Rue was already angry when they entered the barn. She was soaked and cold and outside there was a storm and wind and it was getting dark and Duck's umbrella had broken down and she was all uncomfortable because, with the fuss of the upcoming performance at the Academy, she'd forgotten to tell Mytho to join her at the bridge. And if Rue hadn't happened to met a certain Miss Don't-Worry-I've-An-Umbrella on her way back to school, she would've walked faster and gotten there way sooner.
"Oh, great! They're still dry!" Duck said referring to whatever she was carrying in those bags of her.
"I'm happy for you," Rue said, though she wasn't. And she didn't try to hide it either.
But the remark went over Duck's head as usual.
Rue went to check that all the windows were closed; they didn't need more wind nor water getting in there.
She heard Duck coming behind her. "Here, Rue."
Rue turned around and found Duck offering her a towel. She had another one around her shoulders.
"Where did you get that from?" Rue asked.
"Downtown," Duck said. "I was coming back from buying them when I ran into you. There are more in the bags if you need them."
Rue took the towel. "Thank you," she whispered. This time she was honest.
A couple of towels later, Rue was sitting down on a pile of straw hugging her legs. It seemed like it was going to keep raining for several hours more. "I wonder if we'll have to spend the night here," she wondered aloud.
"Well, if we stay together and under the straw, we'll be warm," Duck said as she produced a hairbrush from her bags.
How many things does she have in there? "You are not suggesting we're going to sleep holding each other."
"It's better than being cold, isn't it? Besides, aren't we friends, Rue?"
There she was again with that. No, they weren't friends. They'd never be friends because ravens could not have friends.
Rue opened her mouth to say that, but then she noticed Duck was fighting with her brush which had stuck in her hair.
"What are you doing?" Rue asked.
"I. Can't. Take. It. Off!" Duck yelled, pulling so hard it had to hurt.
"Why you--?" Rue rubbed her forehead and, to her own amazement, went to help the other girl.
"You're far better at this than me," Duck said to Rue, giggling apologetically. Both of them were now sitting down on the straw, the later behind the former, brushing her hair.
"This is why you always wear it in a braid, isn't it?" Rue asked. "It tangles up too easily."
Duck sighed. "Yes, It isn't as docile and pretty as yours."
Rue froze for a second and pursed her lips. Most of the compliments she heard lately that she didn't tell Mytho to tell her came from Duck. Those also were the most sincere.
"Rue?"
"It's nothing." Rue let the brush aside and started to braid Duck's hair. "I wouldn't say your hair isn't pretty," she said. "It's soft and you actually take good care of it."
"Really?" Duck said. Rue could hear the smile on her voice.
"I've no reason to lie about that."
"Thank you, Rue."
"You're welcome."
Rue kept braiding and the rain kept falling and it still didn't look like it was going to stop any time soon, so they'd probably had to sleep there on the barn, very close to each other.
The only difference was that now Rue wasn't as annoyed at the thought.
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"Oh, great! They're still dry!" Duck said referring to whatever she was carrying in those bags of her.
"I'm happy for you," Rue said, though she wasn't. And she didn't try to hide it either.
But the remark went over Duck's head as usual.
Rue went to check that all the windows were closed; they didn't need more wind nor water getting in there.
She heard Duck coming behind her. "Here, Rue."
Rue turned around and found Duck offering her a towel. She had another one around her shoulders.
"Where did you get that from?" Rue asked.
"Downtown," Duck said. "I was coming back from buying them when I ran into you. There are more in the bags if you need them."
Rue took the towel. "Thank you," she whispered. This time she was honest.
A couple of towels later, Rue was sitting down on a pile of straw hugging her legs. It seemed like it was going to keep raining for several hours more. "I wonder if we'll have to spend the night here," she wondered aloud.
"Well, if we stay together and under the straw, we'll be warm," Duck said as she produced a hairbrush from her bags.
How many things does she have in there? "You are not suggesting we're going to sleep holding each other."
"It's better than being cold, isn't it? Besides, aren't we friends, Rue?"
There she was again with that. No, they weren't friends. They'd never be friends because ravens could not have friends.
Rue opened her mouth to say that, but then she noticed Duck was fighting with her brush which had stuck in her hair.
"What are you doing?" Rue asked.
"I. Can't. Take. It. Off!" Duck yelled, pulling so hard it had to hurt.
"Why you--?" Rue rubbed her forehead and, to her own amazement, went to help the other girl.
"You're far better at this than me," Duck said to Rue, giggling apologetically. Both of them were now sitting down on the straw, the later behind the former, brushing her hair.
"This is why you always wear it in a braid, isn't it?" Rue asked. "It tangles up too easily."
Duck sighed. "Yes, It isn't as docile and pretty as yours."
Rue froze for a second and pursed her lips. Most of the compliments she heard lately that she didn't tell Mytho to tell her came from Duck. Those also were the most sincere.
"Rue?"
"It's nothing." Rue let the brush aside and started to braid Duck's hair. "I wouldn't say your hair isn't pretty," she said. "It's soft and you actually take good care of it."
"Really?" Duck said. Rue could hear the smile on her voice.
"I've no reason to lie about that."
"Thank you, Rue."
"You're welcome."
Rue kept braiding and the rain kept falling and it still didn't look like it was going to stop any time soon, so they'd probably had to sleep there on the barn, very close to each other.
The only difference was that now Rue wasn't as annoyed at the thought.