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Rith had nodded his way through Trio's commentary on her group's dietary needs, filing it all away. He had finished peeling the potatoes by now, and switched to rinsing, using a low flow of water both to conserve the resource and to be able to still hear Trio. "I certainly shall pass it on. Most had become uncomfortable around her in her most recent state, so they shall be overjoyed to hear her nearer to normal."

When Trio had initially left, Tera had remained on the bed, staring at her dresser as if it stood hundreds of feet away, as opposed to four. Realizing that if she didn't get up soon, Trio would catch her mid-change, and the last thing she wanted was for the other woman to get another look at her scars and perhaps as questions about them, Tera had slid off the bed and moved to the dresser, relatively quick at opening a drawer and retrieving an oversized hooded sweatshirt. It had once belonged to Ben, and Tera had found herself still smelling him on it, before she finally shrugged off the blanket and pulled it over her head.

Then, when Trio hadn't returned by then, Tera had found herself leaning against the dresser, thinking. In order to set milk with the lute, she'd have to get the lute out; she didn't know yet that Anwahs had already done that. Which was why, when she had stepped over to the open closet and reached up for the bundle she had left in there, she had found herself grasping empty air. Her heart had stopped, eyes frozen on the space where she *knew* she had put the lute, when one of those hated voices had chimed in. Maybe it's been taken away from you. You've been such a horrible caretaker, after all...

And this was why, when Trio came into the room, Tera was sitting on the floor of the closet, arms wrapped around her legs and pulling them up to her chest, her face buried against her knees.

How could she tell Trio that the lute was gone? And what would she think once she had been told? Still trembling a bit, Tera let herself be drawn up, leaning on Trio. Finally, knowing that it was inevitable, since the next question would be where the lute was, Tera whispered, "It's gone. The lute... Gone."

"Out back?" Confused now, Tera glanced up again at where she knew she had left the lute. Of course, it made about as much sense for the lute to have ended up out back as it did for someone to have come and taken it away because Tera was being a horrible caretaker, but that didn't stop her from being confused. Still, she'd have to see it for herself in order to be sure.

With that in mind, she nodded to Trio slightly. "Okay."

Tera followed along, the urge to pull the hood of her sweatshirt up over her head very strong. She resisted that temptation, for the moment, listening to Trio go on about who was coming. When they reached the hall, a small cluster of Pixas were there at the top of the stairs, waiting eagerly for them both.

"Miss Trio, and Miss Tera," Pot began, trotting to the head of the pack and bobbing politely. "May we go with you to see the lute? The team's been ever so curious, but the new Zurui won't let us get close enough to see."

With that invitation, they all scampered onboard, though two or three of them made the leap from Trio's shoulder to Tera's, once Trio had stood up again. At least one of these was Bean, as her sweet little voice could be heard chatting away to Tera, going on about how much the team was looking forward to this, and how games hadn't been the same without Tera cheering on in the audience, and how, oh, there was a new pup, and he was just dying to meet her! Tera remained quiet through this speech, glancing every now and again at those who had stayed on Trio's shoulder. She didn't look terribly put out, and was careful not to jostle her Pixas. With this load, Tera found herself having to stand up straight, and not being able to hunch her head down nor pull up the hood, for fear of knocking one of the Terriers off.

Tera nodded at that, even as her mind ran ahead to who else they might run into. Rith, yes. Rainku, obviously, if he were guarding the lute. But who else between here and there? It wasn't a meal time, but that didn't necessarily mean the kitchen would be empty. The idea of running into so many folks made her stomach churn sickeningly.