Next cometh Autumn with the sun so hot and piercing...

[light_of_the_world]

Back home, the court moved. Breguswith had explained it to Hild once, when she was a child and adamantly against such constant travel. She wanted to stay in a place long enough to learn its habits, to discover its secret places, to feel it with her whole skin. But as her mother pointed out, a king could not remain in one area for so long, not if he wished to keep his thegns in line with his powerful presence and keep his court from eating those thegns out of house and home. And so they had drifted from castle to castle, following the shifting seasons, keeping time with the different vills. Bebbanburg, Yeavering, Tinamutha, once, Brough, Sancton, Goodmanham, York.

But time did not need a changing landscape to move on. Hild found herself on the cusp of fall, without York, for the first time in more than a decade. Darrow did not have York's sweet apples or pears, nor its wars. It did have something called a pumpkin spice latte, however, which was almost as delicious as the overexcited barista had told Hild it would be. She had ordered two if only to calm the woman, but she had reasoned that anything that garnered such praise, mostly earnest, had to be passing good.

Balancing a tray of coffees and a few scones in one hand, Hild texted a few of her friends with the other, inviting them each to join her in the park, if they had the time. The first to arrive could have the spare latte. So she said. Hild had every intention of ensuring that each of her friends could share in the pumpkin spiced goodness.

Comments

[theduff]

"You are so very cool," I agree. I'd admit that even if she wasn't handing me one of the best things to ever happen to coffee.

I take the latte happily and sit down next to Hild, glad that a day that started mostly with me studying has led to something pleasant. Even though I've made some friends here and there's no lack of things for me to do, it's hard to take that first step out and start exploring on my own sometimes.

"How's your day been so far?"

[light_of_the_world]

"Good," Hild answered, her voice warm with her smile. Her life in Darrow differed greatly from her life at home. Though she would never say that she hated life at home, not truly, the novelty of this life in Darrow could not be shaken off soon. She had lived eight years as seer; it would take more than a few months as a simple woman before she would be satisfied.

"I work in the afternoon. I do not tell you this. Luke gives me job at his bookstore. Garroway Books." She nodded in the direction of the shop, though on this side of the park, the store front was obscured by greenery fast fading gold and red with the change of season. "It is not.. very busy. And this is good. My English betters, but is not that good yet."

[theduff]

"I am so jealous you get to work at a bookstore," I tell Hild. The sip of latte I take after saying so cuts through the envy pretty damn quick. "And your English is sounding pretty good. You speak English better than I speak Spanish."

Yes, I'm aware my Spanish is mucho shitty. It's just nice to pretend I can get away with a few words here and there.

[light_of_the_world]

"Yes, I see you are jealous," Hild laughed, noting that Bianca's expression was far from angry. "But, Luke gives me this job so I can try.. Try a job, as we do not do things like this at home. He wants me, maybe, to try a different job later. If I do, maybe you can work at the bookstore." It was only a maybe, a perhaps, but even so Hild did not think Luke would have any problem with the offer. Bianca was smart and kept her wits about her even when dropped in the middle of a foreign city in nothing but a robe. Customer service would not be beyond her.

"When I learn English, I will ask Derek to teach me Spanish." She had other plans for other languages -- French in particular -- but Spanish was mentioned. "We will practice with each other. We can both learn."

[theduff]

"Oh hell yes, put a good word in for me." I love even the possibility of working at a bookstore. I'm still not sure exactly what path I want to go down, but what honor roll nerd like me wouldn't want to work in a bookstore? It's a dream job.

"Derek speaks Spanish?" I don't know why I'm so surprised; I know a lot about Derek, but you can't know every single thing about someone, especially when you've only known them for a couple of months. (See: my secret friendship/relationship/whatever-ship with Wesley. My best friends since childhood had no idea about it, but that probably had more to do with me not talking to them for weeks.) "I had no idea. Maybe we can make him tutor us."

He probably would. He's a big ol' softie like that.

[light_of_the_world]

Hild nodded and sipped her coffee. "His mother speaks Spanish. I think she teaches him," she said. That was their first conversation, Hild remembered, only a few months ago but it felt as though such a long time had passed. Those few months were full of so much learning, so many new things, it was dizzying for her to look back on.

"We will make him teach us," she decided, and gave Bianca a sideways smile. "He cannot say no to the both of us together."