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 Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 7:15 am
Marseth put the books she'd been working with away, and followed the kitten slowly, quietly. If he fell, she would catch him. Not that she'd let him know that.
"Come on, come on. There's food and a nice bed up there. It's worth the trouble. Up ya go." She picked Jahi up, setting him back on his feet. "You'll get used to it soon enough."
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Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 9:49 pm
Jahi nodded in determination. Shaking his backend a little, he started up the next flight of stairs. The harder he climbed, the faster he zipped up the ladder. To motivated him, he pictured a monster chasing after him. Not that he thought Marseth was a monster, but he knew that if he attempted explaining it, it would just sound wrong.
"Kalena had a one floor apartment," Jahi heaved, clearing the second landing and turning to the third. "No stairs or ladders."
Wiggling his ears, the scent of food quickly became his motivation. Jahi's stomach growled audibly as he rushed up the final quarter. With legs like rubber, he imagined how fit he'd be after a few months. "Thank you again, Miss Marseth."
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 1:59 pm
Marseth followed easily, clambering up the ladders behind him. "No good - height is life. Even when you can't see the sky... or even know what it looks like." She hummed, thoughtfully, then headed for the small kitchen. There were two bowls of very good looking stew there, one with lower edges and a higher chair before it. She lifted Jahi and set him in front of it.
"One day a week, we'll get to have nice meals like this. Most of the time, it'll just be broth, most likely. Probably not what we're used to, but it's all we can afford, even with how expensive the books are."
She took her own bowl and a spoon and sat down on the edge of the floor, legs dangling down. Each floor was smaller than the one below for the sole reason that it started where the ladder touched the floor. There was no trap door, and no railings - you could see all the way down to the entrance.
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 2:59 pm
Marseth's comments about the limited food rations made Jahi worry. He never knew that even the most successful lived on meager food rations. Marseth constantly talked about money. Jahi found this to be a clear indication that she was a no-nonsense business women. Suddenly, he became aware of how fortunate he had been with Kalena. They ate homecooked meals every night, but nothing that made him fat.
"Thank you, Miss Marseth," Jahi said, bowing his head gently. "When I am bigger, please teach me to cook. I want to help as much as I can."
Sitting atop the tall chair was indimitating, but the view from the top of the shop was breathtaking. Shelves packed with books of different sizes and colors; parchment and scrolls dating back to times long forgotten. Jahi was far from the adventurous type, but working for Marseth would be a great start for him.
"How many books are here? How long have you run the book shop," Jahi asked softly, hoping not to disturb his mistress's meal. "Sorry to ask so many questions, I am curious."
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Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 3:54 am
"And your grammar is terrible. I thought they said that Aubrianna woman would be a good teacher for you."
She rolled her eyes, swinging her legs a little.
"I grew up here, but I've been running it on my own for... oh, about twenty years. I used to know how many books and scrolls were here. Kept the entire catalogue in my head. Got bored of practicing that, though, so now it's all on paper. I think it's somewhere around.... one hundred thousand? It's the most outside of the grand library. Living underground has its drawbacks - we have limited resources, and limited experiences to write of. The best writers draw entirely from their imaginations, but make it seem real.
"The food's a similar situation - we can't grow many varieties, and meat is pretty rare, due to... rather lacking in grazing land."
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 2:32 am
"I'm still very young, so I am still learning to speak two languages; ours and English," Jahi said defensively. "Kalena's a great teacher, but I lived with her briefly before returning here."
Returning to his stew, Jahi shook his head. His ears laid flat in preparation for his mistress's retaliation. He was exhausted, but he wanted to hear more about the fiction stories Marseth spoke of.
"Which book or author is your favorite," Jahi inquired, licking stew from his chin.."
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 4:14 pm
{{*Previous post edited* I misread it.}}
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 8:09 pm
"Like I was saying - Aubrianna doesn't seem to be a very good teacher. I can't form an opinion about your "mother," though, as I know nothing about English." She shrugged, finishing off her dish and standing up.
"You wouldn't know any of the authors or stories, you silly little boy," she admonished, snorting a little. "But if you have to know, it's a story about a faraway land to the east, under the water. When you're older, I'll show it to you."
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Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 4:44 pm
"I know that I wouldn't know about the authors, but I want to learn about the books and authors of our race," Jahi smiled lapping up the last few drops in his bowl. "That's why I wanted to come here to study with you, Miss Marseth. I want to be knowledgable about what is sold here. I can't help you if I don't know what any of it means."
The uluen was not passionate about many things, but since living with his high school teaching guardian, Jahi developed a passion for stories. Dramas, mysteries, even ghost stories painted images in his head. He explained to Marseth that Kalena would read or tell him stories before bed time since he was too you to read them himself.
"I don't want to get in the way," Jahi whispered. "I want to be useful."
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Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 9:16 pm
"You're here to learn about all aspects of Dumyrciedel culture, not just literature," she said, beginning to rinse her bowl. "Literature will be a part of it, yes, but only as much as language is, as ritual is... as magic is. I'm in charge of teaching you all of those things. In fact, we need to go tomorrow to prepare for a ritual we need to perform - a sort of... house-warming ritual, in a way. A formal welcome. All apprentices perform it."
She shrugged.
"So. On that note, off to bed." She pointed to a basket, lined with a comfy-looking blanket, before scooping up his dish and setting to cleaning that as well
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:29 pm
"Oh, I know, Miss Marseth," Jahi said, jumping down from his chair. "I just wanted to to tell you my interests."
Flexing his wings, Jahi let out a small yawn. Padding over to the basket, he smiled softly at Marseth, thanking her a final time for her kindness and wishing her a good night. The basket was warm and comforting. It felt like his bed back home. Thinking about home made him miss Kalena. He drifted off to sleep, wondering if she missed him, too.
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:36 pm
The next morning, Marseth was already up and about, preparing a small breakfast for the little Uluen who was sleeping in. That was fine - he'd had a long journey, and there wasn't much for them to do except go talk to her neighbors and get everything ready for that lovely little ritual she had to do.
When Akhetnnami knocked on the door, Marseth descended the levels of the shop, using her wings to coast down to a gentle stop before the door. She opened it, wondering who was visiting that early in the day.
"Oh, Akhetnnami," she said, blinking. "Hello - didn't expect to see you here. What're you up to?"
"Making the rounds with my apprentice, Shandar." The snowy Dumyr motioned down to the Ellundel. "You're my last stop. Little Jahi was brought here last night, wasn't he? Shandar got held up at customs, for some bizarre reason, so they arrived around the same time, though he left earlier."
"Mm. He's up sleeping - worn out. Would you like me to go wake him up?"
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 5:13 pm
Rolling over, Jahi tumbled out of his basket in a tangle of blanket. Rubbing his nose, he wriggled free and set about turning the basket right side up again. After several minutes, success arrived. Dragging the blanket by the corner, he returned it to the basket. Giving a gaping yawn and a long stretch, his ears perked at the sounds of voices below. Taking a deep breath, the scent of breakfast made him drool.
Peering over the edge of the ladder, Jahi saw a beautiful alabaster and jade Seris and a pristinely groomed Ellundel beside her. Grooming himself quickly, he figured Marseth would be disappointed if he looked haggard in front of company. Taking extra care, he decendended the steep ladders slowly. They were far easier to scale when he wasn't worried about plummetting to his demise. Quietly and slowly, he crept down, lowering himself rear first when he got intimidated by the height.
He stopped at the final landing beside the ladder. Jahi found the white Dumyr absolutely stunning, and quickly became even more self-conscious of how he looked. Marseth was busy, so he waited to be called. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass his new master in front of such enchanting company.
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 6:14 pm
The book shop was not quite so interesting as the past two shops. Of course he respected the importance of books, but as he couldn't read them they didn't catch his imagination.
At the mention of the word customs Shandar shuddered. That had not been a pleasant experience.
He nodded his head in a respectful greeting to the intriguing female Dumyr and turned his attention to the ladder where a purple kitten was emerging.
Shandar regarded it with a raised eyebrow and a defensive stare.
"Good morning." He said to both of them.
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 6:27 pm
Marseth turned to look at Jahi. "Oh, you're up," she said simply, before turning back to her guests. "I was just making some breakfast, if you two would like to stay? Oh. Jahi, this is Akhetnnami and her apprentice Shandar. Akhetnnami is one of the people who govern the city. Akhetnnami, Shandar, this is my apprentice Jahi."
Akhetnnami pursed her lips, thinking. "I really must be getting to Council Hall. But if Shandar would like, could he stay with you until I come to pick him up again?"
Marseth blinked. "Will he behave himself?"
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