Kire  held back a quip about him pointing out the obvious, though when he pointed to the written sign, she had to squint. The writing looked familiar, but too foreign for her to understand. She was thankful he at least read it out loud. “Heart festival? Wait, Ziad never had festivals? Huh.” Kire glanced at him, wondering what he thought of all this. “It’s a celebration, so, yes, lots of food. I’m used to festivals either celebrating a seasonal harvest of some sort, being thankful for a plentiful period. Or, an occasion important to the rulers of the land, or an offering to their patron god. Lots of wine, lots of dancing, parades, sometimes even travelling performers. It’s quite fun.” 

While Ruli was asking for directions, Kire was concentrating on trying to ignore all the smells of grilled seafood, sweet wine, and strong coffee. The petulant part of her wanted to leave Ruli alone so she could explore, but she firmly, if not a little sadly, reminded herself that she had volunteered herself for the task. She walked alongside him, letting him lead the way, until they rounded the corner and he changed into a totally different person. Kire looked out at the ocean, smiling, then glanced sidelong at her companion. She was quiet, unaware of the smile still tugging at the corners of her mouth, before she looked away and out at the water. 

“It’s impressive, isn’t it?” she finally said, crossing her arms. “I mean, you might get sick of all that expanse when you’re stuck on a ship for days, but otherwise, it’s quite a thing to behold, hm?” She let him soak in the sight, deciding to not interrupt until he was ready to move on with their task; she could definitely understand his awe. And though she’d been to the sea many times over the past half year, she was still rather fond of the seaside.