The ever-present grin on her freckled face only widened further when he agreed to go with her to the market after lunch, pale blue eyes shining in pure joy as she reached up to push a strand of curly red hair out of her face. It was nearly to her shoulders now, growing wilder every day that she didn't try to tame it, and some days she had resorted to tying it back again to keep it out of her face. This was not one of those days, however, and she had tried to tuck a particularly stubborn strand behind her ear at least four times since they left the camp.

But the fight to tame her hair was quickly forgotten as they entered the little town of Lambargo. It could hardly be called little, in Ali's mind, as her eye moved from one colorful sight to another, her grip on his hand tightening in excitement. The reasons behind her reaction and excitement were difficult to explain; she'd been in towns before, of course. They all had. It wasn't that it was a truly overwhelming or unique experience to her... But this time, it was with Aladar. A second chance she never thought she'd get, with the man she still didn't deserve. She was going to make things right this time. Second chances didn't come around often.

And she'd never stopped loving him.

She laughed as he tugged her along through the sparse crowd, apparently spotting the restaurant he was looking for. It didn't take long for her to see the building as well, the tantalizing scent of food nearly overwhelming (thought not in a bad way) as they neared the establishment.

It was quieter inside, though with a persistent hum of various conversations being held. Her smile softened as she looked over at Aladar, nodding when he said it seemed to be the right place.

"That's perfect," she responded, taking his hand again and pulling him after her towards her chosen table. She settled into the chair across from him, leaning forward with her elbows resting on the table so she could see the menu as well, head tilted to the right as she silently mouthed the words she attempted to read. When he was finished with the paper, she took it, scanning over the different options before giving up and setting it aside again. "I think I'll have a pot pie as well," she said with an amused grin. "Seems safe."

Her eyes lit up again as he laid out his plans for the day, grinning brightly as she once again rested her elbows on the table, leaning forward eagerly. "That sounds amazing! I hope they have something raspberry... I've been craving a good raspberry tart for ages." Her mouth watered even talking about it.

When someone came to take their orders, Ali happily ordered the same as Aladar, before turning her attention past the window to what she could see of the market. She could hear vendors advertising their wares, even from inside the cafe. From her vantage point, she could see at least one cart loaded down with fresh fruit, another with flowers, a tent set up with beautiful silver and gold jewelry, another with piles of various cloth wares... She couldn't wait to see what she could find for her tent, and perhaps she could even find some clothes that fit better than those provided by the army like the ones she currently wore.

"Thank you for this..." she said, looking back at Aladar with adoration in her eyes. "The camp was getting a little boring." A laugh escaped her, an attempt to keep the mood as lighthearted and perfect as it was now.

"So what about you? What's your favorite food?" She tilted her head curiously.

It wasn't long before their food was brought out to them; two small, perfectly portioned potpies, still fresh and steaming. Ali took a small bite on her fork, blowing it off before tentatively tasting it.

"Mm, this is perfect... Just what I wanted."

Aladar’s gaze met Ali’s as she settled on getting the same thing he was, his smile wide and pleased, though it did not really matter to him what she decided to order. “A fine choice,” he chuckled, his full attention on the woman who sat before him. As she spoke about a raspberry tart, he stored the information away into the eternal memory. Not for the bakery that day, considering she would be able to order that herself, but so he would remember it for another time. Perhaps one day he could have one of the soldiers go and fetch one as a surprise.

When the waiter came for the orders, Aladar happily ordered his choice meal and two waters, redirecting his attention back to Ali. For a few moments, he simply watched her as she seemed entranced and fascinated by the world outside the window. There was something beautiful in just seeing how taken and interested she was with life itself, something he had never gotten to see before in the war camp setting. It was as though he was watching her bloom and come to life for the first genuine time.

“It is my pleasure. It has been a long time since I have had the chance to relax myself.” Though at the question about his favorite food, the man paused, having to think about the question. “I must say, I believe my favorite food would have to be gravy and biscuits. They...” He was cut off as their meal was brought, the man offering his thanks before looking to Ali.

He chuckled at her clear pleasure at the food, the tantalizing scent wafting up to him. It was hard not to just dig in, the man being rather hungry and the food seeming beyond perfect. But, he was one who had a habit before meals he was not about to break now.

Holding both hands out across the table, he met her gaze with a smile. “If you wouldn’t mind,” he offered her them palms up, fingers stretching out to show the clear invitation. He had a feeling she would not know what he was doing, but he patiently waited before closing his eyes and bowing his head. “Dear Father above, we thank you for this food you have blessed us with. For this time that we can spend together, and we pray that we honor You through this day and time you have been so kind to grant us. In Your Holy name, Amen.”

Lifting his, Aladar met her eyes with a smile, pulling his hands back with his prayer over. Picking up his fork, he finally took a bit of the steaming mix of sauce and filling, the crust perfectly crunchy and baked. His eyes closed, head tilting in his own quirk that showed how much the food pleased him, savoring the bite as he let out a satisfied grunt, finishing the bite. “You cannot beat a well-made potpie, that much I will always gladly admit.”

Without another word, the man gladly went for a second, then a third bite, glancing out the window a few times to look down the street and see some of the places they would be visiting. “You mentioned your tent was empty,” he commented, still looking out, fork gesturing in the direction of the market before he took another bite. “What would make it more comfortable for you?” It was an honest and curious question, his attention redirected to her, though he still managed to shove a few more bites into his mouth.

It was the first time he was truly relaxed in front of her, barely even a fraction of the captain in his attitude, only Aladar the carpenter sitting there. There were no rules, no specific way or attitude he had to have here. It was just him, eyes soft and curious, but kind and affectionate as well. “I do assume we will be seeing about a few more blankets.” His grin widened just the tiniest bit on one side, eyes scrunching in the slightest with his humor yet rather accurate guess.

When he mentioned that it had been a long time since he'd had the chance to relax, his words brought a small pang of guilt. It was her fault, at least partially. She fully believed that. After all, with all she'd done, how could it not be her fault? From what Tendral had told her, she knew that he'd buried himself in his work after she left, something which would absolutely prevent the man from seeking the rest he needed.

But that was long behind them now. Aladar had made it clear that he held no grudge against her, and that what had happened had been long since forgiven.

And she was not about to let those memories ruin this lovely day. She was going to enjoy this time with Aladar, this escape from the monotony of camp life... This second chance she hardly deserved.

Her smile only grew as she nodded. "We'll have to do this again," she practically begged, though not expecting an answer. "The camp gets a bit too much sometimes, you know? I'm sure it's even harder for you. It's nice to get away... Remember what it's like." Her gaze moved out past the window again, almost longing for the seemingly simpler life of the townsfolk hurrying to and fro. "Shows that life goes on... Places like this still exist, even in the middle of a war."

And it was true. Perhaps the reason she was so drawn to the little town, bustling with life and color and joy, was that it seemed the war had not reached it. Sure, the signs were there if one looked close enough. No place in Haverndin had truly escaped the war, the rumors, the supply shortages. But when one was among the crowd at Lambargo's market day, or eating at this perfect, cozy restaurant... Somehow, for just a little while, the rumors of war seemed to be just that; rumors.

Her amused grin returned when he mentioned his favorite food, making a note of that. She'd had the meal he mentioned, once or twice, though she hadn't eaten enough to consider it one of her favorites. "I'll remember that," she commented as their food came, her mouth watering slightly at the smell of the pot pies.

The first bite was truly heavenly, though Aladar interrupted her before she could take a second. She paused, her fork halfway to her mouth, brow furrowed in silent confusion as he looked at her expectantly. What... What?

After a long moment, she finally recognized what he wanted her to do, and hesitantly put her hands in his, still looking rather confused about the whole deal even as he began to speak.

He was praying. Of course... He prayed before meals, didn't he? Had she been disrespectful by eating before he prayed? She hoped not... She didn't want to ruin the day by being disrespectful.

"Sorry," she said with a soft, sheepish smile and an awkward laugh, when he'd finished. She waited, hands resting in her lap, for him to take a bite, before reaching for her fork again.

"It's delicious, that's for sure," she commented, awkward moment passed as her grin returned to a more relaxed and natural state. Though, rather disappointingly, she couldn't seem to keep her appetite past the first few bites, despite having been starving when she sat down. She only took four or five bites before setting her fork down, offering the rest of the small pie to him as a silent gesture that she couldn't finish it.

"Well, I was definitely thinking some blankets," she said with a nod and her usual grin. "Maybe a plant, I saw some nice potted ones on our way here. And I might want another pillow too, mine makes my neck hurt." She glanced at the nearest vendor through the window, noting the clothes hanging from the woman's cart. "But I don't know, I might just want some clothes instead of all that," she added with a shrug.

"Are you going to be looking for anything in particular?" she asked with her familiar head tilt.

To the man’s relief, the awkward moment after his prayer passed almost as quickly as it came, the two relaxing back into casual and relaxed conversation. Later he planned on explaining it to her more but for now, they would enjoy the moment, which would be hard not to do considering the air of the town. “I knew you would be going for a few blankets. Perhaps I can start not losing mine,” he chuckled, continuing his potpie, though he did eye hers as if to be sure she meant that she was done.

Seeing as she had no plans to finish, Aladar reached out and pulled it to his side of the table before continuing the conversation at hand, the sun streaming in through the window casting beautiful bright light over them. “I am sure they have both pillows and plants somewhere out there. They sell quite a bit here it seems.” Brown eyes were cast back towards the market as he chewed thoughtfully, though by no means slow considering he was already taking a bite out of her pie. “I have an empty chest somewhere around camp we can bring into your tent and perhaps set it up like a dresser of sorts.”

His eyes found her form once more as he continued to eat, glancing around the room and taking it all in for what had to be the hundredth time. “You were right before. It is truly nice to come to a place where the war has not totally destroyed the spirit. When I was a boy, my town used to bustle much like this one does.” He chuckled, expression lighting up with the memories, the carpenter boy coming out. “The market was always busy and usually there would be someone playing music somewhere. It was beautiful, Ali, even when I left to join the war. I would love for you to get to see it someday.”

It was an honest wish of his that he had, to show the woman he loved the place he grew up in and adored. To show her his home. “But enough about my childhood. I don’t think I am quite a child anymore.” He laughed heartily, standing and pushing his chair back as he did, the man managing to have finished both pies without blinking an eye. Grabbing his cup, he took a quick swig of water before reaching for his coin pouch, the tokens jingling for a moment as he sorted through them and pressed them to the wooden table.

“Shall we make our way to the bakery and market?” He offered out his arm to her to link into his, his chin tipping up as any proud man would when he had his girl with him. “I do believe this is a date.” Brown depths softened and yet managed to sparkle in the most youthful and playful of ways. The entire air of Aladar himself seemed to match the life of Lambargo. Lifting his hand, he waved to the waiter who had seated them and so kindly brought their food and drink as the two made their way out of the restaurant and out onto the bustling street.

The smells outside were just as tantalizing as inside if not more so, sweet and savory smells alike wafting with the cool spring breeze. The flags and banners that hung down were waving slightly and everything seemed so colorful compared to the two of them, marking them as clearly coming from the military camp parked outside the town. “I will have to check, but it is around the time of the summer festival. No doubt in a few weeks or a month or so. I will see when it will be and you and I can come on one of the days. I’ll have to let the soldiers take turns coming on the other days, but I think I can spare us a day alone,” he thought out loud, guiding her off to the side towards the bakery. Breads, tarts, and other goods lined the glass for people to see from the outside, the door wide open.

“And I believe this is the place you wanted to stop, no?” He grinned, pulling her inside the warm building before waving his hand out for her to choose whatever she liked, the captain already reaching into the coin pouch to pay.

"I wouldn't count on that," she said with a grin, trying for a moment to remember just how many of his blankets she'd stolen since she came back. At least two. Probably three. Plus one of her own... But his were just so much more comfortable. Softer... They smelled nice... They were the exact same army-issued blankets, he just had more, but the fact that they were his meant that they were automatically better in her opinion.

Or perhaps not. Perhaps she just wanted to hoard the blankets and his were the easiest to borrow without asking or returning.

"Oh, you would?" she asked, eyes lighting up. "I'd love that! I suppose I'll need a place for clothes and such after today, hopefully."

She smiled softly, listening as he spoke so fondly of his hometown. Her childhood had hardly been so bright; most of her time spent caring for her ailing father and siblings while her mother tried to work. But there were days when she could be a child, take her few measly copper coins to the market, to be mesmerized by all the colors and sounds... It had mystified her as a child, and somehow even more so now, having grown far too accustomed to her life of drab greens and browns and greys in the military camp. She could hear the wonder and longing in his voice, too, as he spoke of home.

"I'd love to come with you to see it, someday," she said, the statement genuine and carrying weight with it. A true desire to see the place he really called home, to walk with him on the same streets he had run as a child... It was a desire to see the world he had known, before the war. She wished she had something pleasant from her past to show him, too. But her childhood home was no longer hers.

She hardly noticed when he started on the meal she hadn't been able to finish, though she realized he'd eaten both of them when she looked up and there were no leftovers to be seen. Her grin took on an amused look as she glanced at the man who had not only finished two entire pot pies without any hesitation, but still seemed to have room for dessert considering he mentioned their plan to head to the bakery next.

"Let's go," she laughed, eyes glinting as she slipped her arm into his, walking alongside him...

"Is it? I hadn't noticed," she added jokingly. "I think it's a perfect date so far."

As they stepped out of the restaurant again, her eye was immediately drawn to the market, still bustling with just as much activity as when they had arrived in town. Now, though, all she wanted was the raspberry tart she'd been thinking about all morning, so she was relieved when Aladar led the way to the nearest bakery. Though, as was the nature of today, she was distracted once again by Aladar's musing as he mentioned a summer festival. "Oh, that sounds fun! We definitely need to come," she nodded and grinned.

Though she hardly had time to think any more about it before he was pulling her into the bakery and the two were surrounded with more beautiful, delicious-smelling pastries than she'd ever seen in one place. The bakery at her hometown was much smaller and poorly kept, and this place put it to shame. Even the atmosphere was far nicer, a man from behind the counter greeting them with a smile and gesturing for them to take their pick of the various baked goods.

It didn't take her long to find the raspberry tart she wanted, though, and she immediately pointed it out to the baker, who put it inside a paper bag while she dug for her own coin pouch, prepared to pay for the treat. Her mouth watered at the sight of it. "I've been wanting one of these forever," she whispered, looking up at Aladar with a childish grin as the carefully packaged pastry finally reached her hands.

“I will be sure to find out when it is then. If it is anything like the ones I have seen, I am sure you will love it,” he reassured, already making plans for the week of the festival, whenever that would turn out to be. Not that he was worried they wouldn’t be there by then, already having gotten orders that after their last battle, the company was going to be allowed a few more months furlough. That and there was good news on the war front, though he planned to save that information to tell her later in the day at a specific time.

In the bakery, brown eyes swept over the rows of pastries, the man not quite sure of all the options which he wanted. Glancing at Ali, his lips kept their smile seeing her intent search of her desired pastry, growing at her delight of finding it. “Well then I am glad they have them here,” he chuckled, hand reaching out to rest over hers to stop her from trying to reach for her own coins. “This is my treat.” He quickly grabbed his own money to offer it to the baker before deciding on his own personal choice, a slice of cherry pie.

His was placed in a small box with a small wooden fork and handed over the counter, Aladar dipping his head and thanking the baker. “Now, shall we explore the market and see about getting you what you need?” With both pastries paid for, the man led the way out of the bakery, though this time did not take her arm as he was already opening his box to casual eat his pie while they meandered down the street into the heart of the market. There was no way the energy wouldn’t be contagious with the buzz and music, colors, and smells.

A child darted between them as they walked, Aladar having to take a step to the side to avoid one of them getting toppled over, the man pausing to watch the little boy race down the street. Chuckling, he shook his head, eyes dancing with amusement as he looked at Ali, “A person really forgets how much life spins on.” As if to reiterate his point, a dog bounded by, this time being chased by a hoard of children, laughing and calling the dog’s name. His gaze always seemed to linger an extra moment on children when they passed them, something in his expression shifting to a warm fondness at the sight of them.

“People die, but they are also born,” he mused, gesturing towards the children playing. “It is beautiful, isn’t it?” he chuckled in relation to the concept. “Life is beautiful!” It was clear that coming out was truly filling for even him, that it was something he had desperately needed without even realizing it. “Even when things are dark and there seems to be nothing left, you can always find something so beautiful. It is such a blessing we have been given, isn’t it? God is good.” It was subconscious that he mentioned his faith, but it was clear that he truly believed in it.

It was about then that they came up to a stall that had a variety of clothes, Aladar coming to a stop. “How about here?” he inquired with a grin, the colorful clothes folded and displayed. His pie had long since been eaten on the short walk and no he was inspecting some of the male tunics for himself. He would have to allow a few soldiers a day to come and see if there was anything they wanted. Picking up a light green tunic, he held it up and glanced at Ali, “This seems nice, don’t you think?” It was an amusing question considering he chose the blandest, most army-related color a person could out of the entire selection of designs and other color options.

"I've never been to one," she admitted, head tilted towards him as she met his gaze briefly. "What will it be like?" She held her tart tightly in its paper wrapping, almost not wanting to take a bite of it in case the taste wasn't as good as she had hoped. But when Aladar paid, earning a soft huff from her as she put her coin pouch away again, she finally dared to unwrap the treat, mouth watering at the sweet smell as it reached her.

For a moment, she wondered if she looked a bit silly, standing here, the pastry held up to her nose, eyes closed in delight as she inhaled the pleasant aroma instead of taking a bite. Opening her eyes again to glance sideways at Aladar with a sheepish smile, she finally bit into the tart.

And yes, it was exactly as good as she had hoped. A hum of absolute delight escaped her as she took another bite, trailing after him with a nod as he suggested their next stop. "That sounds good to me! I'm excited to see what they have here."

While he ate his slice of pie leisurely and casually, she devoured her raspberry tart as if she hadn't seen food in weeks, which wasn't entirely odd considering all she'd had to eat today was a few bites of a potpie that she decided she didn't like at all. She'd nearly finished her tart when a child darted between them, laughing as she stepped aside as well before glancing back to Aladar. Her broad grin returned when he spoke, and she nodded along with his statement, finishing the last bite of her tart before crumbling up the paper and tossing it into the nearest bin.

"Life really does go on," she echoed him, watching the children playing. For just a moment, there was a wistful sort of longing in her eyes, though it was gone in an instant as she wiped her hands on her tunic before returning to walk closely beside Aladar, listening intently to every word he had to say. So many questions welled up in her, every time he mentioned his God, but it felt as if it would spoil the moment to ask now, so she just made a note to ask him later.

"Maybe you need to get out of the camp more often," she commented with an amused laugh, not missing how the man seemed to be so absolutely in love with the town around him, the people, the colors, just the same as she was.

Someday, she promised herself, the war would be over and she could live in one of these beautiful places. Away from the horrors and the memories, away from the pain and loss. Someday she could put it all behind her and truly start again.

Maybe, just maybe... If she didn't mess up again... She could share that new beginning with the man who walked beside her.

"It's as good a place as any!" she said with a bright smile, stepping into the partially shaded stall to inspect one of the tables of women's clothing. "Ooh, this is cute..."

It didn't take her long to find something she liked; a simple, light blue dress with a soft white floral pattern here and there on the fine fabric. It matched her eyes beautifully, and she set it aside before looking over at Aladar on the other side of the stall. She laughed, wrinkling her nose at his choice. "You know, I don't think green is your color," she remarked, an ironic statement considering they were both wearing dull green at the moment. "I don't think it's anyone's color, really."

Holding her chosen dress tightly to her chest, she wandered over to him, inspecting the men's tunic and choosing one she thought would fit him nicely. "Oh, this is a nice color," she said, holding the sunset orange tunic for him to see. Tilting her head, she added, "It looks good with your eyes."

The moment Ali told him green wasn’t his color, the man released a playful scoff. It was unplanned and a noise he hadn’t made in years, but it was there and he donned the most offended expression he could. “That is sacrilege to the army, young lady.” But warm brown eyes gave away the playfulness of the whole façade, the man following her a few steps as she investigated the men’s tunics. The stall owner stood to the side watching, a knowing look in his eyes as he watched the young lady life up and shirt to show the man in the stall. It was more than clear that the two of them were in some kind of relationship.

Reaching out to the tunic she held, Aladar took the sunset orange fabric, looking it over. For a moment he was silent, his chest heaving with a breath of a laugh, his head shaking as he side-glanced at the woman. “Orange is my favorite color,” he remarked, his expression now turned on her, fond as even more of the carpenter boy came out. “I haven’t worn orange in....” he let out a whistle, shaking his head again, “in I don’t know how long.” The laugh he gave was a hearty and pleased one as he held onto the tunic she chose for him, draping it over his arm.

“Now what about what you have?” He gestured towards the dress she held, taking it from her arms to hold it out at arm’s length and inspect it. He looked between the fabric and the woman a few times before stepping up to her and holding it close so he could visualize it on her. “It would look stunning with your eyes. I’m almost inclined to not allow you to have it. I would hate for the soldiers to start realizing there is a woman in their midst. I’m not in the business for competition.” And his eyes twinkled, clear that it was all a joke as he handed the dress back to her.

“But, in all seriousness, I think you would look beautiful in it.” It was obvious this was not the first time Aladar had gone to the market with a woman, albeit, the woman was his older sister. But the point was, he was more than comfortable in this situation and was quite enjoying himself. More than that though, he was enjoying Ali and how alive she had come with the visit to the village as well. While both may be part of the army, neither wanted their future to be forever entangled with war and bloodshed. This. This was what they wanted.

But at the moment, they could only take it as a treat, and both did. “Though, you do realize the men are going to question our new fancy apparel?” he chuckled, looking over the cloth belts and finding one that matched the new tunic rather nicely. “I will have to give a few a chance to come every day. By the end of our furlough, we will no longer be the most efficient company, we will be the most vibrant. Though I am unsure Tendral would wear anything but brown.” He laughed once more, knowing the younger man wore the simplest of clothes and didn’t truly care. Too much. Aladar had yet to mention the pendant the man wore under his shirt, a newer development.

Reaching for his coin pouch, Aladar once more procured the proper amount for what they had both chosen so far, sneaking a glance at the price when he had held the dress out. He waited until Ali was distracted to slip the coins to the owner, the two sharing a knowing smile. With it already paid for, even if the woman tried to pay, it would be too late. And that was how Aladar planned to spend the entire day. Spoiling the woman who had gone through hell and who he adored with every ounce and fiber of his being.

Meandering over to her, his arms linked behind his back with the small bag for his tunic and belt tied to his belt. “This lavender tunic would look wonderful on you,” he commented, inclining his head in the direction it was in. “You could wear that even on spar days. Looks lightweight and probably much cooler than what you have.” While he may have already paid for their current choices, he had no issue paying for another tunic. The man had years worth of army pay saved up, and today would barely be a dent in what he had.