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Even though I was doing nothing wrong, my heart leapt up into my throat at the thought of someone seeing me here. What would the Banshees think? A Valkyrie having coffee with one of their teachers?
Surely, that couldn’t end well...
“Wait here,” Thea signed as she got up from the couch. She crossed to her front door and I held my breath.
Maybe I should hide. There was plenty of space behind one of the big shelves, but if I did that... Then it would imply that I thought I was doing something wrong. I couldn’t have that.
With caged anticipation, I waited.
A male student with untidy hair stepped into Thea’s flat, his shoes shrieking on the floor. He signed with a fluency that suggested years of practice and Thea answered with the same speed.
I tried to follow the conversation, but it was impossible.
“How you?”
“... Good...“
“Same... What... I... You?”
“You... Look...?”
“... Not... ”
The longer I watched, the less I understood. Their hands were moving too fast and I knew too fewwords. I could barely pick out any words, the gestures just blended into one another.
A minute ago, I felt so accomplished. That was certainly not the case anymore.
To make myself feel better, I reached across the couch to give Bàs some scratches between his ears. The low rumbling purr instantly lifted my spirits. There was something about a purring cat that made everything better.
While Thea went to find something from her shelves, the student waited in the entrance. He seemed surprised to see me on the couch, an expression he couldn’t hide. After all, that wasn’t how the Banshee language worked.
He stared at me, but never attempted to communicate. Not that I blamed him. A couple of weeks ago, I’d have called him a fool for trying to talk to a Valkyrie. Now I just felt sad about that. It had to be an isolating existence. Not because they wanted to, because they had no other choice.
I averted my gaze, uncomfortable with his intense stare. Instead, I focused it on Thea. She moved in silent beauty and I couldn’t help but wonder what the purpose of the Oath of Silence was. Why were they not allowed to speak? What happened if they did?
I waited for Thea to hand him a book and the student to leave. He shot me a last look before disappearing, no doubt to gossip to the other Banshees. Not that I minded. His discovery of me would never reach the Valkyrie community. We were just too separated, which made Thea’s room the perfect sanctuary.
She returned to the living area and sat down opposite of me. Her usually bright eyes were dimmed to a concerned look, but instead of voicing her troubles, she took hold of her mug. With both hands wrapped around them, it was clear she wasn’t looking to talk.
That didn’t stop me though.
“Everything okay?”
She gave a short, not very convincing nod.
“Are you sure?”
One hand left her mug. “Yes.”
I gestured to the front door, doing something I never did. Small talk. “One of your students?”
“Yes.”
“Are you having fun being a teacher?”
One gesture again. “Yes.”
“Good students?”
I scratched the back of my head. “So... He seemed fluent in the Banshee sign language. Did he also take this... Oath of Silence?”
Thea’s entire expression changed and her hand curled back around her mug. She averted her gaze and sighed softly.
So not a topic she wanted to talk about then... I contemplated leaving, but then she placed her mug back on the table.
She signed again. “Question.”
“Yes?”
“You.... Serious... Signing?”
“Am I serious about signing?” I stared at her, intimidated by the steel in her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Student. Valkyrie.”
“Yes, I’m a Valkyrie student. I know it’s not conventional, but I want to learn.”
She shook her head, her locks dancing on her shoulder. “Why?”
“Because...” I hesitated. If I was entirely honest with myself, I wasn’t sure why I wanted to learn it either. There was just something about it...
I smoothed my tie, the cogs in my head turning to come up with a good answer. “I don’t know, I just do. I’m really enjoying learning it all with you. I think it could be a really useful skill to have. You teach Afterlife Etiquette, right? But how are Banshees and Valkyries ever going to have a good relationship if we can’t understand you?”
She frowned.
“Teach me more. Soon, I won’t be the Heir, but I’ll still have some pull. Wouldn’t it be good if we learned, if we all learned?
Thea’s expression softened and the first smile returned to her lips. We locked eyes as she signed one last thing. “OK.”