Chapter 6 - Kisya

After having gone out, Kiira started wandering around, busy with all her thoughts and sense of guilt.

She remembered the first time she arrived in Saida. She was barely seventeen. It was her first time in the south. She got there following the east coast, going down from her previous home. As everyone can guess, her old life was not enough for a smart and enterprising girl like her. So, she tried to make her fortune through a territory never used before.

Saida wasn't the nearest village to the limit, therefore she passed other towns, getting used to that simple and warm kind of people, getting an idea of every possible resource.

When she headed to Saida, her little notebook was already half full of information and drawings. 

The girl was travelling with a convoy of actors, encountered once entered the southern lands. They were a mix of people from different places. Many were from the south, others from the central reigns, but she was sure to have recognized the sharp and pale northern features, mostly in a stunning little girl. She was pretty short and so thin she seemed like a walking skeleton. Her complexion was so pale to reveal some little blue veins all over her weak body.

The face shrinked toward the nose, so that sometimes she looked like an albino mouse, with those large teeth and long and narrow nose.

The girl had long, straight, pale blonde hair, always held in a low ponytail, and a pair of very light blue, watery eyes. Her expression was always lost in the void of a wide landscape or of the monotony of a wall. Everytime, she slightly disclosed her full lips, running her tongue over her teeth.

Even so, she was a very northern beauty. She had that delicate, but strong figure. 

When Kiira placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, was scared by feeling all the bones under the skin, yet, she was able to feel even the hard muscles below and the tense nerves.

Her name was Iriel. One of the few things Kiira managed to obtain from her mouth was: <>.

But she never explained such a statement. For Kiira, a name was a name, a collection of letters with useless meanings. Hence, she asked many times, but never getting anything. 

Anyway, it was in that convoy she encountered her two most trusted guys in her life: Brud and Somir.

They were two little boys, about the same age. They were not brothers, but acted as they were. They soon took a liking to Kiira and began taking her company every time it was possible. Shortly, the three became inseparable.

In the convoy, since in the beginning she couldn't act or sing or dance, she was the one helping write the scripts, having a certain literary education, fixing the costumes and going around among the public to collect money.

But, in the year they were together, she learned how to act, sing and dance, and became an important part in every show they enacted.

With that convoy, she reached Saida. While they were setting up, a little girl, around thirteen, showed up.

<> she shyly greeted, <> Her tiny voice spread through the small camp, making everyone turn their heads to see the newcomer.

With all eyes on her, the little girl hurried to apologise and to run away, but one of the older actresses, Lady Mariah, stopped her: <>.

The little girl got closer.

<> Lady Mariah asked.

<> the other answered.

<>.

Kisya made a no with her head.

<>.

Kisya nodded and waited.

Few moments later, six people approached the new girl. They were Kiira, Brud, Somir and Lady Mariah's three grandchildren, two twin sisters and a younger brother.

Kiira took the youngest child in her arms and sat on the bench Kisya was seated on, while the others sat on the ground.

<> Kiira started, <> and showed her her hand to shake. Kisya, hesitant, shaked her hand, but said nothing.

<> her interlocutor kept on, <>.

An interrogative expression appeared on Kisya's face, and out of curiosity she forced her voice to ask: <>.

Kiira laughed: <>.

Kisya smiled and finally said: <>.

This way, they spent the time before lunch talking and playing together. When it was time for the meal, Lady Mariah came carrying a tray with bowls of soup and slices of bread. The seven kids ate together.

After lunch, Kisya, impatient, asked: <>.

Lady Mariah answered: <>.

Kisya, excited to be able to share more time with her new friends, even if sleeping, nodded with a large grin on her face.

<>.

That afternoon, they slept for two hours straight. Then, after waking up, they ate a little snack and then the rehearsal began.

Kisya was seated on the ground watching the old and young actors, in their shining costumes, charmed by their acting skills. They were speaking out loud for feelings of ancient and forgotten kings, queens, soldiers, heroes, spirits: they recited from the most violent to the most delicate lines, with such a grace to leave the little Kisya speechless.

At the end of the representation, she clapped and jumped up, literally amazed.

<> and ran to hug her friends, who hugged her back, laughing with her.

<> Kisya asked.

<> Kiira responded, <>.

<>.

<> Brud stated.

<> Kisya almost cried.

<> one of the twins explained.

Kisya became sad and stared at Kiira: <>.

<> Kiira slowly answered, <>.

<> Kisya hurried to assure, trying to make them stay longer.

<> the other girl started, sceptical, <>.

Kisya stared towards the ground and mumbled: <>.

<> Kiira concluded and went away, followed by Brud and Simor.

Kisya watched her new friend moving away, worried to have angered her.

That night, the show was a success. While everyone was helping remove the equipment, a little figure wrapped in a big cloak approached the twins: <>.

<> They cried, <> And grabbed her arms and led her behind a wall. She was after a few moments reached by the others. Brud and Simor had large grins on their faces and the first was carrying a nearly sleeping Rein. Only Kiira had a serious expression on her face, waiting to hear what the girl was up to to make them stay.

<> Kisya started, <>.

A choir of "thank you" made the girl blush, but she drove away this feeling and continued: <>.

At this statement, after a cute "aww", the twins were the first ones to hug their friend, followed by the others, but Kiira, standing still, waited for the third thing.

Meeting her glacial glaze, Kisya swallowed and said: <> concluded, getting closer to Kiira and taking her hand, <>.

Kiira slightly smiled. Kisya, incredulous, happily smiled back. All of a sudden, Kiira grabbed her in a tight embrace and whispered in her ear: <> and let go.

Newly happy, Kisya thanked and, among the tears, told them goodbye and wished them a good journey. 

Then, they parted ways.