Something Else

Writers: Dana, Danielle
Date Posted: 24th June 2006

Characters: Cinale, Catriana
Description: Cinale makes a suggestion to Cat
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 12, day 3 of Turn 3

Cinale

Sunlight spilled through the window, across the floor and the faded coverlet to the bed. Dust motes sparkled as they drifted, and Cat watched them as her restless fingers toyed with the quilt. If she craned her neck a bit, she could see a slice of outside- their new home. She frowned at the thought, and with a sigh, rested back against the headboard again.

"Shards, I'm bored!" she said aloud. Brix, her little blue firelizard lifted his head and chirped, then burrowed deeper into the little nest he'd made out of half her blanket and resumed his sun-induced nap. "If only it were that easy for me to fall asleep again!" The only answer she got was one more sleepy chirp.

A knock came suddenly at the door. "Cat, hon?" Cinale asked, opening it a little and poking her head around. "Oh good--you're awake." The cook smiled and came in, bearing a tray laden with a few dishes of food and a pitcher. "I thought you'd want to eat something... _No_, Fey, those aren't for you, honny. Those are for Cat." The little green snatched her claw back from the bread rolls sticking out of the basket and gave an apologetic chirp. With a small chuckle--though slightly exasperated--Cinale shook her head and set the tray down on the bedside table. "How are you feeling today, hon?"

"Better. I still ache terribly, but it's almost bearable without the medicine. It's so good to see you. I've been going crazy in here!"
Catriana smiled. Brix poked his head out of the blankets and chirped at Fey.

The little green's interest in Cat's food was instantly diverted. She gave a curious chirrup, studying her clutchmate with glowing, whirling eyes for a moment before taking wing to land next to him. "I'm glad to see you too--and I'm so glad to hear you're doing better! And don't you worry your pretty little head about it, hon. You'll be out of here soon enough." The cook smiled at her as she moved to set another, lighter tray in front of her. "I have hot soup and fresh bread...and a bit of juice to wash it all down with."

"Thank you, Cinale. It smells wonderful," Cat sighed as she breathed in the aroma of the bread. "I can't wait until the Healers let me start moving around. I can't even begin to tell you how bored I've been."

"Mmm...sleeping can get rather boring, can't it?" Cinale laughed, taking a seat in one of the chairs near her bedside. "I bet your sturdy little blue has been taking care of you, though, hmm? Keeping you company?"

"Yes. But I think he's bored too. Or...he makes a show of being bored like me, then falls asleep again."

"Have you started training him at all? That would help relieve some of the monotony of the days, I think."

"I haven't. I wan't sure how to go about it..." Catriana said, blushing a bit. She'd had little enough experience with the creatures before Brix hatched.

Cinale grinned at her. "I wasn't sure either, hon. It's all right. I can help you, if you'd like. Daigoro certainly helped me! Though..." she slanted a glance at her preening little green, "Fey still is a handful.
I'm trying to teach her better manners." She could only imagine what kind of mischeif the flit got into when she went to give Daigoro the letters.

"Really? Oh, Cinale, that would be wonderful! We can teach them together!"
Catriana clapped her hands in delight. Finally, something to do! And she could finally train Brix to be useful.

"We certainly can! But before we so anything of the sort, you are going to eat at least some of your supper, young lady. Don't want that pretty figure of yours to get any slimmer... You'll be nothing but bones!"

"Well, I _am_ hungry. And I'd never turn down anything you've made."
She obediently reached for the bread and tore off a piece, and nibbled on it.

Cinale watched her, smiling, wishing that she had a more slender body like young Catriana's. The knowledge that one's wedding was steadily approaching does that to a woman. "I know you've probably been guessing, Cat... But I wanted to tell you myself... Daigoro and I are going to be married."

"Cinale...that's wonderful!" Catriana laughed delightedly. "You two are _perfect_ together. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You can do as much as you're willing to," the cook grinned, her blue eyes bright. "The date is set for Turnover."

"Splendid! I'll be up on crutches by then and the healers said I'll have to do some physical therepy...but I should be able to help with some stuff."

"It's not too painful now is it, hon?"

"Not so much anymore. I mean...it aches, but I don't need nearly as much medicine as I did right after...it happened."

Nodding, the look in her eyes sympathetic, Cinale reached over and patted her arm lightly. "The time in here will go by quicker now that Brix will get his training in, Cat. And the ache won't be as noticible since you'll have something else to concentrate on."

She closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them again she said, "Good."

Last updated on the June 29th 2006

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Something Else