Comfort

Writers: Jelena, Cymiri
Date Posted: 2nd April 2014

Characters: Daimhin, Sinla
Description: Daimhin seeks comfort
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 5, day 21 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Benani, Zathris, Wirnan, Makarl

Daimhin was tired. Bone tired and heart tired. And the dark thoughts
swirling at high speed through his head weren't helping either.

And he'd thought the miserable regret and guilty ache that'd settled on him
watching the happy wedding would be the hardest things to deal with? He
should stop tempting fate to make life worse.

So dark were his thoughts, they drove him to do something he'd never before
dared- and he sought her out.

"Sinla?"

Sinla stood in her doorway, eyes wide with amazement when she saw him
there. "Let's take a walk," she whispered softly as she ushered him
outside, grasping his hand and squeezing it comfortingly before letting go
again. Her husband was home and she could see Daimhin wasn't in the mood to
play pretend.

"If you can be spared, of course. Security check, after..."

It was a momentary rally for proprietary, but it fizzled.

The urge to see her had been tremendous, but he wasn't a man made for easy
confidences and words never came gushingly. Brooding silences were more his
thing. Eventually, he managed to say something.

"I wanted to know you were safe. Which makes dragging you out stupid, I
realize."

"Makarl and the kids are asleep, I was just finishing up my embroidery,
they won't even know I'm gone."

Sinla looked around before turning into a small alcove with a bench, "Let's
just sit and talk for a moment. I think I need a talk after today."

Daimhin hesitated for a fidgety minute, then sank down besides her. Some of
the strain he'd been keeping off his face was allowed to show as he ran his
hands through his hair.

"This whole thing is... bizarre."

Sinla nodded seriously, placing one hand on his back lightly and stroking
it. No one was going to be out to notice them after today. Certainly no
gossipy ladies, they were all barricaded up inside their homes in fear, no
doubt.

His eyes met hers in slightly boyish surprise at the gesture, woes
momentarily forgotten. Then they snapped away again guiltily. But his
fingers laced through hers on the bench.

"I trust Wirnan and the guards were not too over the top? I couldn't pay
too much attention to that earlier. Everyone's to be searched, no
exceptions."

His frown deepened.

"Not that that's going to work. She's not here. And this storm's got us
pissing away time instead of doing something productive."

"They had a job to do, the kids thought it was pretty exciting," Sinla
shrugged. She hadn't been overjoyed with the search, but she understood the
need for a thorough search.

"What do you think happened to Benani?"

"She's been taken. That much is desperately obvious. no one just disappears
and she's too smart and too sensible for so baffling an exit even if I
believed her the sort to run off. And the longer Zathris hears no demands,
the more I wish that wasn't true."

He clammed up quickly there, aware he'd said way too much to a gentle woman.

"How long does it usually ask for kidnappers to make their demands?" Maybe
Daimhin was just seeing things more pessimistically because of the long day
he'd been having.

His answer was a shrug.

"Who knows how such deviant minds work. But the longer without them, the
more to worry. At least with them, you know where you stand."

He glanced at her, then wiped his face again.

"I'm so sorry. I ramble. Tiredness"

Sinla nodded, but didn't speak as she just embraced him, holding him tight
against her.

Disappearing like that... If it had been on purpose Benani had done a great
job of it. It made Sinla wish she had the guts to do the same. Just take
Daimhin's hand and walk out of Amber Hills for good. But she couldn't leave
her other children. Not like she had abandoned Genna.

Daimhin, in an uncharacteristically vulnerable gesture, buried his head on
her shoulder, just breathing in the scent of her.

Sinla just held him, stroking his hair gently, feeling her heart break at
this man's sadness. But yet, at the same time she felt joy for caring so
deeply. "We could run away, too," she whispered.

For a long while he said nothing, simply holding her eyes. He was too
scared to say anything least he say what he really felt. One thumb brushed
softly down her cheek, over her lips.

"Hopefully not as effectively as Benani." He eventually managed, voice a
little rough.

"Hmm," came Sinla's noncommittal response. She let the thought go, but the
seed was planted and if they weren't very careful, it might grow, unseen
and unwanted.

"I should..."

He cleared his throat.

"I should probably get you back home. I , er..."

He rose, extending her his hand. Very softly, a little embarrassed, he added
"Thank you, Sinla."

"You have nothing to thank me for, Daimhin," she said softly, rising after
him a she took his hand. She leaned forward and planted a sweet, chaste
kiss on his lips. She wanted it to be so much more, but this was bad
risking taking as it was.

Last updated on the May 13th 2014

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Comfort