The Smallest Gift is Kindness

Writers: Len, Miriah
Date Posted: 6th October 2012

Characters: Karhal, Halah
Description: Karhal gives Halah a gift from his wife
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 10, day 3 of Turn 6

Karhal

Just coming off duty Karhal stepped into his small home, tired and
ready to sit down for a few moments before he started
his evening run. Livie tread silently behind him, then paused,
giving a soft growl of alert. Karhal's head went up, eyes immediately
alert, then relaxed and shushed his canine. It was only a drudge,
obviously having come in to tidy up. His mind searched for her name
and found it. Halah, he believed.

He wasn't surprised she was here, though normally very tidy,
his room was filled with boxes and crates full of Orhla's things
that he was still sorting. His voice was slightly gruff. "Halah,
isn't it? You can stop. I can finish the rest."

"It is, sir." She did as he asked and looked around at him. Ah, it
was the man some of her sister's friends had been gossiping over, the
one that was long overdue a new wife. Waving at the boxes, she added,
"do you want me to get rid of any of these?"

Frowning, he shook his head. "No, they'll be going to Zelanka to
distribute." He sat, shrugging off his jacket and laying it over the
back of his chair behind him. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, then
looked over at the drudge.
He'd seen her before, but had never really looked at her. He frowned
for a moment, taking in the obvious lack of care in her appearance. He
suddenly stood and moved over to a smaller box. "Halah, come here for
a moment, please."

Halah stiffened at that but came over, a wary look on her face. He
was, after all, much older and much bigger than her. She wondered
what he had in mind.

Karhal looked and actually looked mildly offended at the wary look on
her face. Shaking his head, he spoke firmly. "For Faranth's sake,
girl, I'm not going to hurt you." His lips were thin as he dug through
a box and came up with several hair combs and clips. Some were
only made of pretty woods, but a couple were decorated with
semi-precious stones and glass beads.
"Take these. They're yours." He turned to look at Halah, his
brow knit. "My wife would have said that you have a pretty
face and you should show it."

Halah's jaw dropped when he showed them to her and said they were
her's. With shaking hands she took them gently from him and held them
up to the light. Never had she owned so much as a single item of any
value! "S-sir, these are too grand for me! But thank you!"

"Do what you'd like with them, but just for yourself. They are yours.
All I ask is that you enjoy them." He gave a brief smile. "You're
welcome." He moved to sit down, then rested his elbows on his knees.

Awestruck, she slipped the headscarf off her long blond hair and
walked over to the nearest mirror to hold them up to her head. With
her sister at the cot, and her parents, finding the time alone to see
what they looked like--what she looked like with something nice for
the first time in her young life--would be hard to find. The stones
felt soft under her work roughened fingers. She just wanted to see
what they looked like.

His lips lifted for a moment of warmth. "They look nice on you." He
paused and tilted his head. "With your hair done, your chin up, and a smile
I'm sure they would look even better. "

She blushed. "I don't know about that, sir. Maybe you have me mistaken for
my sister."

Karhal shrugged. "Perhaps. It was just a thought." He brushed it away and
then rubbed his temples, his moment of kindness fading with the onset of
another headache. "You can leave now, Halah. Just don't lose those."

"Yes, sir. And...thank you." Her gift in hand, the girl fled the room.

Last updated on the November 17th 2012

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The Smallest Gift is Kindness