Waste.
October 1st, 2010, 06:18 PM
If you read my post before this one you will recognise the characters. This scene takes place the next morning after they have spent a day travelling together.
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The light woke him as it usually did, piercing his eyelids as it rose above the trees. Seth wanted to roll over and go back to sleep but forced himself to open his eyes. The air was cool and crisp, the sky stretching as a blue sheet above him. He was surprised that the bird song had failed to wake him before. He sat up, then crossing his legs beneath the thin blanket he leant forward in a cat like stretch, his bare hands touching the floor in front of him and coming away wet with dew. Only then did he look to the dead fire, and the empty space beyond it.
“Kadie?” Her name came out as a soft caress, hardly loud enough to be heard. Getting to his feet in one smooth motion Seth looked about the camp site. Her roll mat and her blanket had gone. For a moment he thought that she had ran away. Then he noticed that the healing balm and the bottle was still there. She wouldn’t have gone without them, would she? “Kadie?” He said her name a little louder, still surprised at the ease with which he said it. Usually it took him a long time to stop calling a lady by her second name, but he felt so much at ease around Kadie that it felt natural.
Picking up his sword he slung it over his back with the sheaths strap across his chest. He started out of the alcove of trees. In front of him the mountains rose; their white tips clearly visible as they attempted to pierce the blue sky. It seemed that spring had truly fallen here, helped along by the bird song. He hadn’t gone far when he saw her.
She sat on the slope of the hill, her roll mat beneath her and the blanket covering her shoulders. Her knees drawn up she had her arms wrapped around them. Her long hair tumbled down her back, almost touching the blades of lush grass. There was something sad about the set of her shoulders. Her peace was such that he did not want to disturb it. Yet he felt as if he needed to be closer to her. And his next step alerted her to his presence as it broke a twig.
She looked round at him, the fear in her eyes fading. She offered a small smile.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. Unsure of whether he was angry or not. He wanted to be angry at her for worrying him, felt that he should be, but could not bring himself to show it. Tired, he allowed himself to relax.
“You never go far from that blade, do you?”
She avoided his question, “It keeps me safe. Where is your protection?”
“He’s here, now.”
“Were you waiting for me?”
She looked forward again, to the thin ribbon of the River Grey and the forest beyond it. Again he could see that she was troubled. “I couldn’t sleep.” She admitted, still not looking at him. She stretched her legs out, her bandaged feet resting in the long grass.
“How come?”
“If you want to get to the forest by night fall we should leave now, do you always sleep in so late?”
He frowned, knowing that once again she was skirting his question. “I’ve never been one for mornings, Miss Grace.”
She looked at him then, for a long moment she just looked, her eyes narrow. Then finally, “I’m the same.” Still holding the blanket around herself she got to her feet. He saw the pain in her eyes and rushed to offer his support.
---
The light woke him as it usually did, piercing his eyelids as it rose above the trees. Seth wanted to roll over and go back to sleep but forced himself to open his eyes. The air was cool and crisp, the sky stretching as a blue sheet above him. He was surprised that the bird song had failed to wake him before. He sat up, then crossing his legs beneath the thin blanket he leant forward in a cat like stretch, his bare hands touching the floor in front of him and coming away wet with dew. Only then did he look to the dead fire, and the empty space beyond it.
“Kadie?” Her name came out as a soft caress, hardly loud enough to be heard. Getting to his feet in one smooth motion Seth looked about the camp site. Her roll mat and her blanket had gone. For a moment he thought that she had ran away. Then he noticed that the healing balm and the bottle was still there. She wouldn’t have gone without them, would she? “Kadie?” He said her name a little louder, still surprised at the ease with which he said it. Usually it took him a long time to stop calling a lady by her second name, but he felt so much at ease around Kadie that it felt natural.
Picking up his sword he slung it over his back with the sheaths strap across his chest. He started out of the alcove of trees. In front of him the mountains rose; their white tips clearly visible as they attempted to pierce the blue sky. It seemed that spring had truly fallen here, helped along by the bird song. He hadn’t gone far when he saw her.
She sat on the slope of the hill, her roll mat beneath her and the blanket covering her shoulders. Her knees drawn up she had her arms wrapped around them. Her long hair tumbled down her back, almost touching the blades of lush grass. There was something sad about the set of her shoulders. Her peace was such that he did not want to disturb it. Yet he felt as if he needed to be closer to her. And his next step alerted her to his presence as it broke a twig.
She looked round at him, the fear in her eyes fading. She offered a small smile.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. Unsure of whether he was angry or not. He wanted to be angry at her for worrying him, felt that he should be, but could not bring himself to show it. Tired, he allowed himself to relax.
“You never go far from that blade, do you?”
She avoided his question, “It keeps me safe. Where is your protection?”
“He’s here, now.”
“Were you waiting for me?”
She looked forward again, to the thin ribbon of the River Grey and the forest beyond it. Again he could see that she was troubled. “I couldn’t sleep.” She admitted, still not looking at him. She stretched her legs out, her bandaged feet resting in the long grass.
“How come?”
“If you want to get to the forest by night fall we should leave now, do you always sleep in so late?”
He frowned, knowing that once again she was skirting his question. “I’ve never been one for mornings, Miss Grace.”
She looked at him then, for a long moment she just looked, her eyes narrow. Then finally, “I’m the same.” Still holding the blanket around herself she got to her feet. He saw the pain in her eyes and rushed to offer his support.