Innocence

[Neira]

Racelle sighed vexedly as she lifted her grey dress over her head for a third day in a row. Since the escape attempt she was left with only two dresses. The other were all still in the saddlebags that hung in the still locked tack room of the stable. She had stepped wide of that stable since that night but it had been over a week and another half since then. Dashiva was up and training in the mornings again and things had gone back to the way they were so long ago before the trip to Sheinar.

 

Racelle had gotten used to having five dresses instead of the two she was left with now. I would not be betraying anything if I were to go and fetch those dresses. She knew she should ask before going, but Dashiva had been gone for some time now and she did not like the dirty feeling she had when she donned the dress. Also in those saddlebags where her needles and good thread. She still had her embroidery hoop but it was useless without a good needle. She hesitated only a moment before stepping out of Dash's house and making her way through the farm to the stable where her horse was kept.

 

Unsuprisingly the tack room door was unlocked again and the stable hand was nowhere in sight. She stepped in and found her saddle and untied the strings of her saddlebags. She didnt need to open them to know that her dresses and things were still there. She smiled to herself, proud that she had found no trouble in retrieving her things.

 

As she made her way to the wide doors of the stable that were swung open wide, she heard Rose make a low noise at her. She turned to her horse and walked over to her and stroked her nose. "Hello Rose, I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. I promise I'll bring you an apple about here soon." She patted her nose and turned back toward the doors where Dashiva stood watching her.

[706Somtaaw]

Dashiva walked out of his office in his home, and made his way around the Farm. He knew Racelle had left, and even though she'd sworn a pretty good oath about not trying to escape he didn't completely trust her.

 

He searched a few places, poked his head into the Inn, and then headed to the stable. He didn't even need to go further than the doorway to see Racelle with her horse, and leaned against the door.

 

she turned after a few minutes, and he jerked his head towards the outside. "Out of the stable, let's go," he said quietly.

[Neira]

Racelle swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat as she looked upon the man leaning against the doorway. She repeated in her mind several times I've done nothing wrong. He jerked his head to the side and ordered her out. His tone was short, it still held little emotion but she knew what he was thinking.

 

She held her saddlebags to her chest and scurried out of the stable and toward the house. Dashiva kept a close step at her heels the entire way there and into the bedroom they two shared. She heard him shut the door as she began pulling out her dresses and putting them away. I wont apologize. I've done nothing wrong.

[706Somtaaw]

Dashiva watched Racelle start unpacking her dresses and place them on the shelves in his room that he shared with her.

 

Shaking his head, he chose to keep his voice quiet, and soft. Yelling only accomplished so much, but he'd learned long ago in the Blight Scouts that a soft, quiet and icy voice accomplished far more.

 

"you said you'd make no attempts to escape, not not even a month has passed before you're in the stable with your horse," he told her flatly. "Your access there was limited because of your escape attempt and your supposed to have an escort."

[Neira]

Escort? It took her a moment to remember Dash instructing her not to enter the stable without an Asha'man or other initiate of the Black Tower with her. Her face turned bright red, but she still refused to apologize.

 

Annoyance and irritation raced through her but she kept her voice extremely calm. "I was only there to retrieve my dresses. These are all ones you bought for me in Sheinar." With the mention of the trip she was reminded of Dash laying in bed, cold as ice. He wouldn't ever realize how much he meant to her, would he? "I like them. And without them I am left with only two." She met his gaze, and found accusing eyes and the normal flat stare. She stared up at him with innocent eyes. "Have I betrayed any of my word?"