Rhoa tried to explain it, but it was still something I didn't understand because I'd never had a lover before. I'd never thought about ... giving myself to anyone in that way before and I probably wouldn't have for a while longer if Rhoa hadn't brought it up. "I've never had a lover." I admitted and for whatever reason I wasn't embarrassed to admit it to Rhoa. Not like I had been when I'd offhandedly mentioned it to Mister Archibald so many seasons ago. I was a little bit older now, though, and I couldn't see the problem with not having let touch me like that. But Rhoa had, hadn't he? How else would he know what the touch of a lover felt like? "...so I really don't know what missing that is like." I shrugged a bit because it really wasn't a big deal to me right then. How could I be upset about not having something that I'd never experienced?

His explanation did move on to something that I could relate to and I did understand that, because I knew missing the way the clover tasted in the Foothills was different from the memories I had of learning to fly with my dad and Gaucho. "How did you miss me?" I asked, because that part I didn't understand. I wasn't Rhoa's lover and yet he said he missed me in a way that was different from how I had missed him. Why? How?

As he answered my questions it only lead to more questions, but the only one I asked was one that was probably none of my business. "What were you looking for?" He said that others sought his attention and I supposed that I could understand. He certainly was handsome and his family was full of strong warriors. It was really no wonder that he'd found himself a lover (I was basing this assumption purely on the fact that he'd mentioned missing the touch of a lover). "Oh..."  I wondered over who he thought was lovely in the Throat, but I didn't give that question a voice because it really wasn't any of my business, just as it wasn't my business what he'd been searching for.

"And you? Have you been well?"

"I suppose." I said when I could have said that I was fine, but if I was anything at all I was honest. And it helped that I was comfortable enough around Rhoa to tell him what was bothering me "My wing's been bothering me." As I said it I stretched it out, frowning at the way it ached into my shoulder. "I hurt it in a battle... the first battle when the gods started coming back, actually. This ... giant bear came through and we were fighting it and someone attacked my wing and it really hasn't been right since." But at least I could still fly. I could deal with the ache as long as I wasn't stuck having to walk everywhere. "There were three other battles..." I said shortly after. "I got this in one and this in another." I motioned to the fang that I'd gotten from the Moon Goddess' battle and the blood I'd gotten from the tiger battle there were hanging around my neck. "You can have one if you want..." Because I still wasn't sure I wanted either of them.

"I made some keys for the bridge." I said happily moving on from talk about battles and I laughed when I said it. "My keys were so ugly compared to Cera's. I don't know how he can make them so effortlessly. And two at a time!" I just needed more practice, I guessed, and that was exactly what I hadn't been doing.


"."

Mother, make me
Make me a big tall tree
So I can shed my leaves and let it blow through me