As Peredhil left the inn, book in hand, he searched right and left for Juli. There were a few pedestrians out walking at this time of night and it took a moment for him to spot her, tufts of blond hair peeking out from beneath her hood as she strode away with a brisk pace. "Juli! Juli!" He called out to her, breaking into a trot.
"Oh Lor' and Skies!" She muttered darkly to herself, recognizing the voice clearly. If it had been more crowded, she would have been tempted to duck down an alley and feign ignorance, but her height and her hair were too clear a beacon. She didn't have it within her to be mean to him, so taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and stopped, turning to face the approaching man.
He pulled up a few meters short of her, glimpsing the irritation in her eyes before he averted his gaze. "You dropped your book back there?" He held it out tentatively for her. He had meant it as a statement, but it had come out as a question, unnerved as he was by this rather unexpected interaction.
It wasn't irritation, it was self-defense. Her sisters had been prattering on over snuck copies of the GangSTAR for weeks and she'd adopted a thick skin so as not to let it affect her. Realizing the motive for this interaction, she deflated a bit. "Oh. Thank you for seeing that it was returned to me." Her voice was awkwardly formal, her cheeks heavily tinged with color. "You are most kind."
He noted the change in her tone, the defenses she had erected. It made sense and he would have done the same in her situation. He kept his gaze averted so his eyes wouldn't give away the turmoil he felt. Handing her the book, he brought a hand up to scratch his head. "Ah, well, you're welcome." He knew that he had to say something else, but had no idea how to begin. So he stood there, shuffling his feet in the gravel.
Finally, he brought his gaze up to hers. "Juli... I'm sorry about what happened back there." Tossing an arm in the direction of the inn.
The silence grew long as she finally reached out and took the book, suddenly very interested in some scrollwork she'd drawn on the cover. They were nearly the same height, so it was easy for them to make eye contact if one of them wasn't intenionally avoiding it. "You have nothing to apologize for. I should be the one sorry that this.. errand.. took you away from..." She paused, regaining control. ".. your lady."
The words stung him, for all their truth. "I didn't mean for you to find out... this way." It sounded like such a lame excuse and he knew it. But there were things that were probably best left unsaid. He glanced back at the inn, his eyes trailing over the roof to rest on the half-moon that cast its pallor over the city.
"Which way is that, hmm?" A flash of green then, before it was quickly extinguished. "By reading it in th' papers or by seeing it fer myself firsthand in public?" She crossed her arms in front of her body to wrap her cloak tighter against the evening chill. Softly now, she spoke. "Ya might not have meant it ta be so, Peredhil..." His name fell from her lips tenderly. "... but it's how it happened, just the same."
Turning back to look at Juli, he bit his lip before venturing a better explanation. "I know, and you have no idea how badly I feel about it. When I saw you again after several months where we had no contact whatsoever, Piper and I were still not a couple. In fact, we were going through a rough time. Yet I already loved her then, although I did not realize it. And when you reappeared... well, I took it as a sign." He paused, gathering his breath.
"I obviously was confused. So confused. And... well... my mind was elsewhere." He bit his lip again, not wanting to delve into other issues. "And the result is that I hurt you, Juli. Something I never wanted to do." He looked at her earnestly, his eyes pleading with her to believe him.
Now it was her turn to be stung. It was not as if those months apart had been her choice, and yet now she bore the consequence of them. It seemed the ways of Hope had not taken long to reappear in Rhy'din. She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it again, caught as if in a web.
Shaking her head as if to push it from her mind. "Ahh, well, my apologies again if I was an additional confusion to your mind." Flipping through her book, she found what she was looking for and ripped it cleanly from spine. "I showed my gratitude once for your kindness with a bit of my art, allow me the chance ta do so again for the hospitality of your house th' night ya found me wandering in the woods alone." She held it out to him.
He felt as if a door in his life was closing, and it pained him deeply that it had to end in such a way. Reluctantly and wordlessly, he stretched his hand out for the paper.
It was nature study, a large boulder resting against a sheer stone wall, inscribed with a riddle in runes, the circular shape indicative of a mandala. Ivy and moss grew heavy, and new grass sprouted beneath the rock's shadow. Juliane had neatly labeled below that this was a reproduction of an image she had found in an old book. It had reminded her of him, for standing there reading the inscription was a figure of a man in profile who could not be mistaken.
He had intended to give the sketch no more than a passing look, his primary concern being Juli at the moment. However, the image captured his attention immediately and he perused it silently for several moments. "Where did you come across this image?" He spoke softly, but there was an urgency in his voice.
"A book I found at a paper peddler's booth in th' Marketplace. It kept me company those many months I was without yours." Her sketchbook closed with an air of finality and was placed in her bag with certainty this time.
He deserved that and much more. And he was ready to admit defeat and let it go at that, but another glance at the image told him that this just might provide the answers he was so desperately seeking. It seemed to be another sign, and an unsettling one, drawing an immediate comparison that he would not voice.
"This peddler? Is he still there... in the Marketplace?"
She took the shift in conversation personally, his questions off topic and willingly avoiding her in any capacity. "I could not say, but I don't think so. He only had a few things left when I saw him, and he sold me th' lot for th' price of th' book I wished." Her balance point shifted, as her arm began to ache holding onto her box of supplies. "But there are many other peddlers for ya ta do business with in th' Marketplace. I'm sure one of them will be able ta show ya nicely illustrated books."
He knew that the sudden change in topic would seem like evasion, and she had taken it to mean that. He was reluctant to divulge details, but the matter was too important. And who knew if he'd ever speak with Juliane again? "This image might save my kingdom. Not to mention me." He said the second sentence as an afterthought. His life mattered little when compared to what might befall the world. Desperation entering his voice, he pleaded with her. "Do you have any more images like this one?"
"Anything that might explain these runes?" His eyes indicated the image, although his hand went to the broken shard of clay that he carried with him everywhere, stuffed deep in one of his cloak's inner pockets.
She paled, the color and stifled anger draining away like an ebbtide. The milky gray color of her water cup when painting. "Yes. Many. I only scratched the surface. He would not sell th' book without th' others, and I wanted th' book so I took th' rest. I don' know what alls really there." The thought of losing his love hurt, the thought of him losing his life froze the blood in her veins.
He noted the change in tone and instantly regretted mentioning what his haunted dreams told him every night. He did not want her pity. Nevertheless, her words were encouraging and he allowed himself a small smile. A flicker of hope. Nothing more, but it was something he could finally latch onto. "Where are these books now?"
She had already known his dreams were haunted. Had heard him pacing the hallway the entire night she slept beneath his roof. And even in her hurt, Juliane was too compassionate to ever lower herself to hollow pity. A nod of her head over her shoulder. "At th' studio."
He lowered his voice to little more than a whisper, realizing he had hurt her deeply and now was asking her for a huge favor. "I know this is awkward, but would it be possible for me to look at them? Please?"
Her studio was her inner-sanctum, shared only with family to this point. Awkward could not even begin to describe it. Her feelings warred between themselves. Allowing him access would make him one of an extremely small group of trusted people. And she had trusted him, up until all of this had unravalled at her fingertips. Frozen in thought, she could only manage to nod mutely.
He noticed her reluctance and felt he had overstepped. "You know, if you prefer, we could meet at Teas'n Tomes instead. Somewhere public."
She shook her head emphatically. "No, there's too much. I had ta use the peddler's cart ta transport it all there in the first place, not ta mention carting it upstairs."
He nodded, realizing what a burden he had become for her. He finally ventured the courage to ask, "Will you let me carry that box for you at least?"
Her heart seized, stalled in the attempt to not interpret his hope as to hope for herself. Yet aching for things to be back as they were, replete with the freedom of possibility. "No, I'll manage." She shifted it from one arm to the other. "I've learned to be self-sufficient. But it's kind of you to offer, Mister Peredhil. The studio's just a little ways on from here."
He nodded mutely, making no attempt to walk by her side. That would just make the situation more uncomfortable. Instead, he would follow a couple of meters behind until they reached the studio. He sought to disturb as little as humanly possible, knowing that his presence was likely the last thing she currently desired.
]
"Oh Lor' and Skies!" She muttered darkly to herself, recognizing the voice clearly. If it had been more crowded, she would have been tempted to duck down an alley and feign ignorance, but her height and her hair were too clear a beacon. She didn't have it within her to be mean to him, so taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and stopped, turning to face the approaching man.
He pulled up a few meters short of her, glimpsing the irritation in her eyes before he averted his gaze. "You dropped your book back there?" He held it out tentatively for her. He had meant it as a statement, but it had come out as a question, unnerved as he was by this rather unexpected interaction.
It wasn't irritation, it was self-defense. Her sisters had been prattering on over snuck copies of the GangSTAR for weeks and she'd adopted a thick skin so as not to let it affect her. Realizing the motive for this interaction, she deflated a bit. "Oh. Thank you for seeing that it was returned to me." Her voice was awkwardly formal, her cheeks heavily tinged with color. "You are most kind."
He noted the change in her tone, the defenses she had erected. It made sense and he would have done the same in her situation. He kept his gaze averted so his eyes wouldn't give away the turmoil he felt. Handing her the book, he brought a hand up to scratch his head. "Ah, well, you're welcome." He knew that he had to say something else, but had no idea how to begin. So he stood there, shuffling his feet in the gravel.
Finally, he brought his gaze up to hers. "Juli... I'm sorry about what happened back there." Tossing an arm in the direction of the inn.
The silence grew long as she finally reached out and took the book, suddenly very interested in some scrollwork she'd drawn on the cover. They were nearly the same height, so it was easy for them to make eye contact if one of them wasn't intenionally avoiding it. "You have nothing to apologize for. I should be the one sorry that this.. errand.. took you away from..." She paused, regaining control. ".. your lady."
The words stung him, for all their truth. "I didn't mean for you to find out... this way." It sounded like such a lame excuse and he knew it. But there were things that were probably best left unsaid. He glanced back at the inn, his eyes trailing over the roof to rest on the half-moon that cast its pallor over the city.
"Which way is that, hmm?" A flash of green then, before it was quickly extinguished. "By reading it in th' papers or by seeing it fer myself firsthand in public?" She crossed her arms in front of her body to wrap her cloak tighter against the evening chill. Softly now, she spoke. "Ya might not have meant it ta be so, Peredhil..." His name fell from her lips tenderly. "... but it's how it happened, just the same."
Turning back to look at Juli, he bit his lip before venturing a better explanation. "I know, and you have no idea how badly I feel about it. When I saw you again after several months where we had no contact whatsoever, Piper and I were still not a couple. In fact, we were going through a rough time. Yet I already loved her then, although I did not realize it. And when you reappeared... well, I took it as a sign." He paused, gathering his breath.
"I obviously was confused. So confused. And... well... my mind was elsewhere." He bit his lip again, not wanting to delve into other issues. "And the result is that I hurt you, Juli. Something I never wanted to do." He looked at her earnestly, his eyes pleading with her to believe him.
Now it was her turn to be stung. It was not as if those months apart had been her choice, and yet now she bore the consequence of them. It seemed the ways of Hope had not taken long to reappear in Rhy'din. She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it again, caught as if in a web.
Shaking her head as if to push it from her mind. "Ahh, well, my apologies again if I was an additional confusion to your mind." Flipping through her book, she found what she was looking for and ripped it cleanly from spine. "I showed my gratitude once for your kindness with a bit of my art, allow me the chance ta do so again for the hospitality of your house th' night ya found me wandering in the woods alone." She held it out to him.
He felt as if a door in his life was closing, and it pained him deeply that it had to end in such a way. Reluctantly and wordlessly, he stretched his hand out for the paper.
It was nature study, a large boulder resting against a sheer stone wall, inscribed with a riddle in runes, the circular shape indicative of a mandala. Ivy and moss grew heavy, and new grass sprouted beneath the rock's shadow. Juliane had neatly labeled below that this was a reproduction of an image she had found in an old book. It had reminded her of him, for standing there reading the inscription was a figure of a man in profile who could not be mistaken.
He had intended to give the sketch no more than a passing look, his primary concern being Juli at the moment. However, the image captured his attention immediately and he perused it silently for several moments. "Where did you come across this image?" He spoke softly, but there was an urgency in his voice.
"A book I found at a paper peddler's booth in th' Marketplace. It kept me company those many months I was without yours." Her sketchbook closed with an air of finality and was placed in her bag with certainty this time.
He deserved that and much more. And he was ready to admit defeat and let it go at that, but another glance at the image told him that this just might provide the answers he was so desperately seeking. It seemed to be another sign, and an unsettling one, drawing an immediate comparison that he would not voice.
"This peddler? Is he still there... in the Marketplace?"
She took the shift in conversation personally, his questions off topic and willingly avoiding her in any capacity. "I could not say, but I don't think so. He only had a few things left when I saw him, and he sold me th' lot for th' price of th' book I wished." Her balance point shifted, as her arm began to ache holding onto her box of supplies. "But there are many other peddlers for ya ta do business with in th' Marketplace. I'm sure one of them will be able ta show ya nicely illustrated books."
He knew that the sudden change in topic would seem like evasion, and she had taken it to mean that. He was reluctant to divulge details, but the matter was too important. And who knew if he'd ever speak with Juliane again? "This image might save my kingdom. Not to mention me." He said the second sentence as an afterthought. His life mattered little when compared to what might befall the world. Desperation entering his voice, he pleaded with her. "Do you have any more images like this one?"
"Anything that might explain these runes?" His eyes indicated the image, although his hand went to the broken shard of clay that he carried with him everywhere, stuffed deep in one of his cloak's inner pockets.
She paled, the color and stifled anger draining away like an ebbtide. The milky gray color of her water cup when painting. "Yes. Many. I only scratched the surface. He would not sell th' book without th' others, and I wanted th' book so I took th' rest. I don' know what alls really there." The thought of losing his love hurt, the thought of him losing his life froze the blood in her veins.
He noted the change in tone and instantly regretted mentioning what his haunted dreams told him every night. He did not want her pity. Nevertheless, her words were encouraging and he allowed himself a small smile. A flicker of hope. Nothing more, but it was something he could finally latch onto. "Where are these books now?"
She had already known his dreams were haunted. Had heard him pacing the hallway the entire night she slept beneath his roof. And even in her hurt, Juliane was too compassionate to ever lower herself to hollow pity. A nod of her head over her shoulder. "At th' studio."
He lowered his voice to little more than a whisper, realizing he had hurt her deeply and now was asking her for a huge favor. "I know this is awkward, but would it be possible for me to look at them? Please?"
Her studio was her inner-sanctum, shared only with family to this point. Awkward could not even begin to describe it. Her feelings warred between themselves. Allowing him access would make him one of an extremely small group of trusted people. And she had trusted him, up until all of this had unravalled at her fingertips. Frozen in thought, she could only manage to nod mutely.
He noticed her reluctance and felt he had overstepped. "You know, if you prefer, we could meet at Teas'n Tomes instead. Somewhere public."
She shook her head emphatically. "No, there's too much. I had ta use the peddler's cart ta transport it all there in the first place, not ta mention carting it upstairs."
He nodded, realizing what a burden he had become for her. He finally ventured the courage to ask, "Will you let me carry that box for you at least?"
Her heart seized, stalled in the attempt to not interpret his hope as to hope for herself. Yet aching for things to be back as they were, replete with the freedom of possibility. "No, I'll manage." She shifted it from one arm to the other. "I've learned to be self-sufficient. But it's kind of you to offer, Mister Peredhil. The studio's just a little ways on from here."
He nodded mutely, making no attempt to walk by her side. That would just make the situation more uncomfortable. Instead, he would follow a couple of meters behind until they reached the studio. He sought to disturb as little as humanly possible, knowing that his presence was likely the last thing she currently desired.
]