The Dark Crystal-Along the Silver Sea

Chapter Eight- Interlude

The next few days were uneventful; the five Gelfling castaways wounds healed quickly helped along by Shadai's and Azshar's healing skills, Kylan befriended both Chiena and Jaran and was often found in the company of either of them, discussing runes and songs with Chiena and other stuff with Jaran, Jaran had been bought up amongst the Drenchen though so he didn't know a lot about the Spriton, so Kylan told him.
Tavra was often found in the company of Taya or Jaran, discussing combat skills with them, Naia due to her broken leg was pretty much confined to not moving around much and became friends with the gentle Shadai, Amri still feeling a little out of place was often found in the company of either of the two Mystics, as with Kylan (or Shadai or Chiena), Naia due to been confined was usually found discussing things like tides, the oceans and fishing with Azshar whom she found surprisingly quite knowledgeable on such things, the two Skeksis due to the request of their counterparts, spent most of the time invisible.
SkekDurn spent most of his hours down in his study, working on the tomes and practising magic with Az, and Tael either spent hours out on patrol or helping out the fisherman and the farmers.
UrIon was working either on his maps or doing his carpentry, he often made things like furniture and that for the villagers and toys and that, or restoring old furniture, he enjoyed the work and he'd always had, had a knack for it.

It happened one day, Amri was in UrIon's workshop talking to the Mystic as he worked on a window for one of the villagers and Amri watched amazed as he worked the wood and stone deftly.
"So glass is formed by lightning hitting the sand?" Amri asked him.
" And melting it" Ion replied, "but it takes a little more work than just that, I harness the lightning and then shape the result...it is hard work, but this window is for the village Elder, she has been good to the four of us, so I offered to make her a window for her house, I'll show you my lightning rods, I'm quite proud of them!"
"Your work is exquisite!" Amri remmarked looking at some of the figures of wood and stone scattered around UrIon's workshop.
UrIon said " wood and stone, it has always spoken to me, I've always been able to work it...it is a quirky talent of mine, UrHom..." he paused for a moment "one of our Brothers helped me develop it more".
"I noticed your maps too, Kylan did as well," Amri said.

"Cartography it has always been one of my first loves," UrIon said " Mapmaking" he explained, "but I haven't had a chance to indulge in it for quite some time".

Amri nodded "one of the first things I noticed about you and Master UrAzshar was that you both spoke Gelfling flawlessly, you aren't like the other Mystics Kylan had met or even me. It is almost like talking to another Gelfling with you two!".
UrIon nodded "Az and I, not like others..." as he started to put the glass in the window, Amri watched him, for such a large creature he moved rather deftly but then UrVa had been the same.
"Kylan said you remind him of UrVa," he said.
UrIon chuckled "UrVa; he is a friend, he was also my mentor for some Trine as well, one of the few of our brothers who did not find us distracting...as time marched on".
Amri nodded "you were driven out?"
"Not driven out...exactly," said UrIon " we left".
"Oh," said Amri picking up a wooden carving of a sea creature with a lantern in its mouth " you do that?"
"Yes," said UrIon " I carve".
Amri said "it is exquisite! It's surprising considering that you have such big hands and fingers".
Ion held up his large, four-fingered hand with long fingers, getting whorled and spiralled as well now " guess so, do you want?"
Amri said, "I saw something similar on a Gelfling carving".
Ion nodded " you can have" he indicated the carving, and he went back to his window making "I made the carving, thinking of the legend of UrSan, The One who Lights the Lanterns" he paused " keep".
"I met UrSan I think," he said, " the Swimmer...I'm still not sure if it was a dream....".
"UrSan," said UrIon " that is whom I thought of when I did the carving, she is more of a creature of the oceans now than of the land...and I sometimes think that maybe Az is too now" he shrugged "Az and me, we did not fit".
"You both seem I don't know....younger than the others we're met".
"We were," said UrIon "you may have carving" he nodded and then went back to his work.
Amri said, "it's beautiful!"
UrIon nodded " wood it is a good medium".
"You have a Bow too I noticed" he remmarked.
"UrVah helped me make it".
"He did?" asked Amri.
UrIon nodded "UrVah is a friend and was a mentor to me for many years, Az and I, we were young when we first came here...not fully grown, UrVah he did not find us too distracting, as time marched on, our lives were easier than our two Skeks, but we too did not fit".
Amri said "you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but I was wondering, you refer to the Swimmer as a 'she' I couldn't see her too well, and I'm still not sure if it was a dream...but it made me wonder, she didn't sound female, but you sound male, but I was wondering about UrAzshar? He's smaller than you so is he a 'she' as well?"
UrIon chuckled "Mmm! Wasn't expecting THAT one!, but I will indeed answer, we're more towards neither...but some of us swing more to one side or the other. It has never really been a big issue, the differences between the genders are minimal and are not immediately apparent, but, no, Az he is male like me. More or less, as I am male, more or less, he's just smaller and more finely built than I am".
"Ah, I wasn't sure," he said.
"The differences aren't so apparent; it's the same with the Skeks..." Amri nodded and was just about to say something else when the door to the workshop opened, and a familiar shadow fell over them all, Amri hid in the shadows.
"What is it, Tael?" UrIon asked, looking up, so, Amri thought, they can sense one another? Well, at least these could he stayed put though he still feared the two Skeksis.
Tael stepped into the workshop and looked around, Amri wondered if he could sense him.
Tael was tall and well-muscled, especially around the arms and shoulders from using his Bow, which he had over his back and his sword at his waist, he was clad in well-worn dark leather armour and a green cloak and wore around his neck an amulet that UrIon also wore, a symbol, which was also embroidered into his Mystic coat.
Tael and Ion both had bright green eyes their colour visible but where SkekTael's hair was a mix of brown and white, UrIon's was naturally white, his skin was also somewhat darker than UrIon's as well.
The Castaways had barely seen the Skeksis as their two Mystics had told them to remain pretty much invisible, despite what both Mystics said, Kylan and Amri were pretty sure they had some control over them.
Tael spoke, "I got word from the Harbourmaster".
"Go on?" UrIon said.