The Gift
Richard's SF Storyline, Chapter 1.3
copyright comidacomida 2018
"Well, Sabhana, unless there are any objections, I'd like to invite you in."
I was careful how I phrased my invitation, glancing to Jack, then, when he didn't object, I looked to Balam and reiterated that I planned to let her in. In response, all the Jaguar said was a repeat of his earlier statement: "More spirits means more arguments. Spirits fight more when there are less resources."
There was wisdom to his statement, I knew, but letting her into my house didn't mean she was going to become a roommate. Still, it did give me a moment's pause. I looked back to my newest guest and I suggested the five of us go somewhere else so I could get a better feel for her before extending an invite. "Come to think of it, it's a little crowded in here. Why don't we go across the street and chat there?"
Sabhana's ears went up and a pleasant smile parted her thin, black lips, revealing a sharp toothed grin that was somehow not as intimidating as I'd expect from a wolf. Oh? "The little café on the corner there? That'd be right lovely, Richard!"
Considering courtesy introductions I was able to realize where I'd made the mistake; I'd actually meant the clearing between the two buildings on the other side of the avenue where I could talk quietly and nobody would be around to question my conversation 'with nobody', but common perception of 'going out to get to know one another' did usually involve an actual destination. I winced inwardly as I thought about the diner's over-the-top prices. I have no idea what it is about Cherry City but all of the small mom-and-pop restaurants charge like they're right out of hipster Portland.
Jack, thankfully, came to my rescue with a very true but unrelated point. "The coffee shop is not the best idea. Richard will not be able to speak with us if there are other Humans about. Didst thou have another option in mind, Richard?"
I carefully let out the breath I'd inadvertently been holding when I started thinking about a $15 dinner. "True... huh... well, it IS kinda late. Maybe we should just go up to the roof then?"
Treboada shot me a look like I was crazy-- but not in a bad way. "Th' roof, eh, boy-o? Lookin' t'laern how t'howl at th' moon?"
Jack's wing feathers puffed out at that. "Richard... thou art a Human, and cannot fly. Art thou certain that a roof is wise?"
Shrugging that concern off I motioned to the door. "It'll be fine. The roof has a really flat slope. I go up there sometimes to watch the sunset."
The Gryphon didn't relent. "Perhaps, Richard, but thou art suggesting this near midnight. Tis much darker than dusk at this hour."
Treboada didn't have the same concern. He stood up, grabbed his chest strap and axe from where it was laying on the coffee table (though I was pretty sure they weren't laying there until he reached for them) and made his way to the door. "Feh... let'm live a little, mama hen. Richard be a man, nae a baern."
Balam, who was listening and observing everything was still apparently confused as to what was happening. He questioned me in Spanish. "The new Wolf is not coming in and the black Wolf is leaving?"
I clarified. "No. She is not entering. We are all going outside."
Although I didn't know the word for 'roof' in Spanish the word 'outside' was good enough to explain the situation. He surprised me by providing the correct word. "The word you want is 'tejado'. The top of a building is 'tejado'."
Dumbfounded, I had to ask. "How did you know where we were going?"
The Jaguar stared at me, his expression unreadable as his eyes glinted gold. "The Bird and the Wolf both pointed up. When you said 'outside' I understood the plan."
Feeling as though I had to explain myself to the Jaguar I offered what I could in my defense. "Sometimes I like to go up and watch the sun at the end of the day."
Even as he passed me, Balam continued to offer me insight into Spanish, lashing his tail while walking out the door even as he supplied the word. "Puseta del sol."
I found myself smiling despite my disbelief at his uncanny knack of understanding. Once again I confirmed his assumption, including the word in my response. "Right. Sunset."
He surprised me further when he looked back at me, standing just outside the door. "We should watch it together."
Flustered, I think I was probably blushing as I sought out a suitable answer. In the end, I was so caught off guard by his statement I actually answered in English. "Uh... maybe. I guess we could."
I was almost certain that I saw the glint of humor in his eye despite the fact that the lips on his muzzle failed to quirk into a smile. "Is 'yes' that more difficult to say in English than in Spanish?"
He may not have smiled, but I did. That smile stayed in place as I got the ladder I used whenever I wanted to climb onto the roof. The spirits let me climb up first and, one by one, they ascended. Treboada and Sabhana each climbed up after me bit Jack actually took to wing. I was amazed with how at-home he looked in the air and I was almost sad to see his flight come to an end as he alighted as nimbly and softly as a sparrow on the roof's ridge. All in all, the three spirits were rather conventional considering their particular methods.
Balam, on the other hand, had somehow managed to get onto the roof by neither climbing nor flying. When I looked at him my quizzical gaze apparently said enough that he replied simply and without any sense of embellishment. "I jumped."
It took a few minutes to settle into something resembling relaxing. While it was colder at midnight than it was at sunset it was still Summer so it wasn't unpleasant. Each of the spirits gathered around me, having no trouble at all situation themselves despite the slope. I sat down with my feet aimed toward the edge, supporting myself on my palms as I leaned back toward the roof's high point. Once we were all in what I considered a 'casual group' I started the discussion. "So, Sabhana... tell me about yourself."
To be honest, I hadn't known what to expect but, whatever I might have assumed would never have possibly compared to what she had to say. She spent over an hour talking about herself but at no point did she sound self-centered or conceited. Her tale bounced from century to century and village to village, person to person, township to shire to county. Although I'd heard some good stories before she blew me away with her ability not only to convey information but to hold my attention. I can't possibly try to relate what she told with any hope of comparing to the story of her creation, but I can summarize.
Sabhana spent centuries on the British Isles and most of that was spent in Ireland. As the word began to expand she spent more centuries traveling Europe and even spent a few decades in the Mediterranean, but the vast majority was still centered around Ireland. Based on her telling, she and Treboada were about the same age (although the black Wolf SWORE he was a few decades older, Sabhana made it sound like twenty-or-thirty-years was no more consequence to spirits than minutes were to Humans).
She had a way of not just telling stories, but in speaking, gesturing, and filling it all with such vibrant expressions that I was completely lost in her epic history. I hadn't even realized so much time had passed until her tale came to an end with a very short summary of her time in the United States. "And so I ended up here, making my way around the New World and learning what I could to keep up with the changing young nation. As with any other country you have had your good men and your bad men but, at the end of the day, you are all only Human. Famous or infamous, good or bad, rich or poor-- I have found that the people of your nation have been vibrant and fresh... and for Spirits-- well, considering how long lived we are, that is a rare trait for us to be able to appreciate."
As the time between the end of when she was talking and when I should have started talking continued to stretch with silence, Treboada finally interjected. "She 'as a way with werds, daen't she, boy-o."
Jack took that as an opportunity to add his own voice to the mix, and he did so with a question. "Thou hath the bearing of a Tribal Spirit, Sabhana... yet thou art not bound to a certain people?"
For the first time I was able to see Sabhana offer a smile that didn't reach her eyes; it wasn't that it was disingenuine, but it was obviously hiding a great amount of pain. She lowered her head and shook it slowly. "No, Jack... the people to whom I'd sworn myself chose to abandon me, and now--"
Treboada placed a paw on her shoulder. "An' now she goes where she's wantid an' th' eejit ingrates 'ave no idea what they're missin, eh, Lass?"
Sabhana offered him another of the sorrowful smiles but said nothing. As the silence dragged on I felt compelled to say SOMETHING, so I--
b) --concluded the evening by suggesting we all go inside.
c) --looked around at the spirits and asked what they thought about inviting Sabhana inside.
d) --thanked Sabhana for the wonderful story and wished her luck on her travels.
................................
b) -- I want her, but this allows the others to voice objections, without being rude about it.
I just like her so much already haha
So suffice to say (B) would be good, perhaps worded, "So if there are no objections, why don't we all head inside and have some hot-chocolate together?" ;)
I sense a bit of rivalry as well as attraction between Treboada and Sabhana.