Katarina was just a level down from skipping through the Marketplace towards The Silver Lark. It was probably the stack of boxes supported in her arms that kept her from breaking into a leap and run. That, and the calico cat's head that popped out of the messenger bag that was on her shoulder. "Calm down Patches, we're almost there." Humming the Sugar Plum Fairy with a new key in each measure, she jingled Johnny's keys that were waiting in her warm pocket. "Si?" It was a quick warning before she unlocked the door to The Silver Lark and let herself inside. Carefully maneuvering the boxes, she set her bag down so that Patches could leave on his own accord, "Si, I brough' ya dinner, an' 'em smoothies tha' ya like." Noticing that she nor the cat were being bombarded by the dogs, there was doubt of the home not being empty, "Si?"
A wan voice echoed out from the dark interior of the parlor, deep within its shadows. "I am in here, Katarina." The house was on the verge of cold, the fires lit early in the day had been abandoned and were now nothing more than embers. No lamplight dispelled the gray of the wintery afternoon. As if on cue, the dogs extracted themselves from her lap and feet and rushed to the visitor, whining and prancing at the door.
"Ah, well there's mah proper hello." Setting the boxes down, she rubbed both dogs affectionately, though the whining made her frown, "Wha's th' matter, hm? Ain' got any light 'n here, an' yer prolly too cold." This said to the little terrier. Despite Patches usual nonchalant attitude with the new dogs, he padded his way towards the parlor, too. Grabbing the boxes again, she went through the house, lighting the lamps along the way until she reached the parlor. "Geez Si, I know pregnant women er supposed ta be ho' an' all, bu' i's real chilly 'n here." One look upon her cousins face brought an instant, overwhelming, and exaggerating panic. The boxes were blindly set on an end table, "Wha's th' matter? How ya feelin'?"
Branan, the terrier, continued to weave in and around Katrina's legs obviously impatient to go outside, while Caoimhe went and settled herself heavily at her mistress' feet. Sianna moved as if in slow motion and raised red, wild eyes to the younger woman's face. "A visitor brought me news of Hudson. 'Tis feared.... " Her voice drifted to nothing as once more hot tears stung her eyes.
"Easy now, Si. Dun git yerself worked up 'gain." It was obvious from the look in her eyes that the shock wasn't over yet. "Think o' th' kids. Sit." She put her hand gently on a shoulder to make her cousin sit. Flipping open a box, she pulled out a smoothie and handed it to her. "Drink this. 'm gonna let yer dogs out. C'mon Branan." Be practical made the swell of panic easier to deal with. Letting the terrier outside, she returned to the parlor and knelt in between Sianna and the fire. "Now, tell me wha' th' person said." While listening, she worked on building the fire again.
Hands clasped the papered cup, yet the straw never made it to her mouth. "A verra bad storm. Damaged th' ship and Hudson went tae help a sailor. Both were swept ower th' side. He's tae be listed as lost." Each sentence fell from her lips like heavy boulders. Just speaking the words aloud went against her intuitive nature that she was tempting the Fates to make it so. A massive shudder rippled through her as the fire sparked to life once more.
Continuing to build the fire, the dancer hid her expression of despair. Just how much more hurt could Sianna take? Each passing day was another tallied to Johnny absence. Adding to that misery tore her heart to pieces. "Ah, Si." She stood and went to sit closely to her cousin, wrapping her arms around her comfortingly, "We kin't think anythin' till they find 'em." Her heart broke over Hudson too. While they didn't have a strong relationship, he was still now attached to her family
Sobs wracked her body as she cried into Katarina's shoulder. "I asked them tae no' list him, but 'tis no' th' way of the guild. But Gaerwyn gave me his word that they would search for news from other ships."The smoothie all but forgotten, it tilted to the side but luckily did not spill. "He canna take my hope from me, but he canna gie it tae me either, aye?"
She rubbed Sianna's back soothingly, and held her close. She had no idea why Sianna would ask not to list Hudson, or what the repercussions of that were. Instead, her first goal was to calm her cousin down, "Nah, he kin't take it. Bu' ya kin put her hope 'n 'em tackin' 'im down, yeah?" Whether they could find him alive or dead was a nasty twist into her heart.
"Aye, but 'tis slow tae get word." Sianna sat back up slowly, struggling to regain control of her breathing. Catching sight of the cup in her hand, she set it to rights and placed it on the nearby table. "And th' more people that believe it tae be so... aye?" How did Sianna begin to express the way that Scots held tenaciously to things, regardless of how dire things may seem.
"Righ'." She would agree with anything Sianna said if it meant her calming down. She brushed a few wild curls up and out of her forehead. "Ya kin't let it do this ta ya, Si. Drink tha'." A deft point to the cup with a warning look.
Operating only in response, Sianna reached for the cup and took a dutiful sip. Caoimhe rested her head on Sianna's knee and nimble fingers reached out to lightly massage the tip of her silky ears. Scraching and yipping at the door indicated that Branan was ready to rejoin the activity inside.
"Gonna ruin yer door, scratchin' like tha'." Standing swiftly, she moved towards the back door to let the dog back inside. The dog bounded back into the parlor and tried to reach Patches, who was laying flat on top of a couch with his limbs sprawled out. She had lost most of her appetite, and she was sure Sianna probably had too. However, she grabbed the boxes and set them next to Si. "I know yer prolly nah tha' hungry, bu' ya need ta eat somethin', yeah?" Not sitting down just yet, she removed her coat now that the room was warming up again.
She nodded absently at the concept of the door being ruined, and was still nodding through the second question. Still, she made no move to touch the boxes just yet. It felt as if her throat was swollen shut and an improbability that a mouthful would be able to make it down. The wrinkled hankerchief was finally to her face and swiped at raw cheeks.
She glanced at the hankerchief, probably damp thoroughly from the looks of it, and reached into her pocket. "Here, 'least use a clean one." She offered her frilly white one with lace around it in exchange. "Do ya wan' me ta stay?" The question was softly spoken as she studied her cousin. Katarina had no idea how to best help her cousin.
A wan voice echoed out from the dark interior of the parlor, deep within its shadows. "I am in here, Katarina." The house was on the verge of cold, the fires lit early in the day had been abandoned and were now nothing more than embers. No lamplight dispelled the gray of the wintery afternoon. As if on cue, the dogs extracted themselves from her lap and feet and rushed to the visitor, whining and prancing at the door.
"Ah, well there's mah proper hello." Setting the boxes down, she rubbed both dogs affectionately, though the whining made her frown, "Wha's th' matter, hm? Ain' got any light 'n here, an' yer prolly too cold." This said to the little terrier. Despite Patches usual nonchalant attitude with the new dogs, he padded his way towards the parlor, too. Grabbing the boxes again, she went through the house, lighting the lamps along the way until she reached the parlor. "Geez Si, I know pregnant women er supposed ta be ho' an' all, bu' i's real chilly 'n here." One look upon her cousins face brought an instant, overwhelming, and exaggerating panic. The boxes were blindly set on an end table, "Wha's th' matter? How ya feelin'?"
Branan, the terrier, continued to weave in and around Katrina's legs obviously impatient to go outside, while Caoimhe went and settled herself heavily at her mistress' feet. Sianna moved as if in slow motion and raised red, wild eyes to the younger woman's face. "A visitor brought me news of Hudson. 'Tis feared.... " Her voice drifted to nothing as once more hot tears stung her eyes.
"Easy now, Si. Dun git yerself worked up 'gain." It was obvious from the look in her eyes that the shock wasn't over yet. "Think o' th' kids. Sit." She put her hand gently on a shoulder to make her cousin sit. Flipping open a box, she pulled out a smoothie and handed it to her. "Drink this. 'm gonna let yer dogs out. C'mon Branan." Be practical made the swell of panic easier to deal with. Letting the terrier outside, she returned to the parlor and knelt in between Sianna and the fire. "Now, tell me wha' th' person said." While listening, she worked on building the fire again.
Hands clasped the papered cup, yet the straw never made it to her mouth. "A verra bad storm. Damaged th' ship and Hudson went tae help a sailor. Both were swept ower th' side. He's tae be listed as lost." Each sentence fell from her lips like heavy boulders. Just speaking the words aloud went against her intuitive nature that she was tempting the Fates to make it so. A massive shudder rippled through her as the fire sparked to life once more.
Continuing to build the fire, the dancer hid her expression of despair. Just how much more hurt could Sianna take? Each passing day was another tallied to Johnny absence. Adding to that misery tore her heart to pieces. "Ah, Si." She stood and went to sit closely to her cousin, wrapping her arms around her comfortingly, "We kin't think anythin' till they find 'em." Her heart broke over Hudson too. While they didn't have a strong relationship, he was still now attached to her family
Sobs wracked her body as she cried into Katarina's shoulder. "I asked them tae no' list him, but 'tis no' th' way of the guild. But Gaerwyn gave me his word that they would search for news from other ships."The smoothie all but forgotten, it tilted to the side but luckily did not spill. "He canna take my hope from me, but he canna gie it tae me either, aye?"
She rubbed Sianna's back soothingly, and held her close. She had no idea why Sianna would ask not to list Hudson, or what the repercussions of that were. Instead, her first goal was to calm her cousin down, "Nah, he kin't take it. Bu' ya kin put her hope 'n 'em tackin' 'im down, yeah?" Whether they could find him alive or dead was a nasty twist into her heart.
"Aye, but 'tis slow tae get word." Sianna sat back up slowly, struggling to regain control of her breathing. Catching sight of the cup in her hand, she set it to rights and placed it on the nearby table. "And th' more people that believe it tae be so... aye?" How did Sianna begin to express the way that Scots held tenaciously to things, regardless of how dire things may seem.
"Righ'." She would agree with anything Sianna said if it meant her calming down. She brushed a few wild curls up and out of her forehead. "Ya kin't let it do this ta ya, Si. Drink tha'." A deft point to the cup with a warning look.
Operating only in response, Sianna reached for the cup and took a dutiful sip. Caoimhe rested her head on Sianna's knee and nimble fingers reached out to lightly massage the tip of her silky ears. Scraching and yipping at the door indicated that Branan was ready to rejoin the activity inside.
"Gonna ruin yer door, scratchin' like tha'." Standing swiftly, she moved towards the back door to let the dog back inside. The dog bounded back into the parlor and tried to reach Patches, who was laying flat on top of a couch with his limbs sprawled out. She had lost most of her appetite, and she was sure Sianna probably had too. However, she grabbed the boxes and set them next to Si. "I know yer prolly nah tha' hungry, bu' ya need ta eat somethin', yeah?" Not sitting down just yet, she removed her coat now that the room was warming up again.
She nodded absently at the concept of the door being ruined, and was still nodding through the second question. Still, she made no move to touch the boxes just yet. It felt as if her throat was swollen shut and an improbability that a mouthful would be able to make it down. The wrinkled hankerchief was finally to her face and swiped at raw cheeks.
She glanced at the hankerchief, probably damp thoroughly from the looks of it, and reached into her pocket. "Here, 'least use a clean one." She offered her frilly white one with lace around it in exchange. "Do ya wan' me ta stay?" The question was softly spoken as she studied her cousin. Katarina had no idea how to best help her cousin.