milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Sheemie is in the bar once again, sitting at a table with a small pile of seed packets. If he could write, he'd be writing names on them. As it is, he's just going to hand them out his own self.

Come talk to him.

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A somewhat tired looking young woman with a cup of tea comes cautiously over to the table. "Good morning. It's Sheemie, isn't it? I'm Amy, we met once before, some time ago."

He nods, remembering. "Aye - outside. Long days and pleasant nights, sai Amy."

"And may you have twice the number," she says. She lets a moment pass and then adds, "I'm a friend of Susan's."

She does not add, and I know, but it's implied.

"How is Capi?"

"He's well. Sleeping." There's a pause, then, "Have'ee spoken with sai Susan lately?"

"Yes," she says. "The last time I was in the bar. Two night ago." There's another pause. "She told me."

It's the reason, actually, that Amy looks as tired as she does. Because in addition to being Susan's friend, Amy is Caspian's sister, and it's a lot to worry about.

There's only one thing she can mean. He looks down.

"Say sorry."

Amy shrugs, and stares at her tea for a moment. "If you have to leave, you have to leave. And we'll miss her, but we'll see her again. Someday, right?"

She looks up, and tries to smile. "I'm sorry to bother you, I just . . ." she trails off, shaking her head slightly and shrugging again.

"I'm sorry this is the first chance I've had to talk to you again."

"Thee're no bother", he assures her. "Never in life. And aye, we'll meet again. In time."

"Of course we will," she says. Amy genuinely believes that. She uses a different name than the clearing at the end of the path, but she's certain it's all the same thing.

She casts around for some other topic and spots the seed packets. "Are you planting a garden?" It seems an odd time, and not just because he's leaving. It's fall, after all.

He shakes his head. "Nay, Amy-sai. These are for next year, to give to those as will."

"Oh. That's thoughtful of you," she says.

He looks at the seeds wistfully.

"I'd have the silkflowers grow again."

"I'm afraid I don't know what they look like, but the name is lovely. And the gardeners here seem quite talented."

He nods. "Aye. It's to them I'll give these."

"I'll look for them in the garden next year, then. Can you tell me about what time they bloom? And what they look like? So I'll know what to watch for?"

He describes the flowers ~~even though his author never bothered~~.

"They bloom in the summer."

~~Ah, the things authors leave out. Though you'd think, in those thousands of pages, he'd have had ample opportunity.~~

"They sound beautiful. I'll watch for them."

There's a little more to it than just watching for the flowers. But Amy doesn't go into it.

"They grew in Mid-World", he tells her softly. "In Hambry, and in Gilead."

She smiles, gently. "Is one of those your home? Hambry or Gilead?"

"Both were. I were born in Hambry, but I went to Gilead after..."

Amy notices the change in verb tenses from her question to his answer. She bites her lip.

"Susan has told me a little of Mejis, and of the Drop. But I don't know very much else about Mid-World, I'm afraid."

He smiles, a little, wistfully.

"Gilead were... like no place I ever saw. A fine city..."

"If you'd like to talk about it, I'm happy to listen," she says.

"It's long and long since I were there. Even before my world moved on..."

"Your world moved on? The entire world?"

"It did, aye. Gilead burned and the world changed."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

She cannot imagine it.

"So very sorry."

He offers a small - very small - reassuring smile.

"Say thankya for it, Amy-sai. But it were long ago."

She smiles, and it's small as well, in response. And perhaps understands a little better why they need to move on themselves.

"I should go find my brother," she says. "But thank you, Sheemie, for your time, and the conversation. And I'll look for your flowers come summer."

He nods. "Fare thee well, Amy-sai. I'll see thee again here, mayhap."

"I hope so. Have a good day, Sheemie."

And she's gone.

Faith is nearby, with a nosebleed and a pained expression.

When she sees Sheemie, she finds a small smile, and waves.

He waves back, but his own smile fades rapidly when he notices the nosebleed. He hurries over.

"Are thee well, sai Faith?"

Faith's smile falters, and she shrugs, slightly.

"Not especially. Something's happened, and...well, my brain's doing things it shouldn't be. Ergo nosebleed."

Beat.

"I talked to Cuthbert."

He puts two and two together and comes up with... something.

"Did'ee use too much power?" Hearing the last, he looks at her carefully. "He told thee...?"

"I didn't do it. It was done to me," Faith says. "But something like that, yeah."

Then she nods. "He did."

"Then'ee know why."

"I do. I understand. I'll miss you, all of you, but I understand."

He reaches out to her silently.

Faith embraces him, equally silently, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Ye'll be told, when it's our time", he says softly. "We'd not go without such."

"I know."

He just holds her, for a while.

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