Welcome to Gaia! ::

Leading to each area of The Pagoda are paths. The overall layout of these is a huge square, moving around to the four entrances inside the main Pagoda. On each corner, a small garden. These gardens contain several hedge paths, with a small gazebo that has a table and few chairs in the center. Lanterns light each hedge path.

Turning around to Solice, Amaya took some more deep breaths of the crisp night air, waiting for him to catch up and lead the way.

Solice, who had been perched on a stone statue, spoke. "Up here." he said with a smirk, and then dropped down towards her. "You ready for that walk?"

Solice smiled. "Yes, I am ready." he said, pulling a wool cloak over his shoulders. They walked down one of the main paths, the night air chilling. His breath heated the air around his face, making it look as though smoke wafted off his body.

Solice watched her. Noticing she was cold, he pulled off his cloak, and draped it over her shoulders. "This will be warmer than the material you are wearing." he said, watching small fish swim in a pond nearby. The top of the pond had a thin laer of ice, so it appeared that they were trapped beneath.

Solice smirked, nodding as he took back the cloak. He placed it over his shoulders, the straps tightening underneath his arms. He watched Amaya for several seconds, then looked towards the sky.

Solice bent down next to her, taking a look at the situation. "We could break the ice, but it would make little difference. They get oxagen differently than we do. But..." he said as he took his hand out from underneath his cloak "if it will make you happy, I can break it." he said, then put his palm to the surface of the ice. He held it there for a second before recoiling his arm and striking the ice with it. The ice, straining under the blow, cracked in several places and then burst apart. The fish swam up to the surface, then swam back down, looking a little happier.

When she reached the gravel path, Amaya looked back over her shoulder to find Solice still crouching by the pond. Hastily, she turned her head around again, blushing in embarrassment. Fool! Fool's fool! What were you thinking? Have you forgotten what they think of half-breeds here? You embarrassed him, you stupid... She mentally slapped herself. Whithout knowing, her feet had carried her away from the pond and down the path until she came across a gap in the bushes that lined it. Swiftly, she ducked into the tunnel formed by two lines of rhododendron. She padded silently along the shortcut she had discovered leading back to the stables, guided only by her memory and the scant light that found its way into her large pale eyes.
When she finally became aware that she was actually running away, she stopped and turned back in the almost complete darkness, her heart hammering in her chest as if it wanted to get out. Fool! She sighed and continued on her path to the stables. Just forget about it. He will for sure.