”My turn, now!” The giddiness of her excitement bubbled over into her voice, sending it almost annoyingly high-pitched. Taji winced, and, afterwards, mockingly covered his ears, as if worried about her making another noise like that. That made her laugh, but it didn’t distract her from the task at hand.
”Now that it really, really is my turn, I’m asking the question you wouldn’t let me ask before.” She stuck her tongue out at the man, as if justified in her actions now. ”Where are George and Julie now?”
”Julian. It’s George and… Julian.” It was strange- almost unnatural- how quickly the man had been switching back and forth between pained looks and fun filled jests. It left Aislyn in utter confusion, but still, she persisted in her silence. She’d ask her questions when she was allowed, and not before. That was her rule, and she was sticking to it.
”I’m not sure where they are exactly, lass, but I know where they went.”
Slowly, as if repairing a damaged image, the man looked up at Aislyn and smiled, as though his earlier sadness had not happened. Lyn made sure to watch what she said- She didn’t want to accidentally destroy that smile, as she had many others.
”Julian… He’s the eldest- He went to Kenash the second he got word of work being needed there. A farm, I believe, or a plantation? The lad was never too clear on ‘is intentions.” He gave a clipped laugh, as if stopping himself from enjoying the memory further. ”Kept his life locked up tight, he did. Even from me.” Another laugh, except this one quickly dissolved into a sigh.
”George, though… George was crystal clear on his intentions. The lad went to the capital to become a knight in shining armour. Ever since he was no older then you, L, he’d wanted to be a knight.” The man mimicked the swinging of some bladed weapon, as if sparring a soldier. ”’Look at me, pa! I’m gonna be a knight!’” The man laughed as he waved off the act, along with the memory. ”Wish I could have told the lad- Not every knight has shining armour, and not every knight makes it home alive.”
Despite the morbid light of what he had just said, Taji continued with a rather bright tone, illustrating his story with a couple of wide swings of an imaginary sword, once again sparring with his invisible partner. ”And the sword! That sword would have been the death of me should I not have hid it away from the lad. ‘There’s a Zith there, pa, look out!’ he’d yell, as he nearly took out my eye with that wooden plank.” He shook his head as he continued, as if torn between being fond of the memory and scolding the boy’s past actions. ”Foolhardy one, George was. Then off he went, zooming to Syliras as soon as he could travel.”
”I’m not truly convinced the lad made it. I sent a letter once and…” And immediate darkness crossed his face. ”..Never got a response.”
”But that’s enough of an answer from me, what about you, lass? I’ve got another question, if you’re willing…” Aislyn gave a sharp nod of agreement. ”Alright, since you asked me about my family, allow me to ask about yours…”
Eager to answer, Aislyn jumped onto the question. ”I’ve got no brothers or sisters. Not like your family. Mines’ not big- it’s just my mother and me.” Happily, she continued. ”Do families have to have both a mother and a father? It seems too… Crowded.” The girl made a face as Taji processed her words. It took him quite a while to reply. Had she said something wrong?
”That’s certainly an… interesting view on things. After all, ya got a point. A family doesn’t need two parents to make it complete…” Again, something in his eyes put Aislyn on edge. A certain sadness that came out of nowhere and kept coming back. ”All it truly needs is a person to love ya and a child to love...”
”Really, it doesn’t even need that.”
”Now that it really, really is my turn, I’m asking the question you wouldn’t let me ask before.” She stuck her tongue out at the man, as if justified in her actions now. ”Where are George and Julie now?”
”Julian. It’s George and… Julian.” It was strange- almost unnatural- how quickly the man had been switching back and forth between pained looks and fun filled jests. It left Aislyn in utter confusion, but still, she persisted in her silence. She’d ask her questions when she was allowed, and not before. That was her rule, and she was sticking to it.
”I’m not sure where they are exactly, lass, but I know where they went.”
Slowly, as if repairing a damaged image, the man looked up at Aislyn and smiled, as though his earlier sadness had not happened. Lyn made sure to watch what she said- She didn’t want to accidentally destroy that smile, as she had many others.
”Julian… He’s the eldest- He went to Kenash the second he got word of work being needed there. A farm, I believe, or a plantation? The lad was never too clear on ‘is intentions.” He gave a clipped laugh, as if stopping himself from enjoying the memory further. ”Kept his life locked up tight, he did. Even from me.” Another laugh, except this one quickly dissolved into a sigh.
”George, though… George was crystal clear on his intentions. The lad went to the capital to become a knight in shining armour. Ever since he was no older then you, L, he’d wanted to be a knight.” The man mimicked the swinging of some bladed weapon, as if sparring a soldier. ”’Look at me, pa! I’m gonna be a knight!’” The man laughed as he waved off the act, along with the memory. ”Wish I could have told the lad- Not every knight has shining armour, and not every knight makes it home alive.”
Despite the morbid light of what he had just said, Taji continued with a rather bright tone, illustrating his story with a couple of wide swings of an imaginary sword, once again sparring with his invisible partner. ”And the sword! That sword would have been the death of me should I not have hid it away from the lad. ‘There’s a Zith there, pa, look out!’ he’d yell, as he nearly took out my eye with that wooden plank.” He shook his head as he continued, as if torn between being fond of the memory and scolding the boy’s past actions. ”Foolhardy one, George was. Then off he went, zooming to Syliras as soon as he could travel.”
”I’m not truly convinced the lad made it. I sent a letter once and…” And immediate darkness crossed his face. ”..Never got a response.”
”But that’s enough of an answer from me, what about you, lass? I’ve got another question, if you’re willing…” Aislyn gave a sharp nod of agreement. ”Alright, since you asked me about my family, allow me to ask about yours…”
Eager to answer, Aislyn jumped onto the question. ”I’ve got no brothers or sisters. Not like your family. Mines’ not big- it’s just my mother and me.” Happily, she continued. ”Do families have to have both a mother and a father? It seems too… Crowded.” The girl made a face as Taji processed her words. It took him quite a while to reply. Had she said something wrong?
”That’s certainly an… interesting view on things. After all, ya got a point. A family doesn’t need two parents to make it complete…” Again, something in his eyes put Aislyn on edge. A certain sadness that came out of nowhere and kept coming back. ”All it truly needs is a person to love ya and a child to love...”
”Really, it doesn’t even need that.”
