On the Road
20 Ulfymes, 323
Fate
20 Ulfymes
Far above, the condor sends its call spreading proudly out to the worlds above and below. Sun-Bearer's gold-orange evening light pokes through the canopy, dappling the ground-dwellers and their realm beneath.
Prince Ivan brays, irate, spraying some half-chewed grass, as Atlishya taps lightly his shoulder with the switch and clicks his tongue. But he puts up no other fuss and enters the cart-circle before ducking his head and setting to work on the shrubs within the camp circle. More goats follow, chickens are released, and people move about, unloading the carts with practiced efficiency. Song rises, a continuation of the performance preceding the current commotion—or perhaps an attempt to get said song unstuck from one's head. It's quickly harmonized and accented, by voices both expert and less so.
Brosha crouches at the quickly growing firepit, rubbing a twig between his hands, reciting a poem for the herbs that go into a salve for achy joints, falling silent at key points to let Aaren fill the spaces. Lejsha sits nearby, baby tied to her back, as she lays out the ingredients on cue with Brosha's/Aaren's poem.
Pasha sits with a suka resting on their lap, across from little Jasika, who rises to their tiptoes to peer over the harp. Pasha plays a bar on the suka and pauses. Jasika plucks the bar out on the harp, note for note. Pasha grins and recites a couplet of praise, which sends a laugh up from Jasika. Pasha's grin pulls back to a smile, which grows a little more reserved as they flick a look Bozydar's way, waiting.
Hostla passes by the practicing group, sparing Bozydar a quick, passing adjustment of the hat and sparing Jasika a rub of the hair and a kiss on the top of the head—to which Jasika responds with a rub of the head of the baby bound to her chest—before striding over to Daina and Keshya, watching quietly over their shoulders as Keshya, cross-legged on the ground, instructs Daina in the fine art of grinding more pink powder from the seeds of the fangbulb using a mortar and pestle.
And then a deep, resonant voice pierces through the camp commotion. "Children! Line up!"
It's Siemolya, with Radiant Luta (one of the chickens) in his arms. Immediately, the other tasks give way—instruments are quickly nestled away or passed along to someone else, dancing ceases, and instructors offer hasty words of dismissal to their apprentices.
Slavina
Bozydar pushes the hat back to it's proper place, with an exaggerated eye roll and ridiculous sigh. Then he flashes a grin a Pasha and tosses back a variation on the couplet, turning it into an incompleted series.... also known as a "challenge."
At Siemolya's shout, Bozydar holds out one hand for Pasha's instrument and waves a breezy gesture of dismissal with the other.
Daina
Daina carefully sets the tools aside and lays a cloth over the top so the wind won't disturb the contents before going over to see what is needed. She dusts her hands to make sure she's not carrying any dust with her and lines up with some of the other kids. Giving a small smile to those on either side of her and then looking to the adult questioningly.
Aaren
Aaren recites, rapidly, the rest of Brosha's poem for achy joints, so she can make sure she has it right. She's a little annoyed with Siemolya. They have a habit of inturrputing her learning for chores which Aaren was less then pleased with. Still, she takes care to hurry and not be the last 'kid' standing in line infront of Grandpa.
She's been singing the song of the group with all six of her voices, but when she gets in line she falls silent. She's been informed that's polite.
Fate
Siemolya watches the oncoming horde quickly sort itself out into a line, oldest to youngest. And then, he begins pacing the length of the line with a cat's prowl, looking at each of them with a brow made heavy with the weight of scrutiny. Radiant Luta clucks placidly as he does so, her head remaining still while her body bobs with Siemolya's steps.
Finally he stops, swiveling and straightening. Radiant Luta lets out a loud "BGUHHHH!"
Giggling spreads through the line.
Siemolya's stern demeanor does not let up. They fall silent. "Well? You heard her! Roll call!"
Promptly, names are recited one-by-one down the line.
Daina
Daina watches the cheekin and her head unconciously sort of bobs in time before the bawk is heard and she giggles along with the other kids. Falling silent right around the same time. She chimes in when it's her turn to speak up.
Aaren
Aaren sings her name, short and sweet. Mostly, she listens to the songs of her compatriots on the line. And also the song of the chicken. And the song of grandpa.
Slavina
While Siemolya is busy pacing the opposite direction, Bozydar ducks down and makes over the top 'sneaking' motions as he slips to the end of the line. He puts a finger to his lips and catches the eyes of all the kids in the row. Once in place, he crouches behind little Salash at the very end and stuffs his hat into the back of his belt by it's chin-strap.
Right after Salash says their name, he pipes up in his most adorable little-kid voice, "Bozydar!"
Fate
More laughter ripples through the line. Salaš completely busts up into a fit of infectious giggles, doubling forward. Siemolya half-glares, half-squints at Bozydar, seemingly entirely unimpressed.
"Hostla! This is the quickest yet your oldest has ever volunteered! I have yet to even issue the task!" His voice carries over the camp and the humor of the children, and his eyes don't once leave Bozydar.
"Yes, Grandfather, he is quite eager to please!" Hostla calls back.
Slavina
"Yes Grampa, I am quite eager to please!" He parrots back in a falsetto voice, deliberately mangling the pronunciation in a three-year-old way.
Daina
Daina just sort of.. Tennis match watches this, a faint smile though she's a bit worried he'll be in trouble.. Siemolya seems quite stern today.
Fate
Salaš giggles harder, plopping onto the ground.
Aaren
Aaren starts humming the group's 'amused' song, for practice. And because keeping her voices busy makes it easier not to burst out laughing.
Slavina
Bozydar looks down at Salas, eyes wide, and then looks back up at the other kids. He adopts an expression of absolute shocked surprise, one hand over his mouth, as he looks between them and Salas and Grandfather.
Fate
Siemolya walks over to Salaš, still giggling helplessly, each step slow and deliberate and grave, seeming to suck up all the laughter. His shadow falls over the young child. Slowly, Salaš stops giggling and looks up. Siemolya shifts Radiant Luta to one side, holding out his newly freed hand. Salaš takes it and stands up again, straight and serious. Then Siemolya swivels and marches back to his initial position.
"Bozydar!" he barks as he does so. "Stand and recite the Didactic of the Flora of Baker Rainforest!"
Slavina
Bozydar leaps to his feet and does a bakersfield-style bow. He opens his mouth to start, then stops, taping a finger on his chin. He asks cautiously, "Forewards, or backwards, grandfather?"
Aaren
Aaren's lips twist with surpressed giggling, but her song goes on undisturbed. She takes one of the voices away to hum along with the poltice Brosha is making, to help her listen to it with so much in between.
Fate
"Forwards, if you please," says Siemolya, motioning to the line of children. "And backwards once you and the other children return from gathering. Because Lutushka here desires it." Radiant Luta clucks and regards Bozydar with one beady eye as if on cue.
Daina
Daina questions the chicken "d'you really want it backwards that sounds really hard"
Fate
Radiant Luta turns her eye to Daina. Want what? What is 'backwards'? Is that food? Have you eaten, chick? You should eat. There are worms on the soil when it is wet.
Slavina
"Okay!" Bozydar clears his throat and straightens up, tucking his hands in his sash. As he begins reciting, he drops the childish tone and uses his performance-voice: a resonant, perfectly-annunciated, velvety contralto. The poem takes a while to recite since it identifies every notable plant in the region by name, characteristics, and usage. Bozydar adds just a touch of ornamentation and rhythm variation to the verses to keep it interesting, but not enough to take away from the lesson.
Daina
Daina giggles softly at that response and shakes her head "no it's not food, but I will make sure I eat thank you momma hen" falling silent then to listen to the poem being recited.
Aaren
Aaren stops singing for a moment to listen to the poem. She sings along, quietly, inventing a tune as she goes that works with Bozydar's song while he recites it— and that incorporates the songs of the plants in the area. That way she can actually remember it.
Fate
Wordlessly Gochka, standing beside Daina, gently presses their elbow against Daina to get her to be quiet just prior to the poem.
After the poem finishes, Siemolya splits the children up into groups (Bozydar with Pasha, Aaren, and Daina) , assigning an adult who doesn't look too busy to each of them.
Then he barks, "Hostla!"
Hostla rises, baby at her breast. "Yes, Grandfather!"
Siemolya's gaze crosses over her. His face does not change. "Sit down."
Hostla does so. "Thank you, Grandfather!"
"Keshya!" Siemolya calls.
Keshya sets the mortar and pestle she'd taken up aside and jumps to her feet. "Yes, Grandfather!"
"Guide and supervise!"
"Yes, Grandfather!" she says.
With that, Keshya quickly collects her gourds and gathers up the groups (led by Mirya, Latulya, and Bozydar). After a double-checking of equipment (primarily gloves, handkerchiefs, and pouches) and a recitation of the Wayfinder's Rules for Followers, they set off away from the camp.
Daina
Daina heads off with the group and goes about looking for the useful plants needed. She'd try to see if the plants have different sorts of warmth depending on what they are or what they're used for, but she doesn't waste too much time on this, knowing they've got to get things done before nightfall.
Aaren
Aaren follows along, next to Daina. One voice sings the Rules for Followers, one sings the Baker Forest Herbs song-poem (with words!) and one each sings Daina, Bozhdar and Pasha's song. The last voice sings a recitation of other things she's learned about the plants they see, from Brosha.
Slavina
Bozydar nudges his group a bit to the west and ahead of Keshya since they can cover more ground than the groups with shorter legs. As they go, he picks plants and keeps an eye on the plants the kids are picking. He also picks Pasha's instruction back up. "Eh, Pashenka, you know what you haven't been practicing?" The tone is that mix of friendly-serious that he gets when he's in teacher-mode but not super stressed.
Fate
Pasha looks quickly to Bozydar. Their eyes slide over the scenery as if attempting to find thoughts to pluck from the air. "Ah..." They look back to him, puzzled, and try, "Spear dancing? Drums? Back flips?" All things that aren't part of Pasha's chosen art forms.
Daina
Daina tries to give a little speck of energy to the plants they harvest from, just so they're not too put out by the impromptu pruning. She questions Aaron if they were supposed to get this certain one here as well.
Aaren
Aaren nods, and explains with her explaining voice (still singing) that that is orbswallow, and it is good for cooking with, turning things yellow, and also for attracting bugs to eat.
Slavina
"Oh, yeah. Not to mention stonemasonry, engineering, and glassblowing. For shame, for shame." He launches into a ridiculously over-the-top poem lamenting the plight of one with such a neglectful apprentice. It lists every single trade Pasha is failing to learn! And why that's terrible! What if the family needs a lion-tamer someday? Or a sewer architect?! Every so often Bozydar's theatric gesticulations just so happen to involve picking a handful of berries or uprooting a useful tuber.
Aaren
Aaren will automatically adjust Pasha's song to counter his growing nerves.
Fate
Pasha's cheeks color a bit at the beginning of the lament, laughing a little and rubbing the back of their neck. But then the song seeps in, and they interject opportune pauses with some purposefully mumbled poetic apologies that match the meter and rhyme.
Slavina
As Pasha gets into it a little, Bozydar leaves bigger openings for them to respond (both verbally and physically.) The goal, naturally, is to make everyone including Pasha giggle by the end of the poem.
Daina
Daina ducks under some bushes and comes up with a fairly rare herb and then goes back under to see if there are seeds under there as well. Dirt on her clothes and leaves in her hair by the time she's got it.
Daina
She then stiffens and looks around her. "ah.. um.. guys.. somethings not right I.. uh.. someone said beware.. " she looks worried and confused at the same time, turning in a circle to look around her.
Aaren
"Something is falling!" Aaren sings, loudly. She looks up, and her songs all converge. Aaren starts singing to the air, trying her best to convince it to slow the dive, or fall, or whatever, of whatever it was that was coming. She also grabs Daina and pulls her under the cover of some low-hanging branches, in case it's trying to attack them.
Slavina
Bozydar immediately puts his fingers to his lips and blows a piercing warning-whistle for Keshya - the one that indicates danger from above. As he does so, he scoops Pasha into the little cavern made by some huge tree roots with himself on the outward-facing side.
Daina
Daina squeaks as she's tugged and stumbles after Aaren, as much as a child of Moe's can stumble anyway. She looks upwards and her brows furrow " a leaf of the sun..." she whispers trying to figure out what that might be. She grabs Aaren by the hand and drags her with unto the more secure enclosure under the ground. She puts her hands on the roots and focuses as she pushes energy into the tree, thinking with push 'catch it'. Trying to get the tree to move and grow quickly with her will.
Aaren
Aaren goes with Daina, once Daina starts dragging. She takes one of her voices away from the wind-song to sing a stealth song for the hiding group.
Slavina
Bozydar blinks and draws a sharp breath. "Kenna, move!"
Daina
Hearing Bozydar Daina opens her eyes and looks to where Kenna is. She winces some and takes a deep breath before pushing warmth through the root she's touching into the dark earth and through towards the trees that are nearer Kenna. She sends her warmth and with it the urging to move and grow in a way that will provide a shield to the girl in harms way. Her face screws up a bit with the effort and her cheeks pinken as she holds her breath and -tries- real hard!
Fate
Keshya spares only a brief, alarmed glance in Bozydar's direction before booking for cover.
"... aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH"
At the sound, Keshya slides the baby tied to her back to her front and springs forward as far as she can manage, diving to land hard on her shoulder, wrapped protectively around her child.
But then, the trees above her shift and groan and grow and weave.
And then there's a CRACK! followed by a sharp, animal cry somewhere between a whistle and a strange, high-pitched, chuckling bleat, and violent rustling of leaves. The bough bows but does not break. But something slips through and crashes to the ground with a THUD! and an "OUF!" and a raining of dislodged leaves and branches.
Slavina
Bozydar keeps a warning hand on Pasha for silence as he scans the canopy for whatever dropped the person in front of them.
Aaren
Aaren falls silent, except for one voice still singing the stealth song, listening to the songs of the things that fell.
Daina
Daina is pretty cold and the flush on her cheeks has lessoned. She scrambles out of the cover to go check on the mum and babbin. "You ok?!" she calls out, keeping an eye out for what the -hell- made that sort of sound after landing. Giving the estimated area of impact a bit of a berth.
Slavina
"Wait!" he hisses. Bozydar lunges after Daina, hand closing around her wrist at the last moment and jerking her to a halt, then pulling her back under cover.
Daina
Daina makes a squeak sound as she's halted and falls back onto her butt under the cover.
Fate
Above rests something not quite visible through the canopy. It's large, but it makes the strangest high-pitched noises that would not fit its size were they not so resonant.
Keshya's eyes are wide, taking in the canopy that had just grown right there above her. Her face is ashen. She scrambles quickly to her feet, attempting to stealthily move to cover—something which is thoroughly botched when the baby lets out a thin, piercing cry. It's quickly muffled, but not quite silenced.
The thing now on the forest floor lurches upward. It appears to be a thin, wiry young man, branches embedded in various places about his person. He lets out a yelp which is quickly bit off, collapses, and then his low, vehement mutters only just barely drift over.
Aaren
Aaren splits her voices agian, a quiet song for Keshya's baby added to the stealth ensemble. Then she begins to sing the stranger's song, sussing out the wounds she's been listening for since he fell.
Daina
Daina grimaces and glances to Boz with a bit of.. disgruntlement ? she sighs some but gives a faint smile after, knowing the action was taken out of concern. She crawls towards the opening and glances over again, brows going up to ask if she's gonna be allowed to go this time.
Slavina
When he sees how stuck the creature in the trees is, Bozydar's grip on Daina's wrist loosens. He calls out to the stranger in a cheery, calm way in the Bakersfield dailect. "Hello, Stranger. Are you in any danger from the.... horse?"
Daina
Daina nods a little and crawls out of the cover and to her feet, making her way towards Kenna and baby, asking again after their welfair.
Fate
The muttering silences quickly as Bozydar calls out. It's quiet for a moment, and then:
He looks up, around, startled, then hisses in pain. "Danger? Of what danger dost thou speaketh?" the young man calls, trying to be quiet but still trying to pitch his voice to carry far enough. He looks up, and clicks his tongue.
The thing above struggles, then lets out another odd cry.
The young man blanches and lets out his own cry, a word that doesn't sound like vocabulary. A name, perhaps?
Keshya quickly takes Daina's hand and draws her behind her. She keeps an eye on the thing above. "The creature in the canopy!" she calls.
"Creature? Nay, she is Enkhtuya, mine closest companion and trusted..." The word is not one anyone seems to recognize. "Can any aid be spared her, before she is consuméd by these sorcerous trees?"
Aaren
Aaren concentrates on listening, both to the human and to the 'creature', since she'll probably have to help heal that too. She does stop singing the stealth song and silencing the baby though.
Slavina
Bozydar looks to Keshya for permission to climb the tree.
Daina
Daina looks a bit frustrated a moment when she's tucked behind Keshya but then sighs and smiles a little as she leans around her and says to the stranger. "Hey.. it's ok they're not.. uh.. sorcerous.. they just grew fast" she offers helpfully.
Fate
Latulya slips through the brush, sword out, darting over to Keshya. He waits, coiled, positioned between her and the closest people and this stranger. Keshya motions, and he tilts his sword downward, still at the ready.
"Not sorcerous?" asks the stranger. "Dost all trees in the World Below groweth with the outward passing of a lone breath? Truly, I say to thee, then, the entire World Below is sorcerous, for I assure thee this is most unnatural!"
Keshya's attention glosses over Bozydar and turns to Daina. "Can you... make the trees let this Enk-thing down?" Her hand absently covers the back of the baby's head as its cries renew, somewhat less distressed than before.
Daina
Daina huffs "It's natural.. just big natural.. you're the big... person from the sky" she waves a hand and then hmms and squints one eye, trying to urge the trees to part to allow the creature down, she does a sort of swirling bowing dance and dances backwards and rises.
Slavina
He very much declines to show any reaction whatsoever to Keshya's snub. Not that he cares. Nope. Her plan was totally sensible, after all.
Bozydar eases out of his hollow, peeking over some ferns at the newcomer. His brows creep together with curious puzzlement. "World below? Thou dost imply thereby a world above. Hast thou come from beyond the clouds to cast such accusations at our trees?" Bozydar emphasizes the indignity of tree-insults to a clearly humorous degree, further softened by a boyish smile. "But lo! Let us set aside such calumny, for thy tongue is surely spurred by thy wounds. What ails thee?"
Aaren
"He has a bunch of broken bones and a concussion." Arren sings, from where she is llistening pateintly under the root bowl. "And his knees are torn. Please don't let him move." As if he could.
Fate
The canopy dips and then parts, depositing this creature gently on the ground. It struggles again and then thrashes to rising.
It stands on four, long, thin legs that each end in what can only been hooves, except they are strangely shaped—circular, instead of pointed, and only one "toe" such as it was. Its trunk is barrel-shaped, similarly to a goat, but much rounder and more convex, with a long neck and a long face that is again goatlike except lacking the horns and the proper nose and eyes with rectangular pupils. It also bears wings, great feathered wings that look like they should belong to a bird.
One wing is clearly broken, but the other appears tucked safely against it. It hops from side to side, shaking its head and making its odd sound again, accompanied by a snort.
"Enkhtuya!" the fellow cries. He tries to rise again, but yelps once more and collapses. "Offal and damnation—!" He falls silent. "Nnngh. Everything. Everything ails me, friend. The Ravening One may yet have found my roost and waiteth below with her terrible mouth agape."
Daina
Squeeing softly and giggling Daina rushes forward "Oh hello pretty baby" she coos as she rushes over near the Pegasus, pausing so she doesn't scare the bejeebs out of them. "Ohhh no.. Arren.. " calling out "come help me fix him?! .. her?... " checks.
Slavina
Bozydar holds up his hands in a calming stay-put motion. "Nay, friend. Be still, and do not speak that name before its time. We will tend thy wounds as best may be and better, but not if thou dost thrash thy way between her jaws to spite our healer's efforts."
Aaren
Aaren rises, at Daina's call and comes forward. She gets to the strangers, and then just in time remembers and looks to Keshya for permision to continue. While she waits on it, she says to Daina, "I've never heard a song like Enkhtuya's before." She nods respectfully to the not-a-goat-thing. "It's going to take me a few minutes."
Fate
Keshya watches Aaren, then motions to Latulya. He moves to Aaren and Daina, close at hand.
Enkhtuya eyes Daina as she approaches, tossing her head a little, but calming a little when Daina stops approaching. She circles around as Daina moves to check her sex, sure to keep the little being below in front of her.
"Careful!" snaps Keshya. She snaps a look to Latulya, who gives her a look back. Then she turns her attention to Aaren and says, "Treat him first."
"Nay!" cries the fellow. "Enkhtuya's life is more precious than thrice again mine own!"
Enkhtuya snorts and shakes her head. The fellow falls silent a moment, and then says, "I shalt not repeat what she speaketh in such polite—if most strange—company. But she urgeth me to consent. I shall do so, but only with great reluctance."
Daina
Daina gives a soft little giggle at the pegasus and the mans exchange. She hmms and holds her hand out to the pegasus. ~Hello, I'm Daina~ she attempts to chat with the bird horse. Being calm as she can manage and smiling as she glances over to the stranger and gives him a bright smile approving his wishing to put his animal friend first.
Aaren
Aaren nods and sits down next to the man. She begins immidently. With five voices she sings her songs, with the sixth she explains (singing along) what she's doing. "You've got a hurt head. That's the most important thing. This is the song for your head. I'm going to sing it this way to make the swelling go down." She repeats that part assuming that the children will join in to help. She moves on a moment later, "The next thing is getting your muscles to swell right. We're going to need to set your bones, but I want to hold them still while we move you—" And so on.
Once they've settled into the rythum and Aaren feels confident enough, she'll spare some attention to listen to Enkhtuya's wings, and her pain, since that's more familiar then wings are.
Daina
Daina glances over and questions if Aaren needs some warmth from her, extending a hand in offering. She'd be pretty quiet and try to keep calm around the pretty pegasus. She'd be a bit cold after this but not complain of it.
Slavina
Since approaching the stranger has been approved, Bozydar clambors over to his vicinity and sits on a nearby log. He keeps up a conversation with the stranger, steering as much as possible towards banal, calming topics to keep their mind off things like people dying and bird-horses dying and other unpleasantries.
Fate
Enkhtuya snorts again, easing from surprise to wariness, regarding Daina more closely. Greetings, tiny filly. You smell strange.
The young man stares, wide-eyed at Aaren, listening intently and with awe, but his attention is then drawn to Bozydar. Others gather around, and Keshya sends Mirya's group back to the camp to offer an update—and eventually Keshya organizes the children to help Aaren sing.
Soon enough, the fellow can be moved, and, after some consulting with Grandfather and Grandmother, he and Enkhtuya are brought into the camp.
Slavina
Sometime earlier during the trip
It's still dark, but not quite night-dark anymore. In an hour or so the sun will climb up over the hilltops. In the meantime Bozydar waits in the center of camp, still half-dressed and sweaty from his morning practice. He crouches by the fire, stoking it back up a little while tapping out a silent rhythm on his knee.
Once the coals lick out a few flames, Bozydar pads over to the sleeping-carts and reaches into where Aaren is sleeping. He gently nudges her shoulder.
Aaren
Aaren listens. Since Bozhdar is clearly not panicing, she says, "Ghmrmgg?"
Slavina
Bozydar holds a finger to his lips for quiet, then beckons her over to the fire.
Aaren
Aaren huffs, then sits up, opens her eyes and follows Bozydar. She starts singing the quiet song as she follows.
Slavina
Since they're by the fire anyways, Bozydar starts heating water for tea and porridge. "Sorry to wake you up so early. I hope it's not a problem...." he says in Hometown English.
Aaren
"I don't know yet." Aaren sings. She yawns. "What's up?"
Slavina
"I have questions." He keeps his voice low, almost a murmur. Now that he's cooling off, Bozydar starts replacing the layers he'd removed earlier. "First question, do you want tea?" He adds in a sly voice, "The questions get harder after tea."
Aaren
"Hmm." Aaren yawns again, and then starts singing herself awake. "Sure." Her words come from the voice singing the quiet song. It seems to render the silence thicker around them.
Her third voice begins singing the song that encourages her bones and muscles and skin to grow a little taller. It sounds a bit creaky, this early in the morning.
"Also food." Aaren adds. "Please."
Slavina
Bozydar oblidgingly (but quietly!) rummages around in the supply cart and comes back with some tea leaves and a gourd of small dried orange fruits and hook-shaped nuts. He hands Aaren the gourd and goes about making the leaves into beverage. After handing her a steaming cup, he resumes questioning.
"Yesterday, you asked if you could make me do things. I hope you aren't offended by my refusal. But... I am very curious about it. May I ask you more about what you wanted to do and why?"
Aaren
Aaren munches while Bozhydar fixes tea. She also adds a voice to her taller song, and starts in on making her hair longer— because why not.
When Bozhydar gets around to his question, Aaren sings, "Uum," and takes a sip of tea, "It has to do with Keshya, and it seemed like yesterday that was an uncomfortable topic."
Aaren adds, "I was gonna talk to you about it more once I know more about being polite in Ludzi."
Slavina
"Ah." Bozydar sips his own cup of tea and settles back on his haunches. "I suppose you could say that topic is uncomfortable. But..." another sip, to buy some more thinking-time. "...ah, I still am dying to know what is going on." He scrunches his face up in a thinking-face, and adds "Is 'dying to know' a proper idiom for you?"
Aaren
"Yup." Aaren says, then adds in a dry tone, "Unless you actually are in which case it would be a terrible pun, never do that."
She munches some more, then answers the question. "I wanted to know if I could make you and Keshya not-mad if we were in a situation where I needed both of you to work together and you couldn't do it because you were doing the things you do."
Slavina
His hand stops mid-way through scooping millet into the pot - just for a second, while he wipes out all traces of offence from the surface level. Then he finishes scooping the grain. Then he turns to face Aaren and, with a bit of a playful smile, asks, "Can we go on a walk?"
Aaren
Aaren giggles at the joke, but then she nods. "Sure. What's up?" It's clear she's been offensive, so she squares herself to listen, turnng voice five and six from turning her eyes orange to singing her listening song.
Slavina
"Do you really think that poorly of me?"
Aaren
Aaren tilts her head, singing her own confusion for a moment. "Why do you think I think poorly of you?"
Slavina
"You are worried I would be so.... that I would not be able to work with my own cousin, even if someone was dying." He's definitely insulted by this, a lot, but he's keeping it a level below the surface. And to Bozydar the insult is so obvious he doesn't think to delve into details.
Aaren
Aaren bites her lip, "I'm sorry. I think very highly of you." She pauses to think a moment longer, her listening songs changing to learning songs. Then she adds, "In my experince, people don't always do what they want to do when they are startled and scared." Aaren looks down at her fingers and twitches them along the edge of her cup. It's clear this has been an issue in the past.
Aaren sings the fire, the air around them, the taste of the tea. Two of her voices take up the Ash-Talkling-Emotions song. "I was scared that something would happen and someone would freeze up or not think things through. I feel unable to talk to you or Keshya about your relationship, so I feel helpless. I wanted to find other tools I could use to address my concerns."
Slavina
As Aaren explains, the insulted-feeling goes from buried to nonexistant."Thank you. I appreciate you being so open with me, and I can see you didn't mean any insult by it." He takes another sip and stirs the pot, and takes a moment to think. "Obviously I'm pretty confident this won't be a problem... but what can I do to reassure you about it?"
Aaren
Aaren thinks about that. Her songs return to turning her eyes orange, her skin dark brown, and her hair thrity different colors of green. The first answer that comes to mind is a bitterly cynical one, but she doesn't voice it. Instead she says, "I'm not sure."
Slavina
Bozydar gives a soft grunt of acknowledgement. After a while of silent soup-tending, he says, "I'm surprised Keshya won't talk to you about it. She's usually very.... open."
Aaren
"Well, I guess that's not fair. She'll talk to me about how she feels, but that doesn't help either of us find a solution."
Slavina
"Find a solution?" He laughs very softly. "I think you are better off trying to find cheese made from rocks."
Aaren
Aaren shrugs. "I don't see why. Families want to get along. Just because stuff gets broken doesn't mean it can be healed. Like bones, right?" She sings the song of a broken rip that has started to heal wrong and is jamming into the lung. "They break, and then they try and mend themselves, and sometimes they get stuck doing stuff that hurts other parts."
Aaren re-examins the sentence and then nods when she's done, privately proud of her Liudzi communication.
Slavina
Bozydar shrugs and smiles and holds up his hands in a yeah-sure-but-whatcanyoudo way. He stands up with a stretch. "Thank you for taking the time, Renochka."