Redfork Menace

Hook, line and sinker

Screaming, crying, throwing up. Forgive me bc I have never written a scene like this. Ahhhhhh

Shanda looked away from Benjicot while he pulled the rest of the books. She scolded herself mentally. She was supposed to be cutting down on the blushing maiden business. But she couldn't really help it, he was so interesting to look at. Most of the lords that called on her were older men. Some of them were surely nice enough but with a few too many years behind their belts. Worse though was the ten year old boy lord that had showed up at her door one day. She had entertained the boy with games and books but promptly refused to talk any nonsense about marriage. He should find some nice nine year old girl and try his luck there. The lord had thrown a fit at that but then he was only ten. So, it was nice to look at a man who wasn't ancient or still in diapers. A rarity it seemed these days.
Benjicot took the seat beside her when he returned rather than the one across that would've been proper. He had a stack of books and carefully arranged them on the table around the map. She was busy looking at said map and admiring the pretty pictures painted on there. She had a sneaking suspicion Alysanne had done them but didn't bring it up. She could ask the lady herself later and receive a more upfront answer than if she asked Benjicot. He was sitting so close to her, she could feel the body heat radiating off of him.

"This one is about the fish that swim in the Red Fork." He said pointing at a book with a blue cover. "And this one is on wooden architecture, there is some good information about wood carving in there."

She looked at him inquisitively. "What about books on battle tactics? Or perhaps the history of Raventree?"

He frowned. "I'm trying to be nice."

"I know, it's weird." He was obviously avoiding any subject that would start them arguing. But she was the one needling him now. He had a limit and she wanted to find it.

"It's not weird. And what you're trying to do isn't going to work." He smirked at her.

She steamed beside him. He couldn't be a brute so hot headed that they nicknamed him bloody ben and infinitely patient enough to never get annoyed with her. The two traits were at complete odds with each other. And Shanda was very good at getting on people's nerves. Very slowly and deliberately she pushed a stack of books off of the table. The thud echoed in the room. She smiled sweetly at him while he picked them back up. He placed them away from her reach the second time.

"Are you going to act like a child the entire time?"

She shrugged at him. "Maybe. I haven't decided yet."

"While you make up your mind, why don't you stay quiet?"

Then he began to read from a book aloud, leaving no time for her to reply.

"It is said that the heart tree is the embodiment of the old gods themselves. The leaves resemble hands, and carved upon every trunk is a face."

"Wait a minute. I don't want to hear this." She said, shaking her head.

Shanda followed the faith of the seven and had no desire to learn about the old gods or their twisted trees. And she didn't know why he would want to discuss it. The Blackwoods were incredibly touchy about the subject, having blamed her family for the poisoning of their own heart tree. Which was preposterous of course, how would a Bracken even sneak in to find it? But he continued to read as if he hadn't heard her.

"A man cannot tell a lie in front of a heart tree, the old gods can always tell. The roots drink the blood of the slain, the earth turns a rich dark color as a result."

She stood up from the table then and began trying to take the book from his hands. But even with both of her hands pulling, she couldn't pry it from his hands. Acting as if she weren't there he read around her hand.