16th Spring 522 AV – Alric’s Shack
Things had gone better than he had dared to hope with Lys, she had spent a few days between consciousness and a sleep that grew more restful than fitful as the bells progressed. He had used the time between her waking, which he ended as quickly as was possible as Vestra had instructed, to collect supplies, cook, clean and explore his magic – largely Reimancy. He had gained a better understanding of its workings, though he could feel that there were a thousand more possibilities drifting across his fingertips, just out of reach for now but perhaps soon within grasp, at least in part.
He had tried to make his shack as comfortable as was possible, it had only been made for one person and so he had procured himself a bedroll and a blanket or two so that his sleeping was more comfortable. Most nights, though, he ended up moving to the chair, falling asleep as he watched the flames crackle after a calming smoke of his pipe. He had also managed to rig up some rope so he could hang another blanket during the night, blocking out the cold whispers of wind through the shutters. It had never bothered him, but he knew chills could take the weakened easily enough and so took precautions.
Food was upon the table, both fresh vegetables for cooking and bread, butter and meats for simpler meals. Lys took this in from her position on the bed, propped up and awake for most of the day this time, wedging herself into sitting by using her balled up clothing, and the blankets Alric currently had no need of. The young woman had formed a sort of mixed fabric cocoon around herself, managing to wake it thick enough somehow that she had stopped complaining about the cold, alongside not having to spend much effort on staying upright. He had listened with quiet amusement at her muttering and griping at the temperature and discomfort – he was just glad she seemed to be at the point where recovery was well underway and death a long distant memory.
Still, the way she seems to make the bedding multiply enough to become a protective layer makes me wonder if she has some magic of her own he mused to himself with a snort as he stirred the pot of food he had put together – the first one having been consumed completely.
“How can you live like this? You were one of the better ones, I thought you’d be in an apartment in the Gated Community by now” she grumbled, though her heart wasn’t completely in it. He had learned that sick young women apparently liked to complain, that it made them feel better to vent it out, and so let it pass him by with his own way of bouncing it back – dogged cheerfulness that made her scowl for a bit, but seemed to work after a while. Not that he had been any better when sick.
“Says the one who was living in a hole in the ground”
“You work at Ruby’s!”
“That’s right, women from all over queue up to give me thousands of golden miza, so be grateful they are weeping somewhere for my absence”
“You’re impossible!” she huffed, pouting magnificently, he knew, despite his back being to her as he added some salt and continued to stir the rough approximation to a stew, frowning at the fact it seemed to be taking longer than it had the last time.
“Alriiiic, talk to meeee” she said, her tone shifting now and becoming the more honest one he remembered from previous conversations. He sighed, stirred a few more times, then dragged the chair over to be near the bed and settled into it, passing her a cup of warm rugberry tea.
“Drink,” he said, giving her a pointed look he had learned over the past half-dozen days trying to get her to agree to things, watching her take it and sip a little before giving her what she wanted, “what do you want to talk about?”
“You don’t live here”
“This is where I’ve always lived. Still belongs to me”
“Then you have somewhere else too…I know you do”
“And how would you know that?”
“Because” she chewed her bottom lip, the beginnings of some tears touching the corners of her eyes before she drank the tea as a distraction.
“Because…”
“Because I came here alright!” she said, it wasn’t quite a snap, but it wasn’t a pleasant memory either from her face, “I sat at the door for days. I thought…I thought that if anyone could help it’d be you…you always did…but you weren’t here. Days…so long getting soaked and in the open…gave up…left” she grew quieter, her words softer as she continued, before eventually stopping and looking at him, so many questions in her eyes as if he had somehow betrayed her…or, perhaps disappointed her, he thought.
“Why didn’t you come find me at Ruby’s?” he asked with slight confusion.
“Because the last time I was there you took my earnings and told me never to come back!” she retorted, this time there was a slight heat and recrimination to her words, her gaze flashing, so much like his own in a strange way.
Things had gone better than he had dared to hope with Lys, she had spent a few days between consciousness and a sleep that grew more restful than fitful as the bells progressed. He had used the time between her waking, which he ended as quickly as was possible as Vestra had instructed, to collect supplies, cook, clean and explore his magic – largely Reimancy. He had gained a better understanding of its workings, though he could feel that there were a thousand more possibilities drifting across his fingertips, just out of reach for now but perhaps soon within grasp, at least in part.
He had tried to make his shack as comfortable as was possible, it had only been made for one person and so he had procured himself a bedroll and a blanket or two so that his sleeping was more comfortable. Most nights, though, he ended up moving to the chair, falling asleep as he watched the flames crackle after a calming smoke of his pipe. He had also managed to rig up some rope so he could hang another blanket during the night, blocking out the cold whispers of wind through the shutters. It had never bothered him, but he knew chills could take the weakened easily enough and so took precautions.
Food was upon the table, both fresh vegetables for cooking and bread, butter and meats for simpler meals. Lys took this in from her position on the bed, propped up and awake for most of the day this time, wedging herself into sitting by using her balled up clothing, and the blankets Alric currently had no need of. The young woman had formed a sort of mixed fabric cocoon around herself, managing to wake it thick enough somehow that she had stopped complaining about the cold, alongside not having to spend much effort on staying upright. He had listened with quiet amusement at her muttering and griping at the temperature and discomfort – he was just glad she seemed to be at the point where recovery was well underway and death a long distant memory.
Still, the way she seems to make the bedding multiply enough to become a protective layer makes me wonder if she has some magic of her own he mused to himself with a snort as he stirred the pot of food he had put together – the first one having been consumed completely.
“How can you live like this? You were one of the better ones, I thought you’d be in an apartment in the Gated Community by now” she grumbled, though her heart wasn’t completely in it. He had learned that sick young women apparently liked to complain, that it made them feel better to vent it out, and so let it pass him by with his own way of bouncing it back – dogged cheerfulness that made her scowl for a bit, but seemed to work after a while. Not that he had been any better when sick.
“Says the one who was living in a hole in the ground”
“You work at Ruby’s!”
“That’s right, women from all over queue up to give me thousands of golden miza, so be grateful they are weeping somewhere for my absence”
“You’re impossible!” she huffed, pouting magnificently, he knew, despite his back being to her as he added some salt and continued to stir the rough approximation to a stew, frowning at the fact it seemed to be taking longer than it had the last time.
“Alriiiic, talk to meeee” she said, her tone shifting now and becoming the more honest one he remembered from previous conversations. He sighed, stirred a few more times, then dragged the chair over to be near the bed and settled into it, passing her a cup of warm rugberry tea.
“Drink,” he said, giving her a pointed look he had learned over the past half-dozen days trying to get her to agree to things, watching her take it and sip a little before giving her what she wanted, “what do you want to talk about?”
“You don’t live here”
“This is where I’ve always lived. Still belongs to me”
“Then you have somewhere else too…I know you do”
“And how would you know that?”
“Because” she chewed her bottom lip, the beginnings of some tears touching the corners of her eyes before she drank the tea as a distraction.
“Because…”
“Because I came here alright!” she said, it wasn’t quite a snap, but it wasn’t a pleasant memory either from her face, “I sat at the door for days. I thought…I thought that if anyone could help it’d be you…you always did…but you weren’t here. Days…so long getting soaked and in the open…gave up…left” she grew quieter, her words softer as she continued, before eventually stopping and looking at him, so many questions in her eyes as if he had somehow betrayed her…or, perhaps disappointed her, he thought.
“Why didn’t you come find me at Ruby’s?” he asked with slight confusion.
“Because the last time I was there you took my earnings and told me never to come back!” she retorted, this time there was a slight heat and recrimination to her words, her gaze flashing, so much like his own in a strange way.
