04-15-2020, 08:05 PM
She leaned in to see, but would not touch it. Koit plucked it between his fingers; a simple golden pinecone, its surface inlaid with an intricate pattern of vines. He glanced askance like she might have an explanation to offer, but she only shrugged softly for such a strange and meaningless bounty, cradling her injured hand in the other. The wind had cooled off, and she was cold now. And tired. And more than a little afraid.
“I’m a good listener,” she said quietly, offering a small smile for the furrows dug into his brow. He placed the pinecone back in the box, where it had nestled upon dried leaves untouched by the water’s tomb. She did not ask about his dreaming, sensing it was not the root of his discomfort. She had no answers to offer anyway.
“You don’t know what it means,” he said bluntly. Disappointed. “I thought--” He shook his head, cut short, and looked like he was about to stand. Then the effort drained from him. He met her gaze wearily.
“I never thought I’d come back here. My mother is… she has always been eccentric. Superstitious. I never believed. Not sure I do now.” He glanced down at his hand, touching the silver ring, jaw clenched. Thalia watched quietly, though compassion softened her soul. He searched for a meaning she did not possess in order to give, though she wished she did. “The Sickness,” he said at last. “Last year. It’s why I came home.” He rubbed his face. “Fucking magic, of all impossible things, so why not this? He would’ve--” The hand scrubbed over his head, and he drew silent. After a moment he slammed the lid down, and made to stand.
Thalia pushed herself up too. She gathered their things quietly, shrugging the rucksack over her shoulder. Koit tucked the box under his arm. She glanced back at the river before she slipped her hand in his and squeezed. He did not let go.
Eha pelted questions upon their return, and Koit offered short replies. All of it in Estonian. Thalia pulled a seat at the kitchen table and slumped into it, listening to the cadence of their rapid words, not sure how much she would have absorbed even if it was in a language she understood. After a while Koit dumped the box on the table and lifted the lid. The soft glow of it hit Thalia’s cheeks before she even thought to look at what she already knew rested within. Her eyes rounded. Beside her Eha thumped heavily into a chair.
The pinecone pulsed with the soft streaming light of morning's first glow.
“I’m a good listener,” she said quietly, offering a small smile for the furrows dug into his brow. He placed the pinecone back in the box, where it had nestled upon dried leaves untouched by the water’s tomb. She did not ask about his dreaming, sensing it was not the root of his discomfort. She had no answers to offer anyway.
“You don’t know what it means,” he said bluntly. Disappointed. “I thought--” He shook his head, cut short, and looked like he was about to stand. Then the effort drained from him. He met her gaze wearily.
“I never thought I’d come back here. My mother is… she has always been eccentric. Superstitious. I never believed. Not sure I do now.” He glanced down at his hand, touching the silver ring, jaw clenched. Thalia watched quietly, though compassion softened her soul. He searched for a meaning she did not possess in order to give, though she wished she did. “The Sickness,” he said at last. “Last year. It’s why I came home.” He rubbed his face. “Fucking magic, of all impossible things, so why not this? He would’ve--” The hand scrubbed over his head, and he drew silent. After a moment he slammed the lid down, and made to stand.
Thalia pushed herself up too. She gathered their things quietly, shrugging the rucksack over her shoulder. Koit tucked the box under his arm. She glanced back at the river before she slipped her hand in his and squeezed. He did not let go.
Eha pelted questions upon their return, and Koit offered short replies. All of it in Estonian. Thalia pulled a seat at the kitchen table and slumped into it, listening to the cadence of their rapid words, not sure how much she would have absorbed even if it was in a language she understood. After a while Koit dumped the box on the table and lifted the lid. The soft glow of it hit Thalia’s cheeks before she even thought to look at what she already knew rested within. Her eyes rounded. Beside her Eha thumped heavily into a chair.
The pinecone pulsed with the soft streaming light of morning's first glow.