Heart's Content

Part Sixteen

{'Source of the Lison' by Gustave Courbet from Wikimedia Commons}

Once they joined Sabien on the hill, their stroll took them to the edge of the forest where Sabien had discovered a small path that was marked by a soft clearing of grass and a parting in the shrubbery but no other significant appearance of a path well trodden, "so this is where you disappeared to," Lisette spoke with an amused tone, confident that when she had lost sight of him over the hill he had called to them from, it was because he had disappeared onto the pathway.

"Indeed," Sabien hurried his steps slightly so that he might get a little bit ahead of them before pressing aside some of the more meddlesome branches to clear the way for his sister and fiancé as he gave them an exaggerated bow, "miladies."

Arm in arm the girls passed through the opening that Sabien cleared for them, and giggled slightly at his chivalry before the three of them began exploring the secluded forest path. There was a certain serenity to the forest, devoid of any of the sounds of city life nor the sounds of the port town of Seldoné. Lisette and Sabien were in awe as the silence grew louder, the sound of the ocean dying down as that of the rustling of trees and singing of birds and other sounds of forest creatures became the dominant ambiance that surrounded them. In the peace of the forest, none of them had the urge to speak and Genevieve would have been content to continue on their way, inevitably turning back towards home as the sky grew dark, were it not for Sabien's keen ears. After a while their gentleman escort paused in his tracks, placing a finger to his lips and hushing the two ladies.

"Do you hear that?" Both of them silenced as he bade them do so, listening intently and eventually they could both hear the sound of water gurgling in the distance.

"Oh..." Genevieve knew what they were hearing as it was a place she had visited many times before with Pioter. She had first discovered the place as a child when she was exploring with him after they had both healed from their accidents. It was nice to have him around because he didn't react to her the same way as everyone else did, and she treated him the same as he did her so they often found their way to the secluded area to read books to one another or just day dream about what they planned for their futures, which was mostly just ideas of fancy and nothing that was actually serious, "there is a fresh water pool and secluded falls at the edge of the property. I'm not even certain that many of the locals know of it since it is on our land."

"Right! Then let's take a dip, shall we?" The warm weather of summer followed closely on the previous storm's coattails and despite there being a steady breeze blowing in from the sea, once they had stepped onto the secluded forest path that same breeze had been stifled by the trees that surrounded them and even though he removed his jacket, Sabien's clothing wasn't best suited for the stuffier temperature of the woods and the prospect of an impromptu swim appealed to him perhaps more than it did the ladies as he swiped his dark hair from his sweaty forehead once again and cut a path through the brush that lay between them and the hidden falls. Lisette seemed to have no hesitance either as she smiled with excitement and followed shortly behind him, her arm loosening from Genevieve's to slide down to her hand, though as her hand touched the other's, her movements were halted as Genevieve's had not commenced.

Lisette turned back to Genevieve questioningly and Genevieve shook her head, "if the forest is too warm, perhaps we should move back out to the fields or return to the manor?"

"Nonsense! Why leave when we have stumbled upon a blessing that will cool us and offer us a bit of fun as well?" Lisette insistently tugged Genevieve towards her until she relented and followed, Sabien was already undressing by the pool's edge which was marked by dark stones covered in lush green moss. From the northeast was the primary source of the sound they had followed, a waterfall that stood about three yards up from the surface of the crystal clear pool itself and was as wide as it was tall. The whole of the little oasis was surrounded by thick bushes and tall leafy plants and covered generously by a thick canopy of leafy tree branches.