A Handle For A Door

[Sjira]

(Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 10:37 pm )
[Kruger's Post]

The rope latch would not do, winters were harsh in Rhy'Din. When he had arrived that night, he had found the door unlatched, and she had fallen asleep without benefit of a fire. The dangerous combination had determined him to make her a latch that hooked when she pushed the door closed. He was no carpenter, if he needed to have something built, he would get qualified to do the job. This would be no problem though, simple handyman things he could do fairly well.

A clamp and a wood drill would start the process, a few dome head bolts cost very little, but the trick was to make it able to be opened from the outside. A latch to tall would force S?jira to go in through the window. Not something he wanted for her, so he was very careful with his measurements. The wood of the doorway was solid and gave a good bite for the screws.

S'jira was tending to Trygg in the barn while he worked, he could spot her from time to time as she moved in and out of the little stall. Trygg was nosing around for the best foliage he could scrounge on the winter ground. He felt a little twinge of guilt as he worked; he hadn't exactly asked her if she wanted him to do this for her. That smile of hers when he announced he intention had clouded his head with a smugness that was not characteristic of him. It wasn't his place to make changes to this little cottage unasked for. He needed to be very careful how he proceeded with S'jira. The last thing he was after was to make her feel as though she had no say in things that were hers. He felt so natural taking up that roll that some days he needed to check all his decisions twice.

Kruger wanted to fill a roll for her; she had unwittingly pulled the blinders off of the cart horse and showed him there was a world that existed beyond what lay in front of him. He checked the action of the handles to see if they would raise the latch far enough to allow the door to swing freely. Satisfied that it was working he made the final check and closed the door behind him and tried to open it from the outside. The latch gave way and the door opened easily, he looked to see that S'jira was watching so he gave her a "Tada" pose.

[Sjira]

(Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:38 pm)
[S'jira's Post]

Touch. It was a gentle and softly passing thing from Trygg's equine muzzle and up under his chin before her hand fell away. She had spent a bit of time in the unimpressive stable area before she moved towards the door of the barn.

From there, the small one had watched the Blacksmith. Strength in hands and form were seen. Certainty of stance and the making of friends even with the strangest of strangers. And there was about him that way with magic, enough so that his words and song brought encouragement to fire itself to dance. Or so it seemed, to her.

He was not the most extravagant of men, not dripping of wealth or tossing magic about with the flick of hand or wand. And yet there was something that drew attention from her to him, time and time again.

The chill was still on the air lately and kept the cloak that Katt had given her about self nearly habitually those days. While hands beneath the good, earthy brown cloth drew it back up about her shoulders and tucked beneath the small curve of her chin, she stared. Not out of shock but gentled delight.

He was fixing the toggle sort of lock that had secured the little cottage's door since before the meager dwelling had been bought by her. It was her home now and there was much to do with it, to fix it as well as to make it a touch more hers.

But she was not thinking of all of these things, but of Kruger as he saw to a better-fashioned lock for that door's way. He could have been repaning a window or helping to bundle some thatch for the roof and 'jira would have been just as contented to watch him.

A heart lightened and eased, more and more.

And when he turned and gave to her that pose of 'ta-da', she could not help but to laugh aloud. The barn was then closed and she made her way towards him -- as if she had done so for years; content and fully of life.