OOM: In Gotland with Bodhi and Galen

[ostro_goth]

 It is the very height of summer now, so the fields are turning golden, the young animals in the meadows are nicely grown and running around when they are not stuffing their faces with the abundant grass, and the people are busy in the gardens and in the workshops and among the granaries.

One of the children points up at the procession coming down the barrow-hill, and then everybody is running up to meet them.

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[imthepilot]

Bodhi walks at the horse's side, steadying the large baskets hanging either side of the saddle. He feels guilty that the animal has to carry everything but it seems happy enough.

Bodhi spots the children and waves a greeting, Kyber riding on his shoulder.

[ostro_goth]

The horse, whose name is Bramble, carries not only the food but also Nahts, riding along proud as any knight. Myrrh follows with Teja and Galen who are bringing the promised sickles and some measuring equipment respectively.

The first children come to meet them and swarm over the horse and the visitors.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi manages to lift Kyber out of the way enough to avoid getting knocked off as the children reach them. He offers hugs and hellos to the children he recognises. "There's someone very special I'd like you to meet." He says to the children, waiting for Galen and Teja to catch up. "This is Galen." His smile couldn't be more proud or loving.

[galen_erso]

"I have heard so much about you, both from Bodhi and Teja," Galen says. "You must be Hilde?"

She joins them at just this moment and nods.

"You are the Galen from the song!"

She has managed to grab the old dented golden goblet and a small jug of wine before running up here; now, she proudly stands, pours the wine, and offers it to Galen.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi blushes, trying to remember if he told Galen about that. And not entirely sure he did.

[galen_erso]

"A song?" Galen says. "I think either Teja or Bodhi mentioned -- am I going to get to hear it?"

By now, the grown-ups are arriving as well.

"Of course, if you wish to," Adalgoth says, smiling at Teja and then at the others. "Especially if the king will play and sing with me."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi attempts to hide his embarrassment by distributing hard boiled honey sweets to the children.

He smiles to Adalgoth. "It's good to see you again. Thank you for having us."

[ostro_goth]

"Bodhi," Adalgoth says. "It is good to see you, also -- and as far as having you, I suspect from the state of the hampers upon Bramble's back, you will be having us in turn. So the least I can do is sing the song, to you and to Galen, of whom it tells also. I hope it passes muster in both your eyes."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi colours with a blush but smiles. "I've got back into cooking. I may have gone a little overboard. You and yours were good to me last time. It was the least I could do."

"And your song was beautiful last time I heard it. I can't imagine it being anything but."

[galen_erso]

"How many children do you have?" Galen says. "They will all get full to the brim today, and love every moment. Even the sensible food before the sweets."

"Lots," the boy Athalwin pipes up. "The kids from over there are here because the grown-ups are fumigating for moths at home -- but the know about the King and the Magic from the Mound, as they're the ones on whose farm the cats first thrived, and they came over when the king was here."

It seems to make sense to him.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi does his best to follow. "So they understand about people visiting from the place after death?"

Speaking of cats, Kyber is seeking the admiration and love he deserves as king of his domain. Worship him, small humans. He wants pats!

[ostro_goth]

"They do!" Hilde assures him. "And they have heard the song already at the spring thing, and parts again last night."

Three of the smaller children are by now reaching up for Kyber. "That is Kyber, son of our Isis!" little Myrtia explains to one of the other children, a little older, who appears to be a visitor if he requires an introduction.

[imthepilot]

"I'm Bodhi." He introduces himself to the new child. "I'm a friend of Teja's. I look after Kyber now."

[ostro_goth]

"From the song!" the new child says, reaching up to pet Kyber.

[imthepilot]

"From the song Adalgoth wrote? Yes. It was very kind of him to write our story into a song."

Kyber is lapping up the attention. So very much!

[ostro_goth]

Myrtia and Valeria are petting him too, cooing how nicely he has grown, while another tiny boy -- little Totila, who has grown nicely as well -- declares Galen looks like a proper hero.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi smiles over his shoulder to where Galen is chatting. "He is a proper hero. And so is Teja. They both saved my life, only in different ways."

[ostro_goth]

"Teja is the king, and he died on the fiery mountain so all others could come here and make us!" Myrtia declares. "He is a big, big hero, with his axe and his harp."

[imthepilot]

"And Galen is the hero who was forced to build a terrible machine but was brave and sneaky and put a trap inside the machine so other people could break it."

[ostro_goth]

"We are going to hear the song again!" the kid from the neighbouring farm says, excitedly.

[imthepilot]

"I hope so. Galen and I bought enough food for a feast. Maybe Teja and Adalgoth will sing for us?" More honey candies are passed around. Bodhi's more than okay with spoiling the children.

[ostro_goth]

"A feast! A song!" the children exclaim, excitedly, while the whole horde wends its way towards the farm buildings.

"First everybody finish their chores of the day!" says Liuta, who is reaching them now.

[imthepilot]

"Liuta." Bodhi greets her with a smile, reaching out to take her hands. He looks a lot healthier than the last time they saw each other. Healing in body and soul.

[ostro_goth]

"You look really perky," Liuta says, smiling at him. "Your cats and your friend have done you good."

[imthepilot]

"Thing have improved for me. Since the last time I was here. Partly because of your help." He looks over his shoulder to where Galen's follow with Teja and the others. "And partly because Galen arrived."