Ring of Storms [1]

45.

Yil

"Okay heave up boys!" Sarah ordered Roy and Kiba, who had volunteered to set up the pottery stand for the display of the designed clay pots. "Common put your backs into it!" she drilled, rolling her eyes and snapping her fingers to hasten their steps.

They murmured and grunted, begrudgingly, no doubt regretting their decisions to help-out with setting up the place. Who could blame them anyway? Sarah was as indecisive as they come. We had spent hours debating on what colors worked best, what drapes to use, in what arrangements the pots should be displayed, what comes first and what stays behind and on and on we had gone. In the end we were no closer to a definite design pattern as we were when we first started.

The cool breeze blew into the patio in gentle swirls, flittering the curtains, caressing the potted flowers and ruffling the hair as it went about its way. I looked towards the men whose emitted sensations of tiredness wafted off them in strong waves as their forms were bent over the heavy, antique marble-topped table in unison. Their bare back muscles ripped with the sheer strength needed to raise the object and the perspiration that lined their foreheads caught the ray of the sun to give off a glistening shine.

I could only imagine the strain that they were experiencing from having to redo the same arduous task time and time again, so with an inconspicuous flick of my wrist I channeled the source of air towards them and looked elsewhere. Their sighs of relief were an indication that the action worked, somewhat, to calm them down.

"Here's just perfect! Let's go with this area," Sarah squealed, excitedly as she gestured to a spot beside a tall flower vase.

"That's what you said a few seconds ago," Roy muttered under his breath to the grunts of agreement from Kiba. Luckily, Sarah was busy making finger frames as she scrutinized the suitability of the area with a squint of her eyes and so she didn't catch the silent conversation that transpired between them.

They were about to place the marble-topped table down when Sarah frowned and turned around hastily to face them. "Stop right there," she held a palm out and tilted her head to peer at the area again.

"Look woman, leaning your neck that way and the other won't change the outlook of the area," Roy complained, huffing in exasperation.

"We are not changing the area smart guy," she retorted with a hand to her hips. "I just want you both to move to the side just a tiny little bit so that it's in the same frame as the vase," she made finger frames once more and when she noticed that Roy and Kiba hadn't moved an inch, she hurried them on with a wave of her hand. "Move wouldya?"

"Despicable," Roy sighed, loudly, at her haughtiness but moved regardless. "What do frames have to do with moving a table, anyway?" he questioned, incredulously.

"Someone please slap me if I ever volunteer to help artistic individuals," Kiba groaned, moving as well and Roy nodded in agreement.

They set the table down in relief with Roy collapsing onto it and Kiba settling down, heavily, on the floor.

"Here I was thinking you both were a bunch of manly men," Sarah teased, moving backwards to see the placement of the table.

"I don't know about Kiba but I'm as girly as they come," Roy stood up, gingerly, and sat next to Kiba with his back to the wall. "I mean my new favorite color is pink," he continued, pointing to the fuchsia-coloured, fluffy slippers that Lloyd had bought for him. Lloyd refused to return his leather slippers and since he had placed a temporary ban on any travels outside the pack as per Aryns' instructions, he couldn't get another one. "So, have pity and never call me for such jobs," he added, accepting a bottle of water from Kiba.