Chapter 17

Pansea smiled. "We all love the names, too." He looked down and boosted the twins just slightly and cocking his head in Cobweb's directions. "Want to hold one?"

In answer, Cobweb held out his arms. Lisia, sitting slightly closer in, reached forward to take one of them and pass him over -- only to discover that the little one wasn't ready to be held by anyone but his hostling. The same was true of his brother.

"I give up -- they're really not ready," Lisia said after a couple of unsuccessful attempts, settling back onto the bed.

Cobweb imagined that it must have been very difficult for Lisia to witness the close bonding between hostling and harlings. Despite this, he appeared cheerful and genuinely overjoyed by the new arrivals. For some minutes the three hara fell into general conversation, Cobweb offering Lisia some updates from Galhea. Paynee and Rosea looked on with large curious eyes, occasionally snuggling shyly into Pansea when they'd notice Cobweb or Lisia looking at them. Lisia was discussing the profiles of some of the students coming in for the first session when in through the door came Ivy.

"Oh, showing them off, Pan?" he asked, stepping to the bed and offering a kiss before reaching down to stroke the heads of his harlings. "Hi, Lis," he said, turning, then straightening up for the visitor. "And you must be Cobweb. Pleased to meet you, tiahaar."

"Likewise. Your harlings are beautiful," Cobweb offered.

Ivy was a striking har, Cobweb noted, with snow white skin and black hair running to his shoulders in natural ringlets. His eyes were, appropriate to his name, dark green. Looking at the twins, it was clear their resembled Ivy.

One of the twins suddenly giggled and reached towards his father. Ivy gingerly took the child into his arms. "Oh, you know who your father is, do you?"

Lisia clucked his tongue. "It's wonderful, isn't it? Just a few minutes ago he wouldn't let me take him and Paynee was the same way -- and yet he knows right away who his parents are."

He reached out and gently squeezed the harling's wriggling toes, then let go, a frown on his face. "It's... upsetting really, when I think about it. These harlings obviously want to be with their hostling, their parents. It makes me think back to--"

Lisia broke off then, stopping himself from going on, as the other hara obviously knew what he was thinking. Ivy in particular seemed very keyed to it; he had been one of the pearls produced at the facility, separated from his hostling at birth.

Quickly the moment came to a close and Lisia drew himself together, determined to be positive. "Well, anyway, it's good to see things happening the right way."

"Of course, Lis," Cobweb comforted, patting his arm. "Think about it -- now you and the staff will be teaching everyone else how to take care of harlings, like a model almost. You obviously know how to do it, no matter how they raised when they were small. The harlings from here did turn out well in the end, right?"

On this they all agreed. Ivy held Rosea in his arms, bouncing him as the harling played with his curly hair, and Lisia had just resumed his discussion of incoming students when Ivy suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, Lis, I forgot," he said, handing the infant back to Pansea. "I just saw Orto and he was wondering if we were still doing our usual routine today or if you were going to be with your guest."

Lisia's face lit up. "Actually I'd love to do that -- Cobweb can watch."

"What are you doing?" Cobweb asked.

Lisia put his finger to his lips. "Won't tell him yet, will we, Ivy? Let's just get changed and then let him see for himself."

Ivy excused himself, saying he'd be in the lounge in five minutes. Lisia meanwhile said goodbye to hostling and harlings and led Cobweb out of the room and down the hall. "I'll just be a minute. You can wait out in the lounge while I change."

Wondering what exactly was going on, Cobweb went down the hall and found himself a comfortable chair. He reflected on the immense change had taken place in the atmosphere since he had been there last. Lisia, too, had obviously changed greatly. Gone was the edgy, defensive, tragically ignorant young har Cobweb had first met. He'd grown up and as he'd done so, he'd gained knowledge and confidence. Meanwhile his natural charms had come to the fore, making him as lighthearted as many hara who'd been spared his traumatic experiences.

Ivy and Lisia emerged from the hallway together, both dressed in outfits that were highly surprising, to Cobweb anyway. Ivy, who'd previously been wearing long pants and a light knit sweater, had switched into shorts and something like a tank top, both in dark green. Lisia had dispensed with the yellow skirt and top combo he'd been wearing and was in knee-length white shorts and a light yellow sleeveless top. All the clothes were made of cotton and clearly designed to wear while engaging in some sort of outdoor activity, perhaps something strenuous.

Cobweb rose from his chair. "Doing garden work?"

The pair exchanged conspiring looks. "We'll be working... near the garden," Ivy said slyly.

Together they went downstairs and out the main entrance, from there crossing through one of the small sitting gardens into an old playing field. A short but well-built har was waiting at the far end.

"That's Orto," Lisia explained as they made their way across the field. "He was assistant administrator at the school, I'm sure I've told you. He used to teach history and then got interested in other duties. He's decided to stay here for our next phase and help with the classes."

"He's also been teaching us a thing or two," Ivy added.

Orto clasped his hands together, obviously ready to begin whatever was planned. "So, Lis, I guess you'll be joining us?"

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Lisia replied. "Orto, this is Tiahaar Cobweb, just arrived from Galhea. I've invited him to come watch, if you don't mind."

"Mind? Of course I don't mind." Orto gestured to a bench a few yards distant. "You can sit over there or here on the grass. I would advise staying at least two body lengths' away, though."

Cobweb looked at the ground, which appeared dry enough, and made himself comfortable. What were they going to do? Dance? Gymnastics perhaps? The three hara had stepped a few paces away and were stretching, pulling their legs and arms, making themselves ready for some sort of physical activity.

Lisia, once he finished stretching his arms, shrugged his shoulders a few time and winked as Cobweb continued to imagine what they were up to. "You're going to be quite surprised," his friend teased.

A short time later, Cobweb saw just how accurate that prediction had been. It wasn't dancing they were up to, nor was it gymnastics -- well, not exactly. The first few minutes Cobweb didn't even know what to think, it was so unexpected.

Led by Orto, Lisia and Ivy were engaging in something called sansu, a martial art that, although featuring many graceful moves, was decidedly masculine in nature. Within fifteen minutes the three of them had moved from individual exercises and on to practice matches.

Cobweb couldn't stop himself from gasping as Lisia landed a kick in Ivy's shoulder and knocked him over.

"Well done!" Orto exclaimed. "Got him completely off balance and with just enough force." Ivy was picking himself off the ground. "You're alright of course?"

Ivy nodded and was quickly back at it. Some of the maneuvers they practiced were quite complex; obviously they had been learning their arts for quite some time. Lisia had never mentioned the training in any of his letters to Cobweb.

It was a lovely afternoon, pleasantly warm and with the smell of the spring flowers in the air. Cobweb was quite content sitting in the grass, watching the sansu. By the time they were through, an hour later, he was thinking about trying to learn the art himself. It wasn't remotely like anything he'd normally do, but watching the hara work with so much concentration and obvious physical exhilaration made Cobweb feel as if his life was missing something.

When the session was over and the fighters had all once again stretched, Lisia sauntered over, leaving Orto and Ivy to chat a little further over on the grass. The sweat had drenched his shirt so that it clung to his chest. Cobweb was surprised to see that the muscles on that chest were actually quite well defined. Below the knees, Lisia's calves, flushed dark from the exercise, were firm without being overly bulky. His hair, which he'd pulled back with a large black clasp, had half fallen onto his shoulder. The grace of a woman with the power of a man, Cobweb thought. That is Wraeththu.

"You've got to teach me that, Lis!" he said, rising up and make a mock punch in Lisia's direction. "Seriously, I'd like to try it."

"Would you really? Glad you liked it." Lisia began to pace off towards the bench. "I didn't tell you about this -- wanted to see what you'd think."

Cobweb had followed over and sat down. "I think it's great -- learned something new."

"Definitely," Lisia agreed. "I never learned to use my body in that way. Doing that makes me feel a lot more balanced."

"I'm sure it does," Cobweb agreed. It occurred to him that he found the notion of Lisia growing a little bit more ouana exciting.

"Not that I've really changed that much, that way," Lisia continued. "I mean, I'm certainly no fighter, not really. Not going to stop being what I am -- a... what did Orto say to me once?" He screwed up his face, trying to recall something. "A 'shrinking violet'?"

Cobweb laughed. "You're no shrinking violet, Lis -- never have been. I assure you. You're just yourself."

"I know." Lisia went and adjusted the clip in his hair as he spoke. "For a few years I kept expecting that I would change and somehow become more like what the Gelaming talked about, but I'm just naturally more soume I think. It makes me glad actually, that I didn't change that much."

"Me too," Cobweb said. "I've always liked you just how you are."