Gwenn didn't like the Terranan building. The light was harsh and there was no character in the material that made up the building -- either inside or out. However, he had to admit that the sameness of the halls would make it difficult for an enemy force to find its way around.
Finally, Kay stopped and pushed open a door onto something that was indeed very different indeed. The lighting was tinged with a soft orange -- not quite as red as that of a Darkovan sunrise, but much kinder on the eyes than the harsh indoor white lights that often filled Terranan workplaces.
Once they reached Kay's room, Gwenn felt much more at home. The orange light was much more natural and the air smelled like a home should smell --- spicy-sweet and woodsy (the same as Kay's own personal scent). It was a bit small -- even a poor herdsman's hut was larger -- but it was close enough to a hut to make him homesick.
A faint waft of some sort of spicy-sweet-wood incense drifted out to their noses, along with the faint sounds of some sort of string instrument. Looking inside, a riot of colours met Gwenn's eyes. A brightly- coloured blanket covered the single bed in blue-and-green knit waves. Potted plants stood crowded tightly together on top of a long dresser that ran along one wall, and on many small shelves on the walls. Two very plain chairs sat pushed in pushed in beneath a small Terran-style desk, whose top had obviously been set for dinner. But was the food perhaps hidden beneath the odd-looking silver domes that rose up behind the plates (and in front of some sort of shiny black screen) ?
"Here we are. I hope you like it", said Kay, gesturing that he should come in out of the doorway (so she could shut the door already). Idly, she wondered how long it would take for anyone to notice that she'd borrowed two table settings, a couple of insulated serving dishes (complete with covers) and an extra chair from the cafeteria.
After pulling out both chairs, Kay reached to uncover the serving dishes, pleased to see that the food was still hot. One of them revealed a deliciously-scented cloud of steam that rose from some kind of meat-and-vegetable stew. The other held a large loaf of crusty bread, some chunks of cheese waiting to be sliced, and two small fruit pies.
For lack of anywhere else to put them, Kay set the serving-dish covers upside-down on her bed (though one was still misted with steam on the inside, they were still clean -- and it was better than putting them on the floor).
Gwenn entered the room and sat in one of the two chairs. The odors coming from the food made his stomach rumble. "Everything looks very nice," Gwenn said, "'Tis a cozy home". Kay smiled, glad that he liked it.
"I have thought at great length ... upon the matter on which we spoke the other night", she said hesistantly, unsure of where to begin. Making a quick decision to buy herself a small amount of time in which to grow (hopefully) calmer, Kay then added "But let us first eat while the food is still warm. I'm thankful that you decided to join me; I've missed your presence"
"And I yours," Gwenn said, choosing to respond to Kay's last statement first. "You are much better company than guardsmen! By all means let us eat. Business should never be discussed on an empty stomach." Kay giggled at the oddly-phrased compliment. "And I can't think of any more pleasant dining companion", she replied happily.
Gwenn tried to think of some subject to discuss other than the offer of kinship, but his stomach kept interferring with his cognitive process (in other words, he's too hungry to think!). The best he could come up with was, "The food smells delicious."
"Do help yourself. For a casual Terran dinner, each person fills their own plate", Kay invited, handing him the serving spoon for the stew. Gwenn took the spoon Kay offered and served himself a bowlful. "It is the same between friends and family at home, except for formal occassions," he told her, handing over the spoon and taking a serving of bread and cheese.
"I'm glad that you like my quarters", she said, taking a piece of bread and some cheese on her own plate before continuing. Her eyes travelled around the small room's cozy clutter. While waiting for Gwenn to finish with the serving spoon, she commented, "I've put many hours of work into making it look like somewhere I could call home".
A wave of a hand indicated the masses of greenery that overflowed shelves attached to nearly all the available wall space. "I brought seeds for all those plants from Terra", Kay told him proudly, "They were adapted for me by a friend I knew at university. That's why there's such odd-coloured light in here -- it's part Terran and part Darkovan, just like me."
"I don't find the light very odd -- not like the light in the halls," Gwenn replied, looking at the plants. "An' some o'the plants look similar to the few we grow on MonFiern."
His companion's eyes brightened with delight. Having seen a map, she thought she recalled Mon Fiern being somewhere quite far up in the northern mountains. "These grow so far north ?", she exclaimed in surprise. Plants and plant-lore were her favourite subjects. "Do ye know of the tending and lore of plants yourself then ? My grand-da Malcolm taught me of how to use them for seasoning and preserving food, as well as for medicinal purposes"
Gwenn shook his head, "Aye, like enough, but it is difficult to grow them--they mostly grow in homes that can spare the room and have very light rooms. No, I dinna ken about growing those types; we grew moss."
She paused to point to the dresser. "I brought my best herbal books with me from Terra", she told him. A smile of remembered-happiness bloomed before Gwenn's eyes, as she added "one has been mine since childhood, and the others he left to me when he passed into the arms of the Goddess. He taught me much of what he knew. It is good to know that such ways are followed here as well".
A related thought suddenly wandered across her mind, and she giggled, recalling what she'd had to sacrifice for them. "Those books are why I was dressed so oddly when you first saw me", she explained, "At the time, I was wearing almost every item of clothing that had arrived with me". Noting her friend's look of puzzlement at this, she added "I was only allowed one shipping container for personal possessions. After packing the books and some pictures of my family, there was little space left for aught else. But I've no regrets". "Ah," Gwenn replied, "Books are very valuable."
"And I knitted the blanket myself", she continued, pleased to be able to show off all her room-improvements, "from wool I bought in the marketplace on the first day that I dared to go out into the city".
Gwenn took a moment to admire the blanket. "You are very skilled," he commented, "You will make some lucky man a wonderful wife". He took a spoonful of stew and chased it with a bite of bread.
Kay mirrored his mischievous grin with one of her own. Giving an indignant snort of laughter, she tossed her head proudly, causing her braid to fly over one shoulder and smack into Gwenn's arm.
"ME ? A wife ? Not any time soon", she replied, with a snort of disgust, and flicked a few bread crumbs at him.
Kay laughed teasingly. "I've no wish to be owned by any man and turned into a broodmare, nor will I warm anyone's bed", she retorted. A small piece of bread left her hand and gently bounced off the front of Gwenn's tunic before landing on the bare table.
"We'll teach ya better, lass!" Gwenn said, grinning and tossing a piece of bread back at her.
"We'll see who teaches what to who, my fine young friend", came Kay's amused answer, "I'm nae ruled by my loins and there's pleasure aplenty in other things. 'Tis by my own choice that I've always slept alone".
A thoughtful look crept across her face as she added "That's one of the many things I like about you -- the fact that you've never looked at me with loveless-lust in your eyes, as if I were a thing instead of a person. Those that do, may look all they please, but my da taught me how to convince them to look elsewhere if they wish to REMAIN men". She laughed gleefully at the expression that this comment provoked in Gwenn.
"I've as much need of a lover or husband as a horse has for a spider-silk ball-gown". The image of a dresed-up beastie was too much for her. Peals of laughter fill the room and echo off the walls, cutting off anything further that Kay would have said.
Gwenn joined Kay in laughter and kept giggling at odd moments throughout the rest of the meal.
But all too soon, even their dessert had been finshed, and it was time to talk of more serious things.