Goat Ewe (January 3010) - [Ceolmund]
Oct 10, 2017 18:24:59 GMT -5
Post by Runa on Oct 10, 2017 18:24:59 GMT -5
“Cover yourself, dearheart. Lest you catch cold.”
Runa glanced up at him, meeting his sly smile with one of her own. “Cover up with what, Ceol? You left my clothes in your sitting room,” she hummed back. She stole on more kiss from his lips before she turned, disappearing out the door and rushing to grab her linen underdress.
“Just stay still,” she called into the bedroom as she redonned the dress, slipped into her shoes, and skirted into the kitchen to get her cloak. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”’
She went to open the door, but found it stuck. “Eorl’s flaming knickers,” she muttered to herself, sliding the latch back and pulling on the knob. The wind immediately slipped through the door and swirled around her. With a lament of the warmth she was leaving behind in their bed, she stepped out into the snow and shut the door behind her, starting to make way back to the Healing Hall on the hill.
--
The door opened, and snowflakes, icy wind, and Runa all blew into the Hall before the woman managed to shut the door. She turned, but before she could take two steps from the entry there was a single, horrified scream.
Runa felt her blood run colder than even the wind outside, and she frowned. “Paega?”
The girl was looking at her, though. Whatever had made her scream, it was…oh, Eorl have mercy! Runa looked down, her tan linen underdress was all she had bothered to put back on, and there were bloody handprints on it from where she had touched it to put it on after examining Ceolmund’s wound. She took off running toward Paega anyway, hoping that she would cause less of a scene if she could talk with her and assure her she was fine.
“Wuna! Wuna!” The girl was wailing.
Oda had taken off running at the first pitched call, but as soon as the girl started screaming Runa’s name, her eyes flew to the front door, and her eyes went from concern to amusement. “There now, that girl’s just fine,” Oda cooed to Paega as Runa came up to the side of the bed. “Well, well, Runa. I looked about like that my wedding night too,” the woman winked. “You must not have wasted time. It’s hardly eight yet! Don’t tell me he’s done with you already.”
Paega gasped at the same time as Runa, but the horror in their expressions came from two different places. “He finished with you? But Coleymond said you wew his Wuna!”
“Oh, oh, Paega, no. Oda is speaking naughty things,” Runa tried quickly. “Ceolmund needs stitches is all. He hurt his knee again.”
“I figured you were the type,” Oda hummed with a laugh. Runa gave her a flabbergasted glare. “I’d bet that husband of yours is an animal,” she mused dreamily, tucking Paega back into bed. A quick glance around showed that most of the girls working were giggling.
Runa doubted Ceolmund would want to know that he was now the fancy of every girl in the House, if he was not before. But after the way he claimed Oda’s hands had reached…
No, Ceolmund would prefer not knowing.
Paega frowned at Oda. “Oda is talking naughty tings. Coleymond isn’t an animal, he’s a pewson!”
“Oh, Paega, someone will explain it to you when you’re older,” Adelais chimed as she approached with glittering eyes. She handed Runa a basket of healing things, from needles, to thread, to herbs, mortar and pestle, and tonics. “Looks like you’re having fun,” she smirked.
Runa took the basket thankfully. “I should get back,” she said quickly. Adelais and Oda laughed suggestively.
“I’m sure you should,” Oda chimed. “That’s a man who should never be lonely!”
“Tell Coleymond I said feel bettew,” Paega said.
“I will,” Runa promised. She hesitated, then leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.
“Oh, child, I promise, that boy is having the best night of his life, don’t you worry,” Oda offered. A pink color coming to her cheeks, Runa turned and began to make a pace back for the door and back out onto the street.
She tried to hurry, but the wind was against her this direction and it seemed to take twice the effort to move half the distance. When she had just about reached Ceolmund’s—their house, a window opened across the street, and a familiar face poked out of it. Runa frowned. “Cynburga?” She muttered to herself.
“Runa! Oh, Runa, this is disgraceful!” The woman exclaimed in a hawkish screech. “Tramping about the snow in blood, no less!”
Since when had that woman lived across the street from Ceolmund? “Ceolmund’s stitches came out,” Runa started, but the woman snorted.
“This is what I was worried about, Runa! You have the look, he couldn’t take his eyes off you! But those swords of yours have made it rough for you. I wouldn’t be surprised if this whole thing gets annulled, with this kind of behavior! Ruining a wedding deal the very night of…”
“Yes, ma’am,” Runa answered inching sideways for the door, basket tight against her chest. “I’ll think about that. I have to go take care of his knee, now. Goodnight, Cynburga!” She opened the door, slammed it behind her and slid the lock into place.
She paused. “How long has Cynburga been your neighbor?” She called with a frown, finally rounding the corner into the bedroom again.
Runa glanced up at him, meeting his sly smile with one of her own. “Cover up with what, Ceol? You left my clothes in your sitting room,” she hummed back. She stole on more kiss from his lips before she turned, disappearing out the door and rushing to grab her linen underdress.
“Just stay still,” she called into the bedroom as she redonned the dress, slipped into her shoes, and skirted into the kitchen to get her cloak. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”’
She went to open the door, but found it stuck. “Eorl’s flaming knickers,” she muttered to herself, sliding the latch back and pulling on the knob. The wind immediately slipped through the door and swirled around her. With a lament of the warmth she was leaving behind in their bed, she stepped out into the snow and shut the door behind her, starting to make way back to the Healing Hall on the hill.
--
The door opened, and snowflakes, icy wind, and Runa all blew into the Hall before the woman managed to shut the door. She turned, but before she could take two steps from the entry there was a single, horrified scream.
Runa felt her blood run colder than even the wind outside, and she frowned. “Paega?”
The girl was looking at her, though. Whatever had made her scream, it was…oh, Eorl have mercy! Runa looked down, her tan linen underdress was all she had bothered to put back on, and there were bloody handprints on it from where she had touched it to put it on after examining Ceolmund’s wound. She took off running toward Paega anyway, hoping that she would cause less of a scene if she could talk with her and assure her she was fine.
“Wuna! Wuna!” The girl was wailing.
Oda had taken off running at the first pitched call, but as soon as the girl started screaming Runa’s name, her eyes flew to the front door, and her eyes went from concern to amusement. “There now, that girl’s just fine,” Oda cooed to Paega as Runa came up to the side of the bed. “Well, well, Runa. I looked about like that my wedding night too,” the woman winked. “You must not have wasted time. It’s hardly eight yet! Don’t tell me he’s done with you already.”
Paega gasped at the same time as Runa, but the horror in their expressions came from two different places. “He finished with you? But Coleymond said you wew his Wuna!”
“Oh, oh, Paega, no. Oda is speaking naughty things,” Runa tried quickly. “Ceolmund needs stitches is all. He hurt his knee again.”
“I figured you were the type,” Oda hummed with a laugh. Runa gave her a flabbergasted glare. “I’d bet that husband of yours is an animal,” she mused dreamily, tucking Paega back into bed. A quick glance around showed that most of the girls working were giggling.
Runa doubted Ceolmund would want to know that he was now the fancy of every girl in the House, if he was not before. But after the way he claimed Oda’s hands had reached…
No, Ceolmund would prefer not knowing.
Paega frowned at Oda. “Oda is talking naughty tings. Coleymond isn’t an animal, he’s a pewson!”
“Oh, Paega, someone will explain it to you when you’re older,” Adelais chimed as she approached with glittering eyes. She handed Runa a basket of healing things, from needles, to thread, to herbs, mortar and pestle, and tonics. “Looks like you’re having fun,” she smirked.
Runa took the basket thankfully. “I should get back,” she said quickly. Adelais and Oda laughed suggestively.
“I’m sure you should,” Oda chimed. “That’s a man who should never be lonely!”
“Tell Coleymond I said feel bettew,” Paega said.
“I will,” Runa promised. She hesitated, then leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.
“Oh, child, I promise, that boy is having the best night of his life, don’t you worry,” Oda offered. A pink color coming to her cheeks, Runa turned and began to make a pace back for the door and back out onto the street.
She tried to hurry, but the wind was against her this direction and it seemed to take twice the effort to move half the distance. When she had just about reached Ceolmund’s—their house, a window opened across the street, and a familiar face poked out of it. Runa frowned. “Cynburga?” She muttered to herself.
“Runa! Oh, Runa, this is disgraceful!” The woman exclaimed in a hawkish screech. “Tramping about the snow in blood, no less!”
Since when had that woman lived across the street from Ceolmund? “Ceolmund’s stitches came out,” Runa started, but the woman snorted.
“This is what I was worried about, Runa! You have the look, he couldn’t take his eyes off you! But those swords of yours have made it rough for you. I wouldn’t be surprised if this whole thing gets annulled, with this kind of behavior! Ruining a wedding deal the very night of…”
“Yes, ma’am,” Runa answered inching sideways for the door, basket tight against her chest. “I’ll think about that. I have to go take care of his knee, now. Goodnight, Cynburga!” She opened the door, slammed it behind her and slid the lock into place.
She paused. “How long has Cynburga been your neighbor?” She called with a frown, finally rounding the corner into the bedroom again.