Something's Not Right

Writers: Ames, AL
Date Posted: 2nd June 2011

Characters: Zathris, Wirnan
Description: Zathris notices something wrong with Wirnan at their 'weekly' meeting.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 2, day 3 of Turn 6

Zathris

Wirnan

"Ah, Wirnan, good, come in." Zathris motioned for his Steward to enter and
then close the door behind him. He was already at his desk, a pile of
parchments on his right, one taken from it in his hand. He made another
motion, this time to one of the two chairs that sat in front of his desk.
"Any new items on the agenda?"

Wirnan took the seat without much enthusiasm. Instead of the normal chatter
he was apt to engage in with Zathris, he immediately started the task at
hand. I was almost as if he was going through the motions of his life.

"Holder Hanaris has asked for our assistance. His food supplies have run
short due to a poor harvest. There was some problems with the lighting in
the southern corridors, but it should be repaired within the next day or
so." He felt tired, though he was resting at night. The spark that so often
seemed to be a part of Wirnan's life had all but disappeared and he hardly
even knew it. It was like he was mired in mud with no way to free himself.

"We need to send a request to the Technician's Hall for another technician."
Two had left. One of those had been Isily. The thought of her made the
corners of Zathris' lips curl downward and she shook his head. "But make
sure the Technician we have left takes care of that as soon as he can." The
Lord Holder glanced up and then his eyes froze upon the form of the man.
Closer now, settled down just in front of him, Wirnan...looked...exhausted.
No, more than that. In the past, even when he was thinking of something
sorrowful, he had never looked despondent. Now he looked to be almost in
despair. "Wirnan?"

"Yes?" He looked up, his eyes no longer full of life and energy. "I'll see
to it, you need not worry." He, of course, had thought that the question was
in regard to the duties he had asked of him. Wirnan extended no other
conversation. He had no desire to do more than his job. It was almost as
though all light had been sucked out of Wirnan's life in recent days.

Zathris put down the piece of parchment he held and folded his hands
together. His eyes remained on the Steward though he inwardly winced at
what he saw in the man's eyes. "Wirnan...what's wrong?"

He looked up and blinked at Zathris. "As I told you already we only have a
small electrical problem. Otherwise, the hold is running smoothly."

Zathris shook his head. "No, Wirnan. Not 'what's wrong with the Hold?'.
What's wrong with _you_?"

"It's nothing," he replied, his tone flat. He and Zathris were friends but
how was he to tell this man how terrible his life had become since his
marriage. That his future held no promise of what he'd envisioned for
himself. It wasn't like there was anything Zathris could do to help.

"Obviously it's more than _nothing_." This wasn't good. Wirnan's work had
been impeccable as always, but the man was obviously troubled. Obviously
unhappy. And Zathris just couldn't sit there and not say anything. "Has
something happened?"

He shrugged, "Nothing. Everything." He sighed, sitting forward and leaning
his arms on his knees. "It's not at all what I expected," he finally stated,
looking up to his friend and Lord.

Work was pushed aside. Zathris could spare a few moments for his friend.
Obviously he was very troubled. The Lord Holder leaned forward. "Kaya?"

Wirnan nodded. "Have you ever realized that your life is in ruins? I'm
married to a woman who will never love me. I don't think she can have
children. It's not going well." He felt like his words were jumbled, as were
his thoughts. "The things I'd hoped to find in a wife aren't there." He felt
that his future was bleak. He couldn't shake the sadness.

Zathris' expression fell and he ran his hands over his face. "I had really
hoped...that things would get better." His hands fall back to the table and
he eyes Wirnan. The man had really wanted children, he'd known that. "I'm
sorry, Wirnan." He offered though he knew his words would do little good.
"I wish I could change things for you."

He shook his head. "I know. There's nothing anyone can do." It was the words
of a man who had accepted defeat. He was tired of the way things were going
and ready to throw in the towel and stop trying. Wirnan was allowing himself
to wallow in what was left of his life and dreams.

"Is it...just the children issue?" Zathris asked. How could he help?
Surely there was _something_ he could do. "There are...on occasion,
children who are born, to women who can't take care of them, who are
orphaned. Perhaps you could take one in as your own."

Was it just that? No, it was far more than that. "She doesn't want me. I
realize she wanted to get away from her father, but everything between us is
just a farce. There's simply _nothing_ there," at least that was how he'd
felt recently. Any small steps they had made seemed to have been erased so
quickly with the talk of children. "I don't know what else to do." His head
lowered, as if in defeat. He was exhausted, not just from sleep, but from
the continually tension that seemed to hang in the air between them.

"Are you so sure Wirnan?" That hadn't been the case in the beginning,
before everything had come to pass. Zathris had known the man was
attracted, and surely she had been as well, just from what he had heard. Of
course, that could have been a farce as well. "A lot has happened. Maybe
she just needs more time."

"I don't know anymore," he replied, feeling utterly at a loss. "I just don't
know what to think or what else to do."

"Don't give up Wirnan. You've told me some of your suspicions." Suspicions
that couldn't be confirmed, but there was certainly enough evidence to found
them. "It sounds to me like she needs a man like you. One to show her what
a real man should truly be like."

He snorted a bit at that, "Yeah, I'm just not sure how much man of me will
be left to do that by the time she's ready to listen. I'm sorry to burden
you with this. We've tried to keep the rest of the hold from realizing."

"Wirnan...I know it seems like everything is horrible. I know it seems like
nothing can get better. But it will." Zathris wish he could offer more
concrete reassurances to his friend. But there wasn't really anything he
could do. And that made it frustrating.

"I only hope you're right," Wirnan stated with a heavy heart. **But what if
it doesn't get better?** He wanted to ask, but knew Zathris couldn't
possibly help him with that possibility.

Last updated on the June 2nd 2011

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Something's Not Right