Quite Young Despite Her Turns
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 6th December 2005
Characters: Jio, Cinale
Description: Jio and Cinale have a talk about a certain Hallsecond
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 8, day 24 of Turn 3
Jio knew better, but the sauce smelled so good! He couldn't resist sticking a finger in to taste it. Of course, he should have known it was still scalding hot! He yelped, jumped up and down, stuck his finger in his mouth to remove the burning hot liquid from his finger and succeeded in burning the roof of his mouth in the process. Footsteps alerted him that someone was coming and he quickly hid his finger behind his back. "Good evening, Cinale."
"Jio! What's all the racket, hmm?" She came closer, eyeing him in concern - and in suspicion.
"Racket? What racket?" he asked innocently.
Cinale peered closely at him. "_Your_ racket, hon." She glanced at the still-cooking sauce over the hearth behind them, and a knowing light gleamed in her eyes. "Try to sneak in a taste, did you?
"Oh, it smells good, but I think it looks a little too hot yet..."
She nodded. "I see. So you yelped out of impatience to try some, hmm?"
"I thought I saw a spinner," he said with a wry smile. Jio knew he had been caught.
She clucked her tongue at him, shaking her head. "Maybe you need a slice of fresh bread to ease the pain of a burned tongue?"
"I think my tongue is fine. But if you have some ice..." He brought his pink finger from behind his back, the skin scalded and sore.
"Oh, hon... Come here and we'll take care of that right now." She led him over to the counter, and when she returned to his side, she had ice and a wrap. "Hold out your hand. You know, Jio, you should know better by now." When she looked up, her eyes were glinting with amusement despite his sore situation.
"Well, I can't let the Hallsecond have _all_ your attention, can I?" he murmured softly, his eyes full of mischievous mirth.
"He doesn't have _all_ of my attention..." But quite a bit! Cinale tried to ignore the slight flush rising suddenly in her cheeks.
Oh, but Jio saw, and loved it! "And just how _did_ Daigoro get hurt, Cinale?"
"He fell down. On the ice."
Jio shrugged. "I thought he looked like a pretty sure footed man! He didn't seem like such klutz to me. Oh well, shows what I know."
"Yes, well," she mumbled, finishing with the ties. "He is sure footed. Just...not on the ice."
"I wonder what he was doing out on the ice at that time of night anyway.
Maybe visiting some Master's daughter?"
"No. He was helping me carry heavy trays of food to a cothold down the lane. My kitchen girls left for the night and there was no one who could do it for me, so he helped..." she trailed off, then bit the inside of her lip. She had done exactly what he had wanted her to do! Start talking. Shards.
"oh, really?" he asked, hiding a grin. "That was nice of him."
"Yes, it was, hon." She cleared her throat. "Is your finger feeling better?"
"Oh, it's fine. So..." Jio was not going to let her off so easily! "The Hallsecond was very kind to help you like that. Risking life and limb..."
She looked down, then after a moment, glanced up at him again, her cheeks rather pink in color. "What do you _really_ want to know, Jio?" Maybe her tone was a little more defensive than it should've been, but she couldn't help it!
"I want to know why you blush every time I mention Daigoro."
She stared at him. That hadn't been...very subtle... "I blush?" She had to think of a way to get around his awful, awkward question. It was not something a man should ask a woman, anyhow!
The vintner nodded. "You're blushing now."
"Oh." Trying to regain _some_ sort of level of her usual, airy composure, Cinale just smiled at him. "What is it to you if I blush or not when talking about a certain Hallsecond, Jio?"
Jio shrugged. "I guess I was just interested in a friend's happiness. But, as you say, what is it to me. Perhaps it's none of my business."
At his words, she let out a little sigh, and gave him a small smile to take the string out of what she'd said. "Look, Jio hon, I'm just..."
she shrugged a shoulder helplessly, both embarrassed and nervous about talking about this outloud.
He waited patiently for her to finish that thought, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"I...I care for him." A slight pause. "I've never...felt like this before." Feeling absolutely ridiculous, she turned to busy herself with stirring the sauce. Not that it _needed_ anymore stirring...
"But...?" he asked gently.
Cinale watched the sauce swirl in the pot. "But I don't know if he feels the same," she finally said quietly. She wouldn't look at him. Couldn't look at him. She couldn't _believe_ that she had just said that outloud! What was she thinking...
And it was obvious it was not a subject she was about to bring up with him any time soon... "There's no reason for him _not_ to feel for you, you know. You're a wonderful woman, and would do any husband proud."
"He told me the same thing once," she murmured, finally glancing up at her friend.
"He told you that? Well, then that's a good sign!" Jio put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Embarrassed, she slipped a hand over his briefly. "Maybe, hon..."
"So why don't you make your interest in him a bit more obvious?" he asked gently.
**How would _I_ do that?** She shrugged a shoulder, feeling quite flushed. And quite young, despite her Turns.
Jio nodded his understanding. These things could be hard. It wasn't as if he wasn't completely taken with a woman that he couldn't express his feelings for either. But at least _Daigoro_ wasn't technically married...
Last updated on the December 6th 2005