Old Desires (LAURE)

[Laurë Eledhwen]

Laure hadn’t notice the change in Aldamir’s expression and hers softened a bit at his question. She didn’t know why but she seemed to have grown a soft spot for Aldamir even if before they used to be fighting constantly. It was still awkward but she was confident that their relationship would change soon enough. She gave him a small smile before looking away. « You’re not boring today; you’re actually nice and caring and you came to visit me when I was down. » she admitted. She wouldn’t admit such a thing openly in public but she had never thanked him for what he had done for her and yes, she was having remorses about it.

She looked back at him to notice that his expression was more serious. « And I know that if you come and talk to me, it’s not to try to get under my skirt. » she added on a more teasingly tone. She knew that a few soldiers had tried that and since it was obvious they weren’t attracted to one and another and that Aldamir was more of the serious type than the flirtatious one, she knew that she could trust his intentions.

« Not to add, if you do become a soldier, you’ll have more reasons to come and visit me and I’ll have more to tell you ‘I told you so.’ » It was her way to compliment Aldamir while making sure he wouldn’t find it odd or anything.

[Aldamir]

It wasn’t like he fell in love with her or anything. But he had grown a soft spot, in the meaning he wanted to make sure she was fine. She was like a second annoying little sister. You’d think after Sorsha he had enough of that kind, but he grew used to Laure. He had not yelled at her or lectured her in a very long time. He still didn’t like her poking in his private life, she didn’t have as much rights to do so than his real family. But he thought their relationship had reached a new level. One of respect. Now he started to regret thinking this. He told her something he had not even told his family, even though they might have guessed it. All she was doing now was teasing him. Saying he was a boring, too serious for his own good kind of man she would love to have at her hospital, wounded, to say I told you so.

He didn’t come here to see her. Well, let’s face it, a bit. She ran despite what everyone told her, she lived her life, she loved, she lost people she cared about and she returned. But she returned wounded and Aldamir came here to help her. He wasn’t certain if even Sorsha knew how seeing people dying affected her friend. Maybe she wasn’t meant to be a healer. Maybe she should focus on making potions, cataplasms and other medicine for the healers. Alright, she admitted he was nice today for coming to see how she was. He sighed, looking away at the horizon. He was making a fool of himself here. Laure was either an obnoxious, stubborn girl or a depressed one, he couldn’t get something in the middle. And why would he want something from her?

At this point, he wasn’t sure anymore why he came up here, his favourite spot in the whole city. All he could tell was that he wanted to run away. “I... I better go.” he replied to her teasing. He turned around and left her here on the cliff, wondering what the hell he had been thinking. Like she’d respect him anyway. She said it, he was too serious. He could be nice, what a miracle she managed to admit it. But he was nothing but the too serious older brother of her best friend. He bet she was even tired of having him around. Yeah, he was better to go and stop making a fool of himself.

[Laurë Eledhwen]

Laure was clueless when Aldamir decided he would go. Did she say anything misplaced? She thought he was enjoying herself while they were teasing one and another. She was confused by his reaction but she still let him walk away. She thought he was enjoying himself with her, maybe he wasn’t after all. She frowned at the thought. It was the first time they had been able to speak to one and another without it ending up into a fight and yet, they ended up in an awkward…ending. Shaking her head, she decided to stand up and go back to the healing house where her job was waiting for her.

Better be focused on something that she actually needed to do than focusing onto Aldamir who was becoming more and more confusing as time passed by. She knew he could be far from being serious and even be friendly but she still had the feeling that she had said something misplaced to him. She smiled at her co-workers as they greeted her back and returned to what she was doing. There weren’t much she could do…maybe she could talk to Sorsha about it so she could ask him if she had said anything misplaced. Why was she worrying about him now anyway?

[Aldamir]

Aldamir left still unable to understand why he had been so worked up. Perhaps he had figured there would be something changed between them, after all he did for her. Or maybe it was her reaction when he said he wanted to drop his post as a guard and possibly a guard captain to join the army. He supposed she would have told him he was an idiot and that he could go kill himself for all she cared. At least this way he would have known their relationship had not changed from what it always had been.

But instead, she started acting like she cared only to be her old self later on when he softened. It annoyed him. This girl was blowing hot and then cold. She was being a pain to him, then acting all defenceless to the point he had to help her out, then thanking him by making fun of him. He was getting tired of making effort to see if she was all right or needed anything. Next time his sister would start worrying about her, she would go talk to her, he was giving up on the girl.

He returned to work, determined not to let whatever she said get to his mind and even more, to forget about her. He had enough to deal with, he would leave this bratty half-elf to someone else.

[Laurë Eledhwen]

Laure couldn’t understand why Aldamir left all of a sudden. Was it because she said he could go join that army if he wanted to? Did he want people to tell him to go and follow his dream or not? Gosh, he was giving her headaches and there she was being nice to him. Oh well, she supposed that things would never change between them, no matter what. Not like she cared much but she thought she had been nicer than any time before. She could always go ask to Sorsha what was up with that guy. She never seemed to understand him. She wondered about if Sorsha did.

With that on mind, Laure returned to work until her shift was over and when it was, she walked her way to Sorsha’s house in hope to find answers to her questions. She knocked at the door when she arrived at the entrance and waited patiently, wondering about if her friend was there or with her parents and the rest of her family. Who knew. That girl was lucky she found love; she did too but hers died. Anyways, it wasn’t why she came here.

[Aldamir]

Sorsha had no idea things were hanging between Aldamir and Laure. Well, sure that now she was no longer living in her family home, having one of her own with her husband and little kid, the two were not forced to see each other as often. It helped. Besides, her brother usually was not what the two were talking about whenever they met. She was glad Jenssen was not one of those men who liked to lock their wives up. Then again, he knew it would have been very hard to do such a thing with her. She was just not the kind to stay locked up in a cage, no matter how cosy that prison may be. At least did he know she loved him and their son over everything and everyone.

Miraculously, she was home. Lately, she was trying to learn how to cook. Because she was a poor cook. She felt bad for Jenssen who had to endure her food, barely complaining when she was certain it was anything but edible. She heard knocks on the door and she frowned. She knew Jenssen was not supposed to arrive just yet. And that he would not knock at his own door. So she walked towards the entrance of the house, kissing the top of Theodoric’s head as she passed by him. He was growing so fast.

She was surprised to see Laure at the door and didn’t hide it. “Hi. Come, come on in.” she said, making room for her to step into the house. “What brings you here?” she asked, closing behind them. She knew Laure had a hard time at the hospital lately, because of the kids dying. Was it why? She sure looked tired still though a little bit better than last time.

[Laurë Eledhwen]

Laure waited patiently for her friend to come and open the door for her. She wondered about what was up with her brother and so, maybe she knew. Not like she would usually care but since he made the effort to come and see if she was fine and even said that he wanted to become a soldier she assumed that she was higher in his esteem than she was originally.She smiled at Sorsha when she came at the door to answer her. She was happier than before, that's for sure and she had to admit that part of her envied Sorsha for having such a loving family of her own and even a child and a husband who loved her more than everything. It seemed that whenever she was starting to feel better about life, something had to happen and take it from her. How horrible was that? Just the thought of her lost lover pained her but she tried not to dwell over it much.

Laure nodded and entered in when her friend invited her. She looked at Sorsha when she questioned her and sighed. She would go straight to the point. "What's wrong with your brother?" She began hoping she wasn't disturbing Sorsha in whatever she was doing. "Sorry, I hope I didn't disturb you." she said quickly after her first question.

"It's just that he came to talk to me and we were having a somewhat friendly conversation but left suddenly as if I said something wrong. It was odd." She said, explaining herself to her friend.

[Aldamir]

Sorsha was already going back to the kitchen but she stopped, frowning at Laure when she asked her bluntly if there was anything wrong with her brother. Surely she meant Aldamir. She knew those two always had problems with each other. Aldamir was so righteous, always obeying, never going wild. And Laure’s was actually kind of wild, or at least a free spirit. They quarrelled over everything, from her friendship with Sorsha to her clothes, from the way they were living to the people they were talking to. She knew of course that Laure liked to torment him, or at least in the past. Ever since she came back, she was overworking herself to exhaustion.

She smiled at Laure when she apologized for the disturbance. “Not at all, join in. And you can try my latest recipe. Jenssen keeps being nice and saying it’s fine but I know it’s not that great.” she said, giving some of the food to Laure on a plate. She should have studied her mother more when she was cooking. At least she had recipes. Now she only had to follow them without burning anything.

She talked more about Aldamir, explaining why she was asking about him. Sorsha shrugged. The truth was she didn’t know. “He’s closed himself even more lately, if that is possible. He keeps working. He says he has to be worthy of the trust they are putting in him.” she explained. She doubted it was helping Laure though. “I know he hates even more whenever we joke about his work. It’s taking it too seriously if you ask me.” she said. Maybe that was it, maybe Laure joked about his work and he took it badly and decided to leave. Who knows?