Well into the late evening hours, sunset was a fading memory of ruddy purple in the sky. Hudson paused on the road almost in sight of the Yearling Brook and crouched, absently picking up a smooth rock from the road and turning it over and over in his hand. If Sylvia was venturing out tonight, she should be along shortly. If too much time passed in the waiting, he would steel his nerve and cross the final distance to the manor. His tenor voice was rich with disgust at himself as he spoke into the empty air. ?Ye great bloody gowk. What dae ye think yer about, in any case??
"No, Willen,? Sylvia started again. ?And part of your duties does not include contradicting me from my doorstep to the gate, does it? I have said no guard and I meant it." She smiled to the young woman who was trying to do her job and gave a pat to her arm. "I will be fine," softening her voice before she turned.
She stepped from the gates just closing for the evening, gave a nod to the guards there, and began the walk into town. A deep breath of the emptiness of the road and the smell of coming night was the first step into easing her mind. But the road did not seem empty as she looked down its length. Someone was there and her steps slowed but little. This close to Yearling Brook, if there was danger, she still had a place to run.
As she neared, the figure became familiar if surprising, and she offered a simple, "Good evening."
Knees protested faintly when Hudson stood from his crouch, tossing the small rock absently off to one side of the road. ?And latha math tae ye, caraid. Ye held back th? guards again?? Rapidly dimming light turned the encounter to shadows and cast an unintentional mask over his expression, but his voice was simply curious as he started to walk beside her.
The curiosity did not fade with the realization it was Hudson. Sylvia looked up at him skeptically, but answered. "I did. I have a few nights when I need to feel rather capable of protecting myself. Whether that is true or not, well, so it is." She walked a few more steps, her eyes moved to the edge of the road and the trees with their brush concealing what might lurk just behind that line of vision. "Did you need something Hudson that you walked all this way?" It was not a question asked lightly.
Rueful smile curving his lips up at the corner, he gave her a sidelong glance and then looked back to the road ahead. ?Truth between us, aye? Nae, there were nothing I needed but th? time tae walk off some restlessness.? He paused, letting quiet footfalls sound louder in the still night air, before he continued. ?Sommat I wanted though, aye, that there be. And I found th? nerve tae be selfish in th? walk up, and lost it all just shy o? th? gates. Sae I be glad tae see ye, wi? guards or no.?
She was rather confused. "Nothing you need, something you wanted, but no longer want? Well," she laughed just the faint echoes of sound that were out of place in the long road vacant but them, "I suppose that I can understand. I walk for that reason, among others." A nudge of her elbow towards him. "I am surprised to see you, but glad as well. Though still concerned at your reasoning, but I will not press for them."
Pretending to stagger from the nudge of her elbow, he recovered into a smoother walk and smiled a bit as he looked up toward the stars. ?Och, well, I dinnae claim tae ha?e much sense in my head, from time tae time. But I didnae say I no longer wanted, just that I?d lost my nerve. But here ye be, and there?s th? wanting taken care o?. ?Twas wishing tae speak wi? ye I was.? His quiet chuckle sounded just as out of place in the night as her laugh had; he shook his head a little. ?And if ye were confused before I would suppose that didnae help much at all.?
Her laughter was richer this time. "No," she shook her head, "I think I can follow that. We are speaking though, so well, you should have your wants satisfied then. Would that all wants were so easily remedied." The last spoken with the same levity, though it dropped her thoughts into maze of matters she had hoped the walk and time in town would keep cast aside.
The stirring of leaves overhead in the gentle breeze were like a flutter of whispers from a distant crowd. Only nature to spy upon them, but they spoke their thoughts just as secretly in whispers of the wind's motion. The silver tone of moonlight was not high enough yet to make the breach of open sky above them, but the stars were making their first sparkles to add to nature's conversation.
"What is it you wanted to talk about? Or perhaps nothing in particular."
?Somewhere between th? here and there, I think.? A distinct thread of humor wound through that ambiguous answer as the leaves turned up to the breeze, as if they struggled to leap into freedom. ?I?d a question for ye, if ye?ll be willing tae answer it. But it be sommat personal, and sae I be afeared tae ask, and I?d nae blame ye for nae answering.? Hudson was watching the mix of grays that defined the road, the tree-trunks, the leaves that would have looked green in the light.
Finally he spoke again, and his voice was soft into the road. ?Ye mentioned th? fearing in th? loving o? yer children th? other night, leannan. Be th? fears, th? worries, less than th? wanting o? them?? He sighed, gesturing with his hands a little as he tried to phrase the question; the effort only partially successful. ?Dae ye e?er regret th? having o? them?
"No, Willen,? Sylvia started again. ?And part of your duties does not include contradicting me from my doorstep to the gate, does it? I have said no guard and I meant it." She smiled to the young woman who was trying to do her job and gave a pat to her arm. "I will be fine," softening her voice before she turned.
She stepped from the gates just closing for the evening, gave a nod to the guards there, and began the walk into town. A deep breath of the emptiness of the road and the smell of coming night was the first step into easing her mind. But the road did not seem empty as she looked down its length. Someone was there and her steps slowed but little. This close to Yearling Brook, if there was danger, she still had a place to run.
As she neared, the figure became familiar if surprising, and she offered a simple, "Good evening."
Knees protested faintly when Hudson stood from his crouch, tossing the small rock absently off to one side of the road. ?And latha math tae ye, caraid. Ye held back th? guards again?? Rapidly dimming light turned the encounter to shadows and cast an unintentional mask over his expression, but his voice was simply curious as he started to walk beside her.
The curiosity did not fade with the realization it was Hudson. Sylvia looked up at him skeptically, but answered. "I did. I have a few nights when I need to feel rather capable of protecting myself. Whether that is true or not, well, so it is." She walked a few more steps, her eyes moved to the edge of the road and the trees with their brush concealing what might lurk just behind that line of vision. "Did you need something Hudson that you walked all this way?" It was not a question asked lightly.
Rueful smile curving his lips up at the corner, he gave her a sidelong glance and then looked back to the road ahead. ?Truth between us, aye? Nae, there were nothing I needed but th? time tae walk off some restlessness.? He paused, letting quiet footfalls sound louder in the still night air, before he continued. ?Sommat I wanted though, aye, that there be. And I found th? nerve tae be selfish in th? walk up, and lost it all just shy o? th? gates. Sae I be glad tae see ye, wi? guards or no.?
She was rather confused. "Nothing you need, something you wanted, but no longer want? Well," she laughed just the faint echoes of sound that were out of place in the long road vacant but them, "I suppose that I can understand. I walk for that reason, among others." A nudge of her elbow towards him. "I am surprised to see you, but glad as well. Though still concerned at your reasoning, but I will not press for them."
Pretending to stagger from the nudge of her elbow, he recovered into a smoother walk and smiled a bit as he looked up toward the stars. ?Och, well, I dinnae claim tae ha?e much sense in my head, from time tae time. But I didnae say I no longer wanted, just that I?d lost my nerve. But here ye be, and there?s th? wanting taken care o?. ?Twas wishing tae speak wi? ye I was.? His quiet chuckle sounded just as out of place in the night as her laugh had; he shook his head a little. ?And if ye were confused before I would suppose that didnae help much at all.?
Her laughter was richer this time. "No," she shook her head, "I think I can follow that. We are speaking though, so well, you should have your wants satisfied then. Would that all wants were so easily remedied." The last spoken with the same levity, though it dropped her thoughts into maze of matters she had hoped the walk and time in town would keep cast aside.
The stirring of leaves overhead in the gentle breeze were like a flutter of whispers from a distant crowd. Only nature to spy upon them, but they spoke their thoughts just as secretly in whispers of the wind's motion. The silver tone of moonlight was not high enough yet to make the breach of open sky above them, but the stars were making their first sparkles to add to nature's conversation.
"What is it you wanted to talk about? Or perhaps nothing in particular."
?Somewhere between th? here and there, I think.? A distinct thread of humor wound through that ambiguous answer as the leaves turned up to the breeze, as if they struggled to leap into freedom. ?I?d a question for ye, if ye?ll be willing tae answer it. But it be sommat personal, and sae I be afeared tae ask, and I?d nae blame ye for nae answering.? Hudson was watching the mix of grays that defined the road, the tree-trunks, the leaves that would have looked green in the light.
Finally he spoke again, and his voice was soft into the road. ?Ye mentioned th? fearing in th? loving o? yer children th? other night, leannan. Be th? fears, th? worries, less than th? wanting o? them?? He sighed, gesturing with his hands a little as he tried to phrase the question; the effort only partially successful. ?Dae ye e?er regret th? having o? them?