Stars and Women
The room felt like revolving around him in a slow manner. The bed was softly rocking, like a fishing boat in a breeze on a moonlit lake. Of course, Valdor knew it was just because of the alcohol, but he let his mind wander, to old memories of the surface, yet not all were as pleasant as the scenery he had in his head. White, little twinkling speckles high above him had been scary at first, but they had also overwhelmed him with their beauty. The shapes on the traditional scarves couldn’t depict the beauty of the real ones. But when he closed his eyes, he could see them as clearly as it would have been just yesterday; twinkling, bright, yet distant and unreachable.
He knew he had made a small mistake. Getting drunk just before the workday wasn’t an ideal situation to be in, although this was not his first time. But at least he tried to end up such a situation, just so he could be sure nobody would be able to blame him on some mistake because he would have been drunk or suffering from hangover. Nowadays he consumed less alcohol than in the wartime, when it had been one of the few ways to relieve some pressure.
“Your eyes don’t hurt when you stare at them?”
Valdor gazed down when he heard the question.
“Not anymore.”
He answered and leaned closer to the wooden surface of the tree’s trunk. Between the leaves he could see how the younger one, more newbie than him, began to climb the tree, in the same unexperienced way he had first climbed these odd, tall plants. But he had gotten used to it faster, and happily took the scouting duty when it was offered. Cave ceiling or the twinkling stars above his head, it didn’t matter, as he already felt like they were the same. He was quick to adapt, unlike some who had more trouble in the challenging bright world of the Land Above.
“Will I get used to them, too?”
“Aye, I’m sure of it.”
Valdor nodded and extended his hand to his comrade, helping the younger man up on the same branch he had comfortably perched himself on. “It’s your first week, still. Give it some time.”
He chuckled and glanced around, when he raised his finger on his lips and gestured his comrade to stay quiet. No one in the vicinity, just them, the trees and the stars. He knew it was forbidden to drink while on duty, but it was often the only time when one could do so. The higher ups looked it through the fingers, as long as it didn’t cause any serious issues. He reached for a hidden bottle in the hole in the tree and pulled it out. It was filled halfway with pale yellow liquid. He quietly popped open the cork and took a sniff. The odor was unpleasantly strong, penetrating his senses like a sharp lance.
‘Not a word to anyone.’
Valdor signed and his friend nodded to him, pale rose pink eyes wide and eager. Quevaunin [Quev: charmed, docile, friend, Aun:dance, dancer, life, player, In: Lady/lord, rider, steed] stared at him, clearly surprised, but took the bottle when offered, giving Valdor a boyish smirk. Valdor smiled back.
‘It’s a common secret.’
He signed to Quevaunin, unable to swallow his burst of laughter when he saw the younger one’s face after a faithful gulp of the foul liquid.
‘Are they moving or is it just my head?’
Quevaunin signed slobbily [almost making it look like he would have addressed the stars themselves with a sign used only for highest ranking females], resting his head against the bark of the tree.
‘You’re drunk.’
Valdor signed back more precisely, warmth feeling gradually spreading inside him when the alcohol started to take effect. He stashed the bottle back in the hollow hole in the trunk where it had been hidden before. You had to know where to look for it to find it.
‘But true, I guess they are twinkling…’
He added after a moment of stillness.
‘They are pretty.’
Quevaunin signed eyes closed, almost too tipsy to stay on the branch and Valdor, as the older and more experienced one was in charge that nothing would happen to the nobleborn boy, who had just gotten out of basic training.
Just in time, when the other one would have lost his balance, Valdor reached out for him and was able to take hold of the front of the younger one’s armor. Quevaunin eyed him, eyes wide like those of a spooked rothé.
“Careful.”
Valdor mumbled, when he helped the other one properly back on the branch. Quevaunin’s hands were shaking because of the sudden wake up, and ashamed blush was creeping on his face.
“Thanks… you’re a good friend.”
“Nah.”
Valdor shook his head and smiled. It didn’t take much time for Quevaunin nod off again, resting his head against Valdor’s shoulder. The older one slowly wrapped his arm around the younger one’s waist, so the boy wouldn’t fall. Valdor raised his eyes to the sky and even though the lights were still bright, they didn’t burn his eyes anymore. Valdor sighed a little. He had a nagging feeling that he would be feeling very embarrassed after the nap. The alcohol was slowly leaving his body, but he still felt tired and wobbly. He knew he would be embarrassed soon enough but wanted to cherish the last moments of the drifting, light and carefree feeling. He would need to apologize to Lady Goldenheart too. He should have behaved better… The girl, on the other hand, well, there was nothing he could have done, anyway. She had been pretty and before he had realized what was happening it had already been over. He felt taken advantage of, that he could understand already, but the anxiety and depression over it would come later. Women were difficult. He sighed. He tried his best, but this was something he knew he was completely over his head with. Women. And the Secret Service. And undercover agents and Prophets and monsters and statues made of glass, and tea, and nosy mothers, and brothers of a matron, and stones, and buildings and buildings made of stones, and Sharphunts and Palaces and Demons and Warlocks and magic and political conflicts. And a work shift tomorrow. Thank Goddess mother hadn’t been serious. Weddings would have made things just more complicated. Let mother think that she is high and mighty, that she has gotten herself into the company of the big matrons, the real players. Hopefully mother just wouldn’t be the one to get hurt… Valdor let out a tired grunt and tried to shift his mind towards the trance.
Valdor gazed down when he heard the question.
“Not anymore.”
He answered and leaned closer to the wooden surface of the tree’s trunk. Between the leaves he could see how the younger one, more newbie than him, began to climb the tree, in the same unexperienced way he had first climbed these odd, tall plants. But he had gotten used to it faster, and happily took the scouting duty when it was offered. Cave ceiling or the twinkling stars above his head, it didn’t matter, as he already felt like they were the same. He was quick to adapt, unlike some who had more trouble in the challenging bright world of the Land Above.
“Will I get used to them, too?”
“Aye, I’m sure of it.”
Valdor nodded and extended his hand to his comrade, helping the younger man up on the same branch he had comfortably perched himself on. “It’s your first week, still. Give it some time.”
He chuckled and glanced around, when he raised his finger on his lips and gestured his comrade to stay quiet. No one in the vicinity, just them, the trees and the stars. He knew it was forbidden to drink while on duty, but it was often the only time when one could do so. The higher ups looked it through the fingers, as long as it didn’t cause any serious issues. He reached for a hidden bottle in the hole in the tree and pulled it out. It was filled halfway with pale yellow liquid. He quietly popped open the cork and took a sniff. The odor was unpleasantly strong, penetrating his senses like a sharp lance.
‘Not a word to anyone.’
Valdor signed and his friend nodded to him, pale rose pink eyes wide and eager. Quevaunin [Quev: charmed, docile, friend, Aun:dance, dancer, life, player, In: Lady/lord, rider, steed] stared at him, clearly surprised, but took the bottle when offered, giving Valdor a boyish smirk. Valdor smiled back.
‘It’s a common secret.’
He signed to Quevaunin, unable to swallow his burst of laughter when he saw the younger one’s face after a faithful gulp of the foul liquid.
‘Are they moving or is it just my head?’
Quevaunin signed slobbily [almost making it look like he would have addressed the stars themselves with a sign used only for highest ranking females], resting his head against the bark of the tree.
‘You’re drunk.’
Valdor signed back more precisely, warmth feeling gradually spreading inside him when the alcohol started to take effect. He stashed the bottle back in the hollow hole in the trunk where it had been hidden before. You had to know where to look for it to find it.
‘But true, I guess they are twinkling…’
He added after a moment of stillness.
‘They are pretty.’
Quevaunin signed eyes closed, almost too tipsy to stay on the branch and Valdor, as the older and more experienced one was in charge that nothing would happen to the nobleborn boy, who had just gotten out of basic training.
Just in time, when the other one would have lost his balance, Valdor reached out for him and was able to take hold of the front of the younger one’s armor. Quevaunin eyed him, eyes wide like those of a spooked rothé.
“Careful.”
Valdor mumbled, when he helped the other one properly back on the branch. Quevaunin’s hands were shaking because of the sudden wake up, and ashamed blush was creeping on his face.
“Thanks… you’re a good friend.”
“Nah.”
Valdor shook his head and smiled. It didn’t take much time for Quevaunin nod off again, resting his head against Valdor’s shoulder. The older one slowly wrapped his arm around the younger one’s waist, so the boy wouldn’t fall. Valdor raised his eyes to the sky and even though the lights were still bright, they didn’t burn his eyes anymore. Valdor sighed a little. He had a nagging feeling that he would be feeling very embarrassed after the nap. The alcohol was slowly leaving his body, but he still felt tired and wobbly. He knew he would be embarrassed soon enough but wanted to cherish the last moments of the drifting, light and carefree feeling. He would need to apologize to Lady Goldenheart too. He should have behaved better… The girl, on the other hand, well, there was nothing he could have done, anyway. She had been pretty and before he had realized what was happening it had already been over. He felt taken advantage of, that he could understand already, but the anxiety and depression over it would come later. Women were difficult. He sighed. He tried his best, but this was something he knew he was completely over his head with. Women. And the Secret Service. And undercover agents and Prophets and monsters and statues made of glass, and tea, and nosy mothers, and brothers of a matron, and stones, and buildings and buildings made of stones, and Sharphunts and Palaces and Demons and Warlocks and magic and political conflicts. And a work shift tomorrow. Thank Goddess mother hadn’t been serious. Weddings would have made things just more complicated. Let mother think that she is high and mighty, that she has gotten herself into the company of the big matrons, the real players. Hopefully mother just wouldn’t be the one to get hurt… Valdor let out a tired grunt and tried to shift his mind towards the trance.
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