Lost and Found

Turnaround

My skirt is made of Ethan's feathers and strips of fine leather. I wear a matching soft leather halter top. The top allowing most of my marks to be on full display. The outfit is paired with some hair ornaments with matching feathers in my up do.

All my anxiety was for nothing. The lunch was fairly mundane. Besides the initial introductions and usual pleasantries, we were pretty much left to our own.

Compared to the peacock, Range, I am a little underdressed. He is incredibly pretty, on Earth, I would imagine him to be a model on the cover of fashion magazines. My outfit did receive a once over and a nod from him, so I will take that as a win.

Warden did indeed offer a tour of the city and the surrounding lands. We are to tour the city tomorrow, and the surrounding areas the following day.

The salamander still smiled too much. Nothing wrong with a smile, but his was constant and near perfect. All the time.

Even though conversation through the lunch was mostly benign, it was still arduous.

I still kept my poise.

Head up, shoulders back.

I still guarded my body language.

Open handed gestures and a welcoming smile.

I ignored snippets of private conversations, and the odd crude remarks.

I refrained from commenting and replying too eagerly.

The food did not settle to well in my stomach and made for an excellent excuse to retire for the remainder of the day.

Thorne had words with the two boys on our return. We were not to be disturbed.

They were compliant, and with plenty of enthusiasm assured us that the door will remain closed until morning.

Fully relaxing amongst the jungle, we digested the city so far.

"How are you feeling now?" Ethan asks me.

"Much better. I am pretty sure it is the heat." It's true, my stomach has settled the cool moisture from the rainforest refreshing my clammy skin.

"You were great in there, Aurora." Clay beams with pride.

"Really?" I ask with surprise. "It was draining. I don't think I can keep that up for long. I felt like a different person, it did not feel right."

"How so?" Alder asks as he hands me a drink.

"It was not me. I did not like having to be so restrained. It's exhausting, constantly being mindful of my body language, being attentive to my replies. And don't get me started on second guessing or finding the hidden meaning in every comment or conversation."

"I am sorry I asked that of you." Clay ruefully responds.

"It's fine. It is what is expected of me. Just because it caused me some minor discomfort, does not mean it wasn't necessary."

Ethan softly scolds me. "Yes, but it is not you. The real you would have shown that contagious excitement, would have engaged in energised and lively conversation."

"He is right." Clay looks deep in thought.

I excitedly ask the men. "Did you see what Range was wearing? Just what was that fur? It was so colourful, is it natural?"

"A giant squirrel." Ethan replied bemused.

"But it is red and blue." I interject. Squirrels are grey, sometime red.

"Yes, it is natural. And hard to find, despite the colourful fur." Rowan says frowning slightly.

"Did you see how it hugged his body in the right places." Alder muses.