39th of Spring, 521
"We're what?!"
"Hush." A'shra scolded. Her voice was firm, but soft enough that it hardly carried through the room, much less echoing down the halls like Baiya's did. "We're not using water today. The Shinya are investigating, but until they find out how to prevent people from getting sick, it isn't worth the risk."
"How am I supposed to do my massages, then? I use warm water as an opener for everything! That's how I heat all my tools and how I keep things clean and..." Baiya drifted off with a huff.
A'shra gave the young masseuse a disappointed look out of the corner of her eye. "Tawnya will show you." Her tone left no room for argument, so despite the frustration and confusion in her head, Baiya nodded in deference to her boss. Sensing the end of the conversation, A'shra turned and led the way to a room down the hall. With a hand on her shoulder, she dropped Baiya off in the room as if she were dropping off a child at preschool. It was not inaccurate, Baiya thought as she greeted her teacher for the morning.
"Tawnya." She gave a small bow. The Dhani returned the move silently.
"What are we doing?" Baiya asked, pushing for answers immediately. "How are we even expected to work like this? I should have told them I was going home. Honestly people are dying, why am I even here?"
Tawnya smiled and raised a single finger to her lips, refusing to give in to Baiya's interrogation so soon. With one hand, she gestured across the room to what looked like a tiny oven made of clay. Inside, several smooth rocks lay in wait.
"Yeah? What's that for?" Baiya crossed her arms, refusing to give in to her own curiosity. But Tawnya knew well enough that the young Kelvic would not be able to resist learning something new. She swayed toward the oven. She moved to her own beat, the rocking of her body two-fold. She both developed a rhythm to work to and successfully blocked Baiya's view of her techniques, forcing her student in closer if she wanted to learn.
Cursing under her breath, Baiya moved in closer. "Fine. Show me."
Tawnya looked over her shoulder and winked, finally uttering the first words since their conversation had started. "Watch."
She picked up a well-loved flint and steel from beside the oven. The muscles in her strong arms flexed as she struck the two against each other in a sliding motion, moving to the same rhythm as her body. The sparks jumped off the stone, catching some heavily charred pieces in the bottom of the oven and eventually, with a bit of coaxing breath, the fire raised itself from the ground. Tawnya gently replaced the flint and steel and moved the smooth rocks inside the oven to a lower position, where they were just kissed by the flames.
"You see?" She prompted.
Baiya nodded. "Yeah, I see." But she most certainly did not.
"Hush." A'shra scolded. Her voice was firm, but soft enough that it hardly carried through the room, much less echoing down the halls like Baiya's did. "We're not using water today. The Shinya are investigating, but until they find out how to prevent people from getting sick, it isn't worth the risk."
"How am I supposed to do my massages, then? I use warm water as an opener for everything! That's how I heat all my tools and how I keep things clean and..." Baiya drifted off with a huff.
A'shra gave the young masseuse a disappointed look out of the corner of her eye. "Tawnya will show you." Her tone left no room for argument, so despite the frustration and confusion in her head, Baiya nodded in deference to her boss. Sensing the end of the conversation, A'shra turned and led the way to a room down the hall. With a hand on her shoulder, she dropped Baiya off in the room as if she were dropping off a child at preschool. It was not inaccurate, Baiya thought as she greeted her teacher for the morning.
"Tawnya." She gave a small bow. The Dhani returned the move silently.
"What are we doing?" Baiya asked, pushing for answers immediately. "How are we even expected to work like this? I should have told them I was going home. Honestly people are dying, why am I even here?"
Tawnya smiled and raised a single finger to her lips, refusing to give in to Baiya's interrogation so soon. With one hand, she gestured across the room to what looked like a tiny oven made of clay. Inside, several smooth rocks lay in wait.
"Yeah? What's that for?" Baiya crossed her arms, refusing to give in to her own curiosity. But Tawnya knew well enough that the young Kelvic would not be able to resist learning something new. She swayed toward the oven. She moved to her own beat, the rocking of her body two-fold. She both developed a rhythm to work to and successfully blocked Baiya's view of her techniques, forcing her student in closer if she wanted to learn.
Cursing under her breath, Baiya moved in closer. "Fine. Show me."
Tawnya looked over her shoulder and winked, finally uttering the first words since their conversation had started. "Watch."
She picked up a well-loved flint and steel from beside the oven. The muscles in her strong arms flexed as she struck the two against each other in a sliding motion, moving to the same rhythm as her body. The sparks jumped off the stone, catching some heavily charred pieces in the bottom of the oven and eventually, with a bit of coaxing breath, the fire raised itself from the ground. Tawnya gently replaced the flint and steel and moved the smooth rocks inside the oven to a lower position, where they were just kissed by the flames.
"You see?" She prompted.
Baiya nodded. "Yeah, I see." But she most certainly did not.
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