shelley_winters | Opinions

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The morning in Shorelle is peaceful and cool.

Zera wanders around the house without hurrying, watching the sea, and the play of the wind in the long grass.

As the girl rounds the corner, she can hear the quiet sounds of movement. She looks up. Joar is training, focused intently on moving gracefully and precisely through the forms. He doesn't see her yet, concentrating. He has evidently been practising for some time, as his hair is slightly damp and his shirt has been discarded.

Rather awkward, she stops, wondering whether to go back inside. But it is almost time for breakfast, she might as well wait for him.

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"More often I practise too," she says, repressing the urge to glare.

"He's teaching me, after all."

Another long glance at Joar, who was still quite absorbed in his forms, Niane repressed a giggle and smiled coyly at Zera.

"He is very handsome, Lady Zera."

Another quick glance to him, and a furrowed brow.

"I see you two walking together a lot."

He is.

"Oh, you think so?"

Zera glances away, to where Joar is still oblivious to the two of them.

"Yes. We do."

Niane beams at her. Her head nodding fervently as she struggled to keep her hands by her side.

"You two are very cute together."

Zera turns to eye her incredulously.

"Niane."

The slight blush is completely incidental.

Scowling as fiercely as a fourteen year old could, Niane glared at Zera and crossed her arms rather dramatically. An equally incredulous look back.

"Well, you do!"

Zera almost asks the girl if it is absolutely necessary to state said opinion.

"And?"

Niane did not think there was an 'and' to this. Blinking in confusion at Zera, she thought for a moment.

"Well... And, And you ought to know it!"

The firm nod of someone who was reasonably pleased with something they came up with when put on the spot.

Zera shakes her head and sighs.

"...I must ask you not to say anything of the kind where he might hear you?"

She is fairly certain that at least one party concerned would die of embarrassment, and it would probably not be Niane.

A sullen look as Niane deflates slightly, before the a light dawns on her face. A sly sort of smile forms on her face.

"Now, Lady Zera, suppose..."

A light laugh as she clenches her fists.

"Why should I not tell him?"

Zera's eyes narrow slightly as she looks steadily out over the sea.

"Because he might take it amiss, or consider such a suggestion disrespectful?"

Niane's brow furrowed... That had not worked out as planned. Hazel eyes darting back and forth, she gave a small sigh.

"...I suppose he might."

"Yes," says Zera firmly.

"Also, blackmail, even just attempted, is a terrible habit."

Her mouth is quirking slightly in vague amusement at the look on Niane's face.

Niane huffed and put her hands on her hips. A scowl on her face.

"Leading Lord Joar on is also a very bad habit! You go on all these walks with him and all, but I never see you do anything else!"

Zera Tehom is considered by most in the village of Shorelle to be a gentle, introverted and rather shy girl.

This is because even when truly angry, she can be very, very quiet.

"What are you calling me, Niane?"

Niane Tesmani is considered by most in the village of Shorelle to be a nuisance, a conniving, clever girl who often says things impulsively, and is selfish and manipulative.

One thing that everyone in the village will agree on is that Niane is not very brave.

In the face of Zera's quiet anger, Niane folds in on herself, sinking down against the wall of the garden. A slight sniffle as she speaks softly.

"M'sorry..."

Zera crosses her arms, trying not to make the gesture a defensive one. She doesn't see what the girl has to cry about.

That had hurt.

"Perhaps just thinking before speaking might be a good thing to try. Okay?"

Rising rather shakily to her feet, Niane gave Zera a rather wretched glance. Her face crinkled from how upset she was. A hiccup swallowing the first of her sentence.

"...Said I was sorry..."

Holding her arms about her body, Niane fled from Zera, sandals flopping loudly on the otherwise quiet morning.

Zera almost feels a pang of guilt, but what use is sorry if it's not meant enough to forestall what she had said in the first place. Is that really how people see her?

She turns abruptly away from where Niane had fled before she can ask herself if that's how Joar sees her.

Finishing his morning exercise, Joar Addam, oblivious to the minor argument of the women, slowly walks around the corner. Sweat hung on his brow and dampened his dark hair, black in the morning light. His shirt hung open and loose about his body, and a sheen of sweat glistened on his bare chest. His sword was sheathed and held in his hand. The dew clung to his bare feet.

Blinking slightly as he walked around the corner, he stopped. He nodded his head to Zera.

"Good morning, Zera."

Gulping, and hoping the look on her face is nothing out of the ordinary, Zera turns around.

"Morning."

Studying her for a moment, something seemed... off. Tilting his head, he spoke in his usual deep, dry voice.

"Is something the matter, Zera?"

It is not the kind of worry that can easily be put into words. Especially not to him.

"Oh, just..." she waves a hand. "It's fine."

The look on her face contradicts her a little.

Furrowing his brow as he leaned in slightly, Joar still held his head at that odd angle. A note of concern in his voice.

"Pardon my bluntness, but... I am not particularly inclined to believe you."

A pause as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"If you have a problem, I would like you to feel you can talk to me about it."

She can't help the slight smile as she reaches up hesitantly to rest her hand on top of his. He doesn't think that. And nobody else matters.

"Just some gossip. Made me angry. I'm better now."

A sympathetic look as Joar smiled at her, and laid a gentle hand across her cheek.

"Now, Zera, a small village is what it is. You know where the opinions that matter lie. The veracity of those is easily seen."

She smiles back, with a little difficulty at first.

"Yes, I know."

Knitting his brows slightly as he considered the two of them. She obviously had been hurt by whatever was said, and it often helped to embrace her. It was the way of things. However... It was also not particularly sanitary. These thoughts came out as he spoke.

"I probably ought to embrace you, but..."

His dark eyes glance down at his torso through hair still damp with sweat.

Zera laughs silently.

"I don't mind."

She steps forward close to him, reaching up to wrap her arms around him.

Blinking in surprise as she wrapped her arms around him, He glanced down at her for a moment before muttering softly.

"I do apologize for my... damp condition."

With a slight sigh, he wrapped his arms about her shoulders loosely. Glancing downward, damp strings of hair obscuring his vision for a bit. He was to comfort her. That was what he was to do. Softly, a slight song he murmured to her as he leaned his head down. Song expressed what he could not with words alone.

And thus thy memory is to me
Like some enchanted far-off isle
In some tumultuous sea-
Some ocean throbbing far and free
With storms--but where meanwhile
Serenest skies continually
Just o'er that one bright island smile

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