Rhea stepped out of the kitchen and headed for the hall. "Ah, I'm sure she'll be right back. That hall only goes two places, and I doubt she's going outside."
Randell leaned to the side, slightly, and watch Rhea enter a small room and realized what it was. The conversation lulled while Randell and Daen freshened up. Once they were finished, they thanked Marc and Bella for their hospitality.
Marc led his guests out onto the porch. "I'll show you where you can sleep in the barn. I sure wish you'd let us put you up in the house."
"That won't be necessary," Daen reiterated. "We've intruded on your family too much already." What Daen said was true, but he still wasn't sure Rhea had worked out her dream issue. He needed to be at her side, and in the house, Marc probably wouldn't allow them to sleep in the same room.
Marc escorted them to a large empty stall at the back of the barn. The floor of the stall had recently been padded with a thick layer of hay and had plenty of room for the three of them to stretch out.
An oil lamp was secured to one of the structural posts that ran down the middle of the barn. Marc turned up the flame slightly. "When you're settled, please be sure to lower the wick." As he turned to leave, he offered, "We rise early for breakfast. You're welcome to join us."
"Thank you Marc." Rhea smiled and gave him a slight bow.
They waited for the farmer to leave the barn before talking freely.
Rhea dropped her gear in the stall. "You know, if we run into any more people who can see my colors, we're not going to be able to keep my presence here a secret for long."
Randell reclined against the wall of the barn and sighed. "I didn't sense a problem from them or from the guy at the tavern for that matter, not yet at least. But you're right. We need to figure out what's going on before the wrong people find you."
"Did you learn anything from Marc after dinner?" Rhea asked.
Daen was pacing the space between their stall and the one across from them, where a beautiful chestnut mare watched the strangers who had intruded on her quiet space. "We asked him if he knew anything about the Laundan warriors. He said he overheard talk of attacks by riders in black but nothing more."
"Well. I learned something interesting. Daen, what do you know about Terranees."
Daen stopped pacing. His face went from being relaxed to showing concern. "How did you get on the topic of Terranees?"
Rhea shrugged. "Bella asked me where I was from. I danced around the subject, saying something like far from here, and she asked if I meant Terranees. Apparently, she was hoping that was the case. She wanted to learn more about it."
Randell looked confused. "What is Terranees?"
Before Daen could answer, Rhea explained, sharing what Bella had told her. "She mentioned Libritas. I assume that is what this continent is called."
Randell nodded. "Yeah, I know that, but, Daen, why didn't you mention Terranees?"
"Honestly, I don't know much about it. I know it exists. I know it's the home of the Tertusa, the Libraim's elemental counterpart. It's been known to bless the people of Luxatra with a special connection to the earth, fire, water, and wind. But there hasn't been an official reporting of a Tertusa gifted person for a long time. It just doesn't come up very often."
"Ter-what?" Rhea's mouth hung open as she waited for Daen to explain.
Daen shrunk a little, realizing there was a lot he hadn't told her yet. "The Libraim is the entity of energy. The Tertusa is the entity of the elements. They ... balance each other. I've heard mention of it in the past, but I have not met anyone gifted by it."
Rhea closed her mouth and looked at Randell to see if he was learning something new as well.
Randell's eyes were wide with surprise at Daen's reveal. "Dude. How is it you never mentioned this before?"
Daen looked at his good friend and felt a sudden twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry Randell. It just never came up. I was so busy learning your world and then
Randell leaned to the side, slightly, and watch Rhea enter a small room and realized what it was. The conversation lulled while Randell and Daen freshened up. Once they were finished, they thanked Marc and Bella for their hospitality.
Marc led his guests out onto the porch. "I'll show you where you can sleep in the barn. I sure wish you'd let us put you up in the house."
"That won't be necessary," Daen reiterated. "We've intruded on your family too much already." What Daen said was true, but he still wasn't sure Rhea had worked out her dream issue. He needed to be at her side, and in the house, Marc probably wouldn't allow them to sleep in the same room.
Marc escorted them to a large empty stall at the back of the barn. The floor of the stall had recently been padded with a thick layer of hay and had plenty of room for the three of them to stretch out.
An oil lamp was secured to one of the structural posts that ran down the middle of the barn. Marc turned up the flame slightly. "When you're settled, please be sure to lower the wick." As he turned to leave, he offered, "We rise early for breakfast. You're welcome to join us."
"Thank you Marc." Rhea smiled and gave him a slight bow.
They waited for the farmer to leave the barn before talking freely.
Rhea dropped her gear in the stall. "You know, if we run into any more people who can see my colors, we're not going to be able to keep my presence here a secret for long."
Randell reclined against the wall of the barn and sighed. "I didn't sense a problem from them or from the guy at the tavern for that matter, not yet at least. But you're right. We need to figure out what's going on before the wrong people find you."
"Did you learn anything from Marc after dinner?" Rhea asked.
Daen was pacing the space between their stall and the one across from them, where a beautiful chestnut mare watched the strangers who had intruded on her quiet space. "We asked him if he knew anything about the Laundan warriors. He said he overheard talk of attacks by riders in black but nothing more."
"Well. I learned something interesting. Daen, what do you know about Terranees."
Daen stopped pacing. His face went from being relaxed to showing concern. "How did you get on the topic of Terranees?"
Rhea shrugged. "Bella asked me where I was from. I danced around the subject, saying something like far from here, and she asked if I meant Terranees. Apparently, she was hoping that was the case. She wanted to learn more about it."
Randell looked confused. "What is Terranees?"
Before Daen could answer, Rhea explained, sharing what Bella had told her. "She mentioned Libritas. I assume that is what this continent is called."
Randell nodded. "Yeah, I know that, but, Daen, why didn't you mention Terranees?"
"Honestly, I don't know much about it. I know it exists. I know it's the home of the Tertusa, the Libraim's elemental counterpart. It's been known to bless the people of Luxatra with a special connection to the earth, fire, water, and wind. But there hasn't been an official reporting of a Tertusa gifted person for a long time. It just doesn't come up very often."
"Ter-what?" Rhea's mouth hung open as she waited for Daen to explain.
Daen shrunk a little, realizing there was a lot he hadn't told her yet. "The Libraim is the entity of energy. The Tertusa is the entity of the elements. They ... balance each other. I've heard mention of it in the past, but I have not met anyone gifted by it."
Rhea closed her mouth and looked at Randell to see if he was learning something new as well.
Randell's eyes were wide with surprise at Daen's reveal. "Dude. How is it you never mentioned this before?"
Daen looked at his good friend and felt a sudden twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry Randell. It just never came up. I was so busy learning your world and then
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