Re: A Time To Heal - Makshim, Shiezin 119 4A

[Nara-pyon]

"You don't stay with Ahkshi and Kyrie?" Lancaeriel asked Huron, surprised.

Kyrie laughed. "Clearly, you've not yet seen our home. How Huron stayed with Ahkshi for two nights, I do not know."

Their home was small, to say the very least. To say the most, it was tiny, and absolutely did not have the space for guests - not the proper space.

[Kara Winters]

"I slept on the floor," Hikaru explained, "Well... you know that I think you had to step over me when you first came in. We were busy working in the clinic preparing during the day so it's not like I fully noticed."

And really he had worse, so he couldn't complain.

[Nara-pyon]

Kyrie laughed again. "True, I'd almost forgotten. But you were still fast asleep when I left again. At any rate, I am glad that you're staying for a while. It's been far too long since we've visited, and with so many sick people, we could use the extra help."

She smiled, though she was more serious now. "Having five healers to help with nearly two dozen people is a lot better to think about than two healers. And even with my experience, I don't know nearly as much as Ahkshi."

"Speaking of which," Ahkshi put in, "we should get b-back to checking on them."

"Right." Kyrie nodded and then turned back to Huron and Lancaeriel. "You two go on with the others," she told them. "We've got things covered here for the moment. I think for some it's a bit early to think about solid food, but maybe you could see what could be done about something like soup, or something creamy?"

[Kara Winters]

"I wouldn't recommend creamy for humans if it contains cow's milk," Hikaru shook his head, "It could give people stomach aches, especially if they haven't eaten anything solid in a long while. I'll go ask what is in... I pretty sure there's some form of storage here. I still don't know what this tent has."

He admitted this sheepishly.

[Nara-pyon]

"We haven't any milk," Kyrie assured him, "I simply meant that sort of texture. Something simple for them to swallow."

"Don't worry, Kyrie," Lancaeriel murmured, "I think I know what we can do. And Huron, perhaps I can give you a tour of the tent if no one else is up yet."

And if others were, then perhaps they could give him the tour while she prepared something for their patients.

[Kara Winters]

"I would like that, thank you," Hikaru smiled brightly.

Because he really was curious as to what this tent had to offer. He was already under the impression it was large, just by the kind of use people were getting out of it.

[Nara-pyon]

They left Kyrie and Ahkshi behind and headed to the kitchen - to prepare food, and to see if anyone else was about.

It turned out that most of the travelers were up and about by this time. They were, for the most part, either in the dining room rather than the kitchen, or had already finished their breakfast and were rinsing out their bento boxes, or had already done that and were going about their daily business.

Most of them.

"There you are!" Cael exclaimed as the two of them entered the kitchen again. He had just entered from the dining room, and he strode across the room to them. "I've been looking for you!"

Lancaeriel laughed softly. "We were checking on the patients. Ahkshi and Kyrie were in there, and still are - I came back out to prepare some food for them. And to offer Huron a tour of the tent, unless someone else is eager."

Cael turned to Huron and grinned. "What do you think?" he asked him. "Help Lancaeriel out and wait for the tour? Or I can show you around now."

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru was pretty sure the better question was, did he want to have a tour with Cael? To be honest, the answer was kind of no.

"I think I'll help Lancaeriel out," Hikaru offered, "I'm not in a rush."

[Nara-pyon]

"You may not be in a rush," came Wren's voice from the dining room doorway as she entered, two empty bento boxes in hand, "but if you start helping out in the kitchen, you're going to spend all day in here."

She smiled at Huron. "My advice is, leave Cael to help Lancaeriel, and I can take you on a tour if you'd like. Or anyone is willing, really, we all love to brag about our home. And despite Cael's offer, I can promise you he's happy you said no, because it means he can help - or at least pretend to help - his wife."

Because Cael still acted like a newlywed, despite having been with them over a year now.

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru had to laugh at that description of Cael, it seemed like a lot of people thought he wasn't that mature.

"Well, with a warning like that how can I say no?" he replied, "I'll take you up on your offer."

As long as it wasn't Cael who was giving him the tour he would take it.

[Nara-pyon]

As Wren had promised, Cael looked positively pleased with the result of her explanation and offer, and there was a sparkle in his eye as he took the bento boxes from her.

Chuckling softly, Wren beckoned for Huron to follow her back the way she had come. "Come on, the dining room is this way."

Inside the dining room, a few stragglers were still finishing up their breakfasts - Rose and Geran, Shiro, Andarien and Shoneah. Wren introduced those who hadn't been out the night before, and since Andarien hadn't even seen Huron yet, introduced Huron as well.

When Andarien tried to greet Huron, he found that he had to squint, and he reached for the goggles that were around his neck and pulled them up over his eyes.

"You've got a lot of magic," he commented once his eyes were protected, sticking to the Fire Elven tongue, which Wren had used to make the introductions.

[Kara Winters]

This was news to Holly who had joined in for breakfast, and had been one of the first people to meet Huron. Then again all elves had magic didn't they.

Hikaru chuckled, "So I've been told last night."

Miyuki, who also had arrived for breaking fast, added, "Cael sensed that last night and commented on it. Huron studied magic, ah... but I'm not sure what kind."

"Illusions," Hikaru supplied, "Which I was told by Lancaeriel that you specialize in to tell stories?"

The kitsune seemed to brighten up at this, "Yes, I can tell you a few sometime."

[Nara-pyon]

"A lot of it's stories about what happens to us when we travel," Andarien shrugged. "Maybe not so interesting."

Shoneah smiled and put a hand on his arm. "Not everyone's idea of interesting is the same," she reminded him.

Andarien tilted his head to ponder that for a moment. "I guess," he conceded at length.

Wren laughed softly and leaned in close to Huron. "You'll find, I'm sure, that we are a bit of an odd group - without counting our various races."

[Kara Winters]

"There are worse things than being a bit odd," Hikaru replied in turn.

He really did mean that, they seemed to be such wonderful people that a being a bit odd didn't matter. Besides, he expected a bit odd with so many different races and personalities in the same room. Not to mention, he thought as he surveyed the dining room once more, that the tent itself made everything odd to most people.

"So, where to first?"

[Nara-pyon]

"Well," Wren replied, gesturing towards the door on the far side of the dining room, "we're going to continue. And despite the fact that it seems we've gone in a straight line from the foyer, through the kitchen and into the dining room, this doorway which we're about to go through goes back into the foyer as if we've actually gone in a circle - which we have and we haven't."

She chuckled at her description. "Don't think about it too hard."

If he were anything like her, he'd end up with a headache if he did.

[Kara Winters]

It took a bit for Hikaru to consider that. He realized that if every door led to a space, unless you wanted to go somewhere specific. So... in other words a door would have not be a door to a space, but a portal to return to a place.

"At least we're going back to the foyer and not ending up in some place completely different?" he offered.

Because yes, if they wanted to, they could have a door that would land them back into the residential hallway instead of foyer if they were so minded to do so.

[Nara-pyon]

"Exactly," Wren grinned. "And it's actually the simplest part of the tent, navigation-wise. I mean, most of the rest of the tent is straight lines, but because they're getting to be such long hallways, it's a bit more complicated remembering where everything is, what's behind which door. Cael has been kind enough to paint some of them, but he hasn't gotten to all of them, and when it comes to the gardens ... well, those are more nuanced differences than anything else."

She led him back through the foyer, as promised, and, since he had already seen the residential hallway (and even into a few rooms of it) headed for the other hall.

[Kara Winters]

"There are gardens?" Hikaru had trouble imaging.

On the other hand, he had heard rumours of mages who made completely different spaces that were like small outdoor worlds. He had never met any of those, but he had heard of them.

[Nara-pyon]

Wren grimaced. "I'm not sure gardens is the right word," she murmured. "They're more ... just ... open world, almost. But each of a different type."

She waved it away. "Well, you'll see. First, here are the bathing rooms - you saw them yesterday, or at least one of them. There's one with a bath, two with showers, and aside from that, they're more or less the same."

She opened the door of one that was unoccupied and gestured for Huron to take a look.

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru remembered these and he had to admit that was one thing about the tent he was envious of. Strange, he didn't even realize that was something for him to envy until he took a shower yesterday.

"I liked these yesterday," Hikaru admitted to Wren with a silly grin, "It was nice and not cold."

[Nara-pyon]

Wren grinned back at him. "Magic is a wonderful thing. We've all grown rather spoiled since this tent was created - before then, the travel was pretty typical. Difficult, cold, full of cold food and cold baths in whatever river we might find. No privacy ... and not much to do aside from walk every day. Now there are so many ways to keep busy."

She motioned for him to follow her again.

"The first room here is one of the original rooms, though it was expanded somewhat recently," she explained, taking him to the forge room. "It's where Andarien, Miyuki's brother, and his girlfriend work - a forge. They do all kinds of metal work for us, and either are working on or have completed mirrors for us to use to communicate together from afar. Aside from that, they also do things for pleasure or to sell."

[Kara Winters]

Unsurprisingly it was very hot in the forge room, and Hikaru didn't dare to step too deeply inside it. He was okay with hot climates, but he still preferred places that weren't too hot.

"To be able to produce what you need while traveling is very useful..."

As long as they had the materials, they didn't have to stop at a town then.

[Nara-pyon]

"When we can," Wren agreed wholeheartedly. She smiled and waved to Andarien and Shoneah, who were just getting started for the day. They waved back and went on with their work, and Wren turned back to the hallway with Huron and closed the door behind them again.

"But for all we can make for ourselves, there are still so many things we can't provide for ourselves," she continued, heading to the next door. "Food supplies, other than what we can hunt and scavenge. So milk, eggs, flour, salt ... all those things we have to buy or trade for. There's an idea someone is working on to get around at least some of that, but we'll probably never be truly independent."

She opened the door to the woodshop. Daeron was seated on a stool next to a work bench, leaning forward and working on what appeared to be a carving of a few familiar faces and figures. Before Wren or Huron could get a good look at it, however, he slung a large cloth over it, hiding it from their view.

Only then did he turn and see who it was.

"Ah," he murmured, relief etching his face. "It's only you. Sorry about that. I don't get many visitors, and this is meant to be a surprise."

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru had to laugh a bit, "Don't worry, we were just peeking in. Wren is showing me around today."

The woodwork shop smelled lovely, but he was fond of the smell of wood. Some woods could be quite scented and so some woodworkers would design something based on smell, not just grain and colour. His grandmother actually owned a jewelry box made of some wood that was lacquered, but despite being lacquered it gave up a very perfumed smell.

"Is it alright if I come in and look?" he asked.

[Nara-pyon]

Daeron hesitated, eying the cloth-covered object; but after another glance back at Huron and Wren he smiled and nodded.

"Of course," he agreed amiably. "Come on in. Any questions, just ask."

He leaned back and stretched, then rubbed his knuckles gently.

Wren laughed at him and motioned for Huron to go inside while she remained in the doorway.

There were a few projects on the go, but aside from his hidden project, the most predominant thing in sight were the planks of wood waiting to be sanded down into usable timber. Aside from that, there were plans in various stacks on the work desk to one side of the room, tools neatly organized on one wall, and some smaller pieces of projects - table legs, chair backs - around the walls of the room.

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