Among the trees

[onceaviking]

Eric seems to have a very specific tree in mind, steering Athelstan down paths invisible to the human eye.

The tree turns out to be an oak, widespread and solid.

Comments

[onceaviking]

"The fangbangers? Yeah, they likely will."

Eric stops briefly, looking almost thoughtful.
"Though I really hope that they're a better class than the ones we get back home."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Perhaps they are. It's a different country, after all, a long way from America."

[onceaviking]

"And trust me, anything has to be better than Louisiana," Eric replies.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Why do you stay in Louisiana, if you hate it so much?"

[onceaviking]

Eric's lips curl.

"It's not really a choice. "

[athelstanthescribe]

"Because of your position there? Or Pam?"

Surely not because of Sookie.

[onceaviking]

"It wasn't a choice to begin with."
He sounds almost a little bitter.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Your queen made you live there?"

[onceaviking]

"It was a punishment."

He looks away.

"From higher up."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Ah." He makes a face. "Is the term of that punishment ever going to be up?"

[onceaviking]

"I don't know."

[athelstanthescribe]

He nods.

"At least it's only irritating, and you are allowed to leave for travel."

[onceaviking]

"Well, I'm not going to ask," Eric says with a very clear hint of fuck you attitude in his voice.

[athelstanthescribe]

That gets a quick quiet laugh.

"Maybe they won't even notice."

[onceaviking]

"They can go fuck themselves," Eric mutters.

[athelstanthescribe]

"But they have the power to punish you more severely?"

[onceaviking]

"Theoretically, yes," Eric says.
"But they won't. Not if they know what's good for them."

He looks at Athelstan.

"Why the sudden interest?"

[athelstanthescribe]

He shrugs slightly.

"We got onto the subject and it's - something to talk about."

[onceaviking]

"Why don't you ask me about the gift, I've gotten Pam?" Eric says.

[athelstanthescribe]

"What gift have you got for Pam?" he asks obediently with a small smile.

[onceaviking]

"A very nice hand painted fan with a reclined nude in a boudoir scene," Eric says, clearly pleased with himself.

"I did want an all female orgy, but for some reason the dead, Frenchman had objections to that."

Dead Frenchmen.
Really.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Perhaps you could find someone else who might paint an all female orgy." He smiles. "I hope Pam will like it anyway."

[onceaviking]

"She will," Eric says, confidently.
"Though I am sure she would have liked the orgy better."

[athelstanthescribe]

"You could organise a real one for her instead."

...how much difference five years in the pagan North makes.

[onceaviking]

"That is not a bad idea," Eric says, slowly.

He notices the change.