Alain's in an armchair. As usual, it's subtly arranged to provide a good view of all the room's entrances and exits.

Coffee, strong and black, sits on the table beside him. He's smoking a freshly rolled cigarette. He's been here for a while, it seems; the butts of two others are stubbed out in the ashtray next to his coffee mug.

Morning. A few hours after dawn; the light slants in through half-drawn curtains, making window-squares on the blankets.

(Come)

Alain's arm is curled around Lilly. Both of them are asleep, breathing slow and regular.

(Come)

And then

(Come)

he's awake, staring blindly at the ceiling,

(Come)and all he can hear and see and feel and think is ( Read more... )

The sun is slipping below the horizon, casting blood-red light on the evening's patchy clouds. The sky billows red and orange and pink.

Red at night, wayfarer's delight, Alain thinks absently.

He's sitting on Roland's rock. Smoking, and not thinking about anything in particular. It's become terribly easy to do that, recently.

Alain wakes with a gasp. It's not from a bad dream; on the contrary, he can't remember what he was dreaming.

He can't remember anything, for a disorientingly long moment -- not this room, not his name, not his dream and not where or when he is. Just the morning light, slanting sunbeams bleaching the room to white, and a call that fills his brain ( Read more... )

It's an hour since they last spoke. The sun is sinking into a pink sky, now, latticed by leafless trees and spreading a blood-red trail across the lake ( Read more... )

Whatever's ahead and whatever's on your mind, there's chores that must be done. And animals don't understand excuses or 'later.' Susan learned that from her da, Alain from his parents and Cort and Vannay, but both of them learned it well ( Read more... )

It's getting colder and colder outside -- and with rain on the air, this afternoon.

Still, it's just as warm as ever inside the bar. Which is why Alain, after finishing his afternoon's work in the stable, stops by his room to leave his coat hanging inside the door. He turns to close the door behind him, and head into the bar.

It's been a day and more, and he hasn't seen Lilly ( Read more... )

It's late in the morning when they return. The sun is bright and the air cold, and they walk in silence ( Read more... )

Alain wakes slowly, to slanting sunbeams and disorientation ( Read more... )