Bait

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Cu Chulainn wasn't a patrolman, nor did he ever aspire to be one. He was the guardian of his country in the sense that he would respond immediately to dire threats but he had never been the man to watch every village one by one and butt his head into every squabble he saw. Despite that, he had a keen eye for trouble and countless thoughts about what justice was supposed to be--so, he tended to intervene in problems when they presented themselves if only because of the fickle nature of what justice looked like to him.

Two farmers were arguing over a fairy mound, claiming ownership over a magic bow that sprung out of it. It had been hovering in the air, moving around on occasion from their perspective. Cu Chulainn, puzzled, wondered if the two men were fools--as there was clearly a man in white attire holding the damned thing. He stepped down from his horse to approach the two in the middle of their quarrel, watching the bowman, who was ignoring them as he read from a thin piece of paper held up in front of him. The two men didn't notice the bowman at all.

The bowman met eyes with Cu Chulainn, perplexed.

"You can see me?"

"Yeah. You can call me Cu Chulainn and... I'm curious. Never seen an archer carry that kind of bow, before."

Their exchange of words was brief, if not polite on Cu Chulainn's end. The farmers backed off immediately when they saw Cu Chulainn speaking to what they presumed was a demented ghost clutching the bow and ran when the bow lifted and fired, trying to take off Cu Chulainn's head from the neck. The young man let out a terse sigh, unstrapping his spear from his back after avoiding the volley before making a bit more effort to close the gap and stride towards him. The dark-haired archer was stunned that his shot hadn't landed and even more so when the following dozen bolts were parried and redirected just as easily. He jumped up and kicked the bowman square in the chest, dropping him to the ground before there had been a few popping sounds.

Strange. It didn't sound like the sound of bones breaking--he didn't think he kicked hard enough to do that. The bowman stumbled back, coughing and wheezing, his eyes bulging open as he buried his hand in his clothing to pull out a vial. The thing had broken in the center and little white tablets fell to the ground, dissolving. The shocked expression he wore spoke more about what happened than whatever he could pull out with his strange accent.

"I--I can't stay here!"

He threw a capsule to the ground, blinding light shining and catching Cu Chulainn off guard. He stepped back, vanishing into a tear in thin air, just as a few more of the tablets landed on the ground where he had been standing. Cu Chulainn rubbed under his eyes before stepping over to the remaining tablets, picking them up with a scowl.

"What a pain--fairy mounds are just troubling these days. Nothing good comes out of the damned things anymore--"

As if proving him right, a dozen or so howling voices rose up in the woods, the town, and the mountains all at once. Screaming farmers and milling people came shortly after, clearly bothered by the owners of those inhuman howls. His irritated scowl deepened and he ran off, away from the mound and towards the sound of trouble, "Speak of the devil... and he'll come crawling right away, huh?"

Comments

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[Cu Chulainn breathed in the rich morning air, rubbing his chin in imitation of Laeg, who had been stroking his beard. The old man grunted at him, irritable.]

Don't imitate me, boy. You got fewer whiskers than a kitten.

Oh, so you're waking up now?

[When Yoruichi turned up, he turned to flash her a grin and patted the chariot alongside Laeg. There was a bench on the back of it and, overall, it looked flimsy. Definitely not the best-looking one in the courtyard but Grey and Black had reigned to it. It was clearly his.]

Look! Since we're at war, I have an excuse to use this thing.

[Laeg cleared his throat. Cu Chulainn's eyes widened when he realized what he'd forgotten.]

Oh, and you're coming with, Yoruichi! We're going to start by searching for fairy mounds.

[Offhandedly, Cu Chulainn gestured over his shoulder with his thumb to the older man rolling his jaw and spitting off into the dirt besides the cart.]

Please t'meetcha.

[Cu Chulainn more than made up for a sunny greeting after Laeg snorted and cleared his throat.]

He's very shy, so don't wor-- [Laeg reached one foot up and quietly stomped on Cu Chulainn's.] --ry.

[goneonenight]

[She gives the chariot a curious look. It looks pretty rickety, but it can't be that bad if he's planning to use it in battle...right?

The horses snort at her arrival, and she rounds the chariot to pat the grey one on the neck again. He'd seemed to like it yesterday, and the animals are starting to grow on her.]

Are you sure? You don't have any other duties? [Since they're currently at war, she would have understood if the search for fairy mounds needed to be put off for the time being. Yoruichi has no doubt that Cu Chulainn will keep his promise, so she'd never considered that he'd drag the process out intentionally. As one of the only able bodied warriors left after yesterday's attack, the duties for preparing for battle must weight heavily on him.]

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We're not gonna go into enemy territory or anything--not yet, anyway. It'll be fine to look around our territory for anything that could pop up... And, the benefits of being the only defender left in the country...?

[He slapped Laeg on the back. The old man seemed to scowl even deeper, realizing they really were the only three people in the yard at the moment. It was as close to a foregone loss as one could get from his perspective.

Not that he was intent on retreating or running away. As tired as the old man looked, Laeg didn't look as if he had any interest in backing down.]

Well, it means I don't really have an 'ideal' defensive position to fight in, so I might as well be moving as much as I can!

[He seemed downright proud of his completely nonchalant appraisal of the worst-case scenario for saving a country at war. His upheld confidence seemed fairly strong despite the fact that he completely understood the harsh situation he had been placed in.]

[goneonenight]

If you say so. [She sounds somewhat amused, giving the horse one last pat before stepping up onto the chariot. Laeg's expression is a mixture of exasperated and resigned that she's learning is common when people deal with Cu Chulainn. His sunny mood in the face of their dire situation would agitate anyone who was anxious about the upcoming fight.

He is weird, but he's growing on her.]

Why would you use this instead of riding one of your horses?

[There's no judgement in her manner, simply curiosity. They don't use these in Seireitei, and she' intrigued as to the use of them in a pitched battle.]

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[Laeg leaned back when Yoruichi posed that question, deciding to look elsewhere for the moment. In turn, Cu Chulainn beamed. Almost as if he'd been waiting for her to ask. A bit different from his usual flirting, it looked as if he was just a young man proud of something he'd done. Briefly puffing up his chest, Cu Chulainn rewarded Yoruichi's curiosity with a surprising lack of noise.]

Hm? 'Cause, it's strong.

[As a brief demonstration, Cu Chulainn drew his sword from his hip and brought it down sharply on the front of the chariot. No sound. The blade struck and wind rushed up from it, Cu Chulainn's hair blown in the opposite direction from the force that came out of it. His hair, suddenly a mess, Cu Chulainn grinned from ear to ear.]

See? I enchanted every single grain of it.

[goneonenight]

[Yoruichi blinks in surprise when Cu Chulainn hauls off and strikes the chariot. There's no damage whatsoever, unless you count the mess the wind makes of his hair. She supposes the extra protection would be helpful in a pitched battle, even if you do sacrifice maneuverability. And frankly, she trusts him to know what makes more sense here. As capable as she is, open battle is different from covert missions and scouting, and she's quite aware of her lack of experience here.]

Wow. [The grey horse snorts and shakes his head, and she frowns.] What about them, though? [She motions to the horses. They're innocent, really, and it seems sad that they'd be hurt in a fight they didn't choose to be in.] How do they manage in a battle?

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Oh-- if you show too much concern for these boys... [It was too late. Both horses made noise, literally chomping at the bit and fixing excited, playful looks on Yoruichi. The way they shook their manes, it looked as if they were overeager to stretch their legs and get out of the courtyard. Cu Chulainn looked apologetic over the two of them.]

Well, I guess they didn't take it personally. You gotta mind, they understand every word we're sayin', Yoruichi. These here are my brothers--horses born on the same day as myself.

[Laeg spoke up.]

The three of them're fated to die on the same day, so they're nigh inseparable.

Not that that's likely to happen for a bit. I'm still nice and energetic, Laeg.

[Suffice to say, prophecy was simply a casual aspect of life with him. Cu Chulainn glanced at Yoruichi and bowed his head a little.]

But, don't mind it. They're terrible strong. Faster than you and I in a serious sprint, too. If we want to go untouched today, they'll be the ones guaranteeing it.

[goneonenight]

Oh, they do? [She makes a point to watch what she says around them. Not that she'd been rude so far, but if they can understand her, she shouldn't talk about them like they're not there. She leans forward to grin at both horses.]

Sorry, didn't mean to insult you. We'll have to race sometime. [As Cu Chulainn said, the horses seem eager to show off rather than offended, but since they'll be pulling the chariot, Yoruichi figures she can be polite. Her first thought is that they can't possibly be faster than her, but if they were, it wouldn't be the weirdest thing she's seen over the past day.

Both Laeg and Cu Chulainn are rather casual about the pronouncement that Cu Chulainn's supposed to die with his horses. Yoruichi narrows her eyes at them both, but by all appearances, they're serious. It'd be a weird thing to joke about, anyway.]

The same day? How would you even know that?

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[The twin horses bristled fondled, with Grey reaching over to give Yoruichi's shoulder a nudge. Cu Chulainn hiked a brow, though he didn't comment on it. Yoruichi's question pulled him out of his thoughts, right as he wondered whether or not they'd end up meeting someone they'd need to sprint past during the day.

Though, as fast as those horses were--a dead sprint in a battlefield was risky. At best, they would get their best moments going from hill to hill.]


It's one of Cathbad's prophecies. He must have shown you one, right? He does it to just about anybody that makes eye contact too long and they're pretty freaky. [Cu Chulainn pointed at his right eye, frowning gravely.] He gets glassy-eyed and just starts ramblin' and throwing visions at you but they always come true.

He had that vision of us dyin' together when the three of us were born and told my parents. Figures, the first thing they wanted to teach me when I was young was how to take care of 'em. It's my job to make the two of them famous as kings before it all happens.

[He couldn't quite read Yoruichi's discomfort on the matter. It wasn't as if no one else had been troubled by it but that was a mood he always failed to read when it came to his choices in life.]

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...yeah. Yeah, he did. [Cathbad's words had been in the back of her mind, springing back with Cu Chulainn's reminder. From what the old man had said, he didn't expect his grandson to survive today's battle. He thinks Yoruichi can save him somehow.

She will, of course. Somehow. Even if she doesn't know what the fuck is going on, except that some crazy bitch wants to raze this castle to the ground and take everyone with it. But last night's misunderstanding aside, Cu Chulainn has been nothing but kind. She doesn't want him hurt, and she definitely doesn't want to see him die.

She opens her mouth to speak, then closes it, then opens it again.]

Is he always right? His prophecies, I mean.

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[Yoruichi's question stood out. It brought a theory he had up to mind and he recited it aloud, reaching with both hands to begin adjusting Grey's bridle and reigns. The horse's fidgeting was noticed in short order.]

Kind of. It's easy for us to say prophecy because of how complicated it is. I kinda toyed with the thought a few times before when I was thinkin' about how his eyes worked, myself.

[Cu Chulainn released one hand from the reigns and reached up to pull down one eyelid.] His magic starts in his eye. A glance at a moment in time. If he says you'll die in the fall, it's because he saw red leaves on a tree somewhere. Maybe you were resting against the wall of a barn. He saw you in that spot. The only thing he sees is the one moment where that fate occurs. You could have an arrow through your heart resting against that barn-- but...

[His eye directed to his spear. A straight, red line.]

That's just the setting. If you decided to go around wearing armor made to deal with arrows and vowed to never approach a barn for the rest of your life, you could avert prophecy--provided that's what he's really seeing. After all, if you died because you wronged a warrior from some other kingdom, the weapon itself would barely matter. It could be a sword or a hunk of cheese. Course, it's not really prophecy.

[If he went on explaining it, it was simply because he assumed Cathbad showed Yoruichi something she didn't prefer to see. In his own explanation, Cu Chulainn had the utmost faith that he could deliver Cathbad's 'prophecy' accurately. On the other hand, it sounded to him like maybe Yoruichi needed a little encouraging.]

It's just him piecing together what he sees as the inevitable ending of something. If you don't want his vision to come true, then you gotta change something fundamental. So, if he tossed some strange vision at you--just work at a little self-improvement and you'll beat it!

[goneonenight]

[It still sounds like prophecy to her, but it seems like Cathbad sees possibilities rather than certainties. The explanation strengthens her resolve to avert whatever fate may await Cu Chulainn during this battle. If it's not set in stone, than she can find a way around it. She's been wiggling her way in--and out--of things her entire life.

Still, it's sweet of him to try to reassure her, even not knowing what she'd been shown. Even if he's cavalier when talking about his own death, she's not going to tell him what his grandfather said. They're already at the disadvantage for the coming battle, so no sense having that hanging over his head as well.]

I'm not too worried...but thanks. [She grins up at him, adjusting her footing as he calms Grey down.] Looks like the horses want to get started. Should we go?

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Oh? Well, that's reassuring! So, let's....

[That thought alone brightened him even more. Confidence earned and maintained was rare. It certainly spelled for a good afternoon. Easily, Cu Chulainn stepped onto the base of the chariot and reached behind himself to tie his bangle to his hair, shutting it with a click.

When he laid his hand on the back of the chariot's outer wall, Cu Chulainn furrowed his brows. Laeg stirred, his eyes growing dark when an icy chill of washed over them all. The horses stirred and seemed to shudder. Cu Chulainn, reaching up to rub his nose, looked between them and frowned. He hadn't noticed it at all.]

Er. [What he did notice was Laeg's very sudden discomfort as he adjusted the horses' reigns.]

You alright, Laeg?

[goneonenight]

[Yoruichi adjusts her footing, preparing for the chariot to move. But suddenly foreboding washes over her and her eyes go hard and alert. The horses dance in place, clearly ill at ease.]

What was that? [Cu Chulainn looks confused, while Laeg seems as uneasy as the horses. Swiftly, she pivots, putting her back to Cu Chulainn's. She may not know what's going on, but no point leaving their backs unprotected.]

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Ah? [The sensation worsened when Laeg and Yoruichi fell on guard. Laeg's sword, nearly rusted into its sheathe through lack of care and disused, nearly rattled when he drew it loose. Yoruichi readied herself while, ultimately, raising her guard to suit whatever fell over the two of them. Taking a moment to loosen his shoulders, Cu Chulainn silently set his attention on the fields before them and squinted. Far, far away over a distance of a few leagues, he could see a crow perched steadily on a branch, staring directly at their group. A shudder went through his horses as they spotted the same creature he found.]

Ohh. I see. [He hunched low and picked up a small stone, rolling it over his fingers experimentally. It wasn't particularly smooth but it felt nice between his fingers slowly, he wound his arm back and reassured the two of them. Laeg panicked and lifted both his hands to cover his ears when he saw Cu Chulainn before shoving Yoruichi's arm with his elbow to get her attention.] Girl!

I suppose that vow of mine protects me from your fearsome nature, doesn't it?

[He tossed the rock hard enough to cut the wind. Off in the distance, a brief 'pop' followed the stone's impact. When the dust cleared and the trees ceased the swaying the uproar of wind caused among them all, the crow appeared unscathed. It cawed once and took off into the air, leaving them, the warmth returning to that field in short order. Cu Chulainn smiled warmly as he watched it take off, unperturbed by its unharmed state and the way it hadn't blinked even a single time his way.]

Shy women aren't really my type.

[goneonenight]

[She can feel Cu Chulainn at her back; rather than tensing, he seems to be completely unaffected by whatever is raising everyone else's hackles. He stoops to pick up a rock of all things, and before she can ask what the hell he's doing, Laeg shouts out in alarm, jostling her with his elbow before clapping his hands over his ears.

This is the most emotion the man has shown all day--probably all week. If something rattles him that much, Yoruichi is willing to put off the questions until later. Covering her own ears, she turns her head just enough to see Cu Chulainn hurl the stone into the distance.

The far, far distance. Far enough that it's quickly out of sight. It's an unbelievable throw, tearing through the air with such force that anything not anchored to the ground is pulled along in its wake. Even the trees are affected, leaves torn away and smaller branches snapping off.

The weight and cold quickly dissipate, and Cu Chulainn smiles at something he sees in the far distance. Yoruichi carefully lowers her hands from her ears, disbelief ringing in her voice.]

What--what the hell was that?

[red_branch]

[First, it wasn't too troubling to see Laeg and Yoruichi afflicted by the dreadful presence in the forest. If anything, it certainly proved Yoruichi was alive in some sense and Laeg hadn't gotten a heart attack and died yet. Beyond that, it didn't shock him in the least that either of them were still standing. Laeg had always been hardy and Yoruichi had decked one of the country's most prominent warrior kings hard enough to send him flying. Some uptight bird wasn't going to truly buckle either of them.

Laeg loathed the concern, assuming the young man's genuine worry was some sort of slight about his age. Laeg fed him an irritable look while Yoruichi posed her question. Cu Chulainn blinked a few times in befuddlement, surprised that Yoruichi hadn't discerned who it was. Perhaps it was simply an educative moment but if a Soul Reaper didn't recognize her presence then they must not have been acquainted at all.]

I thought you might have known her? [Setting his hand on Macha's back, Cu Chulainn adjusted his saddle one more time. Laeg had been distracted and lost track of what needed to be secured before they left.]

That bird was the Morrigan. [Laeg added the rest, exhausted, just to complete the thought despite an embarrassed grimace from the prince.]

The Goddess of Death. She has a crush on our young lord.

[goneonenight]

[Cu Chulainn seems completely unaffected, and Yoruichi has to look at Laeg once more to make sure it's not just her.

That oppressive feeling is gone now, and the sun's heat is sinking into her body, driving away the earlier chill. She looks from one man to the other as they explain, mingled disbelief and astonishment crossing her face.]

Uh, no, I don't know anybody like that. And how many crazy women are chasing after you anyway? [Between a goddess and a queen who's already married to his uncle? cousin? whoever--Yoruichi's surprised that Cu Chulainn has any interest in other women at all. He'd certainly wasted no time hitting on her when she'd arrived.]

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Mmm. Only the two. [Having to readjust the bridles for the horses and tighten their reins all over again, Laeg and Cu Chulainn set out to their work. Cu Chulainn and Laeg traded expressions, the young man grimacing out of embarrassment in front of someone he quite liked and the older man growing content with the young master's sudden hesitation to add important clarification to the matter.

Cu Chulainn shot the old man a glowering look and, as one of the few people who was utterly unafraid of him, he mouthed off happily.]

Only the two you know of. The one loves the heroic knight bit so much it's a small wonder--

[Cu Chulainn finished tightening the reins a bit quicker than Macha preferred, prompting a shudder from the beast. He glowered in Laeg's direction with a little tear in one eye he refused to acknowledge. He tried to reassure Yoruichi without looking at her. Laeg recognized the pouting for what it was and chuckled, stepping back onto the platform of the chariot.]

Come on. We ought to get moving or this old man'll start fibbing to have fun.

[goneonenight]

Hmm.

[Two sounds like two too many, and if Laeg is right, there might be more floating around out there. Cu Chulainn can't seems to meet her eyes all of a sudden, clearly embarrassed by the whole situation. Well, he doesn't seem to be encouraging them, so it's not like she can hold it against him.

She certainly hadn't expected to be safe in the middle of a battle, but no one's tried to kill her over a boy before. Yoruichi never saw the point in fighting over guys--if someone didn't want her, it was just their loss.

The boy in question is busying himself with the horses, as though eager to outrun this conversation. She allows herself a quick grin; he's not looking, so he won't see it.]

Is that right? [She gives Laeg an impish, faux-innocent look.] Are there other stories you want to tell me about him?

[Yes, they need to go on patrol. But if you can't joke around before a fight, when can you?]

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Hey...

[He only turned to face her once Yoruichi had slipped back into a look of innocent curiosity. His weak protest went completely ignored. Quick to appreciate a moment to tease the young prince, Laeg's energy rose swiftly with Yoruichi's sudden interest in the topic. He leaned against the front platform of the chariot, watching Cu Chulainn remove a few loops of rope from the back end of the bridle to fix them back on and tie them to adjust for how they had been shaken before.]

D'you want my favorite first or something of a warm-up? My favorite is 'The Broken Spears' but there're plenty of good ones in the meanwhile!

[Laeg opened a pouch at his side, pulling out a leather-wrapped piece of jerky for Yoruichi. Cu Chulainn finished up and stepped into the back of the chariot, crossing his arms and irritably staring forward as he expected Laeg to start driving the moment he was done.

Laeg wasn't at all in a rush.]

[goneonenight]

[Yoruichi accepts the jerky with a nod of thanks, snickering as Laeg settles in.]

Well if it's your favorite, I can't wait to hear it.

[Cu Chulainn is starting to look downright surly, but it's the long-suffering sort of expression of someone who's simply resigned to hearing something they've heard a dozen times before. Laeg's obviously practically family, and in no fear of irritating or embarrassing a prince and a seasoned warrior. Yoruichi has retainers who treat her the same way, so it's warming to see something else they have in common.

She smiles up at Cu Chulainn, her expression bright and unguarded.]

Come on, I thought you wanted me to know more about you.

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[At a point, he was probably going to have to re-establish a reason for people to understand how honorable and dignified he was. That conversation was rapidly becoming problematic to his very image--not that he contributed any better reasons to make that the case lately. He spent that morning and the night before being a complete and utter mess of a prince, after all.

Surly didn't even cover it. One could probably hear the grumble in his voice.]


This is so incredibly unfair.

Get used to it, boy. It'll be a LONG day...

[And, as he cracked the reigns and they took off into the green, Laeg told Yoruichi the story of Cu Chulainn's knighting ceremony. Though he left out the part with his vow to Cathbad at the end, he didn't hesitate to embellish the childish tantrum thrown when he was denied a chance to be a knight. How he smashed all the spears in the kingdom until he was told he could go through the ceremony and how he had to be wrestled to the ground to keep him from breaking the chariots, too. Many bruises were shared that day and Cu Chulainn was red as a tomato by the end of it.]

[goneonenight]

[Yoruichi looks alternately appalled and delighted throughout Laeg's story, one hand lightly resting on the chariot rim in order to keep her balance. Her attention is divided between both her companions; Laeg is matter of fact, his hands deftly controlling the horses as he speaks. Cu Chulainn grows grumpier as his exploits are regaled and by the end he looks as though he might combust with embarrassment.

Still guffawing, she turns to face him.]

I almost wish I'd seen it...oh come on, you must be used to hearing about that by now. [She reaches up, poking at a bright red cheek.] Wow, you weren't even this red after your bath yesterday.

[Just then, the chariot hits a rut, throwing her against Cu Chulainn's chest before she can regain her footing. Then it's her turn to blush as she plants her hands on his chest.]

Umm, sorry. [Her grin fades, then snaps back.] Just for falling, not for laughing.

[red_branch]

[The abject teasing was bound to have him grinding his teeth to dust well before the sun set but he could at least assuage his irritation with the realization that a fight could break out and spare him the embarrassment.

Though, maybe it was poor form to hope for such a thing.

There were aspects of the ride worth complaining about but, somehow, there was a silver lining to it. Namely--that it was difficult to really stay sullen with the wind in his hair and that little shift in weight that had Yoruichi resting against him, albeit briefly. Almost on reflex, he put his hand on her shoulder, steadying Yoruichi under the rough movement of the chariot. With a touch of apology on his face, he smiled and turned back to the breaks in the forest Laeg had been pulling them through.]

We're just going to keep hitting bumps like this, Laeg. Let's take a stop here.

[Laeg grunted, a little annoyed at his story being ended a bit prematurely and at Cu Chulainn somehow innocently missing Yoruichi's expression.]

This boy... Very well, then.

[The blur of the forest had ceased and, drawn up beside a shallow creek, Cu Chulainn stepped off and held out his hand out for Yoruichi--more out of courtesy. He'd seen her leap hundreds of feet in single steps, so he had his doubts that she would trip.]

I'd say this is a good spot to stretch our legs and have a drink.

[More so, it was a good spot to try and catch a fairy's attention.]