After dinner, Key went with Mat to his new room, leaving Ayan, Miriam, and Tilli at the table. None of them seemed to have anything to say, so in relative silence, they all put up their trays and headed to their rooms.
Ayan immediately sat down at her sewing machine. Sewing was the best thing to calm herself when she was stressed. She hadn't yet finished Miriam's silent pajamas, but she chose instead to work on Leo's blanket. Miriam sat down at her desk and began writing. After a while, she set down her pen. "Can I ask what you're working on?"
Ayan stopped the sewing machine, knowing she should probably stand up and stretch anyway. "It's a blanket. For my brother."
"You two must be really close."
Ayan looked at the blanket. "We used to be."
"Used to be?"
She stroked the triangles that she had pieced into a star. "Our mom died a year after I was born, and dad died in an accident when I was six--Leo was only seven. So it's mostly been the two of us. I mean, Altiane adopted us, but... Leo's family in a different way."
"What happened?"
"He doesn't think that Audeni's honest." Ayan didn't mention that she wasn't entirely sure of Audeni herself.
"I should go visit you sometime. I could tell you if she's lying or not."
Ayan laughed. Then she stopped, realizing Miriam was probably being serious.
Miriam didn't seem to notice. "Is it magic?" She pointed to the blanket squares. "to... make him like you again?"
"No, just a blanket. It's based on a blanket I saw back in Forgecard Falls. It's supposed to represent family. And the light someone's brought to your life. It's like a way of giving it back to them...."
"And today," the temple matriarch announced, "we are honoring Askan, who has officially been with us for a year." Ayan cheered as the temple-goers clapped for a young man with cool brown skin and a black braid, just long enough to fall over his shoulder. He rose to his feet and approached the front of the temple, where the matriarch stood in front of a purple banner bearing the Epaluno torch in yellow. "Our community would like to present you with this gift." She handed him a colorful quilt. Askan unfolded it and revealed an array of stars in every single style and color Ayan could imagine. The squares were tied together, rather than sewn, in the pattern similar to the way the Pelan laced the side seams of their traditional tunics.
The matriarch spoke again. "May it be a reminder to be a light in dark places. Thank you for joining our family." She shook Askan's hand and then directed the congregation to the adjoining room, for the post-service meal.
"Ayan!" The matriarch met her as she followed the other congregants into the dining room. "It's good to see you again."
"Thank you, ma'am."
As Ayan took a seat at one of the long tables, the matriarch turned to catch Askan walking by her toward the kitchen. "You're not working in the kitchen today. You're our guest of honor." And she pulled out a chair for him next to Ayan. Askan shook his head, but took a seat. Ayan knew all too well what arguing with the temple matriarch over Hospitality was like.
"Askan, have you met Ayan? She sometimes attends service with us, though she hasn't been here recently." Ayan noticed the matriarch didn't mention why Ayan had been gone.
"You do look familiar..." Ayan watched as Askan's eye scanned her.
Ayan resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She liked the Pelan temple, and she didn't want to make a bad impression. "I'm the girl who got caught stealing from the king's sister."
Askan met her eyes and smiled. "Well, the All Powerful is forgiving."
This was not the response she had expected, yet being in the Pelan temple again, she wasn't all that surprised. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Why don't you wear a headscarf?" All the other men at the temple wore the purple ibi'an which marked them as men of the Epaluno faith.
"I'm not a full Pelan yet."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, converting to the Epaluno faith is one thing, but becoming Pelan is like... getting your citizenship."
Ayan grinned. Antarand prided itself on welcoming outsiders, and she knew several people who had immigrated. "Do you have to take a test?"
"Sort of? I'm studying the language and the history, and the rules of Hospitality. And when the matriarch thinks I'm ready, the community votes on whether... whether to get my citizenship, I guess."
This sounded somehow both more and less stressful than Antarand's naturalization process. Finally, Ayan pointed to the quilt. "Well, you seem to be doing a good job of it."
"Yeah, I wasn't expecting that."
"I think that's one of those rules of Hospitality." Her fingers itched to look at it, and she reached toward it. "Could I... look at it?"
"Absolutely." The two of them examined the quilt as they waited for food to be served.
"I kind of feel like I should give it to Mat now," Ayan admitted. "He needs some light in his life. Maybe even more than Leo. But if he's really getting expelled, there's no way I'll finish in time."
"Can I help?" Miriam was already halfway out of her chair.
Ayan waved her hand to indicate she should sit down. "Not without another machine." It would have been strange to give the quilt to Mat, anyway, since she had chosen the colors for Leo.
Miriam leaned back into her chair. "Well, maybe you can go visit him. I mean, you live in the south. And the Thisaazhou travel. They're bound to get near Antarand at some point."
Miriam was right. Then Ayan could find something more personal to give light to Mat. She could ask Key for advice. She smiled at her roommate. "Thanks, Miriam. That's a great idea."
