Drinks Among Friends (March 3010) - [Ceolmund, Theodred]
Feb 27, 2018 14:41:24 GMT -5
Post by Ceolmund on Feb 27, 2018 14:41:24 GMT -5
“Oh no,” Ceolmund muttered out loud, his brow crinkling. “Don't leave, Runa, don't...” Yet, she had already gone back to the bedroom. He tried to stand, but his head felt a bit dizzy himself, and he found himself in agreement with Adelais on the state of the wobbly floor. He had not been near enough to catch the other woman if he had tried this time.
Swithin was already up and pulling Adelais to her feet, locking and arm around her waist that that she not stumble and cut her head open. He certainly was not the healer in the room and didn't fancy that Adelais would like to be carried down to the Hall in her state; in fact, doing so could probably reflect poorly on her at work. “The Captain will take care of Runa now, don't you fret,” he told her, glancing aside to Gerlaf and Drifa.
“You make sure my brother finds our doorstep in the dark?” he asked the two of them. “I think I'll give Laisa here a walk home.”
Drifa nodded to him, and Oswin let out a laugh. “Is that why you weren't drinking, you son of a goat?” He clapped his knees on his hands and stood up stumbling, no better in step than Adelais had been, though he took hold of the back of the chair and stretched his legs, keeping from falling. “You get to be the designated walker for Addi now?” He laughed again, though there was no contempt in his words. “Aye,” he waved them off. “She seems to like the ginger beard better anyway.”
“Because the ginger and cinnamon mix well together,” Swithin remarked lightly, giving Adelais a squeeze in his arm, and glancing to Ceolmund hesitantly.
“Captain,” Swithin started. “Tell Runa we appreciate… well...” The way Ceolmund was fumbling about, Swithin was not certain he'd remember a thing. “Os and I will be by tomorrow eve for a few minutes. Bring a little treat by for that little girl.” He also needed to have a word with Ceolmund, about Wynfled, and give Runa a proper thanks.
“We'll be like uncles now,” Oswin chuckled. “Gotta get some sugar in her, get her on our good side.”
“Oh no you don't,” Drifa could almost laugh herself at the statement. “Not on her first night here.”
“Watch us,” Oswin laughed, taking a crooked step to the doorframe.
“Runa doesn't need him,” Sunnifa sniffed at Thea's words, standing along with the others, while Cenric reached to steady her. “She has her own family. She has Hildred and Amalric, and Beorhtric.”
“Sunni,” Drifa warned, knowing where her friend was starting off to. She eyed Ceolmund and the other's gathered before looking to Cenric. “Time to get her home,” she told him shortly.
“He has always needed her,” Sunni was continuing.
“Sunni, come on,” Cenric pressed, urging her toward the door.
“She's just like Hildred. She always has been,” Sunnifa snipped, glaring at her husband. “Ceol… Ceol, she's going to leave you,” she said morosely, words slurring. “Just like Hildred, she'll leave. Don't count on her staying.”
Ceolmund's mouth was gaping, and he finally was able to rock forward off his stool to stand. “Runa wouldn—”
“She will, Ceol,” Sunni was drawing a hand to her forehead as Cenric pressed her shoulders toward the door.”
“It'll all straighten out,” Swithin tried. “It's just that Wynfled.”
“It's nothing to do with her,” Sunni waved the comment aside as Cenric pressed her out the open door. “She's going to hurt him again. I know it; she did it all the years pushing him away. Why do you think it took them so long to get married? And it shouldn't have happened… I shouldn't have helped… but he was so happy. I can't see it happen to him again… from her, after Hildred. Not to my brother. It's been enough.”
Cynburga's nose was out her door, watching as the men and women slowly began to depart. “Hurt him?” she muttered to herself. “Those swords.” Her eyes narrowed at the glowing hearth through the open door and the glint of metal hung above where she knew Ceolmund and Runa had moved the swords. She sighed, shaking her head in exasperation, as she watched the guests depart in twos and threes.
Ceolmund, having finally pulled himself up from his stool made heavy steps toward the bedroom. He caught himself against the doorframe and had to stand and gather his balance for a moment, before pushing in the door. “Runaaa,” he called. It was dark in the room, there was no candle lit, though the glow of the hearth helped Ceolmund find her form upon the bed.
“They all went home… I knew you'd be here. You're home, you didn't go,” he said, starting toward the bed. He tripped over his own feet and his knee hit the footboard, causing the bed to shudder, and he groaned. “Oh ow… how long has that been there? Oh, Runa… oh no, are you crying? Oh… oh no… oh no… Runa….” He sat down on the bed and reached over, touching her shoulder, and sliding his hand down here back.
Swithin was already up and pulling Adelais to her feet, locking and arm around her waist that that she not stumble and cut her head open. He certainly was not the healer in the room and didn't fancy that Adelais would like to be carried down to the Hall in her state; in fact, doing so could probably reflect poorly on her at work. “The Captain will take care of Runa now, don't you fret,” he told her, glancing aside to Gerlaf and Drifa.
“You make sure my brother finds our doorstep in the dark?” he asked the two of them. “I think I'll give Laisa here a walk home.”
Drifa nodded to him, and Oswin let out a laugh. “Is that why you weren't drinking, you son of a goat?” He clapped his knees on his hands and stood up stumbling, no better in step than Adelais had been, though he took hold of the back of the chair and stretched his legs, keeping from falling. “You get to be the designated walker for Addi now?” He laughed again, though there was no contempt in his words. “Aye,” he waved them off. “She seems to like the ginger beard better anyway.”
“Because the ginger and cinnamon mix well together,” Swithin remarked lightly, giving Adelais a squeeze in his arm, and glancing to Ceolmund hesitantly.
“Captain,” Swithin started. “Tell Runa we appreciate… well...” The way Ceolmund was fumbling about, Swithin was not certain he'd remember a thing. “Os and I will be by tomorrow eve for a few minutes. Bring a little treat by for that little girl.” He also needed to have a word with Ceolmund, about Wynfled, and give Runa a proper thanks.
“We'll be like uncles now,” Oswin chuckled. “Gotta get some sugar in her, get her on our good side.”
“Oh no you don't,” Drifa could almost laugh herself at the statement. “Not on her first night here.”
“Watch us,” Oswin laughed, taking a crooked step to the doorframe.
“Runa doesn't need him,” Sunnifa sniffed at Thea's words, standing along with the others, while Cenric reached to steady her. “She has her own family. She has Hildred and Amalric, and Beorhtric.”
“Sunni,” Drifa warned, knowing where her friend was starting off to. She eyed Ceolmund and the other's gathered before looking to Cenric. “Time to get her home,” she told him shortly.
“He has always needed her,” Sunni was continuing.
“Sunni, come on,” Cenric pressed, urging her toward the door.
“She's just like Hildred. She always has been,” Sunnifa snipped, glaring at her husband. “Ceol… Ceol, she's going to leave you,” she said morosely, words slurring. “Just like Hildred, she'll leave. Don't count on her staying.”
Ceolmund's mouth was gaping, and he finally was able to rock forward off his stool to stand. “Runa wouldn—”
“She will, Ceol,” Sunni was drawing a hand to her forehead as Cenric pressed her shoulders toward the door.”
“It'll all straighten out,” Swithin tried. “It's just that Wynfled.”
“It's nothing to do with her,” Sunni waved the comment aside as Cenric pressed her out the open door. “She's going to hurt him again. I know it; she did it all the years pushing him away. Why do you think it took them so long to get married? And it shouldn't have happened… I shouldn't have helped… but he was so happy. I can't see it happen to him again… from her, after Hildred. Not to my brother. It's been enough.”
Cynburga's nose was out her door, watching as the men and women slowly began to depart. “Hurt him?” she muttered to herself. “Those swords.” Her eyes narrowed at the glowing hearth through the open door and the glint of metal hung above where she knew Ceolmund and Runa had moved the swords. She sighed, shaking her head in exasperation, as she watched the guests depart in twos and threes.
Ceolmund, having finally pulled himself up from his stool made heavy steps toward the bedroom. He caught himself against the doorframe and had to stand and gather his balance for a moment, before pushing in the door. “Runaaa,” he called. It was dark in the room, there was no candle lit, though the glow of the hearth helped Ceolmund find her form upon the bed.
“They all went home… I knew you'd be here. You're home, you didn't go,” he said, starting toward the bed. He tripped over his own feet and his knee hit the footboard, causing the bed to shudder, and he groaned. “Oh ow… how long has that been there? Oh, Runa… oh no, are you crying? Oh… oh no… oh no… Runa….” He sat down on the bed and reached over, touching her shoulder, and sliding his hand down here back.