Some horrible monster from Hell devouring her, or getting hauled off to be a slave. That's just if she's lucky, too!"
The warrior tried to figure out how to tell Kate that there really wasn't a lot of slave trading these days, but just ended up looking up at the woman in slack-jawed puzzlement.
"Not for my little girl," Kate insisted. "No, not for her. She's a decent girl. A little too bright for her own good, but she's kind and sweet. She deserves a life that will give her fulfillment, here, with a husband and children to care for. Traipsing about the world, getting dragged into Gods know what, that sounds like fun for her because of the likes of you."
The warrior really had no idea what she was going on about, but decided it best if she give the woman her most somber attention. If for no other reason than so she would go away sooner.
"I know what's best for her, you understand that, Miss," Kate continued as she gathered the breakfast plates from the table. "Tend your business here and be on your way, as soon as possible. Stay away from my daughter in the meantime. Understand?"
The warrior nodded, which seemed to satisfy the woman. As she marched away toward the kitchen, her guest sighed heavily and slumped over the table.
What in all the Hells had that been about?
"What's the deal with the bimbo?" Lucy asked as she and Chara walked down the only road in town, heading for the south end, where the rest of Rheumer's businesses were.
"She's not a bimbo," Chara snapped. "She's a Blessed of Ramor, and a Cleric!"
Lucy recoiled slightly. "Sorry. Didn't know you two were dating already."
Chara turned red instantly. "We're not! She's a hero, that's all. Saved my life from Demon Seed."
"Yeah," Lucy scowled. "I heard you telling the story several times last night."
"Oh," Chara managed after a moment, realizing she hadn't even seen her there.
"Still don't see what's so great about her," Lucy grumbled. "Unless you just like big boobs or something."
Chara felt her face flush again, remembering the sight of the warrior nude last night. "That's got nothing to do with it."
"Sure. Whatever," Lucy grimaced.
Chara frowned, looking at her friend and sometimes lover with concern. "What's gotten into you today?"
Lucy's face contorted into a mask of anguish for a moment. "Nothing. Forget it. I don't want to talk about her anyway."
"Doesn't seem that way," Chara grumbled.
"Says the queen of her fan club," Lucy muttered.
Chara stopped, taking her by the arm. "Okay, something’s bugging you. What is it?"
Lucy seemed flustered for a moment, looking up and down the road. Taking Chara by the hand, she pulled her off the trail, into the old apple orchard, long since overgrown after old man Ghetter had died. No one else could manage the time to deal with it, leaving the once tidy rows of trees to become part of the Softwood again.
Ignoring Chara's cries for her to stop and wait, Lucy pressed deeper, weaving through the trees until she reached the old barn that had been the heart of the orchard. Only there, inside the weather worn and creaky old building, did she relent, letting go of her friend.
Chara glanced around a little, saying, "What was that all about? Why did you drag me here?"
"I didn't want anyone to hear us," Lucy replied hotly. "Gods, Chara, sometimes it's like you forget who we are."
Glowering, Chara paced the room, the scent of moldering hay and rotten apples surrounding her as oddly bittersweet perfume. "I don't forget. I just have to be careful how I act around you in the open. You know that."
Lucy snorted in resentment. "Oh, believe me, I know. You couldn't even be bothered to say ‘hi’ to me last night. You were too busy talking about her."
"I'm sorry, okay?" Chara shot back. "I got caught up in the moment."
"Yeah, sure," the other girl lamented. "A moment that lasted for hours."
Seeing the distraught look on her face, Chara bit back the retort that teetered on her tongue and reached out a hand to her.
The warrior tried to figure out how to tell Kate that there really wasn't a lot of slave trading these days, but just ended up looking up at the woman in slack-jawed puzzlement.
"Not for my little girl," Kate insisted. "No, not for her. She's a decent girl. A little too bright for her own good, but she's kind and sweet. She deserves a life that will give her fulfillment, here, with a husband and children to care for. Traipsing about the world, getting dragged into Gods know what, that sounds like fun for her because of the likes of you."
The warrior really had no idea what she was going on about, but decided it best if she give the woman her most somber attention. If for no other reason than so she would go away sooner.
"I know what's best for her, you understand that, Miss," Kate continued as she gathered the breakfast plates from the table. "Tend your business here and be on your way, as soon as possible. Stay away from my daughter in the meantime. Understand?"
The warrior nodded, which seemed to satisfy the woman. As she marched away toward the kitchen, her guest sighed heavily and slumped over the table.
What in all the Hells had that been about?
"What's the deal with the bimbo?" Lucy asked as she and Chara walked down the only road in town, heading for the south end, where the rest of Rheumer's businesses were.
"She's not a bimbo," Chara snapped. "She's a Blessed of Ramor, and a Cleric!"
Lucy recoiled slightly. "Sorry. Didn't know you two were dating already."
Chara turned red instantly. "We're not! She's a hero, that's all. Saved my life from Demon Seed."
"Yeah," Lucy scowled. "I heard you telling the story several times last night."
"Oh," Chara managed after a moment, realizing she hadn't even seen her there.
"Still don't see what's so great about her," Lucy grumbled. "Unless you just like big boobs or something."
Chara felt her face flush again, remembering the sight of the warrior nude last night. "That's got nothing to do with it."
"Sure. Whatever," Lucy grimaced.
Chara frowned, looking at her friend and sometimes lover with concern. "What's gotten into you today?"
Lucy's face contorted into a mask of anguish for a moment. "Nothing. Forget it. I don't want to talk about her anyway."
"Doesn't seem that way," Chara grumbled.
"Says the queen of her fan club," Lucy muttered.
Chara stopped, taking her by the arm. "Okay, something’s bugging you. What is it?"
Lucy seemed flustered for a moment, looking up and down the road. Taking Chara by the hand, she pulled her off the trail, into the old apple orchard, long since overgrown after old man Ghetter had died. No one else could manage the time to deal with it, leaving the once tidy rows of trees to become part of the Softwood again.
Ignoring Chara's cries for her to stop and wait, Lucy pressed deeper, weaving through the trees until she reached the old barn that had been the heart of the orchard. Only there, inside the weather worn and creaky old building, did she relent, letting go of her friend.
Chara glanced around a little, saying, "What was that all about? Why did you drag me here?"
"I didn't want anyone to hear us," Lucy replied hotly. "Gods, Chara, sometimes it's like you forget who we are."
Glowering, Chara paced the room, the scent of moldering hay and rotten apples surrounding her as oddly bittersweet perfume. "I don't forget. I just have to be careful how I act around you in the open. You know that."
Lucy snorted in resentment. "Oh, believe me, I know. You couldn't even be bothered to say ‘hi’ to me last night. You were too busy talking about her."
"I'm sorry, okay?" Chara shot back. "I got caught up in the moment."
"Yeah, sure," the other girl lamented. "A moment that lasted for hours."
Seeing the distraught look on her face, Chara bit back the retort that teetered on her tongue and reached out a hand to her.
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