Two Turtle Doves by Priestess Skye [Oneshot #76]
Title: Two Turtle Doves
Author: Priestess Skye
Prompt: Best Laid Plans
Rating: K
Genre: Drama, friendship, romance
Words: 1801
Summary: Perspective shines on a sunny afternoon while celebrating the summer festival.
Note: This is the twenty-ninth installment in my ongoing serial On The River's Edge. The beginning can be found here.
He held her hand as they walked down the busy streets. It was small, his hand completely dwarfed hers, but somehow it felt right to him. Her hand felt as if it belonged in his. A strange peace settled over him as he watched her look around in excitement. Living in this small town, she had attended the festival each year. She knew what to expect, which activities to participate in, which foods to eat, and yet she was acting like a child who had never seen one of these before. She bounced on her feet, tugged him left, tugged him right, and looked at everything with wide, fresh eyes. It was as if the previous forty-eight hours had never happened.
Perhaps they hadn’t. He was out of sorts himself over it. In fact he was out of sorts over every little thing since his arrival. He was not a small town man, and yet he could find himself content enough to stay here. This morning he was considering colours for a fresh coat of new paint upon his walls. Last night he was considering the furniture and mentally selecting pieces from his city penthouse to bring over. He could work out of the city two days a week and live here the rest; something deep inside told him he wouldn’t regret a change as such. It completely went against his original intentions.
“Look,” Kagome’s eyes nearly sparkled as she pointed to a small booth of hand-painted fans. He found himself caught in them, and everything else that was weighing down on him seemed to float away.
“Would you like one?” he found himself asking, smiling at her childlike demeanour. She pulled him to the booth and, with a critical eye, she examined each one.
“That one is a crane,” the elderly lady at the booth explained. “It represents long life and immortality. Chen painted a series of six of them last winter when his wife gave birth to a baby girl.”
“How are they doing Kaede?” Kagome placed the first fan down and picked up the second of the six.
“Oh they are fine. They’ll be visiting in two weeks now. Chen won’t be able to visit, which is too bad. It has been too long since I’ve seen my grandson, but his wife and child are still coming out to visit. A baby is such a blessing and they have spent years trying unsuccessfully. You should stop by for tea then.”
Kaede was as close to a grandmother as Kagome had in this small town, and spent much time with the elderly woman in the winter. While he was unsure of whom this Chen was, he was familiar with Kaede. He recalled spending many afternoons himself visiting her, listening to her tell stories of old. Sesshoumaru swore she was older than his father, and yet she didn’t let her age stop her. Instead she held the wisdom of all her years. She hadn’t changed in twenty years. Her hair was still long, still grey and still pulled back in that long pony tail. She wore an eye patch from an old accident. He remembered that story as well, the gentle way she smiled at him despite his mother’s scolding for asking such a rude question. She sold fans then, painted by her grandson as well, though he would have been eight or ten at the time.
“His work has improved quite a bit,” he noted, examining a fan depicting an eagle in mid-flight. “The detail is extraordinary given the delicacy of the fans. They were good when I was last here, but they’re superb now. Have you ever considered selling them beyond this festival? Even if all he does is paint twenty or so a year, in the right store, they could sell for three times as much and bring you in a tidy little profit.”
She peered down at the fan before looking back up at him, her keen eye examining him closely. The wrinkles around her eyes gathered as she winked. “The eagle represents power, resurrection and courage. It dominates the skies as it flies, captures its prey with skill and protects its home with a fierceness that would make any mother proud. It is highly representative of you, Sesshoumaru. Unlike you I don’t seek power or wealth, and neither does Chen. He is content to paint as he pleases, and I am content to keep these in this small town. It makes them unique. Money is not everything.”
Frowning, he examined the fan closer. Until recently, if anybody had asked him if he had courage, he would have scoffed at them and ripped their heads off for offering up such an insult. But recently he began to wonder himself. Kagome had changed him, and at times he found himself backing away rather than facing things head on. That was not courage. Furthermore, if that were not disconcerting enough, he had been questioning the idea of power and wealth recently as well. During his time in the city, in the seat that he had most wanted his whole life, he had felt empty, like there was a piece of something missing.
She squeezed his hand, as if reading his thoughts, and he felt himself relax a little more. How was she so in tune with him?
“What about these ones Kaede? There are two birds on this fan, unlike all of the others.”
“Ah, those are turtle doves. They’re not as well known here as they are in the United States. Chen painted them when he was there studying at university. He had just met his wife. Turtle doves represent true love, and they always come in a matched set. Mated pairs spend years together, sometimes their whole lifetime, and therefore the fan needs to show their togetherness.”
“That was eight years ago. I’m surprised nobody has purchased it yet.” Sesshoumaru watched as she ran her hands over the paint on the sheer paper, tracing the outline of the birds. It was a spectacular fan. As such, he wondered the same as she. Surely there was a couple somewhere sentimental enough to purchase the fan for themselves. His hands itched to reach out and examine the fan itself, from a purely artistic point of view of course, but he held back, not wanting the woman on his arm to get any ideas. They were not two mated turtle doves. He didn’t relish being identified with a dove period.
“This fan is very special, and it will choose its owner. The owner will not choose the fan.” She collected the fan from them. “The fan will be given to the right couple at the right time. That is Chen’s wish, Abigail’s wish, and my own.”
“And how will you recognize the right owners?” Kagome asked, picking up the fan with a gorgeous tiger lily painted upon it. The colours were striking against each other.
“I will know,” she took the fan from Kagome’s hand and placed it with a second, one with a delicate blue flower upon it. “The tiger lily is not for you,” she chided, placing the fan back upon its display. “Ye are proud, but it is not pride and wealth that ye seek. The iris is more suited for you. Cherished friendship.”
Perhaps that flower represented them both. As much as he considered his denial, he truly did cherish his time here, and he enjoyed the friendship he shared with this woman, then and now. Was friendship the best word for what they had now though? This went beyond friendship. It felt deeper. But he couldn’t call her his girlfriend either. That would involve some sort of commitment he wasn’t ready to make. And he couldn’t call her his lover. They hadn’t taken that step... yet. It was coming soon. Perhaps it was merely friendship, just on a level deeper than what most would think the word implies.
“It suits you well,” he murmured, handing Kaede the cash to cover the purchase. Kagome hugged the fan to her tightly, and he knew he had made the right purchase.
“We’ll take the eagle too,” Kagome chimed in, handing Kaede another bill. “Sesshoumaru can’t leave this festival empty handed, and you’re right, it suits him.” He frowned at the eagle when Kagome’s back was turned. The fact that she viewed him that way disturbed him, when he should have felt nothing but pride. This whole summer hadn’t gone to plan. It... changed... him. She changed him. His goals then were nowhere near his goals now. He could see them slowly fading away in the distance. He didn’t know if it was for the better yet, but he knew he didn’t want to go back to the way things were before.
“The beach,” he commanded, taking her hand once more, this time pulling her down to the sandy shore. Couples and families adorned the shoreline, some played in the shallows of the water. She could see her own boats out in the distance, and knew that her sales for the day would be good. He had arranged for her day off, a treat, given the busy season.
“What’s here?” she questioned, and he caught her staring back up toward the town, where all of the food and vendors were located. They would return, no doubt she would want to eat, but he wanted this moment with her alone.
“Nothing. Peace.” He slipped his fan into the back pocket of his khakis and caught several strands of her hair as a breeze blew through. They were soft, like silk, and each time he looked upon them he found it more and more fascinating. It shone in the light, much like she.
“Do you want to go for a boat ride?” she questioned. He knew her canoe would be free, but that wasn’t what he wanted either.
“No.” Tugging on her hair he pulled her closer, allowing his other hand to snake up her back, releasing the pin that held most of her hair atop her head to fall free in the breeze. He was momentarily entranced.
“Then what do you want?” Her eyes sparkled; her breath grew heavy as she began to blush beneath his gaze. She painted a picture, one much more enticing than any painted on Kaede’s fans. Perhaps, at this moment, he did feel like an eagle. He was powerful. He did this to her, something that no other man at the moment could do.
He’d kill them if they tried.
And feeling much like the mighty eagle, he dipped down to pull her close and captured her mouth, savouring the slight taste of her cotton candy from earlier. And then he felt himself soaring high through the limitless skies as she pulled him closer.
Author: Priestess Skye
Prompt: Best Laid Plans
Rating: K
Genre: Drama, friendship, romance
Words: 1801
Summary: Perspective shines on a sunny afternoon while celebrating the summer festival.
Note: This is the twenty-ninth installment in my ongoing serial On The River's Edge. The beginning can be found here.
He held her hand as they walked down the busy streets. It was small, his hand completely dwarfed hers, but somehow it felt right to him. Her hand felt as if it belonged in his. A strange peace settled over him as he watched her look around in excitement. Living in this small town, she had attended the festival each year. She knew what to expect, which activities to participate in, which foods to eat, and yet she was acting like a child who had never seen one of these before. She bounced on her feet, tugged him left, tugged him right, and looked at everything with wide, fresh eyes. It was as if the previous forty-eight hours had never happened.
Perhaps they hadn’t. He was out of sorts himself over it. In fact he was out of sorts over every little thing since his arrival. He was not a small town man, and yet he could find himself content enough to stay here. This morning he was considering colours for a fresh coat of new paint upon his walls. Last night he was considering the furniture and mentally selecting pieces from his city penthouse to bring over. He could work out of the city two days a week and live here the rest; something deep inside told him he wouldn’t regret a change as such. It completely went against his original intentions.
“Look,” Kagome’s eyes nearly sparkled as she pointed to a small booth of hand-painted fans. He found himself caught in them, and everything else that was weighing down on him seemed to float away.
“Would you like one?” he found himself asking, smiling at her childlike demeanour. She pulled him to the booth and, with a critical eye, she examined each one.
“That one is a crane,” the elderly lady at the booth explained. “It represents long life and immortality. Chen painted a series of six of them last winter when his wife gave birth to a baby girl.”
“How are they doing Kaede?” Kagome placed the first fan down and picked up the second of the six.
“Oh they are fine. They’ll be visiting in two weeks now. Chen won’t be able to visit, which is too bad. It has been too long since I’ve seen my grandson, but his wife and child are still coming out to visit. A baby is such a blessing and they have spent years trying unsuccessfully. You should stop by for tea then.”
Kaede was as close to a grandmother as Kagome had in this small town, and spent much time with the elderly woman in the winter. While he was unsure of whom this Chen was, he was familiar with Kaede. He recalled spending many afternoons himself visiting her, listening to her tell stories of old. Sesshoumaru swore she was older than his father, and yet she didn’t let her age stop her. Instead she held the wisdom of all her years. She hadn’t changed in twenty years. Her hair was still long, still grey and still pulled back in that long pony tail. She wore an eye patch from an old accident. He remembered that story as well, the gentle way she smiled at him despite his mother’s scolding for asking such a rude question. She sold fans then, painted by her grandson as well, though he would have been eight or ten at the time.
“His work has improved quite a bit,” he noted, examining a fan depicting an eagle in mid-flight. “The detail is extraordinary given the delicacy of the fans. They were good when I was last here, but they’re superb now. Have you ever considered selling them beyond this festival? Even if all he does is paint twenty or so a year, in the right store, they could sell for three times as much and bring you in a tidy little profit.”
She peered down at the fan before looking back up at him, her keen eye examining him closely. The wrinkles around her eyes gathered as she winked. “The eagle represents power, resurrection and courage. It dominates the skies as it flies, captures its prey with skill and protects its home with a fierceness that would make any mother proud. It is highly representative of you, Sesshoumaru. Unlike you I don’t seek power or wealth, and neither does Chen. He is content to paint as he pleases, and I am content to keep these in this small town. It makes them unique. Money is not everything.”
Frowning, he examined the fan closer. Until recently, if anybody had asked him if he had courage, he would have scoffed at them and ripped their heads off for offering up such an insult. But recently he began to wonder himself. Kagome had changed him, and at times he found himself backing away rather than facing things head on. That was not courage. Furthermore, if that were not disconcerting enough, he had been questioning the idea of power and wealth recently as well. During his time in the city, in the seat that he had most wanted his whole life, he had felt empty, like there was a piece of something missing.
She squeezed his hand, as if reading his thoughts, and he felt himself relax a little more. How was she so in tune with him?
“What about these ones Kaede? There are two birds on this fan, unlike all of the others.”
“Ah, those are turtle doves. They’re not as well known here as they are in the United States. Chen painted them when he was there studying at university. He had just met his wife. Turtle doves represent true love, and they always come in a matched set. Mated pairs spend years together, sometimes their whole lifetime, and therefore the fan needs to show their togetherness.”
“That was eight years ago. I’m surprised nobody has purchased it yet.” Sesshoumaru watched as she ran her hands over the paint on the sheer paper, tracing the outline of the birds. It was a spectacular fan. As such, he wondered the same as she. Surely there was a couple somewhere sentimental enough to purchase the fan for themselves. His hands itched to reach out and examine the fan itself, from a purely artistic point of view of course, but he held back, not wanting the woman on his arm to get any ideas. They were not two mated turtle doves. He didn’t relish being identified with a dove period.
“This fan is very special, and it will choose its owner. The owner will not choose the fan.” She collected the fan from them. “The fan will be given to the right couple at the right time. That is Chen’s wish, Abigail’s wish, and my own.”
“And how will you recognize the right owners?” Kagome asked, picking up the fan with a gorgeous tiger lily painted upon it. The colours were striking against each other.
“I will know,” she took the fan from Kagome’s hand and placed it with a second, one with a delicate blue flower upon it. “The tiger lily is not for you,” she chided, placing the fan back upon its display. “Ye are proud, but it is not pride and wealth that ye seek. The iris is more suited for you. Cherished friendship.”
Perhaps that flower represented them both. As much as he considered his denial, he truly did cherish his time here, and he enjoyed the friendship he shared with this woman, then and now. Was friendship the best word for what they had now though? This went beyond friendship. It felt deeper. But he couldn’t call her his girlfriend either. That would involve some sort of commitment he wasn’t ready to make. And he couldn’t call her his lover. They hadn’t taken that step... yet. It was coming soon. Perhaps it was merely friendship, just on a level deeper than what most would think the word implies.
“It suits you well,” he murmured, handing Kaede the cash to cover the purchase. Kagome hugged the fan to her tightly, and he knew he had made the right purchase.
“We’ll take the eagle too,” Kagome chimed in, handing Kaede another bill. “Sesshoumaru can’t leave this festival empty handed, and you’re right, it suits him.” He frowned at the eagle when Kagome’s back was turned. The fact that she viewed him that way disturbed him, when he should have felt nothing but pride. This whole summer hadn’t gone to plan. It... changed... him. She changed him. His goals then were nowhere near his goals now. He could see them slowly fading away in the distance. He didn’t know if it was for the better yet, but he knew he didn’t want to go back to the way things were before.
“The beach,” he commanded, taking her hand once more, this time pulling her down to the sandy shore. Couples and families adorned the shoreline, some played in the shallows of the water. She could see her own boats out in the distance, and knew that her sales for the day would be good. He had arranged for her day off, a treat, given the busy season.
“What’s here?” she questioned, and he caught her staring back up toward the town, where all of the food and vendors were located. They would return, no doubt she would want to eat, but he wanted this moment with her alone.
“Nothing. Peace.” He slipped his fan into the back pocket of his khakis and caught several strands of her hair as a breeze blew through. They were soft, like silk, and each time he looked upon them he found it more and more fascinating. It shone in the light, much like she.
“Do you want to go for a boat ride?” she questioned. He knew her canoe would be free, but that wasn’t what he wanted either.
“No.” Tugging on her hair he pulled her closer, allowing his other hand to snake up her back, releasing the pin that held most of her hair atop her head to fall free in the breeze. He was momentarily entranced.
“Then what do you want?” Her eyes sparkled; her breath grew heavy as she began to blush beneath his gaze. She painted a picture, one much more enticing than any painted on Kaede’s fans. Perhaps, at this moment, he did feel like an eagle. He was powerful. He did this to her, something that no other man at the moment could do.
He’d kill them if they tried.
And feeling much like the mighty eagle, he dipped down to pull her close and captured her mouth, savouring the slight taste of her cotton candy from earlier. And then he felt himself soaring high through the limitless skies as she pulled him closer.