Packing away love

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 16th October 2006

Characters: Erassa, Corowal
Description: Erassa catches Corowal on a weak moment, when he is packing his late wife's belongings.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 1, day 4 of Turn 3

Corowal was sitting on the edge of the large douplebed he had shared with Ofelia. The bed room was in a mess. Open crates, woman's clothes and personal items piled here and there. The stewards was craddling Ofelia's bathrobe against his chest. It still smelled like her. Tears were running down this cheeks. He heard the door creak open and tried in
vain to stem the flow of tears.

"Sir, I'm sorry," Erassa said, embarrased for walking in on him at such a personal moment. Perhaps she should come back later. "This note just came for you, and I'm not sure if it needs your immediate attention or not." She hoped it did, that way it could ease her mind about disturbing him a bit.

"Erh, right," Corowal was embarrassed to be caught in such a weak moment. He wiped his face to the sleeve. On the other hand, did it really matter? He had right to grieve his wife.
He have to clear his throat before he could get the words. "Give it to me and I take a look."

"Yes, sir," she said apologetically, not looking at him as she walked in to hand him the note. As he read it she turned away to give him at least _some_ sense of privacy.

Corowal read the note. It's wasn't exactly urgent one but important anyway. He let out a deep sigh and crumpled the paper in to his pocket.

"Is there anything I can do, sir?"

"Well," Corowal said and looked around the mess in his bedroom. "Tell me how I can pack away my love?"

Erassa didn't know what to say to that. Of course, there was no real answer. "If you would like, sir, I can do it for you."

"No, I wouldn't let anybody else do this. I need to decide what I give away and what I will save for the children," Corowal replied. He picked up a woolen shawl. It has nice croched lace-pattern. "Would you like to have this? As a thank you of the everything you've done for my children?" he asked softly and offered it to her.

"I..." Her first thought was to refuse it. She had only been doing her job. And yet, it would be rude to refuse. "Thank you, sir. That's a very kind."

Corowal wrapped it around her shoulders. "That should keep you warm when you're feeding my daughter."

"It's lovely, sir. Thank you." She pulled the shawl closer around her. It still smelled like Ofelia.

Corowal watched her in silence.

The way he looked at her was just slightly unnerving. It wasn't lustful. It wasn't demeaning or demanding. It was... unreadable.
"I'll stay with the children until you come home of course."

Corowal nodded and left his gaze wander back to the piles of clothes.
Most of the would be delivered to holds stores. Jewelry he would give to his daughters when they grew up. Which reminded him of something. "Do you think Corolia is old enough to wear this?" He picked up a small pendant with elegant flower encraved from a coral.

It was beautiful. She couldn't help but reach out and touch it with the tip of her finger. "It's beautiful," she said thoughtfully. "I think she would take care of that well."

"I think she would, especially knowing it is from her mother," Corowal said softly.

"I think she would really like it. Boy, what about for the boys? Perhaps they need some kind of reminder as well." Corofel and Ofewal were trying so hard to put on a brave face, but she knew how much they both missed their mother. They if any of his children could fully comprehend the loss.

"Hhmm, Ofewal likes to read, " Corowal said and glanced the high pile of books Ofelia had collected. "And I think there's some small items or little picture of her somewhere here."

"He'd like a picture," she nodded with a soft smile. Ofewal's sickness prevented him from playing the rougher games like his older brother. He had spent a lot of time at his mother's bedside.

Corowal nodded. "Ofewal was always the 'mother's boy', this is been particulary hard on him."

"Yes, it has. I just hope he doesn't think I'm trying to replace her in any way."

"I don't think so," Corowal said.

"I hope not," Erassa said quietly, almost feeling guilty wearing the shawl the little boy's mother had worn across her shoulders. Perhaps she would just tuck it away in her room.

"There are other women trying to replace her, not you. I already had several suggestions during the Turn Over gather. Mother's or father's offering their daughters to me," Corowal said with his most dryest tone.

"They should have more sense," she said with a sad shake of her head.
Didn't people have any respect for another's grief?

"Sense flies off from the window when the rank and status comes to play," Corowal said bitterly. After the Gather it had become obvious that people were seeing him as a leader of Emerald Falls.

She frowned slightly. "If anything, rank should afford you at least a measure of consideration and human decency."

"Tell that to them," Corowal remarked.

She would have if she had overheard it. It's not like anyone would have listened to her, though. Not a woman with _her_ reputation. "Well, sir, please let me know if I can help you in any way in here."

The steward shook his head. "Somethings are best done alone," he said softly.

"Yes, sir," she nodded. "I will see to the children now."

"Good. I will be in time for the dinner."

Last updated on the October 16th 2006

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Packing away love