Guilt {October 2996) (Runa)
Feb 6, 2018 21:53:05 GMT -5
Post by Ceolmund on Feb 6, 2018 21:53:05 GMT -5
Ceolmund leaned against the doorframe of Dagny's home, looking down the hill toward the Healing Hall. The sun was riding low in the western sky, the golden hour full upon the land as tinges of oranges and pinks began to foretell the approach of dusk.
The young man stood, scratching his chin where the traces of stubble he had shaved off in the morning were now returning. His Grandmum had told him she was sure he could grow a full beard now if he had wished, though Mother had not allowed it. She wanted her boy to look like a boy, not a full grown man, which he now was. Ceolmund had just passed his eighteenth nameday.
“Have one now,” Dagny pressed, shoving a folded meat and apple pie, wrapped in a cloth napkin toward the young man's hands.
“I was waiting for Runa,” Ceolmund answered.
“You can eat a second when she comes.” The elderly woman did not relent until he had taken it from her. “Need all the good meals you can get now before you set out. I'll have a good stock of these made up for you for the muster, and you can share what you don't need.”
Ceolmund nodded to her, taking a bite of the spiced meat pie and looking again toward the healing hall. The windows were starting to take up a glow from the hearth indoors as the sky began to look dimmer. Runa was later leaving than he had hoped, but he could not blame her; he'd heard the most from Beorhtric about what had happened. A watch had been slipped, and an Eored had been raided upon during the night unawares. Many men had been slain upon the field, and quite a few others had come back greviously wounded. Runa had been working in the Healing Hall nearly as much as Hildred for the past couple of weeks. She seemed so young to have to witness such horrors.
Even Ceolmund had taken a chill earlier in the day when he had gone in search. There were men with bandaged heads and missing limbs. Men strapped to their cots so they would not move and disturb their attempted healing process. It was not a sight that any man wished to see right before his own first muster.
He could not wait any longer to see Runa however. His first Muster was the day after tomorrow, and tomorrow he had promised to his Mother. He had given his news to Hildred earlier in the day, and begged for a few hours with Runa. Beorhtric could have told her; but he knew she needed to hear it from him himself. She had promised to send the girl out around supper time to meet him at Dagny's home.
“Maybe I should...” he turned back to his Grandmum quickly, though did not finish his comment. He had not wished to seem rude. Dagny had told him to invite Runa here. She had seen the girl off and on over the years and liked her, though they'd never been able to spend much time together between busy schedules and Elin's conniving.
“Should what?” Dagny asked? She never let unfinished sentences stand as they were.
“Should take her up to the watchtower instead,” Ceolmund finished, moving to look up into the pink sky where the wooden tower stood overlooking the city, then down again to the Healing Hall.
“If you want to talk in private, it's no matter by me,” Dagny answered, moving then to start wrapping some pies in napkins and rustling out a satchel to put them in, before Ceolmund had even affirmed that was his plan.
“I'm just not sure how she's going to… take the news,” Ceolmund shrugged. “Maybe we should be alone.”
Dagny nodded, though gave no comment. She would miss her Grandson as well, though she was not going to say it and do anything to make him feel guilty for leaving. He'd survived eighteen years; and nine months on top of that, with Elin. He deserved an escape.
Ceolmund, though, already knew. His Grandmum was not the only one being left behind who left a feeling of guilt sinking into the pit of his stomach.
The young man stood, scratching his chin where the traces of stubble he had shaved off in the morning were now returning. His Grandmum had told him she was sure he could grow a full beard now if he had wished, though Mother had not allowed it. She wanted her boy to look like a boy, not a full grown man, which he now was. Ceolmund had just passed his eighteenth nameday.
“Have one now,” Dagny pressed, shoving a folded meat and apple pie, wrapped in a cloth napkin toward the young man's hands.
“I was waiting for Runa,” Ceolmund answered.
“You can eat a second when she comes.” The elderly woman did not relent until he had taken it from her. “Need all the good meals you can get now before you set out. I'll have a good stock of these made up for you for the muster, and you can share what you don't need.”
Ceolmund nodded to her, taking a bite of the spiced meat pie and looking again toward the healing hall. The windows were starting to take up a glow from the hearth indoors as the sky began to look dimmer. Runa was later leaving than he had hoped, but he could not blame her; he'd heard the most from Beorhtric about what had happened. A watch had been slipped, and an Eored had been raided upon during the night unawares. Many men had been slain upon the field, and quite a few others had come back greviously wounded. Runa had been working in the Healing Hall nearly as much as Hildred for the past couple of weeks. She seemed so young to have to witness such horrors.
Even Ceolmund had taken a chill earlier in the day when he had gone in search. There were men with bandaged heads and missing limbs. Men strapped to their cots so they would not move and disturb their attempted healing process. It was not a sight that any man wished to see right before his own first muster.
He could not wait any longer to see Runa however. His first Muster was the day after tomorrow, and tomorrow he had promised to his Mother. He had given his news to Hildred earlier in the day, and begged for a few hours with Runa. Beorhtric could have told her; but he knew she needed to hear it from him himself. She had promised to send the girl out around supper time to meet him at Dagny's home.
“Maybe I should...” he turned back to his Grandmum quickly, though did not finish his comment. He had not wished to seem rude. Dagny had told him to invite Runa here. She had seen the girl off and on over the years and liked her, though they'd never been able to spend much time together between busy schedules and Elin's conniving.
“Should what?” Dagny asked? She never let unfinished sentences stand as they were.
“Should take her up to the watchtower instead,” Ceolmund finished, moving to look up into the pink sky where the wooden tower stood overlooking the city, then down again to the Healing Hall.
“If you want to talk in private, it's no matter by me,” Dagny answered, moving then to start wrapping some pies in napkins and rustling out a satchel to put them in, before Ceolmund had even affirmed that was his plan.
“I'm just not sure how she's going to… take the news,” Ceolmund shrugged. “Maybe we should be alone.”
Dagny nodded, though gave no comment. She would miss her Grandson as well, though she was not going to say it and do anything to make him feel guilty for leaving. He'd survived eighteen years; and nine months on top of that, with Elin. He deserved an escape.
Ceolmund, though, already knew. His Grandmum was not the only one being left behind who left a feeling of guilt sinking into the pit of his stomach.