Post by Vanech on Aug 24, 2024 23:44:56 GMT -8
Vanech breathed a sigh of relief. He'd said it. Finally said it, and it felt as though a burden was lifted off his chest because now he had someone to help him. Someone who saw his family as people and ... not whatever his father saw them as. He suddenly felt like he'd done the right thing by telling Lord Herron. But, Lord Herron's long pause nearly undid Vanech. The silence was deafening. He wasn't sure how Lord Herron would react. Bad? Good? Indifferent? Surely the man wouldn't send Vanech home. No...
It was as much a relief to hear his words as the words themselves. And, Lord Herron said all the right things, his words hit all the right beats. Maybe it was his words. Maybe it was the telling itself. Something broke within the young man. Something he didn't know he'd been holding onto rushed through his body and he felt anger and sorrow and hatred and all manner of emotions he wasn't ready to deal with right now. Vanech's heart pounded faster. He felt a flush come to his face as tears threatened to fall. Tears for his fallen family. He forced himself not to cry. He refused to fall apart here. Not here, not yet. It wasn't the right time. But the emotions were there at last. He didn't feel numb anymore. He hadn't even realized he felt numb until that moment.
Vanesk sent waves of reassurances and continued to echo Vanech's anger and sorrow.
Now, suddenly, he didn't trust himself to look at Lord Herron so for the first part of the older man's words, Vanech kept his eyes downcast and stared at his fists until he became aware of the glass that Lord Herron offered. Dark eyebrows lifting upward at the unexpected offer of the glass, Vanech lifted his hazel gaze toward Lord Herron as he took the glass with both hands. They were shaking. Under Lord Herron's hand, Vanech's shoulder shook too. In slow increments, his shoulder relaxed and he exhaled another sigh.
"Thank you," He whispered. His complexion was pale and his jaw tensed and relaxed, but he managed to keep his composure together. Though he lifted the glass to his lips several times, he didn't take a drink. Instead, he gripped the glass with both hands and stared at the amber liquid jitter in time with his hands. Vanech listened. Gradually nodding, by the time Lord Herron finished, Vanech looked him in the face.
He finally took a sip of the liquor, and licked his lips against the tingling that it caused. Warmth flooded through his throat and settled into the pit of his stomach. He took a steadying breath before he replied to Lord Herron. "Thank you, sir. Yes... telling the Weyrleader's a good idea... Yes, I have a brother at the Weyr. Cl'fey. He Impressed the green - Venrayth. For the past few days, I've been traveling from Essal's harbor to the Hold. This is the first day I've been here. No, I haven't spoken to him. I haven't gotten to the Weyr yet. I didn't think about sending Cl'fey a message. I suppose I should have..." Vanech raised the glass to his lips again, then lowered it as he added, "I hope somehow you can find Lesu and Zawey. I hope... they're safe..." His words drifted off as his volume faded into nothing. He tipped the glass to drain it.
It was as much a relief to hear his words as the words themselves. And, Lord Herron said all the right things, his words hit all the right beats. Maybe it was his words. Maybe it was the telling itself. Something broke within the young man. Something he didn't know he'd been holding onto rushed through his body and he felt anger and sorrow and hatred and all manner of emotions he wasn't ready to deal with right now. Vanech's heart pounded faster. He felt a flush come to his face as tears threatened to fall. Tears for his fallen family. He forced himself not to cry. He refused to fall apart here. Not here, not yet. It wasn't the right time. But the emotions were there at last. He didn't feel numb anymore. He hadn't even realized he felt numb until that moment.
Vanesk sent waves of reassurances and continued to echo Vanech's anger and sorrow.
Now, suddenly, he didn't trust himself to look at Lord Herron so for the first part of the older man's words, Vanech kept his eyes downcast and stared at his fists until he became aware of the glass that Lord Herron offered. Dark eyebrows lifting upward at the unexpected offer of the glass, Vanech lifted his hazel gaze toward Lord Herron as he took the glass with both hands. They were shaking. Under Lord Herron's hand, Vanech's shoulder shook too. In slow increments, his shoulder relaxed and he exhaled another sigh.
"Thank you," He whispered. His complexion was pale and his jaw tensed and relaxed, but he managed to keep his composure together. Though he lifted the glass to his lips several times, he didn't take a drink. Instead, he gripped the glass with both hands and stared at the amber liquid jitter in time with his hands. Vanech listened. Gradually nodding, by the time Lord Herron finished, Vanech looked him in the face.
He finally took a sip of the liquor, and licked his lips against the tingling that it caused. Warmth flooded through his throat and settled into the pit of his stomach. He took a steadying breath before he replied to Lord Herron. "Thank you, sir. Yes... telling the Weyrleader's a good idea... Yes, I have a brother at the Weyr. Cl'fey. He Impressed the green - Venrayth. For the past few days, I've been traveling from Essal's harbor to the Hold. This is the first day I've been here. No, I haven't spoken to him. I haven't gotten to the Weyr yet. I didn't think about sending Cl'fey a message. I suppose I should have..." Vanech raised the glass to his lips again, then lowered it as he added, "I hope somehow you can find Lesu and Zawey. I hope... they're safe..." His words drifted off as his volume faded into nothing. He tipped the glass to drain it.
