borders of Asteraia just to see what he could glean from the allies of the Darkbringer, Dirk carried onward. Thankfully, now that he was out of the dappled confines of the forest with the sun beating down on him fully, the unease brought about by an ingrained wariness of the supernatural began to melt away. However, dark as he was and given his constant movement and thick coat, it wasn’t long before he felt a bit warmer than he cared for. True he was a beast built for harsh temperatures, but typically those harsh temperatures swung in the other direction.

As Dirk crested a slight rise in the field the sun reflecting off the lake nearly blinded him. With a grunt, he narrowed his eyes and snorted. It was a beautiful sight, really. The large lake with the little island at the center. Deciding that the best course of action would be to skirt around the eastern side if he were to test the boundaries of his old home, Dirk started forward once more, eyes fixed on the sparkling waters. By the time he reached the shore, the large brute was panting and he did not hesitate as he stepped into the shallows, walking forward until the waters lapped at his belly before he took in several mouthfuls of the refreshing liquid. With a contented sigh, Dirk stood there for several minutes before he began to work his way through the water to the east.

He’d only just rounded a small bit of the lake when he became aware of the presence of another. A white figure with a black face swimming through the deeper portion between the shore and the island. He watched as she swam, curious as to what she was doing as she didn’t seem to particularly have a destination. Perhaps she was just swimming to alleviate the heat? It seemed a logical reason; afterall, wasn’t that what he was doing? When she finally stopped, however, and glanced toward the island, he found himself somewhat curious though still he did not move. Instead he watched the way the sunlight caught the spray as she shook her head, reflecting a rainbow before it disappeared. Nature was strange in its ability to strike awe into the heart of a simple warrior.

Deciding that watching the female unawares was probably not the most polite thing to do, Dirk moved forward and made sure that his steps made a bit more sloshing than was absolutely necessary. Despite the fact that he was letting go of his guilt day by day, he was still rather self conscious about how large and imposing he could seem to the lasses. ”’Lo there. Bonnie day, aye?”