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jeriendhal“You weren’t an ass, Rolas,” she reassured him.
“You weren’t there,” he replied, somewhat grumpily. Somehow his annoyed tone was reassuring.
“Speaking of…” She caught herself before she continued with, “...asses.” Instead Melanie restarted with, “Not to change the subject, but I was curious about something. What’s your opinion of the Highgliders?”
Rolas’ brow furrowed. “The Countess? She’s a decent enough sort I suppose. Very much High Noble caste. Bit stuffy and concerned with the proper forms, but we’ve never had any argument with her.”
“And her son, Kevinaugh?” she prompted.
“He’s alright,” Rolas said. “Bit odd to be a Countess’ Heir and not married yet, but I’m sure he’ll snag some lucky vixen soon.”
Well, if she’d wanted proof that Rolas’ condition was real, and not some bizarre practical joke, she had it now. It would have taken considerable acting talent indeed for him to speak of the Highgliders like this. Not without going into a snarling rage over the hurts that had been inflicted upon his sister and the rest of his family.
“I see. I’m sure he’ll find someone someday,” she said carefully.
“Quite,” Rolas said. “Your turn. Since I don’t know anything about you and,” he gestured to the commitment band around his wrist, “we seem to be quite close, I’m going to have learn the story from you. How did we meet? What are you like? Why would I take you on my boat?”
“How did we meet?” Melanie repeated, trying to get her thoughts, her lies, in order. She didn’t think Rolas was going to react very well to the explanation Well, I captured you and held you for ransom when my pirate ship took your freighter. She’d have to shade her facts carefully.
Actually… she could shade a lot of facts, if she were careful. Not lies necessarily, because eventually, she hoped, Rolas would get his memories back. But just put better a spin on things. I captured your ship and held you ransom. But I was never really was going to hold onto you. You forgave me, remember? I helped your family when you desperately needed it. Gave you money, got help for Salli, drove old Highglider over the edge so she lost it in front of the Council. You understand that I had to do some awful things, like holding onto Ali instead of getting her the help she needed, but you forgave me. We’ve never really doubted each other. Not ever.
Melanie smiled at Rolas as he waited for her to start talking, his face not only holding an ounce of his usual wariness, or anger. Completely open to whatever she said next. Whatever truth she wanted to spin from all the grey facts between them.
Then she felt her stomach churn in a manner that had nothing to do with her current condition, and she broke away from his gaze, staring into her lap.
“Melanie,” Rolas asked, his voice edged with concern, “are you all right?”
“No,” she replied, raising her face to meet his again. “Nothing is alright. We were out at sea, on your boat, because you wanted answers from me. About my old life. Things were falling pieces between us, and you were so desperate to fix things that you were willing to take me to your most private place, so we’d have time alone together.”
“What was... is... the matter?” he asked.
Melanie rubbed her muzzle, briefly. “I’m a criminal, Rolas. By all rights I should be sitting in a prison cell or indentured for the rest of my life for the crimes I committed. But because I did your family a good turn you forgave me. Married me.”
Rolas frowned, looking like his head was starting to hurt worse. “I don’t understand. So is that good, or bad?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Certainly I’ve complicated your life. You know my secret, and so does Salli. So does the Ten, but they’re willing to let it slide because they have a hold over me, over your family, with that knowledge. But I can’t undo the crimes I’ve done, and the hurts I’ve inflicted. And knowing that was eating at you, destroying the love between us. And I can’t say that you’re wrong to distrust me.”
“There now, there now,” he said softly, as her eyes began to blur with tears. “Don’t cry. I’m sure we’ll work everything out.” He reached out to brush his paw over her face. His fingers pressed against the bruise around her eye. The swelling had gone down with the help of the first aid kit, but it was still quite tender. She let out a brief squeak of pain as he pressed down unexpectedly, turning her head away.
“You’re hurt!” Rolas exclaimed softly.
“That’s nothing,” Melanie tried to reassure him. “I got, um, knocked about.”
“In the storm?” he pressed.
“A bit before,” she said, her voice turning sharper than Melanie had intended. “It’s really not important right now.”
“How did you get…?” Rolas started to ask, his voice trailing off. He looked down at his paws, his right drawing into a fist, finger pads of his left hand trailing along the latter’s knuckles. “I… we were arguing about… something… I remember that.”
Oh, Mother Goddess no, not right now. “It’s not important, Rolas,” she repeated.
“We were arguing about… Salli…” he said slowly. “I was so very angry....” Rolas’ ears turned back on his head and his jaw dropped open in complete horror. “I hit you!”
“Because I provoked you,” she said quickly. “Very deliberately provoked you. You were turned over in knots about it though. But that discussion is over.”
“What were we arguing about so badly that I’d punch a vixen?” he demanded. “What did you say about my sister?”
“I said...” Melanie cleared her throat uncomfortably. “It’s not important. You were angry, I was being deliberately provocative, and things got out of hand. We both apologized. It’s over and done.”
“Done…?” he repeated. His expression of horror dropped abruptly from his face, growing much more closed off.
“Rolas?” she asked.
“I need… I need to think…” he said softly. “And I’m very tired. We both should sleep.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “Things will be better in the morning.”
She hoped and prayed.
TBC
“You weren’t there,” he replied, somewhat grumpily. Somehow his annoyed tone was reassuring.
“Speaking of…” She caught herself before she continued with, “...asses.” Instead Melanie restarted with, “Not to change the subject, but I was curious about something. What’s your opinion of the Highgliders?”
Rolas’ brow furrowed. “The Countess? She’s a decent enough sort I suppose. Very much High Noble caste. Bit stuffy and concerned with the proper forms, but we’ve never had any argument with her.”
“And her son, Kevinaugh?” she prompted.
“He’s alright,” Rolas said. “Bit odd to be a Countess’ Heir and not married yet, but I’m sure he’ll snag some lucky vixen soon.”
Well, if she’d wanted proof that Rolas’ condition was real, and not some bizarre practical joke, she had it now. It would have taken considerable acting talent indeed for him to speak of the Highgliders like this. Not without going into a snarling rage over the hurts that had been inflicted upon his sister and the rest of his family.
“I see. I’m sure he’ll find someone someday,” she said carefully.
“Quite,” Rolas said. “Your turn. Since I don’t know anything about you and,” he gestured to the commitment band around his wrist, “we seem to be quite close, I’m going to have learn the story from you. How did we meet? What are you like? Why would I take you on my boat?”
“How did we meet?” Melanie repeated, trying to get her thoughts, her lies, in order. She didn’t think Rolas was going to react very well to the explanation Well, I captured you and held you for ransom when my pirate ship took your freighter. She’d have to shade her facts carefully.
Actually… she could shade a lot of facts, if she were careful. Not lies necessarily, because eventually, she hoped, Rolas would get his memories back. But just put better a spin on things. I captured your ship and held you ransom. But I was never really was going to hold onto you. You forgave me, remember? I helped your family when you desperately needed it. Gave you money, got help for Salli, drove old Highglider over the edge so she lost it in front of the Council. You understand that I had to do some awful things, like holding onto Ali instead of getting her the help she needed, but you forgave me. We’ve never really doubted each other. Not ever.
Melanie smiled at Rolas as he waited for her to start talking, his face not only holding an ounce of his usual wariness, or anger. Completely open to whatever she said next. Whatever truth she wanted to spin from all the grey facts between them.
Then she felt her stomach churn in a manner that had nothing to do with her current condition, and she broke away from his gaze, staring into her lap.
“Melanie,” Rolas asked, his voice edged with concern, “are you all right?”
“No,” she replied, raising her face to meet his again. “Nothing is alright. We were out at sea, on your boat, because you wanted answers from me. About my old life. Things were falling pieces between us, and you were so desperate to fix things that you were willing to take me to your most private place, so we’d have time alone together.”
“What was... is... the matter?” he asked.
Melanie rubbed her muzzle, briefly. “I’m a criminal, Rolas. By all rights I should be sitting in a prison cell or indentured for the rest of my life for the crimes I committed. But because I did your family a good turn you forgave me. Married me.”
Rolas frowned, looking like his head was starting to hurt worse. “I don’t understand. So is that good, or bad?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Certainly I’ve complicated your life. You know my secret, and so does Salli. So does the Ten, but they’re willing to let it slide because they have a hold over me, over your family, with that knowledge. But I can’t undo the crimes I’ve done, and the hurts I’ve inflicted. And knowing that was eating at you, destroying the love between us. And I can’t say that you’re wrong to distrust me.”
“There now, there now,” he said softly, as her eyes began to blur with tears. “Don’t cry. I’m sure we’ll work everything out.” He reached out to brush his paw over her face. His fingers pressed against the bruise around her eye. The swelling had gone down with the help of the first aid kit, but it was still quite tender. She let out a brief squeak of pain as he pressed down unexpectedly, turning her head away.
“You’re hurt!” Rolas exclaimed softly.
“That’s nothing,” Melanie tried to reassure him. “I got, um, knocked about.”
“In the storm?” he pressed.
“A bit before,” she said, her voice turning sharper than Melanie had intended. “It’s really not important right now.”
“How did you get…?” Rolas started to ask, his voice trailing off. He looked down at his paws, his right drawing into a fist, finger pads of his left hand trailing along the latter’s knuckles. “I… we were arguing about… something… I remember that.”
Oh, Mother Goddess no, not right now. “It’s not important, Rolas,” she repeated.
“We were arguing about… Salli…” he said slowly. “I was so very angry....” Rolas’ ears turned back on his head and his jaw dropped open in complete horror. “I hit you!”
“Because I provoked you,” she said quickly. “Very deliberately provoked you. You were turned over in knots about it though. But that discussion is over.”
“What were we arguing about so badly that I’d punch a vixen?” he demanded. “What did you say about my sister?”
“I said...” Melanie cleared her throat uncomfortably. “It’s not important. You were angry, I was being deliberately provocative, and things got out of hand. We both apologized. It’s over and done.”
“Done…?” he repeated. His expression of horror dropped abruptly from his face, growing much more closed off.
“Rolas?” she asked.
“I need… I need to think…” he said softly. “And I’m very tired. We both should sleep.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “Things will be better in the morning.”
She hoped and prayed.
TBC
