Teeye, still with a bit of a slow gait, left the grand home they had moved into. The wooden edifice boasted scrollwork along the outside with delicate carving on the furniture inside. Though the cushions were old and flat, they had once been quite luxurious, evidence that the owner of this home was wealthy and important. Bois could not help the thought that the home suited Teeye. He went through the various homes finding multiple fabrics that he washed and hanging them to dry. Teeye left the house his body still sore, yet he had the burning urge to see the new world they had discovered. Though he had a slight limp, the mage could not be held in the bed another day. Seeing the linens and rugs hanging to dry Teeye offered a wide smile. He saw Bois bent over a washbasin with what appeared to be a heavy blanket. " Would you like some assistance?"
"Oh, you are up?" Bois turned around with a smile finding the bright robes lovely looking in the sunlight. " I did do some more scouting while you were sleeping yesterday. I did find more linens and cut them up, for the flat cushions we can restuff them."
Bois gasped as Teeye walked over to reach into the hot water where the washed clothes were rinsing. "I can hang them." Teeye began to squeeze excess water free. "It brings me fond memories of home seeing the hanging laundry. Some of the monks preferred to live in tents and only came into the monastery when there was cold weather or rain."
"Really?" Bois sighed. His earlier supposition that Teeye would be used to fancy homes. "Did you?"
"Sometimes," Teeye smiled recalling his tent with fondness. "It was nice to hear nature around and communicate with the earth. I could feel that she was not well long before the water began to dwindle. I do hope there will be a lot of survivors that we can bring here."
Bois sighed again feeling his heart tumble at the thought of bandits coming upon them again. "I would prefer if you would stay here. I will go to the survivors and lead them..."
Guys, guys," Teeye turned with a smile while Bois ceased speaking to face Lakshee as she came running to their little den of Laundry. "There is game here. Meat."
"Yes, I saw that," Bois admitted. "It looks like they were raised as farm animals, and set free when the people decided to leave. I was not sure if you, I mean, being a monk; ate meat."
"Mostly fish and fowl but we were not against bovine or small fare. As long as there was respect for the life that was lost in the providing of sustenance and they had the best life that we could give them." Teeye admitted to their farming and hunting techniques. When we had to decide on the water for us or for them we set them free, leading them from the mountain. I do hope they found a safe pasture. Bois thought back to a time not too long before he found Teeye wandering around. His tribe had several feasts and now he was sure that it was from the mountains that their bounty had arrived.
"If that is so, I will capture and prepare some food for tonight." Bois nodded thinking of how amazing some roasted meat would taste after rations of gruel and hard crackers for months on end. "I can also set some to dry so that we have some on the journey. I know where my tribes are and the mountain to your home," Bois said to Teeye. "What about your people?" He turned to see Lakshee staring at Teeye he hoped that she was not coming to desire the gentle mage. Bois would not stand for it.
"We used to be people of the pastures," Lakshee spoke then glad to see that Teeye had no fresh wounds and he seemed to be healing. " Groves of fruit trees could be seen from miles around. The Arda Fields... turned into a dessert, but I do know that we could see the mountains in the east." Bois nodded his head. They would reach his people first, then traverse the mountain and finish up going west. with three different sects of people, perhaps they could rebuild their world here.
Teeye smiled as they all sat down at the table in the dining room that he and Lakshee had cleaned while Bois scrubbed the kitchen. Teeye enjoyed scraping and chopping the fresh vegetables recalling a time when he had full meals of the hearty fare. Tonight would be well remembered as the first of many fine meals that they all prepared together. Bois had come into the kitchen with what looked to be a large hare skinned and cleaned. Lakshee, Teeye could tell, was observing them. Bois stood by offering to help and getting in the way of Teeye rubbing herbs on the meat. Teeye finally sighed, then handed Bois the carrots and potatoes that he had harvested instructing him on how to cut them. Teeye felt the slight touches as Bois's fingers skimmed his waist, or caressed his hair. He was sighing as he climbed into bed that night. The sigh turned to a gasp. Teeye pulled the blankets up to his chin. He had noted the fresh scent of sunlight and fresh air as the linens had been hung to dry outside. They were fluffed with their bedrolls as the blankets and mattresses were all made ages ago and thus were flattened. "I..."
"It's alright, Love," Bois had already explained what an endearment was. The monk smiled softly feeling a tender blush cover his cheeks. "I will not attempt intimacy of that kind at the moment. I just wish to hold you." Teeye nodded fearing that his body would be invaded again so soon. Bois settled into bed laughing as his weight dented the mattress causing Teeye to roll into his arms. " You are so soft and fragrant." Bois' thick fingers massaged the small of Teeye's back pulling him closer. Bois leaned his head in pressing a kiss to the sweet lips. He was just settling into a doze when Lakshee's screams tore through the night.
