[OOM: Bernardholt] Building a wall
Tavi wasn’t actually well yet, per se--he was still coughing and sneezing, and he was tired most of the time--but he was well enough to get out of bed. Given the reason he’d gotten sick in the first place, he felt he really ought to go make sure Lily’s lamb was doing alright. Maybe he’d even get to name it.
As he slipped silently out of his room, his nose immediately told him Aunt Isana was baking some bread. He immediately made a beeline for the back way into the kitchen to snitch a snack to bring outside. It was easy enough to hide the bread under his cloak--he didn’t want to get wet and cold again and get sicker, she’d know. Carefully peeking around the other door, he breathed a small sigh of relief at the lack of people (particularly Uncle Bernard and Aunt Isana), he starts to head down the hallway.
And luckily for him, it’s vaguely in the direction of his room (more so than the back way into the kitchen), so when Aunt Isana did run into him, she only frowned a little. “Tavi, why are you wearing your cloak?”
Tavi immediately clamped down on the guilt and nervousness that started to well up, and tried to smile, making it a little tired but still content. “Sorry, Aunt Isana--just took a bit of a walk.. I wasn’t out long, I promise. I’ve just been bored, being inside.”
He was surprised at how cheerful his voice was, how innocent, and he kept a firm grip on his internal knowledge he was lying to her through his teeth. She merely regarded him for a moment before smiling slightly. “I’m glad you got a little air--just don’t go near the sheep for a little, all right? I don’t want you picking up something else around them.”
He smiled at her. “Yes, Aunt Isana.” She kissed his forehead and made her way back to the kitchen. “Oh, Tavi?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“You didn’t take any of my rolls by any chance, did you? I’m sure you smelled them.”
Tavi nearly squeaked, but stopped himself in time. Calm, he thought. Just stay calm. “No--I hadn’t had a chance to try yet.” He flashed her a grin and quickly ran down the hall, laughing a little, knowing she’d roll her eyes and head to the kitchen. He paused at the end of the hallway to peer cautiously around the corner, just to make sure she was going--and she was.
And then he blinked.
She’d believed him.
Not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, he slipped outside and made his way back to the sheep pens. He peered around before climbing into the enclosure, fighting his way to the lamb. He gently picked it up and held it on his lap. “Hey, little guy. Uncle Bernard’s been feeding you, right? You don’t seem that hungry.” He stayed there for a while, quietly talking to the lamb, telling it about Enzo and his board, about Sameth’s little mechanical toys, about Bonzo and his plan, about Seimei and his interest, about his dream of the Princeps--so much he couldn’t tell anyone else.
Eventually, Fade found him outside, his expression bright and witless. “Tavi, outside!” he said rather loudly.
“Fade, hush!” he hissed. “I’m going back in soon. I was just seeing to Dew here.”
Fade tilted his head. “Dew?”
Tavi flushed a little, embarrassed. “He came from a rainstorm,” he said quietly. “I thought he might like the company.”
After a moment Fade beamed witlessly. “Company,” he said cheerily. “Company, Tavi.”
And with that he came in and sat down with him, and Tavi kept talking to Dew--only telling him this time about the events of the steadholt since the last time he saw them. After a while he fell silent, and just sat stroking the lamb, who didn’t seem to mind. “Fade,” Tavi said after several moments of peaceful lowing from the sheep.
The man tilted his head at him. “Go inside now?”
“Yes,” he said reluctantly. “Just…” He hesitated, and couldn’t quite meet Fade’s eyes. “Don’t tell Aunt Isana.”
“Tell ‘sana,” Fade said cheerfully. “No,” he added to Tavi’s relief.
“Thank you,” he said quietly. “Just keep her off until I get inside, please?” He offered the last roll, hoping it’d be compensation.
Fade took it and ambled off in his slow, halting walk, while Tavi slipped around to get in where Aunt Isana wouldn’t see.
As he slipped silently out of his room, his nose immediately told him Aunt Isana was baking some bread. He immediately made a beeline for the back way into the kitchen to snitch a snack to bring outside. It was easy enough to hide the bread under his cloak--he didn’t want to get wet and cold again and get sicker, she’d know. Carefully peeking around the other door, he breathed a small sigh of relief at the lack of people (particularly Uncle Bernard and Aunt Isana), he starts to head down the hallway.
And luckily for him, it’s vaguely in the direction of his room (more so than the back way into the kitchen), so when Aunt Isana did run into him, she only frowned a little. “Tavi, why are you wearing your cloak?”
Tavi immediately clamped down on the guilt and nervousness that started to well up, and tried to smile, making it a little tired but still content. “Sorry, Aunt Isana--just took a bit of a walk.. I wasn’t out long, I promise. I’ve just been bored, being inside.”
He was surprised at how cheerful his voice was, how innocent, and he kept a firm grip on his internal knowledge he was lying to her through his teeth. She merely regarded him for a moment before smiling slightly. “I’m glad you got a little air--just don’t go near the sheep for a little, all right? I don’t want you picking up something else around them.”
He smiled at her. “Yes, Aunt Isana.” She kissed his forehead and made her way back to the kitchen. “Oh, Tavi?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“You didn’t take any of my rolls by any chance, did you? I’m sure you smelled them.”
Tavi nearly squeaked, but stopped himself in time. Calm, he thought. Just stay calm. “No--I hadn’t had a chance to try yet.” He flashed her a grin and quickly ran down the hall, laughing a little, knowing she’d roll her eyes and head to the kitchen. He paused at the end of the hallway to peer cautiously around the corner, just to make sure she was going--and she was.
And then he blinked.
She’d believed him.
Not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, he slipped outside and made his way back to the sheep pens. He peered around before climbing into the enclosure, fighting his way to the lamb. He gently picked it up and held it on his lap. “Hey, little guy. Uncle Bernard’s been feeding you, right? You don’t seem that hungry.” He stayed there for a while, quietly talking to the lamb, telling it about Enzo and his board, about Sameth’s little mechanical toys, about Bonzo and his plan, about Seimei and his interest, about his dream of the Princeps--so much he couldn’t tell anyone else.
Eventually, Fade found him outside, his expression bright and witless. “Tavi, outside!” he said rather loudly.
“Fade, hush!” he hissed. “I’m going back in soon. I was just seeing to Dew here.”
Fade tilted his head. “Dew?”
Tavi flushed a little, embarrassed. “He came from a rainstorm,” he said quietly. “I thought he might like the company.”
After a moment Fade beamed witlessly. “Company,” he said cheerily. “Company, Tavi.”
And with that he came in and sat down with him, and Tavi kept talking to Dew--only telling him this time about the events of the steadholt since the last time he saw them. After a while he fell silent, and just sat stroking the lamb, who didn’t seem to mind. “Fade,” Tavi said after several moments of peaceful lowing from the sheep.
The man tilted his head at him. “Go inside now?”
“Yes,” he said reluctantly. “Just…” He hesitated, and couldn’t quite meet Fade’s eyes. “Don’t tell Aunt Isana.”
“Tell ‘sana,” Fade said cheerfully. “No,” he added to Tavi’s relief.
“Thank you,” he said quietly. “Just keep her off until I get inside, please?” He offered the last roll, hoping it’d be compensation.
Fade took it and ambled off in his slow, halting walk, while Tavi slipped around to get in where Aunt Isana wouldn’t see.