Beltane festivities of another color

[Darien Kachine]

“I won’t be offended or upset if you don’t want me to,” I told her honestly, smiling. “Or even just not right now.”

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

"Oh, no, you can," I said hastily. "It will be my first time captured by a real artist."

[Darien Kachine]

“Then I am even more honored,” I said, smiling as I withdrew a small pad and a set of charcoals.

“Tell me more about yourself,” I said as I began to sketch.

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

"Well," I said, "I grew up in Namarre, on a small estate in a small town. My mother and I lived with her parents. My grandmother was kind, but my grandfather..." I trailed off. "They say he loved us, but I never saw it. My mother was always afraid of him."

[Darien Kachine]

“I’m sorry,” I said, catching the lines of her emotions on the paper as I sketched. “Do you miss having your family close?”

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

"I miss my mother," I said, "she's alone on the estate now. But we write to each other, and I'll go home to see her in the summer."

[Darien Kachine]

“I can only imagine how hard that must be,” I said, beginning to shade the lines of her hair. “My family is here in the City and I still feel as if I don’t see them enough, especially my sister.”

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

"It is hard," I said, "but I'm 25, it was time for me to leave home."

[Darien Kachine]

Her profile came to life on the page before me, the delicate shape of her mouth a delightful challenge to capture accurately.

“Do you enjoy it here in the City? The overall pace of life here?”

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

I thought. "I like the freedom," I said, "and I enjoy the challenge of keeping a house. But sometimes I feel out of place."

[Darien Kachine]

“Any particular reason or just because it’s so new?” I asked as I moved to fill in the top of her shoulder, the page almost full.

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

"No, it's more..." I struggled for words. "...my nerves."

[Darien Kachine]

“Ah,” I said in complete understanding. The sketch was finished so I set my charcoal aside. “Have you tried anything to help your nerves? I use certain scents at my salon to help promote calm.”

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

Cheerfully, I raised my mug of cider. "This helps. But I'm willing to try anything." I didn't need calm, though, I needed to be bubbly, outgoing. "Can I see it?"

[Darien Kachine]

“Certainly,” I said, smiling and handing her the pad.

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

I examined the picture. "Why, this isn't me," I said. "I'm not this pretty."

[Darien Kachine]

Chuckling, I told her, “Yes you are. I’m rather good at capturing people, and that is exactly how you look.”

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

"No, no, I..." Words failed me and I could only say, "It's a lovely picture. Thank you."

[Darien Kachine]

“You can keep it if you like,” I said, still smiling. It was interesting that she didn’t realize how pretty she truly was. There were some who faked such modesty, but that wasn’t the impression I got from Merav, she really didn’t know.

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

"Oh, thank you," I said, still flabbergasted by the picture. I was sure he'd made me look better than I did, but didn't know how. Artist's tricks, I supposed. Still, it was a lovely picture.

I finished the last of my water, and took a sip of my cider. "Shall we dance again? Is there something else to do?"

[Darien Kachine]

“Here, I have a ribbon to tie it with so it won’t wrinkle,” I said, gently taking the pad back.

“As for other things to do, I suppose it depends on your inclinations,” I said as I removed the sketch from the pad, rolled it into a tube shape and tied it with a bit of red ribbon. “There’s food and a few shoppes are open for browsing. But mostly it drinking, dancing, and then hopes of more intimate encounters.” Smiling i offered her the secured sketch.

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

"Thank you," I said, accepting the rolled up tube. At the words "intimate encounters," my stomach gave a little flutter. I'd been having such a lovely time with him that I wouldn't mind a more "intimate encounter."

"Why don't we take a walk, and see where we end up?"

[Darien Kachine]

“That sounds perfect,” I replied, smiling and tucking my things back into my pockets before standing up and offering her my arm.

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

I stood up, set my mugs down on the bench, and accepted his arm. "Shall we?"

[Darien Kachine]

“Do you have a preference as to which way we head?” I asked, looking left and right.

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

Surreptitiously, I tried to remember the direction he said he lived in. "How about that way?" I said. I could see a jewelry stall, and another covered in sumptuous fabric.

[Darien Kachine]

“That way it is,” I said, smiling as we began to stroll. “Do you get much chance to come down and browse around the shops here?”

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

"Sometimes," I said. "But I live pretty frugally, so I hardly ever get anything." I wasn't exaggerating. Our small income split between two homes meant that shopping was a luxury and not a given.

[Darien Kachine]

“Just looking can be fun, or at least for me,” I said with a laugh. “I tend to do far more looking than buying.”

[Merav Malahi de Valentin]

"As do I," I said, "but more often, I'm passing through than expressly looking."