<strong>Eshalu - in Aeryn's room</strong><br/><br/>Eshalu sensed Aeryn's thoughts continued to be troubled and that did not bode well. She felt helpless in being unable fully to understand the source of her companion's worry. A good lodge-sister would always have some counsel to provide and some comfort to give. At least, she hoped, she could fulfill that second requirement. So she remained quiet, listening carefully to all Aeryn had to say and adding little of her own. It was times like these that she realised that she still had much to learn of human society.<br/><br/>With night drawing close and the fall in temperature, Eshalu was grateful for the relative warmth and comfort of Aeryn's room. She ate a little meat and fruit and drank water mixed with a little wine. It had nothing of the sour, floral note of the various pungent, medicinal brews the druids made from berries, herbs and sap, and it was strong, even mixed, so that she could only drink a little without feeling light-headed, like when she took extract of black lotus or burned hemp sap in a sealed alcove in rituals celebrating a successful hunt.<br/><br/>She watched Aeryn move carefully, keen eyes trailing the human's movement, trying to seek and understand and delve deeper still.<br/><br/>She waited for Aeryn to finish her evening preparations and then set down her spear and blades on the rack, save for a curved knife, the blade shaped and veined like a leaf, which by force of habit she kept close to hand at the bedside. Then she stripped off her armour and climbed naked into bed, curling close to Aeryn for warmth and comfort. There was no point in invoking the Great Mother the way she always did every night - she knew that any attempt to commune with the spirits of the island ran the risk of running into disaster.<br/><br/>Though she missed the ritual, Aeryn's presence was reassuring, even under the strange, tunic-like garment she insisted in wearing in her sleep.<br/><br/>"Rest well now, but never thank me for being here. It is my duty and no thanks need be given for that which should freely be offered. I am here and so I shall remain." She draped her arm around Aeryn's waist and kissed the human woman's lips.