Too much drink

Writers: AL, Emma, Paula
Date Posted: 30th May 2008

Characters: Corowal, Reatuir, Naydelsa
Description: Corowal and his half-brother spend evening drinking but the Lord holder has other plans.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 9, day 10 of Turn 4

I'm off to meet Corowal." Reatuir gazed at his wife and then crossed the room to place a gentle kiss upon her forehead. "Will you be all right here?"

"I'll be fine," she replied with a smile. Naydelsa lifted her sewing, "I was going to work on this a little, you go and enjoy yourself."

Still he hesitated, uncertainty tugging at the edge of his subconscious. He lowered himself before her, his head tilting back to gaze up at her. "Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I should spend this time with you." After all, that seemed to be part of the problem between them. Lack of time. Maybe he shouldn't take this time away from her.

"You go, he's your brother and you haven't seen him for ages, we have the journey back home to spend together."

There was still some hesitation, but after a moment, Reatuir nodded.
"All right. Send me a message if you need me." He rose then, giving her a gentle caress across her lips and a gentle squeeze to her hand.
"I won't be back too late." With that, he turned and headed out of their quarters to meet his brother.

Corowal was humming happily when he opened the bottle's cork. He heard the door going and turned to look. "Hi Reatuir! Do you still like whiskey?"

"Certainly." Reatuir crossed over the threshhold and closed the door behind him. "Pour me a glass. So, what crises happened to do? Or did you manage to avoid those all together? No more tricks from your children?"

"The children have been behaving lately, thank Faranth" Corowal said and offered his half-brother a filled glass. "Have you enjoying your time here?"

"Yes, very much so. It's been nice to be able to spend some time alone with Nay." Reatuir took up his glass and sipped at it. "Ah, good whiskey."

"I only buy the best. Must be tough to have a work that keeps you away from home for months," Corowal said.

"Yes, it is. Very tough at times." Reatuir looked into his glass, the amber liquid sloshing a bit within. "It's been especially hard for Nay and the children." And on their marriage.

Corowal made symphatic grunt. "I always wondered how mother could bear it,"

"That, I can not tell you." Reatuir took another swig of his drink, draining it completely, then motioned for Corowal to refill it. "I used to love what I do, but these days...sometimes I'm beginning to wonder."

Corowal poured him a generous amount of the drink. "Well, there are land assigments to seacrafters too. You could always become a Harbour master."

"I've actually been thinking about that." More than thinking, really.
Reatuir had actually put in the request, but had yet to hear back about it. "Thank you." He twisted the cup in his hand and started to lift it to his lips, then paused, setting it back down again. "I don't know. Most of the time, I get the feeling that she wants me around more. But occasionally, I feel like...as if it doesn't matter after all."

"She's a woman. Women are enigmatic creatures that leave us poor men confused," Corowal said and sipped his own drink. "They make the life interesting and worth living."

Reatuir shook his head, staring back into the whiskey. "She's not just a woman, she's my wife, my love. But yes...I don't know if life _would_ be worth living without her."

"It's amazing how you can go on, when you have to," Corowal said and drained his own drink with one swallow. He was thinking about Ofelia's death in childbed, now nine month's past.

"I honestly don't think I would want to." Reatuir stated severely, still staring at his drink. "I know I've not been the best of husbands, but...I love her. I just wish I could make her happy."

Corowal felt a sudden twich of guilt which covered by getting up and making another drink for himself. "She did knew you were away a lot when she married you," he reminded.

"Yes, but that doesn't make things any easier." Reatuir sighed and mimicked his brother, taking the drink in one fell swoop. "I want to be able to make her smile and laugh again. I want things to be like they once were." He looked at the now empty glass. "I'm going to try..."

"Good luck, I hope it turns all right for both of you. I like you both," Corowal said and took his glass. He turned his back to him when he refilled it from whisky-bottle. He took a small package from his shirt pocket, opened it one-handedly and poured it's powdery content to the glass. He then swirled the liquid around in the glass untill the powder had dissolved. It was harmless sleeping drug he had gotten from healers by claiming he had troubles sleeping. He handed the glass back to his half-brother. The whole operation hadn't taken more than a minute and he had been practising sleight-of-hand since he was a child.

"I'm going to find a way. Perhaps look into becoming a Harbour Master." Reatuir mused as he took his glass and held it up. "I'll find some way to make her happy again."

"I'm sure you do," Corowal said.

Reatuir sipped at the drink. "Anyway, enough about my troubles. How do you fare as of late?"

"Been busy," Corowal said with a shrug. "Trying to duck eager lady-holders-to-be's."

"I guess that isn't so surprising." Reatuir finished off the rest of his drink, then motioned for Corowal to refill it. He paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you think you're ready?"

"To re-marry? Eventually," Corowal replied and poured him more.

"I don't know if I could ever love someone like that again." Reatuir mused, downing the next glass faster than the others. He stared down into it and blinked, then yawned. "Ah, sorry. All of a sudden, I feel rather weary."

"You have been drinking rather fast pace," Corowal warned him.

"Not any faster than you." Reatuir reached up and rubbed his head.
"Headache too." He let his hands run across his eyes and sighed. "I don't know...this is rather sudden. Maybe I should head back."

"Need a hand?" Corowal offered.

"Yes." Reatuir managed to get to his feet, then took a step.
Unfortunately, his second step ended up with him upon the floor on his hands and knees. The world was spinning and he looked up at his brother, rasping out. "Something's wrong..." Then his eyes closed and he collapsed completely.

"Oh dear, what might be wrong?" Corowal asked with sarcastic tone. He watched coldly Reatuir's limp body. Then he called a drudge.
"Seems like my brother got too much of a drink. Help me to carry him to his suit," he told the drudge. They lifted him up and carried him between them to the guest appartments.
"Naydelsa!" Corowal called.

"Coro..." Her voice trailed off as she saw her husband. "What happened?" she asked, a note of concern in her voice. "Should I get a healer?"

"No, he just drunk himself senseless. I've done that few times myself.
He'll be sick man in the morning. Anywhere we can put him?" Corowal answered with amused tone.

"The bedroom," she said. "I guess we better let him sleep it off then. And I'll find a bucket in case he feels sick, can't have him messing that nice rug in there."

Corowal and the drudge carried him into the bedroom and dumped him to the bed. Then Corowal dismissed the drudge and sent him away. He closed the door after him and looked Naydelsa. "He's out of the picture till morning," he said and nodded towards the bedroom.

"Just from drinking?" she gave Corowal a questioning look, and one that held a hint of something else. After all, this was the man who had 'comforted' her whilst Reatuir was at sea.

"Well, I may have added little something to make sure he gets a good night's sleep," Corowal grinned. "I've missed you, Nay," he said softly.

"Really?" she asked softly.

"Yes, really," he said and moved closer to her. He took her face between his hands and kissed her.

"I guess you have," she murmured after the kiss broke. "Are you really sure he's out for a while?"

"Trust me, he won't woke for a while," Corowal replied reassunringly.

"Then perhaps I can show you just how much I missed you too."

That was exactly what Corowal had planned for.

Last updated on the June 1st 2008

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Too much drink