The Beginning of a Brighter Side

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 18th February 2014

Characters: Wirnan, Kaya
Description: Is there finally a light at the end of the tunnel for this pair?
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 5, day 10 of Turn 7

Wirnan

Things had been looking up for quite some time now. Wirnan actually
didn't mind coming home after a hard day's work. Kaya seemed to always
be willing and eager to get him a drink or a snack or help in whatever

way she could. It was so different than the way things had seemed to
be going. He appreciated her small gestures, and was glad that all the
fighting seemed to be behind them.

On the marriage front, they were still more like companions than
husband and wife. He still slept in his own room, and she in hers. It
was one of the things Wirnan still regretted, but it was good to have
a companion, even if he and Kaya were man and wife together in the
truest sense of the word.

"Good afternoon, Kaya, How are you today?" He asked coming in. Their
conversations were always pleasant and light these days. They didn't
tend to delve too deeply into things, rather sticking to the more
mundane topics of day to day living. It was comfortable, though
perhaps not as ideal as he'd once dreamed. He could live with this. It
was nice to have company and companionship, if nothing else.

"Well, thank you." Furniture had been moved, at least the small table
for the carpet beneath had been dirty and she'd given it a good
beating and scrub that morning. It had only just recently dried
enough to put back and the colours were more vivid than previously.
"Did you have a good day?" The question was placed even as she moved
back to the table. While not a particularly light piece, she'd managed
to get it off by herself earlier that morning thanks to a goodly
amount of heaving and hawing. The same would be required to put it
back, but she didn't ask Wirnan for help. Kaya figured she'd done it
in the first place, she might as well follow through. She crouched
down and began to do a combination of shoving and lifting.

"I did. I got a lot..." he stopped in mid-sentence as he watched her.

Moving over her offered his services. "Here, let me help. That table
is rather heavy for any one person." He knew he could move it on his
own, but it would actually be easier if they lifted it together.
"Together?" He asked, standing on one side poised to lift the end of
the table.

"Okay." While she hadn't asked for help, Kaya wasn't going to refuse
assistance. She offered a small smile and waited for his signal, then
exerted effort to help move the heavy piece of furniture back over the
rug. As they set it down, metal clattered against wood. The chain to
the locket Wirnan had gifted her had broken and it had fallen, then
popped open. Her hand went to her throat which was naked without
something there. "Oh!"

The locket landed just beside his foot. Reaching down he picked up
the locket, noting first it was the one_he_ had given her not the one

she had worn before. Then he saw what was inside. He turned the locket
towards him and looked closer. "Is this me?" He asked, looking up at
her with questions in his eyes.

"Yes." Kaya's hand still lay against her neck, as if pondering why
the weight of the locket wasn't there. She was so used to having
_something_ weighted against her skin that she almost felt naked. "I
guess it's not that good." Such a small print had been rather
difficult, she had to admit, but she'd tried her best.

"No, I, um, no, it_is_ good. I'm just surprised you have a picture of

_me_ in your locket," he remarked, reaching his hand out to return the
locket to her.

Kaya's eyes darted up to gaze at him from beneath her thick lashes,
then fell. "He clasp broke." Regret was evident in her tone as she
inspected the locket itself. It had popped open, but locked once shut
- just the chain needed repair. That brought about some measure of
relief.

"I can take it to one of the smiths and see if it can be repaired or
replaced for you," he offered.

"Please?" Kaya's hand returned to her throat, fingers trailing over
the bare skin. "It...feel strange not having something there."

"I'll do it first thing in the morning," he replied, knowing that most
of the crafters would have gone their ways by now. "You could come
with me if you'd like."

Kaya hesitated. Did he want her to come or was he just being nice?
Things had been better, she'd been trying hard. Kaya knew she'd made
his life miserable for so long and she'd felt idiotic for not seeing
how good she'd had it before. After that brief hesitation, she
offered a small smile and nodded. "I'll come with you."

"Okay then, I'll come get you in the morning after I see to a few
things that need handled right away. Then we'll head to the smiths and
see what they say about repairing or replacing the clasp for you." He
looked around the room, noting how clean it was. "Is there anything
else you need help with?"

"No. Shall we go to dinner?" Kaya's fingers still fiddled at the base
of her neck. There was nothing there now and she felt almost naked.
She could have put on her old locket, but she'd already set the past
in the past. That would do no good. She needed to move forward - and
it would be an insult to Wirnan otherwise. No. She had to stop
dwelling and keep her eyes on the future.

"Alright," Wirnan replied, "Dinner would be great. Shall we?" He
gestured for her to take the lead.

Last updated on the March 15th 2014

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The Beginning of a Brighter Side