Evidence of Anger

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 25th June 2014
Series: The Unwanted Sister

Characters: Relea, Coran
Description: Coran finds the evidence of his anger on Relea's skin.
Location: Green Valley Hold
Date: month 7, day 1 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Qorri

Relea

It had been a long day. Several orders had come Relea's way and she
was already trying to figure out what to do for Qorri's hat. While the
headwoman hadn't wanted anything fancy, that didn't mean Relea
couldn't make it look nice. She'd finally gained some inspiration
when several wome had stopped by. One was desperate for a hat by the
next day due to her old one having gotten damaged by vermin. Relea
had spent the entire day rushing to get a hat done, but also careful
to make sure that it was_well_ done, in addition to making sure the
other orders she promised were fulfilled. Despite her business, she
had managed to finish Qorri's hat, mainly thanks to its simplicity.

Despite the frantic customers, Relea was certain Coran's day had been
even busier. She could at least sit down while she worked, whereas he
was often on his feet. So when it was time for him to come home, she
made certain his comfy slippers were out. Except he didn't come. He
wasn't at dinner either, so she secured some food for him and brought
it back to their quarters and resumed her work at a more liesurely
pace, then settled into a book after a while. It was well into the
evening before a hint of movement out of the corner of her eye drew
her attention to the door.

Coran's work tunic was stained a dull brown, blood, from whichever
patient he had been helping. His shoulders were slumped and he only
looked up after he closed the door behind him with a soft 'click'. He
looked to Relea sitting and reading, and had to admit that she was a
welcome sight after the day he'd had.

"Sorry I am late." He noted that his bedroom shoes were out and he
gratefully sank down onto the couch to pull off his boots, "A woman
went into labor prematurely.... Lost her and the baby." He reported
dully. It wasn't the first time he had lost a patient but it certainly
never made it easy.

He was tired, that fact was evidently by the way he forgot to talk
with his hands. It didn't matter, Relea was well versed in reading
lips, so when the tragic news was aired, she was well aware of exactly
what kind of trials he'd faced. As she set aside her book, her
expression fell into one of sadness. She was certain the woman was
not anyone she was familiar with, but that didn't mean she could feel
sorrow at the loss of a life - and at how her husband had been the one
who had to deal with that on his conscience. "I saved you some
dinner." She signed, then picked up the place and unwrapped the towel
around it. She placed it beside him. "It's cold. Do you want me to
get you something else?"

"Thank you." He made the solitary hand gesture without moving his lips
as he took the plate from his wife, grateful that she had taken the
time to grab a meal for him. "It is perfect." Coran said of the meal
before digging in.

Despite the fact that Coran was just eating, it was rather late. She
left him to his food then pulled out his night clothes to lay them on
the bed. That done, she began to get herself ready for the evening
and slipped out of her own clothing.

Coran's eyes followed his wife as she moved. Trained, healer eyes
zeroed in on the discolored skin on the top of her arms, and he
frowned. "Relea," he signaled for her with his hand to get her
attention. "Come here." He set his plate of food aside.

Relea turned toward him, but as she was halfway in her nightgown, she
pulled it over her head before she complied with his request. Her
gaze shifted to his half eaten food. "You aren't hungry?"

The healer shook his head, "It is not about that food. It is about
your arms." Coran reached out and gently pushed up the short sleeves
of Relea's nightgown to reveal the ugly bruises. He didn't have to ask
how she got them, in a flash Coran relived the way he had grabbed her
the day before, panicked and relieved when he had found her, but also
angry that she had put herself in danger.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, his fingers sliding gently over the discolored skin.

She couldn't hear him, but she didn't need to. Even if she hadn't
read his lips, his posture, the bow of his head, the tender way he
touched her spoke as much as his words did. One hand reached up to
slip over one set of fingers and she offered him a small smile before
she signed, "I forgive you."

Coran shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment, before tilting
his face so that she could read his lips, "I don't." This wasn't what
a husband did to his wife. He bet his father had never so much as
raised his hand at his mother, much less left a mark on her.

"You'll have to." She signed as best she could without pulling away
fully. "Otherwise you can't move on, and being stuck in a mistake
doesn't do anyone any good."

The healer shook his head. His job was to heal not to hurt, especially
his own_wife_. What if he did it again? He had promised not to, but
then, he had never set out to hurt Relea in the first place. Coran
swore to himself that he would handle Relea like a fragile piece of
glass from that point forward. Never again would a bruise color her
skin as a result of his hand.

Coran didn't sign anything in response to Relea's statement, instead
he signed, "I am just going to finish my plate, and clean up and then
I will be to bed." He said, meaning for her to go ahead without him.

She wanted to press him, to get him to let himself off the hook. His
regret was far too real for her not to forgive, and she wanted him to
get to the same point. Bur rather than force the issue, Relea let it
go. Trying to push wouldn't do any good either. "Okay." She
responded with a flick of her right hand.

The healer turned and emptied the rest of his plate into the midden,
his appetite gone. He set the plate aside to be taken back to the
kitchens later. Unbuttoning his stained work tunic he tossed it in
with the other dirty laundry and then went to the wash basin and
filled the porcelain bowl with water. Pulling out his razor and strop
he gave a few licks against the leather before setting the blade aside
and lathering up his face. The habitual routine helped him feel
calmer, and focus his thoughts.

Relea finished readying herself for bed and then lay upon the bed to
watch his husband. Silence was nothing unusual, her world was marked
by its presence. If his hands were unavailable, then they couldn't
'talk', but she'd come to a point long ago where she didn't_have_ to
'talk' to someone. She'd found that wasn't the case with many. She
placed her elbows on the bed and rest her chin in her hands as she
studied Coran's movements.

The healer shaved with steady, sure movements, running the sharpened
blade along his skin with precision. Once he was finished he rinsed
his face with the cool water in the basin and dabbed his cheeks dry
with the towel hanging on the side of the basin. Turning, Coran's
eyebrows quirked up a little as he noted Relea watching him. Moving
over to the bed, Coran crawled in and captured Relea's chin, turning
her face up to his for a kiss.

The gentle gesture spurred a smile to her lips and she returned the
kiss. Her body shifted to be closer to him, a silent invitation if he
desired it and a second kiss while still mild, was a little bolder
than the first.

Realistically Coran knew that he could not make the bruises on his
wife's skin go away, but he hoped that with enough love, perhaps any
remaining bruises on her heart would be sufficiently wiped away.

Last updated on the June 28th 2014

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Evidence of Anger