High and Dry

Writers: Chelle, Heather
Date Posted: 25th March 2012

Characters: Sarban, Jeyme
Description: Jeyme notices Sarban still awake and they talk about Lisadi leaving.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 7, day 5 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Nikhan, Lisadi

Jeyme

Lisadi was moving away. Obviously, he couldn't go anywhere. Sarban
understood her decision, but he felt like she could have tried to find
another solution. Now he was back at square one and sharing his
thoughts with a bottle of finely aged wine. The steward sat alone in
his office. It was late, but his lights were on, as if he was working
on something important. He didn't know if she was going to come back.

Jeyme was tired but pleased with herself for the evening. Sure she had
a bit of flour on her skirt, and some of her hair was escaping its
usual do but she'd baked her first loaf of bread and it had actually
tasted good! Journeyman Nikhan had been teaching her how to bake
simple things and she was enjoying the lessons. With loaf of bread
wrapped in brown parchment paper, Jeyme headed to her room-- until she
saw that the light was still on in the Steward's office.

Figuring that perhaps Sarban would want a bit of a snack if he was
working late, Jeyme knocked softly on the door.

Wondering who it might be at this late time, he hoped there was no
emergency. Looking up, he said a soft, "Come in." His eyes were tired
and the tell tale signs of the wine were on his breath and his lips. He
wasn't a bad drinker, though. He just got slower.

Jeyme opened up the door to the office, a small smile lifting her
lips, "Sarban?" She smiled when she saw him, but she did note the
bottle of wine on his desk and the look in his eyes. Still, now that
she was here she couldn't very well duck out, "I just finished some
bread and I was wondering if you would like some?"

"That's kind of you though I don't think bread will be enough to help
how much my head will hurt in the morning," he replied with self
deprecation and a rueful smile.

If Sarban had been working on that entire bottle of wine by himself
then Jeyme would have to agree with his assessment. Normally the
Steward wasn't one to drink so much, at least not that Jeyme had ever
noticed. Setting the fresh loaf on the desk, her lips tilted down into
a frown of concern, "Is everything okay Sarban?"

"MMm it appears I might be back on the market so to speak," he said
by way of an answer before he poured himself more wine.

Jeyme knew that the Steward had been seeing someone, in the Hold
everyone knew _everyone's_ business, and so she took a seat in the
man's office, her brow pleating as she frowned. "What happened?" she
asked softly, not wanting to pry but perhaps hoping to get Sarban to
get it off his chest.

"She moved. Don't know if she's going to be able to come back. Either
way, it's a bit difficult to be carrying on a courtship with someone who
is not where you are." He hadn't quite decided just yet if he was going to
call the whole thing off or wait to see what happened.

The woman nodded her head sympathetically. "I imagine it would be hard.
This decision must have been hard on her as well." Jeyme couldn't imagine
what could have happened to draw Lisadi away from Emerald Falls but it must
have been something incredibly important.

He seemed to remember the bread. "That smells good." He felt like such
an idiot. Here he was complaining about his betrothed moving away and
she couldn't even get married and she was _young_.

"Oh! I'd almost forgot." Jeyme laughed and unwrapped the bread from
the brown paper she'd had it wrapped in, "Feel free to break off as
much as you'd like." She certainly wouldn't eat it all and didn't have
anyone to give it to or share it with. She was just happy to be
learning something new.

He ripped off a piece and chewed, wishing he had some cheese or something
to eat with it. Still, it was decent fare. "Very good."

"Thank you," she smiled a little, ripping off a piece for herself and
slipping it into her mouth. It was perfect! Soft, and velvety, with
the flavor of grain ripely harvested. Truly Nikhan was the one to
thank, for she knew that without his guidance and directing hand the
bread _never_ would have turned out so well. Maybe next time he would
show her how to make a sweeter bread.

"I should probably go, you probably want to be alone," Jeyme said,
even as she stood and brushed her hands over her full skirt. The man
probably wanted time to figure out what was going to happen between
himself and Lisadi, after all, one minute you think you're marrying
someone and the next they're leaving.

"You probably need some rest anyhow. I've also got an early morning." He
sighed, feeling his quarters calling to him. Too bad they would be empty
once again when he wasn't there.

Last updated on the April 9th 2012

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High and Dry