Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 11, 2011 13:59:22 GMT -5
Lùthais nodded, stepping back. "I was thinking the same. I'll make something for you."
"I'll help you," Conall offered, standing up.
"You'll do no such thing," Lùthais rebuffed him over his shoulder as he headed back toward the kitchen counter. "Sit back down right now."
Conall did so, torn between being irritated and amused. "Shove off, you old mother hen. I'm not so badly injured I can't cook."
Lùthais laughed, thinking back to various hunting trips they had gone on as mortals, and shuddered. "You don't need to be badly injured to be a bad cook. If you want to be really useful, you could go out and hunt down those ba... ndits," he corrected himself mid-word, "like you wanted. Maybe you can reclaim some of Sheona's things. I'm sure she'd be very grateful."
Conall nodded, getting up again to find a fresh leine. He changed in his room, then slipped out of the cottage with his sword at his hip. "Wish me luck. I'll be back."
As the cottage door closed behind Conall, Lùthais returned his attention to making dinner for Sheona and her son. He chopped the venison he'd brought in, separating the lean meat from the fat and gristle; he put the latter in a dish on the floor for the puppy. He filled a pot with well water and added the meat and a few kinds of dried herbs for flavor, then stood carefully on a chair to reach up to a bundle of onions hanging from the rafters (it had proven to their advantage to have a vegetable garden during the summer months, especially when Aravilui had been with them; he would have grown both bored and malnourished on a diet of venison alone). He chopped the onion and added it to the pot, setting it all on the fire to cook.
He moved back from the flames and returned his attention to Sheona, smiling at her. "I learned the hard way many years ago to never let Conall cook when we were out hunting. The things that man manages to do to perfectly good meat," he sighed, shaking his head and chuckling reminiscently.
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 11, 2011 14:30:38 GMT -5
Sheona giggled slightly. "That bad, hm?" she asked archly, smiling. "I will have to keep that in mind."
Aodhán stirred sleepily beside her and she gently brushed his cheek with the tips of her fingers, humming soothingly. He shifted again and sighed, falling back asleep as Sheona continued to hum quietly.
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 11, 2011 14:43:50 GMT -5
Lùthais nodded, still smiling. "Oh, aye. Your stomach will thank you for it."
He watched as Aodhán stirred slightly, then fell asleep again as his mother hummed to him. "Poor lad. It's not right for a child to suffer such hurts as he has. Or a woman, for that matter," he added, lifting his eyes to Sheona's face.
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 11, 2011 14:53:23 GMT -5
Sheona laughed, then flushed and lowered her eyes as he continued. She looked at him shyly through her lashes. "A woman alone is a target," she said softly. "But... I was not willing to give everything I had to a man just for a little protection..."
She laughed again, this time mockingly. "Great lot of good that did me."
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 11, 2011 15:01:28 GMT -5
Lùthais smiled. "You were very brave to stand up to them like that. And at least you haven't lost everything. You still have your life, and your son. And we are more than willing to share our home with you until yours can be rebuilt."
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 11, 2011 17:12:03 GMT -5
Sheona nodded slightly. "Yes, that is true... Our lives are certainly more important than things, but if it were not for the two of you, we would not even be keeping those for long."
She sighed heavily and looked at her feet, which dangled slightly from the floor over the edge of the cot. "I do not even have any shoes now. Or a change of clothes. Or..." she stopped and flushed. "Um. Other things I need."
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 11, 2011 18:01:28 GMT -5
"Aye." Lùthais nodded slowly, frowning in thought. "Well, the shoes will be easy enough to make out of buckskin, and I'm sure we could manage to fashion a dress for you in case Conall doesn't find a way to get yours back. As for the other things, how soon will you need them?"
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 11, 2011 19:02:45 GMT -5
Sheona flushed again. It had been nearly five years since she had last needed to discuss this with a man... And to discuss it with these men, or even just this one man, who was really still a stranger, made it very embarrassing. "A fortnight, thankfully. Though the bandits did not take any of my clothing. I did not own anything very nice. Nothing worth trying to sell, at least. They only took what they personally could use like the food and things they could sell, like my mirror."
Aodhán woke again and looked around, mumbling incoherently to himself. Sheona gently picked him up and set him in her lap, playing lightly with his hair as he snuggled himself down. "Where's Conall?" he asked, looking up at his mother curiously.
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 11, 2011 19:11:45 GMT -5
Lùthais nodded again. "Well, I'm sure in a fortnight we'll think of something."
He looked around and smiled as Aodhán woke up again, replying as the boy settled down in his mother's lap. "Conall went out to see if he could find the men who took your mamma's things, and, er... ask them to give it back," he explained. Knowing Conall, there would probably be no asking of any sort involved.
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 11, 2011 19:21:55 GMT -5
Aodhán smiled slightly, leaning back against his mother than jerking forward with a yelp. He pressed his hands to the back of his head again and sniffed, but bit his lip to keep from crying again. Sheona kissed the top of his head soothingly, though there was a look in her eye that said if she could, the men who had harmed her little boy would not have been left to Conall's tender mercies.
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 11, 2011 19:32:42 GMT -5
Lùthais looked at Aodhán in concern, catching the look in Sheona's eyes that said exactly what he had been thinking. "I'm sure Conall will deal with them exactly as they deserve."
He slipped away from them for a moment to check on the stew; finding it not quite ready yet, he returned to Sheona's side and sat down again, looking the two of them over. They were both still covered in soot, save for where tears had washed the dark smudges away. "Will you be wanting to wash up before you eat? Supper will be ready in a little while more."
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 11, 2011 22:50:20 GMT -5
Sheona looked down at her son and her own soot-covered dress and nodded. "Yes please. We are both rather a mess," she said softly, trying to gently brush some soot from her son's hair. He whined and she stopped immediately. "To be expected, I suppose."
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 11, 2011 23:00:38 GMT -5
"Aye," Lùthais murmured. "But it could be worse." He stood up and took a step back. "I'll heat some water for you, then."
He hurried to draw some water from the well and heat it over the fire beside the stew, then hunted around the cottage for some soap and towels. He handed these to Sheona as he waited for the water to heat up. "If you want to wash your dress as well, feel free to borrow one of my leinte while you do so. It'll fit you decently well, I think."
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 11, 2011 23:20:11 GMT -5
Sheona blinked and shook her head. "No, thank you. I can wash it tonight before going to bed. Then I think I will take you up on that offer, thank you."
She looked around curiously. "Where do you and Conall usually bathe? There is nowhere in here to do so..."
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 11, 2011 23:42:41 GMT -5
"In the summer we use the well," Lùthais replied truthfully. "In the winter we heat water for bathing, as I'm doing now."
He wandered over to the fireplace again, checking on the stew and the temperature of Sheona's bathwater. "You're welcome to bathe in either of our rooms for privacy's sake. I doubt you'd want to bathe outside, even with hot water, and I need to stay here to keep an eye on your dinner." His voice was rather apologetic.
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 11, 2011 23:49:42 GMT -5
Sheona laughed gently, smiling at him. "I was honestly just intending to wash my face at the moment, and Aodhán can bathe right here. After all, he has nothing you haven't seen before."
Aodhán complained wordlessly at the word 'bathe', looking at Lùthais as if hoping to get some support in getting out of it. Like most little boys, he was more fond of getting dirty than getting clean.
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 11, 2011 23:56:04 GMT -5
Lùthais nodded understandingly. "That's fair."
He grinned at Aodhán's quiet protests, then laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, lad. What your mamma says, goes."
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 12, 2011 0:35:04 GMT -5
Aodhán gave him a betrayed look, then curled up into a tight ball to make undressing him as difficult as he could manage. Sheona tried, then hissed in pain and jerked her hands away. "Aodhán this is not the time for this! My hands are hurt, and you need to get clean. I am going to bathe later. Please don't do this right now..."
Aodhán eyed his mother, then sighed and pulled his shirt off himself, wincing as the fabric rubbed against the lump on his head. "I'm sorry Mamma. I forgot about your hands."
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 12, 2011 0:39:48 GMT -5
Lùthais watched the pair of them in concern, especially Sheona. "Will you be able to bathe him on your own? The hot water might hurt your hands worse than they are already. I can help if you need me to."
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 12, 2011 10:11:46 GMT -5
Sheona looked at the bandages on her hands in a mix of chagrin and dismay, then at her still petulant son. Sighing, she wrinkled her nose. "Aodhán, can I trust you to behave for Lùthais?"
The young boy looked momentarily rebellious, then looked up at his mother and sighed. He gently wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face into her stomach. "Yes Mamma," he said, his voice muffled. "I'll be good."
"Thank you," she said in exasperation, throwing her hands up slightly. "Yes, Lùthais, I would be very grateful for your help with him."
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 12, 2011 10:46:43 GMT -5
Lùthais smiled and nodded at Aodhán. "There's a good lad. Thank you."
He moved to take the water off of the fire and testing its heat; it was certainly hot enough by now. Ah, too hot. He set it down, calling to sheona that he'd be right back before hurrying outside and gathering some snow to cool the water with.
"The water's ready now," he called to them when it reached a bearable temperature.
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 13, 2011 17:26:39 GMT -5
Getting Aodhán bathed was not the nightmare it had initially promised to be. After he and Sheona had eaten, he had rather promptly curled up and fallen back asleep, complaining of not feeling well. Sheona sighed, trying futilely to brush some of the soot out of her skirt as she watched her son sleep.
She kept glancing at the door almost anxiously, looking for Conall's return with concern. He had been hurt in the fire, and there had been at least five men that had attacked her, or so she thought. It had been hard to keep track while she was trying to protect herself and her son, after all.
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 13, 2011 17:55:14 GMT -5
Conall whistled cheerfully as he headed homeward with his arms full of Sheona's belongings: a mirror in a finely-carven wooden frame was the largest and likely the most valuable item, but there was also some fine silver cutlery, which he was careful not to drop. The men had not been very willing to heed the calm voice of reason; all the worse luck for them. Conall's sword had taught them a lesson that they would not soon forget.
He stopped for a brief time at the well to wash up (Sheona would not appreciate him coming into the cottage with blood on his sleeves), reached the cottage door and, deciding against trying to shift the items in his arms so he could reach the doorhandle with his free hand, gave the door a light kick and called out. "Would someone care to open the door for me, please?"
Lùthais looked up at the sound of Conall's voice, sighing audibly in relief and rising to open the door. He grinned as he stepped back to let Conall inside. "It's about time you got back. We've been worrying about you. Did everything go well?" He eyed Conall's sleeves, seeing that they had been recently washed. No need to guess what had happened to the bandits.
Conall followed Lùthais' gaze and chuckled as he moved to the kitchen table to set down what he had retrieved. "Aye, I managed to reclaim most of what was stolen, except for the food. The mirror's frame took a bit of damage--" he ran his hand lightly over a scratch in the wood that wasn't meant to be there, "--but the glass is whole, and that's the important part."
|
|
Korlian
Kitty Kat
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
|
Post by Korlian on Apr 13, 2011 18:14:56 GMT -5
Sheona looked up and took a quick glance at what he'd recovered, then carefully but swiftly wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on the very tips of her toes to plant a grateful kiss on his cheek. "Thank you!" she exclaimed, tears standing in her eyes again.
She pulled away just as quickly with a gasp, her eyes wide. "Oh my, you're freezing! To the fire with you," she ordered, tugging on his arm slightly. It looked almost like Aodhán trying to pull her around.
|
|
Conall
Ireth
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
|
Post by Conall on Apr 13, 2011 18:40:25 GMT -5
Conall gasped a little, startled, as Sheona swooped upon him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed his cheek in gratitude and just as quickly pulled away from him. He managed a soft chuckle, smiling down at her. "You are most welcome."
Conall allowed Sheona to lead him over to the hearth, and settled down uncomplainingly in front of the fire. He had panicked for a moment at her notice of his deathly chill, but he at least had the excuse of having been travelling for quite a while in the snow. The fire would help that, at least somewhat. hopefully enough so that she wouldn't be frightened next time she touched him.
He smiled to himself, resting his cheek in one hand, feeling the place where she had kissed him. True, it had been only gratitude, but gratitude was better than mistrust by a long shot. And who knew... maybe she would come to feel more than gratitude toward him as the winter wore on. She had nowhere else to go, after all, and he would always be there to give her what she wanted, what she needed.
|
|