Kiara's sensual purr caused a surge of emotion in Morgan, but he maintained a cool detachment from his feelings for the moment. He tried anyway. He wasn't able to keep from increasing the pace as he led her by the hand deeper into the trees. Following his own mental map, he picked a path around the main body of the lake that would lead to the river. As they walked, the Warlock reflected on the Faerie's most recent outbursts. He had yet to feel the full brunt of her hostility and, to a degree, he felt sorry for those who had. Most of them deserved it though. As the sound of flowing water became clear from ahead, Morgan shook off the distracting thoughts.
This time he kept to the bank of the river, as walking against the natural flow would only hinder them. In a few places the bank was overgrown and the Warlock used his magic to let them use the water as a path around the blockage. Before too long, the flora around them grew to be more lush than the surrounding woodland and the local fauna seemed more active. Morgan could feel the saturation of his own power in the air, the ground, and mostly the water as they approached the clearing and his sanctuary. Stepping around the trunk of an ancient evergreen revealed his altar, the painting, and the pile of stones. Sounds from outside the circle of trees were muffled within, with the exception of the swiftly flowing river.
"I come from a family of traditionalists, I guess," Morgan explained as he led Kiara to the center of the clearing.
"This is my sanctuary. I come here to meditate and practice every morning. If you can't find me at the library or lake, I'm probably here. Normally, I wouldn't dream of showing anyone this place. But..." After a few moments he shrugged, unable to verbalize a decent reason. In truth he knew not what had led to the decision to bring Kiara here, but all the same he had wanted to and it was done.
@Silent Observer