Eventually, the man let her being to close his wound, and when he lifted his shirt, she saw that it was more of a puncture than a gash, which was worse, really. She took her cloth and gently began to dab the blood. “Please stay still.” She requested, knowing that the less he moved, the less he would bleed. She wiped away the blood until it was almost all gone, and then took the needle in her left hand, pinching his skin and pulling it away from him as she began to poke through it. “This is going to pinch.” She warned him, though she was already forcing the needle through his skin. Fortunately, her needles were very sharp, and clean, since her boss insisted on such to make sure that the leathers were completed with the best quality.
Stitching the wound only took a few minutes, since it was a puncture wound. “There might be bleeding beneath the skin. If so, I am sorry.” She said, dabbing at the spot once more as she cut the thread and leaned back away from the man. “I have done all that I can.” She walked over to a washing basin and began to wring the blood from her cloth and her fingers. By the time her boss returned, the man would have to be gone, and she would be back to stitching, hopefully a bit faster so that he didn’t suspect she had taken a break. He was a demanding individual, and there were many women that could sew.
“Do you think that you will soon be able to leave?” She requested. Rhys didn’t want to force him out when he was physically injured, but he was likely a criminal, and she had to save her own skin, first. “And…do you think that someone will come here, looking for you?” She was thinking drastically, but she was wondering if she should have some sort of injury, that way it looked as if she was held against her will, rather than aiding him by her own suggestion. Of course, if she could just get the man out quickly, then she wouldn’t have to worry about any of that.
Rhys waited a few moments for an answer, and then turned to the door, not to escape, but to check the floor in the front and make sure that there was no blood. She took the damp cloth and walked out of the back room to scrub a few spots on the floor, just to be safe. Her boss would be frustrated with her for taking time off to scrub, but he would be more angry about his place of business not being kept looking beautiful—despite the fact that the traffic on this street was practically nonexistent.
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He didn’t say anything until after she tried to stitch his wound, and then he begged not to be touched. She could sense that he was off-balance, and clearly had some trust issues, and she paused, not wanting to encourage him to act rashly. “Sir…” She said, her voice barely a whisper. “You are bleeding too much for it to be a graze. If you do not have your wound tended to, then you will only sit here and continue to bleed. I would normally suggest proper medical treatment, but I am pretty sure that if you could have gone to a proper doctor, you would have. So you have to decide. Option 1, you sit here until you bleed to death, and then leave me to clean up after… or you let me close the wound, and then you can leave and we can both get back to our lives.”
A part of her had thought that maybe he was stuck-up enough to think himself better than her, but he had already grasped her before, clamping his hand upon her mouth. Ruling that as unlikely, her next guess was that he simply had issues with trust. “Do you think that you can stitch this yourself?” She asked, her voice a bit skeptical. He was bleeding, there was no way that he could easily keep his hand steady enough to do more than just hurt himself more.
The woman was trying to be patient, but the sooner she stitched him up, the faster he would leave. After a few more moments, she gave another offer. Most people would think it was insane, and would serve no purpose, but to Rhys, it made all the difference, and maybe…just maybe, such was the case with this man as well. “I can put on gloves, if that would make it easier.” She offered.
For Rhys, sometimes contact with the skin was too much. It was rare for her, as usually the haunting visions came in her sleep, but there were times, especially when she was under great stress, that she found physical contact to be too great. Touching someone showed her their future, or the future of their loved ones, and she couldn’t handle it. In the workroom there were thick gloves for handling large amounts of leather, but she also had a smaller pair that fit her more snuggly in her apron, for occasions when she was worried about being around other people. It was another reason that she wore two layers, one of which had long sleeves, even in the summer.
A part of her had thought that maybe he was stuck-up enough to think himself better than her, but he had already grasped her before, clamping his hand upon her mouth. Ruling that as unlikely, her next guess was that he simply had issues with trust. “Do you think that you can stitch this yourself?” She asked, her voice a bit skeptical. He was bleeding, there was no way that he could easily keep his hand steady enough to do more than just hurt himself more.
The woman was trying to be patient, but the sooner she stitched him up, the faster he would leave. After a few more moments, she gave another offer. Most people would think it was insane, and would serve no purpose, but to Rhys, it made all the difference, and maybe…just maybe, such was the case with this man as well. “I can put on gloves, if that would make it easier.” She offered.
For Rhys, sometimes contact with the skin was too much. It was rare for her, as usually the haunting visions came in her sleep, but there were times, especially when she was under great stress, that she found physical contact to be too great. Touching someone showed her their future, or the future of their loved ones, and she couldn’t handle it. In the workroom there were thick gloves for handling large amounts of leather, but she also had a smaller pair that fit her more snuggly in her apron, for occasions when she was worried about being around other people. It was another reason that she wore two layers, one of which had long sleeves, even in the summer.
okay, well i think i will leave the post a little short then instead, and let him have another choice here- she is trying to work with him a bit.
Curious, if she went ahead and touched him anyway, would he completely panic?
He didn’t seem quite so terrifying when he backed away from her, and even less so when he held up his hands, revealing a patch of blood. Don’t bleed on his floor! she thought to herself, knowing that her boss would be furious, especially if the man bled on any of the products. She should have felt guilty for being concerned about the product first, but she had no idea if this man was a serial killer, or what. She didn’t get the chance to address his words about needing to hide before there was a crash in the back room. She turned, half-expecting to see an accomplice robbing her blind, but instead she saw some sort of creature that…she had most certainly seen before.
It took her a few moments to place the creature, because she hadn’t seen it when she was awake. No, she had seen this creature in her dreams, in her visions. The man seemed to communicate with the creature by whistling, or this was some sort of extravagant ploy to make her think that she was insane. She stood in frozen shock until the creature left, and the stranger spoke to her again. “You…” She paused, turning back towards him and looking down at his wound. “You cannot bleed on this floor… Come.” She gestured, but didn’t reach out to touch the man.
Going into the back room, Rhys saw that a few boxes had been knocked over, nothing disastrous. There was a work-table back here with a stool and some supplies for cutting and templates for shoes and other products. She gestured to the chair and scooted some things out of the way. “If my boss finds you here, you threatened me and my family with a gruesome death and making sure that we could not confess our sins…He is deeply religious, and otherwise, he might strangle me for allowing you here. Do you understand?” As she spoke, she became a bit more authoritative, taking control of what little she could.
She grabbed another needle, and a thin string, along with a clean cloth from her gown. “Let me see your wound.” She said, kneeling in front of him as she thread the string. “You likely need it stitched if you have a chance of getting out of here quickly.” She said. If he doubted her ability, she would gesture to the intricate work he had seen in the front of the shop. Blood didn’t particularly make her squeamish, having two sisters, and a father who worked in construction. They couldn’t afford proper medical care, so her mother would sew her husband back together when he injured himself.
Rhys was usually quite shy around boys, but her desire to get rid of this stranger quickly propelled her to act. When it actually came time to touch the man, however, her nerves would begin to set in, and she froze for a few moments before she regained her composure and would be able to clean and then stitch the wound properly.
It took her a few moments to place the creature, because she hadn’t seen it when she was awake. No, she had seen this creature in her dreams, in her visions. The man seemed to communicate with the creature by whistling, or this was some sort of extravagant ploy to make her think that she was insane. She stood in frozen shock until the creature left, and the stranger spoke to her again. “You…” She paused, turning back towards him and looking down at his wound. “You cannot bleed on this floor… Come.” She gestured, but didn’t reach out to touch the man.
Going into the back room, Rhys saw that a few boxes had been knocked over, nothing disastrous. There was a work-table back here with a stool and some supplies for cutting and templates for shoes and other products. She gestured to the chair and scooted some things out of the way. “If my boss finds you here, you threatened me and my family with a gruesome death and making sure that we could not confess our sins…He is deeply religious, and otherwise, he might strangle me for allowing you here. Do you understand?” As she spoke, she became a bit more authoritative, taking control of what little she could.
She grabbed another needle, and a thin string, along with a clean cloth from her gown. “Let me see your wound.” She said, kneeling in front of him as she thread the string. “You likely need it stitched if you have a chance of getting out of here quickly.” She said. If he doubted her ability, she would gesture to the intricate work he had seen in the front of the shop. Blood didn’t particularly make her squeamish, having two sisters, and a father who worked in construction. They couldn’t afford proper medical care, so her mother would sew her husband back together when he injured himself.
Rhys was usually quite shy around boys, but her desire to get rid of this stranger quickly propelled her to act. When it actually came time to touch the man, however, her nerves would begin to set in, and she froze for a few moments before she regained her composure and would be able to clean and then stitch the wound properly.
The market in the small city of Renward was busy, though not unusually so for the height of the season. Local farmers had set up stalls with their crops to sell, and entertainers put on their best shows in the square, to get the attention, and the coin, of the generous folk in the town. Some business people stayed in their shops, but most owners went out to shop and find clients, leaving others to fend for their shops. Rhys was one of the lowly shop employees. Being the third daughter of a man who was not wealthy enough to afford three daughters, she had resolved herself to the life of a spinster. She had been taught to sew at an early age, and her current job was at a leatherworker’s shop, where she mostly worked on embroidery for saddles, sword sheaths, and even some shoes.
She had been standing in the shop, walking around as she worked the needle through the material to follow the pattern. Leather was not easy to embroider, and she was pretty confident that this shop was one of the only that was stupid enough to do it. In any case, she was paid, and had a roof over her head all day, able to stay away from prostitution, fortunately. She was contemplating just this fact when the door opened. She opened her mouth to ask how she could help the gentleman who entered, only to see the panic in his eyes, and her own widened in fear.
In a moment, he had grabbed her arm and clamped a hand over her mouth. She struggled for a moment, but then steadied, not wanting to compel this man to act in haste once more. She had no idea what sorts of weapons might be hiding on his person. He urged her to be quiet, and she forced her breathing to steady, though her hands began to shake. She still had the needle in her right hand, she could probably stab him, though with his clothing, it might not even graze the skin. A needle was no weapon. She watched his gaze move to the door, and she watched it as well.
He finally moved his hand away, telling her not to scream. Yes, if she screamed, she probably would get the town guard in here, if there wasn’t a brothel next door. They had stopped responding to screams on this street some time before. That was half the reason the owner was away, he was looking for a new shop for his fine leatherworks. Further, he would likely slice her open before she was saved by the incompetent guard. Her eyes moved to the door, but with his hand still firmly latched on her arm, she knew that she wasn’t going to be able to get there. Despite her fear, she kept her voice steady for the most part. “Please, sir… Let me go. I mean nothing to you. There is nothing here, no gold… Just leave.” It was true, mostly. The owner didn’t keep riches that he expected his employee might steal out in the open; that would be reckless of him. There were some fine leathers in the building that were actually worth a decent sum to the right buyer. If he stole anything, though, she would be held responsible for it, and she was already only making a pittance. She couldn’t afford to let him steal anything from the shop owner.
She had been standing in the shop, walking around as she worked the needle through the material to follow the pattern. Leather was not easy to embroider, and she was pretty confident that this shop was one of the only that was stupid enough to do it. In any case, she was paid, and had a roof over her head all day, able to stay away from prostitution, fortunately. She was contemplating just this fact when the door opened. She opened her mouth to ask how she could help the gentleman who entered, only to see the panic in his eyes, and her own widened in fear.
In a moment, he had grabbed her arm and clamped a hand over her mouth. She struggled for a moment, but then steadied, not wanting to compel this man to act in haste once more. She had no idea what sorts of weapons might be hiding on his person. He urged her to be quiet, and she forced her breathing to steady, though her hands began to shake. She still had the needle in her right hand, she could probably stab him, though with his clothing, it might not even graze the skin. A needle was no weapon. She watched his gaze move to the door, and she watched it as well.
He finally moved his hand away, telling her not to scream. Yes, if she screamed, she probably would get the town guard in here, if there wasn’t a brothel next door. They had stopped responding to screams on this street some time before. That was half the reason the owner was away, he was looking for a new shop for his fine leatherworks. Further, he would likely slice her open before she was saved by the incompetent guard. Her eyes moved to the door, but with his hand still firmly latched on her arm, she knew that she wasn’t going to be able to get there. Despite her fear, she kept her voice steady for the most part. “Please, sir… Let me go. I mean nothing to you. There is nothing here, no gold… Just leave.” It was true, mostly. The owner didn’t keep riches that he expected his employee might steal out in the open; that would be reckless of him. There were some fine leathers in the building that were actually worth a decent sum to the right buyer. If he stole anything, though, she would be held responsible for it, and she was already only making a pittance. She couldn’t afford to let him steal anything from the shop owner.
No worries!
Name: Rhys Alderan
Age: 26
Appearance:
Name: Rhys Alderan
Age: 26
Appearance:
Kieran was one of the first people to try some of the pastries that Kara had brought out. They were, in fact, delicious. Soon he and Rhys had some tea, and we sipping it as Devon and Ana made small talk. “Thank you, dear.” Kara said, nodding graciously to Ana. “We are blessed to get healthy crops, here, and everything is very fresh. The mage who tends to the fields is really quite talented.” Kara’s gaze flickered to Rhys, having already heard about their need for a tutor for the elemental girl. Kara had always been…a bit of a gossip. The old farmer was an elemental as well. He was quite in-tune with the earth, and used that understanding to determine when his crops needed more water, or more nutrition in the soil. He couldn’t control the sun, of course, and the fact that he hadn’t controlled fire in quite some time made him a bit more…calm than most of the other elementals that she had met.
Kieran caught on to Kara’s statement, and thought that they should perhaps speak with this man for Rhys. If only Kara had a solution for Ana as well, then they could stay in Yarlow and get both of the girls prepared for the trials that they would face. He looked over at Devon, and silently asked his opinion. Do you think, Devon, that we might be able to convince the farmer to give Rhys some tips? He knew that he needed to focus on Ana, that he had brought her to this world, and she was his responsibility. At the same time, Kieran was the type of person who always found solutions to the ten problems that weren’t the most pressing. When he was asked to do one thing, he could accomplish many others, and be productive, but he had a hard time focusing on just one objective and following through with it quickly. He liked to blame that on the visions, since there were often muddled and pushed him in different directions.
Outside of Yarlow, a group of men and women armed themselves with weapons. They had swords, bows, and even some chemical bombs that had been bottled. Their contact was an ally of theirs who had siblings that were magic users. He had grown up jealous, with the rest of his family capable of magic. They flaunted it, and acted superior to him, and he wanted nothing more than for everyone to be equal. He hated how mages could be, so when he learned of Yarlow, he knew it was a place that he needed to tell his companions. He sent them information about the portal, and they seized a property with another portal that they could use to transport them to the center of the town. They had others who had already tried to go in through the gates, but they had been found wandering disoriented in another nation 2 months later, completely unaware of what was going on. One of the men had forgotten about his child. It was more fuel to the fire of their anger, and now they had a way to get right to the center of the town, bypassing the guards entirely.
They were prepared for death, the twelve people who were situated on the entrance to the portal. The moment that they appeared in Yarlow, of course, they were seen and sensed by many of the mind and spirit mages. Kieran dropped his tea. Despite the distance, he could sense the responses of the magic users around the attackers, and he jumped up, apologizing. “I’m sorry, Kara, but we are in danger. Intruders are in Yarlow.” He said. “Please, secure yourself in a safe location.” He said. Kara didn’t have any magic. She couldn’t defend herself. Of course, neither could Ana and Rhys. “Can you hide the girls with you as well?” Kieran questioned. Just about everyone in Yarlow had hidden floorboards and compartments that they could hide themselves, or their children inside. Most were tiny, but since Kara had a family, Kieran hoped that it would be big enough for the three women. He wouldn’t hide, he would fight, and he was sure that Devon would do the same.
“Hide? I don’t… I can’t.” Rhys protested, shaking her head.
“Rhys, I am sorry, but we don’t have time to argue about this.” Kieran apologized. He felt a spirit suddenly cease, and knew that already one of the mages they had been trying to protect was dead. He needed to get out there and help.
Kara was already moving to the kitchen, where she had a cold cellar for preserving some foods beneath the floor. There was even a small hidden room inside of that, because just about every house already had a cellar for food and wine. She opened the door, and began to usher Ana and Rhys inside.
Rhys looked down at the hole, and then from Kieran to Devon. “No, I can’t. You don’t understand… It is a tinderbox!” She would explode down there, hidden in a compact space with other people. Screw the attackers, she would panic and kill Ana and Kara. “Please, Devon… I can’t do confined spaces with other people. I will kill them!” The fact that she was scared made her even worse at controlling herself, of course. The flames from the fireplace in the living room were leaping out of the hearth.
Kieran caught on to Kara’s statement, and thought that they should perhaps speak with this man for Rhys. If only Kara had a solution for Ana as well, then they could stay in Yarlow and get both of the girls prepared for the trials that they would face. He looked over at Devon, and silently asked his opinion. Do you think, Devon, that we might be able to convince the farmer to give Rhys some tips? He knew that he needed to focus on Ana, that he had brought her to this world, and she was his responsibility. At the same time, Kieran was the type of person who always found solutions to the ten problems that weren’t the most pressing. When he was asked to do one thing, he could accomplish many others, and be productive, but he had a hard time focusing on just one objective and following through with it quickly. He liked to blame that on the visions, since there were often muddled and pushed him in different directions.
Outside of Yarlow, a group of men and women armed themselves with weapons. They had swords, bows, and even some chemical bombs that had been bottled. Their contact was an ally of theirs who had siblings that were magic users. He had grown up jealous, with the rest of his family capable of magic. They flaunted it, and acted superior to him, and he wanted nothing more than for everyone to be equal. He hated how mages could be, so when he learned of Yarlow, he knew it was a place that he needed to tell his companions. He sent them information about the portal, and they seized a property with another portal that they could use to transport them to the center of the town. They had others who had already tried to go in through the gates, but they had been found wandering disoriented in another nation 2 months later, completely unaware of what was going on. One of the men had forgotten about his child. It was more fuel to the fire of their anger, and now they had a way to get right to the center of the town, bypassing the guards entirely.
They were prepared for death, the twelve people who were situated on the entrance to the portal. The moment that they appeared in Yarlow, of course, they were seen and sensed by many of the mind and spirit mages. Kieran dropped his tea. Despite the distance, he could sense the responses of the magic users around the attackers, and he jumped up, apologizing. “I’m sorry, Kara, but we are in danger. Intruders are in Yarlow.” He said. “Please, secure yourself in a safe location.” He said. Kara didn’t have any magic. She couldn’t defend herself. Of course, neither could Ana and Rhys. “Can you hide the girls with you as well?” Kieran questioned. Just about everyone in Yarlow had hidden floorboards and compartments that they could hide themselves, or their children inside. Most were tiny, but since Kara had a family, Kieran hoped that it would be big enough for the three women. He wouldn’t hide, he would fight, and he was sure that Devon would do the same.
“Hide? I don’t… I can’t.” Rhys protested, shaking her head.
“Rhys, I am sorry, but we don’t have time to argue about this.” Kieran apologized. He felt a spirit suddenly cease, and knew that already one of the mages they had been trying to protect was dead. He needed to get out there and help.
Kara was already moving to the kitchen, where she had a cold cellar for preserving some foods beneath the floor. There was even a small hidden room inside of that, because just about every house already had a cellar for food and wine. She opened the door, and began to usher Ana and Rhys inside.
Rhys looked down at the hole, and then from Kieran to Devon. “No, I can’t. You don’t understand… It is a tinderbox!” She would explode down there, hidden in a compact space with other people. Screw the attackers, she would panic and kill Ana and Kara. “Please, Devon… I can’t do confined spaces with other people. I will kill them!” The fact that she was scared made her even worse at controlling herself, of course. The flames from the fireplace in the living room were leaping out of the hearth.
Sorry the site is glitching. I can add more to my post, I just didn't want to take things too far without you.
Rhys had misunderstood, but when he clarified, she nodded slowly. “Ahh… I understand what you mean now.” She said. It was an interesting concept. Two different magics working together could certainly cause more chaos, but she wasn’t sure how it could help resolve a situation faster. She dropped the topic for now, as they were still selecting books.
She tried not to think too hard about the compliment Devon gave her regarding her drawing. She didn’t know if she really wanted to travel. She just wanted to sort of…hide out, and be unnoticed by anyone. Traveling the world sounded suspiciously like running, and Rhys didn’t want to have to run. Devon explained the concept better, and though he thought about Rhys picking a different book, the thought didn’t occur to her. She was given the book to learn from, and she was working on trying to understand it. “Okay. I think that makes sense.” She did start to skim a little, looking for a new heading that she could discern.
When Kieran and Ana returned with their books, Devon brought up going out for tea. Rhys was a little surprised, as she had thought that they were supposed to be reading about their abilities. She didn’t know Ms. Sibbens either, but when Ana seemed interested, Rhys nodded in agreement. “I am certainly fond of tea, and I know that you have just arrived with your books, but I don’t think this one is a good fit for me.” She stood up and closed the books that Devon had picked up. “No offense, Devon. But I think I will return this one and try another.” She said. Rhys excused herself for a few moments to bring back the difficult book to Urkwia, pretty sure that the others would wait for her.
Urkwia knew she was there as soon as she entered, and quickly chimed in her head. Is something wrong, Rhys? She asked.
Rhys wasn’t sure exactly how to answer, aloud or in her head, though the former really took care of both. “I um… this book was a little too hard for me.” She said. “We have some others, so I am fine, but I just wanted to bring this one back since I don’t think I will really get a lot out of it.”
Urkwia told her to simply leave it on the counter by the door, and she would be by in a short while to take care of it. Don’t hesitate to come back. If Devon can’t help you find a book, I am sure that I can. She told Rhys. The elemental thanked her, and then left once more to catch up with the others.
Kieran hadn’t said much aloud when Rhys left. He knew that Ana didn’t have a lot of time to look at her books, and she was probably feeling a little overwhelmed. Instead, Kieran glanced over at Devon, giving him the look that they both knew he wanted to communicate. How is Rhys handling things? He asked, pretty confident that Devon was listening. Kieran could talk to her, if Devon thought that would help. Sometimes knowing that you were important, that you had a place in things, could provide some sort of comfort, rather than just pressure and stress.
In any case, she reappeared a short while later, and Kieran followed Devon to the older woman’s house. Mrs. Kara Simmens was a bit like everyone’s grandmother. Her own children had grown up and left the nest to go and explore the world and have their own families. One of her children was a magic user, and he came to visit pretty often. The other wasn’t a magic user, and she was a little more distant from the family. Granted, Kara wasn’t a magic user either, but her husband was, and she would go to the end of the earth to stay with her husband, still utterly in love, even after more than thirty years of marriage.
The woman’s house was in the middle of the residential area. She had seen Devon when picking up some four and items at the market in the morning, and invited him and his companions for tea. By the time he arrived with his new friends, she had delicious tea being steeped, and she had made some pastries as well. “Afternoon!” She said happily, greeting the group. “Come in!” She said, holding the door open.
“Thank you so much for inviting us over,” Kieran greeted her with a hug. “It is great to see you. This is Ana, and Rhys. There are both new to Yarlow.” He said. He didn’t mention that Ana was from the other world entirely. It wasn’t necessary to share everyone’s life story. The woman gestured for them to sit in her living room, where there was a small fireplace, and a few couches to provide a bit of seating. “I will be just a few moments.” She excused herself to get the tray with cups for tea, making sure to get five cups so that everyone could get some.
She tried not to think too hard about the compliment Devon gave her regarding her drawing. She didn’t know if she really wanted to travel. She just wanted to sort of…hide out, and be unnoticed by anyone. Traveling the world sounded suspiciously like running, and Rhys didn’t want to have to run. Devon explained the concept better, and though he thought about Rhys picking a different book, the thought didn’t occur to her. She was given the book to learn from, and she was working on trying to understand it. “Okay. I think that makes sense.” She did start to skim a little, looking for a new heading that she could discern.
When Kieran and Ana returned with their books, Devon brought up going out for tea. Rhys was a little surprised, as she had thought that they were supposed to be reading about their abilities. She didn’t know Ms. Sibbens either, but when Ana seemed interested, Rhys nodded in agreement. “I am certainly fond of tea, and I know that you have just arrived with your books, but I don’t think this one is a good fit for me.” She stood up and closed the books that Devon had picked up. “No offense, Devon. But I think I will return this one and try another.” She said. Rhys excused herself for a few moments to bring back the difficult book to Urkwia, pretty sure that the others would wait for her.
Urkwia knew she was there as soon as she entered, and quickly chimed in her head. Is something wrong, Rhys? She asked.
Rhys wasn’t sure exactly how to answer, aloud or in her head, though the former really took care of both. “I um… this book was a little too hard for me.” She said. “We have some others, so I am fine, but I just wanted to bring this one back since I don’t think I will really get a lot out of it.”
Urkwia told her to simply leave it on the counter by the door, and she would be by in a short while to take care of it. Don’t hesitate to come back. If Devon can’t help you find a book, I am sure that I can. She told Rhys. The elemental thanked her, and then left once more to catch up with the others.
Kieran hadn’t said much aloud when Rhys left. He knew that Ana didn’t have a lot of time to look at her books, and she was probably feeling a little overwhelmed. Instead, Kieran glanced over at Devon, giving him the look that they both knew he wanted to communicate. How is Rhys handling things? He asked, pretty confident that Devon was listening. Kieran could talk to her, if Devon thought that would help. Sometimes knowing that you were important, that you had a place in things, could provide some sort of comfort, rather than just pressure and stress.
In any case, she reappeared a short while later, and Kieran followed Devon to the older woman’s house. Mrs. Kara Simmens was a bit like everyone’s grandmother. Her own children had grown up and left the nest to go and explore the world and have their own families. One of her children was a magic user, and he came to visit pretty often. The other wasn’t a magic user, and she was a little more distant from the family. Granted, Kara wasn’t a magic user either, but her husband was, and she would go to the end of the earth to stay with her husband, still utterly in love, even after more than thirty years of marriage.
The woman’s house was in the middle of the residential area. She had seen Devon when picking up some four and items at the market in the morning, and invited him and his companions for tea. By the time he arrived with his new friends, she had delicious tea being steeped, and she had made some pastries as well. “Afternoon!” She said happily, greeting the group. “Come in!” She said, holding the door open.
“Thank you so much for inviting us over,” Kieran greeted her with a hug. “It is great to see you. This is Ana, and Rhys. There are both new to Yarlow.” He said. He didn’t mention that Ana was from the other world entirely. It wasn’t necessary to share everyone’s life story. The woman gestured for them to sit in her living room, where there was a small fireplace, and a few couches to provide a bit of seating. “I will be just a few moments.” She excused herself to get the tray with cups for tea, making sure to get five cups so that everyone could get some.
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