12.18.08 - Don't Go Away

Location: Redwall Gatehouse

Characters Involved: Harper, Sivaine, Tameus

Sivaine is moving, well, stealthily. Quick, light strides that cover a decent amount of ground and elicit artful ripples from her cloak. You'd think she was going to some sort of secret assignation, which.. well, it's almost true. Just inside the door she stops, looks up at the big battle-scarred halberd leaned against the wall, and takes a step toward it. Her paw rests against the handle, closing around its squared sides.

Harper watches Siv gravitate! Amusement. He wraps his arms 'round Tam, such that the drapy sleeves of his habit will keep him warm. The door is closed behind them. "Okay. Let's hear it!" No mention of gifties.

Tameus burrows into the big wrap-around sleeves and churrs. He peeks out to watch Sivaine also, expectantly.

Sivaine is only half-listening; she's pulled the weapon upright to rest on its metal-capped bottom and looks - almost wistfully - up at the cloth-wrapped blade - strange-shaped and wickedly spiked - adorning the top, just a bit taller than she is. "Hi Uncle," she murmurs, then gently lowers it back against the wall. "Hm?"

Tameus lifts his eyebrows and mumbles into a portion of habit-sleeve which is covering his face, "Y'r uncle's a stick?"

"My uncle is dead," Sivaine says quietly.

"My da' is dead," Tameus responds.

He pauses. Adds, "My firs' da'."

"I never had one," is Siv's muted reply.

Tameus says, "Well I ne'er 'ad an uncle."

Sivaine says, "They're sort of an optional thing. Your father or mother's brother."

Well, things got rather subdued all of a sudden. Harper looks from one to the other, ears pinned. He doesn't say anything.

Tameus looks up at Harper. "Y' 'ave a brother?"

Harper nods. "I do, that's right. Jacob. He's... why, seven or eight seasons, now."

"So's .. 'e's m' uncle now, ain' 'e?" The leveret asks.

Sivaine reaches out for the halberd again, and a second later shakes her head to clear it. She murmurs something to herself.

Harper smiles slightly, nods again. "That's right."

Tameus asks, "Can I meet 'im?"

Harper's eyes shift to Sivaine. "Siv," he probes gently. "Your gift's just... there," and he points. There's something long and slender, wrapped in cloth and tied with string. There's a smaller something, on the floor beside it.

Harper nods, murmuring next to Tameus' ears. "You can."

Tameus asks, "Soon?"

Harper says, "Well... he lives over on the Shores. I haven't seen him in three seasons, m'self."

"Oh." Pause. "Well okay. 'll fin' 'im when I go t' Sal'man'stron."

"My." Sivaine turns, regards the wrapped things hesitantly. "Oh. They. Um." She looks at Harper, then drifts toward the gifts and sinks down on the floor next to them. "You wanted to.." she starts. "Hear."

Harper nods. "We did," Harper agrees, watching Sivaine." He gives Tam a snug.

"Right." Sivaine takes a breath, bowing her head as she draws herself up. Coughs. "Argh. Bugger," she mutters, shakes her head. Purses her lips. Closes her eyes. "..though rain," she murmurs to herself after a moment. "Though rain pounds harsh against the glass-" Music starts to leak into her voice, melting away the everyday acrid drawl. "Little child be not afraid, though rain pounds harsh against the glass, like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger, I'm here tonight." It leaves behind something rich and deep that grows in strength and clarity as she forgets herself, going into the second verse. "Little child, be not afraid, though thunder explodes and lightning flash illuminates, your tearstained face, I'm here tonight.."

Tameus's head ducks against Harper's chest and he closes his eyes. His ears are still back along his head and the top of his muzzle scrunches up, a sign of discomfort, but he doesn't interrupt. His fingers are curled tightly on the habit over Harper's chest.

Harper's paw is curled gently 'round the back of Tam's neck, a comforting weight. He is very still, listening...

"And someday you'll know that nature is so; the same rain that draws you near me falls on rivers and land, on forests and sand, makes the beautiful world that you'll see.. in the morning." Sivaine isn't watching. Her shoulders rise and fall with her breath. "Little child, be not afraid, though storm clouds mask your beloved moon and its candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams; I am here tonight. Little child, be not afraid, though wind makes creatures of our trees and their branches to hands, they're not real, understand, and I am here tonight.." and her head dips and lifts to the song, coming up for the repeat. "And someday you'll know.."

Tameus shifts in Harper's hold, his hold more insistent on Harper's shirtfront, muzzle pushing into his chest.

Harper looks down at Tameus, concern creasing his brow. He presses a brief kiss to the top of Tam's head.

"..nature is so; the same rain that draws you near me falls on rivers and land, on forests and sand, makes the beautiful world that you'll see in the morning." Sivaine opens her eyes, half-murmurs, gazing at an indeterminate spot on the far wall, "For you know, once even I was a little child, and I was afraid.." She pauses for a moment; swallows. The music starts to flow back. "But a gentle someone always came, to dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears and to give a kiss goodnight.. Well now I am grown, and these years have shown, that rain's a part of how life goes, but it's dark and it's late so I'll hold you and wait, 'til your frightened eyes do close.. and I hope that you know.. everything's fine in the morning. The rain'll be gone in the morning. But I'll still be here in the morning." It ends in a hushed whisper.

Tameus exhales and don't move.

It is a very long silence, and one that Harper does not break. His breath lets out in a silent sigh, shoulders rising then falling.

"Mh'm." Sivaine clears her throat and studies the floor.

Tameus mumbles, muffled, "Can w' go back now?"

Sivaine's ear twitches. She winces, letting out a breath.

Harper clears his throat - softly. Looks at Siv. Looks at the gifts. "Aye - in just one minute we'll go in, Tam." He hugs Tam. "Go on," he directs Siv.

"I've ruined things again, haven't I." Sivaine doesn't look at the larger package as she reaches for it.

Tameus noses against his parent's collarbone mutely.

Harper shakes his head, firmly. "No. Haven't." It is light and slender, but long. And a bit obvious!

"Mm." Sivaine doesn't sound all that convinced. She fumbles with the string - it's a clumsy process to untie things one-handed, and she ends up having to wedge it under one blue-cloaked knee to get anywhere. When the cloth pulls away, she just.. gazes at the object it leaves behind.

Sivaine says, "I don't understand."

Harper snorts, softly. "I couldn't make it /too/ obvious-lookin'... I'll string it later." He falls silent. Waits.

Sivaine twitches an ear. "No you're not," she objects. "I am. Eventually. Probably have to show me how and shield your eyes."

Tameus twists a little and tugs. His hands press against Harper's shoulders as he tries to get down. "'m tired," he huffs. "'m goin' back."

Harper smiles. Bows his head in agreement. "I think I c'n do that." He blinks, looking down at Tam. He... nods. Sets him down. "Okay, Tammy..."

Tameus goes toward the door, reaching to twist the handle and open it, then pushes.

Sivaine glances over her shoulder then, good paw resting on the polished wood of the bow. She starts to say something. Stops.

Harper watches Tameus quietly a moment. Glances back to Sivaine. He nods to the ground. "There's another."

Tameus pushes the door far enough to go outside, and shoves it shut again behind him.

"Mh." Sivaine tears her attention away. "Bowstring?" she murmurs, reaching for it.

"No," he disagrees. And colors a little bit before looking away, staring a little miserably at the wall. The package is flat and rectangular. "It's kind of stupid," he suddenly blurts, in a paroxysm of uncertainty. "I just thought..." Deep breath. "Drawing. You think that's more important than what you do - your stories. It's not. Words are /powerful/..." He's probably messing this up. Anyway, if she should open it - it is a sheaf of parchment, intricately bound and stitched together. It is not a book, precisely, in that it has no cover, and the pages are blank, save for three words on the front, written with a delicate hand, "for your stories".

"/I'm/ kind of stupid," Sivaine points out. She looks at the package. Glares at her bad arm. "..bah," she mutters. Splint's coming off tomorrow; it can't hurt that much to use her fingers. So she does, holding it in a careful pincer grip while her other hand works, unwraps, and.. drops. There's silence. Sivaine just looks at the blank manuscript.

OhmygodSAYSOMETHING. That is, Harper stands there, very, very still. "The, um... the bow's the main gift, really." Laaame.

Sivaine is just. Silent. And with her back turned, there's no clue to her expression.

"Siv...?" Clearly Siv and Tam need a lesson in gift receiving. You go 'ooooooh, it's just what I always wanted!' And then you hug the person, give them a kiss on the cheek, and go grab a candied chestnut out of your stocking. OKAY, that's the way it works, people. Harper is a little ball of nervous energy as he inches forward, touching his fingertips to her shoulder.

"Don't." She doesn't flinch, at least, but it's a half-whispered little word that slips out by reflex. "Don't. Go away, Harper. Please." That came out /incredibly wrong./ Then Sivaine breathes. "Don't go away."

Incredibly? Diabolically! Harper actually stops breathing for a bit, there. He remembers the use of his lungs with an exhale, though, and kneels next to her, wrapping a paw around her shoulders. "I won't," he promises.

Sivaine's fingers curl around the edges of the manuscript, feeling the texture of the binding. "Please don't." After a moment she looks at him - first from the corner of her eye, then fully - with that solemn expression of hers. "I'm sorry. I don't have anything for you," she tells him.

Harper's muzzle twitches, in the smallest of attempts at a smile. It's all wavery, though. "Well. Wasn't very fair of me not t'tell you about it, so... I didn't expect you to have." Nod. See? So that's okay.

More silence. Sivaine's expression doesn't change. Well. Her eyes soften and mouth parts, the tiniest fraction. She shifts so she's facing him, leans forward, and.. presses her face into his shoulder where it meets the neck. "Don't go away," she repeats. Her breath is warm.

Harper's eyes widen ever so slightly. His arms slowly come around her, comforting. "I'm not goin' anywhere, Siv. I promise. Not anywhere." He presses a kiss to the top of her head.

Sivaine's ears twitch; she makes a little 'mh' sound and some of the tension drains out of her. The paper crinkles somewhere in between; she fumbles and sets it to one side. "It's good," she muffles. "Both. It's.. Harper."

Do not poke Harper with pins right now. He might burst. Siv can probably feel his muzzle curving into a smile against her forehead. "I mean, I know it's not a tiny replica army uniform or anything, but..." And now he's just grinning.

Sivaine makes a throaty little hum of amusement. "That was impressive," she admits with a half-smile felt rather than seen. Does her-? Yes it does. She twines her fingers in the cloth of his sleeve, hesitantly; her voice loses some of its warmth, sobering. "But I think he.. already sees me as competition enough."

"You were right, though. Tonight? Not to give in. He's..." Harper has grown momentarily serious. "Persistent. But he's also a kid. A kid not gettin' what he wants."

Sivaine's hand slips away, but only so she can shift around in the circle of Harper's arms to lean back against him. Comfy. Then it's back. "He.." she starts, frowning faintly. "what he said. That hurt. It shouldn't. He's /three./ But. Ngh." She lowers her eyes. "He was every boy I ever hated, right then."

Harper's head shakes imperceptibly, his lips forming a thin line. He sighs, resting his chin on her shoulder. "He's three but he's /smart/, smart enough t'know how t'get at a person." He nods and speaks again, with resolve. "I'm going to talk t'him, straight out. I was hoping that if I ignored it, he'd just. Get over it. But he's not. So I'm going to have t'talk to him."

"..mm. That's.. true enough. We all know how well it went last time I tried." Sivaine's eyes lower, almost sleepily. Then they snap open, and she shifts upright, twisting around to look at him. "You'd better go find him," she says suddenly. "If he's not- It's cold out. Harper."

Harper stirs - nods. "You're right," though heck if he doesn't sound reluctant to have to move away from her warmth. He disentangles himself, though, standing. Still with that reluctance, he walks slowly to the door. He glances back at her. Glances towards the door. At her. With a shake of his head, he crosses the room swiftly and bends down, cupping the back of her neck, to kiss her fully on the mouth... before, now satisfied with his exit, he actually /does/ exit. With a, "Night, Siv!" over his shoulder.

"Flrble," she responds.