She looked at his house and smiled "It looks like a home. Six arcs? That's a long time." She glanced at Padraig and wondered. Would he like to live in one place that long, or was he an explorer. She thought that she knew the answer but she wasn't entirely sure. That was interesting and she determined that she would ask him about it later. Sintih, she considered, very much seemed to belong here ~ like he was part of the place. How strange that must be, how very different from anything she had ever experienced. Whether it was good or bad, she did not know and, in many ways, it did not matter. Maybe, she thought with a slight smile, she would know in six arcs. But they spoke and shared stories. It was a safe thing to do, Faith thought, something that the three of them could do, learn more about each other and also, it would avoid any awkward silnces or wondering about topics of conversation.
Of course, two of Padraig's she knew, but the third one saw her sitting and listening intently. She had a very clear image of the child he was. Intense, she did not doubt. From what he had told her she knew that his childhood had been hard and she listened to him as she considered. "You must have been very afraid. Did you ever see the dog again?" It was intriguing to her to think of what it must have been like to have such freedom as a child. To be able to follow a rabbit despite having been told not to? It was totally against everything she understood. "And did it teach you not to disobey instructions?" Squezing his hand under the table, she was obviously teasing.
When it came to Sintih's turn, she gave him her absolute full attention as she had with Padraig. Listening to what he said, she raised an eyebrow when he spoke of magic "Really? Do you study only the theory or do you practice as well?" Her silver eyes were interested in that piece of information and she listened to the rest with a tilt of her head and a smile on her face. She shook her head, though, at the last piece of information "Mister Sintih I do not believe that and if it is true, then I can only apologise to you for not having taught you properly"
He pointed and laughed at his own joke and Faith couldn't help but wonder if maybe he'd been drinking before they arrived. She put her cup of cider down in front of Padraig with a smile to him. Sintih asked his question and then excused himself and Faith turned to Padraig and spoke in an even quieter voice than usual, but loud enough for him to hear "I didn't know if we were just not telling Tristan or not telling everyone. I'm happy to tell everyone from the butcher to his dog, but I didn't know quite how you wanted to play it. My apologies if that was the wrong thing to do." Whilst her apology was more than sincere, it was also meek, she realised and so she purposely lifted her eyes from the floor and looked at him with as much challenge as she could muster in a place that was getting more and more crowded. She didn't like it, there was no doubting it, but she just focused on him and that made it seem quieter, allowing her the chance to raise an eyebrow in challenge. "And you know, for a scientist, you haven't thought to ask the most important question. You have science on your side, there is no doubt. So what could this secret weapon be that I am so very sure of? Have you considered?"
As Sintih sat back down, Faith smiled at him. "Those look delicious", taking one small piece she ate slowly and Padraig knew her well enough by now to know that her appetite was tiny. But she ate until she was full, inevitably. "So, I would choose the first snows", she smiled at Padraig "I don't like the cold, but I can endure it and there are few sights so beautiful. Besides. It links with my answer to mister Sintih's question." Looking at Sintih, she had obviously considered her answer carefully "There have been so many big events in my life just lately, that the most recent is not the biggest. But I tell you the moment that I thought of when you asked that question. I stood in the dark street without a coat. I was freezing cold and in shock I think. I had just been given my freedom and I stood there, completely lost. Then, I saw a flake of snow and I watched it slowly drift down. In the time it took it to reach the ground, I realised that I knew where I was going, that I had somewhere to go and that I was making a choice. I suppose it was the first one I made as a free woman." She smiled at Sintih and shrugged slightly "Arguably, therefore, the biggest, most important and, I would say, best choice."
She turned then to Padraig. Of course, he knew the choice she had made, where she had gone. Because it had been to him. "Your turn", she said.
Of course, two of Padraig's she knew, but the third one saw her sitting and listening intently. She had a very clear image of the child he was. Intense, she did not doubt. From what he had told her she knew that his childhood had been hard and she listened to him as she considered. "You must have been very afraid. Did you ever see the dog again?" It was intriguing to her to think of what it must have been like to have such freedom as a child. To be able to follow a rabbit despite having been told not to? It was totally against everything she understood. "And did it teach you not to disobey instructions?" Squezing his hand under the table, she was obviously teasing.
When it came to Sintih's turn, she gave him her absolute full attention as she had with Padraig. Listening to what he said, she raised an eyebrow when he spoke of magic "Really? Do you study only the theory or do you practice as well?" Her silver eyes were interested in that piece of information and she listened to the rest with a tilt of her head and a smile on her face. She shook her head, though, at the last piece of information "Mister Sintih I do not believe that and if it is true, then I can only apologise to you for not having taught you properly"
He pointed and laughed at his own joke and Faith couldn't help but wonder if maybe he'd been drinking before they arrived. She put her cup of cider down in front of Padraig with a smile to him. Sintih asked his question and then excused himself and Faith turned to Padraig and spoke in an even quieter voice than usual, but loud enough for him to hear "I didn't know if we were just not telling Tristan or not telling everyone. I'm happy to tell everyone from the butcher to his dog, but I didn't know quite how you wanted to play it. My apologies if that was the wrong thing to do." Whilst her apology was more than sincere, it was also meek, she realised and so she purposely lifted her eyes from the floor and looked at him with as much challenge as she could muster in a place that was getting more and more crowded. She didn't like it, there was no doubting it, but she just focused on him and that made it seem quieter, allowing her the chance to raise an eyebrow in challenge. "And you know, for a scientist, you haven't thought to ask the most important question. You have science on your side, there is no doubt. So what could this secret weapon be that I am so very sure of? Have you considered?"
As Sintih sat back down, Faith smiled at him. "Those look delicious", taking one small piece she ate slowly and Padraig knew her well enough by now to know that her appetite was tiny. But she ate until she was full, inevitably. "So, I would choose the first snows", she smiled at Padraig "I don't like the cold, but I can endure it and there are few sights so beautiful. Besides. It links with my answer to mister Sintih's question." Looking at Sintih, she had obviously considered her answer carefully "There have been so many big events in my life just lately, that the most recent is not the biggest. But I tell you the moment that I thought of when you asked that question. I stood in the dark street without a coat. I was freezing cold and in shock I think. I had just been given my freedom and I stood there, completely lost. Then, I saw a flake of snow and I watched it slowly drift down. In the time it took it to reach the ground, I realised that I knew where I was going, that I had somewhere to go and that I was making a choice. I suppose it was the first one I made as a free woman." She smiled at Sintih and shrugged slightly "Arguably, therefore, the biggest, most important and, I would say, best choice."
She turned then to Padraig. Of course, he knew the choice she had made, where she had gone. Because it had been to him. "Your turn", she said.
