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 smiles and finishes unpacking, handing a box of honey candies off to Gotho to hide for later. They'll keep for a good long time and Bodhi made a large batch.

[ostro_goth]

Gotho takes them inside, and comes out again with jugs of wine and light cider.

"Come sit, once you are done with your chores," she calls out. "Adalgoth, Lord Teja, those sickles will keep for later. Galen, it is safe now."

Wachis finishes unfolding the last chairs, and the children are pouring in from where they were doing their chores around the house and garden.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi looks to make sure Kyber's safe and being looked after. He's become a fussily protective cat father. He greets Galen with a smile, hand brushing Galen's as he offers him a seat. "Gotha is the commander of this rather wild mob." He smiles fondly.

[galen_erso]

Kyber and Nahts had been greeted by their mother and remaining siblings -- only two now, the others had gone to new homes -- and are now sitting beside a flat bowl of milk, happy and content. They quite apparently remember the place.

"So I gathered, and she does it well," Galen says, sitting beside Bodhi.

[imthepilot]

"I shouldn't worry. This was his home, after all." Bodhi muses, resting his head against Galen's shoulder.

[galen_erso]

Galen puts his arm around him, about to speak, but then Adalgoth dings at his goblet, and all the kids fall silent.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi raises his head, falling silent for Adalgoth.

[ostro_goth]

Adalgoth keeps it short. "We are all happy to see you and glad to know you," he says. "Thank you for the food and the sickles, and I hope you enjoy the evening and the song later. Hails!"

He raises his goblet and drinks to his guests.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi takes a sip, smiling warmly before rising to return the favour. "Thank you for your hospitality and your welcome. I hope you enjoy the food." He flashes Galen a smile and offers his own toast. "Clear skies."

[galen_erso]

"Clear skies!" Galen says as well, and raises his own goblet to drink.

Everybody drinks, and then they start dishing up and digging in.

"Try the pink sauce!" Hilde soon squeals, enthusiastic, after her first spoon-full.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi's swiftly caught up in explaining what all the different dishes are, what they're made of, and talking about the garden he and Galen are growing.

He seems happy and vital and comfortable. So much so he doesn't even notice that his hand rarely leaves Galen's for more than a moment.

[galen_erso]

Galen chimes in to explain about the irrigation system, and what he could do for the Gotlanders' own vegetable plot. Nobody minds what they are doing with their other hands.

[imthepilot]

It's not long before the kids have eaten their fill and are tugging at Bodhi's hair. The girls have decided it needs doing up again.

"Yours too!" One of the girls chimes in, playing with Galen's locks.

[galen_erso]

Galen is by now nibbling on some sweet sand-cookies and consents easily to their doing it up 'like a proper warrior'. Apparently, braiding one's hair for battle is considered both stylish and sensible.

[imthepilot]

Galen ends up with a lapful of sleepy little boy while the girls start combing his hair. Kyber climbs up Bodhi's pants to claim his lap as well. Visiting is good but he needs to make it clear these are his humans.

[ostro_goth]

Teja and Adalgoth bring out their harps, and start playing a few short instrumental pieces for warm-up.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi strokes the kitten, reassuring Kyber and smiling as the girls start to braid Galen's hair in elaborate patterns.

There's such a wonderful sense of peace here and he can feel it lightening his heart.

[ostro_goth]

The melody changes a little, and Teja puts up his feet, closes his eyes and begins with the song, starting out with the dread death machine that the evil empire built. It doesn't sound completely unlike a Byzantine war trireme with Greek Fire, but at least like a fantastical version of it.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi leans over a little to take Galen's hand, listening quietly.

[galen_erso]

Galen holds on to his hand and listens as Adalgoth chimes in, and starts singing about Galen, and all the losses he incurred, and how his farmstead was laid waste by the evil empire and their cruel general, Orson Krennic.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi glances over at Galen, hoping it's okay that he shared details of their story.

[galen_erso]

Galen listens, rapt. One hand holds little Totila securely, the other is entwined with Bodhi's fingers.

"Once you are dead, your tale is anyone's to tell, and your secrets may pass into legend, Teja said," he whispers to Bodhi. "He is right."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi turns and presses a kiss to Galen's cheek. "I needed to tell your tale. Our tale. But they tell it better than I did."

[galen_erso]

"Differently, at home in their world," Galen whispers back.

And then, he falls silent as in the song, Teja and Adalgoth take turns singing about little Jyn in deep hiding, and Lyra's old rebel friend searching for her, leaving no stone unturned. If Bodhi has heard of it, then he will know that there are echoes of Teja's own fate as a child, and Saw comes over much like old Hildebrand.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi didn't hear it, so much as worry for Galen. That this memory might be too personal, the wound too fresh. He had told all this before Galen returned. When he thought he'd be alone and without Galen for all time. He holds tight to Galen's hand, watching Galen's face out of the corner of his eye.