Chapter 5 - Reunion

Later that day, the group broke up and everyone went on their own way for their relatives.

Kiira, not having anybody there to pay a visit to, followed Irik and Kysia.

Everytime she was in Saida, she was always hosted in Irik's house and so, they became her Saida's family. 

I say Saida's family because everywhere she went, she had all another life. Every village, town or city had a particular family for her and everyone of them thought it was the most important, even the only real one. And that's totally understandable, since she had never been so disposed to openly talk about all her journeys, and so, not even about all her hosts.

To her, indeed, they were hosts, not families. She felt a moderate affection towards every one of them, yet it was that kind of affection you can develop due to gratitude towards every single human being. It was not the disinterested one you set aside for your own parents and relatives. 

Kiira took into great account Irik's opinion, but, as he thought of her as a daughter, she'd never thought of him as a father. Same thing for Kysia: a splendid friend, but not a lovely sister.

The young girl knew they would have felt betrayed if they knew only a part of these features, even if, to her, it was logical not to get attached to anyone due to the huge amount of people depending on her. Yet, the intrusive thought that teased her that night under the canva in Ethil reign came back: she knew it wasn't right not to feel anything more than pure gratitude towards people that supported her for ten years and that entrusted her with their lives. Even so, even if she was sure she was being unfair in her heart to them all, she wasn't able to feel something more than that, small, grateful feeling. And also, a gratitude ruled by a pure, commercial interest.

Anyway, she followed Irik and Kysia to Kysia's mother.

Risria was a good woman, kind, delicate and really sympathetic. She was able to recognize the suffering of every living being from only one gaze. And she was also so subtle not to never make someone ashamed when she showed she recognized the pain in their heart. She was very smart as well. She was able to understand every situation and to find the rightest solution to every problem. The woman was also educated: she could read, write, play and do the math. She looked after the house, while her husband and daughter were out for work, not because she was the mother, but because she was the best to care for all the expenses of a family in order to save as much as possible.

Risria was Kiira's favorite: the girl always felt the woman was the closest to her calculating and ambitious nature. Hence, it wasn't hard to see why she preferred everytime to stay at Irik's home to "rest" instead of following father and daughter to walk.

After a few turns to ask people about the woman, they learned she was hosted in the house of a stonecutter with a friend.

When they met the home owner and entered the house, a tall, slim brunette stood up from a pillow on the ground and ran to hug tight Irik.

<> Irik murmured, astonished.

<> she comforted him.

They loosen the embrace and looked into each other's eyes.

<> the man asked, deeply worried, carefully observing his wife's body, looking for hidden wounds.

<> she laughed, <>.

<> the man replied, relieved.

Now it was Kysia's turn: <> she cried and hugged her mother.

With tears in her eyes, the woman hugged her daughter and said: <>.

<> Kysia answered through the tears, <>.

And with a glimpse, the dad was invited in a family hug.

When the reunion ended, Risrias headed to Kiira, stayed on the doorstep watching them with a tender smile on her face, and put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

<> Asked with a soft voice.

<> Kiira answered with a slight laugh in her voice.

<> she concluded.

And the three told everything they said to the headman, adding from time to time a "I missed you mum", "I always thought of you, my love", "We've missed your delicious soup, Risria".

When they ended the story, Risria asked: <>.

<> Irik answered, seriously, <>.

<> Kiira added, <> she ended, with a scent of tiredness in her voice.

<> Risria replied, <>.

<>.

The woman took Kiira's hand between hers and gently said: <>.

As such a sentence, Kiira's heart missed a beat. Such a great love, and she was unable to return even a little part of that feeling. She felt terribly, but this guilt was not enough to let her grow in her heart a feeling similar to love. Instead, she made an embarrassed smile, more like a sneer, and took away her hand from Risria's grasp. Then, she stood up and, with the excuse to leave the family talking alone, she exited the house.