Bargaining for Blankets

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 9th December 2020

Characters: Taril, Humari
Description: Taril and Humari wager over a game and discuss recent events
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 6, day 15 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Bryvin, Asaile

Humari

Humari studied the set of dominoes before her, then glanced at Taril's
hidden pieces. The board didn't favor her, but maybe it didn't for
him either. She drummed her fingers over the table, picked one piece
up, decided not to use it, then chose a more favorable one. She
needed to block him, place a number that her hadn't been able to play
on last time. She slid the piece to the five dot, blocking it with a
two, then smiled at him with satisfaction. "Your turn." She leaned
back and took a sip of her wine. She gave a little hiccup and a soft
burp. "Oh, excuse me."

Taril laughed. "For that or for laying that piece? I swear, I should
bring you down to the tavern one of these evenings. You'd clean up."
He had nothing good, so he rapped his knuckle on the tabletop. "Give
me something useful, woman."

"It's your fault. You taught me too well." It felt so good to hear his
laugh again, Humari thought as she laughed in answer. For the past
months, they'd been really, honestly trying to heal. It wasn't easy
sometimes, but it felt like they'd almost found their way back to each
other. The nightmares had all but stopped and she was able to go to
the market again without panicking. The tension was gone and there
seemed to be lightness once again in their home. She fingered the
dominoes in her hand and grinned, taking another sip of wine. "No. If
I did that, you might win." She studied her pieces again, the tip of
her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth. She could only lay
one piece and it might give him an opening. Well, there was no help
for it. She slid the piece over, blocking the two dot and opening up a
three.

Taril had a three; he set it down and opened a seven. "Thank you."

Her lower lip thrust out a little. "You're so not welcome." Humari
sighed, eyeing her pieces. "So, what do you think about Lord Bryvin's
new wife? Have you met her yet?"

Taril shook his head. "To be honest, all the young ladies that have
shown up of late look the same to me. I just hope that she's got a
shopping habit. Have you met her?"

"I think you might be disappointed, but I'm not sure. I met her along
with a few of the other Ladies. She's very sweet and quiet, honestly."
She frowned, sliding a three/four dot to cover the other. "Most of
what she talked about was keeping Lord Bryvin happy and having
children. She's not stupid by any means, but she seems..." She tried
to put her next words delicately, "She doesn't seem to have any
interests beyond that. She's very happy, but just, I don't know...very
different from Xeladrie, I suppose."

"Perhaps after Xeladrie, Bryvin wants someone simple," Taril said.
"It's a pity, though. The Hold could use a Lady Holder that knows how
to stand up to Bryvin... and your mother."

"Hmm...maybe. Or maybe he doesn't want that either. Do you think Lord
Bryvin wants anyone standing up to him? He had to choose Lady Asaile
for a reason." Her lips lifted slightly. "He's not you, Taril." She'd
learned that sometimes she had to use her voice with her husband and
not simply acquiesce to his wants. He seemed to respect her more when
she did voice her opinion. She was nothing like her strong willed
mother, but she had begun to speak out more.

Taril examined the dominos on the table, considering the three that he
had left in his hand and debating what the best next move would be.
"No, he's not me. And thank the Egg for that. Why do you think Lord
Bryvin chose her?"

Humari looked up at him and thrust her lower lip out in thought. She
actually considered it as she wrinkled her brow and sucked in her
lower lip. "Hmm..." She leaned back. "Lady Xeladrie didn't seem to
care for him much. It was an arranged marriage, certainly, but she
never seemed to warm to him." She fidgeted with a domino in her hand.
"Even after Brylex was born. Lady Asaile seems to genuinely want him.
I guess maybe he wants to be wanted. Even though he's a Lord Holder,
he's still a man."

"There's a difference between being wanted for who you are and who you
represent," Taril said softly. His marriage to Humari had been based
on that, and thankfully he'd moved from one wanting to the next. He
was lucky enough to _like_ his wife. Not every man had that.

"I know. I think we both know that." She said with a gentle smile.
"Maybe it'll work out and they'll both be happy. But I don't think
she's got much fight in her, so if you're wanting her to stand up to
anyone, I don't know that it'll happen any time soon."

"She might need a friend, then." He glanced up at her. "If you feel up to it."

Humari took a moment to consider it, then tilted her head to look at
her husband. "Is there a particular reason that you'd like that to
happen?" She understood a little better about the intricacies and
intrigue that Taril participated in, and honestly, it felt better to
be open about it with him, at least in private.

"You never know when a relationship with the Lady Holder might come in
handy. She might hear things that are useful, and having a Lady's
favour might mean more business for us." His lips twisted into a
smile. "And if she's as meek as you say she is, she'll need a friend
to confide in and ask for advice at some point."

That brought additional thoughts and her mind began to work as she
tapped her finger against her lips. Before her marriage to Taril, she
would have been aghast at the prospect of using a friendship so. But
now, after what she'd slowly been learning, she realized she could
offer her friendship, and be kind, while also providing better for her
family. "Very true. And if the advice I give for small things works
out well, when she needs advice for more important matters, what I say
will have more weight." She looked at Taril again. "Am I right?"

He nodded, feeling proud. His wife was learning to be canny. "Beyond
that, though, having friends in high places can be useful. I'm sure
that there will be a number of people circling the new Lady Holder and
looking for a way to use her. At least at first, what she will need a
genuine friend."

"I think you're right, Taril." Humari agreed. She'd been a passing
friend with Xeladrie, but the former Lady Holder had seemed to resist
any close friendships. She'd certainly liked Xeladrie and thought her
beautiful, but she had been very close mouthed about any deeper
emotion. As sweet natured as Lady Asaile seemed to be, Humari thought
that she would indeed be easily taken advantage of by the more
unscrupulous ladies of the Hold. "I'll seek her out."

"And let me know how it goes." He lay a three on the table, opening an
eight. "Your move, my lady."

"Of course." She agreed easily enough before studying the table. Her
lips pursed in seeming displeasure before a sly smile lifted her lips.
She slid a piece, blocking the eight with a blank tile. "Twenty points to me."

Taril cursed. "You cheat!"

Humari's eyes opened wide as she pointed to herself. "Me? I simply
watched what you played." She blinked slowly, looking at him through
her lashes and offered a sweet and not-quite-innocent smile. Then she
looked down at the hide where she'd been keeping the points. "That's a
half mark you owe me now, Taril."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Double or nothing?"

Her smile remained and she slowly shook her head. "Oh, no. Not this
time, my dear husband. Hmmm..." She leaned back and began tapping her
finger on her chin. "What can I get for half a mark? Hmmm... new
dresses or I can finally get that pink fuzzy blanket for our bed.
With those pillows..."

"Oh how strange, I happened to hear that the last crate of pink fuzzy
blankets that was supposed to get shipped to Sunstone happened to fall
overboard on the way here. A storm, I hear." Taril shook his head
regretfully. "I'm quite sure that there's not a pink blanket to be
bought in all the Holding. So sorry."

Her eyes glinted as they narrowed back at him. "They were fluffy and
soft, Taril." She sniffed. "Very well...I suppose it must be those
_thick_ woolen underthings then. Without a soft fluffy blanket, I'm
afraid I'll need _some_ way to keep warm this winter."

Taril smiled slyly. He stood and moved around the table to place his
hands on her shoulders and bent to speak softly in her ear. "What
about... furs? Thick, new bedfurs? Would that keep you warm?"

She turned her head towards his as he spoke and felt his breath tickle
her ear. Her lips curled upwards again; they hadn't had an entirely
new set of furs in the entire time they'd been married. "Soft and
fluffy ones? The kind that feel like they're caressing your skin."

If it would make her smile, Taril would fill their entire apartment
with furs as thick and soft as avian down. "If my lady likes. But
those will cost more than a half mark. So... double or nothing?"

Her lips pursed and she pulled back enough to look up at him. She
reached up to run her fingers over his face gently. She knew that if
she'd only asked, he would have gotten her the furs, but this way
made it more of a game. She disliked asking him to buy her things
outright. "Very well, but you know I'm going to win."

"You don't know that." He reluctantly went back around the table to
his seat. Except he did know that. Dominos were surprisingly easy to
lose at if you wanted to.

As she began to shuffle and mix the dominoes, Humari looked at him
and did fully smile then. "So... is there something you want if you
win?"

Her, in those furs. Taril lifted an eyebrow. "Well, maybe there's one thing..."

Her brows rose in question as she dealt the dominoes. "And what's that?"

"Salt fish pie for dinner tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

Humari laughed and then nodded. "Alright, but it seems a heavy price
for a single pie, Taril." She laid a high double on the board. "I
think you're getting rusty in negotiating."

"Then you admit that the price is too low?" he asked. "That I would be
owed more, if I win?"

"That's obvious, don't you think? But if you're willing to settle for
just a pie," she grinned, "then I suppose I have to feel duty bound
to honor your proposal."

Taril shrugged. He was planning on losing anyway, so it didn't matter
in the long run. Humari could say that he was losing at bargaining,
but he was used to playing a long game... and when the prize was his
wife's happiness, he losing one battle was an easy price to pay to win
the game.

Last updated on the December 14th 2020

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Bargaining for Blankets