A Late Night Adventure (2/2)

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 26th January 2008

Characters: Rikka, Causton
Description: The Hallmaster surprises Rikka with a late night proposal
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 8, day 11 of Turn 4

"You look freezing. C'mon, we'll get you warmed up by the fire in the dining hall, I'm sure I can whip you up a nice hot klah too." He wasn't sure whether the shakes she had were from the cold or the fright, but a klah may help her whichever it was. "You can tell me on the way down to the kitchens just why you're working this late, surely the sluices could have waited until morning?"

She eyed the Hallmaster uncertainly. "I don't think they could, really.
Nothing worse than gates shut when they ought to be open, or the reverse, and water everywhere." She smiled, relaxing enough to tease him: "Now vintner things - Yes, they can always wait."

"Oh...can they?" Causton's eyebrows rose, and his voice held a mildly threatening, if amused tone to it. "I'm beginning to have a change of heart about that klah." he said jokingly. "But, why in Faranth's name, did you creep into the Hall, when you saw the candlelight? Weren't you scared?" he asked, he had to admire her gumption.

"Well, not right when I decided to do so. I was worried about fire -
and my toes."

Head cocked his head, not sure whether he had heard her correctly, "Excuse me? Your toes?" He tightened his dressing gown around him as they made their way through the dining room and to the kitchens. "Take a seat, and I'll pour some klah while you talk about your toes." He shook his head, trying to stop his shoulders shaking in silent mirth.

"Not much to say, really," Rikka said, sitting down and putting her boots out in front of her to peer mournfully at them. "These don't appear to be as waterproof as I'd like and wet toes mean cold toes in this weather."

"Oh, is that it." Causton couldn't help a small chuckle to escape, "You had me wondering there for a moment." He quietly took two mugs from the cupboard and set them before him on the bench. "Sweetning?" he asked over his shoulder, while pondering her wet toes problem.

"Yes, please. Lots." Rikka looked up from the study of her damp-stained boots and frowned. "I don't think you should be waiting on me, sir."

"Oh? Why's that?" he asked, stirring the sweetening into the klah briskly, and turning back towards her, "Is there some rule, that I don't know of, to say I can't?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"Well, masters don't usually run around after journeymen and women, and especially not Hallmasters. Aren't you very busy with important things?
Even late at night?"

"I'd been in bed, actually." Causton admitted, pulling out a chair and taking a seat opposite her. "But couldn't sleep for thinking about a report I'd made."

"Reports keep you awake at night?" Rikka said incredulously. "But surely you're writing them all the time?"

"I am, but this one was to the main CraftHall, and was a very important report - more so than normal." He couldn't explain fully, had it been Geni sitting opposite he may have, but not with Rikka. "And I need to find the copy that was made to make sure I didn't leave something out.
But I can't find the copy anywhere tonight, so in the morning I'll have to look again. That's why the candle was moving about the room so haphazardly." He gave her a small sheepish grin.

"Oh. That does sound like something that would worry even somebody used to reports." The technician journeywoman sipped her klah and sighed happily. "That's wonderful, thank you. When does your family arrive, Master Causton?"

"Not for another sevenday." Causton sighed wistfully, not even aware he had done so. "Have you met the boys yet?" he asked, "They arrived a month ago, and have already settled into mischief mode."

"No. How many boys? And how old?" Rikka didn't come from a large family and one day had plans for making one - or marrying into one - of her own.

"Just the two, Ednes and Bryton. If you see two troublemakers around the Hall, you can be assured they belong to me." He smiled, fondly.
"They're not bad boys, really, just curious about their new surroundings."

"I won't see them at this Hall. I'm not here often enough. But if they're around the Hold proper ... I'll look out from them."

"If they're around the Hall proper, there'll be trouble. They're only nine and six respectively." Causton gave a deep rumble of amusement.
"Now miss, would you like an escort home?" he asked glancing into her empty mug, or would you like to stay the night here? I don't like the idea of you walking home alone, especially in this weather."

"I'll be fine," Rikka said, getting to her feet and stomping on the flagstone floor. "See, the klah must have reached my toes because they're feeling better."

He gave her a 'humph' of disbelief. "Go wait in the Hall and I'll quickly get dressed." He couldn't in all conscience let her walk home alone, not now that he knew she was actually out there. He would toss and turn the night away wondering if she had gotten home safely.

"No, really. I'll be fine. There's still plenty of people about. No need for you to get changed again. I shouldn't have even come in here, should I? I would be home now if I hadn't."

"I can't deny the truth of what you've said, but I've enjoyed the interlude to an otherwise boring night." He smiled, "And really, I would like to escort you home. I just won't sleep the rest of the night unless I know you've arrived safely." Her independence reminded him sharply of the way Geni was when they first met.

On her feet Rikka used the toe of one boot to scuff the leather of the other, studying them again as she tried to think of an argument that would sway the vintner Hallmaster. Finally she just said what was on her mind: "People might talk." She shrugged. "They do, sometimes, don't they?"

"Do you think I care for what others might say?" he asked, amused she would think that way. "I'm just doing the gentlemanly thing, in escorting you home. Now just wait out in the Hall and I'll be back in a few moments." he assured her.

Rikka did as she was told, wondering as she waited in the hall if it had occurred to the Hallmaster that it was her reputation as a single craftswoman in the craft-banned South that was more easily tarnished.
Oh well. Perhaps nobody would say anything ...

Perhaps she would just ignore them if they did.

Last updated on the January 27th 2008

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A Late Night Adventure (2/2)