"It's--she--I don't know! She just showed up at my door and she's unconscious and--Tann, PLEASE. I swear, I laid her down and came straight to you."
The sincerity in his voice was evident to Tannilee. She Sighed. "Alright, I'm coming." And she disappeared inside. Despite the fact that she believed what he was saying, she was still plenty bothered that he had some other girl in his bedroom.
Tannilee came around the corner of the house, shielding the candle flame with her hand, her nightgown curling around her legs. "Is she pretty?" She asked him.
"I don't know." Kai answered quickly.
"Are you sure?" Tannilee snapped. "How do you not know?"
"Tann, I told you what happened, exactly. Why are you being so snippety?"
"I'm sorry, Kai." Tannilee said tersely. "The shock of having you tell me some girl is in you bed hasn't quite dissipated yet; atop the fact that you woke me IN THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT!"
"Tann, I could never betray you." Kai sighed. "Thus I came running to you." He pushed open the door of his minuscule living quarters.
"Oh dear," Tannilee gasped as she caught sight of the limp figure resting on Kai's bed. She lit the lantern on the small wooden table next to the bed. "Oh dear, oh dear." She repeated. "What a wretch." She proceeded to examine the girl. "She's beautiful," Tannilee whispered. "Definitely not from here. South. VERY south."
Tannilee gently ran her hand over the smooth dark skin of the girl's hollow cheek. Her lips were swollen and severely chapped. Tannilee gingerly lifted the girl's wrist, shaking her head in disbelief at the raw rope burns. "Oh my... She's been captured and very roughly handled. Bring some water?"
Kai disappeared outside while Tannilee continued to examine the battered young woman. He came in, carrying a bucket of water and a scoop, which Tannilee dipped into the bucket and brought to the girl's lips. She tilted the girl's head, trickling the water into her mouth as best she could, but it only dribbled down her chin. "A rag, Kai. This isn't going to work."
He handed her a cloth. She dipped it in the cool water and tenderly wiped the grim from the girl's dark face. Tannilee continually shook her head. "She's quite noble." She commented.
Kai looked at the girl on the bed. She wore a ragged, dirt stained gown, which, in its heyday, was no higher quality than the dresses Tannilee wore everyday. Tann was wealthy--wealthier than Kai's family by far, but she was no noblewoman. "How do you know?"
The sincerity in his voice was evident to Tannilee. She Sighed. "Alright, I'm coming." And she disappeared inside. Despite the fact that she believed what he was saying, she was still plenty bothered that he had some other girl in his bedroom.
Tannilee came around the corner of the house, shielding the candle flame with her hand, her nightgown curling around her legs. "Is she pretty?" She asked him.
"I don't know." Kai answered quickly.
"Are you sure?" Tannilee snapped. "How do you not know?"
"Tann, I told you what happened, exactly. Why are you being so snippety?"
"I'm sorry, Kai." Tannilee said tersely. "The shock of having you tell me some girl is in you bed hasn't quite dissipated yet; atop the fact that you woke me IN THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT!"
"Tann, I could never betray you." Kai sighed. "Thus I came running to you." He pushed open the door of his minuscule living quarters.
"Oh dear," Tannilee gasped as she caught sight of the limp figure resting on Kai's bed. She lit the lantern on the small wooden table next to the bed. "Oh dear, oh dear." She repeated. "What a wretch." She proceeded to examine the girl. "She's beautiful," Tannilee whispered. "Definitely not from here. South. VERY south."
Tannilee gently ran her hand over the smooth dark skin of the girl's hollow cheek. Her lips were swollen and severely chapped. Tannilee gingerly lifted the girl's wrist, shaking her head in disbelief at the raw rope burns. "Oh my... She's been captured and very roughly handled. Bring some water?"
Kai disappeared outside while Tannilee continued to examine the battered young woman. He came in, carrying a bucket of water and a scoop, which Tannilee dipped into the bucket and brought to the girl's lips. She tilted the girl's head, trickling the water into her mouth as best she could, but it only dribbled down her chin. "A rag, Kai. This isn't going to work."
He handed her a cloth. She dipped it in the cool water and tenderly wiped the grim from the girl's dark face. Tannilee continually shook her head. "She's quite noble." She commented.
Kai looked at the girl on the bed. She wore a ragged, dirt stained gown, which, in its heyday, was no higher quality than the dresses Tannilee wore everyday. Tann was wealthy--wealthier than Kai's family by far, but she was no noblewoman. "How do you know?"
