Rhys had misunderstood, but when he clarified, she nodded slowly. “Ahh… I understand what you mean now.” She said. It was an interesting concept. Two different magics working together could certainly cause more chaos, but she wasn’t sure how it could help resolve a situation faster. She dropped the topic for now, as they were still selecting books. 

She tried not to think too hard about the compliment Devon gave her regarding her drawing. She didn’t know if she really wanted to travel. She just wanted to sort of…hide out, and be unnoticed by anyone. Traveling the world sounded suspiciously like running, and Rhys didn’t want to have to run. Devon explained the concept better, and though he thought about Rhys picking a different book, the thought didn’t occur to her. She was given the book to learn from, and she was working on trying to understand it. “Okay. I think that makes sense.” She did start to skim a little, looking for a new heading that she could discern.

When Kieran and Ana returned with their books, Devon brought up going out for tea. Rhys was a little surprised, as she had thought that they were supposed to be reading about their abilities. She didn’t know Ms. Sibbens either, but when Ana seemed interested, Rhys nodded in agreement. “I am certainly fond of tea, and I know that you have just arrived with your books, but I don’t think this one is a good fit for me.” She stood up and closed the books that Devon had picked up. “No offense, Devon. But I think I will return this one and try another.” She said. Rhys excused herself for a few moments to bring back the difficult book to Urkwia, pretty sure that the others would wait for her.

Urkwia knew she was there as soon as she entered, and quickly chimed in her head. [i]Is something wrong, Rhys?[/i] She asked. 

Rhys wasn’t sure exactly how to answer, aloud or in her head, though the former really took care of both. “I um… this book was a little too hard for me.” She said. “We have some others, so I am fine, but I just wanted to bring this one back since I don’t think I will really get a lot out of it.”

Urkwia told her to simply leave it on the counter by the door, and she would be by in a short while to take care of it. [i]Don’t hesitate to come back. If Devon can’t help you find a book, I am sure that I can.[/i] She told Rhys. The elemental thanked her, and then left once more to catch up with the others.

Kieran hadn’t said much aloud when Rhys left. He knew that Ana didn’t have a lot of time to look at her books, and she was probably feeling a little overwhelmed. Instead, Kieran glanced over at Devon, giving him the look that they both knew he wanted to communicate. [i]How is Rhys handling things?[/i] He asked, pretty confident that Devon was listening. Kieran could talk to her, if Devon thought that would help. Sometimes knowing that you were important, that you had a place in things, could provide some sort of comfort, rather than just pressure and stress. 

In any case, she reappeared a short while later, and Kieran followed Devon to the older woman’s house. Mrs. Kara Simmens was a bit like everyone’s grandmother. Her own children had grown up and left the nest to go and explore the world and have their own families. One of her children was a magic user, and he came to visit pretty often. The other wasn’t a magic user, and she was a little more distant from the family. Granted, Kara wasn’t a magic user either, but her husband was, and she would go to the end of the earth to stay with her husband, still utterly in love, even after more than thirty years of marriage. 

The woman’s house was in the middle of the residential area. She had seen Devon when picking up some four and items at the market in the morning, and invited him and his companions for tea. By the time he arrived with his new friends, she had delicious tea being steeped, and she had made some pastries as well. “Afternoon!” She said happily, greeting the group. “Come in!” She said, holding the door open. 

“Thank you so much for inviting us over,” Kieran greeted her with a hug. “It is great to see you. This is Ana, and Rhys. There are both new to Yarlow.” He said. He didn’t mention that Ana was from the other world entirely. It wasn’t necessary to share everyone’s life story. The woman gestured for them to sit in her living room, where there was a small fireplace, and a few couches to provide a bit of seating. “I will be just a few moments.” She excused herself to get the tray with cups for tea, making sure to get five cups so that everyone could get some.