Anwyn shrugged again, in answer to Gwenn's question about what she was doing here. "It's probably nothing that you'd find very interesting", she said, trying to sound innocent,"But, like I said, you're welcome to join me. Right now, I'm just exploring the city a bit more, before I go home again. There are many interesting neighbourhoods around here", she added casually, "I like the ones with houses that are THIS size (not too big and not too small) and these pretty cobblestone roads. And I like to look at the front-yard gardens that some of the houses have".
Gwenn sighed. "I've tol' ye, I've na' choice. It's a matter o' duty." He knew Anwyn wasn't being honest, but didn't know how to get her to tell him without admitting that he'd been following her or without accusing her of lying. And he really didn't want to disturb the new-found geniality by getting into yet another arguement with Anwyn.
Anwyn giggled at the look on Gwenn's face. "Duty before pleasure, right ? That's exactly how Sean and Ula used to sound when Michael, Mary and I were wee ones. Since they were the oldest children i our family, they had to tend us whenever our teachers and parents weren't doing it. Mostly, I thought they found us to be little pests".
"Well, sometimes, 'tis a pleasure," Gwenn replied, but his look didn't improve much.
"And I cannot get to know you better if I'm not around," Burl said, having once again regained his footing as a charming escort. He offered Anwyn his arm and they began to walk again....
Meanwhile, hidden on a nearby rooftop, Oberon was totally confused. He wasn't certain WHAT to make of what had just happenned between the three humans. The only thing that he WAS certain about, was that the small human chick would surely now find it more difficult to get herself into trouble. So he decided that now would be a good time for him to find himself a snack. As long as the human-chick still wore that shiny bit of metal (the silver chain with the crescent-moon charm that used to belong to Kay), he'd still be able to sense her almost as easily as he could sense the location of his human Uncle-Brother (Ceroill) or his human Nest-Sister (Kay).
There was a wide grin on Anwyn's face as the trio continued down the street. "I LIKE it when you two are around", she said abruptly, "You're ... interesting ...".
"Aye?" Gwenn said, looking more interested and less gloomy.
"Aye", echoed Anwyn, with a mischievous grin and a nod. "Even when we argue, at least you're talking to me. As much as I like Oberon, he's an owl and he can't talk to me".
"Did ye ever stop ta think I might talk to ye more if'n ye didna' argue sae much?" Gwenn asked gloomily.
That might have touched off yet ANOTHER agument. But fortunately, Burl interrupted. "And I like escorting lovely young damisela'yn," Burl commented. "Especially such interesting ones who've seen so much."
Anwyn replied with a wry chuckle, "Maybe I've seen too many places to be able to properly fit in with ANY of them. Most people seem to conisder me to be more than a little odd. But I am what I am. And I know what I like".
"And I like seeing Terranan roses in peoples' front yards", Anwyn said, trying to subtly fish for information. "It makes the townhouses look so much prettier", she added, mentioning one of the bushes she thought she'd recognized from her dream-vision. "Have either or you seen any nice ones in this neighbourhood ?".
Burl looked puzzled. "What's one look like?" he asked.
Anwyn giggled. "You don't know what a ROSE looks like ?", she replied, utterly amazed. Then she shrugged, "I guess you're not much interested in plants then .. unlike Kay. She's got a miniature one in her room -- it produces lovely little blooms that are the exact same red as freshly-shed blood. If you've ever visited her, then I guess you just never recognized it". She paused for a second, then indicated Gween, "I know HE's seen it".
"Aye," Gwenn replied. "But I didna' ken what kind o' flower it was. Starflowers and kireseth were the flowers I grew up wi'." Gwenn tried to explain it to Burl, but made a mess of it....
AHA!, thought Anwyn to herself. THIS was the sort of opportunity that suggested something to her. With a warm grin, she fished out her sketchbook and a pencil. "Hand on a few moments, and I'll DRAW you a picture of one". Her fingers flew across the page, quickly laying out the outline of the rose bush that she'd seen in her vision. Anwyn herself was surprised to see how many tiny details she remembered from so brief a look --and not just the bush itself, but also what it wa growing on. When she finished, the sketch was so realistic that it seemed almost ready to jump off the page. The only thing that she had NOT captured was the COLOURS.
"I don't remember WHERE exactly in the city this was", she said, giving Gwenn and Burl a half-truth at best, "but this is one of the finest examples that I've seen here, and I'd be glad to be able to find it again -- if only to be able to show you the COLOURS of it. I don't have the words to better describe them.".
Anwyn STILL didn't want to tell either of them the REAL reason why she was seeking one townhouse in particular. It seemed to fit into the category of "don't ask, don't tell". As long as she wasn't DIRECTLY telling certain people a lie, then she shouldn't feel guilty about NOT telling them any of them ALL of a truth that would likely only get them mad at her. And anyways, sometimes it was easier to get forgiveness AFTERWARDS, rather than getting permission BEFORE.
Quietly, she silently wished that they'd find the RIGHT house soon --- before Burl and Gwenn got tired of following her, and started trying to make her go home.
Gwenn growled in frustration. "'Tis easier shown than said," he complained. "I think there's one--not in this section, but nearby. It makes Kay's flower look like a wee babe wi' na' teeth." He began leading them to another section of the old town, closer to the spaceport....
Anwyn grinned happily to herself, recognizing the neighbourhood as one that she had circled on her map.But, for now, she said nothing.
Soon, a house came into view, with a rose-bush climbing up a gate and trellis....