|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:15 pm
At least when they were yelling Sol could pretend that things were normal. It was typical for the siblings to bicker and snap at each other, always nipping at each other's throats over the smallest slights. He didn't like crying in front of Ygraine; she always him feel worse for showing that little bit of weakness.
Not that he could really stop it. After Baba left the tears had no dam to keep them contained. Sol made no attempt to quell them, not when he was so sure that his actions had messed everything up. Why else would he have left if they hadn't made him mad? He was still mad at them for leaving Papa, Papa wasn't going to come home and now - now Papa was leaving them again.
The boy fought against his father's touch, but in the end he went willingly to his sister's side. Ygraine was what kept him grounded; as much as he fought against her she was his other half and he needed her. She was the only one who understood.
He gave a little nod to his papa, and waited for him, too, to leave. Sol waited until the door shut behind him to breath. "We should've told Baba sooner. We messed up, Ygraine. We messed up bad."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:37 pm
Once in his 'room' Nimueh couldn't sit down. If he did, he didn't think he'd ever be able to stand again, so instead he paced, everything in his posture agitated and tense. His hands twitched and moved with each step, scraping fingernails carelessly along his forearms in a barely realized tic, raking at skin as the only sort of outlet he could find. He felt like a caged janarim pacing the length of its cage, roiling with emotion but unable to expend it. There was no way Callum would follow, so he was safe, safe to decompress without risk, safe to--
The sound of footsteps, then the quiet creaking of the wooden door tugging closed made him pause in his steps, bewildered. Why? Why would Callum follow? His children were here, the ones he'd waited so long to see, the ones he'd gone through so much to return to - if he left now, when Sol was so fragile, wasn't it risking their already tenuous connection? Why? Why would he come after Nim--
Goddess, this was it wasn't it? The moment he'd been dreading since all this happened, the culmination of all those hissed accusations. He couldn't move, couldn't turn to look at him, his breath lodged as a lump in his throat, but eventually he had to concede. With his back to Callum, Nimueh opened his mouth to answer, but his breath caught in his throat, and instead he nodded his head. Forcing his hands still, Nimueh half turned to face Callum, but kept his head turned down and away, unable to meet his eyes.
Nimueh was supposed to step up. He was supposed to be the strong one who supported the children through it all. And, now, with Callum still recovering he should have been he bridge to lead them back to one another. The support for his children, for Callum, the one who held Callum's hand as he spoke to Sol and soothed him.
He should press kisses to their hair, reassure them, tell them that this was only temporary and that they could stay in Jauhar with Corrine or at an inn with their grandmothers until Callum felt ready to move. He knew all the things he SHOULD do, but when it came time to actually do it? His tongue felt like lead, making it impossible to speak.
Why couldn't he help them? Why wasn't he doing this very simple thing? Why couldn't he just do what Callum was doing and apologize, and make it up to them? Why, instead, did he just want to hide and give up?
Because if Callum heals, if he moves forward in his dreams of sword dancing, what's your excuse then?
"How do you do it?" His voice was low, words slowly enunciated, fingers gripping hard so his nails bit into the purple-lined flesh of his arms. "How can you even think about the future, after what happened to you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:46 pm
Just like that, the anger evaporated. Because as angry as she was, seeing Sol cry always made her feel like dirt. But... as she gripped Sol, wrapping one arm around his thin shoulders, she gawked at her father, confused. Baba had had MONTHS with Papa! They'd only just got to see him, and... and!!
She hugged Sol tighter, and once papa had left she moved with him to the edge of the patio, moving to sit with her back against the outer wall of the house.
Ygraine and Sol had agreed, back then. They'd agreed not to tell Baba because they'd been so scared he'd leave, and they'd been right. He'd left as soon as they told him. Grandma Izuzue had sent them letters from Oba, assuring them that Baba was just studying, he was learning things about trading... but if he was doing that, why wouldn't he write them himself? She knew her baba's writing, and he hadn't even bothered. Not once.
Not until the letter for them to come see Papa, and even then was he really even excited to see them?
"...Yeah." She whispered back, hugging him tighter. What else could she say? She couldn't even remember, now, why the Obans had scared her so badly. Why she and Sol had been so convinced NOT to tell Baba about it. "Why didn't we tell when we left Oba? D'you think Papa would still be sick?" She asked, smacking her free fist against her knee.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 7:16 pm
Callum remained quiet as he watched Nimueh from the doorway. He had been through enough panicked moments to recognize the signs, and knew to keep quiet for now. His lover had kept so much repressed for so long...Every moment that the younger hybrid made reminded Callum of a caged sermal. It was as if he wanted to run, to find some sort of release, but couldn't find the way. The sight was painful to see. Nimueh shouldn't have to be like this; he was such a strong man, with such a large heart and to see him in this state...
Callum stepped carefully into the room. He barely made it past the doorway before pressing his back against the wall. In a single, simply fluid sequence the shifter slid down the wall to sit on the floor with one leg stretched out in front of him and the other pressed up to his chest. Callum leaned forward and with the help of one arm casually wrapped around his bent leg, the swordsman was able to use his own knee as a prop for his weary head.
In this position he wouldn't be blocking the doorway should Nimueh felt the need to leave again, but he would still be able to keep an eye on the alk. He was so transfixed by the sight his young lover presented, curled up into himself with nails biting into his flesh, that he nearly missed what was being asked of him.
"Honestly? I don't." Callum canted his head so that his cheek pressed against the top of his knee, tendrils of ivory locks falling across his temple. "If I thought about it I would realize how easy everything could fall apart. Right now I feel like I'm in a dream that could end at any moment. Every night I'm terrified that once I fall asleep, that's it; I'll wake up in Oba, without a future, without my kids...and without you."
Callum lifted his head so that he could sit straighter against the wall. It put him in a better position to watch Nimueh, and to note just how much strain all of this had put on his shoulders. "...I know words can't fix what I've done, Nimueh, but I am sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you alone, I'm sorry for everything you endured while at the estate, and I'm sorry for what I've put you through since we escaped. You've been so brave this entire time and I repaid your kindness with poison." His voice was low, but steadier than it had been in months.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 7:39 pm
Sol sat down beside Ygraine, bust instead of leaning back against the outer wall he leaned against her. Even though he was the older twin some days he didn't particularly feel like it; today being one of those days. It was so much easier to pretend that Ygraine was older so that he could rely on her without feeling like such a sissy.
"I don't know, but we should have." He couldn't remember exactly why he had been so frightened. There had been a gleam in the lady's eye that reminded him of a sleeping weywa. Sol had come across one once. It had cracked it's eye open just long enough for him to catch the hint, and run away. Except it's eye had been dark, like the night sky; hers had been the color of fresh blood. "Maybe...maybe not. Can't fix it now." Sol sat up a little straighter and wiped back the last of his tears with the backs of his hands.
"I bet if you would have had your bow we could'a beat them." It didn't matter how many there were; all Ygraine had to do was get in one good shot, and boom! They would have been home free.
Or at least, it was a nice thought to ponder.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 7:38 pm
Nimueh stood, holding his breath, waiting for the inevitable onslaught of questions. Defenses... and, in the back of his mind, he even expected dripping, cold words. He honestly didn't know what to expect from Callum now... it wasn't the same man he'd made a life in Zena yet, and yet he wasn't the listless, empty man he'd escaped Oba with either. He was a new Callum entirely, and that terrified him. More than that, Nimueh was acutely aware of how different he was too; did they even mesh anymore? He wanted to, more than anything, but... what if they didn't?
Callum moved slowly, but with the same fluid grace that Nimueh hadn't seen in a long, long time. He didn't know if it was relief at seeing it again, or that Callum had made himself smaller by sitting that made his tense muscles relax.
It... shouldn't be reassuring, to hear those thoughts, but it was. What kind of person felt relief that their partner was struggling? And yet, it touched him more than he cared to admit that he was, somehow, still a part of that equation, beyond all logic. But then, just as he'd feared, Callum apologized. It was a heartfelt apology, true, and Nim could tell that Callum meant every word he said. Or, at least, he thought he did. He needed to just tune it out, to just nod his head and agree and let Callum feel that things had been smoothed over. But before he could even pretend to go along with it, his temper snapped, and Nimueh slammed his fist into the wall, rounding on Callum with teeth bared into a snarl.
"You're sorry? You defended our children, allowed yourself to be captured by maniacs, and spent two years in a living hell, and you're sorry? You're a self sacrificing fool without any self preservation in your body, and I knew it the day you appeared on my doorstep, half frozen to death just to come look for me. And I let myself think that it meant something, that maybe I could be worth all that effort to someone. ...But. I think I knew the truth the whole time, and you did too, deep down somewhere you never let yourself really think about."
Nimueh crossed the room, then squatted in front of Callum, and yet even then due to his size he still towered above him, face relaxing from its previous contorted fury. Now, he looked like he had decided something, and that resolve relaxed his stance from its previous aggression, all except the pale fingers that dug into the cloth at his knees. He was aware his stance was intimidating, but he didn't move- didn't desist, and instead looked into his partner's eyes. "Be honest with me. Could you ever trust me with your life again? Could you trust me to stay with our children, after this, if something happened to you? ... Callum, could you trust me to stop you if you were about to kill someone?" His eyes gleamed, because he and Callum both knew the answer to that last question. "Two years of torture and you still regret doing it, you still stopped me from killing Isanna after all that you went through. But I still don't regret a single drop of blood. I'd go back and kill everyone in that compound, guard or captive alike, if it meant you slept better at night."
"The partner you need is someone who can shoulder that burden with you, who can shelter you when you're tired and weak, and can be there for your children when you can't be. Not someone who cracks under the slightest pressure and runs away when things get hard. Who urges you to kill, and revels in it."
Nimueh inhaled, sharply, then ducked his head, his bangs hanging messily in his face, obscuring his vision of Callum - because right now he couldn't look at him. "I can't protect you, or them. I'm ... not the kind of person you need and I'm not the father they deserve. And I was a fool thinking I ever could be."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 7:44 pm
Well, in hindsight it was easy to see what they should have done. The fact was that they were both here, and their parents were inside. Pondering their absence, Ygraine looked at her brother, then smiled, weakly, at his humor, laughing but reaching up to ruffle his soft, silky hair, careful not to jostle his antennae. In the past few years she'd come to realize just how sensitive her brother was to certain things - and even now, he only trusted her to pet his hair. Even their grandmothers weren't permitted to.
At first she'd thought he was a baby, but now... she was just happy someone could trust her so much. It made her feel strong, and feeling strong was loads better than the worthless feeling that had haunted her. "Yeah- me and my bow, you and your spear, and we woulda--"
BAM!
Ygraine jumped, looking over Sol at the door. What was-- what was going on in there? Chewing her lip, the girl slowly stood, pulling her brother up with her by the hand, weighing their options. Should they go inside after them? She'd never even seen her parents argue before, so sounds like that were strange and foreign.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 7:27 pm
Callum involuntarily jumped the moment Nimueh's fist connected with the wall. His head snapped up, eyes seeking out the younger hybrid as the burst of adrenaline in his veins tried to calm itself. It was hard to sit back when his entire being wanted him to either run, or stand up in defense of his actions. And yet, what would he be defending? Nimueh had the right of it; all of it. What could he possibly say that wasn't already being said?
And yet, the turn of the conversation...Callum curled one leg underneath him, moving the one curled against his chest to a forward facing angle so that he could rise. He was never given the chance. Nimueh was on him in an instant, towering over him in a way that Callum had never known to be intimidating before Oba. If his previous fury had still been present the smaller man may have cowered out of unconscious submission, but Callum didn't bow.
What did he know? Nimueh seemed to know a great deal about it all, or rather, had made up his mind on the matter long before vocalizing it. They were so close, close enough that in the past Callum may have found it tantalizing, but now....Now he was desperate to close a crevasse that seemed to be growing ever wider.
Those beautifully iridescent eyes burned into Callum's soul. I'm not ready. I'm not ready. He knew this talk would happen sooner or later, but he had prayed that this particular subject would never get brought up. That somehow they could work through things-
"Nimueh..." Callum leaned back, allowing the wall to support his weight when his own body found the chore too taxing. "I don't regret killing Devos. When it happened...it was too much, too soon, but when I think about it now...he needed to die so we could live. I protected Isanna because I owe her a debt I can never repay, but everyone else...Nimueh, I'm more sober now than I have been in two years and I would slaughter every one in that estate today if I could." His hands clenched into fists, one digging into the fabric covering his thigh. Callum had never felt anger this intense in his entire life. He had always been able to find some shred of good in the most disreputable people, but things had changed. People changed.
"The partner I need is the one who held out his hand to me, even when I was at my worst. The partner I want is the same man who endured his own hell to save me from mine. I don't need or want someone who can keep me from the darkness in this world; I want someone who will walk through it by my side." Tentatively, as if scared of being rebuked, Callum lifted his hand and brushed Nimueh's bangs away from his face. "Nimueh, you're so much more than who you think you are. I would spent two hundred years in Oba if that meant I could spend one more with you. I...I understand if you want out; you've been through enough, and I can't ask more from you than what you've already given."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 7:35 pm
On reflex Sol's antennae gave a little twitch, shifting his golden locks even after Ygraine had tousled them. It was more than a little odd for him to display them so openly; in Zena Sol had long since grown used to keeping them hidden under a loose cap. Not only did it keep the sensitive appendages warm, but it prevented bullies from grabbing hold. The oppressive humidity Jauhar seemed to so proudly sport forced him to rethink his cap obsession.
"What was that?!"
Sol turned towards the door, his antennae now standing stock still like little radio receptors. He allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, though the boy scarcely focused on anything else but the door. Scrunching up his nose, Sol moved closer, tugging Ygraine with him. Even if he couldn't hear anything definitive the boy could make out a raised voice, but whose was it? Baba or Papa?
What to do...If they popped in one of two things would happen. Either his parents would stop arguing, or they would tell the kids to go back outside. How could they-? "Hey Ygraine, this place has windows right? Windows that we could sit under?" If they could get close enough to listen then maybe they could figure out what was going on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 8:47 pm
Nimueh didn't know why he was being so aggressive, why he was getting in Callum's space when he had been through such an ordeal. Maybe he wanted some proof that Callum couldn't really trust him - because, maybe then, he'd know his suspicions were true, and not just whispered paranoia. He searched Callum's face for a glimmer of revulsion, that expected moment when he'd crack under his words, take the escape for what it was. If Callum wanted out, it was his chance to take it - his chance to escape. And yet...
When Callum finally said his name, the younger man recoiled, averting his eyes and losing whatever ground he had gained with his posturing. It... was heartbreaking to hear that Callum had come to accept what he'd done, but... more soothing than Nimueh could say that Callum felt the same broiling longing he did.
Even then, however, with Callum absolving him of the guilt he'd carried since he realized he'd pressured him into murder, even then Nimueh didn't raise his gaze.
A responsible partner, one who truly felt that his family was better off without him, would bite the bullet and walk away from this. If he truly felt any conviction in his previous stance he should shoot down Callum's sweet words, and make the sacrifice for his family. But he was totally and completely lost the moment Callum touched him. He had expected, after so long, that such a gesture would make him panic and pull away, but instead his body sang with relief and emotion, and he all but collapsed against it, tilting his face into the tender, brushing fingers, just to keep that small amount of contact.
He was vaguely aware that he was crying, nasty, ugly tears and thick choking emotion that made it hard to speak, hard to breath. Before Callum could pull away, Nimueh's hand reached up to grip, loosely, at his wrist, thumb stroking over the beating pulse point. "How- how can you say that? What you went through it... it's- unforgivable, and I ... goddess, if I saw hell, then what did you see? It's not the same." Nimueh held on to his hand, evidently reluctant to let go, but with a final surge of emotion he released it, instead sitting back on his haunches, rubbing his hands along his bare arms as if he was cold.
"It's not a matter of me- me wanting out! It's... it's! Callum. ...I'm not worth all that." Finding himself unable to articulate just WHY this was such a problem, Nimueh shot a look at his lover, face tear streaked and lined with misery, eyes begging for Callum to just understand. How could Nimueh walk through the world's darkness with Callum, when all he wanted to do was hide away from it? Couldn't Callum see the danger he was putting himself in, by putting that much faith in Nimueh? It was a trust he knew he'd let down, had already let down, so how could he just allow someone he loved to put himself in the same position all over again?
But goddess, it was what he wanted. He wanted to be by his side, even if he didn't think he'd be able to make another step. The goal had been to get Callum better, to get him home, and now that they were home he didn't know if he could face the next day. Because if he did, he would have to come to terms with the fact that they'd missed a third of their childrens' lives already, that maybe he'd never feel safe sleeping beside someone ever again- and that, maybe, Callum wouldn't either.
And that terrified him. More and more, it was becoming evident that despite their attempts at happiness, maybe their kind... hybrids... were fools to try and achieve this happiness. The world was against them, and even here, with the small bit of happiness and acceptance they'd found in one another, the world had thrown it all back in their face. How could he go through it now knowing they'd brought more children into the world, children who would no doubt face the same misery they had? Back then, when Eema came to them, it had seemed a blessing to be able to take this small chance at happiness for themselves, but now it felt like the most selfish of choices. Closing his eyes, Nimueh took a deep, steadying breath, before turning his face away once more.
"Lately, all I can think is that if I'd died with my birth parents, back then, maybe you all'd be saved from some of this pain."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 8:09 pm
In the back of her mind, she knew it was a bad idea to eavesdrop on their parents. But... they'd been gone for so long, and now they were fighting! Papa was sick, Baba was... well, acting funny... and it was obvious they weren't going to tell Ygraine and Sol what was going on on their own!
So, when Sol suggested they try and listen in, Ygraine nodded and reached for his hand, leading him around the edge of the balcony. Unlike Zenan homes, which were made of densely packed wood and thick shutters, in Jauhar the nests were woven from vines and the occasional wood support- so while there was a covering on the window, it was merely a latticework of knitted vines lined up over the hole of the window, which could be swung open when desired.
It wasn't a full proof fit, and so sounds from inside the room, while somewhat muffled, were easier to hear. Putting a finger over her lips to signal silence, Ygraine crept with Sol until they sat underneath the blocked window, holding her breath as if fearing just a breath would give away their position. Once settled, she leaned in close to the building, and listened- hard.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 8:43 pm
Callum kept his hand against Nimueh's face, smoothing the pad of his thumb against his lovers azure skin while he cried. It was heart wrenching to watch, but in a way relieving. At least this way Nim could express his emotions instead of keeping them bottled up inside of him. If I saw hell, then what did you see? That question was often one that woke him from a dead sleep, either screaming or in a cold sweat. "You're right, it's not the same, but that doesn't make what you went through any less horrific."
He was reluctant to see the contact broken, to have Nim's hold on his wrist taken away, but Callum was letting him take the reigns. There was so much he didn't understand about what the younger hybrid was thinking, but dammit he was trying. The last thing Callum wanted Nim to think was that he wasn't giving his all, but then he said those words and Callum snapped to attention.
"Don't. Don't think that, Nim. Please." He moved forward, placing one hand on Nimueh's thigh and the other on the edge of his jaw, placing just enough pressure to turn those golden eyes his way once more. "You're right, maybe we would have been saved from this pain, but what about the one that would take it's place? I can't...I can't imagine a world without ever knowing you; I don't want to think about what kind of dark place that would have been." Callum was trying so hard to keep it together, but dammit, he just couldn't stop the tears from falling. "If you want out then go, but don't you dare think for one minute I'm going to sit by and watch you...to wait while you..." Callum closed his eyes on an uneasy inhale, fighting in vain to keep himself together. "I don't know what...I can do to fix this...to fix us, but I want to Nim, I really do, I can't keep screwing up anymore...I know what it's like, to think the world would be better off without you. Isanna...the only reason I protected Isanna was because she saved me when I...when I overdosed. I did it to myself, Nim; I wanted out. But I realized too late that I didn't want it, not really, and I don't want you to be in that same pit that I was."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 8:47 pm
In Sol's mind this would only turn into a bad idea if they were caught.
He had snuck out plenty of times to know when it was a good idea to move, and when it was best to stay still. Thus when he felt a footboard or a vine begin to shift in a way that didn't suit him, he tugged on Ygraine's arm, letting his sister know subtly that they had to tread lightly.
It was enough to put them outside of the room. His antennae flexed, the little diamond tips craning towards the sounds from within even while Sol was placing his pointed ears against the vine work, listening hard to the noises. There was...crying? A lot of it, from the sounds of things, and talk of...wait, were they talking about death?!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:33 pm
He wanted to keep his face turned aside, wanted to avoid meeting Callum's gaze, but Nimueh had no energy to deny him anymore. He allowed his face to be turned, and numbly realized that, yet again, he had messed up and said something that hurt Callum. He should have kept quiet, shouldn't have shared the traitorous thought out loud. The denials and insistence that he meant so much to Callum made him feel foolish, and he realized that in speaking his mind perhaps he had been baiting his partner to soothe him.
He shouldn't be soothed; as much as Callum insisted that his own experience was just as traumatic, Nimueh didn't believe him. And now, with his carelessness, he'd caused Callum to cry again. Swallowing thickly, Nimueh furrowed his brows in question, not quite understanding the scenarios that Callum was imagining. 'Sit by and watch him... wait for him to... to what?' Kill himself? No, Nimueh was far too passive in his self loathing, too cowardly to ever take any action about such feelings.
But then came the revelation. Callum kept speaking, and told the story behind his defense of Isanna and... and Nimueh's eyes widened. Callum had... Nimueh reached for him, and dragged his smaller partner into his arms, squeezing them tightly around his shoulders, only remembering, distantly, that perhaps the contact wouldn't be wanted. But he couldn't think to release him, could only hold him and press kisses along his cheek and shoulder. But along with the kisses came a soft laugh, tear wrecked and ragged, a soft exhalation of emotion that spoke more of exhaustion than anything else. "Oh love... Callum. This is so messed up." He announced tearfully, pulling back and closing his eyes, leaning his and Callum's foreheads together, his hands cupping both of Callum's cheeks, long fingers gently braced against his jaw.
"... I don't know if I can... be strong for them, not like I want to be. All this time, I wished we could just go home and act like none of this happened. But it's not fair to you... or them. Whether we meant it or not, we left them and... and I don't know how to fix it. I'm terrified they'll never forgive us."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:47 pm
Ygraine trusted her brother, when it came to being stealthy. As baba and their grandmother had explained, Alkidike eyes left much to be desired, as they were meant to have antennae to help them see, and feel. Sometimes she was jealous that she didn't have antennae, like her brother, to help her- but living in Zena as they did, it wasn't very often that the sneaking skills really came into play, unless they were getting up to no good.
Perhaps, living with Alkidike in Jauhar, she'd have needed them more, but not here.
Once they'd settled outside, Ygraine listened, her face screwed up in concentration. But... once they'd listened to enough of it to catch on, she turned to her brother, face stricken. This ... this wasn't a good idea. They shouldn't be listening to this. They were talking about... about death. And about 'fixing' things... oh no!
Were their parents breaking up? Or, at least, was Baba thinking about it? Papa seemed to want to try... he talked about 'wanting out' though so - so maybe not? She didn't know what 'overdose' meant, but...
Who was Isanna?
Isanna, wanting out... screwing up. Ygraine and Sol may be kids, but at least they knew what an 'affair' was. During the winter months in Zena, when the snows kept you inside, the only place you could go to to stretch your legs and avoid becoming stir crazy was the local tavern. And in such places, they had heard gossip before. All sorts of sordid stories that their aunt Misuru gleefully let them listen to, and even explained on occasion.
Covering her ears, Ygraine shot a scandalized look at Sol, mouthing 'we should go' to him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
