Ashka assured Tai it was fine to share their table, and Chaya giggled back at the upside down Blue. To Anibesa, she replied, "No... I haven't seen the Veronica in some time. He's usually back much sooner." She bit back the scare stories she'd been told in the Pod about how ships could vanish for one reason or another - or no reason at all. "I hope he's all right." She felt Tailyn's gaze on her as she wound thread from the spindle onto Chaya's hands. Her sister's hands were filling up though, so she snipped the thread to free the first hank. She tied the sides in place with short scraps of thread, then lifted the loop from Chaya's hands to her own. Chaya looked relieved for a moment, and then saw the volume of thread left to wind and the relief vanished into gloom.
When Tai mentioned that Randal had only mentioned her as a weaver, it was Ashka's turn to look relieved. Chaya bounced a little in her seat and said, "Oh, Ash gets alllll the attention and talking about." She went back to watching Blue's antics. "I just tag along, like your pretty bird."
Ashka winced. Some of that attention hadn't been the good sort. "Chaya and I were in Riverfall for a time before we heard Syka needed a weaver and came here," she explained briefly. "Was glad to get out of there, to be honest."
Okara had also joined them and was asking questions about birds. Ashka grimaced at Chaya, was rewarded by her little sister sticking her tongue out, and took a moment to steady her mind. She hooked one end of the tread loop onto one hand, tucked two fingers of the other hand through the other end of the loop and twisted her hand and the loop of thread in circles. It looked a bit like the motion you used to beat eggs with a fork, but in this case it twisted the loop over and over until it spiraled round itself like a fat little rope.
Ashka looked up again as Okara praised the hammocks and a smile flickered at the corners of her mouth. "I certainly hope the hammocks are comfortable. I tried not to leave any uncomfortable bits on the ones I made or mended!" She tucked one end of the twisted hank through the other to stop it from untwisting and set it aside. "Yeah, Kiveth, the Verusk that was staying with me moved out too, and while I do have a person to talk to," she gave Chaya a teasing nudge, "it's nice to see other people too."
"You mean it's nice to borrow other people's hands to wind on," Chaya retorted in a stage whisper.
"Chaya..." Ashka put her hand warningly on the thread that still needed winding into hanks. Chaya subsided and glumly held out her hands again.
"I imagine parrots aren't that good at conversation," Ashka said hesitantly as she began to wind another hank onto Chaya's hands. To Okara, she added, "Verusks are another race of people. Some of us hosted them last season, when they were new here."
When Tai mentioned that Randal had only mentioned her as a weaver, it was Ashka's turn to look relieved. Chaya bounced a little in her seat and said, "Oh, Ash gets alllll the attention and talking about." She went back to watching Blue's antics. "I just tag along, like your pretty bird."
Ashka winced. Some of that attention hadn't been the good sort. "Chaya and I were in Riverfall for a time before we heard Syka needed a weaver and came here," she explained briefly. "Was glad to get out of there, to be honest."
Okara had also joined them and was asking questions about birds. Ashka grimaced at Chaya, was rewarded by her little sister sticking her tongue out, and took a moment to steady her mind. She hooked one end of the tread loop onto one hand, tucked two fingers of the other hand through the other end of the loop and twisted her hand and the loop of thread in circles. It looked a bit like the motion you used to beat eggs with a fork, but in this case it twisted the loop over and over until it spiraled round itself like a fat little rope.
Ashka looked up again as Okara praised the hammocks and a smile flickered at the corners of her mouth. "I certainly hope the hammocks are comfortable. I tried not to leave any uncomfortable bits on the ones I made or mended!" She tucked one end of the twisted hank through the other to stop it from untwisting and set it aside. "Yeah, Kiveth, the Verusk that was staying with me moved out too, and while I do have a person to talk to," she gave Chaya a teasing nudge, "it's nice to see other people too."
"You mean it's nice to borrow other people's hands to wind on," Chaya retorted in a stage whisper.
"Chaya..." Ashka put her hand warningly on the thread that still needed winding into hanks. Chaya subsided and glumly held out her hands again.
"I imagine parrots aren't that good at conversation," Ashka said hesitantly as she began to wind another hank onto Chaya's hands. To Okara, she added, "Verusks are another race of people. Some of us hosted them last season, when they were new here."
Common, Pavi, Fratava
