New World Sasanaichs

Eight

The next couple weeks were some of the most tense after boarding the Beitris for their voyage to the New World, and pretty much everyone noticed how the pair of unwed gingers suddenly started avoiding each other. Where they’d spent almost every waking moment together without things turning compromising, they hardly even looked at each other now. But Jenny was the one to pick up on the Rage that emanated from their resident Healer whenever she was so much as in the presence of her fellow ginger, let alone caught a glimpse of him.

        Citing the need for some help in a few household chores that Ian could do, but had a hard Time with due to his peg leg, she managed to convince Róisín to head to her cabin one afternoon. Once there, she gave her a bit to settle into helping her chop Wood for the approaching Winter, then finally confronted her about why she was suddenly avoiding her brother. Even though it was undoubtedly gonna be a sensitive topic, she felt she’d achieve more Success with her than with said brother–at least, for now.

        “Would you wanna be around a lad who essentially called ye a whore?” she veritably snapped, turning a glare up at her after she’d asked.

        “Nay, I canna say I would,” the brunette lass answered. “But at the same Time, I doubt me brother did that–or at least, didna mean what he said in that manner, regardless of his phrasing.”

        “And what, pray tell, makes ye think that?” Róisín queried, a hint of Curiosity breaking through her Anger.

        “Jamie’s seen plenty of true whores,” she answered in no uncertain terms. “And even though he willna admit it, he thinks much the same way I do, whether he’s angered and feeling stubborn or no.”

        The Healer’s expression turned thoughtful, but she didn’t say another word as she waited for her to continue.

        “Aye, a lotta folks would ken ye for a whore, and they found out what ye and yer family were telling us,” Jenny admitted. “But since I ken the full story, I ken that ye were just doing what was necessary for survival–even if ’tisna something I’d ever consider doing in me own right.”

        “So, ye’re saying that Jamie kens that, too?” she asked, an uncertain tone now coloring her voice.

        “That’s exactly what I’m saying,” the brunette lass answered, nodding. “He just likely didna choose the best phrasing in expressing that Knowledge, ken.”

        As she gathered up an armload of kindling to start its own stack with, Jenny reminded her that they’d been baptized as Catholic when they were merely infants. From then on, they’d been raised under certain beliefs that were likely the very opposite of her own–and if not, then they were damned closeta being the opposite. But her brother was a highly intelligent and fairly well-educated man–he’d actually studied at the université in Paris a couple Years before what suffering he’d already endured at the hands of Black Jack Randall at Fort William.

        Since she well kent just how intelligent and educated he really was, she kent that the ginger lad might be a bit disturbed by some of the things he’d learned about Elves and their culture, but he was too kind-hearted to truly look down on them for it. However, like a lotta other lads before him and doubtless many that’d come after him, he wasn’t always the best at expressing himself. No amount of Intelligence and education could help the struggle to find the right words sometimes, no matter the language in use.

        Gently squeezing her shoulder before starting to gather up another load of kindling, the brunette lass reiterated that Jamie likely hadn’t meant his phrasing the way she’d taken it that Night a couple weeks ago. She also shot her a thoughtful look before stating that she’d never seen her brother enjoy any other lass’ company quite as much, even if he didn’t always show it. He certainly hadn’t ever looked at any other lass quite the same way as he looked at the Healer, and she didn’t think it was entirely ’cuz he was grateful for all she’d done for him. If she were completely honest, she was certain that he was more than willing to bed her–but he was being stubborn about waiting till marriage, which was what had him at a sorta checkmate with himself as he fully wrapped his head around what he’d been told about Elvin culture.