It took Aidan a moment to realize he was feeling unsettled over having a stranger wield his knives with a scrutinous eye, her measured gaze causing a bead of sweat to form along his temple. Just as musicians loved their instruments, as artists idolized their paints and brushes, as librarians coveted their books, Aidan felt a fondness for his cutlery that stretched beyond obsessive and tugged against heartstrings only a subconscious mind had previously possessed.
Tension broke when her words filled the silence, however, a thin lipped smile gracing his lips as he turned and leaned back against the table they hovered by. ”Good a reason as any, I suppose,” he sighed ponderously, gaze wandering the various fixtures stashed about his kitchen. With eyes peeled away from his tools, it became far easier to relax.
The mention of a honing stone drew Aidan’s thoughts instantly to Kevith. The ex-knight was known for keeping a relic or two tucked away from his glory days as one of Syliras’ brave. It seemed only logical that if the man was still attached to his blade, keeping it sharp was the next most sensible thing to do. Hadyn, of course, did not need to know of such things.
”Don’t have one laying around, no,” he looked at her pointedly, masking the lie with just a touch of confusion, like the name of such a device was utterly foreign to him.
And then her expression abruptly altered, figuring him out and looking right through him, taking his added silence as condemnation some slight gesture of his had betrayed. It brought a flush to his cheeks before she even mouthed a word, like being caught with his hand fetching a pie set to cool on the windowsill. He swallowed hard, momentarily paralyzed by those narrowing eyes and impish smile.
Relief quickly washed over his conciliatory expression as her words crawled across the page, however, adopting a sheepish grin that eventually turned into one of pure devilry. Aidan would have been lying to himself if he hadn’t toyed with the very same ideas her soft reproach suggested, but acting on these things was another matter entirely. Still, it did not keep him from having a bit of fun.
”Surprised you couldn’t tell by the glib tongue and seedy eyes,” tortuously gauging her as though giving her a second thought. ”If there’s one thing we ‘Berthan gents are known for, it’s sweet talking a woman out of her skivs faster than it takes a duelist to draw ‘is sword. Shame, too. Could’ve made a lovely mess of this place.”
Eyes turning away from her to look up to the rafters, he sighed dolefully before looking back over his shoulder to the table supporting him, giving it a few sharp nudges with his hip as if to test its resistance. ”Such a shame, such a shame,” he muttered, head shaking back and forth to add to the performance and bring it to a pitying close.
”Well!” he snapped, coming out from his melancholy in the breath of an instant as he clapped his hands together, rubbing them gingerly to stir up some warmth. Pushing away from the table entirely, he pivoted on one foot to give her his undivided attention. ”While I have you, can I fetch you up something to eat? Another drink? Tailor your clothes? Shoe your horse?”
xTension broke when her words filled the silence, however, a thin lipped smile gracing his lips as he turned and leaned back against the table they hovered by. ”Good a reason as any, I suppose,” he sighed ponderously, gaze wandering the various fixtures stashed about his kitchen. With eyes peeled away from his tools, it became far easier to relax.
The mention of a honing stone drew Aidan’s thoughts instantly to Kevith. The ex-knight was known for keeping a relic or two tucked away from his glory days as one of Syliras’ brave. It seemed only logical that if the man was still attached to his blade, keeping it sharp was the next most sensible thing to do. Hadyn, of course, did not need to know of such things.
”Don’t have one laying around, no,” he looked at her pointedly, masking the lie with just a touch of confusion, like the name of such a device was utterly foreign to him.
And then her expression abruptly altered, figuring him out and looking right through him, taking his added silence as condemnation some slight gesture of his had betrayed. It brought a flush to his cheeks before she even mouthed a word, like being caught with his hand fetching a pie set to cool on the windowsill. He swallowed hard, momentarily paralyzed by those narrowing eyes and impish smile.
Relief quickly washed over his conciliatory expression as her words crawled across the page, however, adopting a sheepish grin that eventually turned into one of pure devilry. Aidan would have been lying to himself if he hadn’t toyed with the very same ideas her soft reproach suggested, but acting on these things was another matter entirely. Still, it did not keep him from having a bit of fun.
”Surprised you couldn’t tell by the glib tongue and seedy eyes,” tortuously gauging her as though giving her a second thought. ”If there’s one thing we ‘Berthan gents are known for, it’s sweet talking a woman out of her skivs faster than it takes a duelist to draw ‘is sword. Shame, too. Could’ve made a lovely mess of this place.”
Eyes turning away from her to look up to the rafters, he sighed dolefully before looking back over his shoulder to the table supporting him, giving it a few sharp nudges with his hip as if to test its resistance. ”Such a shame, such a shame,” he muttered, head shaking back and forth to add to the performance and bring it to a pitying close.
”Well!” he snapped, coming out from his melancholy in the breath of an instant as he clapped his hands together, rubbing them gingerly to stir up some warmth. Pushing away from the table entirely, he pivoted on one foot to give her his undivided attention. ”While I have you, can I fetch you up something to eat? Another drink? Tailor your clothes? Shoe your horse?”
