Refugee
Title: Refugee
Rating: G
A/N: A look in to the past of a few certain characters. Ah, the tangled webs we weave. Prompt of "refugee" given by dolevalan .
"I'm sorry, sir, I haven't seen anyone by that description."
The officer snorted. "Don't go being wise now, son. You know who it is I'm talking about."
"Yes," the man responded, leaning casually in the front doorway of his family's household. "Forgive me. Let me be clear. I have not seen the Miss Emilia in some time, let alone this afternoon. We are... not on the best of terms right now."
"Hm." The officer regarded the younger male a moment longer, then shifted his weight back, fingers hooking in the thick gun belt around his waist. The term 'officer' was probably a bit too heavy even for him, but... the town's martial system had always been a bit... odd.
"I'll be sure to let you know. If I see her." The young aristocrat smiled, shoving one hand sheepishly into his front pocket.
"You do that, then."
"Will do." A small half salute and smile quirking up a bit more. "Hope you get your man - er, lady, Officer Nillen."
Nillen snorted again, taking one cursory look into the house over the young man's shoulder. "Right then." He tipped his cap. "Good day to you."
"You too, Officer."
Door shut and bolted, the young man hummed a quiet tune as went back into the study. Leaning in the doorframe, he tilted his head back to look at the woman standing by the fire place, smile shifting to a bit of a smirk. "All clear, then."
Emilia Ernstein turned to face the man, pulling lightly at the riding gloves she hadn't taken off since stepping across his thresh hold in long coat, satchel in hand and a small pistol at her waist.
"And you're welcome, at that." When the woman only moved to pick up the satchel at her feet, he took a small step into the room. "What, not even going to stay for a drink?"
"It's dark now. I've got money I can give you as thanks." she replied quietly.
The smile faded. "You know I have no need, or want for your money. Looks like you're going to be needing it more than me." Before she could speak again, he held up a hand. "My family's business will land on its feet. We usually find a way." A pause, and then, softer, "It's you I'm more worried for."
She sniffed lightly, a bit of that haughty light touching her eyes. Eyes that had been suspiciously mute all evening. "I can take care of myself."
He sighed. "Yes. I am aware of that, Miss Ernstein."
Arching a brow, she moved towards the door. "I'll purchase a few more things when I get a few towns over. My horse is steady."
"Let me accompany you, then." he offered, taking a step back into the doorway again.
"No need. Thank you."
Stopping, she met his eyes. She had always liked his eyes. Soft and light, but... still always managing to carry weight. She imagined that such a color was much like the sky - containing such unattainable vastness, but still able to pin down the world from the rest of the universe.
They held that weight now. She could feel it descending upon her, like the scent of a storm carrying across a cloudless day.
"Emilia."
She looked down.
"What do you hope to accomplish, in doing this?" He reached out to touch her shoulder, and she shied away a bit. Lips pursing, he shook his head. "I know it's been... hard. And I--"
"I cannot stay here." she cut him off. "It is as simple as that."
"Emi-"
"Please." She met his eyes again, for only a moment. "Thank you for your kindness, today, Mr. Grayson. Goodbye."
"Stay." He said, gently, then blinked as the tone of his own voice surprised him slightly.
She hesitated, then moved to push past him, voice a touch softer. "I'm sorry."
He turned, watching her form slip down the back hallway. He listened to her go out the back door. He listened to her horse as it moved at an easy trot down his family's cobblestones. And then he stood, for a long while, and listened to the fire in the hearth, and the quiet of night setting in.
Rating: G
A/N: A look in to the past of a few certain characters. Ah, the tangled webs we weave. Prompt of "refugee" given by dolevalan .
"I'm sorry, sir, I haven't seen anyone by that description."
The officer snorted. "Don't go being wise now, son. You know who it is I'm talking about."
"Yes," the man responded, leaning casually in the front doorway of his family's household. "Forgive me. Let me be clear. I have not seen the Miss Emilia in some time, let alone this afternoon. We are... not on the best of terms right now."
"Hm." The officer regarded the younger male a moment longer, then shifted his weight back, fingers hooking in the thick gun belt around his waist. The term 'officer' was probably a bit too heavy even for him, but... the town's martial system had always been a bit... odd.
"I'll be sure to let you know. If I see her." The young aristocrat smiled, shoving one hand sheepishly into his front pocket.
"You do that, then."
"Will do." A small half salute and smile quirking up a bit more. "Hope you get your man - er, lady, Officer Nillen."
Nillen snorted again, taking one cursory look into the house over the young man's shoulder. "Right then." He tipped his cap. "Good day to you."
"You too, Officer."
Door shut and bolted, the young man hummed a quiet tune as went back into the study. Leaning in the doorframe, he tilted his head back to look at the woman standing by the fire place, smile shifting to a bit of a smirk. "All clear, then."
Emilia Ernstein turned to face the man, pulling lightly at the riding gloves she hadn't taken off since stepping across his thresh hold in long coat, satchel in hand and a small pistol at her waist.
"And you're welcome, at that." When the woman only moved to pick up the satchel at her feet, he took a small step into the room. "What, not even going to stay for a drink?"
"It's dark now. I've got money I can give you as thanks." she replied quietly.
The smile faded. "You know I have no need, or want for your money. Looks like you're going to be needing it more than me." Before she could speak again, he held up a hand. "My family's business will land on its feet. We usually find a way." A pause, and then, softer, "It's you I'm more worried for."
She sniffed lightly, a bit of that haughty light touching her eyes. Eyes that had been suspiciously mute all evening. "I can take care of myself."
He sighed. "Yes. I am aware of that, Miss Ernstein."
Arching a brow, she moved towards the door. "I'll purchase a few more things when I get a few towns over. My horse is steady."
"Let me accompany you, then." he offered, taking a step back into the doorway again.
"No need. Thank you."
Stopping, she met his eyes. She had always liked his eyes. Soft and light, but... still always managing to carry weight. She imagined that such a color was much like the sky - containing such unattainable vastness, but still able to pin down the world from the rest of the universe.
They held that weight now. She could feel it descending upon her, like the scent of a storm carrying across a cloudless day.
"Emilia."
She looked down.
"What do you hope to accomplish, in doing this?" He reached out to touch her shoulder, and she shied away a bit. Lips pursing, he shook his head. "I know it's been... hard. And I--"
"I cannot stay here." she cut him off. "It is as simple as that."
"Emi-"
"Please." She met his eyes again, for only a moment. "Thank you for your kindness, today, Mr. Grayson. Goodbye."
"Stay." He said, gently, then blinked as the tone of his own voice surprised him slightly.
She hesitated, then moved to push past him, voice a touch softer. "I'm sorry."
He turned, watching her form slip down the back hallway. He listened to her go out the back door. He listened to her horse as it moved at an easy trot down his family's cobblestones. And then he stood, for a long while, and listened to the fire in the hearth, and the quiet of night setting in.