Who: Hagar and Doc Where: Church, neutral territory Why: Accidental meetings When: Thursday 24th Dec midday Rating: TBD Status: In Progress
As these things went, Christmas had never held much appeal for Hagar. Perhaps in another life, back when she was still Viviane, the promise of presents and colorful lights had occupied her thoughts. It must have been a long time ago. These days the revels meant a chance to be with her daughter—and argue—or visit neighbors—and likely argue with them, too. But that was for the evening, once the sun set and took with it the frigid glare of daylight.
Hagar gripped her shawl tighter to her and strode boldly through the arched doorway. She had left Hope among their people—which wasn't such a comforting thought—and her daughter's absence was hardly a boon. It was, however, necessary. There were some conversations that only ended with one or the other storming violently out the door, and therefore better avoided. There were some subjects that couldn't be brought up, secrets buried deep but not excised by the onerous passage of time. They festered in the blood until Hagar had to take action.
So then: to church on Christmas Eve. Hagar kept her head down, careful not to catch the eye of any outsider strolling by. Tribespeople were a safe-bet, unlikely to grab for what they knew was on offer. There was no such guarantee with the Enks. Hagar avoided them out of habit, but this time of year and in this part of the Locks, there was no getting around them. She found an unoccupied pew at the front and made her way there without preamble. Once, she might have needed a priest to hear her, but there was no one now she trusted to take her confession.
She'd only just joined her hands in prayer when a small body hitched up against hers. Hagar recognized the lurker immediately. "Oh, hi Amy... Is your father here?"
"It's Moon Rainbow," the little girl protested.
Impossible not to smile at her fervor. "My mistake," Hagar said. "Come on, let's see if we can't find your daddy. Did you leave him all by himself?"
Amy nodded sagely. "He said go in. It's cold." That it was. Hagar unwrapped her shawl and bundled Amy up in frilly wool before they made their way, hand in hand, out of the church. Some of the Enks were gone so wild they distrusted any room with four walls for fear of becoming trapped within it. No wonder the Doc had to tend to them out in the wintry cold.