Small fingers traced along the grain of the thin piece of leather, testing its flexibility. Elua had spent the last hours trying to distract herself from the echoes of her conversation with Yatrel or from slipping back into today’s intensity for Qatrand.
The most effective had been with leatherworking. The abandoned scraps and tools were still scattered nearby in a ss of uncertain projects she fiddled with. A sort of aimless ditation that kept moving into contemplations over the future.
’Is it that the present isn’t fulfilling enough? Or that it’s so good, I can’t help but worry about maintaining it...’
The tent flap rustled as Klaytei entered freely. Her personal servant had been told not to bother announcing herself. The cultivator could sense her coming at a distance anyway... but the very idea that she could get distracted and caught in awkward situations by soone just rushing in her tent was another ’welco’ ntal barrier.
"Here is the special material you requested... young miss."
She presented a bundle wrapped in oilcloth with an amused smile accompanying the address. The servant had noticed her mistress choosing to dine alone this evening - avoiding both family, friends, or even sneaking away for her spouse. So she couldn’t help but stress lots of digs at the ’moody’ behavior of the girl.
Of course, the scher so used to being called ’my lady, my lady’ had noticed. She wasn’t particularly in the mood to engage with that, so she just filed it away as a grudge debt. Mint eyes studied the bundle as the woman unwrapped it, revealing the expensive lightweight timber.
A near-perfect material for crafting the leg bands her new flight of Skydancers would need.
"Thank you. Did you have any trouble with the rchants?"
Her words had a quality unlike normal... not quite ’sweet’, not quite ’lancholic’. While her mood was subdued, the heiress was not quite facadeless. Klaytei almost had the impression that her charge was trying to act mature and graceful.
’But that can’t be quite right either, I’ve seen her serious side. Hm...’
"The one I was eventually directed to seed surprised that anyone would purchase such a large piece at once. A nice man... that kept asking if I was sure. As if he was really concerned I would be blad for buying the wrong amount."
The brunette’s lip twitched, a bit close to letting herself be entertained. Five birds hardly justified the quantity she’d had the woman order, but getting things done sotis mattered more than appearances.
"Yes, that does seem nice. He could have just sold it without a word and been happy. At least, until the one who had foolishly spent so much cos back angrily. Anyway, the excess won’t go to waste."
Her gaze drifted to another chest of goods sitting near her bed. Inside were many examples of overabundance that could be repurposed if given enough thought. Of course it all boiled down to gifting and creating a sense of favors.
"I’ll be working on sothing until late."
"Will you need anything else from this evening, my lady?"
Klaytei’s tone changed to the neutrality of soone who had learned when not to pry. She was sent away from the small ho in their ho city on errands enough to understand that her employer preferred privacy while she worked.
"No, that will be all for now."
The personal servant turned to leave, but Elua knew that the visit wasn’t over. Her spiritual sense already detected the hesitant presence lingering outside. Klaytei had barely taken two steps out of the exit when she paused and turned back.
"Actually, one of your young friends is outside. Looking rather nervous, if I might say."
The orphan’s flowing spirit would get a ripple patterning across it when she was uncertain. Like water disturbed by winds pushing down. Though of course, this ti so of that movent ca from within.
"Send her in."
The servant nodded and moved through the tent flap once again. A murmur of voices carried through the brown colored canvas before Nohre stepped inside. Her green eyes imdiately ticked toward the leatherworking ss. The sight of it actually settled her down, a little.
"Master, I’m sorry to disturb you this late..."
Normally she might directly admonish her for jumping with that title first, but the illusionist had already wrapped their little area in as much privacy as she had when speaking with her mother.
"No need for apologies. Frankly, the two of you don’t use my benevolence enough."
The reincarnator set aside the leather piece she’d been fidgeting with. Playing with re-tanning thods using concentrations of gas could wait. There was another project... another experint she had going that needed her attention.
"You’ve been carrying sothing in your heart since I helped you heal the birds."
The dark braided hair moved over her shoulder as the girl tensed up.
"I... yes. That thing you did at the end. It keeps coming back when I’m not focused on sothing else."
Elua gestured to a cushion on the ground across from her. Her disciple would have to be ordered into the chair - and the reincarnator didn’t especially feel like exerting control on others right now. The fact that she couldn’t control herself that well made her reluctant to do it to others.
’Though I’m sure when I was younger it was the other way around. Out of control and ddling in everyone else’s impressions constantly.’
"Sit. I expected we would need to talk about this, but I wanted you to seek out."
As Nohre settled onto the cushion, the heiress rethought how much to reveal. She’d already shared more today than intended with her mother. Whether letting Yatrel keep the secrets - at the large percent of truthfulness that ca out - would end up good or bad was hard to say.
Yet, both situations had left loose threads that needed attention. The scher was usually all too happy to weave and prune as needed... when tailoring truth and lies into the most effective way to accomplish her goals. That sa assured excitent was harder to rally tonight.
"I shared an impression of a mory. You felt fail to save soone I cared about from a dical situation."
Her tone remained careful. But it wasn’t really the lecturing voice the orphan disciple had grown used to. There was a maturity about its gloom that didn’t fit the often bright Elua er Goltbred or the overbearing direct ntor.
’Master...’
"And... you also felt how that changed . Which is probably where your biggest problem with what happened is. Because of course you have less questions about any little spiritual tricks I used to even *do* that - and are instead concerned with my feelings."
"O-of course! You are... E-Elua, we care about you a lot."
A couple small figures appeared on an outstretched palm. Miniature versions of her disciples huddled and spoke to each other in visual form only. The detail entranced the other teenager, marveling at how much more advanced than her... *whatever* they currently were to each other!
"I know. That was the whole idea of showing that to you. You care - what I think, what I feel. You’re a good person. When I say that, it’s because I an it."
Embarrassed hands waved frantically through the illusions as the little couple started kissing each other awkwardly. Strangled chokes of disbelief tore from Nohre’s throat.
’When did she see us do this?! I was so sure we-’
"You think quite highly of . The things I’ve done for you, the things I’ve showed you. There is a part of you that has grown to think I am nearly infallible when it cos to so matters. Teachers are looked up to because they have more experience than the student."
She finally took pity on the girl and made the image disappear. Her red face and accusing eyes as she trembled with her fists clenched and pressed to her sides made... the scher feel a little better, actually. While she wished her own situation was as easy to make fun of...
"So I gave you a relevant failure to internalize. That way you stop looking at with those eyes... well, not those ones. You’re free to be upset with all you want. Just don’t idolize , please."
⟠ ⟠ ⟠
Lady Aarengraf turned the hourglass over for the fifth ti, watching the reddish desert sand cascade down through the narrowed center. The ornate tipiece of brass and smooth glass sat heavy in her palm. Much more than its size suggested... though the feeling was more about the potential anings than physical properties.
Her private pavilion stood apart from the rest of the noble retinue’s encampnt. White canvas walls bore geotric patterns in deep burgundy in a contrast to the more artistically ornate designs favored by many of the continent’s locals. At least the ones with ans to afford more than plain colored tent interiors.
The northernmost region’s pragmatism extended to her behaviors even here. Despite so of her peers going all out, her temporary ho used sparse furniture of dark wood - precisely arranged but without much in the way of decoration. It would just be more to carry back ho and less room for whatever she would bring back.
’Like a gift from that girl...’
"You’re overthinking it."
The curved blade wielder’s tone carried respect, but her posture suggested a familiarity not typically afforded to noble patrons. Leysah leaned up against the standing room divider in a yellow-hue battledress with her arms crossed. It wasn’t that she wanted to cause problems at first, but...
The noble who sponsored her in this competition had been using her for errands since her failure, including this ti. Bringing Lady Aarengraf the package that arrived for her was sothing any of his servants could have done. She was a little annoyed by the power move.
’Maybe she will complain to him directly. If I can just get him to do sothing against the contract I signed...’
"When it cos to that girl, there is no such thing as overthinking."
The noble’s thin fingers traced the etched constellation on the hourglass base. The star the felt like a clue along with all the rest of it. As an aristocrat, she was used to searching for every layer of aning that might be imparted.
"In our world, every gift has purpose. Every word carries weight. All ssages are really two - or more."
"It’s just a trinket from the region. I saw the seller in the market myself."
"Is it just?"
Lady Aarengraf’s severe brow arched as she turned and held it up. She pointed at the parts as she showed off her knowledge.
"The sand in this cos from the Crystal Desert. A locale nearly a thousand miles south from here. The idea of an hourglass suggests a window of asuring ti. Or the concept of it running out. And delivered along with the goodwill offering is this note."
In the heiress’s script was extra-legible Old Tongue text.
/ While you wait for warmth, these can pass the ti. Stay heartened. /
The cryptic aning was driving the woman crazy!
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