(Author's Note: By now you are wondering what those little astricks are doing around certain little phrases, well those are thoughts of the various characters and while usually they get italicized, someone fanfiction.net will not accept it and while I love them, I don't want to tangle with too much HTML. Thank you for the patience and enjoy this next installment. ^_^)

Chapter Four

"She was as good as she was fair, None, none on earth above her; As pure in thought as angels are, To know her was to love her. -Shakespeare

It was easy to get out of the house and Corrine reprimanded herself for not having done it sooner. It would of spared many useless and futile arguments with her mother on being able to go outside. It had come to her during the night when she woke up from sleep and stared up at the ceiling. The house was quiet and dark, not even a squeak from the floorboards disrupted the fragile silence. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and felt a bit stronger but then again after resting up her body did feel like it was able to handle more. Raising herself from the bed she steadied herself and then started to tiptoe over to the oak wardrobe in the corner of her room. She moved as slowly as she could so as to make any sudden noises or hasty moves that would wake up her mother. It wasn't a very large house and one small noise that wasn't natural could waken the dead.

After rummaging around in the dark, she finally located a winter gown of lavender wool and pulled it out. She shed her nightshift quickly and then slipped into the dress which hung a size too big because of the weight she lost during the past couple of weeks. Her fingers buttoned it up as rapidly as she could and then she pulled out some wool stockings that would aptly keep her feet warm against the chilling cold of the winter night.

Once she tugged on some shining black kid boots she looked around for her cloak, goodness knows she hadn't used it in awhile. Not since early autumn to be sure. Corrine bit her lower lip as she tried to remember where she had last placed it.

"It was right after I came back from the grave the last time. I had started coughing just before I came back indoors and mother sent for the doctor immediately as she ushered me off to bed. It must be in the hall closet. It -has- to be in the hall closet." Corrine rationalized as she opened the door to her room with great care so as to not make a squeaking noise. The hinges on all the doors needed a good oil job but small things like that got neglected because of the lack of a male presence in the household. She cleared the kitchen safely and entered the confines of the living room.

Now the main problem with this area was that floorboards randomly creaked when stepped on and it took alot of skill and precision to manuever through this room. Corrine started walking through the room cautiously, stopping when she heard the faintest creak and then lowering her weight on the spot gradually so that the noise was drawn out in subtlety. There was no way she was going to wake up her mother. She edged toward the closet door, closed her fingers around the knob and turned with infinite gentleness. It opened inch by inch and soon she was staring into the inky blackness of the closet, remembering at the right time that her cloak was black.

"Does it really matter which one I take?" Corrine asked herself as she reached her hand and pulled out whatever it was that her hand touched first. She donned the cloak, tied the strings and pulled the hood over her face as she took the last few steps toward the front door. The obstacles were nearly cleared and then she would be out of her invalidish prison.

She slipped out the door silently and then walked down the steps. No doubt, it would be better if she kept quiet until she was quite certain that her mother wouldn't wake up and drive her back into the house. Near the front gate was the patch of violets that she tended and she made her way toward them, knowing they would serve her purpose well. She plucked a few from the earth and cupped them close to her chest as she moved toward the gate. Opening it up, she stole out and started to follow the road north and away from the village and toward the village graveyard.

The graveyard had been there for centuries and it was placed so far from the village. Mainly it was because the villagers were naturally superstitious and believed intensely in the spirits of those that passed away. This was the time of night when it was perfect to go and recieve enough quietude to pay respects to the departed. Corrine didn't fear ghosts, there was little she feared aside from complete and utter darkness. Nothing could keep her away from the grave of her father and it wouldn't until the day she was to join him in heaven. She entered in through the gates and went toward the back of the graveyard where her father rest. She bit her lower lip and finally reached the humble little stonepiece that rested underneath a large weeping willow tree.

She faltered briefly at the starkness of it, lamenting the fact that no one other then her ever bothered to put flowers on the grave. Kneeling down on the ice kissed earth she placed the violets at the headstone and touched the words imprinted on granite with soft fingers:

~*~RIP~*~ ~*~Leif Kendrick Graie~*~ ~*~"Father, Husband, Man"~*~ ~*~561-594 AD~*~

"Father." She smiled softly and settled down there as she wrapped the oversized cloak about her shivering form to keep warm. "I came as soon as I could. Mother wouldn't let me out of the house because I was.. well I am sick. I had to sneak out tonight." Corrine murmured and smiled with a tad bit of longing and settled down on the grass, laying her head on the folds of wool that was the cloak.

"I came here to tell you that I won't be visiting your grave for very much longer.." She paused in anticipation and then laughed. "But soon I will be joining you and we can be together again. Just you and me." The winter wind played through the branches of the trees creating a haunting melody. "No, father.. I won't get better. I heard the doctor say so when he thought I was asleep. Mother and Fiona are humoring me until I die to the point that I am looking forward to it. All I wish.. " Corrine paused and then reached over to cup one of the violets lovingly. ".. is to see Toma one last time. I know he is busy with his adventuring but he promised me one of my own." She sighed and closed her eyes wearily. "I could fall asleep out here and never wake up." Forcing her eyes open she sneezed slightly as something tickled her nose and glanced up at the sky. Snowflakes? She propped herself up and smiled in glee for she hadn't been outside in a snowfall for a long time, ever since she was a child of 10 in fact. Little did she know that snow was her father's way of reviving her and making sure she didn't fall into a deathly slumber. It did work because she got up from the ground and stared straight up at the sky with wonderment.

"What a lovely present! Thank you father!" Corrine then knelt once again at the grave and pressed her warm lips agianst the cold gravestone. "I love you and I will see you shortly."

She took her time strolling back to the cottage for she only wanted to enjoy all the beauty of pre-dawn and savor it as if it were her last. Strangely alive she felt, her limbs didn't ache and she breathed deeply of the night air without fear of it sickening her worse. Every time she came back from a visit to her father's grave, her spirits soared toward the stars and it was reluctant to come down. Skipping down the lane wasn't a problem even though she knew that in the morning she would waken tired and weak but for the moment it didn't matter. Nothing mattered whatsoever except that she was happy and content with her short lot in life.

A light shone from the window of her house and she paused at the gate in surprise. The light wasn't -supposed- to be on unless of course her mother woke up and discovered that she wasn't in her bed much less the house. Corrine didn't want to think about what would happen to her if her mother knew that she crept out to visit father's grave, no doubt it would be a comment of total derision. That wouldn't surprise her one bit.

She stiffened her back with firm resolve and geared herself for whatever she faced in there. Certainly her mother couldn't do too much to her, it was her own life after all. Hurridly she walked toward the porch steps and then opened the door very softly, slipping inside. Warm air immediately attacked her lungs and she coughed, so much for complete and total stealth.

"Corrine Linnea Graie! Whatever are you doing outside this time of the night? The night air is bad for you!" Mrs. Graie rose from the chair by the fireplace and gave her daughter a disapproving glance.

"I am sorry Mother, I wanted to visit father's grave and put flowers on it. That is all." Corrine said penitently and bowed her head, prepared to face whatever consequences. She didn't notice that another chair was occupied for in her guilt she was blind to everything else around her.

"You want to endanger yourself further? It is your life and I can't stop you. However you missed being here for the arrival of your guest." Mrs. Graie said with a huff. Corrine raised her head and blinked as she scanned the living room.

"Guest?" She murmured before she caught sight of the other chair and the person in it. A slow radient smile brushed across her lips and her purple eyes lighted up, indeed transfixed with pleasure. "Toma!" Corrine cried out and ran over to Toma and flung herself into his arms quite readily.

Toma had watched Corrine come inside and his breath had caught very briefly from a mixture of conflicting feelings. It had been August when he had seen her last and that had been when he was home for a few weeks. He had helped her plant the little garden out back and it was what had cemented his feelings for her, the passion that she displayed for all living things including plants. ~ "She is so pale, my poor sweet Corrine. If there was only way I could take away her sickness and replace it with health."~ However while Toma wanted to sigh, he didn't. He just pasted on his charming grin and opened his arms widely for Corrine so that he could hold her in his typical brotherly fashion. "My poppet. How are you feeling? I was in the area so I decided to stop by and pay court. I was lucky that there were not a line of suitors outside, I suppose they even need to sleep." Toma winked slightly and wrapped his arms firmly around the girl, drawing her into his lap.

"Toma, I was wondering when you were coming by again." Corrine layed her head against Toma's shoulder and snuggled up carefully. "You know I don't have any suitors, I don't even have any real male aquaintances to speak of."

"You have me." Toma chuckled just a bit. Corrine giggled softly at the sound of his laughter rumbling in his chest.

"You are not an aquaintance. You are a friend, silly!" Corrine smiled in way that could of captured any man she wanted had it not been reserved only for her dear friend, Toma.

A clear and distinct cough interrupted the friends from their exchange. Corrine's mother stood there watching Corrine perched on Toma's lap like that and was somewhat outraged at the lack of propriety that her daughter displayed. Sure it could be accepted when Corrine had been a young child, but now that Corrine was grown it wasn't seemly, no matter if Corrine was an invalid or not.

"Put your cloak away in the closet so that it has a chance to dry and then take the seat across from Toma. I am sure you two can talk just as easily at an acceptable distance away from each other." Mrs. Graie said sternly and then walked into the kitchen. "Toma, would you care for anything to drink? Hot apple cider or coffee? I also have desert left over from last night." She took the role of courteous hostess which she had always been especially when Toma had been concerned. There had been a time when Toma was considered a prospective suitor for Fiona but he never had the inclination to propose.

"Apple cider, please" Toma grinned charmingly as he furtively scooted his chair closer to where Corrine was sitting, their knees now touching. He leaned down to start to whisper to Corrine in the way that they had but Mrs. Graie started talking and putting his intention to talk with Corrine on hold.

"It is too bad that Fiona isn't here to see you. I am sure that you two would of had a lovely talk about the past. She and Marco are doing well. Can you believe she is pregnant?"

Toma sort of rolled his eyes but answered politely. "Well she is 20, it is about time that she had children of her own. Marco must be proud." All the while he mouthed to Corrine the words, "Some things never change" and Corrine giggled softly in response. Toma brought out the impish girl in her more often then not.

"That is what I have been saying but she has been reluctant. She says that she doesn't want to go through the pain of childbirth too early."

"I agree completely, birthing children is a serious nature and it is better to be safe then sorry." Toma murmured, trying to stay interested when all he wanted to do was talk to Corrine privately.

Mrs. Graie brought out a tray with two plates of apple pie, a mug of steaming cider for Toma and a cup of warm millk for Corrine. "I want Fiona to be safe but I also want grandchildren." She said as she set the tray on the coffee table and started to sit down as if her whole business was to listen in on Corrine and Toma's conversation.

"This isn't going to do at all.." Toma thought to himself and then once again attempted the tradmark Levin charm which just happened to work on all Graie females with considerable success. "Mrs. Graie. If you don't mind, could you leave me and Corrine alone? I have some things I want to discuss with her privately. Very sensitive issues." Toma grinned and picked up the cider to take a sip.

"I don't think it is very seemly of me to leave you two alone."

Corrine merely looked at her mother with sad eyes even though she knew that wasn't going to work. It was all on Toma's shoulders to get private time for them to talk. So all she could do was hope that Toma's charm was particularly high tonight.

"Please Mrs. Graie. Corrine is safe in my hands, you should know this after all the years that I have known her and Fiona." Toma said, knowing that he would earn extra points toward the cause with the mere fact that he mentioned Fiona's name in the same sentance.

"Well I suppose I can allow a few minutes of private time because after all you are a friend of the family." Mrs. Graie smiled in a maternal way. Toma continued to smile but it turned quickly fake and he felt queasy. It disgusted him that she could be so maternal to everyone save Corrine. It was one thing to pick favorites between daughters but to prefer strangers to said daughter was completely wrong.

"Thank you Mrs. Graie. I won't keep Corrine to myself for very long. Give me at least twenty minutes."

Corrine's mother made a slight nod and then disappeared into her back room, leaving Toma and Corrine alone together.