They walked into a shabby office with a beautiful tapestry on the wall. Declan’s eyes followed the rising birds and leaping fish, noting the bright colors and harmony of the design.
It took him a little longer to take in the large desk with three chairs in front of it and a conference table off to the side. A woman was leaning over a beige computer monitor, the boxy type from before flat screens, rather than sitting at the chair behind it. She glanced up, finished something, and then came around the desk to greet them.
Her hair was streaked with gray and she wore a soft, yellow shirt, but there was something militant about her stance. She had a steady confidence about her, and her eyes were sharp.
“Aunt,” Ro greeted her. “Have you seen Ti... the Chief today?”
Her eyes twinkled. “Why yes? He was here this morning. The same time that you dropped off those blueberries, I believe.”
Ro looked shyly downward. OMG. Cutest thing ever. Ro had a crush on the Chief.
“I’m here on official business,” he finally muttered.
Declan stepped forward. “Hello, um, aunt?” He hoped he was doing this right. “I think I’m the official business. I’m staying with Geir.”
She assessed him critically. “What do you mean staying with Geir?”
Declan tried not to squirm. Tentacles and sweaty skin flashed across his mind. But now that the imposing woman was evaluating him instead of teasing Ro, she was kind of scary. “We’re, um… He’s my boyfriend, maybe? I mean, I hope he is. I want him to be. He said so.” He paused. “I think.”
It wasn’t too soon to hope for that, was it? Declan knew he was impulsive, but Geir seemed like a really sweet guy under that gruff exterior. And he said that he wanted to claim him, right? It might not be a promise of forever, but wasn’t that their agreement? Declan was supposed to belong to Geir, at least for as long as it lasted. He tried to appear confident.
The look the woman gave him next was inscrutable. “Where are you from? What’s your story?”
He related it all again. The ex, the drive, the car, the lake.
Well, he left out a few details about the lake.
Then he explained exhaustively that he hadn’t seen anyone in town, because he hadn’t been to town. He hadn’t even stopped for gas since before Columbus or whatever that big city was, and definitely hadn’t been sent here by anyone.
He asked about a grocery store, and they both assured him that Geir knew where it was.
At last she seemed to run out of questions, though he wasn’t sure if he convinced her. “So, um, did I pass?” He’d at least gotten her to smile a few times while they were talking. Hopefully that was worth something.
“That’s not for me to decide.”
“Hang on, are you serious? Why did you ask all those questions then?”
She gave a small chuckle. “I’m in charge of security.” She gave him a firm handshake. “You can call me Kayla. But I’m not the only one you need to convince.”
He threw his head back dramatically, knowing that she would expect his joking by now. “So I have to do this all again? Or is there, like, some trial of initiation? Do I have to prove myself in battle or something?”
She smirked. “I certainly hope not. I do not think you would fare very well.” She looked him up and down, not unkindly, but making it clear that she didn’t have high hopes for his physical prowess.
“Couldn’t I be the plucky sidekick who unexpectedly saves the day?”
Everyone laughed, but Kayla looked him over again. “It would be nice if you were,” she sighed.
“Um, is that supposed to mean something to me?” He thought it was still a joke, but apparently not.
“Askuwheteau should meet him,” she finally said.
Ro nodded. “Of course. Will you let me know if the Chief returns?”
She raised one eyebrow, but she seemed to be teasing. “I will.”
They walked out the way they came, and Declan took a bit more time to notice the space. Many of the houses were made of cheap materials, but here and there were signs of beauty and care. Wooden lintels and posts were carved with animals, hand-painted tiles showed geometric designs, and bright colors adorned the windows.
He loved them. Would Geir let him paint and carve little animals all around his house? Maybe a mosaic? Perhaps some of the local artists would teach him their techniques or they could work together. He would love to teach art class again, if no one would find that imposing. He had all sorts of ideas for encouraging the kids to blend their own artistic traditions with, say, comic books or mixed media styles.
The idea filled him with hope in a different way than his time with Geir. It had been so long since he’d taken his own art seriously.
He didn’t know much about Ro and Kayla’s community, but he was just enjoying the easy way that small joys and protections were woven into everyday life. It felt like it was important to them.
“What are you looking at?” Ro asked.
“That turtle,” Declan pointed to a small design on the post of someone’s porch. “It’s almost the idea of a turtle. But it has so much life in it. Like it’s all the turtles.”
People usually got annoyed when he said things like that, but Ro seemed pleased. “Maybe it is all the turtles.” He nodded his head and started cutting across the plaza. “Come on, our next stop’s over here.”
Now that he was too far away to make out the details of the homes, he took in more of the big picture. The grass on the plaza was patchy from heavy use, but there were clusters of people sitting around enjoying each other’s company on porches and blankets on the ground. A few worked on laptops, while others sewed or tooled leather.
Children scampered everywhere, and they had to walk around a game of soccer. It was morning, so he was surprised that the children weren't in school until he realized it was summer vacation.
They strolled toward a larger group of people tucked off to the side in a sort of ad-hoc amphitheater. The sound of a drum reached them first.
A steel-haired man with kind eyes sat on a log which raised him just slightly above the others, pounding the drum that was clutched between his knees. He wore modern clothing, jeans and a t-shirt, along with several beaded leather pouches that hung from his neck.
As they got closer, Declan could also hear his throaty voice chanting a hypnotic song. It followed a melodic pattern that was unfamiliar to Declan’s ears but quickly wove its way into his brain.
A dozen children, from toddlers to young teens, sat on blankets or the grass around him. Slightly behind them, three women in lawn chairs were snapping the ends off of a seemingly endless mountain of green beans. Beside them was an older man whittling with a pocketknife.
Like the singer, their appearance was a mix of modern and traditional. One woman wore a collared shirt embroidered with stylized animals. A child had a cradle board made of sinew and fur strapped to his back with an action figure stuffed inside.
The man with the drum caught Declan’s eye and gave him a small nod of welcome without missing a beat. Ro sat on the lawn, joining the outer circle of adults. Declan settled beside him.
In a few moments, a small boy settled into Ro’s lap, along with a kitten who’d been lurking under the skirt of one of the women snapping beans. Declan hadn’t even noticed the kitten at first. Was it even a real cat?