"I'll help you," Talômi offered. A touch too quickly, perhaps. Rie's cheeks were still flushed, and she was looking at the handsome young man's eyes a little too closely for Talômi's comfort. He suppressed a laugh at his own thought of Eohsecg as a 'young man', when the man had three years on Talômi.
The redhead walked with Eohsecg to the counter, standing behind as he ordered the five drinks. I'm being stupid, he thought fiercely. I should be bigger than this. Rie's old enough to make her own decisions. I'm going to be friendly if it kills me! He put a smile on his face just as Eohsecg turned around. He took three of the drinks, balancing them carefully the way his mother had taught him--with only two girls in a house of eight people, the boys had been put to work in the kitchen every bit as much as the girls. He grinned for true as Eohsecg nodded approvingly at the Talômi's balancing act, precarious though it may have been.
He continued to smile as they walked back to the table. "So Firramer taught you swordfighting?" Talômi asked, trying to make conversation. "Are you a soldier?"
__________________
"Oh, my god! I care so little, I almost passed out!" --Dr. Cox, "Scrubs"
|