Lunch passed quickly, the two men patiently answering her myriad of questions. She managed to keep mostly on track, only following a couple of sidetracks before managing to pull herself back on course. Most of the information was fascinating but ultimately useless in her drive to return to her home planet. Still, she carefully noted down everything that they said. It was looking more and more likely that her stay here would be of a longer duration than she'd originally hoped, so she needed to start fully acclimating to society and the planet here until she could find a guaranteed way home.

Ivan excused himself after they finished lunch, fleeing under the guise of returning to his duties. Both Ria and Ward had laughed softly at the quiet desperation on his face as he fled.

Guiding her toward the food stall section of the market, Ward told her, "Ivan really is a good guardian. He's trained extensively and outclassed at least a dozen other candidates. He just tends to speak first and think later. He's only been in the position for the past three months. The last guardian retired after they finished guiding the last drop of star travelers. Everyone figured that there would be roughly five months to season him and then Fmr. Guardian Raymond would guide him through the next drop along with Mother's help. He's just never left Airtaeg and knows everyone and they know him, so he's not used to dealing with new people who don't know his personality."

She patted his arm gently, "It's okay, Ward. He didn't offend me, he just startled me when he suddenly appeared and called me a pretty little thing. I know now that he didn't mean it like it came out but goodness, what a first impression."

Ward sighed, "Yeah, I'll mention it to Mother and Raymond and they'll run him through the diplomacy course, again. However, hopefully where you caught him off guard and then questioned him within an inch of his life will help him to remember to assess the situation before jumping in with both feet."

She giggled, "His face. I think the lesson stuck, but we shall see."

He relaxed at that, seeming to accept that she wasn't mad or offended. He led her over to the first food stall, a fruit one, and introduced her to the owner. The owner was a tiny, fiery woman who went by the name of Mei and wouldn't let them leave without at least three fruits 'for the young lady to try since she's new here' as well as the latest gossip for Ward to pass on to his family.

Ria couldn't help her smile as they moved on to the next stall, everyone here had been so kind and welcoming to her. She supposed that it came from a culture where outworlders arrived regularly but there was a kindness that she thought was unique to this village as well. One would think that it would become almost business-like after a while, meeting and dealing with new people, getting them settled, and then moving on. But these people seemed delighted to meet her, asking questions about her and patiently answering any that she managed to ask of them in her halting Audri.

Thankfully, Ward was always willing to play translator and before she knew it, they were leaving the market with overflowing arms, only half of it being items that they'd purchased, the other half being small gifts and trinkets given to the newcomer along with warm words of welcome and tiny snippets of advice or cheer.

As they strolled back to the Kiftan residence, Ria couldn't help chattering about all that she'd seen and learned that day. "I've never been to a market day like this on Earth but I doubt that it could compare to all the items and wonders that I saw today. And so many new tastes? You'd think that it would all be rather similar, considering that most of it originated in the same region, but there was such an array of flavors, some of which I'd never dreamed of before. Like the Kiri fruit! Oh my goodness, just the right amount of sweet and citrusy that left me feeling refreshed after eating it. I bet it would be marvelous baked in a tart or served with breakfast. Or as a juice, I bet that would be really refreshing on a hot summer day. Often, citrus stuff leaves an odd sensation that lingers for a bit after I eat or drink it, but the Kiri fruit was like enjoying a glass of icy fresh water."

He nodded, stealthily snagging another item from her when she wasn't paying attention and adding it to his pile. "Kiri fruit also dries well, so it's a great staple while traveling. Dried Kiri fruit lasts for months without any issues, so it's a common fruit to use during the winter holiday season as well. All sorts of treats are made from it."

She nodded, "I am definitely going to have to learn some of those recipes then, I wonder if Faye will be willing to teach me them."

Ward silently wondered if she realized that she was starting to make long-term plans but refused to point it out. She had seemed so stressed and down lately, frown lines becoming permanently etched between her brows as the days had worn on. So to see her relaxed and smiling was a relief, even with Ivan's earlier idiocy. Instead, he simply bit his tongue and listened to her share about all the things that she'd seen. Today was a good day.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

X

After returning to the Kiftan home, Lynne immediately pounced on them, demanding that Ria tell her everything. The girl had a million questions about their day but Ria didn't mind because she had so much to talk about. All the things she had seen had been downright magical, she couldn't remember the last time that she'd gone shopping that hadn't been an absolute necessity, let alone enjoyed shopping.

Still, as she went over her notes that night alone in her room, she realized that she was not going to be able to find the answers that she needed here in Airtaeg. She shoved away the intrusive thought that there might not be answers to be found, that there might not be a way for her to go home. It was much too early for her to be giving in yet and such defeatist thoughts were not helpful in the least.

Tapping her pencil idly on the desk, she turned her options over in her mind. Yes, it was no good allowing herself to become depressed or defeated but neither should she expend her effort and energy pursuing a dead lead. The market day had made it clear that even those outside of the village did not have the resources she needed to further her knowledge or have the information that she so desperately sought. Remembering the many stall owners, most of them would probably be confused or shocked by someone wanting to return to their planet of origin. All the other star travelers had chosen to come here, had chosen to leave their world and their past behind.

If it weren't for her father and Charlotte, Ria probably wouldn't have tried to return to Earth after arriving on Audrilandre. The planet was fascinating and she could happily spend her life researching everything about it as well as reforming their deplorable information arrangement. She wrinkled her nose at that thought, she might even take a crack at making it better while she worked on returning to Earth. There was nothing that she despised more than an inefficient way of finding information. Information should be easily accessible for all, not a labyrinth task of time and effort.

Yes, time to turn her attention to other avenues of inquiry.

X

Ria remained deep in thought for the next two days, spending all of her time sequestered away in her room, thinking and planning. Lynne had worried that she'd somehow offended her but Ria reassured her that they were fine, she just had a lot on her mind. Lynne had backed off at that but she kept shooting her worried glances at meal times.

It was on the evening of the third day when Ward announced that he'd be leaving on circuit the next day that she finally spoke up. "I'd like to go with you when you depart."

She calmly took a bite and chewed it while the other three stared at her in surprise. It was Faye who asked, "Why? I thought that you were using the guide to research and Ward was waiting to hear more from his contacts."

Ria nodded, "That's true, that was the plan. And all of you have been a great help in helping me to adjust here and settle in. I'm grateful for you opening your home to me, I hope you know that."

Faye nodded, gently shushing Lynne. "Of course. It's been our pleasure to have you here and it's been a delight to teach such a sharp mind. I assume that there's a reason that you wish to leave?"

Ria set aside her fork and laced her hands together. "Yes. I believe that the answers I seek are located elsewhere. Even market day, although incredible, was not helpful to my task of returning home. I did not have the knowledge as to whether I would actually need any of the items displayed and there is nowhere here to acquire the knowledge other than the guide. As it is, the guide is ill-suited to assisting my task of returning home simply because of the sheer amount of time needed to properly go through it. However, I do not plan to abandon my task so easily."

She paused to organize her thoughts for a moment before continuing. "Nor do I plan to be a burden while I am here on Audrilandre. If you are willing to permit me to accompany you on your circuit, I plan to work on creating a more efficient version of the guide or something similar for people to access. I can research this region's flora, fauna, and monsters into an encyclopedia of their own so that people can access the information in an easier format. After all, knowledge is power and I'm sure that many people will find it valuable once it is completed. Not only that, but if I accompany you, when you stop in a town to deal with guardian oversight, I can use the time to search any libraries or archives instead of pulling away a guardian or aide from important duties."

Ward thought the proposition over carefully and the only sound for several minutes was of people quietly eating. He finally asked, "You do realize that should you find the journey too taxing or you do not find the information you need, I will not be able to bring you back to Airtaeg until I complete my circuit? It is my duty to oversee this region and I can not set it aside for a single person, whether I wish to or not."

She nodded seriously, "Of course, I would never ask you to put me above your duties. And I understand that it will not be an easy journey. But I cannot just sit here and pray that the answer falls into my lap. Not only that, but I shall burn myself out entirely if I just try to use the guide as a resource. While it was a good plan, in execution, it will not work for me."

She waited nervously for his answer but she shouldn't have worried. He said calmly, "Very well. I will escort you as far as the next town on a trial basis. That's close enough that you will be able to return here if you find that travel does not suit you. Also, there is nothing dangerous, so it should be an easy enough trip for you to judge. However, if I say that you cannot continue or if you are to do something, you are to listen immediately, do you understand?"

She nodded again. "Agreed."

He returned his attention to his meal. "It's settled then. We'll leave at dawn tomorrow, I'm sure that Mother and Lynne will be able to help outfit you for the journey. If there is anything that the three of you discover that you need, let me know and I'll see if I can acquire it for you."

Surprised that he had acquiesced so easily, she had expected to plead her case a great deal more, she turned her attention back to her meal. Dawn would come quickly, she had much to do before they could leave.