A Gentle Rapping, Rapping At My Cottage Door

It was .. meant to be a bit of a tease, sorry. Won't do it again. The humor had fallen flat, there was no laugh, nor even humor in his eye as he tried to flee her, so she let go when he pushed her hand away. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her skirt after she got up off the floor, following him to the door way, Aye, work. Another new gear for Nairn. And my hand crossbows, I got work to do. You're right.

She winced at the "idiot", frowning a bit at how it landed. Frowning more that it stung a little bit. You are still welcome any time Ruth. Stay safe out there. If you get too cold the door will be open, like I said. No one.. tries to rob the angry dwarf after all. She felt mortified as she waved him off, pulling the edges of her shirt up, damn the heat, and buttoning them up completely to her throat once he vanished around the bend. She didn't even have the excuse of spider venom.

Stepping back inside the cottage, she closed the door, mindful not to latch the lock, before she went to her workbench and pulled over a fine bit of titanium, not realizing there was a tear rolling down her cheek, until it splattered on the paper schematic below. Alone, she swiped angry at her cheeks as the familiar emptiness of loneliness settled back in, turning away from the bench to choke down the sob, to tense up her shoulders to not let them shake. She told herself firmly to stop being so weak, and when it all finally passed, when she was certain she could hold the tears in, the sob that still sat in her throat wouldn't make an appearance, did she finally turn back to her work, sliding her glasses on, and throwing herself headlong into the work ahead.

~Fin.~

@Ruth Yoesif