Post by Kit on Apr 6, 2010 0:53:43 GMT 10
Title: Balance
Rating: PG
Length:365
Prompt: 31_days 2: Walking on higher ground
Summary: They re-met on simple terms.
“Why so shocked, lugsha? I’m hardly unrecognisable.”
Daja stared. She knew she stared, and she knew that the longer she did, the deeper the Trader woman’s misunderstanding would grow, being used to stares for all the wrong reasons. She knew all this, but could not look away as Polyam Idaram walked towards her, gait smooth and the smile that had been in her dry, low voice echoing all around them. Except, of course, that smiles did not echo like struck metal.
“Surely you recognise your work, if nothing else.”
Daja shook herself. “Polyam?”
“There.” The full lips twitched. “I should be the one not recognizing you, Oti-save me. You’ve grown—”
“—big, I know.” Daja stopped short of hugging her, but found herself half lifted in an uneven grasp, stronger on her left than her left.
“I head you’d set up in Summersea,” said Polyam. “Properly. Not with the xurdin and their Gods.”
“I have a forge, yes.” The usual spark of pride had a new taste when she said it to this woman. “And my best friends are xurdin.
“And probably still handle lightning.” The deep voice was rueful. And then she grinned, the expression more like to snarl or sneer, given the twists and ridges of her face, but Daja read wickedness there. “But no caravan wind’s heard your name for at least a year, prideful lugsha, so I figured you’d stopped saving empires and was ready to take callers.”
Daja laughed, cheeks hot. “I’ll leave that to Sandry,” she said. “But please.” Manners could be cool and comfortable, like new clothing. “Come in. There’s no need to stand outside my door.”
They both stepped inside, Daja feeling the other woman’s presence as warm prickles on the back of her neck. “Polyam,” she ventured.
“Yes?”
“You…just decided to visit me.”
“We have no debt,” said the older woman. “But I said we would always be friends. And we are both here.”
Daja turned, looking down the small distance at her. She could see that there were streaks of iron in Polyam’s hair, now, and that her part was slightly crooked. “Yes,” she said, surprised at her own whisper. “That seems simple enough.”
Rating: PG
Length:365
Prompt: 31_days 2: Walking on higher ground
Summary: They re-met on simple terms.
“Why so shocked, lugsha? I’m hardly unrecognisable.”
Daja stared. She knew she stared, and she knew that the longer she did, the deeper the Trader woman’s misunderstanding would grow, being used to stares for all the wrong reasons. She knew all this, but could not look away as Polyam Idaram walked towards her, gait smooth and the smile that had been in her dry, low voice echoing all around them. Except, of course, that smiles did not echo like struck metal.
“Surely you recognise your work, if nothing else.”
Daja shook herself. “Polyam?”
“There.” The full lips twitched. “I should be the one not recognizing you, Oti-save me. You’ve grown—”
“—big, I know.” Daja stopped short of hugging her, but found herself half lifted in an uneven grasp, stronger on her left than her left.
“I head you’d set up in Summersea,” said Polyam. “Properly. Not with the xurdin and their Gods.”
“I have a forge, yes.” The usual spark of pride had a new taste when she said it to this woman. “And my best friends are xurdin.
“And probably still handle lightning.” The deep voice was rueful. And then she grinned, the expression more like to snarl or sneer, given the twists and ridges of her face, but Daja read wickedness there. “But no caravan wind’s heard your name for at least a year, prideful lugsha, so I figured you’d stopped saving empires and was ready to take callers.”
Daja laughed, cheeks hot. “I’ll leave that to Sandry,” she said. “But please.” Manners could be cool and comfortable, like new clothing. “Come in. There’s no need to stand outside my door.”
They both stepped inside, Daja feeling the other woman’s presence as warm prickles on the back of her neck. “Polyam,” she ventured.
“Yes?”
“You…just decided to visit me.”
“We have no debt,” said the older woman. “But I said we would always be friends. And we are both here.”
Daja turned, looking down the small distance at her. She could see that there were streaks of iron in Polyam’s hair, now, and that her part was slightly crooked. “Yes,” she said, surprised at her own whisper. “That seems simple enough.”