Lost Change

Chapter 41

Twenty-two sunrises left.

"Are you going to come visit too?" I sent my thoughts and a bit of my annoyed grumpiness to Ivy as I stared back at the two Kymari watching me.

"Hm? Good morning, Nate!" Ivy's voice sounded happy, with that faint buzz of energy I often felt inside myself right after the Morning Song. "We're scheduled for patrols today and won't be able to come by. Is something wrong? Trenil might be able to help even still, or we can find out who's off today and come up with an excuse for them to stop by?"

"Oh; no, it's not that." I watched as Arlia lifted one hand to wave at me from the couch. "Just feels like everybody else has come over this weekend." I blinked slowly back at Arlia and continued staring back at the pair.

Ivy's mindspeech came back with a hint of amusement. "Everybody? Counting myself and Trenil you know all of what, five people? Did the Elder stop by again or something?"

"Har, har. I know more than tha..." I paused and took a quick count. "...seven."

"Seven? Who... wait." There was a pause, then I felt the amusement in Ivy's tone. "You actually counted the Elder, didn't you."

"I met her! She counts." I sent some of my annoyance towards Ivy, along with the image of the two Kymari still watching me. "If she comes over too, I'm clawing my way out the window."

More of Ivy's amusement came with her mindspeech. "It's only one day. You'll have the house all to yourself to mope around in tomorrow; you can put up with a little company for one day." A feeling of teasing emotion came from Ivy. "Besides, you're several floors up with broken wings. Is splatting on the pavement really that much better than having to be around visitors?"

"...ask me again in a few hours."

The two Kymari finally looked away. Arlia reached for the tablet while the other one turned off the recording device pointed at me. I stayed perched on the windowsill for a little longer - I had overexerted my leg a bit too much yesterday, and it was still a little sore. The warm bowl of sand would feel better, but I wasn't quite ready to hop over to it.

Arlia tapped something on the tablet. "That was really pretty. I'm a little jealous; I would not mind listening to that song each morning." The screen came on from Arlia's tapping, then she tapped on the tablet again to cycle through programs.

"It's even prettier when they fly as part of it, and when there's more of them. I'm really looking forward to when he's able to fly again." The Kymari paused and glanced back at her friend. "You know, if you're serious..."

"Noooope. That is all you; my parents would kill me just as much as yours will. And unlike you I don't like making everybody angry at me."

"I don't make everybody angry..." The Kymari stood up from the couch and disappeared into the kitchen. She came back and sat a bowl of salty-smelling snacks on the table, which Arlia grabbed a handful from. "So how'd work go this week?"

"Oh, you know. The usual. I got to solo on a cargo run yesterday; some specialty freighter that didn't want to land."

"Nice."

"It was a little scary not to have a senior pilot there, but it was a great feeling when I landed. How was yours?" Arlia flipped through a few more programs and chewed on the snack.

"Ugh. Don't get me started. Rittara is still acting like I'm the scum of the universe."

"Hmph. Yeah, she is a real jerk; everybody complains about her. You should be close to soloing too though; just a few more days and then you won't have to deal with her tagging along anymore."