He supposed it was a good sign for the state of things that he was starting to get the familiar itch to do. Once, that had meant finding a few good marks to relieve of their valuables or a rival group to remind just who ran the darker corners of Denocte - but with Isra in charge and the rest of the Crows vanished to smoke and memory, Acton found himself with idle hands.
It was a sign of his growth (he thought) that he chose to walk the long road to the Dawn Court instead of finding mischief closer to home. Besides, it had been too long since he’d seen Pavetta, and he owed her a sober conversation at least once in the course of their friendship.
But his anticipation turned to something else as he traveled through the rolling countryside of Novus - most notably as he passed through the burned-out sections of some parts of the forest. With the snow in Solterra and flooding in Denocte and Delumine, Acton hadn’t even given thought to how the Dawn Court had fared.
About as well as the rest of them, apparently.
Which is why he angled toward the first figure he saw, never mind that they were a stranger (though at first he thought it was Pavetta, and started before realizing his mistake). The buckskin did not worry about startling her; with his stark coat and languid way of moving, he never snuck up on anyone unless he meant to.
“Last time I was here there was a hell of a party going on,” he said once he was near enough in lieu of greeting, and his gaze flicked quick as a flame between the quiet fields, humming with spring bees, and the girl, who looked as delicate as one of the newborn flowers below their feet. “I suppose this is closer to the usual excitement level in Delumine. Shame.” It was close enough to a question, he hoped, to prompt some sort of response. If not, maybe his grin would be, all blackpowder and promise.
@Mesnyi
whatever you feed me I'll feed you right back
