The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - The Lonely Star -- Chapter 4

piosenniel · 10-14-2002, 11:28 AM

She had eaten lightly, then gone to wash the salty traces of the sea from her. Pulling a soft robe about her, she walked slowly down the hall to her cabin. She was tired, beyond sleep. Her mind restless with half-formed thoughts and surfacing questions.

They had brought the Man to her cabin. He lay sleeping now on the bed. She loosed the belt from his breeches and laid it, and the knives secured there, aside. His skin was cool where her fingers touched it, and she drew a light blanket over him. He turned toward her, still deep in sleep, and for a moment his careworn face smoothed out, as if in some pleasant dreaming he now wandered.

'How precious is he to me.' she thought to herself, half in simple declaration, half in question.

She pulled the chair near, and sat in it, her legs propped on the bed. She watched him as he slept, but sleep would not come for her. Only questions and doubts, some edged with fear.

************************************************** **

It was well into late afternoon, the sun shone wanly through the shaded porthole. Pio sat dozing in the chair. Her mind, still restless, never sank beneath the surface of troubled dreaming. A sound and a light touch brought her up from sleep, to see Mithadan now awake, and looking at her.

He had propped himself up on one arm, and his other hand rested lightly on her ankle. His thumb gently caressed her skin, and a certain smokiness darkened the grey of his eyes. She smiled at him, and though the feelings he now roused in her were pleasant, she put them from her, and would not succumb to them.

Instead, she sat on the bed next to him, and kissed him gently on the brow. He sat up, facing her, and she took his hands in hers and kissed each palm, then placed her hands in his.

'You are beyond precious to me, Belovéd. I cannot . . . would not lose you.' He frowned, and sought to reassure her. She put a finger to his lips and stopped his words.

'I am sorry.' she said softly, the simple declaration breaching a wall between them that was as much, if not more, her building than his. 'Sorry that I have acted the way I have. That I have continued to place myself and my concerns beyond the concerns of both you and the other companions. I . . . we cannot go on this way.' She sighed. 'This is what I meant, when I said I would not lose you.'

Tears edged her lashes. 'We must come to some understanding between us, Mithadan, of who we are now, what we might be, if there is to be any hope for us.'

[ October 14, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

10-14-2002, 11:28 AM	#217
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	She had eaten lightly, then gone to wash the salty traces of the sea from her. Pulling a soft robe about her, she walked slowly down the hall to her cabin. She was tired, beyond sleep. Her mind restless with half-formed thoughts and surfacing questions. They had brought the Man to her cabin. He lay sleeping now on the bed. She loosed the belt from his breeches and laid it, and the knives secured there, aside. His skin was cool where her fingers touched it, and she drew a light blanket over him. He turned toward her, still deep in sleep, and for a moment his careworn face smoothed out, as if in some pleasant dreaming he now wandered. 'How precious is he to me.' she thought to herself, half in simple declaration, half in question. She pulled the chair near, and sat in it, her legs propped on the bed. She watched him as he slept, but sleep would not come for her. Only questions and doubts, some edged with fear. ************************************************ It was well into late afternoon, the sun shone wanly through the shaded porthole. Pio sat dozing in the chair. Her mind, still restless, never sank beneath the surface of troubled dreaming. A sound and a light touch brought her up from sleep, to see Mithadan now awake, and looking at her. He had propped himself up on one arm, and his other hand rested lightly on her ankle. His thumb gently caressed her skin, and a certain smokiness darkened the grey of his eyes. She smiled at him, and though the feelings he now roused in her were pleasant, she put them from her, and would not succumb to them. Instead, she sat on the bed next to him, and kissed him gently on the brow. He sat up, facing her, and she took his hands in hers and kissed each palm, then placed her hands in his. 'You are beyond precious to me, Belovéd. I cannot . . . would not lose you.' He frowned, and sought to reassure her. She put a finger to his lips and stopped his words. 'I am sorry.' she said softly, the simple declaration breaching a wall between them that was as much, if not more, her building than his. 'Sorry that I have acted the way I have. That I have continued to place myself and my concerns beyond the concerns of both you and the other companions. I . . . we cannot go on this way.' She sighed. 'This is what I meant, when I said I would not lose you.' Tears edged her lashes. 'We must come to some understanding between us, Mithadan, of who we are now, what we might be, if there is to be any hope for us.' [ October 14, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ] __________________ Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.