<div style="background-color:#FCFAFA; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#6594A8; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#D1E85D; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#630908; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="font-family: papyrus;"></span></div></div></div></div><br/><div style="background-color:#FCFAFA; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#6594A8; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#D1E85D; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#630908; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="font-family: papyrus;"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><br/>Once Susannah had begun walking, Xpiayoc slowed and turned to walk beside her, Hun Hunahpu trotting between the strange pair. Xpiayoc waited for the traveler to answer all her questions, breathless from speaking so rapidly. She tended to talk faster when she was excited, sometimes walking the line between coherent speech and gibberish. Her parents had always berated her for it, stating that it was a form of impatience, which Xpiayoc couldn't help but know to be true. Speaking took far too long to do. The faster she could get all of her ideas out, the faster people could respond to them, and get things done. <br/><br/>So the people from <span style="font-style: italic">Ireland</span> also used mortar and brick to help build their houses. Xpiayoc had watched and helped build both mud brick and stone block houses, and she herself lived in the latter, being from one of the influential families. The materials themselves were unremarkable, but what was beautiful was the carvings and stories written on the outside of many buildings. Even he thatched huts of the average citizens were decorated in a beautiful manner. And of course, there were the roof combs. Xpiayoc would never say it aloud in the city, but she had always thought they looked a bit silly. <br/><br/>Tilting her head in surprise as Susannah mentioned that she only had <span style="font-style: italic">one</span> god, Xpiayoc thought to her own religion. She prayed and went to ceremonies like any other self-respected member of her city. How she loved the clothing and the bright colours and the dancing and chanting. As an Ajaw, she had to know how to lead her people through such ceremonies, and help them with their godly troubles, but it still seemed all too confusing. If a member of the community approached her with a problem, she usually suggested sending prayers to Ahau Chamahez and Ah Puch, if it was to do with health, and Itzamna if it was for understanding or good crops, as well as a bird or deer sacrifice. Xpiayoc never recommended a dog sacrifice, being too attached to her own companion. She was also afraid of the idea of the sacrificial bloodletting that commonly happened during the burning of idols. Why would the gods want to cause her pain? She was a highly-respected woman in the city, but thankfully not high enough status to be considered worthy of a bloodletting sacrifice.<br/><br/>Of all the gods, Xpiayoc most appreciated Alaghom Naum. She couldn't imagine a world without human thought and intelligence. Perhaps Naum was much the 'Saint Patrick' that Susannah referred to being close to. <br/><br/>A tangle of particularly close bushes and trees cause Xpiayoc to drop focus from listening for a moment as she focused on placing her sandaled feet through the woods without tripping or disturbing the wildlife. Her people had always respected nature, and it was a part of Xpiayoc's culture that she felt strongly rooted in. Hun Hunahpu charged through the bushes, snapping at branches playfully as he pushed through. Xpiayoc snorted in a mixture of annoyance and amusement. Now that the thick brush had passed their way was clear. Besides the space that they needed for the city and sacbeob, they left the forest as it was: beautiful, wild, and holders of the sky.<br/><br/>Hot and warm were the two things Xpiayoc knew well. Sometimes between the wet and dry season, it would become cool, and Xpiayoc had to stretch her imagination to imagine weather even cooler than that.<br/><br/>Hair the colour of gold? Xpiayoc's ears perked up at that statement. Hair the colour of corn would surely be beautiful, just as Susannah's copper was. Xpiayoc strove to carry beauty, as any of her people would. As she had been hunting, she wasn't adorned with the regular bangles, jewels, and tassels, which made her feel somewhat out of place presented to a foreigner. At least her hair was up, held by decorative feathered bands. Even when hunting, she had to allow herself a small vanity. <br/><br/>Thinking on her own appearance made Xpiayoc turn to glance at Susannah once again as she finished answering Xpiayoc's last hasty question, tutting internally at how plainly she was dressed. Her beautiful hair was left down, and her clothes matched the rocks around her. Susannah must not have had as much access to beautiful things in her home as Xpiayoc did.<br/><br/>Xpiayoc didn't worry whether she was bothering Susannah with her questions. "Why are you dressed so boringly?" she asked bluntly, looking over to Susannah while picking dirt from under her nails, "and can you fly?" The last question was very child-like, but incredibly logical to Xpiayoc. Only birds landed in the trees, after all.<br/><br/>Anything was possible.</span></span></div></div></div></div><br/><div style="background-color:#FCFAFA; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#6594A8; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#D1E85D; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#630908; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="font-family: papyrus;">Notes: Ahau Chamahez is one of the gods of health and medicine / Ah Puch is the god of death / Itzamna is the god of writing and taught man about crops / Alaghom Naum is the goddess who gave mankind thought, intelligence, and consciousness / a sacbe is a Mayan road, the name literally meaning "white way". Connects places within a city and occasionally cities to each other</span></div></div></div></div>