Stolen Scales

Chapter 40

They head back to the city, and when they reach the river crossing, Kyma finds that it is far easier to cross now that she has done it before. She hops across the stones and follows Alai back to the city, with Lyss behind her like always. They reach the city just before sunset, and like the day before, Lahira is waiting for Kyma and Lyss at the entrance to the house.

Lyss bows to Lahira."The waves were calm today, my Queen."

Lahira smiles back at her. "Our shores thank you for that report."

Lyss bows once more before spinning on her heel and walking away. Kyma watches her go for a brief moment before she turns back to her mother, who beckons for Kyma to come inside. She does so, and they go straight to the kitchen, where Kyma is handed a bowl. She stares down at it, confused. When Lahira turns around form grabbing her own plate, she laughs quietly to herself.

"You weren't expecting soup, were you?"

Kyma shakes her head. "Definitely not. We have been having plates of fish with different types of seaweed, so I expected that to be the norm."

"Generally, that is the pattern, you are correct. However, when we get to the little bits left of the fish, we make a soup."

Kyma nods. "That makes sense."

Lahira smiles. "It really does, when you think about it. Now, I'm quite hungry, and I want to eat."

Kyma laughs, and starts to eat the soup, savoring the small pieces of wakame she finds in the soup as well as how she can taste the kombu in the soup broth. Once she is done, she leans back in her seat and closes her eyes for a moment, suddenly tired. She opens her eyes once more to see her mother gazing at her, a spark of amusement in her eyes.

"You are always going to come back from your excursions exhausted, aren't you?"

Kyma shrugs, grinning. "It's very likely that that is true. But maybe I'll get used to it and have more energy later on. Who knows? But for now, I am exhausted."

"That may be true, but you also may be less tired tomorrow."

Kyma frowns in confusion at her mother's statement. "Why is that?"

"You have lessons tomorrow."

Kyma's mouth drops open in surprise. "What do you mean I have lessons? Why would I have lessons?"

Lahira's smile both seemed to fade and grow slightly. "Exactly that. You have lessons tomorrow."

"How long will I have lessons for?"

"You will have lessons for however long it takes for you to learn what you need to learn."

Kyma's face darkens slightly in incredulous anger before the angry expression falls off her face in resignation. "How long is each lesson?"

"I don't know."

Kyma's mouth drops open once again. "Then who does know?"

"Your teachers." Kyma's face darkens in anger once again before she throws her hands up into the air. Lahira laughs quietly. "Kyma, calm down. You're letting the waves roll you."

Instantaneously, Kyma's expression turns to one of surprise. She doesn't know what that phrase means let alone how to react to it. "What in the world does that mean?"

Lahira sighs, but her grin reveals her amusement. "It means that I'm messing with you. That is one reason why you have lessons, so you can understand the terms we use."

Kyma frowns and points something out. "I can learn those terms when people use them around me though. Back to my previous question, how long does each lesson last?"

"They will last however long it takes you to go over that day's task, but I'd say that you'll probably be free around lunch time."

Kyma mulls it over in her head before nodding. Half a day seems like a fair amount of time to her. "What will the lessons be on?"

"Our languages."

Kyma frowns in confusion. "Languages? As in plural?"

"Yes, we have the signs for when we're underwater, or we need to communicate silently. Then we also have the language of the Old Land."

"What's that?"

Lahira frowns. "I believe the humans would call it Scottish Gaelic. We also know English for if a representative of the Weatern Kingdom comes to visit."

Kyma nods thoughtfully, before a sudden revelation appears in her mind. "Is that why you guys have an accent?"

Lahira shrugs, laughing. "Technically, to us you are the one with an accent. But I would assume so. It is likely from the Scottish Gaelic instead of the English, since we use it far more than we use English. Now go to bed, you'll have to be up bright and early for your lesson tomorrow."

Kyma nods and makes her way into her room, barely getting ready before she collapses onto her bed, fast asleep.
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She's going to be learning a lot of new languages, isn't she? Do you think she'll be a fast learner? How long will it take her? Who will her teacher be? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading, and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.