The blindfold was back on her face. Ava had Jay lead her by the hand until they reached the outside of the ward. The moment she felt the fresh air a wave of relief washed through her system. She felt for Vae's head somewhere around her neck and gave it a scratch.
"Are they still there, Vae? Be my eyes."
Nothing came from Vae except the silent adjustments around her shoulders. Ava sighed and kept her focus on Jay's hand and footsteps. The ground beneath her transitioned from smooth stone paving to rough dirt and pebbles. Her steps became shaky and measured. She often had to take three small steps to match Jay's single step.
"One foot in front of the other. Just one foot in front–!"
Ava nearly tripped over a rock. She used Jay to stabilize herself, clawing herself up his arm to stand.
"Thank you Jay. I will probably need help when we eat due to…"
Ava gestured to the blindfold in exasperation. The sounds of chuckling from Jay and Nathaniel could be heard. She whipped her head in the direction of Nathaniel, who quickly stifled his laugh.
"Ava, I think it's better if you walked without the blindfold. We don't want the residents of Cavargi to think you're judging them. They're just being natural."
"A little too natural," Ava sighed and poked an eye from the blindfold. She scanned her surroundings before retreating back under it. "And I'm not judging! I'm just…not wanting to partake."
"How do you plan to enjoy Cavargi culture if you can't see?" asked Jay, "You're missing the sights! The old church. Oh! The schoolhouse. The market is so vibrant and full of color!"
"I have my remaining senses. I should be able to enjoy it quite a bit."
"I doubt they'll let you lick everything in the market, Ava, but I suppose it's worth a shot," snickered Jay.
"That's not what I meant! Just…bear with me. Believe it or not, I never met many Therians in my travels on the airship. We had one for a month–an eccentric type. And despite his eccentricity, he never once requested to walk around my ship in the–"
Ava nearly tripped again. This time a small cry from Jay could be heard as her nails sank into his forearm.
"Sorry, Jay! I'm sorry. This is just all so much. Chrissy and Travlack are down, everyone is naked, and then there's the entire Lanon ordeal–"
A hand cupped her mouth. A second later, she was free.
"I apologize, Ava, but we can't have that going around," said Nathaniel, "Fitzgerald made it clear where we currently stand."
"Right, right, sorry. That. All of that. But how am I to simply act like nothing is wrong?"
No response from Jay or Nathaniel. She heard both of them shift in their stances.
"What? What are you looking at? Is Fitz near? Has Travlack or Chrissy awoken?"
No response. Jay led her a couple of steps forward and ushered her on to a nearby bench. The residents of Cavargi murmured as they all settled into the space around Ava.
From under her blindfold she saw a mass of shadows standing around her. With a careful finger she slightly lifted the blindfold, only to be greeted by the backsides of the entire village. In the blink of an eye she was back behind the blindfold.
Her face knit in confusion. If they were not staring at her, who were they staring at?
A tune from the guitar answered her question. A repeating, flowing melody took over the square. Her shoulders fell from their heightened position as the song continued.
Measured notes. Purposeful patterns. The clarity of the notes were never muddied by the rapidness at which it was played. An image came into Ava's mind. The melody reminded her of how water would slap against the stones of a river. Yet, in that same measure the water could flow beside the obstructions of the river.
Then the melody changed.
"I…I've heard this before, Jay."
Ava did not need eyes to know Jay was beaming ear to ear.
"Is that…"
A familiar voice sang slowly.
"Rupture-borne king,
Herald divine,
Blessed is He,
First of His Kind"
"...Cree."
Ava had spoken her name before realizing it. She removed the blindfold, only to see the backs of many others spectating her. Ava stood on top of the bench and poked her head over.
There was Cree in her natural form. Capridae fur, horns, and speckling in its entirety. The crowd matched her sway as she continued singing. Despite the speed of her fingers, Cree's eyes remained shut. Her trance continued into the second verse of her song.
"Form above form
Fin, fur and wing
Shape beyond shape
Of all living things"
Ava's body moved in unison with everyone else. She felt the strum of the guitar through her chest as Cree's melody intensified between the verses.
"Shepherd, teacher
Guardian mine
Blessed is He,
First of His Kind"
Her melody faded with controlled elegance. On her last note, Cree smiled at the crowd and noticed Ava standing in the back, her hands clasped in admiration. The crowd applauded sparsely as Cree took a modest bow.
"Come by when the festival begins to hear the rest!"
Ava's smile could not be contained as Cree gently maneuvered through the crowd. She slung the guitar on her back and hugged Jay, then moved on to hug Ava.
"Jay, Ava! I'm glad you made it for the festival!"
Cree craned her head toward Nathaniel and flattened her expression.
"Mister Fun-At-Parties. I assume coming here wasn't your idea."
Ava did her best not to laugh. Despite this, a chuckle managed to escape from her lips. Jay, on the other hand, let a belly laugh resonate from his chest. Nathaniel took off his glasses and responded in monotone.
"You assume correct, Cree," he sighed, "But plans change. Here we are now."
"Speaking of…," Cree scanned her surroundings with a furrowed brow, "I thought there were two more?"
"What are the odds both times we run into you that Chrissy and Travlack are gone?" Jay shook his head and smiled, "They're resting in the ward. I hope they're up before the festival."
Ava and Cree were still holding each other in an embrace. It was now Ava's turn to scan the crowd.
"Speaking of two more, Cree, where are Alex and Hoga?"
She and Cree were now slowly dancing in a circle, teetering and tottering around each other.
"They left yesterday. Hoga said something about a weird feeling he had and Alex went with him. He said he would be back for the festival at the latest."
Ava shot a glance at Jay and Nathaniel while keeping her tempo with Cree.
"He didn't happen to expand on what he felt, did he?" asked Nathaniel, "Anything of a certain nature or…"
"He said one thing."
Cree scrunched her face.
"The birds are flying wrong or…the wind beneath the wings is acting strange."
Ava said nothing.
Nathaniel echoed her sentiment.
Jay broke the silence with a clap of his hands.
"Oh, but that could mean anything! Maybe a storm is coming in–"
Nathaniel coughed and looked away, beating his chest as he hacked up his breath.
"Shut–up–!"
Cree peered over at Nathaniel.
Then at Jay.
Finally to Ava.
Ava's eyes pleaded with sincerity. She flashed a smile that Cree reciprocated and affirmed their embrace once more before letting go.
"I have to help get ready for the festival. If you wanted to join me it would be cool."
"Oh! Thank you, Cree, I would love–"
Taking her eyes off of Cree reminded her of the reality in front of her. She clamped her hands over her eyes and immediately went for the blindfold. In no time at all, it was secured against her face as if it never left. With a proud smile on her face, Ava stuck out a hand in Cree's direction.
"Ready! Lead the way, Cree!"
…
Nothing met Ava's palm. She grasped at the air in front of her to no avail. As she peeled the lower edge of the blindfold, she saw Cree was standing in the same spot.
"Cree…? Lead the way?"
"You're going to need your eyes for this, Miss Ava," said Cree. She dropped to a squat in order to meet Ava's eyes from underneath the blindfold. "Especially if this is your first one. And I'm guessing it is?"
"What gave it away?" chuckled Jay.
Ava settled her hands around Vae as one would hold a towel around their neck. She swayed side to side, her mouth scrunched in protest. After a performative breath she spoke.
"...can we start small? This area is…too much."
A wooly warmth met Ava's palm. The same sensation gently covered her knuckles and curled her fingers. With her free hand, Ava once more freed a space to peer from under her blindfold. Cree's hands had taken a hold of hers, and Ava could not help but smile.
"I was the same way when I first came here," said Cree.
"I think you just need to see what a day in Cavargi can do for you, Ava," beamed Jay, "Just take it as it comes. But first? Food."
Cree led them to a rooftop she was particularly fond of. It was there Ava moved the blindfold to a headband. After a minute, Cree brought back an assortment of freshly grown fruit and vegetables from the stallworkers below. Vibrant pieces, they were, carrying interesting textures and tastes. Ava found herself gravitating toward the crackle plums, delighting in the pleasant kiss of their jolt. Every so often she would find herself looking down at Cavargi only to pull away seconds later.
Nathaniel excused himself after breakfast. He insisted that he would find them later, but needed updates on Travlack and Chrissy. Now with Cree and Jay escorting her, they moved on to the next part of town.
Next they visited the craftsmen and women of Cavargi. Each working on a project of their own for the festival. Ava fought the urge to pull the blindfold down, opting instead to focus on the designs and patterns of the fabrics.
"But why do you need clothes if you walk around like…that?" she asked.
Cree picked up a pair of pants that had adorned holes in the back, and odd lengths around the legs.
"What tailor do you know that can make pants like these? Feel the inside of them."
Ava slowly inserted her hand into one of the pantlegs. Her fingers slid along the waxed liner that ran throughout the fabric.
"It's bamboo," said the seamstress, moving another load of fabric into her stall. She had the most lustrous fur in the afternoon sun. "The design is my own. Durable, and allows for our brand of movement without a hitch."
By reflex, Ava had already pulled the blindfold partially down before realizing the woman had clothes on. Unique garments, in fact, with stitching she did not recognize from the finest clothes Ava owned.
She flipped a section of the clothing inside out. Small patterns of bamboo lining sequenced in perfect order ran up and down the material. Ava marveled at the handiwork, so much that out of the corner of her eye she saw the ears of the seamstress perk up in pride.
"How much for a design like this on the outside?" asked Ava, "Could you make it into shorts as well?"
The seamstress raised her head and smiled, sensing a sale.
"Interesting as that is I have a list of orders for the festival, so–"
Ava grabbed a seal from her bag and presented it to the seamstress. Her slackjawed expression paired with the dilation of her pupils made for quite a sight. Cree and Jay snickered
"–so I'm going to make sure your order gets filled first! That way I can focus on the festival afterward!"
"I'll see that you're properly compensated when I get back to Strohl," she said, palming the note into the seamstress' hands, "Maybe a couple of shirts and skirts as well?"
The seamstress grabbed a colorful sash from the wall. Pearls and beads were tied on all sides, dangling and clanging together in a flash of pale reflection. Ava held it out in front of her.
"Before you tie that on, visit my friend–Angelo–down the way. Just tell him that Mirani sent you, he'll take care of you!"
Mirani bundled up all the raw materials she could carry and retreated into the back of her workshop. Ava held the sash in her hand and felt its weight. Cree and Jay came up from behind her and inspected the cloth as well.
Ava turned to hold it in the light of the sun. She appreciated its luster for but a second before she pulled the blindfold down in front of her eyes again. A crowd was passing through, their jubilance of the upcoming celebration on full display.
The feeling that she was forgetting something had started to permeate in the back of her head. Despite the time she was having in Cavargi with Cree and Jay, a sinking feeling began to–
VRMM!
The street vendors ducked underneath their banners. Ava hid behind Jay and hunkered behind him. Cree had drawn her guitar as a weapon, her gaze locked on the figure who stood perched on a nearby balcony.
Ava looked up.
"I'm terribly sorry! So sorry!" A frantic voice sputtered, "I was in a rush, is anyone hurt? I'm so sorry!"
The feathered figure of green and yellow came down onto the street and lifted a vendor from the ground. He went around doing this to anyone else he had startled. When it came to Ava, she took his hand and stabilized herself on Jay's arm.
"Oh, an outsider! I'm terribly sorry I startled you!"
"It's…it's alright. Sorry, you just reminded me of…someone else."
"Oh a cousin? Next time you see 'em, tell him his kin says hello. Like I said, I'm in a rush, but enjoy the festival. Sorry again!"
Another deep hum and they were off. Their feathers slowly spiraled to the ground in front of Ava. She plucked one from her hair and flicked it to join its peers on the ground with a long sigh.
"Miss Ava? Is everything okay?"
"Erm–yes, Cree. Quite. The flying and such…yes."
"They're supposed to fly higher than the tallest building but no one follows that rule." Fliers are always like that," sighed Cree, holstering her melodic mace,
"To be fair, if I could fly that fast, no one could tell me anything," chuckled Jay, "I would be like–"
Jay held his arms out to either side and mimicked the sound. He ran up and down the street veering and maneuvering between groups of people. Ava used the time to steady her breathing and fix her hair. A light chuckle came from her as Jay steered back in front of her and Cree.
Ava picked up the bangle of beads from the ground and rubbed her thumbs into the fabric. A soft smile appeared as she looked up at the skies of Cavargi. Her breathing had steadied, the false alarm had shocked her system thoroughly enough.
"Where to next?" asked Cree.
"She said to find Angelo before I put this on. That's where we'll go next."
Angelo gave Ava's hair the love it had been lacking since the beginning of the survey. His scaly hands scratched the itches on Ava's scalp in all the right ways. When she asked what he had used to make her hair so vibrant, Angelo's sole reply was this:
"I make it myself."
She decided she would ask nothing further.
Angelo recommended someone else for the next part of her preparation for the festival. Who then would recommend someone else, all the way requiring that she say the previous one sent her there. The blindfold started to lose relevance with each passing encounter.
Each leg of her journey through Cavargi taught her something about the who, what, why and how of Therians. With each testimony she found herself fighting to see more and more.
Five minutes passed.
Then twenty.
An hour.
Then two.
From the special combs they use to the unique hygiene practices of others. From those who opted to fly above the city to those who preferred to dash on all fours. From accessory, to style, to practice, to belief, all things in time were revealed to her.
From washer to jeweler.
From stylist to tailor.
From perfumer to historian.
By the end of the day, Ava realized she lost the blindfold somewhere along the way. The only wrap that remained around Ava's face were the dangling pearls from her headwrap. Her freshly braided hair swung in the air as she paced through the streets of Cavargi with Cree and Jay.
They approached the innkeeper, who of course had been informed to be sent by a previous person, at the end of their spree. He led them up to a room with sheets of exquisite design and woodwork of unknown craft. A pile of robes on one bed and a bowl of crackleplums on the other made Ava squeal in delight. She insisted that Cree spend the night with her, an invite which Cree accepted. Jay retired to the streets of Cavargi, insisting that he would meet them here in the morning.
When Ava awoke, she tied on the pearl laced bandana and twirled out of bed. Her new robe caught the wind of the morning on the balcony. Cavargi was already awake, with even more people tying banners and ribbons everywhere for the festival. The design of which matched the design on her headband, on a passerby's sash, on another's skirt. A symbol, in fact, plastered everywhere in the square.
Ava turned around to walk back into the room. It was there she saw Cree stretching with incredible precision. With no trouble she raised her leg to her head in a controlled motion. Ava quietly stepped through the balcony doors in observation.
"Who taught you to dance, Cree?"
Cree balanced on one foot and froze.
"When I still lived in the city I did ballet. Cavargi is still somewhat of a recent thing. My parents still live in the city."
"Oh, I'm sorry–"
"No, no, no, they don't hate me!" Cree chuckled, "I just didn't feel like I belonged there, despite trying to. The ballet thing–I liked it–but got made fun of. So I picked up the guitar and stayed inside. When you met me by the creek we were actually on our way back from visiting them. It just hits different when you wake up and everyone looks like you, you know?"
"I actually don't. I spent most if not all my time on an airship with a crew of Nadir. I can't even remember the last time I saw my parents."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Ava sat on a balcony chair and relaxed, "I inherited it when I was ten. As for my parents–business trip they said–never saw them since. The captain and head chef, who are married by the way, raised me."
Cree nodded in silence. She looked almost reverent.
"No need for all of that!" chuckled Ava, "Turned out fine for the most part, just like you. And also just like you," Ava stood and balanced on one foot, then transitioned to the balls of her feet, "I have a perfect sense of balance. Skylegs do wonders for your walking posture."
Cree joined in the laughter of the morning as they started getting ready for the day. True to his word, Jay arrived shortly after, this time accompanied by Chrissy and Nathaniel. Chrissy assured Ava that she was healing nicely in between Neville's fits of entrapment. She had doubled the harness over in order to keep him from wreaking havoc on the fruit stalls of Cavargi.
Jay now wore shorts adorned with the same pattern as Ava's headband. Chrissy and Nathaniel were still wearing their regular get up.
"Are you not getting festival clothes?" Ava asked.
Nathaniel shook his head. Chrissy shrugged.
"It wasn't on the forefront of my mind," said Nathaniel.
Chrissy lifted her shirt to reveal her new bandages.
"Not exactly the first thing I'm worried about either," she said, subtly shifting her weight to match Neville's attempts at freedom, "I'm not opposed but I seem to be short on funds."
Ava looked at Cree with a grin on her face. Cree reciprocated the grin and turned to Jay. Without a word, Jay beamed ear to ear and looked at Chrissy and Nathaniel. Ava clasped her hands dramatically and spoke in a drawn out voice.
"Jay, Cree, whatever shall we do. Nathaniel and Chrissy haven't the funds to enjoy the festival. If only there were someone…maybe, an heir to an airship liner to spot them."
Ava dangled her seal over her face, faking a woeful expression. Chrissy's face lit up where Nathaniel's flattened into calm acceptance. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Jay, could you please take them everywhere we went yesterday? I would like to spend the day with Cree preparing for the festival."
"I'd rather not, if that's alright. I was going to see if I could speak to Fitz and Doctor E about–"
Jay had already grabbed him by the shirt. Cree and Ava giggled as Chrissy strode along with Jay with Nathaniel in tow.
"Hey–HEY! Is this necessary! We have time for this later, I just need to–AVA! Tell him to let go!"
"Trust me, Nathaniel! Trust me as I've trusted every call you've made!"
He went to respond, but stopped halfway through opening his mouth. A soft smile emerged as he shook his head. That was the last sight of him before the citizens of Cavargi engulfed her vision.
"Maybe he can be fun at parties."
Ava turned to Cree and laughed. So hard, in fact, she snorted. With one hand she waved off Cree's joke and the other she covered her mouth. The pair walked off in the opposite direction from Jay and the others. Ava saw nothing of the nudeness of Cavargi now.
Only the sights, smells, and sounds of the village preparing for a festival.