Seph's Land

LIGHTY
Seph brushed past the flowers and made his way down to the river. The water was calmer today and perfect for swimming. "Here," Seph said, "is the part of the river where I swim. I'll show you the hidden areas and all the best spots to hide in the water." He kicked off his shoes and dipped his toes in the water.

DAWNY
"Do you swim a lot?" Ceeci asked. She saw down by the bank and unlaced her sandals, setting them neatly a few feet from the water so she could wade in.

LIGHTY
Seph nodded. "Yeah. It's relaxing." He decided he could get his pants wet and let them drag in the water. "Um, Ceeci, do you mind if I...?" He motioned to his shirt, a bit embarressed by the question. He'd understand if she prefered it on him, but swimming with shirts on wasn't as fun. Seph didn't mind skinny dipping, it was actually what he preferred, but Ceeci wouldn't be comfortable at all and it would be totally inappropriate, so Seph figured he'd ask about the shirt. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

DAWNY
Ceeci grinned and shook her head. "No if you don't mind if I take my dress off. I've got a shift on underneath," she assured him, "But I don't think my dress will be very happy with getting wet." She held her skirt up with one hand to keep the fine fabric out of the water.

LIGHTY
Seph blushed a bit at the idea but nodded. "I don't mind. I would hate for your dress to get wet and then you have to go home like that." Seph pulled his shirt over his head. He was muscular in the way of one who worked in a physical trade was. Strong arms, very in shape, Seph shouldn't have felt self conscious about his looks at all. Here he was though worrying ever so slightly of what Ceeci thought of him. He tossed his shirt away from the water and waded in. The river was a bit warmer then usual and Seph was glad. "Do you want me to turn my back when you take off your dress?"

DAWNY
Ceeci shrugged. "I don't care. There's not going to be much to see. Sorry to disappoint." She grinned. She climbed back into the bank and unhooked the fastenings on the dress at the back of the neck and stepped out of it. Underneath, her shift was plain white cotton that come down mid-thigh. If it hadn't been so plain, it might have passed for a summer dress. Ceeci pulled out her hair pin and left it on her dress and then ran back into the river and dive in as soon as she was deep enough. She swam out under water until the pull of the river felt too strong for her too go out and further, where she popped up and treaded water.

DAWNY
Ceeci ducked back under before she followed after Seph, shaking drops of water out of her light gold hair. "Do you think you could swim across the river?" She asked, eyeing the far shore with a critical eye.

LIGHTY
"During the summer I can swim across." Seph told Ceeci. "Its not that difficult when there haven't been storms for a couple weeks." He ducked under the water and swum around the rocks. "This way."

DAWNY
"Kay, I'm coming. Where are we going?" Ceeci asked as she pushed off the rocks to catch up with Seph.

LIGHTY
The rocks were set up in such a way that water pooled calmly to the side. The steep slope nearby created a sense of privacy in the water. Seph and Ceeci would be hidden once they got past the rocks. "It's slippery here. What you have to do is place your foot right here in this spot," Seph demonstrated, "and push up, and swing your legs over. Sit on the rock and then slide down into the water." Seph showed Ceeci the motions and disappeared over the rocks. "Let me know if you need help."

DAWNY
Ceeci did as Seph had showed her until she was sitting on the rocks, and then she carefully climbed to her feet, her arms out to help her keep her balance. "How deep is the water?" She asked.

LIGHTY
"Around five feet? I wouldn't recommend diving." Seph cautioned. "It isn't especially safe for jumping." His black hair was wet and it fell past his forehead and into his eyes. He reached up and brushed his hair away so he could look up at Ceeci.

DAWNY
"Okay. Help me down before I fall and break my ankle." Ceeci didn't want try to climb back down the slippery rock. Jumping, she could do, but she wasn't so sure of her reflexes.

LIGHTY
"Jump, I'll catch you." Seph said with a smile. He moved closer to her and held out his arms. "I'll catch you bridal style and you won't hurt yourself with the jump."

DAWNY
Okay." Ceeci was a bit dubious. She rolled forward onto her toes and pushed off before she could slip and fall, splashing into the water.

LIGHTY
Seph caught Ceeci like he said he would she dipped into the water a bit but Seph held her carefully, like she would break. He let the arm under her legs slip away so she could stand on her own. "See? All good."

DAWNY
Cerci grinned. "Beautiful execution." She touched the ground with her toes then pushed back up, kicking to keep her whole head out of the water. She glared st him ggood-naturedly and muttered "Tall people..."

LIGHTY
"Why thank you m'lady." Seph said jokingly. "I aim to please. If you should wish you could hold onto my shoulder for support."
Ceeci bounced over to Seph and put an hand in his shoulder, but after a minute, shook her head. "That doesn't help much. Hold still." She swam around Seph and put her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist so if they were on land, he would be giving her a piggyback ride, but since they were in the water, she was mostly just keeping herself from floating off. "Kay. Howzat?"

DAWNY
"You're okay?" Ceeci repeated leaning over his shoulder to try and see his face. "Are you cold?"

LIGHTY
"No, I'm fine." Seph said. He started moving through the water with Ceeci on his back. He moved slowly, keeping his balance on the slippery river bed, and grinned. His thoughts went south when he thought of the trouble they could get in if they were caught.

DAWNY
Ceeci looked over Seph's back at the river and water around them. "This place is really pretty." The sun was beginning to set and that made it even more pretty but she that it would get chilly as soon as the sun set so she glared at the setting sun. She hated being cold.

LIGHTY
"We should get out soon." Seph commented. "You will need to be dry before returning home, and I don't want you catching sickness from being cold and wet. But first..." He spun around in circles in hopes of drawing a laugh from Ceeci.

DAWNY
"Aah, noo," Ceeci shrieked and chortled. "You're trying to knock me off!" She accused joking. "Take that." She spashed water at him.

LIGHTY
Seph spun again once more for fun. He took the splash because it missed his face almost completely. "I'm not trying to knock you off, I'm trying to have fun!" Seph dropped down a bit, submerging himself and Ceeci enough for the water to come to her shoulders.

DAWNY
"Okay, we're having fun." Ceeci let go of Seph and paddled a few feet back. She wrincled her nose at the sun. She knew if she wasn't home before it was dark, her parents would ask annoying questions. "Okay, so how do we get out?"

LIGHTY
"Same way we got in." Seph went over to the rock and found his usual boost to get to the top. It was easy for him but Ceeci's height would make it more difficult for her. Seph kneeled on the rock and offered a hand to Ceeci. "Here, grab my hand and put your foot where mine just was."

DAWNY
Ceeci put her foot on the rock and pushed until she could reach Seph's hand to steady her. She reached her other hand up and pulled herself over the rock. "Ta-da!"

LIGHTY
Seph slide down and opened his arms for Ceeci to jump. The water was probably deep enough for her to jump in on her own but Seph wanted to catch her. For safety of course. "You can use my shirt to dry off when we get out." Seph offered Ceeci.

DAWNY
"But then you'll get cold! I'll be okay," Ceeci said before she jumped into the water.

LIGHTY
When they reached the shore the sun was red in the sky and slowly setting over the horizon. Seph reached his shirt and picked it up, turning it over in his hands thoughtfully. "I insist you use it to dry yourself. I don't want you catching a cold. Besides, your dress would get wet and your parents would find out. Also, what sort of gentleman would I be if I didn't offer my shirt to you?" He turned to the girl standing near him who was already starting to shiver and Seph walked over with his shirt. In an almost intimate gesture, Seph wiped Ceeci's wet face with his shirt and then unlaced the top cord to open up the neck more. He pulled the shirt over Ceeci's head leaving her arms trapped at her sides. "There, now it's starting to get wet and you have to use it."

DAWNY
"You're very insistant upon being gentlemanly. Thank you." Ceeci remarked, smiling. She pulled her arms through into the sleeves and patted her arms dry. She wrung her hair out onto the ground and dried her neck and shoulders. She pulled off the shirt to dry her legs and she did her best to wring the water out of her slip. When she deamed that she was as dry as she was about to get, she spiraled her finger at Seph. "Turn around. I'm going to take my slip off so it doesn't get my dress wet."

LIGHTY
Seph's eyes widened significantly and he froze for a solid few seconds. Then he whipped around and turned his back. His eyes closed and he bit his lip as he heard the movement of clothes. It should be illegal, Seph decided, for pretty girls to undress in the same area as men. Actually, there probably were rules against in some law book or another. Movement, again, and more rustling of clothes, and Seph focused on keeping his breathing even.

DAWNY
Ceeci did her best to change quickly, stepping into her dress and pulling it up and she pulled her shift off over her head. She fastened the clips at the back of her neck and straightened her dress. She was about to tell Seph that she was done and he couldn't turn around now, but then she realized how stiffly he was standing and she grinned. she tip-toed up behind him and then jumped and threw her arms around his neck, shouting "Ha!"

LIGHTY
Seph jolted back and down and nearly hit his head against Ceeci's. "Ack!" He hadn't been anticipating Ceeci's weird hug and Seph had to regain his balance. It took a minute with her still hanging on him.

DAWNY
Ceeci let go and started jumping up and down in a sort of victory dance all while cackling maliciously. "Aah, haha! I wish I could have seen your face!"

LIGHTY
"Noooo, that was not funny in the slightest." Seph told Ceeci. "I should dump you in the water just for that."

DAWNY
"It was funny from over here," Ceeci chortled.

LIGHTY
"No, it wasn't." Seph disagreed, but smiled anyway. "Now, come on, you need to get home."

DAWNY
"I can just walk from here. It's not to far." Ceeci pointed upstream. "Just up there."

LIGHTY
"I'll walk you part way there." Seph decided. "It's getting late and the river isn't as safe as the sun goes down. Besides, ladies should not walk alone at night." Seph offered Ceeci his arm. "I'll leave you a safe distance away from your house. We won't get caught, I promise."

DAWNY
"I would be just fine," Ceeci said, but she took Seph's arm anyways. "We aren't actually doing anything wrong."

LIGHTY
Seph didn't disagree verbally. He still couldn't help but think of the problems that could come to if this swimming get together was discovered. Seph would be seen as corrupting Ceeci and his business might take a hit from it, her reputation would questioned, and both their marriages would be jeopardized. He had come so far and he was putting everything on the line for a stranger. She was a noble lady, her clothes were proof of that, and he was a merchant's son and owner of a trade shop. He was almost to her level but not quite there and everything had the possibility to go wrong. They walked up river. "Don't tell anyone about this..." Seph said. "Don't tell anyone about me. I can figure out a way to fix things with my friends, but I won't allow myself to interfere indirectly with your upcoming marriage. If you need me I'm at the shop, but we can't do this again." The house that Seph assumed was Ceeci's was in sight. The had come in from such an angle that anyone looking out would have a hard time seeing Seph and Ceeci. "I'm sorry."

DAWNY
Ceeci puled her arm away and dropped it to her side. "Thank you, Seph. I wont bother you again. I've made enough trouble and taken enough of your time. Whoever you're engaged to is a lucky girl." She gave him a final smile, and then turned and trotted up the street to her house.

LIGHTY
Seph nearly called out to Ceeci as she walked away. He wanted to her stop, to come back, he wanted to apologize, to wipe the sadness from her face, watch her smile again, genuinely this time, but Seph did not call after her. It was better off this way, Seph told himself. If they spent more time together he'd fall for her, maybe she'd fall for him as well, but their relationship could never be. Engaged. Seph rubbed his fingers roughly against his eyes and turned to go. He looked back once to see Ceeci enter her house and then continued on his way. Engaged, indeed, and it was better for both if they never interacted again. Seph twisted his shirt in his hands and frowned at it. A faint lavender scent was evident when he smelled it. Lavender, just like Ceeci's hair. Seph walked away, shoes and shirt in hand, and let the cold water of the river wash over his toes and to his ankles. Seph headed home, still trying to convince himself that not seeing Ceeci again was a good idea.