TM Challenge 231
The fire is dying, as it does in the late evenings when he doesn't sleep, when he stays by it for hours while Lynet lies in bed alone. He watches the light, making shadows on his knees--he's taken his chair from the table and set it before the hearth.
"Da?"
He lifts his head and looks around; the girl comes over and climbs onto his lap.
"Aye, lass?"
"Tha'art not sleeping," she says, resting her head on his shoulder. Her hair is braided into a sleeping coil; her linen nightdress is getting too short for her, and her legs are bare against his. He puts his arm around her to hold her in place, so she doesn't slip.
"Nay, not to-night."
"Hast not been."
"Nay, I suppose not."
"Why?"
He looks into the fire again. "Thou knowest thy father hast bad dreams?"
"Aye, sir."
"They're worsening."
"Why?"
A half-smile. He kisses her hair. "Dost know why we live here with nobody else?"
"Because the King sent us here."
"Aye. And he's bid me come back again."
"Dost not want to?"
"Nay, I don't. I'm happy here. I have thee and thy mother, and thou'rt all I need in the world. I'd rather stay here with thee."
"But thou'rt not leaving us!"
"Nay, nay, no such thing. Thou'rt coming with me."
"That's no trouble, then." She snuggles against him and closes her eyes.
"Nay, no trouble," he says, softly, and keeps his hand on her until she fall asleep.
Words: 251
"Da?"
He lifts his head and looks around; the girl comes over and climbs onto his lap.
"Aye, lass?"
"Tha'art not sleeping," she says, resting her head on his shoulder. Her hair is braided into a sleeping coil; her linen nightdress is getting too short for her, and her legs are bare against his. He puts his arm around her to hold her in place, so she doesn't slip.
"Nay, not to-night."
"Hast not been."
"Nay, I suppose not."
"Why?"
He looks into the fire again. "Thou knowest thy father hast bad dreams?"
"Aye, sir."
"They're worsening."
"Why?"
A half-smile. He kisses her hair. "Dost know why we live here with nobody else?"
"Because the King sent us here."
"Aye. And he's bid me come back again."
"Dost not want to?"
"Nay, I don't. I'm happy here. I have thee and thy mother, and thou'rt all I need in the world. I'd rather stay here with thee."
"But thou'rt not leaving us!"
"Nay, nay, no such thing. Thou'rt coming with me."
"That's no trouble, then." She snuggles against him and closes her eyes.
"Nay, no trouble," he says, softly, and keeps his hand on her until she fall asleep.
Words: 251