As midwinter approached, Lissa's motivation was subtly changing. She was beginning to find a sense of meditative rhythmic joy to the curving swings of her combs, her gentle tugs to pull the combed wool through the diz, even the unclamping and swapping of the combs. She began to really tactilely enjoy the feel between her fingers of the fine, crimpy wool that her father's flock produced. She was no less ambitious to make marvelous magical items, but the ambition wasn't the only thing that drew her toward her apprenticeship anymore. Igmi, for her part, appreciated that the child had stopped getting up to do something else every fifteen minutes (it was more like every thirty minutes though since Lissa was still very easily distracted).
The days grew shorter and colder and finally, right around midwinter, Lissa finished combing all the many pounds of fiber that she had been tasked to comb for the blankets. Her mundane skill with the tools had grown steadily, and her overall hand-to-eye coordination with it. This was a big project, even for an adult, and she, as a little girl, had done it all on her own because she kept working at it. Okay, fine, she had done it with a teensy tiny bit of her aunt's help to refocus her on occasion, but mostly by herself. She had done all of the combing herself at least, and that felt really, really good.
She put down her comb for the last time, and began the struggle to bring the large, heavy basket of combed top nests over to her aunt for inspection. Before she had even taken a couple steps, Igmi had crossed the large workroom to arrive next to the struggling child. Lissa immediately stopped trying to lift the unwieldy basket, stood up straight, and held both arms out toward the basket, hands palm up and fingers splayed out as she presented her work to her aunt.
"I'm all done, aunt Igmi!" Lissa announced.
Not one to give idle praise, Igmi looked through the contents of the basket, trying hard not to give anything away. She was pleasantly surprised though at just how far along Lissa's combing skills had come. She was discarding less and less fiber as her ability to comb the wool without breaking it improved, and her dizzed off 'top' was becoming quite consistent in texture and diameter. Lissa watched her aunt's expression closely, beginning to beam as Igmi tried and failed to hide her pride and satisfaction in her apprentice's progress.
Igmi began to nod, and smiled conservatively, "Yes, you are. This is very good work, Lissa. You've done well."
Lissa hopped up and down in delight over her aunt's rare praise. She wasn't just making progress; she was accomplishing things. If she could learn to make boring things interesting and tedious things fly by, she could learn magic early! She just knew it.
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Here in their new country, all the citizenry, the [trees] included, celebrated the winter solstice. Even the [trees] that slept all winter roused for the shortest day of the year to rejoice that the sun would soon be returning to bring about a new cycling of the seasons. Not the mundane trees though, they could no sooner resist the winter cold than the snow-capped mountaintops to the west. The forest city of Etoleem had bedecked itself in sparkling ice sculptures, tinsel, and glowing lights. The ordinarily green-golden glow from most of the aware [trees] instead glowed in purples, indigoes, and cyans to celebrate the season. While they were as far south as the continent went, the winter chill still rolled down over the whole of Zhareem, though with perhaps just a tad less bitterness than it did in other places.
The [king] held a grand ball for all citizens to attend, even children and familiars. Since Falton was required to go as a [knight's squire], the Albehsons decided to attend, and not seeing any reason not to attend themselves, the Brightglenns showed up as well.
Instead of serving wine, the refreshments included strange potions and elixirs that created silly and delightful side effects while tasting like sugar cane or citrus or cola. Lissa drank a hot pink one when her mother wasn't looking and suddenly grew a great parrot-like plume of hot pink feathers out of the top of her head. Artaxes squawked and opened his beak wide in indignation and surprise at the girl's appearance, and his human took the opportunity to pour a bright blue potion down the unsuspecting eagle's throat. Artaxes hopped backwards, and every motion he made was accompanied by a ridiculous sound effect. Lissa pointed and giggled, while Bup grabbed one for himself that was a swirl of forest green and silver. When he quaffed it and nothing happened, he began to comment about it when he realized that his voice had dropped several octaves and silvery bubbles were coming out from under his armpit in time to his words. She pointed and giggled, and Tecka, hearing the commotion behind her, turned to see her two charges on the ground, pointing at each other and giggling wildly while the newly minted one-bird-band, Artaxes, continually shook himself in indignation.
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On the other side of the garden, in a relatively secluded area, Zharim I, [king] and host to these festivities, had approached Igmi as she was talking with her eldest son's [knight], Atex. As Zharim approached, Sir Atex saluted him with a fist to her chest. Zharim inclined his head slightly and made a small gesture for her to leave. The [knight] politely excused herself from conversation with Igmi and left the narrow woman alone with the the [king], at least as alone as the two could be at a bustling party.
"Your majesty," Igmi greeted him with a low curtsy and a cautious tone. She had done well to avoid any audiences with him after their arrival in Etoleem and had wanted to keep it that way.
"Igmi, how have and your family been?" the tall, ebony black monarch had dressed in sumptuous blue and purple silks, which complemented his silver adornments well. His expression was warm, and apparently sincere, but Igmi was still uncomfortable.
"Very well, sire. We have adjusted quite well thanks to your generosity," she replied.
"Sir Atex has given me glowing reports of Falton's progress. Have you found potential masters for your other boys?" The [king]'s question seemed like polite conversation.
"We have for the youngest, sire, but our middle son has decided to wait a bit longer in order to spend more time with his father," she replied honestly, without disclosing nearly any details.
"Ah yes, and have you enjoyed taking on an apprentice of your own, Mrs. Albehson?"
The [king]'s question caught her quite off guard, and her eyes widened a fraction. She cleared her throat to cover the sudden increase in her unease, and answered with more information than she had intended, "Yes, sire. Lissa, for all her ease of distraction, is quite dedicated, especially for one so young."
Zharim's eyes glittered and his white teeth showed for a moment, apparently quite pleased with her answer. "That's excellent, isn't it? So nice to have an apprentice who really desires to learn the trade."
Igmi nodded without speaking.
"And your husband, is Hayzen doing well?" He inquired politely, seeming to be less interested somehow.
"Yes, sire. The large, separate work spaces in our shop have given him the ability to set up multiple looms for different projects. He is quite happy." Igmi hoped her answers would be enough to satisfy the [king]'s continued questions, and attempted to turn the conversation back on him. "How about you, your Majesty? How is your family?"
Zharim's dark eyes revealed nothing as he answered, "For all living things, change is inevitable, but we are well."
Igmi, not knowing how to respond to that answer, simply nodded again.
The [king] politely excused himself, leaving Igmi alone as he moved to greet other attendees. She looked down at her hands to find them trembling slightly. The tinkling laughter of party attendants rose around her, but she was disconnected from it, isolated from the blurry sea of sound and color and movement that swirled faster and faster around her. She felt her pulse quicken and her breaths came with little shakes and hitches. The ground stretched away down the end of a long fuzzy tunnel that crowded in from the edges of her vision.
An intimately familiar tanned hand gently touched her shoulder accompanied by the sea salt scent of her broad, muscular husband. The wall of sounds around her came back into focus, becoming individual voices including the deep, gentle voice of Hayzen. He was asking her something.
He was asking, "Darling, are you alright?"
His handsome face came into view, the thick blonde brows over his pale blue eyes creased deeply with sudden concern.
"Igmi. Hey." Hayzen cupped both sides of her face with his huge hands. "I'm right here."
She nodded jerkily, and he gently pulled her into his chest, stroking her back in small circles. The narrow, short woman inhaled deeply the scent of safety he carried with him, like a warm ocean breeze. After a few moments, he pulled away so that he could look at her face.
"What happened, my darling?" he asked gently.
"Nothing... nothing happened. The king asked me how our family is, the boys, how I enjoy having an apprentice. I don't know why I... ," Igmi's voice trailed off, unable to describe what had just happened to her internally.
"It's alright, now. Shhh." Hayzen said, pulling her back against his chest and rotating slightly side to side.
They had begun to attract some attention from nearby party goers, and Hayzen decided it was time to leave before anyone else attempted to intervene.
"Let's get out of here, hm? We'll just ask your sister to bring the boys home," he said, spying Tecka still standing near the refreshments, attempting to move two hilariously elixir-affected children rolling around on the ground.
Hayzen took Igmi's hand, and together they walked over to the bemused Tecka. As they walked across the open space, Cammind joined them, slipping his hand into his father's empty one.
Tecka saw them coming and threw up her hands in surrender, "I can't even be mad at them. They're doing exactly what they're supposed to do. Maybe I should just join them." Tecka caught sight of her sister's face and came to sudden attention.
Hayzen quickly explained the situation, leaving out the part directly about the [king], and arranged for Bup's care before he, his wife, and his middle child all quietly quit the winter festivities.