Fashion and Dumb Maids

[Blue]

It was going to snow. Lady Lucia could tell by looking at the sky. Gray clouds had begun to form over the sky and a still cold filled the afternoon air. Lucia was glad that she had worn her new winter cloak. The fur-rimmed cloak was made just for Day of Worship. It was ash-gray with purple ties. The fur was made from a black bear unlike the foofy white fake fur that some ladies wore. All colors were picked out to pay homage to Talon. Underneath the stylish worship cloak was one of Lucia’s more simple dresses. It was a light shade of plum with white accents on the trim lace. Most of the dress was hidden under the cloak though, only the end skirts showing when she walked. Lucia had made sure to match everything to her dress. Her shoes were an ash gray and blended in with the pebbles on the road. There were two ribbons in her braided hair. One black and one purple. Lucia was ready for Day of Worship. Except for the fact that Lucia was running behind her normal schedule.
 
She had refused to ride in a carriage that day, and now she was feeling the consequence of it. Lucia was never fond of carriages despite her family’s access to them. She much preferred walking in order to notice things that she otherwise wouldn’t be able to see on the carriage. Her mother and father had given up on trying to force Lucia to ride. They settled with Lucia walking with her personal maid.
 
Lucia’s maid was a tiny girl no older than fourteen years of age. The girl was treated to finer servant clothes and decked out in a matching ash-gray with black accents. She followed exactly three paces behind Lucia as the two walked towards the Temple of Talon.
 
Lucia wasn’t overly worried about upsetting Talon by being late to worship. After all, he should be happy she showed up in such a wonderful outfit. Lucia arrived at the temple a few moments later. Nothing of interest had happened during her walk and she wished now that she had taken the carriage. Holding her skirts up a bit so that she wouldn’t trip over the layers, Lucia walked up the entry stairs and past the open doors of the temple.
 
A shrill scream sounded. Lucia’s gray eyes widened with shock from the sound. Turning around swiftly, her hair and braid snapped around in response to the motion. Upon the ground was her maid, having slipped on a morning ice patch. The maid had promptly hit her head on the ground. Lucia gave a soft cry of shock, putting her hands over her mouth in order to stifle the cry. She did not want to disrupt the temple, though she was sure that her maid’s scream had already done that. Lucia walked quickly over to her maid. She stared down at the unconscious girl before looking around.
 
Lady Lucia had no clue what to do.

[Shinola]

Doomdoomdoom.

Most people who came to worship on every seventh day had already departed from the temple, and were on their way home. There may have been a few people around, still, having a private worship in the prayer room, but it wasn\'t many.

However, at the sound of a scream outside the temple doors, there was a brief moment of panic as hushed voiced questioned the air what had happened.

Rin looked up from his hand, in which he was holding feed for the falcon that sat like a permenant fixture on the altar within the prayer room. He put the meal down, and the bird attacked it as if it were alive, even though its eyes were covered with the hood on its head.

The overseer adjusted the folds of his robes as he walked quickly down the aisle, hurrying to the foyer and then outside. He peered down the steps at the fallen maid. Oh... That was all. He had been worried. At least it was not violent happenings outside his temple. He corrected his thoughts. At least it was not violent happenings outside Talon\'s temple. There.

He looked to the steps a little apprehensively, seeing how the young girl had slipped and fallen so painfully. "Is she all right?" he called to Lucia in his usual quiet tones as he walked down carefully, placing his boots with much care and thought.

[Blue]

"Is she all right?" At the voice, Lucia twirled around to look at the source. Her sultry eyes were anxious and she kept a gloved hand delicately at her mouth.
 
Lucia\'s gaze scanned the man. She recognized him as the overseer for Talon\'s temple. Many rumors were circulated between young women of the people that worked at Talon\'s temple. These rumors gnawed at Lucia\'s thoughts as she watched the man walk down the steps.
 
"I do not know." Lucia answered hesitantly. She looked back at her unconscious maid. If Lucia hadn\'t been in a hoopskirt, corset, and other confining features of a lady\'s dress, she would have by now bent down to check her maid\'s condition. Instead Lucia stood there, looking helpless.
 
"I believe she may have hit her head, sir." Lucia\'s words were polite but her tone was anxious. Despite the girl being just a maid, it was her personal maid. If her personal maid would to be hurt, then Lucia wouldn\'t be allowed to go walking for a while.
 
She suspected the tall overseer would help her. After all, he was a religious man.

[Shinola]

Rin joined Lucia on the opposite side of the girl, smiling slightly at the lady. Unlike her, he did not have any tight, restricting clothing to consider. All he had was his robes and some normal, comfortable clothes. Therefore, he immediately bent down, crouching next to the young maid and putting the back of his hand against her cold cheek and under her nose. She was breathing. That was good. But, he had no medical training. He was simply a man of religion. There wasn\'t much he could do other than get her inside.

Straightening up, he looked to the entrance, motioning to some of the people who had come to see what was going on, calling one or two to help the girl inside. Two men came out, and lifted the girl up, carrying her into the temple foyer.

"The best we can do is wait for her to wake up," he said softly, nodding to Lucia as he followed the men and the girl into the temple. They placed her on one of the back benches in the prayer room and, believing their jobs complete, went back to their own quiet worship. Now that they knew what had happened, they had no other real worry about it. Nor did anyone else. As was the case with any normal human being. Curiosity simply had to be satisfied.

[Blue]

Lucia watched the man\'s movements as he checked the maid\'s condition. She made a mental note of how to check for breathing. Lucia wondered why the touch on the cheek was necessary. Perhaps to check for temperature. Her ponderings were cut short. She stepped to the side allowing the two men to help carry the maid in.
 
"The best we can do is wait for her to wake up," Lucia looked over at the man at this. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again deciding to follow first. Gathering her skirt up, she walked after the others. Once in the the room, she let her skirts fall back down, covering her feet. Lucia looked at her unconscious maid before bringing her gaze to the overseer.
 
"Thank you so much." Lucia began with a sincere, polite tone of voice, "May I ask for your name in order so that I can thank you properly." She would tell her father of the overseer\'s help and Lucia was sure that he would do something to repay the act of carrying the maid in. Most likely a donation to the temple. Lucia folded her hands in front of her, her cloak sliding off her shoulders so that the front of her light plum dress was shown. It had black laces in a corset fashion in the front. She offered a sweet smile, waiting for the man\'s reply.

[Shinola]

"Let us speak in the foyer," Rin said quietly, putting a light hand on Lucia\'s back, guiding her out of the prayer room. The girl would be all right on her own, for now, he was sure. He did not want to disturb the faithful followers as they offered their prayers to the God of Death any more than they had been already.

Once they were out into the next room, he folded his hands together in front of him, turning towards the lady. It was odd, to him, for someone to ask his name. Most already knew it, and it had been some time since he had to repeat it. He took in all her clothing and features without moving his eyes, having them remain still on her face. A very... Dedicated follower of Talon? he wondered idly. It was not every day you met someone with such a specific wardrobe on the Day of Worship. She looked like she lived for the day. Well... He simply put those wonderings to the side and his smile grew wider for a brief instant.

"My name is Rin Althus the Ordained," he answered her simply, giving her a very slight bow of his head. He did not address her statement of thanks, believing that it was the least he could do. He could not have just left her out there in front of the temple. No, that wouldn\'t do at all. "And your name...?" he questioned.

[Blue]

"Let us speak in the foyer," Lucia\'s cheeks turned a rosy pink. She looked around the room, trying to spot if she had disturbed anyones prayers. Lucia was embarrassed at having spoken in such a place when she should have known better. Nodding in response to the man\'s comment, Lucia followed him out to the foyer. Her last glance in the prayer room was to her unconcious maid.
 
Lucia watched the tall man, still waiting for an answer. She also was analyzing him at the moment. He had to be old. Most likely over thirty. But then again, he didn\'t look too old. Lucia took a guess at the age of late thirties perhaps. He looked younger than her father, but older than her cousin. Then again, she wasn\'t the best at guessing people\'s ages.
 
The lady waved aside the age guessing when the overseer opened his mouth to reply. She placed her concentration of listening to his reply. "My name is Rin Althus the Ordained," The name sounded familiar and Lucia was sure she had heard it before in gossip or family talk.
 
When the man asked for her own name, she offered a bright smile, "Lady Lucia Callaghan, first daughter of Duke Callaghan." Lightly holding the sides of her skirt, she curtsied gracefully. The entire introduction was graceful. Lucia was use to giving it at many parties.

[Shinola]

It never ceased to amuse Rin how nobles introduced themselves. It was always so elaborate and mechanical. Oversaid. Like a memorized script in a play. The curties and the bows. He supposed that that was the way it was, though. He had always been a part of it, himself, even. But for the past while, he had done more of watching it than participating in it.

However amused he may be, though, his face never changed, nodding at her.

"It is unfortunate that we should meet under such circumstances," he commented. He was sure he knew that name - Callaghan, that is - though her own name eluded him. Well, even so, now he knew it and it was unlikely that he would forget. "Tell me; were you on your way to, or from, the temple?" he questioned, curious. He did not remember seeing her face in the late-leavers, and had little doubt that she was simply late for the usual gathering. "If it was the latter, I am afraid the sermon was ended... Though, of course, you are welcome to remain for personal prayer..." he added with a smile.

[Blue]

Lucia listened with concentration to Althus\'s words. At the question of whether or not she was leaving or arriving, Lucia blushed. Putting a hand on her flushed cheek, she felt embarrassment again. She was just being a clutz today. The lady didn\'t know she had been that late to the sermon. Now that Althus said it, she did notice that it was obviously after the sermon.
 
"I\'m sorry." She began. If there was anyone she should apologize to for being late it was the overseer of the temple, "I didn\'t take a carriage today and was running late." Lucia made sure to choose her words carefully. She really wanted to say \'that damnable carriage\' but knew that probably wouldn\'t be the best to say.
 
The lady curtsied again in apology, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Sir Althus." She smiled again. A strand of brown hair had escaped her braid from all the walking and now fell in front of her face. Lucia looked at the silky strand before tucking it behind her ear. She brought her gaze back to Rin, her gray eyes staring straight into his own eyes. Lucia continued with her polite good-byes, "I thank you again for your help. I should go pray now." She had a lot of praying to do for being so late.

[Shinola]

Rin nodded in reply, smiling. "Yes, that would be wise. I am sure that the good Lord Talon will understand," he added. He gave her a small bow of his head. "I should get back to my own duties," he commented quietly.

"Please have a good day," he said finally, and turned inside to continue back into the prayer room, going back to what he had been doing.

[omg writer\'s block]

[Blue]

Lucia watched the overseer walk off. She gave a little curtsy in good-bye. The lady wondered what duties an overseer had. He must keep the temple clean most likely, but what dirtied a temple but dust? She walked up the steps towards the prayer room, her mind whirling with thoughts. Maybe his duties were actually just praying for all the poor souls that worshipped Adora.
 
Lucia entered the prayer room, first noticing her maid. The maid seemed to have come too and was sitting in the wooden bench staring ahead with a dazed sort of look. Lucia glanced at the back of Rin as he walked away before tiptoing towards the maid.
 
"Fannie, are you okay?" She asked the girl in a hushed tone. The maid nodded before apologizing for troubling Lucia. Lucia forgave her and went to sit a couple of pews ahead. She sauntered between the wooden benches until finding a good spot. With some difficulty that had been eased through years of doing so, Lucia sat down on the hard bench. She placed her hands together in prayer. The lady\'s gray eyes closed. Though after a few silent moments, she opened one of them to try and spot Rin.
 
Lucia was curious about his life now. Before she hadn\'t really thought about the temple or the people inside. Talon was just someone she had to worship just like every other etiquette she learned. Rumors of everything from beatings to mice infestations about the temples didn\'t peak her interest. But the meeting with the overseer had.
 
He wasn\'t an overly special person, but that\'s what brought Lucia\'s attention the most. A person that runs the temple should have somewhat of a grandeur air. Of course that was her opinion. And so she wondered, why exactly this man was in charge of the temple. Was he born into it? Did he choose religion from a life of crime? Perhaps he had a daunting tale of how religion was his savior. Lucia thought back to a case study she had read a while back about some commoner claiming that he wouldn\'t murder another woman because he converted to Talon. The young woman made a mental note to come back late the next Day of Worship.

[Shinola]

Meeting with a small group of zealots and acolytes at front corner, Rin listened as they recounted issues to him. He rarely offered a word in return, simply nodding when any one of their voices raised in a question. He was quickly finished with issues of money -- it was never too much of an issue, really. He rarely worried about money within the temple. He finished with discussing supplies. He was handed a book with all the numbers recorded for the week, and he tucked it under his arm to put it away upstairs later. His face remained in a very neutral position. The followers of Talon left him after a short time with instructions for the day, and he walked down the aisle again, ready to meet with another person who would relay to him other information from other parts of Oberon.

With information from the palace itself.

A daily occurance. This was what he did. He gathered information, he made sure the temple ran properly. On other days he dealt with nobles, royalty. Today was quiet, though. Happily quiet.

Passing Lucia on his way towards the foyer, he glanced towards her, then her maid, hardly moving his eyes, and never turning his head. An interesting occurance, today. At least the young girl had not been hurt too badly.

[Blue]

Lucia had been watching Rin the entire time instead of praying. When she noticed him begin to walk over towards the pews, she quickly closed her eyes and bent her head in prayer. It was an empty prayer though and after a few moments, she opened one eye to check where Rin was. Noticing he was walking into the foyer, she sighed. Lucia turned back to look at the temple. A sudden sort of dread filled her.
 
Talon was probably mad at her. Grimacing at the thought, she bent her head in prayer for real and spent minutes asking forgiveness and mercy and all that good stuff she was taught in her education. When Lucia was done, she quickly stood up. Brushing her dress off, she walked over to her maid. The maid was doing quite fine but looking awkward in the temple of Talon. Lucia didn\'t speak to the maid but just continued walking.
 
She hoped to speak to the overseer before leaving. Lucia was still curious about his job. Her studies never taught her what religious overseers really do. It didn\'t sound like a hard job but yet was treated with so much respect there had to be something about it that made it special. However, the foyer was empty and Lucia had no choice but go home.
 
Lucia headed home for that day with her maid, deciding to go try and find some books on religion to read for the rest of the evening.
 
-END-