Suikoden III: A Light in the Dark
Sep. 16th, 2006 01:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
runicloreSomeday I'll bite the bullet and write some meaningless smut featuring these two. In the meantime:
. . .
Koalinda was a town of industry, or so they liked to say. The only industrial advancement Sarah noticed during her stay was the running water in her rooms at the inn, which she was positive did not run by magic. Water was something she never really lacked, but the innovation was somewhat impressive - for an inn. She studiously avoided exploring, though she'd have liked to know what made the pipelines run. Her status prevented her from examining it without raising eyebrows.
Status was an odd thing in Harmonia, she'd mused more than once. While in the service of the Temple, if one could call it that, she hadn't enjoyed much freedom, perhaps also because she was so young at the time; now, posing as someone of much higher ranking, she still did not have the freedom to do what she wished, even on the edge of civilization.
The inn they were coralled into was on a hill at the edge of the city, above the noise and pollution of coal-burning and dust. The compound was surrounded by a wall, and quarters were split into several guesthouses scattered throughout a garden thick with trees and shrubs for the illusion of privacy. Theirs was to the back, up a flight of quaint stone steps that reminded her of the ruin near the tower at home, and covered by a fluttering canopy of cottonwood branches. Late afternoon left their cottage in shadows akin to dusk.
When the hour approached for Luc to return from Crystal Valley, Sarah pulled the mesh screens down over the windows and lit a small porcelain lamp. She'd blended the tea hours ago, but now she heated the water and set it to steep, hoping her guess as to his timing would be right. Tea was never the same after being reheated.
Was making his tea, or helping with meals, or pressing his uniforms really any different than what she would be doing if he hadn't found her? That is, if they wouldn't have gotten rid of her eventually. Harmonia wasn't always at war, and they didn't always have use for a witch. But there was always room for one more maid to cater to Temple residents.
But he always drank her tea; he wasn't the type to endure something he didn't like just to be nice. He always thanked her, at least until they left the tower.
Yet, was it a thankless job? He at least relaxed and took his rest, even if he never said a word. He wouldn't so much as lean back in front of the others. Her own back often hurt from standing so stiffly when they were in the room.
It hadn't always been like that. Not when it was just the two of them. what would it take to remind him?
Dinner was brought in by a maid, and he arrived while Sarah was arranging the table, locking the door with one hand, slipping the mask off with the other. He handed it to her when she reached for it and pulled his gloves off. "Were there any messages?"
"None," she said, holding the mask between her hands like a shield. "No sign of Albert, either."
Luc waved that off and sat down at the table. "He won't be back for a while. Don't worry about it."
"Finally keeping his promise to bring someone else in to help us, is he?" One extra person was enough, in her estimation, but Albert was admittadly no warrior, and of very little use once he had made his plans. He would be of more use staying in the Temple, but of course they all must travel to Grassland to survey the terrain, in the end.
"So he said." Luc paused at his first bite and stared at the lamp. "I would prefer someone else, but at least he will be effective." He glanced at her quickly. "Sit down, Sarah."
She complied after a moment of hesitation, finally taking the mask with her and laying it on the seat of an empty chair. Eating was a difficult affair with her stomach still in knots over his journey, and Sarah left more than half her food untouched, finally leaving the table early to take his mask and gloves to the other room.
And there was a reminder that they were still at an inn, no matter how nice the front room was, nor how isolated they were from other patrons. The two beds, wider than what a common inn would offer, were still a little too soft, and the linens too stiff and plain to really be comfortable. There was no wall to separate them, and yet many times Sarah wished for the privacy of her own room, if only for a little while. Time to think, time not spent wringing her hands over his absence. They were in Harmonia after all, so how could she watch him leave without anxiety?
Only a candle was placed on the nightstand to illuminate the room, and she lit the wick with a flick of her hand and a glimmer of her rune. She left his things there and changed for bed quickly. The sun had only set an hour ago, but Sarah felt wrung out, now that the tension had left her. Someone else could take care of the dishes, extinguish the lamp. What else needed to be done? That was the dilemma of this trip. At home she would study, or do chores, or sit in the garden for a while to watch the sea. Leknaat would sit with her sometimes, and others she would curl up with Luc while he read.
She dampened her pillow with rosewater to soften the linen and lay down to stare at the ceiling with the quilt up to her chin. It was hard not to miss the sea spray, and the scent of the pines crowding around the tower. There would be nothing like it in Grassland - a blessing, and also regrettable at the same time. She kept a sliver of balsam in a little wooden box in her pack, to remind her of it when she dwelled on memories, but it felt like too much effort to get up and retrieve it.
It felt like an eternity before Luc came in, though it was probably only a few minutes since she burrowed under the covers. His books and writing materials were still packed, and she watched him rummage for a leather-bound volume through the glare of the candle flame.
He came around to sit facing her, and his eyes seemed darker in the dim light instead of reflecting it, like the shadow of his mask had stayed with them. "Next time we'll have one of the priests teleport us." He glanced down at the book, fingering the corner of the leather cover. She opened her mouth to protest, but he said quickly, "I don't like seeing you tired like this. It was too far in one casting after that fight."
She leaned back and clutched the edge of her quilt. "Next time--" She stopped with a sigh.
They were finished in Koalinda, and done with running errands for Harmonia. She assumed he had their promise of a promotion from his trip to the Temple, or he would have arrived in a darker mood.
"I understand," she said finally. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to split the task, anyway, if whoever Albert is bringing can teleport..." It would be a relief, but her lips thinned at the idea that she would have to entrust Luc's safety to someone else - someone whose name she didn't even know, yet. She much preferred their present working arrangement.
"Will you be going to sleep?" he asked, instead of answering. "I thought we'd get through this faster together."
Sarah took the book when it was offered, and opened it to a random page. "More Sindarin?" She pushed herself up into some semblance of a sitting position against the headboard and flipped back to the beginning of the book.
"Another survey - the last one I could find that they'd let me check out. It wouldn't hurt to spend some time on it." He moved to sit beside her, and she shifted to make more room for him, letting him take the book and rest it on his lap.
Though tired, Sarah pushed her covers back and curled up beside him to read, mouthing the words silently to bring their meaning to mind. Some time during their task she fell asleep.
She awakened to an obnoxious pounding on the door, and it slammed open before she so much as sat up to reveal a tall man clad in black, and Albert behind him, rolling his eyes. Luc cursed beside her and sat up with a hand to his neck.
"Yuber--"
"You couldn't have waited?" Luc cut the other man off, pulling the quilt up so Sarah could keep covered.
"He insisted--" Albert began, but Yuber cut him off.
"He said we didn't have time to waste." He grinned at Luc, showing too many teeth, and tipped his hat. Sarah caught a glimpse of mismatched eyes when Yuber turned to her. "Nothing I haven't seen before, anyway."
Sarah clutched the quilt to her chin, cheeks burning, and hid behind Luc gratefully when he shifted to shield her. "Get out."
She distracted herself by pulling the book out from where it had fallen between the pillows, and didn't look up again until she heard the door close and felt Luc relax.
If this was an indication of what the rest of their journey would be like, there would be no more empty days waiting for Luc; she didn't know who Yuber was, but he was going to be a handful, and she had the sinking feeling that she'd be left to keep him out of trouble when the others were called away. Though Sarah was by no means a violent person, she already thought she might make an exception for him. Certainly if he made a habit of barging in on her like that.
Luc's sigh was sharp; he rubbed his face briskly and slid off the bed. She followed more slowly, placing the book beside the melted candle.
There wouldn't be any more nights spent like that, would there? She tried not to feel too sorry about it as she dressed for the day.
. . .
. . .
I started writing with a vague idea and kept at it. This has no other point really, but maybe I'll like it more in a few weeks. That's how it usually works.
Balsam = pine resin or like substance; aromatic resins can be kept in wooden boxes to scent rooms or drawers.
Rosewater = a perfume, a seasoning for some foods, and an additive for laundry, or a linen spray. Can also be used for cosmetic and first aid purposes, and it actually isn't out of the question for her to keep something like that. It's simple and portable, and effective. And light enough that I don't think he would object. :p Maybe I'm optimistic.
. . .
Koalinda was a town of industry, or so they liked to say. The only industrial advancement Sarah noticed during her stay was the running water in her rooms at the inn, which she was positive did not run by magic. Water was something she never really lacked, but the innovation was somewhat impressive - for an inn. She studiously avoided exploring, though she'd have liked to know what made the pipelines run. Her status prevented her from examining it without raising eyebrows.
Status was an odd thing in Harmonia, she'd mused more than once. While in the service of the Temple, if one could call it that, she hadn't enjoyed much freedom, perhaps also because she was so young at the time; now, posing as someone of much higher ranking, she still did not have the freedom to do what she wished, even on the edge of civilization.
The inn they were coralled into was on a hill at the edge of the city, above the noise and pollution of coal-burning and dust. The compound was surrounded by a wall, and quarters were split into several guesthouses scattered throughout a garden thick with trees and shrubs for the illusion of privacy. Theirs was to the back, up a flight of quaint stone steps that reminded her of the ruin near the tower at home, and covered by a fluttering canopy of cottonwood branches. Late afternoon left their cottage in shadows akin to dusk.
When the hour approached for Luc to return from Crystal Valley, Sarah pulled the mesh screens down over the windows and lit a small porcelain lamp. She'd blended the tea hours ago, but now she heated the water and set it to steep, hoping her guess as to his timing would be right. Tea was never the same after being reheated.
Was making his tea, or helping with meals, or pressing his uniforms really any different than what she would be doing if he hadn't found her? That is, if they wouldn't have gotten rid of her eventually. Harmonia wasn't always at war, and they didn't always have use for a witch. But there was always room for one more maid to cater to Temple residents.
But he always drank her tea; he wasn't the type to endure something he didn't like just to be nice. He always thanked her, at least until they left the tower.
Yet, was it a thankless job? He at least relaxed and took his rest, even if he never said a word. He wouldn't so much as lean back in front of the others. Her own back often hurt from standing so stiffly when they were in the room.
It hadn't always been like that. Not when it was just the two of them. what would it take to remind him?
Dinner was brought in by a maid, and he arrived while Sarah was arranging the table, locking the door with one hand, slipping the mask off with the other. He handed it to her when she reached for it and pulled his gloves off. "Were there any messages?"
"None," she said, holding the mask between her hands like a shield. "No sign of Albert, either."
Luc waved that off and sat down at the table. "He won't be back for a while. Don't worry about it."
"Finally keeping his promise to bring someone else in to help us, is he?" One extra person was enough, in her estimation, but Albert was admittadly no warrior, and of very little use once he had made his plans. He would be of more use staying in the Temple, but of course they all must travel to Grassland to survey the terrain, in the end.
"So he said." Luc paused at his first bite and stared at the lamp. "I would prefer someone else, but at least he will be effective." He glanced at her quickly. "Sit down, Sarah."
She complied after a moment of hesitation, finally taking the mask with her and laying it on the seat of an empty chair. Eating was a difficult affair with her stomach still in knots over his journey, and Sarah left more than half her food untouched, finally leaving the table early to take his mask and gloves to the other room.
And there was a reminder that they were still at an inn, no matter how nice the front room was, nor how isolated they were from other patrons. The two beds, wider than what a common inn would offer, were still a little too soft, and the linens too stiff and plain to really be comfortable. There was no wall to separate them, and yet many times Sarah wished for the privacy of her own room, if only for a little while. Time to think, time not spent wringing her hands over his absence. They were in Harmonia after all, so how could she watch him leave without anxiety?
Only a candle was placed on the nightstand to illuminate the room, and she lit the wick with a flick of her hand and a glimmer of her rune. She left his things there and changed for bed quickly. The sun had only set an hour ago, but Sarah felt wrung out, now that the tension had left her. Someone else could take care of the dishes, extinguish the lamp. What else needed to be done? That was the dilemma of this trip. At home she would study, or do chores, or sit in the garden for a while to watch the sea. Leknaat would sit with her sometimes, and others she would curl up with Luc while he read.
She dampened her pillow with rosewater to soften the linen and lay down to stare at the ceiling with the quilt up to her chin. It was hard not to miss the sea spray, and the scent of the pines crowding around the tower. There would be nothing like it in Grassland - a blessing, and also regrettable at the same time. She kept a sliver of balsam in a little wooden box in her pack, to remind her of it when she dwelled on memories, but it felt like too much effort to get up and retrieve it.
It felt like an eternity before Luc came in, though it was probably only a few minutes since she burrowed under the covers. His books and writing materials were still packed, and she watched him rummage for a leather-bound volume through the glare of the candle flame.
He came around to sit facing her, and his eyes seemed darker in the dim light instead of reflecting it, like the shadow of his mask had stayed with them. "Next time we'll have one of the priests teleport us." He glanced down at the book, fingering the corner of the leather cover. She opened her mouth to protest, but he said quickly, "I don't like seeing you tired like this. It was too far in one casting after that fight."
She leaned back and clutched the edge of her quilt. "Next time--" She stopped with a sigh.
They were finished in Koalinda, and done with running errands for Harmonia. She assumed he had their promise of a promotion from his trip to the Temple, or he would have arrived in a darker mood.
"I understand," she said finally. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to split the task, anyway, if whoever Albert is bringing can teleport..." It would be a relief, but her lips thinned at the idea that she would have to entrust Luc's safety to someone else - someone whose name she didn't even know, yet. She much preferred their present working arrangement.
"Will you be going to sleep?" he asked, instead of answering. "I thought we'd get through this faster together."
Sarah took the book when it was offered, and opened it to a random page. "More Sindarin?" She pushed herself up into some semblance of a sitting position against the headboard and flipped back to the beginning of the book.
"Another survey - the last one I could find that they'd let me check out. It wouldn't hurt to spend some time on it." He moved to sit beside her, and she shifted to make more room for him, letting him take the book and rest it on his lap.
Though tired, Sarah pushed her covers back and curled up beside him to read, mouthing the words silently to bring their meaning to mind. Some time during their task she fell asleep.
She awakened to an obnoxious pounding on the door, and it slammed open before she so much as sat up to reveal a tall man clad in black, and Albert behind him, rolling his eyes. Luc cursed beside her and sat up with a hand to his neck.
"Yuber--"
"You couldn't have waited?" Luc cut the other man off, pulling the quilt up so Sarah could keep covered.
"He insisted--" Albert began, but Yuber cut him off.
"He said we didn't have time to waste." He grinned at Luc, showing too many teeth, and tipped his hat. Sarah caught a glimpse of mismatched eyes when Yuber turned to her. "Nothing I haven't seen before, anyway."
Sarah clutched the quilt to her chin, cheeks burning, and hid behind Luc gratefully when he shifted to shield her. "Get out."
She distracted herself by pulling the book out from where it had fallen between the pillows, and didn't look up again until she heard the door close and felt Luc relax.
If this was an indication of what the rest of their journey would be like, there would be no more empty days waiting for Luc; she didn't know who Yuber was, but he was going to be a handful, and she had the sinking feeling that she'd be left to keep him out of trouble when the others were called away. Though Sarah was by no means a violent person, she already thought she might make an exception for him. Certainly if he made a habit of barging in on her like that.
Luc's sigh was sharp; he rubbed his face briskly and slid off the bed. She followed more slowly, placing the book beside the melted candle.
There wouldn't be any more nights spent like that, would there? She tried not to feel too sorry about it as she dressed for the day.
. . .
. . .
I started writing with a vague idea and kept at it. This has no other point really, but maybe I'll like it more in a few weeks. That's how it usually works.
Balsam = pine resin or like substance; aromatic resins can be kept in wooden boxes to scent rooms or drawers.
Rosewater = a perfume, a seasoning for some foods, and an additive for laundry, or a linen spray. Can also be used for cosmetic and first aid purposes, and it actually isn't out of the question for her to keep something like that. It's simple and portable, and effective. And light enough that I don't think he would object. :p Maybe I'm optimistic.
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Date: 2006-09-24 02:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-26 11:44 am (UTC)