She allowed him to perform the drying spell, and thus he did so — first on her, and then on himself, leading them to a crisp dryness and a fresh warmth; albeit a bit scruffier round the edges. This didn't much affect Arven's look, which was rugged at the best of times, but the girl with the parasol looked like she'd already been on quite the adventure.

"Knowing Virgil, he's probably still doggedly following his prey". He glanced around the green woodland; there was no real path in here, just a very light track. Arven began along it, but turned to make sure his unlikely companion was doing okay. "Keep your eyes out", he instructed with a smile. "And just let me know if you feel tired or scared; I can take you back to Hogsmeade at any time."

  

---

It did feel nice to be warm and dry once more and Dove relished it. It seemed foolish to keep her parasol open when they were now protected from most of the rain so she closed it up. Her hat would be protection enough for now.

"Why would I be scared? Besides, I have my parasol. They can make for good weapons, did you know?" Well, he was a man all the time and not some of the time the way that she was. So he probably didn't know, she supposed. Rather than fright, she regarded the woodland the way she had everything else thus far: sheer curiosity. If she were a rabbit, her nose would probably have been twitching.

  

---

Arven gave a bark of laughter at her reply; he agreed, of course. There was no reason to be frightened. But he could not help but feel that any other girl in her position — daintily-dressed, well-groomed, raised for nothing but high society — would be a little scared rambling through the woods with a wild stranger.

Not this one though.

He turned to walk backwards now along the path, gazing down from the closed parasol back up to its straight-faced mistress. "Is that so? Do you think you could battle me with a parasol?" His tone was playful, roguish. There would be no need to fight him.

Unless she wanted to prove a point.

  

---

Dove watched him as he began to walk backwards down the path. She privately thought he would end up tripping over a root like that but maybe he knew this expanse well. After all, she knew the forest around her home pretty well due to years of it being the only place she was allowed to explore. And even then, sparingly for fear distant neighbors might somehow learn of her existence.

"I think I could," she said boldly. "I was trained in the art of the sword and it is much the same principle." Well, Robin had trained because it was a manly sport in her fathers eyes. But it wasn't like knowledge she had acquired just disappeared when her gender identity and appearance shifted.

  

---

"You know what — I believe you", he concluded with that same knavish tone. But he was telling the truth, for he had learned by now that this stranger was not what she seemed.

Arven fell into graceful step beside her. "Perhaps you would deign to teach me."

  

---

"Sword fighting or parasol battling?" She asked teasingly when he suggested that she might teach him. Her grey-green eyes were glinting with mischief at the idea of this roguish, scruffy man wielding a parasol as a weapon of choice.

  

---

"Is there a difference?" he quipped back, but then glanced around on the forest floor and found a long, narrow stick that had fallen from a tree — perhaps a beech.

"But it takes two. So perhaps you should have the parasol, as the expert. And I'll make do with — this", he whipped up the stick, but did not wield it purposefully yet. Not until instructed.

  

---

"Very well but this is hardly conducive for finding ferrets," she said with a laugh. "Have you really never handled a sword?" Of all sorts, he seemed the type that she would think had done so before.

  

---

Arv gave a crooked smile. The girl was right, of course — they weren't being very productive. But Virgil had gotten himself out of all manner of tricky situations, and as long as the ferret could sense his master was nearby that was already half the job done.

He had to think on the question a moment, and then replied; "I've never used a sword. Except to juggle them", he added unexpectedly.

  

---

"Juggle them? I think I would like to see that one day if you're so inclined." Because she wouldn't mind another adventure with him, she felt. He didn't seem intent on treating her like porcelein that would break and she appreciated that. And besides, she was just like anyone else when it came to wanting to keep the company of someone they found both interesting and attractive. For they rarely went hand in hand for her.

  

---

"Gladly", he responded. Perhaps he'd even set the swords on fire for her before he juggled with them. He was a person with some very strange talents — but then, so was she. If she could show him how to sword-fight, it was only fair that he share a talent in return.

  

---

"I should probably tell you my name then but then again maybe I shouldn't and it can be a mystery for you." She was mostly teasing but there was also some appeal in not giving her a name. Let him wonder if he had imagined her into existence. She knew his, of course from when she had met him as Robin. "Now are you ready for our duel?"

  

---

The girl with the parasol had remained nameless up until now, so they may as well keep it going. Propriety had already been thrown out of the window in its entirety, so why abide by introductions?

"How about I earn your name", he suggested, wielding the stick like a blade, ready for their "duel".

  

---

Dove liked that idea and so she granted him a bright smile of amusement. "That sounds like a good deal to me," she said, brandishing her own parasol much like she would have a sword. Her mother would probably die if of shock if she saw her right now. Then again, she wasn't meant to be out in the world as 'Dove' so she might as well go for the gold, as it were. The dress was a bit of a hindrance but Dove would work with it as best as she could.

  

---

Then of course she would have to earn his name too — but they'd muse on that later.

Amused and charmed at the sight of a lady wielding a parasol like a pirate wielding a cutlass, Arven mimicked her stance and faced her, awaiting command.

  

---

"First you want to go like this," she said, demonstrating by hitting her parasol against his stick. "And then you keep parrying until you can get past to strike at the body. Like so."

  

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