Selkies' Skins
Chapter 10 part 2
Parting
~~~~*~~~~
Kirsty pushed her cart, laden with trunk and cage, along the platform while watching for her owl, or for David. Her brown owl had arrived ahead of her, having left last night, and was perched on a ledge watching for her. It threw itself into the air and swooped toward her, landing on the cage in a flurry of feathers. With a screech, it opened the door with a claw and flounced in to glare at her, as if accusing her of tardiness.
"We had a detour!"
The brown owl turned its back on her at the answer, and looked back toward the train, fluffing its feathers. She continued to push the cart along, toward the form she could now see, sweeping her eyes over the thin lad with the sandy hair and dark, well cared for, somewhat imposing, clothes. Since he didn't see her yet, she openly admired the sweep of his traveling cloak and his cool manner, while he looked the other way down the platform toward whatever had caught his interest.
"David!"
She left her cart and flung herself at him, intending to wrap her arms around him and demonstrate exactly how glad she was to see him. He looked toward the voice and smiled, opening his arms.
"Kirsty!"
She thudded against him and he stepped back a bit, but managed to hold firm. His arms closed in as fierce a hug, and her breath puffed a bit when she kissed his cheek.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too." He held tighter for a moment, then let her go, looking to see if anyone had accompanied her. She appeared to be alone, without even Byron to watch. Then again, since she was here it was obvious he had brought her, and when they had first met she had been alone then as well.
Kirsty blushed a bit when she realized exactly how tight she'd been hugging, and how occupied she'd become by his ice blue eyes, and hoped she hadn't bruised him. Together they pushed their carts toward the train, once the doors were finally opened, and eyed a wan and figure that that been napping against a lamppost.
"Think that's our new professor? I hope he's good."
David nodded, and turned his eyes back to his task, conscious of the figure's stirring and the weight of exhausted eyes.
They boarded the train, he helping her with her things and getting them settled securely. They had not been settled long before there was a knock on their cabin door.
Both looked up, and moved away from each other, having previously been comfortably leaning against each other. Kirsty straightened her clothes surreptitiously, just in case anything had skewed. They saw blue eyes gazing out from a tired face, just as exhausted as he had seemed on the platform. Both of them recognized the look. It echoed David's that came and went with the moon. He was lean, but would be more muscular if he were fleshed out a bit more, not in the stocky way of a body builder, but in the lithe way of some forest creature. Again, much like David's physique, but less well fed. Kirsty noticed what she thought were scars around his hands and wrist, but couldn't look for long without being rude.
"The two of you would be Mr. Valnarius and Miss Makay?"
The voice was soft and gentle, and Kirsty decided already that she liked him, if he were indeed the new professor. Both nodded and rose.
"Professor Hemming Gerwulf." He stooped down a bit to their height, and shook their hands, smiling. "I've heard good things about you both from the Headmaster," he paused and nodded toward Kirsty, "and your aunt. It will be a pleasure to have you in my class this year. Mr. Valnarius, a private word in my cabin if you please?"
David and Kirsty looked at each other. Kirsty then curtsied and sat back down arranging herself again. David bowed slightly to her, then slid the door shut behind himself after stepping out into the all behind the professor, following him to the very back.
Kirsty sighed and settled in her seat, watching out the window while waiting for the professor and David to be done talking about... whatever it was. She could guess it had something to do with David's condition, and if it was one that was shared, like she thought, that was one less nightmare. Imp slipped out from his hiding spot in her clothes, to find another spot in the cabin. She saw familiar faces moving around the platform, such as the blond of Thomas' head, chased after by his parents in blue and green- with a lute?
She looked again. She had been right. Thomas was being pursued by lute wielding parents, and she wondered how he ever found the time to practice the instruments he accompanied the school choir with, on top of his pet projects. The red haired butcher's daughter, Ally, she saw being given bone-crushing hugs by both parents. Kirsty sighed, then yawned. The glass against her forehead was cool, and though she saw the Lilitu family through it as well, she was too tired to give a flying walrus.
"Flying walruses" was exactly the last thought she had before drifting into an open eyed nap of indeterminate time. The sound of the door sliding open startled her awake, and she turned large, deeper blue, blinking eyes toward it. They stayed that way even after they had focused, and she relaxed on seeing it was only David, and not a trident-armed collywobble or whatever else her befuddled brain might have thrown at her.
David paused in the door a moment, and she inclined her head to the side shyly, feeling a tinge start to burn her cheeks. She hadn't been the only one blushing, however slight, and he slipped back into the seat next to her and got comfortable.
Once he was re-seated, she leaned against him comfortably and he put his arm around her.
"All well?"
"Well enough."
"What I think?"
He nodded, and she yawned, snuggling. Her own private talk would probably come later. She found herself hoping the professor was able to grab a decent nap. The silence stretched out, warm and heavy like a winter quilt on a stormy night.
"So, where are your parents?"
"Mum's out to sea again, and Da got called out to deal with an oilspill. Been having some nightmares about mum though, so if they get too bad, I'm supposed to talk to Professor Sevrin."
"I see..."
She yawned again, and curled into him.
He held her a little tighter. "Why don't you take a nap?"
Kirsty didn't fight the suggestion. Before the train whistle blew to sound the final boarding call, she was asleep, and when Ally and Thomas found the cabin, and the moon-faced girl and a couple others, she didn't wake.
"We had a detour!"
The brown owl turned its back on her at the answer, and looked back toward the train, fluffing its feathers. She continued to push the cart along, toward the form she could now see, sweeping her eyes over the thin lad with the sandy hair and dark, well cared for, somewhat imposing, clothes. Since he didn't see her yet, she openly admired the sweep of his traveling cloak and his cool manner, while he looked the other way down the platform toward whatever had caught his interest.
"David!"
She left her cart and flung herself at him, intending to wrap her arms around him and demonstrate exactly how glad she was to see him. He looked toward the voice and smiled, opening his arms.
"Kirsty!"
She thudded against him and he stepped back a bit, but managed to hold firm. His arms closed in as fierce a hug, and her breath puffed a bit when she kissed his cheek.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too." He held tighter for a moment, then let her go, looking to see if anyone had accompanied her. She appeared to be alone, without even Byron to watch. Then again, since she was here it was obvious he had brought her, and when they had first met she had been alone then as well.
Kirsty blushed a bit when she realized exactly how tight she'd been hugging, and how occupied she'd become by his ice blue eyes, and hoped she hadn't bruised him. Together they pushed their carts toward the train, once the doors were finally opened, and eyed a wan and figure that that been napping against a lamppost.
"Think that's our new professor? I hope he's good."
David nodded, and turned his eyes back to his task, conscious of the figure's stirring and the weight of exhausted eyes.
They boarded the train, he helping her with her things and getting them settled securely. They had not been settled long before there was a knock on their cabin door.
Both looked up, and moved away from each other, having previously been comfortably leaning against each other. Kirsty straightened her clothes surreptitiously, just in case anything had skewed. They saw blue eyes gazing out from a tired face, just as exhausted as he had seemed on the platform. Both of them recognized the look. It echoed David's that came and went with the moon. He was lean, but would be more muscular if he were fleshed out a bit more, not in the stocky way of a body builder, but in the lithe way of some forest creature. Again, much like David's physique, but less well fed. Kirsty noticed what she thought were scars around his hands and wrist, but couldn't look for long without being rude.
"The two of you would be Mr. Valnarius and Miss Makay?"
The voice was soft and gentle, and Kirsty decided already that she liked him, if he were indeed the new professor. Both nodded and rose.
"Professor Hemming Gerwulf." He stooped down a bit to their height, and shook their hands, smiling. "I've heard good things about you both from the Headmaster," he paused and nodded toward Kirsty, "and your aunt. It will be a pleasure to have you in my class this year. Mr. Valnarius, a private word in my cabin if you please?"
David and Kirsty looked at each other. Kirsty then curtsied and sat back down arranging herself again. David bowed slightly to her, then slid the door shut behind himself after stepping out into the all behind the professor, following him to the very back.
Kirsty sighed and settled in her seat, watching out the window while waiting for the professor and David to be done talking about... whatever it was. She could guess it had something to do with David's condition, and if it was one that was shared, like she thought, that was one less nightmare. Imp slipped out from his hiding spot in her clothes, to find another spot in the cabin. She saw familiar faces moving around the platform, such as the blond of Thomas' head, chased after by his parents in blue and green- with a lute?
She looked again. She had been right. Thomas was being pursued by lute wielding parents, and she wondered how he ever found the time to practice the instruments he accompanied the school choir with, on top of his pet projects. The red haired butcher's daughter, Ally, she saw being given bone-crushing hugs by both parents. Kirsty sighed, then yawned. The glass against her forehead was cool, and though she saw the Lilitu family through it as well, she was too tired to give a flying walrus.
"Flying walruses" was exactly the last thought she had before drifting into an open eyed nap of indeterminate time. The sound of the door sliding open startled her awake, and she turned large, deeper blue, blinking eyes toward it. They stayed that way even after they had focused, and she relaxed on seeing it was only David, and not a trident-armed collywobble or whatever else her befuddled brain might have thrown at her.
David paused in the door a moment, and she inclined her head to the side shyly, feeling a tinge start to burn her cheeks. She hadn't been the only one blushing, however slight, and he slipped back into the seat next to her and got comfortable.
Once he was re-seated, she leaned against him comfortably and he put his arm around her.
"All well?"
"Well enough."
"What I think?"
He nodded, and she yawned, snuggling. Her own private talk would probably come later. She found herself hoping the professor was able to grab a decent nap. The silence stretched out, warm and heavy like a winter quilt on a stormy night.
"So, where are your parents?"
"Mum's out to sea again, and Da got called out to deal with an oilspill. Been having some nightmares about mum though, so if they get too bad, I'm supposed to talk to Professor Sevrin."
"I see..."
She yawned again, and curled into him.
He held her a little tighter. "Why don't you take a nap?"
Kirsty didn't fight the suggestion. Before the train whistle blew to sound the final boarding call, she was asleep, and when Ally and Thomas found the cabin, and the moon-faced girl and a couple others, she didn't wake.
~~~~*~~~~
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Copyright 2012 by Teresa Garcia
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Live Journal
Dreamwidth
Copyright 2012 by Teresa Garcia
Like the story? Vote here at Top Web Fiction.
Got a question? Ask it and maybe the answer will be revealed in the story, or in a comment if not part of the story. Spy a typo? Please let me know!
