Familiar Ache

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 25th September 2010

Characters: Erassa, Corowal
Description: Erassa and Corowal bump into each other in the night...
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 10, day 20 of Turn 5

Things had been uncomfortable for sevendays. Erassa had avoided being
alone with Corowal as much as possible since it seemed he wanted very
little to do with her. In fact, he seemed completely committed to his
beautiful young bride. It... stung... surprisingly. And worried her.
Any moment he might walk into the room and announce that he no longer
was interested in retaining her services, and _then_ where would she and
her son go? It was enough to cause her to wake up nights in a cold
sweat. She would wake up, heart beating painfully, her breath ragged
and fast, and have to fight the sobs, with varying degrees of success.

This was just such a night. Sitting on the edge of her bed, her head in
her hands, she wiped away the tears. She just needed a drink of
water... But her pitcher was empty. Erassa decided to brave the dark
and quietly tiptoed out of her room towards the kitchen in search of a
glass.

Corowal had gotten off the bed middle of the night too. Thoughts were
swirling in his mind and kept him from sleeping. He sneaked off from his
lovely wife's side and went to the window. He watched the silent yard.
Night guard was slumped against the door, probably sleeping. He made a
mental note to mention it to Zandan. He would reprimand the man. The
watch-wher was gnawing it's meal. The sky was cloudless and stars
bright. Only larger of the moons were visible.

Erassa used what little moonlight had filtered into the room to make her
way to the kitchen sink. If she could just get a drink of water and
steady herself, she'd be all right, she assured herself, even as images
of her dream still haunted her. A shaking hand found a glass as the
other reached for the tap. Filling it, she clutched it close as she
took in a long, shuddering breath and let it back out.

Corowal heard the sound and turned to look. "Erassa?" his voice was
quiet whisper.

Even that soft sound startled here and with a gasp she dropped the glass
from her hands. "Shards!" she cried as it hit the floor with a crack,
spilling it's contents as it broke against the hard floor.

"Oh dear," Corowal sighed and came over to help to pick up the pieces.
"I'm sorry I startled you."

"It's my fault," she said as she squatted down to try to find the pieces
in the dark. "There's glass, please be careful."

Corowal let out a muffled oath. "I noticed," he said dryly, holding his
bleeding thumb so he would bled on his clothes.

"Let me see it," she said, holding out her hand expectantly like she
would have to one of the children, her nightmare all but forgotten in
the face of the injury.

"I think I got a glass shard in it," Corowal frowned and inspected the
injury. He offered it to Erassa's inspection.

"Bring it closer to the light." The only light in the room was that
which shown through the window, and so she pulled him in that direction.
In the moonlight she could see the small shard still stuck in it.
"It's not bad, but there's a piece of glass in it. I think I can get it
out."

"Yes ma'am," Corowal said with faint smile. Oh, it was so easy to forget
that he was angry with her and slip back to that old familiarity.

"Hold still," she commanded gently, bringing his finger closer to her
face so she could see a bit easier in the dark.

"Do you need more light? We could switch on the lights," Corowal
suggested.

"I've almost got it. Don't move." If he would just hold still a moment
longer, she'd have ti. Narrowing her eyes, she concentrated on the
small sliver, biting her lip as she carefully worked to free it.

Corowal watched her concentrated expression and felt the familiar ache
to hold her, to kiss her.

She glanced up at him, feeling his eyes on her. "I'm almost done. Just
hold on a second..." With a slight triumphant smile, she managed to
grasp the small piece between her thumbnail and middle finger. "I got
it."

"Thank you," Corowal said and pressed the wound closed with his other
hand.

"Sit down. I'll find something to clean it out with and a bandage for
it. Don't touch it or you'll get germs in it." At times like this she
forgot completely that she was talking to a Lord Holder. He was just
Corowal, and he needed her.

"The germs can't get in as long as the wound is bleeding blood," Corowal
said.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You say that, and it will get
infected anyway, and then I'll be too busy taking care of a whimpering
man to enjoy saying 'I told you so'."

"All right, all right," Corowal nearly laughed.

She could hear the humor in his voice, and it brought the hint of a
smile to her own lips as she held his hand. Her eyes lifted to his,
illuminated by the moonlight. It surprised her just how much it warmed
her to hear any kind of emotion in his voice other than the cold
indifference he had been speaking to her in. Erassa wondered if he even
noticed.

Corowal did notice and filed it up to his memory.

She let her eyes linger on his a moment longer before dropping her gaze.
"I'd better get that bandage."

"Yes, you do that," Corowal's voice was silent, thoughtful.

Last updated on the September 25th 2010

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Familiar Ache