All Tangled Up

Writers: Heather, AL
Date Posted: 21st September 2013
Series: The Unwanted Sister

Characters: Relea, Coran
Description: Relea helps Coran get straightened out on his way to a meeting.
Location: Green Valley Hold
Date: month 3, day 10 of Turn 7
Notes: At Green Valley

Relea

Coran couldn't believe that he was late, especially on the morning
that one of his superior's had decided to come by Green Valley and see
the progress that the journeyman was making on his studies. Yet
somehow he had managed to oversleep that morning, and everything after
that had only served to slow him down further. First had been the
fight with his breeches, getting them on had seemed an impossibility
as first one foot got stuck and then other. THEN he had realized they
were inside out!

Finally getting his clothes on, Coran rushed from his quarters while
fighting with his shoulder knots. To go with his already rotten luck
that morning, the cords were somehow tangled and he cursed as he
fought with them down the hallway.

Relea was feeling much better. Unfortunately, the illness had put her
in bed for several days, but at least she was able to eat - though
there was a twinge in her stomach from time to time. What had
bothered her, though, were the rumours that seemed to be going around
about her. She, of course, didn't know anything. How could she?
Very few people knew how to 'talk' to her and Coran had been the first
one to even mention it. Even if she could hear, would she have known
about them? Regardless, she didn't like the falsehoods that were being
whispered behind her back. At least Coran didn't believe them.

As if on cue, the healer came into sight just as Relea was rounding a
corner. She shifted the box of fabric and supplies she'd procured.
Despite the rumours, she'd gotten two more requests for hats from
ladies. It seemed a loose woman who could create them was worth
hiring, at least. She lightly reached out to tap his shoulder as he
passed and smiled up at him. It was then she noticed the knots and
with her one free hand, she motioned to them.

The tense look on Coran's face evaporated into a smile as he caught
sight of Relea. She was always a welcome beam of sunlight into his
day, and now that she was over her illness she was looking even
lovelier than usual. When she motioned to the tangled mess of his
shoulder knots his shoulders slumped in defeat, "Please help?" He
sighed.

Relea smiled and motioned to the box, then offered it to him in
exchange for the knots. They were a mess, that was to be certain, but
she'd be able to take care of it. She made another motion, this one
that said follow her, and headed toward her quarters. Even though she
walked, she worked on those knots, careful to make sure she didn't run
into anyone - or anything.

Like a canine on a leash, Coran followed behind Relea. What did it
matter if he was late? He decided one of the other journeymen could
show the visiting master harper around. He didn't fully understand
where they were going until they showed up outside of the woman's
door. Coran noticed then the box of ribbons and materials that Relea
had been carrying.

She found the main run of the knots and followed it with her fingers,
then paused long enough, the end pinched between two fingers on her
right hand, so she could open the door to her quarters. She stepped
inside, then sat down on the edge of her bed, eyes intent on working
out the puzzle in front of her.

Coran stepped into the small room behind Relea and closed the door out
of habit as he looked around the place where the woman lived. Even
though the area was confined, Relea's deft hands had made it look
homey with her gift of sewing. It was very easy for the healer to
glance over at Relea and imagine that _his_ quarters looked this way,
and that it was because his beautiful wife made it so. For the first
time since Reven had suggested that Coran court Relea, he considered
the possibility in a more serious light. Was he coming to care for
Relea? Yes. Despite all odds he was. Did he still wake up with vivid
dreams of his first wife, Alyei? He did. Having such love for his lost
wife made the thought of taking another one hard, but he had only to
look at Relea's face and another piece of the wall around his heart
would crumble.

A loop around, a tuck here, then pull. The knots were slowly becoming
unknotted - at least, unknotted from the knots that were not supposed
to be there. One last twisted and they fell back into place. Relea
smiled, then stood and held them back out to the healer. She was
unaware of the thoughts that passed through his mind, or of the
history of pain he'd had to go through, but she saw something in his
face that made her pause, a crinkle in his brown, the tilt of his
head. "Are you okay?" She signed after he took the knots.

He waved off her concern with a smile, "I am fine, I was just lost in
thought." He assured her. "Thank you for your help, I can get
impatient with them sometimes." Coran grinned a little at that. He had
plenty of patience when it came to his studies, or when dealing with a
sick person, but with little things like tangled cords, he went from
calm to enraged in a matter of seconds.

"It's not a problem." Relea signed and stood. "I'm fairly good at
that sort of thing." She shrugged, then paused and signed, "Here."
before she reached out to take the knots so she could help put them on
him.

Coran stood still as Relea adjusted the cords on his shoulder, and he
found himself, inevitably studying the beautiful shape of her mouth.
Were her lips as soft as they looked? Red flag! **Hold on there,
chief, before you do something you might not be ready for.** He told
himself as he reached for both of Relea's hands and clasped them in
his own, "Thank you," bringing her hands up his pressed a kiss to her
fingers, and then released her hands so that he could sign, "I have to
get to the infirmary now. I will see you later?"

The kiss surprised her and there was a second where she stood there
and simply blinked at him. Then she signed back, "You're welcome.
Yes, of course."

Looking into Relea's dark blue eyes one last time before turning and
leaving the woman's room. Once out in the hallway, Coran exhaled a
long, slow breath, "You are in deep, Coran." He muttered to himself.

Last updated on the March 26th 2014

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All Tangled Up