And he did give it an exhaustive ponder, didn’t notice that he had emptied his bottle of mead during that, not until Hryssa had ordered them another two bottles and placed one in front of him on the table. “I would rather have my magica pool than my prolonged life”, he murmured slowly. “I can’t think of my life without the sensation of magica humming through my veins, the tingle in my fingers when I use it. A prolonged life, on the other hand…” he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “to be honest, it does become rather predictable after a while.” Hryssa nodded slowly. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, Lavender, but my, you really put some thought into this. That was a good and honest answer.” She was looking at him with a strange glow, as if there was something she’d like to say but kept to herself; and when she opened her mouth it sure was a statement, but not the one that she’d had on her tongue. “I would love to ask you more about what magica feels like, but it wouldn’t be fair. It’s your turn to ask me something.” And it was profoundly difficult to come up with a good question. He’d emptied his second bottle of mead, even come to like the taste, before he knew what to say. “What would you rather be: average, but with the love of your life or powerful but alone? In both scenarios you are facing life-threatening danger.” His question made her flinch and the silvery glint in her eyes turned brighter for a moment. She regained her composure, but her smile was now nothing more than a beautiful picture on a wall of stone. “To save the lives of my loved ones I’d rather be alone”, she whispered, and looked away. “It’s getting late. I’ll see you around, Lavender.” Hryssa rose from her chair and walked towards the door. Ondolemar realized quickly why she had reacted the way she did and hurried after her, a guilt that he really shouldn’t feel making him want to embrace her. He shouldn’t want that either and it was with hesitation he grabbed her arm. “Stop.” She did, but her stare was focused on the floor. “Ondolemar, I need to go home.” It was the first time she said his name, and even though he liked the way she pronounced it, he had started to prefer Lavender. “I’ll walk with you.” She looked up, their eyes locked. She must have read his thoughts in his face, maybe she could smell them, he didn’t know, but she looked at him differently. “You are a sweetheart, Lavender, but I wish to be alone”, she said, broke free from his grip and opened the door. Before she walked outside she turned to him again. “I’ll see you around.” She repeated and then she was gone. Ondolemar followed in her footsteps outside, saw her disappear in the shadows on the other side of the marketplace before he turned around and walked the stairs back up to Understone Keep.
Re: What happens in Markarth stays in Markarth 7
Date: 2015-08-05 03:30 pm (UTC)“I would rather have my magica pool than my prolonged life”, he murmured slowly. “I can’t think of my life without the sensation of magica humming through my veins, the tingle in my fingers when I use it. A prolonged life, on the other hand…” he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “to be honest, it does become rather predictable after a while.”
Hryssa nodded slowly. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, Lavender, but my, you really put some thought into this. That was a good and honest answer.” She was looking at him with a strange glow, as if there was something she’d like to say but kept to herself; and when she opened her mouth it sure was a statement, but not the one that she’d had on her tongue. “I would love to ask you more about what magica feels like, but it wouldn’t be fair. It’s your turn to ask me something.”
And it was profoundly difficult to come up with a good question. He’d emptied his second bottle of mead, even come to like the taste, before he knew what to say.
“What would you rather be: average, but with the love of your life or powerful but alone? In both scenarios you are facing life-threatening danger.”
His question made her flinch and the silvery glint in her eyes turned brighter for a moment. She regained her composure, but her smile was now nothing more than a beautiful picture on a wall of stone.
“To save the lives of my loved ones I’d rather be alone”, she whispered, and looked away. “It’s getting late. I’ll see you around, Lavender.” Hryssa rose from her chair and walked towards the door. Ondolemar realized quickly why she had reacted the way she did and hurried after her, a guilt that he really shouldn’t feel making him want to embrace her. He shouldn’t want that either and it was with hesitation he grabbed her arm. “Stop.”
She did, but her stare was focused on the floor. “Ondolemar, I need to go home.”
It was the first time she said his name, and even though he liked the way she pronounced it, he had started to prefer Lavender.
“I’ll walk with you.”
She looked up, their eyes locked. She must have read his thoughts in his face, maybe she could smell them, he didn’t know, but she looked at him differently.
“You are a sweetheart, Lavender, but I wish to be alone”, she said, broke free from his grip and opened the door. Before she walked outside she turned to him again. “I’ll see you around.” She repeated and then she was gone. Ondolemar followed in her footsteps outside, saw her disappear in the shadows on the other side of the marketplace before he turned around and walked the stairs back up to Understone Keep.