Participles and Portents (74)

Unwinding the Wind

Morning came quickly.  It did not sneak in. It was certainly no cunning thief slipping the night away from them.  It was more like a mugger that suddenly was upon them, brash and bold and forceful in its demands.  Though the light had barely broken, they felt its urgent press, the need to move as sharp as the unseen mugger's knife resting at each of their necks.  They packed quickly and quietly.  The only words came when Fiona refused to hand the indigo scarf over to Lin for keeping with the others.  She assured Lin that it was what they had sought, but she would not be parted from it.

Roary loaded the packs into the car as Lin made coffee and poured the steaming brew into the paper cups that had been set out for them.  She poured an extra one, thinking that whoever needed it most would have a bit more on the road.  Fiona's was black and strong, just the way she liked it.   She added honey and milk to Roary's and raw sugar and milk to her own.  She looked about and found some dry creamer put two packets in her pocket and added two of the raw sugar packets.  It might not be exactly the way he liked it, but it would do.  She carried the bagged breakfasts out to the car and then went back for the coffee.  Fiona had two of the cups in hand, both black, and seemed to be in good spirits.  Lin slipped in to get the last two. 

Roary was in the kitchen sipping on his.  He put down the cup when he saw her and let a grin slowly spread over his face.  The obnoxious opening pace of the day broke, shattered into little fragments of light in that simple gesture.  Lin lifted her cup in a quick toast and then slid in for a hug, resting her head on his chest.  How had it come so fast, this feeling like this was natural, she wondered?  "The road calls," she mouthed into his shirt. "Aye, that it does, and we should be on it," he rumbled back.  She turned in his arms and they strode from the bed and breakfast linked together.  Roary leaned back with his free hand and closed the door behind him, then pulled Lin back snug against him as they walked the rest of the way to the car.  Fiona leaned there, drinking from one cup, the other resting on the roof of the car.  She took in the look of them together, smiled, and turned to climb in.

"It would appear that yer mother has not a problem with the two of us."

Lin pulled away just a bit.  "Perhaps, or maybe she is stll caught up in whatever happened yesterday.  I just am not really sure how in the moment she is right now.  I mean I know she is aware of the need to get back and everything, but something really happened, something that really touched her."

"I ken what you mean, I can see she's distracted.  But I think perhaps she is happy in some new way as well."

They exchanged a long glance and got into the car.  "Ready?" asked Roary.

Without wating for an answer, he started the engine and set off toward where they had started, and where they all hoped their journey would find the ending they truly sought.   Soon the bed and breakfast was lost behind them, the road became a ribbon of grey unwinding in the steady wind of their passage home.