Sem Partoldi laughed her rich laugh deep in her throat and shuffled the
bright cards together and began to play a game with herself.
I took
quick stock of the inn. From long habit my eyes darted about. But this
was not a crossroads bar nor was it a denser pit. There was no danger here,
I thought, and nothing had changed.
Regis
sat back and watched me. She wanted a story. I had told some here because
Eoeun loved them including stories of the demarcations as long as they
did not find themselves among them.
Sometimes
when they asked for a tale I said, “No.”
Nothing
more, just that, and sat silent with my arms crossed before me frowning
as I gave in to the sudden clamoring of my thoughts and became lost in
them. What they were, no Eoeun could guess.