Page 30 of A Winter Crush
“It still looks pretty.” Ori leaned forward and gazed at the lettering.
Wareth handed Ori the stamp. “Just copy what I did.”
Picking up the mug, Ori stuck out his tongue and carefully pressed the stamp into the clay. He pulled the stamp back, then looked to Wareth.
Wareth grasped his shoulder. “Good work. Now do that for the rest of them.”
“Plates too?”
“Plates too. But I need to finish trimming them first.”
Ori nodded and went to work. He held each vessel reverently like it was a precious treasure and he had been given a sacred task. Wareth was glad he’d let Ori do this. The truth was it would save him time, but it also felt right that Ori should do this. Like they were a team.
Wareth took the first lot of thrown plates to the wheel to trim them. But as he worked, he couldn’t shake the unease he felt, knowing Ori and the other oreads couldn’t read the message on them.
It just isn’t right.
Solstice was meant to be a celebration for the humans of Oresandthe oreads. The mugs should reflect that.
Pausing the wheel, he stood and walked towards a cupboard in the corner of the room. Opening the door, he searched the top shelf. There, right at the back, behind some powders he used to make different glazes, was what he was looking for. Pulling down the box, he stared at the lid covered in a fine layer of dust.
It had been something Rin had bought on their visit to Bordertown. Wareth had never touched it after Rin had left. Too many memories. He’d always meant to give it away, but who in Ores would want it? He carried the box over to Ori and lifted the lid.
Leaning forward, Ori peered curiously at the handmade ceramic stamps inside.
“These can be pressed into the clay as well.” Wareth pulled out one of the stamps, a sun just smaller than his fingertip.
Ori looked at it. Then he reached into the box. He pulled out a leaf, then a feather and a wine bottle. Ori laughed at one shaped like a rabbit.
“Perhaps you would like to choose some to also decorate the mugs.”
“Really?” Ori’s eyes widened. “You’d let me choose?”
Wareth nodded.
Ori’s brows furrowed in concentration as he began to go through the stamps. “This star one would be good. Oh, look! And this snowflake would be great too. And this circle could be a full moon. The mugs will look so pretty.” He looked at Wareth, who stood silently beside him. “Don’t you think?”
Wareth tried to speak, but his throat felt too tight. There was a time when Wareth had dreamed of a future where it was he and Rin, working side by side in the studio like this.
“It will be perfect,” Wareth said.
Ori beamed. “And I can decorate each one differently!”
Wareth had always done the mugs the exact same. Same shape, same glaze, same words, same positioning of the letters. That had always felt right to him. But none of that mattered at that moment. “Whatever you like, Ori. I’m sure they’ll be beautiful.”
Wareth watched Ori press the moon stamp into the clay, next to where it said, “Happy Solstice.”
Wareth’s chest felt close to bursting.
Don’t get too attached. This is only temporary. Soon enough he’ll get bored and move on.
Still, Wareth found it impossible not to enjoy this moment. If this was to be their only Solstice together, Wareth would cherish it. Perhaps the memories would keep him warm during all the Winter Solstices that he would spend alone in the future.
ChapterNineteen
“So you start with centring it.” Wareth’s hands cupped the clay.
Since it was only a week to Winter Solstice, and all the Solstice mugs and plates were further along in the pottery process, Wareth hadn’t been throwing recently. But Ori had asked him to demonstrate how to throw a bowl to help Ori learn. Wareth obliged.