Rogue Firefury

OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

Tiene entered the house with a soft smile on her lips and went through to the kitchen. She glanced out the window that faced the direction Camnath had disappeared and sighed.

Utterly oblivious to her audience of three grinning males who were to her left in the dining area, she started to hum as she then poured herself a cup of melon juice.

"That's my tune, and you hate it," Ianris said. 

Startled, Tiene spilt a small amount of juice on the table. Her spectators laughed lightly among themselves as her face flushed bright red. She picked up a cloth and dabbed up the spilt liquid. Still embarrassed, she growled back at her brother," I don't hate it, I'm just fed up with hearing you whistle it everywhere you go."

Inaris walked towards her, with an occasional glance back at the others, who were still grinning. "Now then, little sister, who was that young man?"

Tiene threw the cloth into the sink and swiped her cup up, almost spilling it again. "You were watching me?" she accused.

"Well we could hardly miss you both, you came to the front of the house after all," Inaris explained with hands held up in an attempt to appease her.

She seemed to accept his explanation. Looking past his shoulder, she saw Duthan and Lor'themar trying to look as if they were innocent bystanders. "You will know who he is anyway," Tiene said to Inaris, her mouth betraying a little smile at the corners. "They met him earlier." She nodded in the direction of the other two.

Ianris feigned surprise. "Duthan! Is this true?"

"Oh, stop it!" Tiene said. "I know fine they would have told you, and no doubt the three of you were spying on me. Probably even placed a bet on something or another."

A fleeting look of guilt passed between the brothers then Inaris laughed and put his arm around Tiene's shoulders, steering her into the dining area. "Tell me all about him," he said.

"Nothing to tell," she said, her cheeks flushing a little again.

Duthan spoke up. "He seemed a nice enough young man. Smitten with you anyway, Tiene."

She blushed deeper. "No, I think not. I stealthed yesterday when training. I thought everyone knew how to do it, but they don't. So, Camnath wants me to teach him the way you showed me, Inaris. But, he didn't speak to me before that."

Duthan raised an eyebrow. "I think, Tiene, it probably gave him the courage to talk to you."

She smiled shyly and dropped her gaze. The brothers, Lor'themar included, decided to cease from teasing her on the subject. It would be unfair to torment her.

"As long as he is nice to you, that's all we are bothered about." Inaris gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze then leaned closer to her ear. "Now, haven't you got dinner to prepare?"