Chapter 3

The skyrunner lowered and gently dove into its spot under the cotti, back in the baylet….Out stepped Irikah first, and she went to the rear door after closing the front to help Kolyat with his books, "….I have it, Mamua."

"Okay," she backed out of the rear door and went to the actual door leading into the cotti, attached to the baylet….She unlocked the door and opened it, holding the door wide for Kolyat to enter the cotti ahead of her, books stacked in his arms, "….Did you like your dinner?"

"Yes, Mamua," Kolyat shifted his grip on the books, "….other than the ending, the dinner was good."

"I'm so sorry about that, Kolyat," Irikah's patak tightened around her eyes, "….and I didn't say so, but what you did was very brave…." The door to the baylet was lowering closed as she walked inside behind him, up the staircase to the main living area, having closed the cotti entrance behind her.

Inside their home, Kolyat went to his room with his books, and Irikah to hers….Both began to get ready for bed, and conducted themselves through their evening repertoires.

Kolyat emerged from his boudicea and, wrapped in a towel around his lower half, went to the bathroom.

Irikah came out of her boudicea next, wearing a man'naan, and went to the living room to sit down and picked up a book from the coffee table to read….A few minutes later, reading in peace, she heard the plumbing from the bathroom start to hiss through the walls, and assumed Kolyat had started his shower….She could also hear Kolyat humming to himself in the shower, and she smiled, listening….A soft light on next to her to ease her sight in reading the book, she had a coverlet pulled over her legs and waist as she lay partially-turned on her side, leaning on an arm over a pillow and the armrest of the sofa she was reclined on.

The running water through the walls and floors shut off, and not much later after this event did Kolyat come from the bathroom, "….Don't forget to turn off the dehumidifier."

"Yes, Mamua….I did it…." Kolyat padded softly into his boudicea to dress.

Irikah looked up from her reading to the drumming kitchen window, and saw against the grey darkening outside, rain pummeling the glass near sideways now….Another storm….The coming night seemed more dreary….She wondered what Thane was doing by now, and if she had condemned him to danger….just so they could pay bills, and send Kolyat to school….She hoped Thane had reached wherever he was supposed to be, and safely.

She semi-consciously reached up to lay her cheek into her palm, feeling the patak ridge, and the soft and firm spines of her tebris under her fingers….The rain in the light of the kitchen was mesmerizing, and outside, the clouds so dark, yet there was still a faint lining of silver to their "bumps and ripples" in the sky….She stared, thinking of Thane.

"Mamua?"

"Yes, Kolyat," alert to his presence there in the hallway in his pajamas, Irikah turned her face to him instantly….She sat up on the sofa cushions.

"Just," he rubbed the back of his neck, "….I wanted to say Goodnight…." Irikah set down her book on the table next to the sofa-end, stood up, and went over to join him in the hallway….She walked slowly.

"Want me to tell you a story about my family growing up, Kolyat?"

He looked up at her face above him and nodded, "….Is there 'kissing' though?"

Irikah raised up her crests, her expression puzzled and frowning, "….When have I—Oh…." A warm smile affected her patak, "….No, Kolyat….Those stories are different from my family stories."

"Wait…." His eyelids squeezed together some, "….did you want to tell me a real story about your family….or one of those silly ones you come up with on the spot."

"A real one," she patted his crests, "….You want to know about my family members, Kolyat?….Aside from Uncle Casnar…." He nodded, "….Well, I suppose that, what with all this time we'll be spending alone together until your father returns, I may as well prepare you for them."

Kolyat smiled, "….Yes, please, Mamua."

They walked back down the hallway towards his boudicea, passing a vent close to the floor that was so large, it blew warm air (usually) onto their legs as they passed by, but tonight—what with the humidity and warmth of the evening—the air leaving this vent was cooler….So much cooler that it chilled Irikah's bare feet and lower legs, plastering the hem of her man'naan to her nearside calf and shin.

Kolyat walked ahead and entered his boudicea at the end, and a little on the right (what with the doorway's placement), while Irikah bent down to close the vent for a bit.

Kolyat crawled under his bed's covers, and Irikah sat down at the end and turned her gaze towards her son getting comfortable for the story to begin….She raised her eyes to the decorations on his room's walls, the shelves, the desk, and the window covered by a blind….Kolyat aligned himself close to the wall with some stuffed dolls. "What story are you going to tell me, Mamua?…." He packed the various "stuffies" into the corner by his pillows, a number of these old and from when he was younger, much younger than he was now…."Keepsakes" she didn't force him to let go.

"I was thinking about it just now, and I'd like to tell you about the day my half-brother was born, Kolyat."

"Okay…." Kolyat squeezed his eyelids together again in thought, "….Why Uncle Tetonbaum?"

"I thought you wanted to know about your family members on Rakhana, Kolyat, and Tetonbaum is as much my family as he is yours," she tilted her face, watching him pay attention and appear very skeptical, "….He is also very important to the rest of us, though no one speaks of him in front of Papua and Mamua—your grandparents," she nodded sagely, "….but that does not mean he should not ever be spoken of, Kolyat….Tetonbaum is quite special in our hearts….Casnar and I, at least."

"Well," Kolyat settled back into his pillows, his eyes wide and not sleepy, "….if you say so, Mamua….I'm listening."