They were so deep in the forest now that the sun no longer peeked through the foliage of the trees, their shadows were no longer visible along the floor, and Ashley was no longer sure whether if day had yet fallen to night. She was sure Demetrius would have known, but she felt too shy to ask. She did not want to give the impression that she was not enjoying her time spent with him, or that she was not grateful.
Yesterday, Ashley had found the courage to ask Demetrius if he would accompany her to the Roraldi Forests, as she wanted to restock on some of the herbs that had been native to the area. "I can always buy them in the markets," she had said, "But I much prefer them fresh and organic. Much better potency that way." And like she knew he would, Demetrius had understood, and together they had taken the long trek.
That had been what Ashley imagined...seven hours ago. She had acquired all that she had needed to within the first fifteen minutes of the trip, but Demetrius had just kept walking, and Ashley had just kept following.
They were going at a very slow, very lazy pace, as was the pace of Demetrius. Ashley found herself constantly having to slow down, not wanting to appear rude or as if she was trying to rush him. Besides, when they walked this slow, she could much more easily take in her surroundings of the enchanting scenery around them. She took in a deep breath, the fog around her nose swirling around with the effort.
Demetrius suddenly paused, taking a moment to sniff the air. Ashley eyed him curiously. He blinked, letting his eyes remain closed for a few seconds before opening them back up again. "My dear Ashley," He said, his voice low and rich. "I do believe we have found ourselves, a little company."
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