Pure

Finten stared at the feather he was twirling between his fingers. A Raven’s tail feather. He didn’t remember asking Conall to bring one, but he must have. He had probably been thinking about the dream he’d had of standing on the edge of the volcano.

He could hear Maigred climbing the stairs in the slow patient way she did when she was carrying a tray. The dinner rush must be over. She came down the hall and knocked on the door.

“Yes.” Finten said. He didn’t know why she knocked. He was in her room.

She pushed the door open and smiled at him. “Hello, I brought dinner.”

She came in and shut the door behind herself then sat on the edge of the bed, setting the tray between them.

Finten held the feather out to her. “This is for you.”

“Oh. Thank you.” She took it and ran her finger along the soft edge. She had a little frown on her face. “Where did it come from?”

“Conall went out and found it for me. I guess I asked him to find you a feather the first night he came to see me.”

“Oh, is that what you said to him?” She smiled. “That reminds me, you were carrying this when we found you.” She went to the foot of the bed and opened the trunk. Finten watched with interest wondering what he had been carrying. She shut the lid and came back to the bed holding out the tail feather of a red tailed hawk.

Finten frowned as he took it. “I was carrying this?”

“Yes. You didn’t want to give it up either.”

Finten carefully straightened the mussed bits of the feather. How had he gotten it? He had no idea. He remembered the heavy feeling of the pearl dropping into his hand, rolling into the center of his palm.

“You’re looking much better than this morning.”

Finten’s eyes went back up to Maigred’s face. “I’m feeling better. Stronger.” Maigred handed him a bowl of stew. Finten laid the feather on the bed next to him and took it. “I told Conall I’d go out to work with them tomorrow.”

“You what?”

Finten had been looking down into the stew hungrily, but his eyes snapped back up to Maigred’s face again. He cringed inwardly a little. He would hate to be her opponent on a battlefield. “I’ll be fine, Maigred.”

“I’m doctoring you, I’ll be the judge of that.”

Finten smiled. “I’ll bow to your verdict, but I think I’ll be fine, especially after another night’s sleep. We’re just surveying the roads on this side of town. It’s easy work, and if I get too tired, I can come right back home.” He dipped his spoon into the stew and brought it to his mouth.

“To the inn?”

He nodded savoring the flavors in the stew. There was a little kick of spice in it today. “The food here is always so good.”

“Thank you.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes.

“You realize we hardly know each other?” Maigred said.

Finten looked up at her. She was looking down into her bowl. She looked up at him. He couldn’t read the expression in her face.

“I know Maigred.” He reached out and touched her elbow softly. “I don’t expect anything from you.”

“You just called the inn your home.”

Finten blinked. “I did?”

“Yes.”

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. It…does feel like home. I’m sorry if it made it sound like I expected anything from you.”

Maigred pressed he lips together. “No, I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to make of all this. When you and Caevah first connected you didn’t know each other either, did you?”

Finten shook his head. “No. It was the compatibility of our powers that drew us together. Caevah always said we had the rest of our lives to get to know each other and she was content to wait till I was comfortable with more.”

Maigred nodded. “I remember you saying how patient she was. But…were you happy together?” She let out an exasperated breath. “I mean, I know you were happy, but what if you weren’t? If a maiden and tarasque turn out to not be compatible as people, how how does that get worked out?”

Finten let out a little laugh. “I don’t think that’s possible. When you both care about the same things, and you know that everything you care about depends on harmony between the two of you, you learn to work out anything that comes up.

“It was a good life.” He swallowed, remembering.

Finten shut his eyes. For the first time he realized that the pain of losing Caevah was a little easier to bear. He was more used to the idea that she was gone. It didn’t hit him like it was a fresh loss anymore, it ached in a steady throb, like his back used to.

He opened his eyes and let out a breath to find Maigred watching him. He swallowed and looked down. His eye caught on the hawk feather laying next to him. ‘It’s time to come home, Finten,’ the hawk had said in his dream.

He ate another spoonful of stew and looked thoughtfully up at Maigred. She had made him feel safe and welcome, but he still wasn’t sure if he could give himself completely to her.