User blog:Leea/The Tale of Voronwe, Chapter 82

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4th Era 171, 7th of Second Seed, Pyandonea
He thought he'd cleaned up all the shards, but was on his hands and knees with the broom and pan anyway, looking carefully for any stray fragments. He didn't want a parishoner to injured by his mistake, either. He'd combed the main "crash site" and thought he'd found them all, when he found another on the second step leading down to the basement. Must have been tracked there by Balasian or Curwe, he winced. Orthendar didn't leave behind physical traces, so it couldn't have been him. Of course, there wouldn't have been any shards in the first place if he hadn't dropped the plate, but how could he have been prepared for the event that caused it? Some of what Curwe had said was right (tossing or dropping things in surprise), and that made him feel a little better. Still...the plate had been an antique - even in an Elf's eyes - and now it was gone. 450 years was a long time for delicate glass to be around (even without chips and hairline cracks), and now it was irrepairably broken. The only solution was to buy another one. A wooden one, just in case he dropped it again.

He was just picking up the shard when he heard footsteps enter the temple room. He was about to call out and ask who it was when he heard her voice.

"Dear Mara! Talgando, what's wrong? Why are you on your hands and knees? Did you fall?" Alana cried frantically, rushing up to him.

"Don't come any closer!" he urgently called out, halting her progress. "I dropped the collection plate, and it shattered into more pieces than I thought possible. I'm cleaning them up, and looking for stray ones." He glanced up. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

Now reasonably assured of his wellbeing - it had been quite the shock seeing him on the floor on his hands and knees staring at something she couldn't see - Alana frowned and asked, "How did you drop the plate? You always carry it like a newborn child."

Much to her puzzlement, he smiled a little. Why would he smile about the treasured plate?

"We have unexpected - but welcome - visitors. It is someone we have not seen for many years, and someone we have always heard about. The shock and surprise at seeing them in the temple was what caused me to drop the plate."

Her frown and puzzlement deepened. "I've never known you to be vague in all the years I've known you."

Talgando's smile grew by a fraction. He seemed giddy, which was out-of-character. "No, I guess I haven't." He rose, the broom and dustpan still in hand. He handled the pan with particular care, as it contained the remnants of the former collection plate. Dropping or spilling some of the contents meant potential cut feet - though he'd managed to avoid that - and more mess. Not to mention the embarrassment all over again, and more apologies for more mess. "Breaking the plate was worth seeing our visitors, though," he continued, meeting her eyes. She saw the sparkle there; his excitement. "I told them to wait in the basement for you."

Her eyebrows popped. "What?" she exclaimed. "They've been waiting for me? Why didn't you tell me in the first place? How long have they been there?"

"Not long," he assured her, carefully tipping the dustpan's contents into the ornate trash receptacle in a corner. As it was so beautiful - the carved wood emblazoned with woodland scenes - no one cared about having it there. It was a plus that it was enchanted to emit a pleasant fragrance and to regularily transport its contents to a dump, which negated the need to lift and carry the heavy thing. "Five minutes at most."

Still eyeing him with suspicion and puzzlement, she retrieved the cloth bags she had filled with the goods she had bought in town. As she headed for the door to the staircase, Talgando called out behind her.

"You...did you buy anything glass?" he asked tentatively.

She turned around. "No. No glass. So neither you or I have to worry about more glass fragments if I drop these in surprise from seeing our mystery guests." she said dryly.

He smiled. "Good...good." before himself turning to put away the broom and dustpan which he still carried.

Wondering why in Mara's name Talgando was being so out-of-character all of a sudden - but not wanting to get into a "discussion" about it - Alana ruminated over this as she made her way down the steps to the living quarters.