Idania had not expected a gift to show up for her in the inn room that she currently stayed in. She was performing for the week at the tavern below, the songstress making as much coin as she possibly could before going over into Belrea with the help of Eurig who was escorting her over there to a family friend. Apparently her uncle had someone there who would test her skills and see if she was fit enough to sing on stage in the foreign country, but while he could not personally go overseas just yet he had somehow been convinced to trust Idania’s companion enough to escort her there. It still had been a tense situation though to explain that to him and to have him relay the message to her aunt who was still against Idania even seeing the world in the first place. Well, seeing was a relative term but Idania knew what they meant when discussing things. Even if she couldn’t see everything like the others at least she could have some sort of faint outline of the world around her. The shadows that moved, the gray blotches here and there, gave her enough strength and courage to navigate around with Aasim. Her sermal was a lifesaver when it came to tackling the world and the great creature was a comfort even now as he pressed against her legs and sniffed the package that the servant girl had given her. At least that was what Idania had presumed based on the gentle voice and the smell of roses that had lingered in the air even as she listened to the swishing skirts as the girl ran back down the hallway towards the main foyer of the inn. “I suppose we’ll see what this is now.” She managed to make her way to the bed, carefully sitting on the edge and using her fingers to feel the edge of the paper wrapped gift.

“Need help reading the letter?” Toivo’s voice echoed from the doorway. “The servant girl explained that she had left a gift with you. May I come inside?”

“Oh, certainly!” Idania listened as the door creaked open once more and the young songstress patted the spot next to her. “Come sit.” Her hands moved around the box and once she felt paper she tugged at it and held it out for her uncle to take. “What does it say?” Though she already had an idea since the smell of smoke and certain wildflowers was all over the gift, the familiar combination something that made her immediately think of her aunt and the tavern that she once knew as home. “It’s from my aunt, right?” Idania asked as well without even hesitating now that she had a moment to truly think about things. It was startling though to get an unexpected gift from her aunt, as much as she was touched by the idea. They always had a rocky relationship and this…well this was truly not something she had expected from the colder woman who had been so adamant about keeping Idania locked up at home.

“You could tell?”

“Of course. It smells like home.” Despite everything she had been raised there and how could she not recognize those familiar smells? Even the paper had felt familiar, the particular parchment that her aunt used to write notes always around the kitchen when Idania had roamed the tavern as a child. Back then she had stumbled into that writing desk a couple of times, the loose parchments always making a mess and getting her aunt into a frenzy before she hid away for a few days to avoid irritating the older leaf earthling any more.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.” Her uncle let out a soft laugh before he began to read. “Idania…I suppose you are truly going about this whole travel thing and singing at random places despite the risks. While I cannot stop you I will caution you to watch yourself and trust that Tovio won’t allow you to simply walk off of a cliff or anything. My brother would haunt me if I didn’t at least tell you to travel safely and so I wanted to give you this as well. Take care, niece.” Tovio sighed as he shook his head, the motion making enough noise for Idania to piece it together with how his hair whooshed about his head from the momentum. “I suppose that’s as good as you can get from her.”

“Still, it’s touching.” Admitted Idania as she removed more paper wrapping and ran her fingers along what felt like a smooth ornament that had sharp edges along a certain part. “A hair piece?” She guessed as she felt along the clasps.

“Looks like it. You’ll be able to snap up your hair with this, not that I’m a fashion expert.” Joked Tovio. “But it’ll help keep those loose strands from tickling your face.” Idania simply nodded, a small smile of appreciation on her face as she tried to sort out the tangle of emotions that such a gift from her aunt brought to life.

[885]