View Single Post
Old 10-09-2008, 03:41 PM   #295
Kath
Everlasting Whiteness
 
Kath's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Perusing the laminated book of dreams
Posts: 4,725
Kath is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.Kath is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.Kath is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Send a message via MSN to Kath
His heart began to race and his fingers seemed to twitch with a giddeness that overtakes a man who is greately anticipating something, and in this case it was Kara’s answer. Erbrand’s face still held the look of a man quite at ease though it was anything but that in his heart. Kara and Ginna both turned towards him, slightely startled at this rude interuption of their conversation.

The unusual gaiety in Erbrand's voice made Kara jump when she heard it, but as she turned to face him she couldn't help the smile that spread over her face as she caught sight of him. He looked completely dishevelled from his earlier race, one that she had cheered him on throughout, and yet his win had filled him with such clear confidence that he was carrying off the look very well indeed.

"Are you ready for a race Kara?" He asked her, now looking her in the eyes rather than speaking to the ground as he had done the first time he had asked her this.

"Of course!" Kara replied. "If you still want to that is. Ginna and I were saying that we can't believe you all still have the breath left to run another race after the last one. Especially you with that amazing sprint at the end to win!"

Erbrand was taken aback by Kara’s response. His heart suddenly began to beat faster, numerous thoughts racing through his head about what she might have meant. Was this her gentle way of saying that she didn’t really want to race with him? Did she suspect foul play from him in the last race? Erbrand’s cheerful face quickly faded into a troubled look. The notion of her words being a completely innocent remark hadn’t accured to him.

Her natural inclination to openness and never to intend harm meant that Kara didn't think that her words could be taken as an insult until she heard Ginna's intake of breath behind her. Confused she turned to her friend.

"I'm sure Erbrand has more than enough breath to run another race." Ginna said, a meaningful look on her face. "After all, his performance in the last one shows that he is clearly very fit."

And suddenly Kara understood.

"Oh!" She cried, immediately remorseful. "I didn't mean that you couldn't do it, of course I didn't, I only meant that perhaps you might not want to! Oh please don't take offence." She faced him again with a worried expression.

The look on Kara’s face soothed his nerves. Erbrand breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back a bit, as if a great load had been lifted from his back making him unbalanced, soon he was laughing, not even bothering to try and contain himself.

“I’m sorry, Kara,” he said at length after catching his breath, “It’s not you I’m laughing at, I thought that you were turning my offer down. The thought shouldn’t even have entered my head, I’ll accept your apology if you’ll accept mine.”

Erbrand was very pleased with the way that he was handling himself, trying to ward off the anxiety as best he could. Without skipping a beat he sprang up the scar to where Kara and Ginna were sitting with as much nimbleness as a deer. He came face to face with her, she looked even more beautiful than she did earlier today. Finding the words stuck in his throat he hesitatingly extending his arm out to her.

“May I help you down, if you please... Kara?” the words were almost a whisper as they came out, and finding his arm shaking he tried to stiffen, but that only enhanced it.

“You’ll be fine,” his mind kept telling him, “just don’t do anything stupid and it will be find. Easy there, don’t rush her.”

Kara's sudden guilt fled as quickly as it had arrived as she received confirmation that Erbrand had not taken her comment to heart. Indeed he seemed too happy and excited to have even considered doing so as he bounced up to her and held out his arm. His new found confidence didn't seem to last long, however, as his voice became hoarse and his movements became uncomfortable again. The way he said her name made her hesitate, there was more to it than the simple friendship there had been before. She looked to Ginna for guidance, but her friend merely raised her eyebrows and said nothing. Giving a slight shrug Kara smiled and placed her hand in Erbrand's.

"Of course." She replied. "I will need to help Frodides with getting some lunch ready for everyone. After that I'm all yours."

“Excellent!” He replied as he gently helped her down from the Scar. They both helped Ginna as he came down after them, being duty bound to helping in the kitchen. Kara and Erbrand lingered behind the main group for a while, choosing to take their time, making small talk and laughing about the games. Erbrand found himself enjoying the conversation, and completely forgot about the time. He even found it hard to cross the Scar, knowing that it meant the end of having such wonderful company.

At every utterance that Kara made Erbrand couldn’t help but smile, the very sound of her voice sent his stomach in a tizzy. He couldn’t shake the feeling of attraction to her, once it even entered his mind to tell her, or at least try to describe how he felt around her. It was how he felt, why not say it? She looked at him with an amused smile, and they both laughed. No, it would be best if he left his babbling words for another time, this was a moment too perfect to be wasted.

By the time that they had gotten to the kitchen everyone else had already arrived. Erbrand walked Kara to the kitchen entrance where Kara promised to meet him later. He smiled and let go of her hand, he had not let go of her hand since she had placed it in his but she didn’t seem to mind. Frodides approached them with a pan in one hand scolding Erbrand for delaying Kara for so long. She quickly shooed him away from the kitchen with one arm raised as if to strike, Erbrand made a quick dart away leaving Kara laughing at the door.

It seemed almost no time from then to now to Kara, as she stood close to Erbrand, her leg tied to his. It had been Kara who had tied them together, as she couldn't bear to watch Erbrand try and figure out a way of wrapping the rope around her leg without actually touching it. The expression on his face as he realised his difficulty had nearly made her burst out laughing and she knew that would only hurt his feelings. Erbrand had laughed while she was busy though, and she looked up to find everyone staring across at Degas who was facing Lithor with unabashed glee.

"What do you think Kara?" Erbrand asked through his laughter. "Should we demand a re-tie?"

"Oh let them run like that." Kara replied, smiling up at him but pitching her voice loud enough so that Lithor could hear the answer to his question. "If they win we can call it a victory for creative thinking!"
Kath is offline