Overdue but not Underwelcome (for Lenora)

[Feorin]

Feorin checked his reflection one last time. He was rarely so very self-conscious but he wanted to make sure everything was perfect since he was going to see Lenora. Bambi was elsewhere, probably preening her nails or something. On his bed was a little present he had picked out earlier that morning. It was a little box wrapped in a bow. Inside was a bracelet, gold with little leaf-shaped adornments dancing around a chain. He figured she would like it since he did remember she liked jewelry, or at least rings.

Satisfied that his short hair was hopefully not too short and his chin was shaved enough he slipped on his jacket, a long thing that came down to his calves and swept around him like a cape. He had found a liking for it in Vione where that was more the fashion. He had a little red bag that held Seifer's present. It was a little metal ball that could roll on its own and sometimes wandered off if you didn't keep an eye on it. No one else in all of Onise was likely to have a ball just like that one.

Gifts tucked under his arms he glanced once more in the mirror before hurrying out the door. On his way out Bambi appeared, apparently having been waiting for him.

"Are you going now?" She asked.

He nodded excitedly. "This should be interesting." He said.

"I'm coming with you." She said grabbing up her bag.

"You don't have to." He said.

"No, no it's ok Feo. I'll be moral support." She winked at him, though it was more because she wanted to be there when things went sour. Feorin would need comforting.

"OK well then... let's go." He said and continued on out.

"Want me to get Alsan?" She asked.

"Sure. He'll want to see Lenora too." Feorin said with a smile. His eyes shined happily.

Bambi tried not to glower too intensely but hurried off to fetch the kirin only to arrive a few minutes later leading the winged creature out to the street.

"OK now we can go." Feorin said with a laugh.

"You're not going to saddle him?" Bambi asked.

"Not necessary, we can walk." Feorin said. Then with a smirk at her he said. "You've got two legs."

"I have wings too and I don't mind using them." She replied with attitude.

They made their way down the few blocks that separated the inn where he was staying from Lenora's herbalist shop. He knew it was hers on sight and a broad smile crossed his face. There was no way Bambi was going to delay him further today. The pair made their way to the door and Feorin knocked while Bambi remained back a bit, walking with Alsan and trying not to look terribly disappointed.

[Lenora]

Lenora has spent the morning making potions and perfumes, things to soothe, and relax the worried mind and attract men to women and women to men.
She even made her own favorite one, that smelled of rain and musk. She remembered how Feorin had liked it. Lenora paused for a moment as she once more thought of him and wondered where he could be, and if he was alive. She touched some of the perfume behind her ear, and contemplated taking the rest of the day off, then Seifer, Talon and her could maybe go to the beach.

Then she heard a knock on the door, she was tempted not to answer, she wasn’t in the mood for company, and no doubt it would Octavian or some other crony of Kiska. She just sighed and went to the door and opened it, “I am sorry, but … but…”
She looked at the man standing there, and her voice froze in her throat, Lenora’s hand on its own reached up and almost touched his face, “am I dreaming again, or is it truly you.” Her eyes grew wide and she brought her hand back to cover her mouth as a sob came to her throat, “please say it is not a dream.” She whispered.

[Feorin]

Feorin had probably played this moment through his thoughts a million times in the last year and not even once might he have properly figured out exactly what was going to happen or what even he should say. There was a notion of guilt clinging to his thoughts but the apologies that he'd composed were far from his thoughts when he finally saw her there. He acted on instinct and swept her up in his arms because he just wanted to hold her and reassure her that he was real.

He had no particular perfumes or smells on him but his coat tended to smell faintly of gear grease and cinnamon. Still hugging his gifts to his side he managed a one armed hug and smiled down at her.

"I've missed you so much Lenora." He said softly. "You're not dreaming. I just got into town last night. Where's Seifer? Mmm you smell so nice." He squeezed her again, not wanting to let go. "I um, I'm sorry for just dropping in. I guess I should have sent word I was going to be here. Or did you prefer the surprise? I have a present for you. And one for Seifer too."

He had completely forgotten Bambi with Alsan outside.

[Lenora]

Lenora leaned into him, taking in his scent, cinnamon and something else, but on him it smelt good. She returned the hug and then looked up at him, “I want no gifts other than you.” And she leaned up and kissed him, making up for all the time they were gone.

She had a hundred questions to ask him, where had he gone, did he know how worried she was that he had just disappeared? Yet at the same time she was afraid if she did ask he would be gone, like the many dreams she had had of him.

“I have missed you so much, and yes I am glad of this surprise, it is the best surprise I have ever had.” Then she looked out the window and saw Aslan and some strange Vpera woman.

“You brought Aslan, Talon will be thrilled, there are so few Kirins for him to play with.” She moved him over to a chair and sat him down. “Wait here, do not move.” And she kissed him again, and then turned and stepped out the door.

She went up to the blond hair Vpera and pulled a coin out of a pouch around her waist , took the woman’s hand and placed it in it, and then took Aslan reins, “that will be all, thank you for bring Aslan.” She smile and dismissed the girl.

Lenora quickly took Aslan around the back, “Aslan, I am very happy to see you, but at the moment I want to talk with Feorin a little more.” She lead him through the back gate and took him to the small stall that housed Talon. Seifer looked up, “no time to explain, give him some apples and water, I will be out in a few minutes, I want you to meet someone.”

Then she was gone and heading for the shop through the back door, where she once more flew into Feorin’s arm.

“Now, where were we?”

[Feorin]

Feorin stayed where he'd been put, looking around Lenora's house and recognizing bits and pieces here and there from her old shop in Myanar. He smiled remembering old times and wondering what Lenora was up to.

Bambi was furious. She had assumed that Feorin would introduce her sooner or later but it seemed like the moment he had stepped into the black hole that was Lenora's house he had vanished and she had been left holding the kirin. And then, as if to rub salt on wounds, Lenora had come out and handed her money.

Money? She didn't need money. She wasn't some common servant standing about holding a kirin. While Lenora's back was turned she flung the money at the door to the house before stomping off. Feorin would get an earful later after finding his room trashed. This was far from over.

[Lenora]

Lenora looked down at Feorin, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “You do not know how much I have missed you. And now we have all the time in the world to get to know each other all over again.” She leaned in and touched his nose with hers.
“And don’t worry about Aslan, I took him around back, and he is with Seifer and Talon, he is very safe, and I also paid the Vpera woman, so you don’t have to worry about her either.”
Her smile grew, “I have an idea, why don’t you stay her, I have an extra room, and Seifer would love to have you here as well, and I would love to cook and care for you.”

In truth she did not want him to leave for fear he may not come back to her and she did not want to take the chance of him going and not back like the last time he left.
“And I have room in the back for Aslan as well, and if that is too small, I am sure if I ask Galon will let him stay at his stables, and it will not cost you.” She was trying to cover everything so that he would not be able to say no and leave her again.

[Feorin]

Feorin had been content to remain still and soak in the moment right up until she mentioned paying off the Vpera woman at which point he remembered Bambi.

"Oh no! I completely forgot. I was going to introduce my business partner. That was her..." He got up and hurried to the door peering out to see that Bambi had left already.

"Did she say anything?" He asked Lenora. "She can be temperamental sometimes and I had intended to introduce but... " He sighed. "She really wanted to meet you and Seifer too. You both have been all I could talk about all the way here." He turned his eyes back to Lenora smiling. "I suppose I can introduce her tomorrow and I suppose I could stay here, but we have two rooms at the inn up the road. My things are there. I've got a business now, we sell X't'kr'k-made things. Bambi and I set it all up in Vione and have been very successful. My goal is to set up a shop here in Onise permanently." His eyes lit up. "And then you can see me everyday until you're sick of me."

"Oh..." He pulled out the two presents, offering Lenora her little box. "It didn't seem right turning up without anything at all. You're as beautiful as ever Lenora. I hope you like it."

[Lenora]

Lenora just got up and followed Feorin to the door and looked out also, “I am so sorry, I just thought she was one of the Vpera that do odd jobs around her, that is why I pay her and sent her on her way, I hope she will forgive me.”
At the same time she wonder just how close of partners they were.

But then Feorin was giving her a gift, her face lit up as she took it from him and opened it.
“Oh…Feorin, you shouldn’t of…” she held it out to him and her wrist, “please put it on me.” She beamed at him. “And I will never get sick of seeing you, ever.” And then she hugged him, “I just hope you will never get tired of seeing me.”
She looked down at the bracelet, “look how it sparkles, it truly lovely, you did a good job at picking it out.” Then she made a face, “but I don’t have anything for you… “ she looked around the room, thought about offering him some fudge but thought better of it.
“You will have to tell me how you and Bambi met, I mean if we are to be friends I would like to know all about her.”

[Feorin]

Feorin opted to answer the question with the same innocence (or maybe ignorance) that he perceived it.

"Oh, It's kind of a long story. After New Ethus fell apart I had some emotional issues. I really didn't want to bring them back here to you. I didn't have much money either." That was a sticking point for him. He would not have gone back to Lenora without something in his pockets. She was a hard working woman with a child and he didn't see himself a part of her life without making a significant contribution to their well-being.

"So I rejoined the City Guard in what they're trying to call Myanar these days. It's not the same though. I don't think it ever will be." He frowned. "It was unfulfilling and did little to solve my problems at the time. I wanted to come back here to you but I was working too hard, a lot of manual labor. I didn't like the way they arranged the military structure. The only way I was able to really make a difference was to reclaim my father's title." He chuckled slightly at that.

"So, after fighting with the nobility they imported from the empire for a few months I realized I was getting nowhere, especially after Prince Armaris absconded with Kenshin Marsin. I would have remained if they had insisted on holding the trial. For as little regard as I hold for the man, he did not deserve to be hanged. They may as well have hanged us all."

He realized his words had become somewhat dark and decided to skip ahead. "I went to Vione. I know, it was the wrong direction. I should have come back here but I had heard so much about Vione I had wanted to finally go and see it. The only thing stopping me was distance and Alsan simplified that. Once I'd shed the military I just flew away one day and I didn't look back when I left."

"So I felt as if that unfinished business was closed. I don't think I'll ever free myself of the Empire, especially since it has been quite welcoming to me after all the nonsense in Myanar. They honestly wanted me to stay there. I felt like a stranger in Vione but it was fun, the most fun I have had in awhile. That's where I met Bambi."

"Alsan liked Vione a lot and tended to attract a lot of attention with his antics. Bambi's family had been living in Vione for quite awhile and had made some friends in the X't'k'rk home. I'm not really sure what it's called but her siblings are all deeply involved with helping these strange mechanical people with various kinds of research. She latched onto me at first I think and told me all about the X't'k'rk. She wanted to know about where I had been and what I'd done in the military. We struck up a friendship, talked about what we wanted to do and she suggested this idea of selling toys."

He laughed. "I thought it was crazy but then I started to think about it. There are far worse ways to make a living. It certainly beat out anything I ever did in New Ethus so we decided to give it a test run. It wasn't long before we realized we work pretty well together as a team. We could sell almost anything to anybody." He shrugged and laughed. "So we made a fine bundle and I told her we should move it to Onise, mostly because I wanted to get back to you, but also because there's a bigger market here for the types of things we had to sell."

[Lenora]

Lenora listen to his tail, she wanted to tell him that she did not care if he had money or not, all she cared about was being with him. But at the same time she could understand his need to work things out in his life. Mostly with the empire and his father’s memories, she so just wanted to go to him and hug him and then he started in on Bambi and her family.

She had caught but a glimpse of her as she pay her off, she was pretty, very pretty, so pretty in fact Lenora even wondered a little if maybe Feorin and… Then she just shook her head to rid it of such thoughts.

“So… she latched onto you, and you became good friends.” Lenora moved closer to Feorin, and placed her hands on his shoulders, “Well, I just hope we become just as good of friends as you are…unless she likes women better, then we might not be that close,” she laughed softly.