Azlateen limped through the woods, wounded badly after a terrible fight with an orc. Barely had he gotten out of it thanks to his wits, reflexes, agility and strength. The huge orc, towering over Az's 6'2" frame at a whopping 7'5", a chest 76 inches around, biceps 45 inches, and everything else in proportion to that. Surely one can imagine such a big orc. Oh, and don't forget the 5 foot long double sided war axe, blood stained from previous slaughterings.

He had come out of nowhere, the orc. Az was passing around a small ledge of rock, when the orc popped out and started swinging at him. First came an overhead blow coming down for Az's head, but Az rolled forward quickly towards the orc. He knew from experience that the big thing was slow and it was best to get in close. So he rolled in and leaped up to the orcs head, flipping onto its back and getting it into a headlock. He held tightly as it thrashed trying to get him off. Finally it figured out to just lean forward fast and flip Az onto the ground, and did so. Az felt the ground suddenly meet his back, cracking it as if a chiropractor worked on it.

Az let go as soon as he met the ground and laid there for a split second to figure out what was going on. That shouldn't have been done, as the orc came stomping down with its foot right above Az's face. Having demon strength, Az brought up his hands and caught the massive foot enclosing on his face and held it inches from his face. Muscles rippling, he pushed up and threw the foot up while also throwing the big hulk off balance. He then rolled himself into a back somersault and kicked out with both feet to its gut. He kicked the orcs gut good, and brought it to the ground flailing. It hit with a loud thump, shaking the ground in a smal earthquake.

He then jumped into the air, coming down above the orcs face with a flying knee coming straight down. He landed the strike, but the orc was making its own counterattack. It had brought up its axe weilding arm and swung at him. Its arm and not the axe knocked Az away as soon as he struck. He felt the force pulse through his body and send it flying to the side. He landed and rolled, but the axe arm kept swinging. It came down as Az was rolling away and the blade caught him arm, slicing his shoulder open but thankfully not taking his arm off. Az grunted as he rolled upright, looking at his arm. The orc stood up clumsily, and stared down Az, Az meeting its gaze with his pure black demon eyes.

He charged the orc then, his demon side screaming in anger in his head. He shouldered the big lug, knocking it back a few feet. Using the space between the impact and where the orc now was, he launched out with a jumping snap kick to its jaw, and knocked its head backwards. Again the big orc was knocked clumsily off balance, arms flailing again. This time the orc let the axe slip out of his hands and send it flying to Az. He moved to the side facing his back to the line of fire, but didn't move enough. The again barely managed to catch his back, slicing his back open in a cut in a diagonal strike up his back. That hurt a lot, and it put Az on his knees. The orc had fallen, and was stuggling to get up. Az had knocked the wind out of it.

He took the opportunity to catch his breath and let his adrenaline kick and numb his body. It soon happened, and the orc was still on the ground. Az got up and went over to the axe and picked up the mighty weapon. It was hefty, but Az had plenty of strength to pick something up like that. Once he had stopped a tree from falling on him by catching it, so a puny axe shouldn't compare to that. He walked over to the orc, getting ready for a final blow with the axe. He stopped next to the orcs head as it was struggling to get air, and raised the axe. His eyes reflected blood thirsty light as he started swinging down. Just about as the axe was reaching its tender neck, the orc swung out and knocked Az in the chest with its gargantuan fist and cracking ribs. Again Az was flung back to the ground, but still with the axe. He flipped himself up right, seeing the orc was now attempting to get up. He took the opportunity and threw himself forward and swung the axe around with one hand, and sunk into the monsters chest. It roared in agony, but kept getting up.

Az had slid back onto the ground, since his dive was full force forward. The orc was up now. It grasped the axe, and pulled it out with a sickening sound. It roared in a battle cry, and came down upon Az for a final blow. Az's combat reflexes kicking in, he brought his hands up and caught the axe as soon as it started sinking into his chest. He felt skin rip apart further on his shoulder and chest where the axe was stopped from tensing muscles. His whole body screamed in agony, and Az did too. He wrenched the blade to the side and broke the blade off the handle. The orcs force was obviously thrown into the strike, as it started leaning forward once again. Az still had the blade in his hand and suddenly thrust it up into the orcs neck as it came toppling down. He rolled to the side, barely missing the orcs tumbling body. He heard a sickening slice as the force of the fall thrust the blade the rest of the way through the orcs neck. He didn't even have to look to see what happened.

Laying there for a moment he regained his breath and his wits. He had just barely defeated an orc, but not without pay. His back was ripped up, along with his shoulder and chest. Could be worse, since he came close to death multiple times. Letting out a yell he stood up, and began walking away from the dead corpse, searching for help now. He knew he was near some sort of encampment, but he didn't how far or long it would be before he got there. He knew the general direction and was headed to it, but he knew he couldn't make it.

He tripped over a root that he missed seeing, and fell onto the ground, and didn't feel like getting back up. There was no way he was going to make it, and there was no way he was going to help himself. Pushing up with one pulsing arm, he pulled himself to a tree and propped himself up against it. He took the time and looked at his wounds, seeing his shoulder and chest were bleeding profusely, and felt the blood on his back. It hurt to breath from his cracked ribs, so Az closed his eyes and settled his breathing. He hoped badly that someone would come along with luck that they could help him out. He hurt so bad, and needed it desperately. He didn't even have the energy to scream out help...

Leaves soon began to fall on the wounded man's head. The tree shook a bit as if it were waking up. Soon a figure began to make its way out of the trunk of the tree. It was a young girl pulling herself out of the bark. To most this was a very strange sight, but to the woodland creatures it was just a dryad waking from deep slumber.

Gwen let out a yawn and put her arms high in the air, stretching out. She took a deep breath and soon found a foul oder wharfing through the air. It was the horrible smell of death. This stench was especially vile to nymphs.

She looked to her side to find a man that looked close to death leaning against her tree. She gasped and bent down to examine the male. He looked as if he had been in a horrible fight. She knew that he had own because he carried the blood of another with him.

She spoke to the injured man " Oh praise Liara that you lay on this tree. I am Gwen and will most certainly help you poor soul She felt for all things living and hated death.

She got up and looked around a bit. She knew this forest like the back of her hand. She knew every beaten path, every secret path, every animal home, every stream, and every plant that grew within her home. She spoke soft words to the man " Do not dread mortal, I will be back... With that she scampered off into the forest with grace and speed.

She knew where she was going. She was looking for a few special plants. She knew of where she could find a berry that was good for killing infections and a root that was perfect for helping to seal wounds, if it was used right.

She took nimble steps as she tread through the forest floor barefoot. She moved instantly without thought from tree to tree. Finally she had found what she was looking for. She picked a few of the crimson berries and held them softly in her hand.

She then moved on once more, wasting no time to enjoy the beauty of the forest like she would on normal days. She did stop when she seen one tree in particular. The tree grew large leaves that would be perfect for holding her ingredients. She put the berries on the ground at the base of the tree and began to climb its trunk with ease. She picked two large leaves and dropped back to the ground.

She picked up her berries once more and put them in the makeshift basket she had made by folding a leave. She then continued on through a not so beaten path. She did find the flower she was looking for on this trail. Its roots held a juice that would help to seal wounds over time. She dug a few of the flowers up and and placed them in the sack with the berries.

She very much wanted to go to the brook and bring some water back to clean her guest up, but there was little time. She took in deep breathes, trying to regain her vigor. She turned in the direction of her tree and began to follow the path once more.

She did much traveling to find the herbs she needed but she always knew the way back to her tree. They were bonded and they were one. She always heard it calling back to her. It would not be long now till she came to her tree once more and would be able to help her fallen guest

Az felt leaves fall around him, and looked up a bit. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a girl emerge from... the tree? He frowned a bit, wondering if his woundedness was making his hallucinate or if he was just in a weird spot. When she star ted talking to him, he finalized being in just an odd spot. Well, at least it had health benefits right here. Az got lucky, big time. He nodded weakly to her when she said she'll be back, his eyes half closed. He closed them completely, now able to slightly relax knowing help was on the way. His breathing slowed down, and his thoughts were brought back to normal knowing he could be fixed back to normal.

He didn't know how long she was gone and he didn't remember falling asleep. Ok, he didn't fall asleep, he passed out from the loss of blood. He hoped she'd be back soon, and hoped she just didn't leave him there.

Gwen finally arrived back to her tree and to her guest. She bent down, placing the makeshift basket next to her. He was still unconscious. She brushed a hair out of his face and was filled with a feeling that she rarely experienced, sadness.

She took out a few of the berries and crushed them in her palm, letting the juices trickle out into the large wound across his shoulder. She then went down the front of his body, letting the juice cleanse each open wound she could find. She knew from experience that these berry's juice stung horribly when they mixed with open wounds, but nothing killed infections better.

She then turned him over, exerting quite a bit of force to move the muscular man. She noticed she had large cuts on his back. It looked like he had been dragged over sharp rocks. She wiped away a bit of the blood and took the rest of the berries to the same procedure as she did on the front of the body.

Once the berries were used up she took out the flowers. She laid them over a large rock and began to grind them with a smaller rock. Soon the flowers had turned into more of a paste substance.

She took a bit of it and began to rub the thin paste over his back. It would help to seal the wounds. It was not magic and would not be instant, but nature held its own magic. Natures magic just worked over time.

She picked him back up and propped him against the tree. She began to rub more paste on the front of his body. It was a slow and messy process. She had done this a few times before for other hurt travelers and animals. She knew what she was doing and her hands moved skillfully.

She was soon done with the paste. She looked at her work with sparkling green eyes. She knew he would be ok. What he would not be able to do was travel for quite a bit of time. His wounds would certainly bind him to the forest for a while.

Gwen guiltily took pleasure in this. She craved attention and contact. With her hurt guest to keep her company, she would go hungry for attention for a while. It was almost like her reward for helping the man.

As soon as Gwen poured on the stinging juice, Az's chorded muscles tensed up in pain, and Az grunted in his unconscious state. His chest did especially, since it was one of the biggest sets of muscles on him. His shoulder did the same, and his back too, making his body go rigid until the pain subsided after a while. It didn't go away until after she was done with the paste, and finally his stiff body relaxed as it rested against the tree.

Finally coming too after what seemed a lifetime to Az when he woke up, he saw his saviour in front of him. Observing quietly, he saw she only had a scanty top of leaves, and a skirt to match. Not much to keep warm with, but Az had seen worse, and found it normal. He didn't mind it. He looked up to her face, and saw sparkling green eyes and long brown hair that fell back.

He just sort of, sat there, not really knowing what to say at the moment. He felt drugged, but that was only because his mind was still on an adrenaline high from his adrenal glands working overtime to numb his pain. Taking a breath, he said, "Thanks." Simple as that too. He looked down and saw his wounds patched with a natural paste, but they still stung a little bit. Not wanting to forget his manners, especially to one that just saved his life, he introduced, "I'm Az." He rested a hand on his stomach as he slouched against the tree and looked up at her with a strong gaze in his pure black demon eyes. His body maybe have been weak, but his stare never wavered.

Gwen had waited for what seemed to be forever. She just wanted to slap him and force him to wake up. This was not needed though because finally he had awoke.

He woke to Gwen standing across from him staring him in the dark eyes. When she had seen them she shuddered a bit. There was just something about them that did not seem natural.

She soon brushed this off though " Oh goodie you awake. I thought you were going to die on me! Her voice was cheery as if she had no idea of the troubles of this world. It was also strong like her tree rooted deep in the ground.

She then shook Az's hand " It is very nice to meet you Az, and it was no problem saving you. Protection is what I do" She touched his cheek. She always had a hand on him, whether it was on his shoulder, shaking his hand, nursing a wound, or brushing dried blood off of his cheek. She was addicted to human contact.

She took the two big leaves and a vine that had been growing up the tree " Hold still sweetie... She soon took the large leaf and put it over his biggest wound. She began to tie a piece of the vine around to make it almost like a band aid.

She stood up and brushed her long brown hair out of her face " Much better! she held her hand towards him to help him up " So how are you feeling?

Az managed a weak smile as she commented about her thought on him dying. "Nope, still alive and kicking." He said in his deep stoic voice. HE did find it weird how she was so careless as she talked. Come on, Az was hurting bad, and he didn't need the loudness of cheerfulness. Soft comforting undertones were what he needed, but he wasn't about to say so.

He frowned slighty as she shook his hand, as he didn't make a move to shake hers. Didn't feel like it, but at least she did for him. But she did give her name. He was curious by this, wondering if she wanted to remain anonymous or just forgot. He let it go, and figured she'll give in time, or maybe he'll ask in a while if she didn't do it. His cheek flinched slightly as she touched it, but he relaxed as the touch was soft and gentle. He also noticed she always kept a hand on him, but most of the time it was to help him with wounds.

It hurt a little bit when she put on the natural band aid, since his cuts were bruised around them. But he let her do it, and kept still as she did it. Why did she have to call me sweetie though? I just barely met her. He thought to himself, biting his tongue about it.

He waved off the helping hand offered by her, wanting to remain sitting against the tree and rest up. "Thanks, but I'd rather stay down. I just got into a big fight with an over sized orc, so I need time." He said. "But I'm feeling somewhat better than I did an hour ago. Thanks to you." He looked up at her with a praising glint in his eyes, very much thankful to her.

Gwen decided to sit back down when he did not want to get up. She smirked at his remark. He was quite funny, even if he was just stating the obvious. Gwen decided that it was best for him to sit. She was usually one to rush things, as she was a girl full of energy. She would have to work on that a bit.

After a short silence she opened her mouth once more " Do not be afraid to speak your mind to me. I do have quite a lack of patience, even though I am immortal. Liara did not feel patience was needed for me I guess?"

Gwen then realized that she knew Az's name and he did not know hers. She blushed a bit and apologized " I am sorry I did not tell you before, but I am Gwen."

She picked a wild rose that grew close to her tree. She picked picked off the petals slowly as she continued talking " If you do not mind me asking, where were you going before you found me?" She was very curious and had never been out of the woods. She did not care to be out of the woods because she had no reason too as of yet. What she was curious in was outsiders way of lives.

She now had a hand full of red rose petals and a bare stem in the other. She held out her hand and let the breeze pick up the petals, making them dance in the sky. She smiled happily as the winds played with the petals. She talked to Az once more, not taking her eyes of the floating petals " What is it like out their in the world beyond mine. What do you wait to return to when you leave me? Do you have fame, wealth, love, a family..."

Gwen waited impatiently for her answers. She seemed to want to know everything about him in an instant. Her eyes finally drifted back down into his cold black ones. They would now linger there, as if her sparkling green eyes were attempting to illuminate his.

He shrugged painfully. "I don't even know who Liara is. If she's some sort of diety, just leave it at that. I don't care about powerful beings like that." He said simply, really not wanting to get into that discussion. Perhaps it was better for him not to have said it, but it was a little late. He hoped she wouldn't ask about it. He nodded though when she finally introduced herself. "Good you to meet you Gwen."

He had to think a moment as to where he was going before he was attacked. Then he remembered the encampment nearby that he was going to to see about a little spar with someone. Well, he got the spar, and it turned out into a blood sport. "Well, there's a camp near here where people go to train for fights and such, and I was headed there. I was looking to do a litle training myself, keep in shape. But I ended up getting into a blood sport with an orc." He said with a smirk.

Thinking about the next couple questions and not feeling at all a bit overwhelmed, he went to describe things. "Well, out here its quite calm if you were to leave the forest. A few miles from here is a small town, not much, but its something." He paused, figuring she didn't get out of her forest much. No worries about it, as he could describe things without a care. He didn't mind how people lived, but he liked it when people knew about the world. She was lucky though to not be in a part of much trouble.

He watched her pedals slowly float away in a breeze, a red dance swirling about.

"But out there there are huge cities, bustling with people and festivities. Boats sail in and out, merchants pass through selling goods. though there are a lot of bars where people get drunk, and its a good place to get into a good fight." He said with a chuckle. Often times he did that. "There are many a mountain with great trails to explore, lots of wildlife, but still dangerous. No matter where you go these days, there is a lot of danger. Right now, there's a war being fought on our very moon in the sky." He nodded solemnly, but glad he wasn't a part of it.

"As for going back to something, I have nothing, because I'm just a simple wanderer. I wander everywhere, I've been all over, trained everywhere. I just can't settle down really. But I don't have much fame though, even though there are rrmors going about me. I heard one where i had taken down a single giant without a scratch. Which never happened, but I've got myself a reputation. But no family or lots of wealth. Or love at that. No, my life is too spread out for love, and maybe a little dangerous. Unless a woman wants to come fight with me, she can darn well do that. I'd fall in love with that, but I wouldn't want her getting hurt. And I can't stay in one spot for that."

Stopping for a moment, he asked, "So, what about you? I saw you live in trees, which was kind of cool. Got any family and such?" He was urious to her too, and his strength was up enough to talk, if that wasn't noticed already...

Gwen daydreamed about the world he described. Her mind painted beautiful pictures in the sky. This planted the seed in her mind of the outside world. It was not a longing to see the outside, but merely a thought in the back of her mind.

Gwen smiled when he asked about her. She liked that he was curious. This meant that she was not being a bother. She took a breath and responded to his questions " This whole forest is my family" She gestured at the trees around them " I have bee within the forest all my life. I am a dryad, and the tree you lay against is my tree. I was given the task to watch over it, making sure no harm ever came to it or this forest."

She looked up at her tree and smiled. She could hear the whispers of the forest. The slow and planned out words of the trees. Usually that is who she talked to, her tree. This was the path less taken and it was a rare occasion when she would come across another person.

Gwen went on a bit more " I am bound to this tree and can never stray far from it. The more I stray the weaker I feel. When I return to my tree however, I feel completely better. That is why I have never been out of the forest."

Gwen then turned the questions back to him " Why do you like to travel so? Do you never long to put roots in the ground and start a family?" Gwen knew she had the longing for a family a few lonely nights. That way she would never be alone in this large forest. She was blessed with immortality, but cursed to spend most of it alone.

He nodded to her explaination, finding it quite interesting. Before he had never even heard of a dryad. That explained why she could fuse in and out of the tree, and why she had never seen the outer world. Suddenly though he felt guilty of leaning against her tree, but happened to be thankful for it though. "Well, thanks for letting me lean against your tree and rest. Must be tough not being to get far huh?" He said, not knowing what its like to be confined to an area. Maybe if she didn't know she wouldn't know what its like to not be confined. Couldn't blame her though, since sometimes its better now to know what's going on.

He shrugged at the travelling question. "I don't know, I just like travelling and getting out and seeing things. And its just so exciting the adventures I encouter. Like the one I just had today, even though I almost died, but its always exciting afterwards. I've always felt this way ever since I finished school. I was just itching to get out and train with the best martial artists out there, and its what I did." He continued in a joking way, "Its kind of nice not being confined. And again, I wouldn't know what its like to be stuck in an area."

Gwen smiled at his reply " Well you do not really mind confinement if you have never experienced travel. Ignorance is bliss." Her eyes looked beyond him now focused on the the world that lay right behind the trees, temping her to poke her head out of her forest.

Gwen's gaze soon diverted back to Az, but she talked as if she was daydreaming " You must meet a lot of new people on her travels. It must be nice to never have a dull moment..."

She looked up into the sky, noticing the clouds forming " It is going to rain soon!" She moved over to her tree and sat right beside Az " Well the good thing about the forest is there are always places to take cover from the rain"

Soon the sky opened up at let the rain out. It started light, but would soon begin to come down hard. The large leaves of her trees caught most of the rain, letting only a few drops land upon the two.

Gwen stuck her hand out to catch a few drops " I love the rain. I always feel refreshed and cleansed afterwards!" She leaned her head against Az's good shoulder and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the rain. She asked another question, her eyes still closed " Why do you fight. Do you take joy out of other's pain?" She did not think he was a bad person. She was just curious.

Az laughed a little. "Believe it." He said to her comment of ignorance is bliss. He knew how that went almost everyday. "Yes, my travels never dull. Meeting people is a big part of it too. Whether its in a fight, at a bar having a chat over a drink, or talking to someone in a forest, its always fun."

Az looked up at the clouds rolling in, and could have sworn it was sunny just a minute ago. Maybe he was just seeing stars from being knocked around, he didn't know. But then it started raining. It sounded nice though, the pitter patter against the leaves. He was surprised though when she leaned her head on his shoulder. He was about to move it, but suddenly didn't mind. He figured that she was tired of being alone, and needed a little comfort. He knew how that went, so he let her.

"I've always loved the clean air smell during a rainfall. Its hard training in it though." He said with a chuckle. He thought about her question a moment, and really couldn't find a reasonable answer. "Well, I like fighting cause you get a huge adrenaline rush. I don't care if they get hurt, if was their decision to stay in the fight with me in the first place. If they get hurt, they need to just toughen up, because they will get hurt with me in the fight. And I always win bets in fights. You should try it sometime." He said jokingly with a grin.

Then he just sat there, listening to the rain, resting his hurt arm limp at his side and his good hand in his lap. He feet were outstretched comfortably, and hanging sideways limply.

Gwen laughed when Az said she should try fighting. She could not even picture herself fighting with someone else. The sounds of the rain filled her head, ridding it of all other thoughts. It was a nice feeling of just living in the moment.

She pulled her legs closer to herself and took in a deep breath. She loved that the forest was so calm and relaxing when it rained. It was like the whole world became quite so that they could all hear the music the rain made.

Gwen carried the conversation on " What do you want to accomplish in your future? I know my goal, or at least I think I do. You however are a wanderer, what goal have you set for yourself? What do you want people to remember you for?" She thought a big part of who you are is based on who you want to be.

Gwen went on a bit more about her forest, inviting Ax. " There is a brook not far from here. I would like to go when you have healed up..."

A thought then came to Gwen When he heals up he will have no need to linger in the forest... He will be free to go and continue his wandering She felt guilty that she had the thought of not wanting him to get better. She wanted him to stay in the forest forever with her.

The vines that grew along her tree soon responded her Gwen's thoughts off him staying in the forest with her. They began to creep down the tree to wrap around his wrists. She looked up to notice them moving and willed them away before they came to close to his wrists.

The vines had only read Gwen's most outer thought. Deep down she knew that she could not force Az do stay. She could never cage a bird, for she knew why the caged bird sang. It did not sing to please its tyrannical captor. It sang songs of mourning in remembrance to the days where it was free to fly away and escape the evil that clung so tightly to this earth. Az would be like that caged bird if she kept him in the forest. He would long to leave the forest and travel the world. He was a wondering soul and Gwen could not bare to contain it. She soon made peace with her thoughts and decided that she would just have to enjoy his company while he was here.

Az hadn't notived the crawling vines once, and thankfully too. He probably would have freaked out and rip them apart or something tragic like that. Instead though, he went on to answer his goal in life, which he had already achieved. "Well, I've already done what I want to do with my life. What I wanted to do was master every martial art I encountered, and I have. I know so many different types, and I have tons of experience. And I don't really care if anyone really remembers me after I die, because I haven't done really anything important." He shrugged, really wanting to die quietly.

He listened to her comment on the brook, and believe it or not, it sounded kind of nice to be by. He made an effort to sit up and did so, but painfully. He winced, but didn't make a sound. He didn't care about pain, he did a lot even with wounds. He brought up in knees and planted his feet on the ground, and stood up by pushing himself up with his good arm. He stood shakily for a while, but regained his composure and was almost good as new. "Brook? Where abouts?" He asked with a smile to her, waiting for her to move.

He looked to the tree, and could have sworn he was seeing the vines crawl away, but he blamed his supposed hallucinating on the loss of blood. So he passed it away and didn't worry about it.

Gwen was surprised to see Az get up. She quickly followed suit and stepped into the rain next to him. She took his arm and rapped it around the back of her head, placing it on her shoulder to give him support.

She began to take slow steps through the wet grass. There was no path to the forest as nobody but Gwen had been there was far as she knew " The brook is beautiful. It isn't that far from here either."

The rain felt refreshing as it fell upon them. Gwen lifted her head up and opened her mouth wide, trying to catch the drops as if it were a game. She was very childlike at times and very playful.

As they continued on the gurgling of the brook could be heard. She picked up her pace and pushed past a few trees. There now standing before them was the brook. She slipped out from under Az and skipped to the shallow water. She bent down and peered at her reflection. It was constantly being distorted by the water droplets plopping in the water.

She sat on her knees in the thick wet grass and bend down, cupping her hands to drink some of the water. The water was cool and refreshing. She then transitioned her body and sat on her butt. She put her legs in the water and splashed a bit. The small fish did not flee from Gwen, but were not as friendly to Az, keeping their distance.

She turned and gestured for him to come sit next to her " The water will feel nice and you can clean yourself up a bit! She smiled at him and eyed the dried blood and dirt that rested on his body as he was thrown around by the troll.

Az was surprised again when she took his arm and put it aorund her, but realized it was for support and nothing sensual thankfully. He was thankful for it though, since it was a little hard to walk on his tired legs. The rain felt nice too on his hot body, cooling it down a few degrees. He saw her open her mouth in attempt to catch the rain in her mouth and stuck his hand over her mouth playfully. Az too was childlike at times, and liked it too. But not all the time.

He was happy to see the brook, and especially glad that he could clean up a bit. "Sorry." He said in advance, and took off his pants with one arm. It hurt slightly since his whole body hurt, but he managed ok. He didn't reveal anything though, instead showing skin tight deer skin shorts that he made himself for those cold nights, and that almost flaunted his leg muscles. They were deer skin though without the fur. They were comfy for him. He was already wtihout a shirt, so he didn't have to worry about that. "So if the paste comes off I hope its not too much trouble for you to reapply it." He said wading in and looking at her.

Once he was thigh deep he just threw himself in, engulfing himself in the cool refreshing water. He surfaced after a quick moment, spewing water out of his mouth. He stood up and shook the water from his head, and dunked his head under again for a moment. He pulled his head out again and threw his now sagging hair back. He knelt down in the water now, bring the water level up to his neck, and began scrubbing of the dried blood and dirt off of his upper torso. The water felt to refreshing, and it felt very cleansing to finally get the dried and cracked substances off of him.

Gwen did not mind when Az started to undress. To her clothing was silly and unnatural. That is why she herself wore so little clothing. She was bonded closely to nature and did not stray far from it.

Even though she felt no shame without clothes, Az did. Because of this she turned away a bit to be respectful until he submerged himself in the cool waters. Gwen, after dangling her legs in, slipped her whole body into the water. She opened her eyes under the water and looked up too see the ripples form on the surface and to hear the curplunk of the rain.

After Gwen could no longer hold her breath she popped out of the water, taking a deep breath to refill her lungs with air. She threw her head back and her hair, heavy with water, followed.

While she had been underwater she had enchanted the waters with a minor heal spell. The waters would soon work its magic over all that it touched. She was helping Az even if he did not know it. It was in her nature to help. She was a caretaker and wanted to nurse and give affection to everyone.

She turned and smiled at Az as he crouched up to his neck in the water. Gwen would splash the now sparkling water at him playfully, swimming a few feet away after. She tred water with powerful legs while she talked " I like to swim when it rains. That way no matter where you go you get wet!"

Az watched as she dipped into the water, resurfacing and throwing her hair back. Being a guy, he had a thing for wet hair, he just liked the look of it. He caught himself staring a little bit and snapped out of it. He finished scrubbing off dirt and blood, finding a big pool of dirty water around him slowly drifting away. He stood up fully and splashed his face with the cold water, with both hands too.

Apparently the heal in the water was working, because Az used his bad arm like it was normal and barely felt it. And because it felt so normal, he forgot that it was hurt and used it normally. He checked himself to find any remained dirty spot on him, and inspected his cuts. Looking at the closely he found that they had signs of healing already. He frowned, and looked closer to the wound. He saw slight scarring around the edges and wondered why it was healing so fast. Not that it was a bad thing, its just new to him.

Then he looked at his shoulder in realization, seeing that it was already almost done healing and could use it normal. He rolled his shoulder around a little bit to test it, and even though it was a little sore, it felt fine. It was awefully weird to him, but it made him want to start being active again.

He looked to Gwen to see if there was any connection, and got splashed. He laughed, putting his arms up to sheild himself. "Hey!" He called out, and dove into the water towards her. He thrusted his arms back and propelled himself quickly to her. He resurfaced in front of her as she was talking and tackled her into the water. He heard what she said, and came off of her in the water and stood up a few feet away. "Yeah, its great in the rain. Have you ever tried playing in the water without getting wet? Its kind of hard." He said sarcastically, brushing water off of his face with his hands.

Gwen was knocked into the water by the pouncing Az. She took a deep breath seconds before he tackled her into the water playfully. When he released she did not come up, but rather sat and watched the surface of the water.

She came back up soon with a smile " You heal fast! She knew the reason behind this, but did not want the glory. Rather she just took comfort in knowing that she had helped him.

She giggled a bit at his sarcasm. He was a quick one, most likely from all his wandering. The rain in the sky lessened and the clouds were beginning to disperse. Gwen took a deep breath and held in the smell of the fresh air. It smelled so beautifully after it rained.

She swam over to the bank and laid on the wet grass, letting the warmth of the sun bask over her wet body. She stared up at the dark clouds that began to give way to the glorious sun and made shapes from them. Even darkness could not rid the beauty of nature. Even in its gloom it held tight to its attractiveness.

Words escaped her loose lips once more " Where will you go now that you are almost fully healed? She had made a new friend and did not want to see him go. She did wish the best for him and wanted him to be safe where ever the winds carried him

He nodded at her note on his apparent new ability to heal. Never before had this happened to quickly. Already he was almost good as new. Though, being a pretty scientific guy, he started thinking of theories on why. Maybe the waters were enchanted, and she had taken him to an enchanted place on purpose to heal without tell him. Maybe it was the area of the forest. Maybe it was her. Nahh... He thought to himself. He pushed it all out of his head, happy that he was going to be alright. Maybe it was just coincidence, but he was still in no condition to get into the real world. Maybe he would hang out for a few days, make sure it was a thorough recovery. He also knew she would like that.

"Well, I plan on going to the training arena not too far from here, and do a little training. I've got to do a little work on my strength, and get used to my new wings. I'm still a little shaky with them, and I know the best place to get used to them is there. I know, a big open area with no one around to embarrass you would be good, but the people there are willing to help." He said, explaining his present thoughts. He walked out onto the bank also, and stood next to her looking out at the sparkling brook in the newborne broken daylight. He then told his plan for now. "But for now, I'm going to stay for a couple days and recover completely, and make sure I'll be ready for training. I know you'll take good care of me, and I'd rather stay with someone with experience in healing." He paused, wondering if he should say what his pitying was about. He looked down at her and said, "And I think you need a friend to hang around. I know how lonely things get around these parts." He smiled, putting his hands on his hips, and letting the water run down his body, drying him.

Gwen watched as Az came and stood beside her. She was overjoyed when he decided to stay with her and recover " I will take great care of you" She did not bother getting up yet. She liked laying in the fresh grass. Her head resting on her arms and her body outstretched.

Gwen did hear something interesting when he told her where he would go next. She now broke her gaze from the sky and turned to him " Wings? I do not see any wings..."

She thought about how great it would be to fly away like the birds did. They were held down by nothing and could just pick up and leave whenever they grew bored of their home. Gwen was envious of the birds.

She bit her bottom lip while she thought. She finally spoke up once more " Can I see them?" She had never seen a person with wings before. The two did not connect in her mind. It would be a first for her and she very much enjoyed firsts, as she was overly curious.

She turned to lay on her side, resting her head in her hand that lay on the ground. her other hand she rested along her body. She stared at Az with a feeling of inpatients and she waited " How is it that you have wings and do not know how to use them? Does that not sound a bit strange?"

He nodded to her with a smile, knowing she would take good care of him. She had done well already.

Then he nodded about his wings. "Yeah, they're just not... Out at the moment. Their retractable. Its helpful. I suppose you want to seem them." He said with a grin, even though she just said she would like to. "Well, I know how to use them, I mean, I can fly and all, I'm just still trying to learn all of the ways I'm able to use them. And getting used to them takes a while." He shrugged a little. "Yes, it is weird."

He then knelt down onto one knee, making his small transformation a little dramatic. He let his head hang down, his hands firmly planted on their fingertips on the ground. Then he flexed his shoudlers, and out of the two parrallel vertical scars on his shoulder blades came out two demom-like wings, each of them six feet long and pointing straight up. He held them there for a moment, and stood up, bringing them down to they rested in their down position. He flapped them once up and down, sending a blast of wind in all directions.

He smiled at her. "Not exactly angelic or majestic, but their wings." He said with shrug. "But I have them." He waited for her reaction.

Gwen watched as the wings came jutting out of his body. They were not feathery like angle or bird wings. They were leathery like those of demons and bats. They did not look as pretty, but she was still envious of them.

Gwen held her hand up in front of her face as he used the powerful wings to sent a gust of wind in all directions. Soon the gust had passed and Gwen brushed her hair back from the windblown state with her fingers.

Gwen knew that Az must have been a demon. He had the eyes and wings of one, but not the personality, at least he had not shown it to her. She waited till he had finished adjusting his wings before opening her mouth " How can you be so kind, yet have eyes so cold and wings so intimidating?

She picked herself up from her lazing in the grass and took nimble steps towards Az. When she walked it did not look like a walk, but rather a hop. Her moves always looked fluid and like a dance.

Gwen lifted up her hand and touched one of his wings. It twitched at first touch and Gwen pulled her hand back out of surprise. She then touched it again and ran her hand along the bat like wing. They looked out of place on his body.

They looked very powerful and like they could pick up a man much larger than Az. She moved slowly around him, now standing completely behind him. She was fascinated with the wings, dreaming of flying like he could.

Soon she made her way back to the front of him. She tilted her head up and looked him in the dark eyes once more " What is it like to Fly?

He smiled softly at her question. It was a good question. He was a hafling, but knew the better ways of nature. He couldn't expliain it, as it was just in his own nature to be different under his appearance. Maybe he felt the need to fit in, and was nice to try it. He knew that wasn't it, but he just couldn't be harsh to others kind ot him. Unless he was having a bad day, then he would go off on anyone.

"You know, its a hard question for me answer, because I don't know why. Yes, I'm half demon, which explains the eyes and wings, I'm a hard fighter, thus the strong body, but I'm also human, giving a knowledge of right and wrong. I just couldn't mean to someone nice to me like you, unless you came off as a fighter. Its just not in my blood." He said, letting out his thoughts and shrugging.

His wings twitched a little bit as she touched it gently. They were still sensitive to touch, but they soon adapted as she ran her hand over them. He then came up with a thought, but didn't know if he'd be able to handle it. He could fly well already, but he was still getting used to it, and to do what he wanted to do, he would need a little more practice. He backed away a few steps and said, "Hold on a second."

He then shot his wings up, and thrusted down, shooting himself into the air above the trees through a gap in the canopy. He soared up above the trees, changing his directions and gliding for a while. He got a quick hang of flying real quick to get refreshed with it, and came back and landed from where he lifted off. He landed with his knees bent and head down to absorb the shock of the hard landing, then stood up straight. He looked at her and grinned, thinking he'd be able to manage his motives. He said to her with his grin, "Want a ride?"

Gwen listened to his words of warning and stepped away slowly. All of a sudden Az shot up through the air. Gwen looked up at him as he pushed through the leaves that formed the roof of the forest. She was in utter amazement as he soar through the sky.

When he landed Gwen stepped forward once more " Wow, that was amazing!" She did not expect to be offered a ride. She was not scared to answer though and did so without thought. She nodded her head and stepped closer

Gwen took his hand and bit her bottom lip out of a mix of nervousness and excitement. She had always dreamed of flying through the endless sky, but could not believe she would actually get the chance too " I am ready when you are..."

Az was honestly one of the best guests she had ever came across. He was kind, fun, and could fly! He seemed to have everything that anyone could ever want. He was free to roam without being tied down to anyone or anything. He could soar through the air and was not even bound by gravity. He was never defenseless and knew how to take care of himself. In Gwen's eyes he had it all.

Her eyes no longer lingered on him, but up at the sky. She tried to imagine what it was going to be like, seconds before she would actually get the oppurtunity to do it. She hoped that she would not be disappointed. She really hoped it held up to the daydreams she had of it when she sat in her tree staring up at the sky watching the birds flaunt their gifts and taunt Gwen with their wings.

He smiled when she accepted. He turned around for her, and put her on his back, giving her a piggy back ride basically.

((Sorry for the small god mode there, but it would hurt to get lifted by the hand...))

He took her arms and put them around his neck, and flapped his wings a couple times to get her situated between them comfortably. He had never given anyone a ride yet, and this would be his chance to get used to it. It was a good thing she was pretty small, otherwise she wouldn't have fit very well between his wings. With her, he still had a good range of motion with his wings, enough to get in the air and fly.

"Alright, hold on tight, but don't choke me." He said with a grin. "And let me know if we get too far from your tree. I don't want you passing out on me now." He squatted down for a moment, raising his wings. He held on to her arms for a little support. Then he jumped, flapped his wings once and shot into the air fast. He broke through the opening in the canopy, coming out in a barrell roll. He broke out of the roll spreading out his wings and leveling himself, and flapped wings to propel them forward. He flew ahead fast, fast as she felt comfortable with, heading towards the open fields.

"Having fun yet?" He asked enthusiastically, hoping they weren't too far from the tree and that she was still awake from the G's he pulled doing the barrell roll. He flapped his wings every so often to maintain the speed and altitude, but mostly glided at a cruising speed. Once they broke out of the treeline and into the fields, he decended to just a few feet above the tall grass and soared along them. The tall grass just brushed his bare chest, tickling him a little bit.

He strafed side to side once in a while, swaying back and forth playfully as they flew, just having a little fun while taking the time to get used to flying. He then threw himself into a barrell roll by tucking his wings in to his sides, and spinning once around. Again he broke out of it once he was level again with the ground by spreading out his wings, gliding once more across the tall grass.

Gwen was helped up onto his back. It was rather easy to situate herself between his large wings. She was very lucky she was small. She giggled at his directions of holding tight and not choking him. She happily obliged, not taking the time to reply. She wrapped her arms his neck, but not tight enough to keep him from breathing.

Az soon began to flap his wings and Gwen got butterflies in her stomach. This would be the first time she was actually away from her forest floor and into the sky she looked up at so many nights. She shook in nervousness and fear.

Before she knew it, Gwen was shooting up into the air. The wind rushed against her face and pulled her long hair back with it. She clung on tighter as he ascended into the air. She loosened up quickly when she realized she was choking him " Sorry about that!"

She looked up and took a deep breath as she realized she was free from the forest. She looked down and could see her tree far below. It felt very strange, but at the same time liberating. She was a bit dizzy because of the altitude, but she could hardly notice as they moved through the sky.

As Az flew quickly down the the open field below, she could feel herself being weakened, but ignored the fact. She laughed as he flew low enough to touch the tall grass. She let her hand down and drug it along the green blades.

Gwen was overjoyed at this new experience " If I had wings I would fly all day and night. I feel so free and like I can do anything. Thank you so much for showing me what is it like to fly! I am having a great time!"

He was glad she was having fun. It was his pleasure. And it would be even more fun if he got fancy, or at least tried to. He had already gone for a couple barrell rolls, but those were easy. "Care for an air show?" He asked rhetorically, getting a little excited. At least he wasn't being choked since he hadn't passed out yet.

Figuring shew as doing ok, he wanted to make sure that they didn't get too far from her tree and pass out. He knew she would say something, but he didn't want her to, just to be sure. Suddenly he flapped his wings forward, ripping both of them backward in the opposite direction. The grass below the turning point rippled out in a burst of pressurized air in the that spot, and Az flew the other direction as he righted himself.

Going in the opposite direction back towards the tree, he suddenly shot straight up with another flap of his wings. They ascended incredibly fast with Az's natural demon speed, reaching a good height of probably 200 feet in two flaps. At that height he righted himself to glide, and glided still at a fast speed still towards her tree. "Hang on tight!" He said excitedly, and took farther into the air.

He brought them into a huge loop, and suddenly dive bombing at the top of it. He tucked in his wings around her to make sure wouldn't fall off or anything, and fell with increasing speed. They fell most of that good 200 feet, and broke out of the dive by spreading out his wings and returning to thei faster glide back to the tree. His wings were getting a little tired, since they were still new and needed to be trained a little more.

They started back to the tree, gliding near the ground again. "Still there?" He asked her sarcastically, rising above the treetops once they reached the treeline. He glided just above them, just going for a free fly, cruising around, enjoying the scenery. "About ready to land and feel the sweet earth again?" He laughed a little, ready for that himself.

Gwen laughed when he asked her is she was ready for a show " Lets see what you got then!" She closed her eyes when she shot quickly into the air, feeling the winds blow against her. She had wrapped tight around him as they went higher and higher. She was in awe that they were so high up, her large forest now seeming so small.

When Az looped around and dive bombed, Gwen screamed in excitement. She loved the trill and the adrenalin that made her heart beat so fast. Her voice echoed through the quite earth as she was lost in the moment of sheer fun and joy.

Gwen felt as if she owed Az a great deal for giving her the opportunity to experience this, even if she had saved his life. It was the most fun thing she had experienced through her immortal life in the forest. She wished she too could have wings and fly with the grace Az had.

They soon descended lower to the ground Gwen was so familiar with. She answered back at his question to see if she was still on " Surely you did not think you could lose me that easy, did you?" She smiled at her own response and pressed her body tight to Az's back, resting her head on him. Her rush was fading slowly, and with it her energy.

She talked to him, still keeping her head on his back " Yes lets go back. We will find some food. I think it is safe to say you have built up an appetite though all that exercise."

He nodded, feeling that she was started to get tired anyways, just by the way she slumped a little on his back. He too was a little tired being a new flier and all. "And back we go." He said softly, flapping his wings to gain a little speed.

He soared back to the opening in which they came out off, and slowed down by flapping his wings backwards. He let his feet fall, and flapped his wings enough to just float down to the ground, and touched ground like a feather. As soon as he touched ground he retracted his wings, disappearing into the scars on his shoulder blades. Then his stomach started rumbling.

He put a hand on it and chuckled. "Wow, I am hungry. I thought I was used to harder workouts too. You like meat?" He asked her, craving a little protein in his diet. He knew he'd be able to find a deer or maybe a few rabbits, kill 'em and cook 'em up to eat. He waited her answer, half expecting no since she was a forest dwelling dryad.

When Az landed, Gwen rolled off his back and her feet were once more reunited with the earth. She watched as the wings once more retracted back into her friends back. Az was very versatile and Gwen thought he held many more secrets and surprises inside him.

She listened to his stomach growl and laughed " Well I do not eat meat. I think my heart is to big to kill another living creature. Meat has never really appealed to me either. I stick to fruits and vegetables." She watched Az's face. To her he seemed a bit disappointed, thinking he would not get to have any meat " Animals do kill and eat each other in nature. I know that it is all to balance nature, and I do not care if others eat meat. It is only natural. You do not look like one that eats only plants either. I would not mind if you went on a little hunt."

Gwen than noticed that one of the trees was full with fruit. The sun made the skin of the red apples shine, tempting Gwen to bite into them. She moved over to the tree, lifting her hand to grab the fruit. She was much to short to reach the prized possession and the tree could sense her longing for its treasure. It bent down to aid her and satisfy her yearning. Its branches bent low to the ground and Gwen was able to reach the best fruits near the top of the tree.

She did not take all of them, but enough for Az and her to share. Gwen hopped back over to her friend and smiled, her hands holding the many apples " Lets just put these back at my tree and we will go foraging!"

He nodded to her at the hunt, drawing his dagger that was tucked away in the back of his pants, hidden and ready to go. Now he was ready to hunt something small, since she didn't eat meat. Maybe a rabbit or two would satisfy him.

Before he turned to go, he watched the tree bend itself over to give her some apples. He had blink a few times to see if that was really true. It was. Never before had he seen something like that. He asked in surprise taking an apple, "Did that tree just bend over for you?" He took a bite of it, chewing it slowly to make sure he was still in reality. Apparently she could control plants or something. So he decided she could do cool things like that, then ran off to find some game.

He didn't have to go far. He spotted a rabbit not ten steps in, and quickly threw his dagger at it. He struck it 20 meters away perfectly, ending its life immediately. He jogged over to it, pulled the dagger out of it. "Lucky shot." He said to himself with a chuckle. He saw it was a big rabbit, and figured it was enough for him. He skinned it there, and carved off all the meat into slices, putting them in the rabbit skin. He bundled up the skin and went back to camp, walking this time.

Looking up at the sky he saw that he was loosing daylight pretty fast, and needed a fire anyways to cook the meat. He reached where they were, finishing the core of his apple, and set his new meat by a tree. "I'm back." He said with a chuckle and a smile. "You know how to make a fire?" He asked curiously, wondering if she did. He knew how to, but he just wanted to see if she could.

Gwen laughed as he asked his question. To her it was just a natural thing, but she realized he had not been around her all his life " Yes the tree offered help. Nymphs are closely bonded to nature and Dryads can communicate with those of the forest. We can not control nature, as nature is suppose to be free. Rather we ask for its help when we need it, and usually it is happy to help. I really do not give it much thought actually, rather it just comes naturally!"

She watched as Az ran off on his little hunt. While he was gone Gwen would collect a few more fruits. She walked down a grassy path and found a bush. The bush grew two different colors of berries. Gwen knew to pick to uglier of the two. The beautifully colored berries were a trap and very deadly. The ugly berries tasted sweet and were safe to eat.

She picked as much as she could carry and found Az back at the tree they had left each other at. She gave him a smile, showing the bounty she had collected. She shook her head when he asked if she knew how to make fire " I do not. I had never really needed it. Fire is not a friendly being. It too like nature is uncontrollable, but it has a temper and a hard bite. It is not as willing to help as nature is. If you know how to tame the beast than by all means make a fire!"

Gwen knew that the forest was afraid of fire, but she would calm their nerves as it was lit. She liked to watch the fire, even if she was a bit afraid of it. Its unpredictability that made it feared also made it interesting. You never knew which way it would dance and move. It was definitely a beautiful sight.

He nodded to her as she invited him to make the fire. He knew how to tame the chaotic beast of fire. It was easy. Just put rocks around it. "Don't worry, I'll tame the fire. Its not going to destroy anything tonight." He said with a wink to her, as the light kept dimming more and more.

Walking around the area, he picked out fairly sized rocks and placing them in a circle in the middle of it, about a meter in diameter. Soon he had enough so that the fire wouldn't go beyond the small wall of stone and burn her forest down. After the rocks were set in that circle, he gathered dead wood from around and piled in into the middle of the pit. He had a good pile in there already, but gathered more to set aside for later. Then grabbing a dry stick and plank of wood, he set them near the bundle of sticks in the pit. He piled on some moss onto it, and jabbed the stick into the middle of. Putting his hands on either side of the stick, he spun the stick rapidly, and soon had smoke coming out of the moss. Once it started to get a little thick in the smoke, he blew on it gently, and got flame. He tossed the burning moss into the pile of sticks, blew on it some more, and soon enough, got a roaring fire going.

Before he got his meat started, he just sat by the fire a moment, extending his legs out, leaning back on his hands and watching the fire burn the dead wood in its bosom. The fire warmed his still bare body, and knew he was going to be cold son even with the fire. He then reached back, and pulled out his shirt that was tucked away in his pant leg. "There we go." He said with a chuckle, holding it to the fire a moment to warm it up. Then he put it on, feeling its warmth once again. "See? Fire isn't so bad once you know how to control it. And it doesn't take long to learn." He said with a smile to her, sitting back again to take it easy.

Gwen stood behind Az as he tried to conjure the flame. She did not cramp him, but did not stray far from him. Her eyes were completely glued on the task he was trying to accomplish. She was quite curious to see if he could make fire out of nothing. And soon enough he did.

She clapped and gave him a congratulatory smile " Well done!" She sat down beside him now, watching the small flames dance about in there prison of rocks. It was quite a beautiful sight, but in nature beauty was often deceptively deadly.

Gwen made sure not to place her fruits to close to the fire, so they would not dry out. She had a handful of berries and one by one she would slip them past her thin pink lips. They were one of her favorite foods in the forest. They were sweet and juicy.

Gwen leaned against the tree, but could still feel the warmth of the fire. As she pressed against the tree, she could feel its nervousness. The forest was rather leery of fire. It was especially destructive to forests if it got out of hand. Gwen trusted in Az's ability and was not alarmed though. She ran her free hand down the trunk of the tree and talked softly to calm it " Trust in our new friend. He knows what he is doing!"

Soon the tree trusted in Gwen's judgment and calmed down. She then looked up in the sky to see the stars began to show up in the darkness. They glistened and shone down like millions of little orbs of light. She gave them a smile of superiority " I am no longer envious of you silly little stars. I have been to your hight while you away..."

Gwen could feel a cold breeze blow through the trees, rustling their leaves and making a howling sound. She moved a bit closer to the fire and a bit deeper into the glow and chased away the darkness.

Az saw no difference in the way the trees acted as Gwen soothed them. Heck, if Az was being soothed by her, he'd be so relaxed in that tone of voice. Though he did find it just a little odd that she talked to a tree. But then again, she had some sort of special connection with them.

He then grabbed a stick, poked it through a slice of rabbit meat, and propped the stick against the stone circle so that the meat hung over the fire. It then started to cook and sizzle. It couldn't be smelled yet, but it would smell good once it was ready.

Then he laid back again, looking up at the stars through the clear night sky. It was nice to take a few days off from his reality, and make a temporary new one until he was ready to snap back and get back into the action. Now he could breathe in the fresh air, clear his mind, just forget about what was to come in his life.

"So, have you ever wanted to leave this forest? See the rest of the world?" He asked curiously. He couldn't imagine staying in one spot for a long time. He just had to travel and keep moving. He didn't know why, he was just a restless wanderer, probably with a wandering soul looking for somewhere to settle, maybe even with someone. Az never put much thought into it, until now. Suddenly he went into a slight nostalgia, but didn't know what it could be from. What did he miss? It would take a long time for him to find out.

Gwen watched as the rabbit cooked on the fire. She thought the animal carcass distracted from the beauty of the fire, so she focused most of her attention on Az and the stars.

She felt at ease in the glow of the fire. She did not want to move another muscle, only relax " Well I have thought about it a few times, but I had always had a greater purpose in the forest. The outside world had nothing for me, no places I needed to be, or people I needed to be with. Ever since I could remember I had the task of keeping my forest safe and helping it to grow. That is what I have done all my life."

There were perks that Gwen had dreamt of so many nights. The days she could spend around people. That was her biggest fantasy of the outside world. There was never a dull moment. You could not have both worlds though. No one place has everything you could ever want and no matter where you are, the grass is always greener on the other side.

Gwen had only known the forest. She loved the freedom and safety she was given for living in it. But the price of these gifts was to spend much of her immortal life alone in the heart of the forest, without others to share life with.

It would be a lie to say that she had not spent nights longing for the outer world, but that was not her only wish. She did not know if she could give up the life of the forest. It was all she had ever experienced and she was scared of what the world away from her forest would have to offer her.

He understood what she was saying. Well, at least she could stay out of all the troubles associated with going outside somewhere, but there were also a lot of nice things out there too. Az would probably have the same feelings if he was confined to one spot with a purpose, but he wasn't, and never could probably. Unless it was like a castle that he ruled or something, then he'd be able to.

He asked curiously, "If you could just once to see one thing, would you?" He still lay back, now crossing his knees. He still gazed up at the stars, the small spots of faint light giving his eyes tiny white dots scattered about. Quickly he realized that she was probably asked all of these same questions with all the other strangers that happened to stumble across this place and meet her. Perhaps she got tired of it, and was just being polite. "You don't have to answer it. I'm just a little curious." He lifted his head a bit off the ground to look at her.

He then drifted his gaze to his cooking meat, and turned the stick over to let the other side of the meat cook through. It was pretty close to being done, and he was starting to smell its good smells. Or maybe they weren't good and Az was just really hungry. Either way, it was still meat.

The next question was a hard one to answer. She did not really know if she would want the chance or not " Well it would be nice to see the outside world and know of it. The problem is what if I like it? What if when I have to go back to my tree I spend the rest of my life yearning to be their once more, but can never go back? I would put my curiosity at bay by going, but I might fall in love with the world outside my own in the process."

Gwen did not like making decisions. She had never really needed too and had never honed that skill. She was more laid back and let the world take her along for the ride. She did know if the outside world would tempt her because she could not have it. Everyone wants what they can not have. It has drove many a man crazy. Gwen thought if she did not experience the life outside her own, she could never know what is was like, and in return never want it.

Gwen could smell the aroma of the meat begin to fill the air. She reached over for an apple and bit into the it, tasting the sweet juice. She chewed it rather loudly, sitting back on the tree. It was her turn to ask another question and she did so with a mouth full of fruit [COLOR=green]" If you had the choice to change a part of your life what would it be? Is their anything that you regret? Would you not change a single thing?" There was many times she thought what if would be like if she was one of the many travelers she talked too. What if she had nowhere to call home, only able to move forward. She did not know if she would like going through her days with no real direction or purpose.