[Envinyatar]

Derufin ran the fingers of one hand through his hair, bringing them to rest on the back of his neck, as he rolled the misheard words about in his mind, and mouthed them silently. His eyes were fixed on the grain of the table top as if the whorls there would lead him to an answer.

Falco, relatively unconcerned about the effect his garbled phrase had on the Man, had raised his empty mug and was waving it for a refill. He had nearly caught the eye of a server across the room, when he heard the Man exclaim. ‘It cannot be!’ Derufin reached out and grabbed Falco’s arm, bringing the empty mug down on the table with a thud. ‘Pockets of shadow, the Mayor said,’ asked Derufin, ‘and that other word, the one you said sounded foreign – where did the Mayor hear about this, do you know?’

Falco shrugged, a puzzled look on his face, saying that perhaps Derufin should wait to ask this question from the wanderer they’d picked up – the one who’d brought in the broken harp. And that was all the information Derufin was able to get from him. He excused himself, leaving Falco to wave his mug once more, and made his way to the kitchen, hoping to find Cook there.

It had been a long day, and his ankle was beginning to pain him. He leaned heavily on his walking stick, and thought he might get her to rewrap the bandage and perhaps give him another dose of willow-bark tea. Cook was busy, dishing up apple crisp for dessert and had no time to deal with his ankle. Worse yet, she said she had run out of willow-bark powder, and would get none in until Gammer Nutmeg came on the morrow with her baskets of herbs and healing powders.

Out of sorts, and irritable, Derufin returned to the Common Room intending to go back to his room . . .

_____________________________________________

Elora's post

Vanwe picked at what remained on her plate, impossibly filled and unable to take another bite. It seemed wrong to send the plate back in, even though she had eaten most of it. Large meals were difficult for her to attempt, used as she was to much more modest portions. She sighed in defeat and set down her fork as she looked up in time to catch Derufin emerge from the kitchen. Vanwe's stomach, filled as it was, sank a little lower. He'd be very cross with her, and rightly so.

Reluctantly, she pushed up from her chair, collected her plate and crossed to intercept the man.

"Sir," she said as she neared. He looked at her in query, questions in his eyes.
"Vanwe, I see you're feeling brave," he said. Vanwe lowered her head, missing his wave at her not quite empty plate.
"I'd not venture back into the kitchen until you've finished your supper."

Vanwe glanced at her plate in surprise. "I can't eat any more," she said earnestly, looking back up at him again. It was then that she noticed something. "Are you hurt, Derufin," she asked. He blinked, her question having many possible layers.

Derufin shook his head brusquely. "No, naught to be concerned about," he replied.
"You are," Vanwe persisted. "I could help, if you wish." An ankle pained him... at least she thought that it did. Maybe it didn't. Derufin was examining her closely. She blinked, as if clearing her mind, and nodded. "Yes, I can help," she repeated.

It may be the third healing in two days, and she utterly unschooled in how to control and manage her skills, but she felt a little stronger after supper. "Wait here! I won't be long," Vanwe said firmly and scampered away to wash her plate. Derfuin watched her leave, decided and without so much as a please or by your leave. It was uncharacteristic of the skittish Elf he knew.

Vanwe reappeared, cheeks a little flushed after the dressing down from Cook on missed meals. Thankfully, she mananged to dart in and wash off her plate, and return reasonably quickly.

"Where would you like to sit, Derufin? Here or somewhere quieter?" Vanwe hoped he wanted to sit somewhere quieter, where not so many people were about to witness. The idea of open healing before an audience deeply unsettled her. All it took was for one person to rise, point their finger and shout "WITCH" and they would come for her as they had for others.

Derufin continued to study her, as if doing his level best to understand what his new assistant was about. Her absence in recent days was unexplained, noone had seen hide nor hair of her. Now she suggested she could help his ankle, which was healing well enough, even if damned slowly. She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and returned his gaze with clear eyes that searched his own.

[ July 24, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]