Post by The Smith on Jul 18, 2012 19:17:14 GMT -5
The door to Joss Hightower's room cracked just an inch. A moment passed, and then a single eye was pushed to the crack. The eye studied the hall for a long time. The moonlight slowly crept across the floor, seeping through a window down the hall.
Joss removed his eye and closed the door. He was cursing internally. There were two guards discretely positioned by the doors leading to the staircase. He was not getting out that way tonight.
The Heir's eye moved to the chest at the foot of his bed. He walked over to it, and slowly opened it. He stared down into it, and then turned to look at the window.
/////////////////
Lara Hightower was curled up in her bed reading "The Histories of the Summer Islands, by Jonal Graves." She was wondering if his Pentoshi modesty was coloring his opinions on the natives when she heard a tap on her window.
Lara lived on the third floor from the top of the Hightower. Nothing had ever tapped on her window before. She stared at it, and thought her mind was playing tricks on her.
The tap came again. Louder this time. Lara slowly got up, and walked barefoot across the tapestries to open her shutter. She gave a startled scream when she say her brother's face.
Joss said, "Give me a hand." He was hanging from a rope, that dangled from his own window. "Please." He added, glancing down the whole length of the Tower.
Lara reached out, and grabbed his arm. He pulled himself closer, and then slipped a booted foot over the sill, and then toppled over her into the room. He laughed, and stood up. Then offered her a hand.
Lara looked at him with shock, "You are completely mad. You know that?"
Joss looked at her, and said, "Not the first time I have been told." He laughed, and started toward the door of her room. "But I thought you would understand." He laid his ear on the door, and listened intently.
Lara watched him, and said, "Joss... why do you keep doing this? You know what it does to Uncle?"
Joss looked at her, and said, "I do it, because doing anything else seems as crazy to me, as my actions seem to you." He listened carefully, and shushed her when she went to speak.
Lara was silent for a long moment, and then she thought of her uncle Maester Lymon, and the worry that would line his face when he discovered Joss gone. She opened her mouth and said, "Please Joss. He gets so worried."
Joss pulled his head from the door, and looked at her. "I know, and I would be more sorry, if he had not posted two guards on my door. Where is the trust?" He put his ear back to the door.
Lara looked at him stunned, "How is he suppose to trust you?" She motioned toward the window. "I can not let you... I am going to alert the guards."
Joss looked at her, and said, "You do what you think is right sis, but I am going out tonight. I may be back in a week this time." He smiled at her, and winked, "Want to come?"
Lara looked at him, and she knew she wanted to say yes badly. Yet Lymon's sad face held her back. "The guards... the minute you are gone."
Joss laughed, and then saluted before slipping from the room and into the hall.
Lara looked at the closed door for a long time. Then she turned and crawled into bed.
///////////////
Three hours later Joss entered the bar he secretly owned. He waved at the barkeep. Then moved to his table, and sat down. Every one in here knew him as Red, for his hair. In here he was a mystery, and every one had their own story about his past, and he encouraged that.
He looked around the bar, and began to smile. He was finally home.
Joss removed his eye and closed the door. He was cursing internally. There were two guards discretely positioned by the doors leading to the staircase. He was not getting out that way tonight.
The Heir's eye moved to the chest at the foot of his bed. He walked over to it, and slowly opened it. He stared down into it, and then turned to look at the window.
/////////////////
Lara Hightower was curled up in her bed reading "The Histories of the Summer Islands, by Jonal Graves." She was wondering if his Pentoshi modesty was coloring his opinions on the natives when she heard a tap on her window.
Lara lived on the third floor from the top of the Hightower. Nothing had ever tapped on her window before. She stared at it, and thought her mind was playing tricks on her.
The tap came again. Louder this time. Lara slowly got up, and walked barefoot across the tapestries to open her shutter. She gave a startled scream when she say her brother's face.
Joss said, "Give me a hand." He was hanging from a rope, that dangled from his own window. "Please." He added, glancing down the whole length of the Tower.
Lara reached out, and grabbed his arm. He pulled himself closer, and then slipped a booted foot over the sill, and then toppled over her into the room. He laughed, and stood up. Then offered her a hand.
Lara looked at him with shock, "You are completely mad. You know that?"
Joss looked at her, and said, "Not the first time I have been told." He laughed, and started toward the door of her room. "But I thought you would understand." He laid his ear on the door, and listened intently.
Lara watched him, and said, "Joss... why do you keep doing this? You know what it does to Uncle?"
Joss looked at her, and said, "I do it, because doing anything else seems as crazy to me, as my actions seem to you." He listened carefully, and shushed her when she went to speak.
Lara was silent for a long moment, and then she thought of her uncle Maester Lymon, and the worry that would line his face when he discovered Joss gone. She opened her mouth and said, "Please Joss. He gets so worried."
Joss pulled his head from the door, and looked at her. "I know, and I would be more sorry, if he had not posted two guards on my door. Where is the trust?" He put his ear back to the door.
Lara looked at him stunned, "How is he suppose to trust you?" She motioned toward the window. "I can not let you... I am going to alert the guards."
Joss looked at her, and said, "You do what you think is right sis, but I am going out tonight. I may be back in a week this time." He smiled at her, and winked, "Want to come?"
Lara looked at him, and she knew she wanted to say yes badly. Yet Lymon's sad face held her back. "The guards... the minute you are gone."
Joss laughed, and then saluted before slipping from the room and into the hall.
Lara looked at the closed door for a long time. Then she turned and crawled into bed.
///////////////
Three hours later Joss entered the bar he secretly owned. He waved at the barkeep. Then moved to his table, and sat down. Every one in here knew him as Red, for his hair. In here he was a mystery, and every one had their own story about his past, and he encouraged that.
He looked around the bar, and began to smile. He was finally home.
Hope you all are well and happy.