The art of pretending...

[ShadowMoon]

Day after day, she completed her task. She watched the sun rise each morning through her large bay glass window, with the exuberant oranges, pinks and reds as it turned into a soft blue. At night she watched the sunset with its lavish colors of purples, and reds. She would sit at the window fiddling with the edge of the sheer, satin curtain wanting to reach out and touch the painted lights of the sky as they faded into the dark blue of night. It was her way of escaping the thoughts, wants and needs of her day or her exotic dreams at night.

Through out the day, she tinkered with his belongings, dusting, cleaning, shining, and putting them in
the right place. Each day she walked through the finished rooms and touched them up. She wanted the
place to sparkle until the day she was finished. It was tedious work, always decorating, but it kept
her busy, her thoughts at bay and she loved the way it all looked when she was done. It was her hobby..to make people happy, to make things beautiful.

She wasnt beautiful. She knew this. She was kinda homely, with dark, straight, boring hair. She
always wore the same color clothing. Faded black, seemed to fit her mood. She was pleasant around
others and when they were around her, she always smiled and laughed. Hiding the inner torture she
felt.

She doubt he even noticed, but each evening before she left his house, she would sneak to his
bedroom, run her hand lightly over the spot where his head would lay, she would whisper a little
chant her sister, Elarwyn had taught her to help her sleep at night. Then she would dust his pillow
with lavender powder. It was a light dusting, just a small sprinkle. That would be the only magic,
she would ever use on him. To give him peace, and solice as he slept. If he ever came to her, she
wanted it to be real.

She did good when he was around. She didnt think he noticed her hands shaking or the quick, longing,
glances his way. Her hands felt as if they had been greased with butter when he walked into the room.
What ever item she had in her hands suddenly felt ten times heavier. She was lucky that he spent
most of his day away. Animal whispering, she called it.

The hardest part was when she was around both of them. She wanted to run. To where she didnt know.
Just turn and run. They were both strong, handsome, and gentle in thier own ways. She knew her chances with either of them were slim to none. Her sister Shadow had come home one evening from the tavern, talking about the animal whisperer. And Elarwyn had a soft spot for the thief. Both of her sisters
were gorgeous. They were tough and powerful. What man wouldnt want them. They had eyes that sparkled and a heartfelt laugh. Neither sister knew how she felt, and she wanted it kept that way. She wanted to see them happy. Shadow had been through so much since her husbands disappearance 5 years ago.

None of them had an easy life growing up. She knew that she was meant to be alone, to grow old
living with her sisters and taking care of them. They were all mature women, but Shadow and
Elarwyn werent very neat. They would leave thier dresses on the bed. Track mud in the house, leave
thier dishes at the table. She felt it was her fault they did this. They knew she would always clean
up after them. So she did.

Oh well, such is her life. She would live it and no one would be the wiser. She was starting to feel as if she needed a vacation. Maybe she could talk her sisters into going away for awhile. She wondered if the 2 men would notice they were gone.  

[ShadowMoon]

Guin talked it over with her sisters that night at supper. Elarywn's eyes popped open at the thought of Guin mentioning a vacation. Shadow almost choked on the juicy, falling off the bone, fried chicken leg she was eating that Guin had cooked for supper. Shadow wiped her mouth, put down the leg, and stared at Guin.

Guin noticing the shock on her sisters faces said "What? Arent I entitled to a vacation once in my lifetime?"

"Well, yes you are, but you are always so busy and you seem to like it that way, so its a shock for us to hear you want a vacation." Shadow replied.

"Well its time. I need to get my thoughts in order to be able to do more work. I havent been able to think lately because I have been so busy and have so many projects going. Which I can finish with a clear head when we get back." Guin said.

Shadow and Elarwyn looked at each other. Both of them knowing there had to be more to this then Guin was letting on. But neither sister pushed the issue...for now.

"Alright, where do you want to go and what are you wanting to do?" Elarwyn asked.

"I dont know. I dont want shopping because I do enough of that decorating. I just want to relax...somewhere quiet, no fighting anything, no chores, to read a book if I see fit. Good food that I dont have to cook." Guin replied.

" Guin I know you want us with you. But Shadow and I arent the relaxing type. We are the fun type. We like adventure and excitement. Adrenaline rushes are our thing. How about we find a nice hotel or bed and breakfast for you, then Shadow and I can explore the area but be with you at night?"

Guin thought for a moment, knowing what Elarwyn said was true. "That will have to do. As long as I get some time with the both of you." Guin honestly knew it wasnt time with her sisters she was needing. It was time away from them.

Shadow said "Ok first thing in the morning we leave unless you need to let everyone know you are leaving Guin. We will find some place near Yew. Its a beautiful place with large trees and I am sure there is a cabin or BnB that we can stay in."

Guin pondered for a moment on letting the animal whisperer know she was leaving since it was his houses she was working on. But figured a quick escape was better. " No lets just leave. I will let them know when I return."

Guin got up and went upstairs to thier room to pack. Shadow and Elarwyn looked at each other again. " I am finding this very odd. I wonder what she isnt telling us." Shadow said.

Elarwyn thought for a second and said " I dont know, but I can find out if you dont mind a little magic."

" You know she would kill us if we did that. But, at least we would know what shes running from and could help her since she doesnt want to ask for help."

Elarwyn knew Shadow was right about Guin killing them if she found out they had used magic on her. But Guin was their sister and both women wanted to help Guin, she always took care of them and they wanted to return the favor. If something was hurting Guin and she had felt the need to run, then they wanted to know what it was.

At bedtime, Elarwyn took Guin a nice cup of hot tea, with a sleeping agent slipped in. It was tasteless and Guin would never know it was in there. Guin, took the tea from Elarwyn, looked up and asked her what it was for. Elarwyn told her, that if she needed a vacation, it was because she was stressed and she had thought that a nice cup of tea would help her relax and get a good nights rest before they headed out the next morning. Guin smiled, appreciating the help and kindness her sister was showing her. "Thank you" Guin sipped the tea and nibbled at a chocolate cookie she had baked that morning.

Sleep overtook her quickly. The tea cup hit the floor, spilling the sweet brown liquid that was left on the weathered wooden floor. The cup didnt break, but a rolled a few inches away. Shadow looked at Elarwyn. She went and picked up the cup and grabbed a soft white cotton hand towel that was laying a few inches away on the wooden dresser and cleaned up the mess of the tea.

Elarwyn said Guins name a few times, each time getting louder to see if she had drank enough to be in a deep sleep. Guin never moved. " Ok its time. Shadow you must be very still and quiet. Get close enough to her now before I begin the spell. Watch the top of her head, that is where you will see the imagines appear." Shadow nodded. Both sisters took a few steps towards Guin. They were near, but not touching her. Elarwyn said "Let us begin". She started into a soft chant. Closing her eyes for only seconds as she chanted. Both ladies watched as imagines started to slowly appear above Guins head. One image was of a man wearing gold with a large blue dragon. Guin herself was in the image, the man smiled at Guin and the sisters could see a small rag fall to the wooden floor in the image. In the image Guin turned as if she heard something and the figure of another man appeared. The image vanished.

Another image slowly appeared. Guin was standing beside a blue and white bed, had a pouch in her hands and was sprinkling a dust on a pillow. The image vanished.

Again another formed showing Guin standing in the guild hall part of their house and the second man from the first image sitting on a bench and watching Guin.

Elarwyn ceased her soft chanting and quietly stepped away from the chair Guin sat in, she nodded at Shadow to do the same. "Shadow, can you pick her up and carry her to bed please, then we will talk." Shadow did as she was told, still unsure of what to make of the images she had seen in her sisters head. She placed Guin lightly onto the bed, and covered her with the soft blankets. She walked back downstairs to Elarwyn, who was standing in the dimly lit kitchen. The sisters sat down at the table. Shadow looked at Elarwyn and asked her what she thought it meant. Elarwyn said " Thats the easy part. Our Guinny is in love..and torn between 2 men. But what we can do about it, I dont know." Shadow said "I know the first man. I met him at the tavern one night a few months back. Hes a looker and seems just as sweet." Elarwyn replied " And I know the second. He is also a looker and is also sweet. He makes his living as a thief though. I sorta has a liking to him myself"

"Aye I sorta had a liking for the one I know as well. But we can not get tangled in this web until either she chooses, or no longer has feelings for them. It would break her heart even more to see one of us with one of them. Agreed?"

"Agreed! Blood before water!...But the thief is so cute...*sigh* Okay for Guin, I wont pursue him." Elarwyn said. " And we can not let on that we know at all what is going through her head or her heart. If she finds out what we just did, it would hurt her even more and we could loose her. "

Shadow agreed to keep quiet. Both sisters sauntered up the stairs and quietly slipped into bed with Guin.

The next morning Guin awoke, nudged her sisters awake. "Cmon we got to go. The sun is just rising so it gives us plenty of time to get to Yew and find a place. " The sisters moaned as they slid back the blankets, knowing Guin was right. They got ready and headed off together.

Several weeks passed. Each day didnt seem to change. No matter what she did, they were there. In her heart and in her thoughts. His smile. Her hand had grazed his several weeks past, right before she took off actually. For a moment, his hand actually grabbed hers, then let go just as quickly and he had starte spending more time at the house, he would stand and just watch her decorate. Nothing like that had happened with the other one as far as touch. But he watched her. She knew it and she felt his presence, sometimes he visibly watched her, but other times he wasnt there, but she felt a presence and knew it was him. A moment of clarity seemed to fill her. She knew what she would do.

That evening, she told her sisters it was time to go back. So they packed their belongings up and left at sunlight the next morning. Neither Shadow nor Elarwyn knew what was going through Guins head. They just hoped they had given her enough space and time to come to a conclusion or to figure something out. After all, whichever one she didnt chose, one of the other sisters would be able to have a go.

[ShadowMoon]

Quick Update: She never got the chance to do what she thought was right. It was all shot out the window 4 days after she returned from vacation. They sat in a beautiful garden together, he professed his love for her, and she for him. But they agreed to keep it secret because others would oppose. She went home that night and quietly told her sisters.