Gwenn grinned. "I'm glad ye asked that. If ye accept, 'twill give ye an opportunity to meet the Damisela Leynier for yourself. There is a ball being given by Dom Auster Elhalyn of Stone Haven in honor of his newly-named heir, Domna Javanne Alar y Lanart at the castle. If ye dinna accept, then your poor bredu will ha' nae one exceptin' the damisela to dance wi' him." Gwenn gave Kay a puppy-dog look, but he couldn't keep a pitiful look for long.
Kay stared at him for several long moments before being able to find her voice. "By all that's holy, Gwenn MacConal, ye never cease to surprise me, bredilu", she exclaimed, "I said that I trusted ye enough to follow ye through the nine hells and guard yer back ... and now ye ask me to PROVE it ... ".
It was just too much. Kay cracked up laughing. Her new oath-brother was full of surprises. Not only had he proposed going among the very group she'd grown up thinking were the worst sort of monsters imaginable. But all he was worried about was his possible lack of dance partners ...
Gwenn grinned at her, "Bredilla, a Ball among the Comyn would only count as Zandru's second hell!" Gwenn laughed, then reasuurred her "It won't all be Comyn -- there'll be guardsmen an' others there as well. So do your new-found brother a favor by allowing him to escort ye to your first Darkovan Ball!"
Once Kay managed to catch her breath, she leaned over and hugged Gwenn again. "Of course I'll come with ye", she told him between giggles, "I'll put on a fine dress and ye can teach me dance steps. I'll be sociable with yer breda. And I'll even dance with yer bredu if he asks it of me".
"Breda, Jake is nae my bredu, he's simply a good friend", Gwenn corrected her. We've sworn nae oath other than the one to the Guard. Besides, the only knife I ha'e to trade is the one I gave you!". Kay shrugged, "My mistake then. But any good friend of yours must be a good lad. And I'll need SOMEONE decent to dance with, while ye dance with the damisela Leynier, will I not ?".
Gwenn grinned. "Aye," he said, "But I doubt ye'll ha'e a lack o' volunteers!" "But 'twould nae be proper for me to dance wi' a complete stranger, would it ? As my gran used to say, sometimes the fairest-seeming fruit can prove full of rot within", came an impish reply in return. "O' course not!" Gwenn replied with mock-indignation. "They'll ha'e to wrangle an introduction to _me_ and if I approve, then I'll introduce 'em to you!"
A mischievous grin spread across Kay's face. Giving Gwenn one of her best innocent-but-stubborn looks, she insisted "As the nearest member of your family ... and since ye admit to having only one knife ... it would then be proper for me to gift ye wi' a blade of your very own. And if that's nae a good enough reason for ye, then ye must accept it as a gift from a sister to her new brother... And anyways, 'twould nae be proper for ye to walk around with fewer knives than I, would it ?". She giggled at the expression on his face, wondering if he'd dare to ask how many knives she had.
Gwenn was flabbergasted. He was unable to speak for several minutes and his face turned keeper-crimson as he stuttered, "B-b-b-b....". Finally he found his voice, "But _I'm_ supposed to care for _you_. Kay giggled so hard that she almost fell off her chair. This was the same shocked-almost-spechless look that her father had given her many, many times in her younger years. As usual, SHE didn't think she'd done anything particularly outrageous to deserve it.
"And just how would my gifting ye with a knife impair that ? I would ha' thought it would be just the opposite ...", she challenged, still giving him her best look of wide-eyed innocence (but with the slightest hint of a barely-repressed snicker). Just to be even more of a tease, she added "... and my gran always said 'tis an insult to refuse tae accept a gift, even if 'twill be passed on to another".
Gwenn was stumped. There would be no way out of it. Still, he tried. "B-but ye _would_ be providin' for me...." Gwenn trailed off, unable in his distress to summon a more persuasive arguement. "Aye," he continued in a very soft voice when his weak arguement only garnered a stare, "'twould be an insult to refuse. But such a gift...." Gwenn looked as though he'd just lost his favorite pet rabbithorn.
"Gwenn ... bredyu meo ...", Kay said softly, still not completely understanding why he looked sad rather than pleased. "I ken that it is perhaps not the way in which things are done here between brother and sister. But it is the way I was raised, and I canna put such a belief aside. Where I grew up, folks who were beloved siblings of each other, SHARED freely with each other", she protested, trying to explain things better."It is a sign of great caring and trust. As such, it makes ye MORE of a man in my eyes, not less. If ye could accept one of the two objects I value more than anything else I've ever owned, how could ye say me nay to the offer of anything less ?"
Distressed rather than sad, Gwenn didn't know how to explain it. "Aye, Kay, we share here, too. But such a gift...." Gwenn searched for the words to explain, but found none. "I canna' explain it. If ye will it, I cannae refuse." He chastely kissed her cheek as he would his own sisters, since that was what she now was. "Thank-you, chiya."
Then another thought suddenly occurred to him. "An' how many knives can ye have on ye?" Gwenn exclaimed as he looked at her, trying to figure out where she could have hidden knives. His voice rose even higher in his embarrassment. She giggled. "Just one more ... and I'll even gi' ye a hint where ...", came a very mischievous reply.
Kay patted the sheath which held Rory's knife openly at her waist. "D'ye recall ...", she giggled, barely able to get the words out, "... from where I pulled out THIS sheath ? ... the other's ... even higher up ...", she teased. One of her small hands reached to the left-side hem of her skirt and ever so slowly, began to gradually slide it upwards. "Please, breda," Gwenn said, unable to endure his distress and embarrassement, "nae more! I dinna' need tae know. Truly!".
Bubbling over in impish giggles, Kay dropped the hem of her skirt. All she'd bared was an ankle and at most perhaps an inch or two of firm calf. Such a fuss over something so little. Goddess only knew what he'd have done if she'd lifted it high enough to show where the sheath of her grandfather's knife clung in its harness just above her left knee. And it wasn't as if her leg was disgusting in any sort of way. Gwenn sighed with relief. The blush in his cheeks faded as the conversation moved on to more mundane things.
All the merriment was abruptly wiped off Kay's face, as she remembered something she'd forgotten to mention. She continued in an entirely serious tone "Your oath-kin and friends are one matter. But as for the rest of the Comyn, I can promise ye only to show enough politeness to nae shame ye. Any indivudual among them must prove themself worthy of my friendship/trust/respect if they wish it".
"I wouldnae ask more than that ye be polite." Gwenn's eyes twinkled as he added, "An' that ye cover your neck, and don't stare so much at the lads, or be too forward wi' them, or show your legs, and don't talk to anyone a'fore I introduce ye to them, an'....". A flurry of laughter interupted him. "Just for that, I ought to ask ye to come here early --- to help me fasten my dress, to straighten my petticoat and to fix my hair for me", she teased back.
Without waiting to see if he was starting to blush, Kay got up, walked to the closet door, slid it aside, and carefully pulled out two dresses -- one green velvet with small embroidered copper butterflies, the other a burgundy silk brocade. Holding one in each hand, Kay turned and inquired "These are the only two dresses I have. Which one do you think I should wear ? The green is from MacDoevid's Tailorshop, and I made the wine-coloured one myself a couple of winters ago. And should I add a shawl, or gloves ?".
[OOC: The burgundy dress is the one shown on Kay's home page (http://www.geocities.com/kit_no_spam ) ... the green one is decribed in the thread called "Kay chooses a dress") in the post at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/darkover-rpg-l/message/31761 and is based roughly on simplicity pattern 9891 http://www.simplicity.com/assets/9891/9891t.jpg ]
Gwenn touched the burgandy dress and said, "That one looks too cold, it would be better for Midsummer Festival. But this one," he touched the green dress, "would be perfect. Ummmm..." Gwenn contemplated her last question but gave up after a few seconds. He shrugged. "I wish ma or Hedwig were here. They could tell ye. A cloak, certainly. The lasses usually put on a lot o' finery for balls an' festivals."
"I've nae much finery", Kay replied, "But I shall wear what little I have. And I need only to work in the morning tommorow, before I pay a visit to Master Painter. If ye are available later in the afternoon, perhaps we might meet somewhere and pick out a knife for ye. And I'd be grateful if ye would remind me to look for a pretty cloak ... my practical black wool one would ill-suit such a fine dress".
After a few minutes thought, she came up with an idea. "If ye could tell me which order ye plan to visit shops, then I could seek ye out at some point. If I found ye, then perhaps we could look at knives together". "Aye, I'll be at Mestra MacDoevid's," Gwenn explained, "She offered to show me a weaver's where I could get some tartan. Ye know where that is. That's the only really important errand I have."
"Then if I dinna catch ye there, I'll ask directions of her and find ye at the weaver", she promised. It would be a delight to visit the tailorshop again. "Done!" Gwenn agreed.
"Well, 'tis settled then, an' I'll come for ye at the same time in the same place as today, unless this thing is good for tomorrow, too?" Gwenn asked, indicating his pass. "If it is, there's nae need for ye to stand in the cold, I'll remember the route here."
Kay grinned. "T'is good for ANY day, while I still remain upon this world. I was certain enough that it's already marked as being family on my da's side, though I claimed a tenday of privacy on account of not yet knowing whether I was officially acknowledged".
She blushed brightly, then explained "It was the easiest way to get it, and I only stretched the truth a small amount. My gran told me that if ye go back far enough into long-past generations, then any two people with hillfolk blood-kin can eventually be traced back to a common ancestor. So 'twas nae an untruth that I spoke. Had things gone other than I had hoped, then I would have reported simply that we were distant cousins and that the connection was not officially acknowledged".
Kay paused to give Gwenn a warm, happy grin. "But now I can report that ye are my officially-acknowledged brother and my closest known kin on this world. So the guards must allow ye to pass freely (and unescorted) though the gates in the future. And if ye lose your way, ask for directions to this area, which is called Bachelor's Quarters, and show your pass to prove ye ha' a right to be asking".
Gwenn returned her hug and put the pass back in his pouch, saying "Well then. I'll be free tomorrow after lunch wi' the damisela. If ye wish, I can ask her about gloves an' things". That sounded like an excellent idea. If Kay could mimic local styles, then she'd attract alot less attention. "If ye dinnae mind, and if 'tis nae trouble, I'd be glad of some advice on how to dress up for a ball. Otherwise, 'tis nae essential, and I shall simply make a guess", she answered gratefully. "'Tis nae trouble, at least, not if the damisela agrees to my conditions, he replied.
"I ha' some other errands to run too, an' I don't know how long ye'll need to get ready, but if ye wish, ye can come along. Otherwise, I'll see ye here when I am done, an' that way ye'll have me if ye need help wi' anything." Gwenn blushed again. He'd helped his sisters get ready for such events, but that was different--_they_ were little girls--Kay was definitely a grown woman.
Noticing Gwenn's renewed blush, Kay wondered if perhaps her teasing had gone too far, she wondered. Since she'd never had a brother before, it was a mystery as to how much teasing was considered to be within acceptable bounds. "I spoke mostly in jest about turning ye into a lady's maid", Kay hurried to reassure him, "back home, every able-bodied adult dresses themself If it makes ye uncomfortable, then I can manage without assistance". "I do it for my sisters," Gwenn explained, "but they're, well, wee lasses, an'...." Gwenn didn't bother to finish. Kay giggled in answer.
"An' now, breda, I must take my leave of ye, for the hour is growing late an' I may miss curfew," Gwenn said as he realized that he had no way of telling the hour in here. "I'm not quite certain o' the route to outside; will ye accompany me as far as the outer wall?"
Kay consulted her timepiece. "If ye walk even half as quickly as I, then a calm stroll will bring ye back in more than adequate time. But I'll nae keep ye if ye've aught else to do". She stood up, pulled her cloak off the back of the chair and settled it around her shoulders. "Right this way", she said, opening the door to the hallway. As he followed, Gwenn looked curiously at the watch. "That wee bracelet tells ye what time it is wi' out e'en lookin' outside?" he asked.
"Aye", she answered, closing the door of her quarters behind them. Cleaning up the mess could wait until later. "It was invented up in Caer Donn, and 'tis a wonderful thing. It keeps time as well as a candle, as long as it gets enough exposure to light and does not suffer any damage". "Amazing," Gwenn said, forcing himself to pay attention to their route. "You must be rich to afford such a thing. Not that that was why I offered ye kinship, ye ken. Do all Terranan'in own such things?"
In answer, he got a soft chuckle. "Portable timepieces aren't as common here as they are on Terra, where almost everyone has one ... we're not really supposed to wear them outside the Terran Zone because off-world technology makes some of the local folks uncomfortable. And I'm far from rich, but I'm nae poor either". She gave him an impish grin, "Though I may end up temporarily-poor if I'm tempted too many times into the MacDoevid's shop. There are so many lovely things there that I had a hard time choosing just ONE dress. I'm sure that mestra Hannah will be able to find me the perfect dress-cloak ... Green's my favourite colour, so perhaps something to match my silk gloves".
"Aye, the prices here would run a rich man into debt!" Gwenn agreed. "I dinna ken how the Hali-imyn manage to live as they do." Gwenn shook his head. When they reached the door, he gave Kay a final embrace. "I know my way from here," he told her. "I'll see ye on the morrow".