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

[Kara Winters]

Inside the room, Huron was sitting across from Miyuki. They had been having a lively discussion about illusions after Hikaru had admitted to his field of specialty to her. His pack, had been removed from Khetal's room and was now resting in a corner.

"Not that it's hard for me to get settled," Hikaru looked up at Kyrie with a grin, "How are the patients?"

[Nara-pyon]

"Mostly looking good," Kyrie grinned back at him, leaning against the door frame. "I'm hopeful. We'll know for sure in a week or so. Anyways, Ahkshi and I are heading home for the rest of the day. We'd love to have you for dinner, if you're up for it. I know you've been staying with Ahkshi, but I would really love the chance to catch up with you. It's been quite a while, after all."

She laughed. "That being said, we're going to be here likely for about a year, so if you'd rather come another night, just say the word." She winked at him. "We can entertain ourselves when we have to."

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru chuckled at this, "How about give me a week before I have dinner with you both?"

It would give Kyrie and Ahkshi time with each other and give Hikaru more time to think about what his next set of plans were. Even though he knew they were staying a year, he didn't want to leave this choice to the last minute.

[Nara-pyon]

"Sounds good," Kyrie nodded, grinning. "That will give me time to check out the food situation and plan a proper dinner. Not to mention let me and Ahkshi catch up. As much as I love traveling, coming home is what makes it so special."

It always reminded her of why she traveled.

"At any rate, we'll both be in tomorrow again to check the patients again, so see you both tomorrow!" she said cheerfully. With a wave, she was gone.

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru chuckled a bit before turning his attention back to Miyuki.

For the rest of the week, this became his routine. He would spend time with the different travelers of the tent, getting to know them, where they were from and what they did. He learned about where they were going and what their plans were. When he thought about it, it was a good week for him. Their company was wonderful (though he still avoided Kaito and Cael when he could).

And it got him thinking, really thinking as he made his way to Kyrie's and Ahkshi's for dinner. Hikaru had made a plan, he wasn't sure where this plan would take him, but he was sure he wasn't going to regret it. Once there though, Hikaru realized there was a small kink in his plan, he still had to confess to the two of them.

[Nara-pyon]

Kyrie and Ahkshi had spent the entire afternoon preparing the meal, and Kyrie was heading down to the cellar to fetch a fresh bottle of wine (she remembered what Huron liked) when Huron arrived, and it was Ahkshi who answered the door.

"W-welcome," he greeted Huron warmly, stepping aside to Huron to enter. "P-please, come in."

The table had been moved from the kitchen into the living room so that there would be room for the three of them around it, though the meal itself was on the counter - also so that there would be room for the three of them to have their place settings on the table.

"S-sorry I haven't had a ch-chance to t-t-talk to you much this week," Ahkshi apologized as Huron entered. "I hope you've been enj-j-joying getting to know everyone."

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru shook his head, "That's perfectly fine, I've been having a wonderful week getting to know everyone in the tent. I've had some very interesting conversations. Besides, I can't fault you for wanting to have Kyrie to yourself."

They were married, and she had been gone a year. Honestly, Hikaru would have followed Kyrie if he had been married to her, but Hikaru also recognized he didn't have any outstanding duties at the moment.

[Nara-pyon]

"Well, n-not as much to m-myself as I might like," Ahkshi sighed dramatically, though there was a sparkle in his eye. "O-once the patients are f-fully recovered and f-find somewhere to live, then I'll r-r-really have her to myself for a while."

He closed the door behind Huron and motioned for him to take a seat. "K-Kyrie's just getting the wine, she'll be r-r-right back," he told him.

Even as he said it, Kyrie's voice came from the back room, where the stairs to the cellar were located. "Ahkshi, remind me tomorrow that we're going to need more of this - oh, Huron!" She beamed when she came out into the room, bottle in hand, and saw him. "Welcome!"

[Kara Winters]

"Hey," Hikaru gave a small wave to her, "Thanks for having me, it's been too long since we've all done something like this."

Considering both he and Kyrie tended to travel quite a bit.

"How has your week been?" he asked.

[Nara-pyon]

Kyrie's eyes were bright as she replied, "It has been absolutely wonderful."

She went on her tiptoes to give her husband a kiss on the cheek as she passed him, then set the wine bottle on the table. "All right, everything is ready. So if you two will take a seat, I'll be right there with your plates. Ahkshi, if you wouldn't mind pouring the wine ..."

"Of c-course," Ahkshi agreed.

As Ahkshi opened the wine and poured it into three glasses and Kyrie filled their plates with food, Kyrie asked Huron, "And how was your week? We hardly saw each other, what with everything going on. Getting to know everyone all right? Wrapping your head around our home-away-from-home?"

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru chuckled, "Yes, very much so. I do admit a lot of that conversation had to do with the tent, but it's been great getting to know all the travelers. It's been quite nice to get to know people openly like that."

Normally he had to build up a bit of trust with a population first before he could really get to know everyone, it was a nice change for him.

[Nara-pyon]

"Openly?" Kyrie repeated curiously.

"R-remember he usually d-disguises himself to t-t-travel," Ahkshi reminded his wife.

"Ah," Kyrie murmured, "right. Of course. Forgive me, Huron. I'm afraid my mind has been elsewhere this week."

She balanced the three plate in her arms and brought them to the table. "But I promise," she grinned, "my mind is here now. At this meal, with the two of you."

She set the plates down carefully, then sat across from her husband.

[Kara Winters]

"And that's the other thing about this week..." Hikaru grinned as he looked at the meal set before him, "I've been spoiled by meals. This looks delicious by the way."

He wished he could help out more in the kitchen while he was staying at the tent, but he was so use to cooking over open fires that he could only stare helplessly at the ovens in the tent. It didn't help that the ovens worked on magic and were more closely related to Gaian ovens. At least he was still able to help cut things up.

[Nara-pyon]

Kyrie grinned. "Thank you. It took both Ahkshi and me all afternoon to prepare, and it's always nice to hear hard work complimented."

"More Kyrie than m-me," Ahkshi chuckled. He picked up his glass and held it slightly forward. "A t-toast," he smiled. "T-to being together again - f-finally - and to a f-f-friendship that has l-l-lasted centuries."

"May it last centuries more," Kyrie agreed, lifting her glass as well. "Hear, hear."

[Kara Winters]

Hikaru smiled softly as he raised his own glass, "To wonderful friends."

He couldn't help but think, as he clinked glasses with his friends, that it had been centuries. They were nearly the first people he had ever made friends with. The first were safely still in Caras Galadhon.

"And really Kyrie, I cook by open fire if I cook at all. I don't even think I remember how to cook in a kitchen anymore."

[Nara-pyon]

Kyrie laughed. "There's nothing wrong with that," she assured him. "Ask Ahkshi. Even having been gone a year, I had to get used to it again."

Ahkshi grimaced and nodded but said nothing.

"But it falls back into place once you try it again," Kyrie added, grinning. "Honestly, though? I don't think I've had to cook once since I agreed to lead the group around Arkandia. Not for them, anyways. Only here at home."

"For which I am g-g-grateful," Ahkshi murmured with a smile. "Undercooked and b-burned meals notwithstanding."

[Kara Winters]

"There does seem to always be someone who is preparing food," Hikaru did admit, "I did try to help out, but all I can do is dice vegetables."

Even though he could do it quickly and therefore cut down the prep time.

[Nara-pyon]

"Don't worry about it," Kyrie told him immediately. "There are some who would enjoy cooking every meal, if they could. And there are more than enough people to make it so that most of them never have to help out in the kitchen."

She paused, then added with a sparkle in her eye, "In a way, I'm actually looking forward to Daenis having her baby so that she can help a bit more in the kitchen again. Right now it gets to be too much for her. You've not had the opportunity to enjoy one of her meals, Huron, but I highly recommend you stick around long enough to do so. You've not eaten until you've eaten one of her meals. She does things with food I didn't even know were possible!"

"I'm just g-glad to see you cheerful again," Ahkshi murmured softly, gazing at his wife. "When y-you l-last left ..."

Kyrie smiled and reached across the table to put one hand on his. "I know," she replied, equally softly. "I know."

[Kara Winters]

"I take it you ran into some hard moments?" Hikaru asked, "Though between this incident and a few others I've heard about. You seem to keep running into some... very exciting, dangerous or just extreme circumstances."

Even though the group (from what he could gather) had been traveling for a few years now, it sounded like things just kept happening.

[Nara-pyon]

Kyrie looked at Huron, and the expression on her face said that she was considering what to say.

"Um ... well," she said at last, "about a year and a half ago or so, Mailon showed up here, badly injured. We had some bad history, a long ... long time ago, and I didn't handle it well. But in the year that we've been traveling together now, I've come to really respect him. Even grow a bit of fond of him."

She smiled widely. "It really is wonderful to see how thoroughly people can change. And to know that I can change, too." She laughed.

[Kara Winters]

There was probably more to it than that but he wasn't going to push it. He knew what it felt like to be pushed, and it wasn't a nice feeling. As long as Kyrie was happy he could live with it.

"It's good to know things have gone well in that regard then," Hikaru nodded.

As they continued to eat their meal, Hikaru had to ask out of curiousity.

"Any idea about where the patients will go?"

[Nara-pyon]

"Well, we've been speaking with them," Kyrie replied thoughtfully, "and it seems that for the most part, they're interested in going somewhere far away. Somewhere they won't have to be reminded of what they went through - which I completely understand. And of course, as a number of them are of mixed blood, I suggested - we suggested," she amended, her eyes meeting her husband's, "Caras Galadhon."

"B-but most of them were n-n-not interested in y-years of t-travel first," Ahkshi added.

Kyrie nodded. "So I've been considering asking Miyuki if I might borrow one or two of her smaller tents again. Uruloki and I could fly them out there, get them settled, and be back here in less than a week."

[Kara Winters]

"That would be the easiest," Hikaru admitted, "I mean, I could take them there. We're in the prime spot to head to Caras Galadhon if we go a country over and then take a ship, but that many people..."

It wouldn't be cheap, and the only reason why he always got free passage was because he worked as a healer while traveling. Nevermind the fact he wasn't sure that many people crossing the border to see refuge in another country would go over well.

[Nara-pyon]

"That's still a long journey, walking, and it would take over a year," Kyrie protested.

"Not to m-mention the c-cost," Ahkshi frowned. "And there are f-f-few ships, if any, that would t-t-take so many p-passengers."

"Thanks for the offer," Kyrie smiled gently, "but unless Miyuki doesn't allow us to use her tents, I think we'll just keep to our plan."

She appreciated it, she really did, but to her it was just impractical, considering the resources at her fingertips now.

"Though that d-does remind me," Ahkshi added, "Huron, n-now that they're b-b-better, wh-what are your p-plans? Are you g-g-going to stick around for a wh-while?"

[Kara Winters]

"Ah... yea... that..." Hikaru replied slowly.

He organized his thoughts a bit as he spoke.

"My original plan was to just stick around long enough to harvest some of the spring herbs that grow in the area," Hikaru admitted, "But I would actually like to change my plans."

He looked seriously at Kyrie as he said this.

"I would like to travel with you."

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