|
Hama started at the voice behind him, nearly choking on his mouthful of ale in a rather undignified way. After he had stopped his violent coughing, clearing the last of the beverage from his throat, he took a deep breath and turned around…
Crystal! It was Crystal!
Hama froze, his mouth slightly open and agape. He had never expected to see his former leader’s daughter again. Before long he realised that he was staring at her, and swiftly broke the gaze by blinking repeatedly and flushing slightly red, thankfully almost unnoticeable in the candlelight of the inn.
“Crystal…” he began, then stopped, totally unsure of what to say. He had been thinking about what he would like to say to Crystal for some time, months in fact, but had never put any deep thought into it, as he had never even considered it a possibility that they would meet again.
“Crystal…” he started again, then paused lengthily, adding, “You look….beautiful, as always…” before coughing and lowering his head in thought. “Yes…yes…I never thought that I’d see you again. If I’d thought you’d still be here…I thought that you’d have come back to Rohan after…” he checked himself violently here, with almost a visible twitch of the face. Mentioning Crystal’s father’s death in front of her would likely not be a good idea, despicable as he had been, and much as Crystal had loathed him, Hama considered discretion to be the better part of valour here, and started again. “I mean…How is life here? As joyous and carefree as ever?”
He coughed again, searching desperately for the right words but, as it always is, they simply refused to be found, and he stumbled again, this time staying silent, before looking back up at Crystal again. “Thank the Valar you’re here, Crystal…” he whispered softly, yet audibly, to her.
|