Early Morning
The joyful chirps coming from the nearby trees roused Vyto from his usual slumber. He was waking up later than usual and the habit did not sit well with him, leading to a lot of self-reprimand on his part. Getting out of the unfamiliar sheets reminded him of where he was; a small house on the side of one of the main roads in Oakleigh where he was staying in for a few nights, courtesy of a very friendly lady. Perhaps, a bit too friendly. The thoughts of the previous night where after a particularly well made meal she had invited him to sleep in her bedroom "due to how cold it gets at night" made his sleepiness vanish in an instant. Excusing himself to the room she had prepared "just in a case" for him, he spent most of his night awake, equally in antecipation for the journey he would be undertaking today and in alert for possible moves by the lady. His worries seemed to be unfounded, however, as she did not bother him in the morning, instead offering some hot tea and a warm smile as she usually did.
The morning sunlight shone on the rather well decorated kitchen as he nervously eyed the occupied lady, sipping from his cup and wondering why she had taken him in. He recalled the trial they met on the market where he intended to sell most of his belongings for transportation out of the town; to where exactly, he could not tell, he did not know yet. The salesman he was trying to barter with was cutting him a terrible deal, one which he would have taken if not for the her intervention. Her calm and well-spoken manner did well in concealing the insults she threw at the would-be "thief" as she called him. Taking Vyto by the arm and away from that particular stall, she showed him the rest of the small market, one which she seemed to rather enjoy spending time in as she waved person after person, seemingly knowing close to if not everyone in town. Her well-endowed figure and pleasant appearance striked at Vyto: he could easily consider her one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, though he dared not ask her age. She was young, older than he was, and that was what he knew.
Laitena, as she presented herself, proceeded to take Vyto on a "casual lunch", without so much as asking for his permission. As they settled down with their food he finally caught a moment to ask her as to why she helped him and was treating him as such. She cheerfully enjoyed her food, taking her time before calmly explaining that after being stuck in her home for near an arc she finally decided to go out and enjoy the world she knew so well again and openly admitted that Vytos striking looks had made her heart jump a beat, and after understanding the trouble he was in she took it upon herself to give him a better day. His curious nature led him to asking why she was homestuck for so long, before asking himself if he should. Her joyful demeaner gave place to a small, sad smile as she explained that her husband had left her just over an arc ago. He was a noble or a man of importance (Vyto could not make out her words too well) who came to this town to settle down with her but after a confrontation with men from his past, he grew more violent and ended up leaving her and their life behind. His sudden and somewhat aggressive departure left her with a broken heart and she fell into a looming depression. The small fortune he left her with was enough to live a healthy life in this town but she decided to acquire one of the smaller houses, feeling more empty space would only increase her loneliness.
Immediately remembering how bad he was at dealing with people, Vyto began repeatedly apologising himself before Laitena let off a small chuckle, much to his surprise. "That part of me is gone and I've made peace with it." , she claimed. Such words stuck to Vyto, who could not refuse her offer for a place to stay after hearing that he had none. He spent most of the following trials going out with Laitena and seeing much of the town with her, most of which he had never gotten the chance to visit. His small beggining at his village never taught him much about the larger towns and although his time with Branzur had helped in that regard, there was still much he did not know, such as the art of shapping a deal to one's own advantage, or how to properly address those of nobility. Even less prepared was perhaps his knowledge regarding women and how to approach them. Branzur had always made fun of him, regarding his ignorance as a "blessing in disguise". The awkward night he spent with Laitena the previous trial made him label it as more of a curse. He could almost hear the old man laughing at his expense as he excused himself out of her machinations to lead him to her bedroom. He was nothing short of grateful for what she had done for him, but more important matters demanded his attention. He had to leave, travel the world and find the answers he was searching for. He couldn't spend more time here. And he knew time was a valuable resource.
With relative calm he set the teacup down and got up, aproaching Laitena who was humming along with the birds. "Miss Laitena, thank you for the tea. Like everything else these past days, it was excellent." Her smile grew bigger. She stood in the sunlight, akin to an angel beaming her smile upon those fortunate enough to gaze upon it, almost as if accepting and invinting him to her.
His monotone voice was betrayed by his eyes, as his emotions wavered between conflict and remorse as he continued. "I am afraid that I will be heading off today. Your hosting was very appreciated and I shall carry these days we spent together as cheritable memories." His face remained calm and controlled but she knew better than to trust that. From the moment she first laid eyes on him she knew he was different, not just in looks but in heart too. She knew he had to leave. Fighting back her tears she grabbed and held his hand. The touch seemed to relax and serene both of them, enough for Vyto to continue his speech. "I am not quite sure on how I can repay you..." She shushed him with her lips in a quick kiss, leaving him frozen in shock, before smilling innocently at him. "I never expected anything from you other than your company. Though... I would very much enjoy if you returned from your travels one day." Snapping back to reality he gave her a small bow and after some consideration, he vowed to return one day and properly repay her for her kindness.
Not too long after Vyto found himself on a carriage heading East, leaving Oakleigh and the kingdom of Rynmere behind. It seemed he had lost track of time in deep thought again. He was waking up in another unfamiliar place and the habit did not sit well with him, leading to a lot of self-reprimand on his part...