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Despite the large trunk he was carrying on his back, Lukas felt the weight on his shoulders was too light. He’d rather be wearing his sturdy armor instead of a mere vest over his shirt rolled-up to his elbows.
The discomfort was punctuated by more than the unusual nature of his appearance—there was also concern. Concern because Lukas was wearing this garb and carrying this trunk to have a picnic with Kiran. Alone, in the woods, far from the rest of the Order. While he was grateful that Kiran had chosen him for this excursion, it was becoming difficult to enjoy the scenery when his eyes compulsively searched for enemies hiding in the bushes or slinking behind the trees.
However, he knew there was nothing to be concerned about. The Order had the woods scouted not one hour before they began the stroll, and everything from the birds singing melodious harmonies to the sunlight casting the woods in green and yellow glows was supposed to be soothing. And with the way Kiran walked with a skip in her steps, her dark red hair swaying, she seemed fully entranced in the experience.
Lukas tensed when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, but she merely faced him with a smile and beckoned him forward. “Lukas, isn’t this the perfect spot?” She asked excitedly, and he looked where she was pointing. His shoulders relaxed from the sight.
It was indeed the perfect spot. A wide clearing, yet not big enough to feel small, and the grass appeared soft and thick, not that that mattered too much with the cloth they had packed. It offered no protection, but he waved those thoughts aside.
“Should I begin setting the picnic?” Lukas asked, thumbs already curled around the straps of the trunk, but he paused in his movements when Kiran brought a finger near his lips. He didn’t flinch, however, being quite accustomed to the summoner’s quirks.
“In a moment. Let’s enjoy the scenery for a second,” she whispered, and brought her hand down to his wrist to gently tug him to be beside her instead of behind. He hoped he hadn't been bothering her with his choice to trail behind her, but it was protection for his nerves.
He turned back to the clearing with fresh eyes, though it appeared exactly the same as before, the only new thought being that it seemed a pity to disturb the stillness.
“It’s hard to describe...” Kiran began, and in the pause, Lukas briefly wondered if reading minds was one of the powers granted by the weapon she wielded. “ It's like... a memory. Like that time Sothis roped me into napping with the younger manaketes, and I didn't fall asleep even though it was so peaceful."
Lukas recalled that time as well, specifically how Kiran couldn't get up because she feared waking up the manaketes. "I pray today's picnic lives up to your serene memory. As calm as I am, I doubt I can match the wonder that is a sleeping Fae."
“It’s better that you don’t,” she smiled sheepishly. “I lost so much time —not that it was Fae or any of the manaketes’ fault, but I ended up having to stay up late to finish my work for the day.”
He resisted a frown. “You didn’t lose any time, Kiran. Everyone needs a break now and then, and you more so than most,” Lukas reassured her. “I’m certain the Order’s many tacticians would be happy to ease your load so you can rest. I would too had I the mind for it. And speaking of easing loads...” He jostled the trunk slightly, careful not to displace any of the contents.
“Yes, of course, let’s set the picnic! It must have been heavy carrying that the whole time,” she said, crossing into the center of the clearing.
“It’s nothing of consequence. I wouldn’t be a soldier worth my salt if I couldn’t make the trip.” Lukas moved from the shade and untied the lance from the side of the trunk. Commander Anna had told him he wouldn’t have need of it, citing a shortage of weapons, but eventually relented to letting him take it from the armory so long as he decorated it with the banner. For the atmosphere, in her words, though he suspected a scheme of some sort when he saw similar banners for sale.
He stabbed the lance into the ground, the banner swaying from the force and not from any wind. He set the trunk on the grass and opened it, and Kiran peered inside and picked up the cloth covering the food.
“Flora really went overboard. I don’t think the two of us can finish all this,” she commented, and he had to agree. He wouldn’t have guessed the trunk was this packed with how light it weighed. “And what’s this?” She reached at a corner of the trunk and picked up a book. Underneath it was another similar-looking book.
Ignoring the picnic materials for a moment, Lukas compared the second book with Kiran’s, and they found both books were identical. “I see Flora has packed an activity for us along with the meal,” he mused.
“I’d been thinking of reading this one too. I wonder how she knew, or if this is a coincidence,” Kiran said, flipping through the pages absentmindedly before placing it back inside. “I’ll give her my thanks when we get back. As for right now, let’s finally get started on this picnic. I bet you’re starving!”
He neither confirmed nor denied his state, and his stomach didn’t betray him. They laid the blanket and food with little difficulty, and used the books to hold down some of the edges. He couldn’t sense more than a slight breeze, but it never hurt to be secure.
Once they finished laying everything down, Kiran spent a long second marveling at the display. “There’s so much to choose from. I don’t know where to start...” Lukas didn’t realize she was serious about her indecision until she closed her eyes and randomly picked up one of the sandwiches. It seemed Flora had made several kinds with various combinations of meat and greens. He also picked one at random, though he didn’t close his eyes to do so.
The food was delicious, and he enjoyed conversations with Kiran between foods, but he couldn’t help thinking that from a outside perspective, today wouldn’t be all that different from eating lunch in the mess hall. Yet, this picnic was special to him, with just him and Kiran. He hadn’t thought a simple location could make such a difference.
“Have you been enjoying yourself?” He asked Kiran as they were storing the untouched leftovers.
“Absolutely! Today has been so peaceful and refreshing. I just feel a little bad that I haven’t done anything the whole day—I know, I shouldn’t, don’t give me that look,” Kiran said pointedly.
Lukas chuckled at how well she knew his unspoken response, and she smiled in return. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she moved to grab the two books still sitting in the corners of the cloth, handing one over to him. “How about we read these out loud together? Maybe that’s why Flora packed two.”
“I’ve never read a book out loud, but I would not mind trying,” Lukas replied, turning to the first page of the book.
“It’ll be fun! We can try different voices for all the characters. I’m sure you’d be really good at them!”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I only have one voice, though I admit many have complimented me on it.” He remembered that time when some heroes asked him to read out a recipe for some kind of pastry. It was a strange enough request that he simply went along with it.
Although he lacked confidence, he was eased by Kiran’s carefree reading and eventually was made to read most of the parts without dialogue. Though he hadn’t finished the story by the time they were to head back, they were excited to resume their reading back at the castle. After Kiran promised not to worry about work, of course.
Looking back, Lukas had felt truly at peace, but it was difficult to describe the experience when he was a straightforward type of person. Nothing like the beautiful prose of the book he had read. He supposed he could take a page out of Kiran’s book and think of memories, knowing none could surpass that enchanting day.