relief when it was finally over and they were
heading out.
With the escort of both
Tuft and Lucan Warrung, it was impossible to go unnoticed in the market
square. It didn’t help that the second they stepped off his private lift,
Lucan went into serious lockdown mode. Danika felt the moment he went cold.
Seeing the people scatter under his daunting eye was illuminating. Of course,
the Furgarians did not seem to be prohibited by his mood. Almost the second
they entered the suddenly silent square, a cloud of them descended and
commenced to weave around Danika. Their joy was so infectious she forgot about
making a good impression and just lost herself in laughter.
After tossing and turning
all night, then the perilous morning she had, it was almost miraculous to do
so.
After all that, to be
laughing with abandon with the Furgarians was a gift beyond the price of the
crystal pearl weavings they insisted on covering her with. By the time they
backed away, she was once again dripping in sparkling crystal and delicate
weave, and the worries and tension had disappeared along with the fatigue. She
sent a blanket of gratitude to the little sprites and then turned to pull Kira
to her side, aware as she did so that both Tuft and Lucan were watching her
with the same blank face. From Kira there was only fear of what the Furgarians
would think of her, mixed with awe.
“This is my friend Kira
and she is nervous of the people at the market. Would you look out for her as
you do me?” She was not sure how much of her words were understood by the
emotion-driven beings, so she was thrilled when one of the Furgarians separated
himself from the rest of the cloud and flew forward. He circled Kira a few
times, and Danika could feel him twirling in and out of her spirit. Finally,
he seemed satisfied, because a moment later he came to rest on her shoulder,
while Kira seemed both comforted and unnerved by the small weight he made
there. A moment later, he had woven a crystal pearl necklace that he rested
on, seeming content to sleep away the morning against her neck.
Danika smiled into Kira’s
moist eyes as her hand tentatively felt the beauty that rested at her neck.
The second she understood she had been accepted as worthy, Danika could feel
the lightness of her relief and happiness. It was an overwhelmingly good
feeling to be connected in such a way to such creatures of light, and she was
thrilled to see that reflected on her friend’s face. Meeting her eyes, Kira
laughed out loud for the first time, and Danika joined her, wiping away the
tears that slid down her friend’s cheek. Probably later the doubts would
return again, but for now, Kira would experience a time of peace, and it made
Danika happy to see it.
Danika took her hand
and they walked forward surrounded by a cloud of happy Furgarians, barely
noticing the looks of astonishment and envy amongst the watching crowd.
Lucan looked from the
women to Tuft who seemed to be as out of sync as he was. “Rarely in my life
have I seen something as beautiful as that,” he said, watching the women walk
away. “So why am I feeling irked and invisible all of a sudden?”
Tuft snorted, tearing
his eyes away from a laughing Kira. “You are just not used to being forgotten,
left behind, or generally just overlooked.”
“Ah, so this is what
that feels like.” Lucan thought about it a moment, then narrowed his eyes. “I
do not believe I care for the sensation.”
“I can see that, but
rather than wallow in our feeling like girlie shupahs , maybe we
should catch up to the beautiful beyond belief females wearing priceless gems
before they cause a riot.”
“I think I would
welcome the excuse to kill someone.” Despite his words, he started moving
toward the oblivious women.
Tuft snorted again
following behind, his eyes everywhere at once, his hand fisted on his blaster, and
his stare biting when he caught more than one man watching
heading out.
With the escort of both
Tuft and Lucan Warrung, it was impossible to go unnoticed in the market
square. It didn’t help that the second they stepped off his private lift,
Lucan went into serious lockdown mode. Danika felt the moment he went cold.
Seeing the people scatter under his daunting eye was illuminating. Of course,
the Furgarians did not seem to be prohibited by his mood. Almost the second
they entered the suddenly silent square, a cloud of them descended and
commenced to weave around Danika. Their joy was so infectious she forgot about
making a good impression and just lost herself in laughter.
After tossing and turning
all night, then the perilous morning she had, it was almost miraculous to do
so.
After all that, to be
laughing with abandon with the Furgarians was a gift beyond the price of the
crystal pearl weavings they insisted on covering her with. By the time they
backed away, she was once again dripping in sparkling crystal and delicate
weave, and the worries and tension had disappeared along with the fatigue. She
sent a blanket of gratitude to the little sprites and then turned to pull Kira
to her side, aware as she did so that both Tuft and Lucan were watching her
with the same blank face. From Kira there was only fear of what the Furgarians
would think of her, mixed with awe.
“This is my friend Kira
and she is nervous of the people at the market. Would you look out for her as
you do me?” She was not sure how much of her words were understood by the
emotion-driven beings, so she was thrilled when one of the Furgarians separated
himself from the rest of the cloud and flew forward. He circled Kira a few
times, and Danika could feel him twirling in and out of her spirit. Finally,
he seemed satisfied, because a moment later he came to rest on her shoulder,
while Kira seemed both comforted and unnerved by the small weight he made
there. A moment later, he had woven a crystal pearl necklace that he rested
on, seeming content to sleep away the morning against her neck.
Danika smiled into Kira’s
moist eyes as her hand tentatively felt the beauty that rested at her neck.
The second she understood she had been accepted as worthy, Danika could feel
the lightness of her relief and happiness. It was an overwhelmingly good
feeling to be connected in such a way to such creatures of light, and she was
thrilled to see that reflected on her friend’s face. Meeting her eyes, Kira
laughed out loud for the first time, and Danika joined her, wiping away the
tears that slid down her friend’s cheek. Probably later the doubts would
return again, but for now, Kira would experience a time of peace, and it made
Danika happy to see it.
Danika took her hand
and they walked forward surrounded by a cloud of happy Furgarians, barely
noticing the looks of astonishment and envy amongst the watching crowd.
Lucan looked from the
women to Tuft who seemed to be as out of sync as he was. “Rarely in my life
have I seen something as beautiful as that,” he said, watching the women walk
away. “So why am I feeling irked and invisible all of a sudden?”
Tuft snorted, tearing
his eyes away from a laughing Kira. “You are just not used to being forgotten,
left behind, or generally just overlooked.”
“Ah, so this is what
that feels like.” Lucan thought about it a moment, then narrowed his eyes. “I
do not believe I care for the sensation.”
“I can see that, but
rather than wallow in our feeling like girlie shupahs , maybe we
should catch up to the beautiful beyond belief females wearing priceless gems
before they cause a riot.”
“I think I would
welcome the excuse to kill someone.” Despite his words, he started moving
toward the oblivious women.
Tuft snorted again
following behind, his eyes everywhere at once, his hand fisted on his blaster, and
his stare biting when he caught more than one man watching
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