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Writers: Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 19th July 2007

Characters: Tayette, Hartam
Description: Tayette and Hartam meet and discuss what happened between them.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 4, day 13 of Turn 4
Notes: Follows "Reaching Out"

**It's ridiculous to feel shy around her,** the harper chided himself, forcing his feet to keep moving toward the main building of Vintner Hall and its dining room. **For one thing, you're a harper - and never shy. For another, you've known her quite intimately. . .** That thought quickly degenerated, bringing with it confusion, desire, and uncertainty about what might happen when he met up with her this night.

Her heartbeat had barely slowed all morning as she busied herself around the dining hall. Clearing the tables after the morning meal, her eyes had darted all over, just waiting for Hartam to appear, and on edge about how to react around him.

His non appearance had hit her hard, and she had felt as though she may burst into tears at any time. Had she done or said something wrong last night? Had she performed badly, or even worse, come on too strong; it had been so many turns since... well, since she had even looked at a man.

She lay the last table and walked slowly towards the kitchen, ignoring the strange look she received from Binta as she passed through the doorway.

Hartam entered the door from corridor to dining room in time to see her disappearing into the kitchen. "Tayette?" He called her name softly, but it echoed across the empty dining hall.

"You're not talking to your Harper then?" Binta asked as she followed Tayette back into the kitchen.

"What do you mean?" Tayette asked, turning back to the older woman, "I haven't seen him si.. since last night." she flushed deeply, and avoided eye contact as she loaded the tray with the condiments for the Masters table.

"Well, he looked almost as woebegone as you do, when he walked in just the-"

"He's _here?" Tayette felt her pulse quicken, "When? I didn't see him.." she moved towards the doorway back into the dining room, and came to a halt. She felt flustered, how should she react around him? How would he be around her? All the doubts came flooding back - washing heatedly over her again.

"What you waiting for girl?" Binta asked, coming up and prodding her in the back. "He's a decent man, and Faranth knows, you _need_ one of those."

Hesitantly Tayette pushed open the door and peered into the dining hall. A lone figure was seated in the far corner, almost in shadow. "Hartam?" she asked, moving fully through the doorway. "Umm, did you want something to eat? To drink?" she asked, feeling on safer ground with small talk.

He opened his mouth to refuse but realized both that his mouth was dry and that it was something neutral to say as he figured out how things now stood between them. "A drink would be nice - but don't go to any trouble."

"No - no trouble." she shook her head and gratefully returned to the kitchen to catch her breath, which she hadn't realised she had been holding in a deathly stillness inside. Her heart beat thudded through her, so much that she could hear the drumbeat through her head. Binta eyed her warily.

"There's something goin' on, isn't there?" she asked, moving forward with a mug and a small plate of sweetmeats.

"How did you know? About the klah?" she asked.

"Klah?" Binta asked holding out the mug. "Drink it, you've lost all colour in your cheeks." she ordered.

"Oh, no.." Tayette held out her hands, "No, not for me, for him."

"No, drink this before you pass out." Binta said, taking the other woman's hand and leading her to a nearby chair. "Sit, I'll get him something to drink."

Tayette looked from the older woman to the kitchen door. "No, Binta I can't sit, I have to find out..."

"Find out what?" once more two black pin pricks riveted to her. "He's hurt you?"

She could almost see the anger building in the other woman, and if she hadn't been feeling so bad she would have laughed. "Hurt me? No Binta, not hurt..." she said, "not yet." she whispered almost to herself.

"Here, take the tray and if he gives you any trouble you just call." Binta handed her the tray set with another mug of dark, steaming liquid and the small plate of sweetmeats.

Tayette placed her own mug of klah on the tray and took it from the older woman."Thank you." she said quietly with a small smile. She backed against the door and swung it outwards, her head down, eyes not willing to meet the Harper's as she made her way through the tables. She was grateful to be holding so tightly to the tray, her shaking may not be as evident.

He sat, wishing that he had not sent her away, had not accepted her offer of a drink, for now he was alone with his thoughts, waiting to find out. . . He took a deep breath, clearing his mind, attempting to rid himself of emotion and to deal rationally - a trick that he had been taught by an older harper while still at the Hall as a young journeyman. **But old Master Onsam never would have landed in this situation.** He smiled at the memory of his mentor, raising his head to the woman who approached him once more.

"Do you mind some company?" she asked, as she removed his mug from the tray, commanding her hand to steady as she did so, lest he see just how nervous she was right now. She couldn't meet his eyes, terrified of what she may see in them.

He cleared his throat to answer softly. "I was hoping for your company."

"You...you were?" she asked, still not willing to meet his eyes. "I...we... we need to talk, about..." she stopped, wondering how she could even bear to mention it. Her legs were beginning to lose feeling, so she hastily pulled out a chair and sat down heavily.

He reached and placed his hand on hers. "We need to talk about last night and what happened between us." Gently, he squeezed her hand. "Tayette, I was glad that you were there for me last night, but I'm afraid that you'll feel that I used you. I. . . it was something that I truly wanted to happen. I hope that doesn't offend you."

A heat formed behind her eyes and her pulse raced, she was sure the noise in her head could be heard by him across the table, so loud was it in her ears. "I... I don't know what to say." she replied, but clung to his hands with her own. She lifted her eyes to his and held his gaze, finally admitting to both of them, "Used? No, I don't feel used."

Hartam left out his breath, only then realizing that he had been holding it as he waited for her answer. He smiled weakly at her. "Good. I'd hate to think that you felt belittled in any way. I. . . I care about you." He chose the words carefully, not ready to admit any more than that.

"I - had no doubt of that." despite the arousal of the dragons overhead, his lovemaking had been gentle and considerate - compared to what she had been used to from Karvea and later his son. "I. I care about you too, Hartam. More than I would have admitted before today." her voice was low, almost as whisper as she admitted the truth. "I was worried. that you may have had regrets?"

"Only if what happened has driven you from me." He laced his fingers with hers. "And since that doesn't seem to be the result, then I have no regrets at all."

She could feel a huge sigh of relief building inside, it shook her body as she released it. "I thought you may have had regrets, that you would no longer want me - as a friend," she added hastily, "that you'd think me too - easy?" she glanced back at him, but averting her eyes again, still embarrassed by the way she had acted, even if she admitted to herself that it was what she had wanted to happen, she'd been a more than willing partner.

"Easy? Not at all." Hartam bent close, trying to see her face. "Tayette, what happened between us was beautiful, wonderful - but without the dragons, it wouldn't have happened. Not because you're undesirable - far from it - but because I respect you and know that you need to build up confidence in yourself, as I do. In some ways it might be good that it did happen, since it forces us to admit that the relationship we're forming matters to both of us."

She clasped his hands tightly, "I know you're right," she nodded agreement, "and it wasn't _all_ dragon influence, was it?" she glanced up, a smile turning the corners of her lips. She lifted her klah and took a sip, enough to wet the dryness that had been coating her mouth. "I - I care for you more than I have cared for anyone in a long time, Hartam." she admitted, her eyes meeting his briefly.

At this the harper grinned. "That's all I really needed to know. I hoped that I had not imagined it, that the feelings we seemed to share were real and not those of the dragon. As long as I know that, I can relax and take what comes, take this slowly and see what happens." He started to pick up his cup but paused. "That is, if that's alright with you?"

"I'd like that." she answered, "I'd like that very much."

Last updated on the July 22nd 2007

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