6, A place of my own

“Your first mission will take you up to the north part of Salmisara. All the way up in the mountains, to be specific. I’m sure that you know the villages up there mostly live of livestock and the products these produce,” aari Megath told Ayya.

“Yes, the grass in the high altitude of the mountains is said to produce the highest quality milk. The villages mostly keep sheep and goats but also horses,” Ayya nodded.

“That’s correct. One of the villages close to the border has sent words they are suffering from attacks by wolves. The number of wolves has drastically increased in the last six months. The wolves are also more desperate and will go after the livestock even if there are humans standing guard. They are even attacking humans,” Megath told her.

“That sounds bad,” Ayya said.

“Yes, they have asked for our help. They need help to understand why this is happening if possible and they need help with dealing with the wolves,” he explained.

“You and Procecsa are the aari with most knowledge in changed migration patterns. Therefor you seemed to be an obvious choice. Sesca will be available to help you prepare. But you will go on the mission as the only aari,” he then said.

“Wolves rarely migrate, they stick to their established territory. Unless it’s a lone wolf, but this sounds like a pack,” Ayya told him.

“Yes. But something has made them change territory. You will have six riders with you. It’s an unusually large group, but since we will help them protect their herds, it is warranted. The village is far away from any possibility of reinforcements. The group will be led by rider Sinhera. I’m told you know her?” Megath asked.

“Yes, we have been friends for years,” Ayya nodded.

“Good. It’s always nice to have a friend with you on a mission. Especially your first one. You are leaving in nine days. The time until then I would suggest you study up on wolves, how to protect against them and just general facts about them. If you need anything specific, send me a note and you will have it,” he told her.

“Thank you. I see long hours in the library ahead of me,” Ayya smiled. She was excited to get on with her research.

“Let me show you to your office and your apartment and you can get started,” Megath told her.

“Thank you,” Ayya said, and stood up as he did.

Aari Megath led Ayya to the corridor where Procecsa was situated and opened a door on the other end of it from where Ayya’s former mentor had her office.

“This space was available, and you and Sesca have done so many interesting things together. We figured it would benefit everyone if we kept you close to each other,” he smiled as he showed Ayya inside.

“Thank you, I couldn’t be happier about that,” Ayya said as she saw her office for the first time.

The space wasn’t as large as Procecsa’s, but since Ayya didn’t plan to perform any studies that needed space, she was more than happy.

There were book cases along a wall. Infront of the window that showed the north part of the river, there was a desk and two extra chairs. On the floor was a rug that looked soft but had seen better days. The wall opposite of the bookshelves held a small fireplace.

“If you need anything, just let me know. You are free to rearrange the furniture, bring in more or have things taken away. It’s your space to work in, you should make it comfortable,” he told her.

“Thank you, I will think about it,” Ayya smiled.

“This is the key to the door. I have a spare key if you lose this one,” he said.

Mary took the key and nodded. She took a last look around and then followed Megath out of her office. They walked down to the main entrance and then up almost to the top of the sanctum and to the right.

“This is your apartment. It’s not huge, but I hope it will suit you. You are free to use it as often or as seldom as you please. Some aari live full-time in the sanctum, other only use their apartment if they are working late. If you are planning to start a family, let me know and I will arrange for a larger apartment,” he said as he led her inside the apartment.

They walked into a room that looked to be a combination of living room and kitchen. There was a cooking hearth, a table with four chairs and some armchairs. There were two doors on the left wall and two windows on the wall opposite of the entrance.

The two windows showed how high up they were and had a view over the river field. Ayya almost expected to see her house from there.

One door led into a bathroom, similar to the one she had at home with a self-heating bathtub. The other led into a small bedroom. The bed was large enough for two people if you made an effort. There was a dresser and a wardrobe and a window that showed the same thing as the windows in the living room.

“This will be perfect for me, thank you,” Ayya smiled at Megath.

“I’m happy to hear that. I’m going to let you get on with your day. If you have questions, let me know. This is the keys to your apartment. I don’t have a spare to those. The two you have are the only ones. This is the letter from the village chief, the list of who will accompany you and other useful information,” he said, handing her two keys and some papers wrapped with string and sealed by a vax seal.

“Thank you,” Ayya said, and followed him to the door.

When he left and she closed the door, she couldn’t help but to giggle. She was in her apartment, her very own apartment where only she lived. She walked inside and put everything down on the kitchen table and inspected around.

The basic things were there, but she needed to add more personality to the place. She looked around and decided she needed to go to the marketplace to get fabric to sew drapes. She definitely needed some plants. Her mother could donate some cuttings from the plants she had.

Then she needed some of her own things. Kopa had told Ayya he would be over later that day with her chest that she had packed yesterday. There she had her woollen blanket from the Che’hul and her storage boxes, writing supplies and her favourite books.

Ayya didn’t know if she would use her own apartment every day. She thought she might use it when she had a lot to do at work. But she liked to go back home to her parents regularly, and she would probably spend some of her time traveling as well.

Even though Ayya wanted to prepare for her mission, she decided she would take the day to write lists of what she needed for her apartment and her office. She would meet Hinat and Firlea for supper in the dining hall. They had also gotten their apartments today and they would meet up and eat. Then they would go on a tour of their new apartments.

Ayya went down to the dining hall to eat a quick lunch and then she walked up to her office to have another look at it. She would need some plants here as well, and maybe an armchair, and she could fit a table in the room without it being cramped. She would like to have a map over Salmisara on the wall as well.

She hadn’t been back in her apartment for long when there was a knock on the door. She opened it and outside stood her parents.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” Ayya smiled as she let them inside and hugged her mother.

“I couldn’t let your father come alone. I had to have a look at your apartment,” her mother said.

“This is nice,” she said as she had looked around.

“It is. I’m thrilled about it,” Ayya nodded.

“Are you going to be okay staying here tonight?” her father asked.

“Sure, why wouldn’t I?” Ayya asked.

“I don’t know. It’s been a while since you were on your own,” he said.

“I’ll be fine, dad. But thank you for worrying about me,” she smiled and gave him a hug.

“I brought some food. I have some bread, cheese, some vegetables, salted pork, some tea and preserves. I also have some fresh strawberries from the garden,” her mother told her and started piling things on the workbench next to the cooking hearth.

“Thank you, mom. I’m only in town for nine more days. I’ll go shopping when I come back. I also need to look for some fabric to make some curtains for both my apartment and my office. But that will also have to wait,” Ayya said.

“If you want to, you can buy the fabric and drop it off with me. I will have them done by the time you get back,” her mother smiled.,

“That is so sweet, but you have so much to do. I couldn’t ask that,” Ayya objected. Her mother gave her a stern look, and her father just shrugged.

“Okay, I’ll bring it by this week,” Ayya said, giving her mother a hug.

“That’s a good girl. I’ll make sure I’ll have some food that you can take with you when you come,” her mother smiled.

“Thank you, mom”

“It’s my pleasure. Now tell me what you have planned for this place.”

Ayya and her parent sat down. Ayya made tea for the first time in her apartment, and they talked about her plans and about her mission.

“Wolves are dangerous creatures,” her father said.

“I will be careful, and I think the riders will have more contact with the wolves than I will,” Ayya told him.

“We won’t get a repeat of the boar incident?” he asked.

“I promise to stay where it’s safe if I can,” Ayya nodded.

“You have to let that one go some time, love” Ayya’s mother smiled and put her hand on Kopas arm. He grunted.

Ayya’s mother insisted that she would help to wash the dishes before they left. Soon Ayya was alone once again. But now she had her things that needed to be put in place.

Her father had promised to come by during the weekend with some shelves that they could put up in the bedroom for some books. She could keep most of her books at her parent’s house or in her office, but there were some she wanted close to her.

When it was time for dinner, Ayya hurried down in the dining hall and met up with Firlea and Hinat. The three friends ate and talked about what they would do in their new assignments.

Hinat would assist two of the aari that were teaching the trainees. Firlea was to report to the medical ward next Monday to start basic healing training. When they had eaten, they went up to Ayya’s apartment.

“You have a window in your bedroom? That’s amazing,” Hinat said.

“I like my apartment,” Ayya told them.

“I think you can make it really cosy,” Firlea smiled.

They then went on to Hinat’s apartment. It was the same size as Ayya’s. But Ayya’s apartment was placed along the outer wall. Hinat’s, on the other hand, just had the short side of the combined kitchen and living room against an outer wall. That meant she only had one large window.

Then they went to Firlea’s apartment. Again, it was of the same size as the other two. Hers were aligned with the inner wall and had windows in both the living room and bedroom, but they showed the inner harbour of the sanctum.

“Jontak will move in once we are married,” Firlea told them.

The two had set a date two months from now, and Ayya hoped she would be able to attend. It would be held on Firlea’s parent’s farm.

“I guess that makes sense,” Hinat nodded.

“It was that or I move into the barracks with him, in the room he shares with three others,” Firlea scrunched her nose.

“That was a simple decision,” Ayya laughed as she helped Firlea get out some tea. Hinat had brought dried fruits and Ayya the fresh strawberries.

“It was. We will live here for a while until we can save up for a house,” Firlea told them.

“That sounds so grown up. When did we become adults?” Hinat asked, and they all laughed.

They stayed up late, drinking tea, talking, and joking. Ayya had missed her friends. She was so used to having them around. It felt nice that they at least lived close to each other for now.

As she was laying in her bed, trying to sleep, she felt how strange things were. There were unfamiliar noises and smells than she was used to. But she curled up under her mother’s homemade blanket and it smelled like home. She tried to think of all she needed to do tomorrow and drifted off before she knew it.