Strongjaw & The Dish

15

The bite of winter was fully upon them. The wind howled outside of the room adjacent to Lady Cassandra's where she could take her shift of wakeful watching over her charge. It was growing less required however.

Despite the trials of motherhood, Lady Vex'ahlia was determined to see her sister-in-law become a defender of Whitestone, a task to which Cassandra was more than eager to undertake. Bow and blade, hand-to-hand and even barroom 'grab what's at hand and use it' fighting skills were practiced until the younger of the ladies was hardly in need of constant watch nowadays.

Still, her command was to be an ever-watchful hound of sorts and she'd not shirk. The night was deep and the house slumbering, so she risked indulgence, drawing the folded pages from her side with a furtive glance around the room.

To Trisha.

I have news to tell. Scanlan says to me 'I want to talk' and I says 'okay'. He says 'I love Pike. I want to marry her!' I was so happy I cried. I want you to come to the wedding. It is in Westruun. It is in the spring. Will you come?

I have not seen you since the woods. You said it was ok and I did not want to fight. I have been thinking about you a lot. I wish I had a way to see you more often. I miss you.

Grog

PS, I saw a lady in a sexy dress today. It was red. Do you like red? I'd like to see you in a sexy dress. Or out of it. Let me know if you like red .

She couldn't help but chuckle. It wasn't difficult to guess where he'd seen a sexy dress on a lady. She felt a pang that wasn't possessiveness so much as it was envy for whomever she might be. Her own scattered lovers had been deeply disappointing and as useful as using a ball of cotton wool to cut a tree down. At least one of them was having fun.

From the room adjacent, a soft clatter and a mutter of frustration that was not the voice of Lady Cassandra. Blade in hand, she slid to the joining door and turned the handle, finding it locked. A hard shove tore the latch out of the frame and her eyes fell on the shadow of a figure at the window, already half inside, the clatter having been a vase of turned wood that was now on the floor, the flowers within spread out in the pool of water.

There was no hesitation. Grabbing the intruder by his arm, her blade was at his throat before he could utter a word, just in case he was one of those spell-casting types.

"Trisha no!" Cassandra called just as the clouds parted enough his features were now clear.

"Kynan Leore, what do you think you're doing in here?"

"We were just talking, Trisha." Cassandra said with infinite calmness and, looking over, Trisha saw the girl was fully dressed even to her boots.

"Talking?" She let the lad go and sheathed her sword. "Does your brother know you're up here talking at this hour?" She sounded like such a mother hen but she'd been thrown into defense mode and now that there was no outlet for that energy.

"No he does not." Cassandra sighed. "Nor would he approve. Not because of the illicit implications as he has no say in what I do in my own bed, but... because of this." She looked furtive and sheepish as she reached under her mattress and pulled out one of the long barreled rifles. "Kynan is teaching me how they work. Don't worry, he won't permit me to touch any ammunition." A narrowing of her eyes a bit at that, to which Kynan looked utterly unapologetic.

"It's straining my vows as a Rifleman as it is, Cas, letting you touch that without His Lordship's permission. It could cost me my job."

Trisha did not miss the very familiar address but didn't speak to it just now.