31.Aug.12, 06:09 AM
B'jin wasn't the only one who'd been counting the days.
There had been a lot of anniversaries lately. Talian had each one memories and enshrined in his head, though none received more than a nod of acknowledgement and a secret midnight drink as they passed by. This one was meant to be no different. The only other date that Tal had anticipated with as much hatred and dread was the fifth of the twelfth, the day he'd been kidnapped. That had been a hard one, but it came and went silently, along with his pain. His birthday in the first month seemed like a small thing in comparison.
This one was just as bad, maybe worse. Tal raced about the healer hall all day, busying himself with any task he could find and pumping himself full of klah. It was amazing that he hadn't lost the taste for it. Maybe he was addicted to it after all! Still, he sometimes suspected he caught just a hint of bitterness underneath the otherwise pleasant flavor. He dismissed it as a hallucination, but sometimes it still felt vaguely wrong.
He'd been trying to sleep for hours when the knock came to his door. The young man froze in place, sitting in his chair and staring out the same window he'd used on that night one turn prior. He knew who it was. Some part of the healer knew B'jin would be coming. Their time together seemed like much more than a single turn, and yet as he sat there with his mind lingering on that terrible night, he felt as if he were reliving it by the minute. He couldn't imagine B'jin not being there.
Without B'jin, he'd be dead.
Talian rose to his feet and picked up his mug of klah. He answered the door with it hovering near his face, not even pausing to consider what a bad image that might conjure up. He simply hadn't thought of that.
"Hello B'jin," Talian said, timid and submissive. It wasn't too unusual, but something had definitely shifted ever-so-slightly since J'ver. Tal's self-confidence in his own opinions and identity remained strong, but when it came to commands, he was more willing to give in than ever. He nodded understandingly and willingly accepted the hug, holding his klah over the greenrider's shoulder so as not to spill it.
He didn't question B'jin's request. He simply followed, hovering as close to the man as he could as they walked. He didn't bother talking about anything; the toll the anniversary was taking on his morale was visible enough in the huge circles under his eyes.
There had been a lot of anniversaries lately. Talian had each one memories and enshrined in his head, though none received more than a nod of acknowledgement and a secret midnight drink as they passed by. This one was meant to be no different. The only other date that Tal had anticipated with as much hatred and dread was the fifth of the twelfth, the day he'd been kidnapped. That had been a hard one, but it came and went silently, along with his pain. His birthday in the first month seemed like a small thing in comparison.
This one was just as bad, maybe worse. Tal raced about the healer hall all day, busying himself with any task he could find and pumping himself full of klah. It was amazing that he hadn't lost the taste for it. Maybe he was addicted to it after all! Still, he sometimes suspected he caught just a hint of bitterness underneath the otherwise pleasant flavor. He dismissed it as a hallucination, but sometimes it still felt vaguely wrong.
He'd been trying to sleep for hours when the knock came to his door. The young man froze in place, sitting in his chair and staring out the same window he'd used on that night one turn prior. He knew who it was. Some part of the healer knew B'jin would be coming. Their time together seemed like much more than a single turn, and yet as he sat there with his mind lingering on that terrible night, he felt as if he were reliving it by the minute. He couldn't imagine B'jin not being there.
Without B'jin, he'd be dead.
Talian rose to his feet and picked up his mug of klah. He answered the door with it hovering near his face, not even pausing to consider what a bad image that might conjure up. He simply hadn't thought of that.
"Hello B'jin," Talian said, timid and submissive. It wasn't too unusual, but something had definitely shifted ever-so-slightly since J'ver. Tal's self-confidence in his own opinions and identity remained strong, but when it came to commands, he was more willing to give in than ever. He nodded understandingly and willingly accepted the hug, holding his klah over the greenrider's shoulder so as not to spill it.
He didn't question B'jin's request. He simply followed, hovering as close to the man as he could as they walked. He didn't bother talking about anything; the toll the anniversary was taking on his morale was visible enough in the huge circles under his eyes.