Lee puckered her lips as she looked around the shop. No one was home, it seemed. The woman sighed and turned back, a little disappointed to have missed Kelari. Oh well, maybe later on in the day, she'd thought as she waved hello then goodbye to a few people that had addressed her on the street.
Humming a tune under her breath Lee made her way back home, dropping the groceries onto the kitchen table. The mess her brothers and father left behind from breakfast made her sigh in exasperation as she began to clean the mess. "Oh your Daddy's rich and your Ma is good-lookin'. So hush little baby, don't you cry," she sang, the clash of metal against metal from a door or two down not bothering her in the least. "One of these mornings you're going to rise up singing. Can you spread your wings, can you take flight? But till that morning, there's nothing that can harm you. With Daddy and Mami, standing by," Lee sang, looking out of the window as the sun winked at her from behind clouds.
The day passed slowly but Lee didn't mind, going about chores that didn't really need redoing and making sure the house was in order. Watering the flowers and plants, making sure no little night buggers had eaten any of her vegetables.
Lunch time happened around the afternoon, Lee cooking with a bounce in her step, gently picking leaves out of her brother's hair before sitting her family down. It was an uneventful meal, Lee watching them devour the food messily and somewhat like animals.
When they'd finished Lee received a kiss from her father on the cheek, letting him get back to work after he'd thanked her. She took her brothers out behind the house and proceeded to continue cleaning them off. The boys were almost always covered in mud, scratches and scrapes from their adventures around Heron. Lee washed and bandaged their cuts before sending them off to their rooms to finish their studies.
Night fell eventually and Lee watched the town grow sleepy and quiet, the skies painted with a violent brush. She sat outside in her little woven chair, the fabric of the blankets lining it soft against her back. The woman plucked a match from her pocket and struck it against the side of the house, pulling out an ivory pipe and lighting the insides. Calming scents of lemongrass and lavender filled the air around her, a slightly bitter but familiar taste filling her mouth. Lee loved to sit back like this when the world was growing quiet, loved to stare up at the sky knowing her family was safely inside. Just as she was about to exhale though, a bright flash shine across the sky. Once, twice, then many more times. Lee watched in stunned fascination, pipe forgotten. She'd never seen anything like it in all her life. Right after it was over, Lee swallowed, not sure how to react. She hurried inside, dumping the smoldering content of the pipe outside before doing so and then made her way to her bed, remaining there until the next morning.
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A star. Someone was shouting loudly about a star. Trying not to fall all over herself, Lee scrambled to the window, leaning out as far as she could to hear everything. Her mind instantly went to her brothers, the rest of her brimming with curiosity. Without a second thought she got herself ready, changing into something a little more protective, leather boots feeling strange as they hugged her calves and her usual breathy tops replaced with something more sturdy. Packing a bag of basic necessities, she thought of the adventure she would be departing. It was possible she wouldn't ever return. But finding the star guaranteed a good life. It meant her father could rest easy and her brothers would have a better life. Lee's hands hovered over an old blade her father had made for her as a gift, a single pale green gem in its hilt. Her heart hurt at the idea of letting go of her family but at the same time, she believed it was necessary. Right now, anyway. So with a determined huff Lee was off, both excited and nervous.
Finding Sera at the meeting spot didn't surprise Lee too much. The girl had determination and a knack for weaseling out of the toughest of situations, so she'd heard. Gaius however, she did not expect. Both people stood out like a white mare in a thunderstorm, Gaius being as tall and Sera well, just being Sera. Lee's dark eyes flew over faces, most of the people being ones she didn't know. That was fine. Honestly, Lee didn't know how this was going to go. If they were going to split into groups or go off on their own. But all her thoughts were happily kicked from her mind when she saw a figure far too familiar to be anyone else but her. Containing her excitement, Lee strode forward and put a hand to the woman's arm to get her attention, all nervousness forgotten. "Kela? It's really you! I'm so happy to see you," Lee smiled, her greetings for Sera and Gaius suspended at the moment.