WC 506
She chewed on her lip while she contemplated an honest answer. “It’s pretty bad, but I guess it could be worse. I don’t feel any bits grinding around when you do that… it’s kind of just a throbbing now.” She nodded as she stared at her injured foot, then turned her gaze back to Shawchert. She relaxed when he set her foot back down and accepted her offering, happy he wasn’t manipulating her foot any longer and that the examination was over, and delighted that he accepted the fruit. She smiled delightedly as he handed her half of it, and she accepted with warmth and took a hearty bite from the fruit. Her appetite had not been as injured as she first thought.
“Cercatori d’Arte?” she pondered the name for a moment… it sounded like something else she’d once read. “I haven’t heard of it. How ‘just established’ is your just established pack?” She grinned. “Then again, I haven’t exactly been very worldly lately.” Was she ever? “I’ve been traveling a bit. I don’t usually travel, especially not alone. I was just here visiting AniWaya,” she nodded toward the fencing in the distance, “for a little bit. I live in Cour des Miracles, up north-east of here. I’m looking for someone. My brother’s mate went missing, so I came to see if she had been by here. I stayed a few days to rest, and was moving on when… well, you know.” She waved at her foot and sighed. “I guess I can’t do much traveling now.” She dropped her chin onto her hand, downtrodden, her eyebrows pursed with worry.
She was silent for a moment, staring at the trees in front of her, then with a thought turned to Shawchert with sudden intense interest. “So, Cercatori d’Arte? D’arte means art. I’m not sure what cercatori is, but the ring of it… it sounds like comedia dell’arte! Do you know what that is? ‘Comedy of Art.’ It is a style of outdoor theatre… very expressive, lots of improvisation, that kind of thing. I’ve read some of the ancient plays. They’re really funny,” she turned her grin on Shawchert, though it began to fade almost immediately. She swiped a hand through the air and took another bite of fruit. “But I don’t suppose you’d be interested in anything like that. Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking… no one but me is ever interested in my books.” She dropped her chin onto her hand again, slouching with dissuasion.
Come on now, Orin, don’t be silly. Why would this stranger care about any of that? No one ever knows what you’re talking about, and no one but you ever cares… Perhaps it was the recent embarrassment, or the injury to her leg, but she was suddenly feeling very down. A handsome stranger had just saved her life, and she couldn’t even pep up for him. A kind… she glanced sideways at him… friendly… blink… handsome… ear twitch… hero… she grinned as her heart skipped in her chest.