Falina and Azai sat perched on the back of a supply wagon with the blond girl, watching the road rolling away behind them. Falina had plenty to think of as they traveled. She wondered what she would say when she met her friends again. She hoped that Carlos wouldn't cry. That made her feel so sorry for him. Would they understand?

She looked over at Azai. The man from Klikk appeared peaceful with his eyes closed. Falina turned to look at the blond girl. She wondered why the girl had given directions to Turan Magno. The girl had not said anything about knowing Kiisan or the rebels since they had been introduced. Azai had seen her before. At Klikk they were familiar with her and called her, Atera, the "one who watches."

"Atera, where are you from?" she asked politely.

"Nowhere in particular," the blond girl replied with a smile, "How about you?"

Falina was somewhat perplexed by the response, "I'm from Finnel Village, in Serif. ...Um, what do you mean, exactly, by 'nowhere in particular?'"

"I'm from somewhere," Atera shrugged, "But I don't really know where. Everyone in Klikk says that I'm a gift from the south."

"That's strange..." the older girl commented, considering the explanation she had received, "So the people at Klikk are friends of yours?"

Atera laughed, "Of course! Everyone I've ever met is my friend, Falina!"

"That's an positive outlook," the dark-haired girl laughed.

"And it's very effective!" the smaller girl assured her.

Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni

"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"

Chapter 66- Sunset on the Waters and Pieces of Myth

Liyuin sniffed the food on his plate timidly. The odor was spicy and strong. Angeline and Kanna seemed to be enjoying the mess they had been served, however, so he resolved to at least give it a try. As soon as the first spoonful entered his mouth his eyes began to water. Whatever Captain Fairwind had prepared in the kitchen was hot! The magician gagged the mouthful down and proceeded to drain his glass. Kanna gave him an odd look. What was bothering Liyuin so much?

Fairwind, for his part, was quite pleased with what he had made. The scent wafted throughout the fortress, bringing the rebels in for lunch. Kashira, Banto, and the other Westerners were thoroughly enjoying the well-seasoned food. The Zexen man could not quite understand why so many of the other revolutionaries were turning red and reaching for their glasses.

"Is it really that hot?" he inquired of Junsuke and Rizu, who sat nearby.

"I don't think so," Rizu replied around a mouthful, "It's some kind of curry, right? I really like it."

"Maybe you can give us the recipe," Junsuke added thoughtfully.

Fairwind gestured widely towards the others in the room, "Then what do you think is wrong with them?"

"They're unused to the taste," Sanada broke into the conversation, "Everything in the north is so mild or bland."

"I myself prefer this explanation," Rizu remarked, "They're wimps!"

The strategist and men from Serif laughed, while Fairwind looked on in confusion, "Is it a test of strength of some sort?"

"He's tall as a tree and brave like a lion! When he needs to, he can be really strong, but usually he's as gentle as a saint. I heard that he sees prophecies and can talk to spirits."

The two young children tugged on their older sister's skirt in excitement, "Big Sis! Big Sis! Tell us more about Father Kiisan!"

Their sister smiled, "You know I have work to do...but if you're really good, I'll tell you more when I'm finished, okay? So be real quiet! The quieter you are, the faster I'll be done!"

The boys cheered happily and hurried off to the far side of the room so their beloved storyteller could finish her work. The girl sat down at the desk and began to adjust the draft of her map to add the newly built bridge just south of the village. "Big Sis!" She flinched at the call, making a dark streak across the map with her pencil. A little irritated, the girl got up from her desk and walked off to find her younger brothers.

"What is it?" she asked firmly.

"Big Sis, there are people at the door who wanna talk to you," the brown-eyed boy told his sister.

"All right...I'm take care of it," she responded, "Let's go see who these people are."

The boys followed her to the door, which she opened cautiously. Two women, two men, and a little blond girl stood on the step. "Hello, may I help you?" she questioned politely.

The older of the two women spoke up in reply, "Yes, thank you. My name is Amarilla and this is Turan Magno from Serif. Our army is on the move right now, we're camped just down the road, and we were wondering if we could use your kitchen."

"Umm...wow," the girl smiled, "Revolutionaries...Sure, come on in..."

The five rebels entered the house and the girl led them to the kitchen, "It's not very big, but I'd be glad to assist in any way possible." She watched as they examined her kitchen with pleased expressions.

"It'll be just fine," the younger of the revolutionary women told her, "My name is Falina. What's yours? Are those your brothers? They're awfully cute."

"I'm Mieno," the chocolate-haired girl replied, "Yeah, they are, and they can be cute, when they're not making me any grief."

"I hear from the villagers that you're a map-maker," Turan Magno noted, "You're probably the best person to ask about the region then. Do you have any advice for the best way to reach Jao-Nyang?"

Mieno beamed, pleased to make use of her knowledge of the region's geography, "You should just follow the main roads southwest through Daymer and proceed across the Omasas Plains. That'll take you right into the center of the state of Tawa. Once you cross that border, it's only five or six miles to Jao-Nyang. You can't miss it, it's right around the forest at Rugcnul."

"Excellent advice, young lady," the Turan shook her hand, "Thank you very much."

Mieno and Falina sat outside the house watching the sun sink in the sky. "So you're really friends with Father Kiisan?" Mieno inquired curiously, "Is he really like what they say he's like?"

Falina laughed, "What do they say he's like?"

"Well, he's supposedly tall, strong, brave, and saintly," the mapmaker summed up her often repeatedly story description of Kiisan.

The girl from Serif would have fallen down had she been standing while she laughed, "Strong? Brave? Tall? Who comes up with this stuff? Kiisan's barely taller than me, just strong enough to do his job, and starts to panic at the first sign of trouble!"

"I think I'm kind of disappointed," Mieno giggled.

"If you want to know what the real Kiisan is like, I can tell you, though," Falina noted.

"Oh, okay! Tell me!" the brown-haired girl exclaimed cheerfully.

Falina's face became very serious as she began, "We were born and raised in the same village and we're practically like family. He's very sincere and sometimes a bit gullible. He likes animals, but not Mai Mai. His favorite food is cherry pie." She broke into more loud laughter; "I can't talk seriously about Kiisan. It's like some kind of big joke!"

"He sounds nice enough," Mieno chuckled, "Even if he's not exactly a hero, he seems like he'd be a good friend."

The sun dipped lower. The sky was gradually fading from the soft blue of a clear winter day to the deep indigo of a cloudy night. The two girls could see the sunset reflected in the shining waters of Lake Dunan.

"He is a good friend..." Falina noted.