Gift- Book 1

Chapter 13

"Oh, oh yes of course." Plei motions them to the big shed next to the motel. She unwinds the ropes holding the doors shut and cracks it open to let them inside.

Shelves. It's full of shelves and platforms, holding all kinds of clay sculpture. Tiny and huge realistically done and the simple work of a child, painted and a natural brown. There's even a big bag in the back corner, full of what is probably wet clay, ready to be molded into beautiful works of art.

"Clay, the pride of the Karykian people," Plei narrates behind them. "It is a form of payment and donation. They give their work to businesses and people as gifts and a symbol of thanks.

"When we dig wells to get water here, we always come across an abundance of mud, which dries to the sun. Usually there is more mud than water."

Leiea nods and looks at a shelf containing nothing but tiny painted birds, some of them worn by the hands of the people who made them. She had always wondered how they got water and clay- well, mud- in such a dry environment.

"You may also create as you please. Anyone that visits our village is welcome to craft as we do. Sheyric can teach you, he has experience as well."

Leiea turns to find her smiling and Sheyric rubbing his eyes again. "I'll go move to the market," he says, "Go inside with her, Leiea. Get the feel of the place."

Plei clasps her hands together and nods, "Of course, we can eat and talk. I want to know what happened with that horse."

He glances at her and nods back, turns on his heel to find the caravan still parked in the middle of the road. Leiea follows Plei, who is ahead of her, going to the door of the motel.

Inside, in the front, in a large room with a small kitchen on one wall. Right in the middle is a big dining table with tall chairs. Three doors on each other wall are open, and a fourth one to the very side leads as a back exit. She notices the three main doors are labeled, A1, B1, and C2. She also likes the smell of the place, grassy and a little woody.

"Have a seat, make yourself at home," Plei says behind her, "I'll get some food." She walks off to the small kitchen area and opens a cupboard.

Leiea seats herself at the end of the table, her back to the exit door. A small woven basket sits at the table, containing rolls of dyed grass, fashioned like that of yarn or wool.

Suddenly, a large, shaggy animal comes barreling into the room from the back door, it's claws scratching the floor. She jumps out of her seat. "What is that."

Plei laughs and rubs the weird creature between the ears. It's like a coyote, but bigger and with large ears and legs far too long for its body. It's coat is the color of the dead grass outside, like camouflage.

"It's a drikzun. I suppose you don't have those from where you're from."

She shakes her head and the dog barks and turns around to look at Leiea. It's face is long and narrow, but almost kind looking. This weird species has obviously been domesticated by the people in Karyk.

"No... a drikson...?"

"Drikzun," she corrects, "This one is named Fepko. He keeps the motel out of danger."

Fepko barks again and trots up to her. She puts her hand out a little. She is not scared of dogs, of course, but she doesn't like species of animal she's never seen or heard of.

The dog licks her hand with a rough tongue and makes a strange "yip!" noise, and if he's telling Plei something.

"He likes you, I think," she says. "Just guard your food from him. Drikzuns are born thieves."

Leiea eases back into her chair, and Fepko sits at her feet, his tail wagging a bit. Soon, Plei comes back to the table with a plate of dense sliced bread and a bowl of honey to dip it in. The bread looks like it's full of nuts and just about as filling as a whole meal.

While they eat, Leiea tells her the story about how the horses hurt them, starting with how they were so rowdy that morning. She also goes into detail about how their wounds were as of the day.

Plei sits her slice of bread down and frowns, "Sheyric's would need attention. I'll get supplies for when he returns." She wipes her hands on her bright red bell skirt and rushes off to room C2, Fepko right at her heels.

Just a minute after, he returns through the doorway, his arms full of bags. "The horses were not very nice. All I was able to do we set them far off in the fields and station the caravan. Take your bag." He throws the pack to her.

"Which room?" She asks. "How about A1? Or we can each take one."

"Plei doesn't like one party hogging all the rooms. And C2 is hers, anyway."

Leiea rolls her eyes. "Fine, we'll share A1. Oh, and she's getting supplies for your cut."

He grins and walks around the table to the open door. The room, which is pretty small, has one bed and a lot of different shelves and chests and drawers. They all toss their bags on the bed. "We can set the stall up tomorrow, maybe. Then start up right away."