A small chorus choir learning to sing
The soft tapping of stone being chipped away and men talking of architectural achievements. There is many whom are speaking of stories that must be included. A service of prayer among clatter wood benchs, creaking and strained. The coughs and gurgle tummies. The whistling of air forced between incomplete stone and window sections.
Those sounds had been ignored with exhausting dreams. Strange ways of water floating, a babbling brook in the air that shows him where to walk the many soils. There was wings painted across his chest. He is tools he just stolen were replaced with odder things. A cloak of feathers that shielded him from fear and nightmares. Dreams are only getting elaborate, detailed so realistically and woke up is sense to these strange lands.
"Mattu..." He looks above higher the the guiding watery bubbles towards the silhouette of something beautiful. A smile with leaning our his arm. The tallons spread, so big that took him from this water path. Carries him away to a nest... a new home.
"Mattu." They landed there, the toss of impact to the floor of the nest grazed him a little. It were enough to stir him awake.
The communal area is of many lines of beds and side tables. He sits up looking about himself and the area. Tilted slides of his head, inspecting things one eye at a time. He recognized no one here.
Watching a passing long cover lady, all of her modesty and straight back - its sort of like the church at home. But those lady's wear white or cream only. These folks were in many colours of cloth, it were only the same folds stitching.
His still in his clothes... bandage around his left arm. He has the bag of tools at the floor of the table beside the bed. Not like the dream he was having. He noticed there is a wood box of holes at the foot of the bed. He climbs about across to, listening. Breathing... sleeping. He peeks through the top lid. Its the injured crow. Its wing is better bandaged and it is healthy. He sits with smiling about the bird being OK. It were now the worry about the royal, he looks around for if he was here. Although, there is some part of him that knows a royal would be taken else where. He picks up his bag and the box, stepping up to disturb a passing colour cloth nun.
"Excuse me madam. I want to know what happened to the person that was with me." She lowers to his childish height, she smiles at him but doesn't say anything, "Where is this? And thank you for bandages on the bird and myself." She stare was a little werider. She looks about his arm and the box. The bed he came from. There is a sudden smile. She get him back to the bed.
The second she spoke, it were clear of a language barrier. Its not uncommon for such strange word twisters to be around his village.
Even fancy peacocks of the nobles speak something weird, not la le language being used here. Its not the harsh deep tone language of the boat men either. None that pitching like the trades men. He sums up that this was a new language for him. He will find common words at somepoint.
There is more covered in layered madam whom comes around, she nods to this sister and then walks over to Mattu. He sees that she sits next to him, sighing in just someone. She spoke a riddle of strange words with them sounding more clear for him.
"Right..." She looks to him with a hand out, "Welcome to the coloured cathedral. You are a long way from home and from what I heard, nothing to return from there." She isn't wrong... he recalls the slaughter and what he seen when he stole that horse.
"I know. I was just thankful for the bandages on this crow and myself. I wanted to know if the person I was travelling with is OK. I would understand him not being around here... but still." She laughed a little, "Where are we? Is this near the druid cell clans? Or was I so out of it to skipped a week boat journey? although I would have died on a boat trip." He looks around again with looking at windows and people more, "You lot don't look like people I know of. Your not like a lot of folks even your language."
"You're a very clever and your very right. We aren't like anyone you met other then sir whom brought you here. The island is much smaller then the one you know and how you got here is to much to explain. Your language lacks certain words for a proper explanation." She hugs him, "I am sorry for your loss... Everyone is gone from your village. The crow your are healing is a special type of crow... and it told me. You are a very special person if you can carry it around without any fear."
"Special crow? But... I seen them many times. I thought they were normal." She looks worried for a moment. She pose to be listening to something else nearby before smiling to Mattu again, "I just realize how rude I must be." He has been looking at the quality of the cloth she is wearing and how nicer it is then that other nun he spoke to, "Are you like him?"
"Ah, don't say it. I will have a headache from my handmaid." She sighs, "Here rank doesn't matter between us, the cathedral grounds is a place of equal standing. However... you are a good guess maker. You rescued my future fiancé. He is always travelling around the other forgein lands. He never tells me why." Mattu nods with following her words. Tilting in inspecting her manners and actions.
"Equal huh..." Mattu takes her hand in greeting, "My name is Mattu and again, thank you for the help." She glad his not scared away to greet her like a normal person despite of being a future royal queen. This child was special and is lost in a forgein land. Being at the cathedral of colour is a good start for him to learn languages, reading and culture. He will not be tainted by the horrible conditions of someone with no money will face off cathedral grounds. Not yet. He can learn before he can fly. She sort of has someone to look forwards to talk to on her cathedral visits, nobles are to much a hassle and the poor are still a little jumpy.
Someone nun in similar nice wear but less layers came forwards to the two if them. The royal lady stands with language alter back to the one that is local. The is the servant, handmaid. Delivery of a message or something. Back turned away, the lack of clothing seams in such nice clothes was interesting notice for Mattu to ponder. How does such clothing get put on? It be to tight in areas and lacked any form of sewing or buttons.
The crow in the box coos and Mattu carefully opens the lid. The birds eyes a eerie stare, deep rudy colour and glinted with interesting structures of the eyes themselves. With being in part shade, a strange like chill mist forms around the void black feathers. He completely moved the lid off and offered his good arm.
"Your still injured like me. Best we stick together, like feather." It coos hollow and hops up along up the shoulder, "But of we got to walk somewhere, we could. The lady is busy it seems and I can find my way around eventually." He hops back off the bed again, bird has not even jolted a sort way at all... just sitting on his shoulder.
"Mattu, right?" the handmaid is next to speak, caught him before he could leave, "You have to stay on the cathedral grounds... but you can explore. You sit at the pews or find a priest if you need something. My lady has business."
"I understand. Stay safe you two. Something tastes funny." The handmaid thinks on such choose of words. She nods with telling her lady about it, they leave out of sight. The crow coos with a beak pointing, "If you say so..." Mattu walks along the centre area, looking at all these ill people and the treatments they are given. Really does show what it meant with equal stand... some very hungry poeple being nicely treated.
The door was massive but light to push open, he looks around the any wall carved decorations. Monsters to prevent misfortune... no witch mark wards. He does take stop to the many letters of names, of marks that resemble words. There a directory of pointed arrows at a junction of corridor, he looks up in trying to work them out. The crow caws hollow with beak pointing the direction.
The mass of pew benches of many public sections. Anyone was allow anywhere, but there is note for lack of comfort if you choose to sit somewhere that doesn't look right for you. The cathedral may have equally as a message but it hard to practice when those around you wish not to follow it. Mattu stood out in a lot of ways for how his clothes were put together and his stare at everything. He doesn't carry the manners those other people do and not idea of the rules.
There is someone whom runs right to him, said a sentence, handed him a empty cup and stood expecting something. He looks about the cup a little confused and give it back to them. He walked away because he didn't know any better. A sort of laughing at his back is silence with the crows call. The bird pointing another direction again... it were following someone walking. It flutters a wing with meaning to go fast to follow.
He does so at the birds request, running about slide marvelously across the whole length of a bench. He get up with smooth ease. He makes it to tug a little on the strange clothing... it too misty like the bird.
"Excuse me..." He wavered in maybe being a little unsure if this stranger would understand what he was saying and that his purpose would be understood. This strange was a cold and old soul, young of skin and a hand always on hold of something. The crow squawks proud, Mattu helping the bird over to the stranger. It coos happy and a tail wag, singing loud. Mattu could not help a smile in seeing a happy bird. The stranger nods and lowered to share eye level, putting two strange charms on a necklace around him. That of curve blade crossed with a feather. The other charm was a bird skull with carved mark on the forehead of it. The stranger nods in finding that sufficient and goes away... totally like the dark shadows had swallowed the man whole. Mattu stares prolong in being so stunned about that, he tilts in just watching the area for a little longer.
A priest sort walks along over with looking the direct Mattu does and back to Mattu. Takes in looking about the clothing and the child confused expression. Lowering with getting Mattu's attention. Goes to say something and ponders a long while. They do that riddle twist like the lady did before trying that again.
"You seem confused with air. Is there something the matter?" This guy is in very interesting sewn embroidery panel cloth. He has other things that would be noticeably unlike a Christian priest. The necklace has other symbols and charms, not matching the one Mattu is wearing.
"I was returning a injured bird to wherever or whomever it wanted. That person just disappeared when he gave me a necklace in return of the bird."
Mattu confusion was understandable. This kid was brought in by the royal and many priest have been informed of how the kids totally unaware of things. Unaware of practice around here.
This priest doesn't know and would not understand that the bird and the stranger whom disappeared weren't from this realm and not for the living to reach out like just now.
"Clearly your good deed had meant a lot. Your a very good child. Are you hungry?"
"I didn't want to be rude to anyone. Or make any demands on anyone." The priest laughs a little and stands with guiding Mattu through, "I have a lot of questions but... I would guess I could always wait for someone to answer them when suitable."
"There is a lot to take in and learn. Helping you learn the language frist will most definitely help you understand things." The building was incomplete and some of the corridor they walked was half built.
There were no tools laying around but there was sign of progress. How the marks of the stones were not by tool marks like back at home. The church at home has many chisel marks, here it was smoothed and nearly natural. The gaps of where windows will be have bags of sand and cups of paste paint dyes around.
"It will not be long before this section is complete. This place will be warmer before snow falls." The priest states... but in how Mattu sees it, there was several years to go for just the window. He recalls how the glass window in the other church place he lived near was smashed by a noble mans gun shot.
The window was small but vividly pigmented. It had to be boarded up for about 4 new moon faces before it were restored. The months he watch the local Smith melting the glass and him pitching in special grasses and roots for pigments mixing. the retries to make it sort as before.
Looking at these giant gaping holes with no lead fixtures yet... he was unsure of the priest was joking.
Big already open and heavy double doors with iron dragons as hinges. The staining oak was dark and strongly scented... recently painted. He tilts with some other strange things people were doing at tables. There wasn't a single jug pitcher, but folks lifted cups to the air and lower with drinking from them. The nuns whom had a wood plank across shoulder handle the calderen of stew, a soft hand place to the iron cast as a third free sister was leaning with hovering a hand. It lifted a laddle amount out from the pot. Floating the air and smoothly poured into a bowl. Mattu stood still in watching them repeat this three more times.
"Impressive right?" Shooing him to take a seat at any table, "Your first time seeing, is it not?" Mattu nods with a sort of coo from himself.
There is a nun whom came forwards with bowls and cups. She did a strange tongue twist with making water fill cups. She will repeat it with hand motion to wash the plates before they are used. Taking away some that were dirty and their before. She spoke with the priest whom nods time to time. Clearly she was so excited about something.
She smile in making something form in ice from the drinking cup... the priest cup had a butterfly and Mattu had a bird. Mattu smiles and thanks her, looking to how beautiful and detail it is. His smile made her smile, her little sigh of loving children whom are new.
She likes it when new people are around to appreciate magic for how wonderful it can be and the perspective a stranger from the outside has about it. She really appreciated Mattu being young and untainted by judgemental thoughts that teenagers and adults would have about casting miracles. The conversation cut short with the three whom had food to give.
They tell the one off for wasting energy on something so pointless. Ice suptures will only every melt away, no matter how detailed and pretty that they are. Its the sort of point exactly that the water nun had disliked. The priest speaking about some sort of introduction to magic was not pointless and that Mattu not understanding, simply smiles in watching the stew fly into the bowls. He had that sparkle of curiosity and wonderment that was to be treasured while it lasted. He would often look at the ice bird in appreciation of the effort for its creation.
The stew was a perfect temperature and taste balance. It had meat juice but not meat. Soft potatoes and other mushy soft vegetables. It was gone so quickly, because he would never been given so much food before. The shock of how quickly that went down made the four nuns pout so sad. Someone so starved would only eat that fast, and no one around here was ever denied food. Even homeless folks were well clothed, bathed and fed. Only way someone was to starve on this island was by illness or refused help.
The cathedrals of colours is a foundation of community and all access to services. A place not just worship but healing, food, help with any money or laws and so much more. There is a spiritual side of this place and there was the open public side. Mattu is on the public side, place of noise and gathering like the village stone stand but way better.
"Tell us about yourself and what you think of things." The priest passing his portion of food to Mattu whom needed more then he did. Mattu did eat slower this time with enjoying the bits even more so. He felt warmer and nicer inside.
"This stew was made with dedicated and care. Almost love." He comments thoughtless for a moment, "Oh, right. My name is Mattu. I am the youngest of my family. We lived in a small village. I would not know how to compare my..." he takes a long pause with just coming to terms of some basic facts he had been ignoring. He had little the time to really settle and think about much at all. The sadness was very visible and he looks at the bowl, it empty once again.
"I am sorry for you loss." The priest knew that much for his years of helping folks cope in challenging circumstances. It was a nice gesture that had Mattu well up, all that reflection and pained drops around him. The nearest nun hugging with harsh comfort. Such a sad lonely sound of grief that echoes a while.