Lost, Gained, Found

An Awkward Meeting

"You look like a blue tit."

There Dismas sits in the shadows of the light of the candle. He wears deep indigo blue coat that's subtly bejewelled with red gems. I gave up long ago trying to figure out if they were real or colourful glass beads. The buttons are red as is the gem on his white cravat that feathers and ruffles his chest. I move the candle from the side drawers next to the door and place it onto the table, next to the rotting fruit. Dismas scrunches his nose at it. It suits him.

"How did you get in? The door was locked."

He fidgets in his seat for a second and I watch him carefully. Then he places a key on the table. "You have a spare." He nods and his gloved hand takes the key back.

I immediately start busying myself with throwing a few sticks into the fireplace and striking a match to light the fire. I hold my hand over the fire but it's not hot enough and I worry that it'll take an hour before I can boil water.

"Sorry, can you...?" I trail off and glance at the fire. He doesn't move. Dismas has never admitted or really ever proven he can do magic but I'm certain that he can. The heat starts to burn my hands and I instinctively move it away. My kettle hangs over the fire from when I was trying to make tea earlier. It's of course still full because I got distracted by the bells from port because the boats were docking. While the kettle boils, I finish preparing this afternoon's tea pot. The can of tea leaves is open on the counter top with a spoon sticking out and the ugly brown tea pot is lidless next to it. Once the water is boiled and the tea pot is sorted, I place the pot and two metal mugs on the table. One by Dimas and the other opposite him.

Over the years I discovered that he doesn't appreciate closeness. Every quarter turn I used to scrub myself raw with soap and let my clothes air out in the garden over the flowers. I would be sneezing the entire meeting until I was able to take it off again. Even after my efforts, he would avoid sitting close to me. Tonight I am sat in my dirty garden clothes that are stained with ale.

I stare at him and his eyes wonder anywhere else in the room while we wait for the tea to teper in the pot. It could be awhile before he speaks. Some days I let him sit in it but the silence makes my skin itch and crawl. I think he needs time to properly think about what he says or he just enjoys making me uncomfortable. His face is too blank to read. Smooth and without thought but I know different. In that head of his, he's thinking about how he might get sick whenever his eyes flick to the rotting apples in the fruit bowls. I follow his gaze to my shelves and the cobwebs that are starting to gather between the books that I haven't read. His fingers rub together on the table before he moves them to his lap. He's wishing he brought his white gloves. Or is grateful he didn't because they'll show the dirt.

I smile at him. He doesn't smile back. "They're worried that there's something in the woods but I haven't heard anything from within there so I think it's human paranoia," I start to ramble, getting bored of the silence. Dismas will inevitably ask for these answers anyway. I am expected to keep up with town life now. It means that I am making friends. He'd prefer I led a quiet life but he quickly learned that isn't in my nature. "I wouldn't say that people come to Bridhawesngsea for a holiday normally but I suppose it is abnormally quiet. There's a few empty stalls at the markets that are left for the travelling traders this past week but people are saying that the army is currently trying to round up more men to join them, they think they're readying for a war or a battle but I haven't heard any news in the nations, although granted, I never hear any news about the nations anyway bec-"

Dismas gives a short sigh. I smirk. He's too easy. "You're late. And you smell like beer. You've been drinking. Have you forgotten what night it is? Every quarter turn I-"

"It's cloudy outside, it has been for a few nights now. I can't keep track of the moon when I can't see the moon and I haven't been drinking, someone spilt their drink on me," I answer, playing with my hands under the table. I feel like a child being scolded for missing teatime.

He hums. My clothes had longed dried in the warmth of Ol' Joe's alehouse, it's a betting game if he believes me. "I don't believe you."

"I swear on the Mother's life." I cross my heart and raise my hand. I realise my mistake when he scowls at me. A human gesture. I'm surprised for all he scowls that his face isn't permanently creased. In these last four years, he should share the face of a withered old hag. It's disappointing that he doesn't.

Dismas doesn't comment on it. "So they are avoiding the forest? They only avoid it when the threat hurts them." There's an eyeroll in his tone but not on his face. It's beneath him. I wish he'd say more about what happened in the forests. He told me the story that the locals gave me. The forest started to have too much order. They started to band together and were plotting to take down the king, ruin the order of the land so the king, as heroic as he is, personally led the army to chase the folk out of the forest. I might be the last elf in Sakal. But the locals approve of it. Dismas doesn't.

I don't know anything about him. I presume he's human because he doesn't have pointed ears. I also presume that he's one of the elite. His clothes are too rich and he has the wealth. Every quarter he gives me a handful of gold coins. A handful of silver coins. A handful of bronze coins. This pays for my food and clothes and the taxes. Granted, there's not much else to spend my money on here so I also have savings. He speaks with intention. But he doesn't seem to like humanity. I can't decide if that's his morals or something else.

"There's also a lord moving into the manor. The town is excited. It means employability will go up. Why has the manor been empty anyway?" I ask.

To my surprise, Dismas answers. "Because it's surrounded by forest. There's been worries and concerns that they are not fully empty and something lives in them. After the forests were cleared, the aristocracy stayed in the cities. I believe the last owner died recently and they've been tracking down an heir."

"Do you know anything about the heir?"

"Some. A second cousin of the late Lord Perkin moved to start a trade in of the desert countries. He got married there and started a family there. It'll be his eldest grandson. The late Lord Perkins didn't have children himself. It'll be interesting to see how he takes to life here. You should let me know."

I scoff, "I doubt I'll cross paths with the lord."

Dismas hums. "You might be surprised. The elite generally try to have a good standing with their local community, attending events and festivals. He is common afterall, so he might be more inclined to do such a thing. Besides, the staff will gossip."

He stands up and pulls out a leather pouch from his pocket, which he drops onto the table. I stand too, leaving the pouch on the table, and follow him to the door. "Stay out of the alehouses and away from trouble. Or I'll give you something to keep you busy. Stay out of the forest too. Adventure is not there," he says as his goodbye. It's always the same thing. Well, except the staying away from the forest. I suppose that's his way of saying that he does think there might be something in there and I should be cautious. I think he cares.