A Not So Helping Hand

Writers: AmajoS, Len
Date Posted: 6th April 2019

Characters: Rothen, Halah
Description: Rothen accidentally causes an accident and tries to make up for it.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 10, day 9 of Turn 9

Rothen was just coming off his shift was was more than ready to grab a
quick bite to eat and then hit the sack. These night shifts were
getting old, but soon he wouldn't be in this rotation anymore and it
would be someone else's job. It couldn't happen soon enough! His
ruminations on the evils of standing guard at night were interrupted
by the sight of a large stack of bundles trundling toward him. The
person carrying them couldn't possibly see where they were going and
just as he was about to offer assistance, one of the bundles on top
began to slide off. Moving quickly, the guard managed to catch it, but
bumped into the person doing the carrying at the same time.

"Oh!" Halah fell into a heap as all her (once) clean bundles of
bedding fell about her, the heaviest ones--of course--managing to land
completely on top of her, crushing the plump but short girl under
them. What had she run into? She knew this corridor like the back of
her hand! Reaching out from under the mountain of bedding, her fingers
came into contact with a leather boot.

"Shards, are you alright?" He'd managed to save one bundle of what
appeared to be linens, but everything else, including the person had
hit the floor. He noticed the hand groping out from under the mess and
reached down to help pull her - he assumed they were a her, judging by
the hand - up.

"I think so." Halah grabbed the offering hand and got back to her
feet. The bedding was all ruined and would have to be cleaned again.
She stifled a small sob at the thought of all her hard work from
yesterday being for nothing. She looked up from the mess to the person
who had caused it. Opening her mouth to give him a tongue lashing, she
stopped when she saw him. His eyes were almost the colour of gold and
so striking on his tanned face. She found herself staring until she
realised it and turned back to the bedding. "Id best get back to work,
this is going to set me behind."

He felt bad, this was a lot of laundry to have to redo. "Here," he
said, "these didn't hit the ground anyway." He held out the bundle
he'd managed to save from falling off the top, which had started the
whole thing. Maybe he should have just let it fall. Then, maybe it
would just be one messed up bundle of linens and the rest clean,
instead of the other way around.

"Thanks." Halah blinked and tore her eyes away from admiring the
guard. The pile he handed her were to go to the Lord's bed, so at
least the most elaborate bedding didn't need a re-do. That was
something. She took the bedding and then looked down at the mess
again. How was she going to keep the clean from the dirty?

He watched her looking from pile to pile for a moment, when it
occurred to him that he might be able to help a little. After all, it
was because she'd been carrying too much that all this had happened in
the first place. Well, that and his ham-handed attempt at rescuing the
falling bundle. "I could help you carry some of it?"

"Oh!" She jumped and laughed that she had jumped. "Sorry, I hope I
wasn't looking like I was begging!" She blushed bright red at the
thought. "But...yes, I'd love some help, if that's no trouble."

"I'm happy to help," he said as he reached down and began picking up
scattered linens. "Some of these on top might still be clean," he
mentioned hopefully.

"Oh, I think they are!" Halah still felt embarrassed that he was
helping. to cover up her red face, she said, "You hang on to those,
I'll just get the rest off the floor." Quickly she gathered up the
linens that were on the floor, bundling them up into her arms. "Just
follow me." She laughed to cover up how she felt and led the way back
to the back of the building where the clothes were washed. As they
walked, she asked, "Do you like it here?" She couldn't recall ever
seeing him before.

"Very much," he smiled as he began to follow her. She seemed as
embarrassed by the situation as he felt, thought what she had to be
embarrassed about he wasn't sure. He made sure to keep a good hold on
the clean linens he'd been given to carry, not wanting to drop them
and make more work. At least she wasn't going to have to wash
everything though. "You?"

"It's okay, though one can't help dreaming of dragons, eh?"She smiled
and nodded to the sweep dragon high in the sky ovehead.

Rothen grinned up at the winged speck, which he knew was a huge
dragon. "True enough," he replied. He'd had his share of dragon dreams
when he was a lad. But he wasn't too upset that they never came true.
Moving his mother into a Weyr would have been problematic at best.
Besides, he was training to work with canines now and it was
interesting and challenging work.

"Have you ever been to the Weyr?" Halah couldn't help the wistful tone
in her voice. She smiled as she still watched the sweepdragon. The sun
glinted off its hide in a bronze sheen. "I've only ever been here. How
I'd love to see the rest of the world!"

"No, never have. I've lived in a couple of other Holds before this one
though. Topaz Seahold and Amethyst Cliff."

"A Sea Hold!" The girl almost dropped her linens again. "What was that
like? Oh how I'd love to see the sea!" She paused and looked at him,
her blue eyes shining.

Rothen chuckled, amused by her enthusiasm. "It was pleasant. Warmer
than here by far. I spent a lot of summers splashing in the ocean when
I was small." He smiled at the fond memories of him and his siblings
playing on the beach. "But, you know, the Sea isn't so very far from
here. Much closer than the Ocean, for sure."

"You know I've never been there yet? I've not even been to the
Tavern!" She put her linens down by a washing area. "You can just
place the cleans ones over there. They'll be safe there." She pointed
to the dry table to the left of them.

"That's even closer than the Sea," he replied with a teasing grin as
he set the clean linens he'd been carrying on the table she indicated.

"Well, it's not a place a girl can go alone, now can she?" Halah
smiled, hoping he didn't think her too forward.

Well, why not? He owed her for the mess he'd made of her laundry
anyway, and soon he'd be training with a new canine partner constantly
and wouldn't have time for a while for things like visits to the
tavern. "Would you like to go to the tavern?" He asked with a grin.

She blushed pink and hide her mouth when she giggled. "Yes...if you
don't mind." He really was a handsome man, far too handsome for a girl
like her.

"Well, when do you finish your shift?"

"Really?" Halah blushed deeper, this had worked out so much better
than she had thought! "I finish by late afternoon after helping the
Headwoman."

"Alright. I'll meet you by the path, leading to the tavern," Rothen
smiled and gave her a bow. He had time for a nap between now and then.
Something extra to be glad of about getting to work with a permanent
canine partner in training is that he would be off night shifts for a
while.

Last updated on the April 16th 2019

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A Not So Helping Hand