Disclaimer: Yup, Umeko's mine. Nope, not greensky or whatever else is
mentioned that's not mine. ^_^ hehe
Author's Note: Yes!! A chapter all in one day while watching Dune and The
Luck of the Irish. Dude, happy St. Patty's day! So yea, I kinda wimped out
halfway through the chapter (you'll see how) but would YOU want to be
using a thesaurus, a japanese phrasebook, five different internet sources
and an entire hulking folder of papers just to write a CoM fic? I didn't
think so.
Oh, and look out for a very Numair-esque moment in here! (hehehehe) So I'm
having waaay too much fun writing this ^_^...
Oh, and please try to excuse the fact that I'm still digging around for a
plot. It's being worked on, give it some time.
*CHAPTER TWO*
It was near an hour before the two female dedicates proclaimed Umeko to
be properly clean. The girls were all sitting at the table, talking, with
Briar sulking nearby when she emerged. The forest green tunic and brown
breeches hung a bit loosely on her strangely thin body, but the weightless
way in which she moved disproved any fleeting thoughts of awkwardness.
"Konnichi wa, minna-san." She remarked casually.
"Hello, Umeko-san." Sandry replied.
"Konnichi wa, he-... herro. Konnichi wa, herro." She repeated quietly to
herself as she hovered the length of the room. Tris elbowed Briar, who was
gaping, and glared at him. As she sat next to Daja, Niko stood and
approached.
"Umeko-san..." He sounded slightly apologetic.
"Hai?" She asked harshly.
"I've got to go tell Honored Moonstream about you. Would..." he broke
himself off. "She has no idea what I'm saying, does she? Daja, will she do
that palm-magic again?" The dark girl turned to her shorter companion.
"Umeko-san?" She motioned with her palms upward again, then pointed at
Niko. Umeko glared at the man.
"Daaaja-saaan..." She sighed. "Hai, hai." She stood and extended her
hands roughly toward him. He reached out and touched his palms to hers,
somewhat tentatively, Tris thought, and after a long moment he withdrew
them. Swallowing heavily, he watched as the girl walked to Sandry's room
and emerged a moment later, wearing boots.
"Right then. Er... Tris, how about you come with me? You've talked to
Moonstream before." Eyeing him uncertainly, she went to get her shoes also.
They had nearly reached the abode of the Honored Moonstream when Tris
finally spoke.
"Niko, what did she say through palm-magic?" Niko swallowed again.
"She didn't really say, she showed. Some of it I'm not sure was
intentionally. Sort of like scattered memories as her mind sorted out what
I was trying to say." The girl's gray eyes softened uncharacteristically.
"And just what did she show?"
"It was a land... nothing like I'd ever seen before. There were trees
bigger than anything we know of, and they were the basis of a civilization
in the trees. But there were some memories on the ground, of people who
looked more like our friend here." Tris continued looking at him after he
finished talking. She knew he hadn't said everything. If it was simply a
civilization of tree-people, he'd have been intrigued. But this...
"Niko, Trisana, to what do I honor this visit?" Moonstream's cool voice
broke into her thoughts and she looked up at the head of Winding Circle.
"Ah, Moonstream." Niko visibly regained his composure. "I do believe I
have found another..." He stepped to the side to allow her full view of
Umeko. "... another one for Discipline."
"Well Niko, don't you suppose she ought to try one of our other houses
first? Perhaps you should give the girl a chance. What's your name, dear?"
"Umeko Riona."
"My, what a peculiar accent. Where are you from, Umeko?" The purple-eyed
girl just threw up her hands in the air and paced a few steps away from
the dedicate, then back to her place. "Minna tsaete-nakte wa narimasen ka?
Umeko Riona-san! San!!" She took a deep breath or two. "Sorekara
Midori-Sora kara des." There was a pause. "Gomen ne."
"Well, she's just a little Rosethorn, isn't she? Goodness, Niko, what was
she stating so strongly?" Niko hung his head, and Tris jumped in before he
had time to speak.
"She said," 'Oh goddess please let this be right...' "Does she have to
tell everyone to call her Umeko-san? Then I think that she's from
Midori-Sora... and then apologized for the outburst." Moonstream smiled,
then looked slightly puzzled.
"Midori-Sora? I don't believe I've heard of it."
"It's an island on the western sea. A... big island."
"My my... well tell her we all welcome her to Winding Circle. Niko,
you've been awfully quiet. What did you sense in her?"
"A... a different sort of power. I believe she can show you..." He
motioned with his hands.
"San-kai kyoo... mochiron." Umeko laid out her hands in front of her,
palm-up. "Ikimasho, Muunstrimu-sensei."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"I'd suggest touching your palms to hers." Tris said. A deep breath for
something new, and Moonstream reached out to the girl. Tris watched hard
as the magic was obviously going on. The power, unlike most silvery stuff,
was greeny-gold. She frowned. The communication this time took longer than
the other two. Soon, Tris noticed, it wasn't just Umeko's hands glowing,
but Moonstream's too. When they pulled their hands away, the green-gold
lingered in a faint mist that was absorbed into them.
"Well..." Moonstream said softly. "Niko, I do wish you luck, and all the
others who will work with Umeko-san. And you, child of the Erdlings and
Kindar." She smiled. "Do teach your new friends that game. And try to find
a teacher suitable to your particular situation."
"Arigato gozaimasu, Muunstriimu-sensei."
"Of course."
The next day found Umeko awake earlier than everyone else. Rather, Lark
found her awake earlier than everyone else, crouched in front of the
fireplace, making some of her tea and something Lark couldn't identify
from the scent.
"Good morning, Umeko-san." She greeted. The girl started and looked up,
hair shining the color of molten copper in the morning sun.
"Ohaiyou gozaimasu, Raaruku-sensei." She took the pot off the fire.
"Gohan ga suki des ka? Mochimas shoyu." She shook a flask of tantalizing
deep amber liquid.
"Shoyu?" Lark questioned, pointing at it.
"Hai! Sugoi!" She dished up a bowl of the rice for herself, then paused
over the second bowl until Lark nodded. Along with the rice and tea, there
was fruit and nuts, some types of which were ones Lark knew were not grown
in either Rosethorn's or Crane's gardens.
"Impressive, Umeko-san." The girl smiled. "Just how much of what I say do
you understand?"
(do me a favor and actually sound this out) "Muchu ov it." Lark's jaw
about hit the floor.
"You can..."
"Muustriimu-sensei gaivu mii sumhe..." she struggled with words harsher
than her own native tongue. "Gaiduraines." (guidelines) "Throu pense."
"Pense?" Lark questioned, trying a sticky, green fruit.
"Is a... mind-touch." She grinned again. "Is iizii tuu rearn through
pense. Shii never forgettu my home." Now Lark was really interested.
"You told her of your home?"
"Shii ask."
"Ah." There was a pause as the two ate. "If I may ask what your home was
like?"
"Is iiziier through pense..." she sounded hesitant. "Not a good pikture
you get with tark."
"Lark, who's talking?" Rosethorn asked from the other end of the room,
yawning and rubbing her eyes. Umeko giggled.
"Ohaiyou gozaimasu, Rosuthono-sensei!"
"Oh, it's just Umeko-san..." She answered mischievously. Rosethorn sat
next to the purple-eyed girl and looked at the fruits.
"Mithros, Mynoss, and Shakith... where did all this come from?"
"Guriinu-Sky."
"Green-Sky? I've never heard of--wait a minute!!" She turned to Umeko.
"You can talk!"
"Aktuarii... it is that I can tark in your diarect. I courd arways takuu."
"Don't you backtalk me missy, I'll hang you in the well!" The girl looked
the dedicate up and down.
"Yuu onrii as big as me. How yuu do that?" At that Lark couldn't contain
herself anymore and doubled over in teary mirth.
"She uses that threat on everyone. Especially me, at least twice a day."
Briar said from his doorway. "So how'd you learn to talk overnight?"
"Is is a normaru thing to repeat so manii times everythingu?" And Lark
laughed even harder.
"So that's what you spent so long communicating... what did you call
it... pensing with Honored Moonstream for. She was teaching you common..."
Niko said in awe.
"Hai! It was interestingu."
"I would imagine so." Sandry commented from over her embroidery. "Being
taught an entire language in such a short amount of time..."
"Though she seems to have overlooked a few rules of syntax." Tris noted
wryly.
"Sintacks?" Umeko asked from the floor, where she was brushing her fox,
Akai.
"In this case, word order." Tris waved it off even as she spoke. "Is
Frostpine coming to meet Umeko-san, Niko?"
"He told me that the will later on today. Dedicate Crane is coming soon
to see the fruits and such she has brought with her."
"Can we not talk about him if it's not absolutely necessary?" Rosethorn
called from the garden. That was followed with Briar's good-natured
chuckle.
"Huu iz Krain?"
"A Water-Temple Dedicate that Rosethorn doesn't always get along with."
Sandry answered. "He has a greenhouse, a big... well it's made of glass-"
"I know that a greenhousu iz."
"You do? Well, okay. Well he grows plants in there out-of-season, and
Rosethorn doesn't like it... it's been a feud for as long as we've known
them."
"Sounds as if it is sirry."
"Now there's something -- sorry, Umeko-san -- but why is it you can't say
'l's?" Niko asked.
"Ers? None of them in my ranguage."
"Hmmm..." He narrowed his eyes. "Motion what I say. Lane."
"Rain." She made the motion of raindrops falling with her fingers.
"LLane."
"RRain." More raindrops.
"Am I interrupting something?" Asked a voice from the door. There, in all
his glory, stood Crane, nose in the air.
"But didn't you plan it that way?" Rosethorn countered from the enterance
to her garden.
"Would I do something like that?" He asked innocently. Rosethorn
delicately arched a brow.
"The issue at hand, if you two don't mind?" Lark reminded them.
"But of course. Those interesting plants that this young lady has in her
possesion." Umeko stood and regally floated over next to Rosethorn. Crane
looked mildly surprised at the resemblance between the two, but kept his
observations to himself.
"They are over on the tabre, here." Spread across the kitchen table were
all the odd kinds of fruits, seeds, and leaves that Umeko had in her
possesion. Prime among those were the tea leaves.
"And what an array..." he walked over, followed closely by Rosethorn.
"Now don't you think to go planting this in your silly greenhouse-"
"That is JUST what I intend to do!"
"It's so unnatural!"
"It is perfectly natural!"
"The plants-"
"Urusai!!!" A very irate Umeko shreiked. "Baka, bakamitai, bakayaro,
chiksho! Anatatachi bakamitai aho!" Put simply, the arguing dedicates shut
up. "Dare mo shokbuts okurimono-masen moshi kenka anatatachi ni desu!"
There was a long silence in which all occupants of the room, save
Rosethorn and Crane, stared at Umeko. "Now." She stated in common, and
much more calmly. "There is enough for both yuu. And I want to see
greenhousu." The plant-mages exchanged glances.
"So you are interested in MY greenhouse."
"Yes. Greenhouses there were on Green-Sky arso." Crane looked shocked.
"Well then..."
"Read the way, Sensei."
mentioned that's not mine. ^_^ hehe
Author's Note: Yes!! A chapter all in one day while watching Dune and The
Luck of the Irish. Dude, happy St. Patty's day! So yea, I kinda wimped out
halfway through the chapter (you'll see how) but would YOU want to be
using a thesaurus, a japanese phrasebook, five different internet sources
and an entire hulking folder of papers just to write a CoM fic? I didn't
think so.
Oh, and look out for a very Numair-esque moment in here! (hehehehe) So I'm
having waaay too much fun writing this ^_^...
Oh, and please try to excuse the fact that I'm still digging around for a
plot. It's being worked on, give it some time.
*CHAPTER TWO*
It was near an hour before the two female dedicates proclaimed Umeko to
be properly clean. The girls were all sitting at the table, talking, with
Briar sulking nearby when she emerged. The forest green tunic and brown
breeches hung a bit loosely on her strangely thin body, but the weightless
way in which she moved disproved any fleeting thoughts of awkwardness.
"Konnichi wa, minna-san." She remarked casually.
"Hello, Umeko-san." Sandry replied.
"Konnichi wa, he-... herro. Konnichi wa, herro." She repeated quietly to
herself as she hovered the length of the room. Tris elbowed Briar, who was
gaping, and glared at him. As she sat next to Daja, Niko stood and
approached.
"Umeko-san..." He sounded slightly apologetic.
"Hai?" She asked harshly.
"I've got to go tell Honored Moonstream about you. Would..." he broke
himself off. "She has no idea what I'm saying, does she? Daja, will she do
that palm-magic again?" The dark girl turned to her shorter companion.
"Umeko-san?" She motioned with her palms upward again, then pointed at
Niko. Umeko glared at the man.
"Daaaja-saaan..." She sighed. "Hai, hai." She stood and extended her
hands roughly toward him. He reached out and touched his palms to hers,
somewhat tentatively, Tris thought, and after a long moment he withdrew
them. Swallowing heavily, he watched as the girl walked to Sandry's room
and emerged a moment later, wearing boots.
"Right then. Er... Tris, how about you come with me? You've talked to
Moonstream before." Eyeing him uncertainly, she went to get her shoes also.
They had nearly reached the abode of the Honored Moonstream when Tris
finally spoke.
"Niko, what did she say through palm-magic?" Niko swallowed again.
"She didn't really say, she showed. Some of it I'm not sure was
intentionally. Sort of like scattered memories as her mind sorted out what
I was trying to say." The girl's gray eyes softened uncharacteristically.
"And just what did she show?"
"It was a land... nothing like I'd ever seen before. There were trees
bigger than anything we know of, and they were the basis of a civilization
in the trees. But there were some memories on the ground, of people who
looked more like our friend here." Tris continued looking at him after he
finished talking. She knew he hadn't said everything. If it was simply a
civilization of tree-people, he'd have been intrigued. But this...
"Niko, Trisana, to what do I honor this visit?" Moonstream's cool voice
broke into her thoughts and she looked up at the head of Winding Circle.
"Ah, Moonstream." Niko visibly regained his composure. "I do believe I
have found another..." He stepped to the side to allow her full view of
Umeko. "... another one for Discipline."
"Well Niko, don't you suppose she ought to try one of our other houses
first? Perhaps you should give the girl a chance. What's your name, dear?"
"Umeko Riona."
"My, what a peculiar accent. Where are you from, Umeko?" The purple-eyed
girl just threw up her hands in the air and paced a few steps away from
the dedicate, then back to her place. "Minna tsaete-nakte wa narimasen ka?
Umeko Riona-san! San!!" She took a deep breath or two. "Sorekara
Midori-Sora kara des." There was a pause. "Gomen ne."
"Well, she's just a little Rosethorn, isn't she? Goodness, Niko, what was
she stating so strongly?" Niko hung his head, and Tris jumped in before he
had time to speak.
"She said," 'Oh goddess please let this be right...' "Does she have to
tell everyone to call her Umeko-san? Then I think that she's from
Midori-Sora... and then apologized for the outburst." Moonstream smiled,
then looked slightly puzzled.
"Midori-Sora? I don't believe I've heard of it."
"It's an island on the western sea. A... big island."
"My my... well tell her we all welcome her to Winding Circle. Niko,
you've been awfully quiet. What did you sense in her?"
"A... a different sort of power. I believe she can show you..." He
motioned with his hands.
"San-kai kyoo... mochiron." Umeko laid out her hands in front of her,
palm-up. "Ikimasho, Muunstrimu-sensei."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"I'd suggest touching your palms to hers." Tris said. A deep breath for
something new, and Moonstream reached out to the girl. Tris watched hard
as the magic was obviously going on. The power, unlike most silvery stuff,
was greeny-gold. She frowned. The communication this time took longer than
the other two. Soon, Tris noticed, it wasn't just Umeko's hands glowing,
but Moonstream's too. When they pulled their hands away, the green-gold
lingered in a faint mist that was absorbed into them.
"Well..." Moonstream said softly. "Niko, I do wish you luck, and all the
others who will work with Umeko-san. And you, child of the Erdlings and
Kindar." She smiled. "Do teach your new friends that game. And try to find
a teacher suitable to your particular situation."
"Arigato gozaimasu, Muunstriimu-sensei."
"Of course."
The next day found Umeko awake earlier than everyone else. Rather, Lark
found her awake earlier than everyone else, crouched in front of the
fireplace, making some of her tea and something Lark couldn't identify
from the scent.
"Good morning, Umeko-san." She greeted. The girl started and looked up,
hair shining the color of molten copper in the morning sun.
"Ohaiyou gozaimasu, Raaruku-sensei." She took the pot off the fire.
"Gohan ga suki des ka? Mochimas shoyu." She shook a flask of tantalizing
deep amber liquid.
"Shoyu?" Lark questioned, pointing at it.
"Hai! Sugoi!" She dished up a bowl of the rice for herself, then paused
over the second bowl until Lark nodded. Along with the rice and tea, there
was fruit and nuts, some types of which were ones Lark knew were not grown
in either Rosethorn's or Crane's gardens.
"Impressive, Umeko-san." The girl smiled. "Just how much of what I say do
you understand?"
(do me a favor and actually sound this out) "Muchu ov it." Lark's jaw
about hit the floor.
"You can..."
"Muustriimu-sensei gaivu mii sumhe..." she struggled with words harsher
than her own native tongue. "Gaiduraines." (guidelines) "Throu pense."
"Pense?" Lark questioned, trying a sticky, green fruit.
"Is a... mind-touch." She grinned again. "Is iizii tuu rearn through
pense. Shii never forgettu my home." Now Lark was really interested.
"You told her of your home?"
"Shii ask."
"Ah." There was a pause as the two ate. "If I may ask what your home was
like?"
"Is iiziier through pense..." she sounded hesitant. "Not a good pikture
you get with tark."
"Lark, who's talking?" Rosethorn asked from the other end of the room,
yawning and rubbing her eyes. Umeko giggled.
"Ohaiyou gozaimasu, Rosuthono-sensei!"
"Oh, it's just Umeko-san..." She answered mischievously. Rosethorn sat
next to the purple-eyed girl and looked at the fruits.
"Mithros, Mynoss, and Shakith... where did all this come from?"
"Guriinu-Sky."
"Green-Sky? I've never heard of--wait a minute!!" She turned to Umeko.
"You can talk!"
"Aktuarii... it is that I can tark in your diarect. I courd arways takuu."
"Don't you backtalk me missy, I'll hang you in the well!" The girl looked
the dedicate up and down.
"Yuu onrii as big as me. How yuu do that?" At that Lark couldn't contain
herself anymore and doubled over in teary mirth.
"She uses that threat on everyone. Especially me, at least twice a day."
Briar said from his doorway. "So how'd you learn to talk overnight?"
"Is is a normaru thing to repeat so manii times everythingu?" And Lark
laughed even harder.
"So that's what you spent so long communicating... what did you call
it... pensing with Honored Moonstream for. She was teaching you common..."
Niko said in awe.
"Hai! It was interestingu."
"I would imagine so." Sandry commented from over her embroidery. "Being
taught an entire language in such a short amount of time..."
"Though she seems to have overlooked a few rules of syntax." Tris noted
wryly.
"Sintacks?" Umeko asked from the floor, where she was brushing her fox,
Akai.
"In this case, word order." Tris waved it off even as she spoke. "Is
Frostpine coming to meet Umeko-san, Niko?"
"He told me that the will later on today. Dedicate Crane is coming soon
to see the fruits and such she has brought with her."
"Can we not talk about him if it's not absolutely necessary?" Rosethorn
called from the garden. That was followed with Briar's good-natured
chuckle.
"Huu iz Krain?"
"A Water-Temple Dedicate that Rosethorn doesn't always get along with."
Sandry answered. "He has a greenhouse, a big... well it's made of glass-"
"I know that a greenhousu iz."
"You do? Well, okay. Well he grows plants in there out-of-season, and
Rosethorn doesn't like it... it's been a feud for as long as we've known
them."
"Sounds as if it is sirry."
"Now there's something -- sorry, Umeko-san -- but why is it you can't say
'l's?" Niko asked.
"Ers? None of them in my ranguage."
"Hmmm..." He narrowed his eyes. "Motion what I say. Lane."
"Rain." She made the motion of raindrops falling with her fingers.
"LLane."
"RRain." More raindrops.
"Am I interrupting something?" Asked a voice from the door. There, in all
his glory, stood Crane, nose in the air.
"But didn't you plan it that way?" Rosethorn countered from the enterance
to her garden.
"Would I do something like that?" He asked innocently. Rosethorn
delicately arched a brow.
"The issue at hand, if you two don't mind?" Lark reminded them.
"But of course. Those interesting plants that this young lady has in her
possesion." Umeko stood and regally floated over next to Rosethorn. Crane
looked mildly surprised at the resemblance between the two, but kept his
observations to himself.
"They are over on the tabre, here." Spread across the kitchen table were
all the odd kinds of fruits, seeds, and leaves that Umeko had in her
possesion. Prime among those were the tea leaves.
"And what an array..." he walked over, followed closely by Rosethorn.
"Now don't you think to go planting this in your silly greenhouse-"
"That is JUST what I intend to do!"
"It's so unnatural!"
"It is perfectly natural!"
"The plants-"
"Urusai!!!" A very irate Umeko shreiked. "Baka, bakamitai, bakayaro,
chiksho! Anatatachi bakamitai aho!" Put simply, the arguing dedicates shut
up. "Dare mo shokbuts okurimono-masen moshi kenka anatatachi ni desu!"
There was a long silence in which all occupants of the room, save
Rosethorn and Crane, stared at Umeko. "Now." She stated in common, and
much more calmly. "There is enough for both yuu. And I want to see
greenhousu." The plant-mages exchanged glances.
"So you are interested in MY greenhouse."
"Yes. Greenhouses there were on Green-Sky arso." Crane looked shocked.
"Well then..."
"Read the way, Sensei."
