In Midst of the Lonely Sea of Loneliness (Pt. 13)

It was near dinner time when Nia awoke from her long cat nap to the sound of knocking on the wall.

"Ni- Neet..." Artham's voice could be heard through the sheet. "Your mother just finished making supper, if you wanted to join us."

"Reppus? Did I peels lla yad?" Nia wondered aloud as she sat up from her couch.

Since Nia had said two words that spelt the same way backwards as they did forwards, Artham assumed correctly what she was asking about how long she slept. "Yes... You did sleep all day but I'm sure you needed it... I slept a little longer than I anticipated too."

She sat there in silence a moment, feeling momentary guilt that she slept the day away the first day back from her exile. However, this feeling quickly diminished with Artham's next few words.

"They're really happy you're home. We all are." He peeked inside at her with two fingers shifting the edge of the sheet open. "You should have seen your children's faces when they found out about you."

Nia looked over at Artham curiously. "Tahw od yeht kniht fo em?"

"They love you... And they've been working on their T.H.A.G.S. all afternoon. I think some of them even made a surprise for you." Artham smiled. "Whenever you're ready, come join us in the dining room." He let the sheet fall back into place as his shadow was seen walking away.

Neet took a moment to gather herself before she left her makeshift room to come join her family for dinner.

Just a few paces over, the Igibys were getting themselves ready to eat at the table. While Leeli helped Wendolyn set the table, Janner was busy getting an extra chair for their mother to sit on. He managed to take the rocking chair from the porch and drag it inside.

As for Tink, he was sitting at the table already with his ankle propped up under the table, sketching away vigorously on his sketch pad. It appeared he had set a deadline for himself so he was trying to finish the last touches before he ate anything (which took a numerous amount of self control on his part).

"Whatcha drawin', laddie?" Podo asked, nearing the table with the hot pot of stew.

"Something for mom." Tink replied without lifting his eyes from the picture. "I hope she likes it."

"I'm sure she will, Tink." Uncle Artham said as he joined his nephew at the table. "She should be joining us very soon."

Tink gasped and pushed himself to draw even faster, knowing his time was nearly up.

Just as everyone was finally taking their seats, Nia slowly entered the dining room with visibly nervous body language. She was hunched over with her paws tucked under her arms, anxiously looking for where she was supposed to sit.

"Here, Nia-" Artham said before quickly correcting himself, "Neet... you can sit by Kal here. He has something he wants to show you." He then rose from his seat and then went to sit by Janner, who was across the table.

Neet briefly twitched when she heard her actual name but still obliged and took Artham's former seat beside her youngest son.

Tink looked up at her and then back at his drawing before sheepishly handing the sketchbook over to her so she could see what he drew.

Nia carefully took the book in her paws and looked at the drawing with intrigue.

The very detailed sketch was of a thwap in the garden, eating a totato in a very messy manner. Each patch of fur and every blade of grass was beautifully defined in a way that it almost felt like Nia was looking through a mirror outside.

Nia's first response was to laugh softly at the comical nature of the drawing but her smile didn't last very long. The gentle laugh was soon choked off by a quivering lip and she began to tear up.

Assuming he has made his mother cry by drawing her something, Tink began to apologize, "Mom? Why are you crying?... I didn't upset you did I? I'm so sorry..."

Nia stared at the drawing for a long time before she looked over at Tink and pulled him into a hug. "On, Kint... Siht si lufituaeb. S'ti tsuj ekil tahw Esben desu ot od... Eh desu ot ward luiftuaeb srewolf dna semitemos ynnuf sgniht rof em..."

Everyone at the table exchanged glances with each other, having only heard one tangible word from Nia: Esben.

After having heard his mother mention Esben's name so perfectly but completely jumble everything else, Janner began to once again wonder why she could say his name so clearly. Would his mother be able to speak another tangible sentence again or was she doomed to speak gibberish the rest of her life? Janner hoped he might hear his name as clearly as he heard his father's from his mother's lips... even if it was just one time.

With Artham, each time he heard his brother's name he felt guilt that he had left him in Castle Rysen. However, he reminded himself that he had no real way of knowing that his brother was alive after the fire took over the whole west wing. He wondered if Esben was still alive but knew that question could potentially set Neet off so he withheld this question for a later date.

"Um... *Neet*..." Podo had to force himself to not use his daughter's name. "We can't understand ya..."

"Let me get a chalk board." Artham volunteered, once again getting up from his spot and leaving the dining room. He soon returned and handed Neet a big piece of chalk and the writing tablet.

Nia sighed as she received the writing tablet but began to write on it for her family's sake.

ΣƧBΣП ЩΛƧ ΛП ΛMΛZIПG ΛЯƬIƧƬ... ΉΣ ЦƧΣD ƬӨ ƧKΣƬᄃΉ FӨЯ MΣ Λᄂᄂ ƬΉΣ ƬIMΣ. Neet breathed a shakey breath in. ΉIƧ ƧKΣƬᄃΉBӨӨK IƧ ƧƬIᄂᄂ ЦP IП MY ƬЯΣΣ ᄃӨƬƬΛGΣ...

"Was... Was that the book you didn't want me touching?" Janner asked, clueless as to the significance of the book he picked up in the treehouse.

Nia shook her head. ПӨ... ƬΉΛƬ'Ƨ ПӨƬ ƬΉΣ BӨӨK. ΣƧBΣП'Ƨ ƧKΣƬᄃΉBӨӨK ЩΛƧ ЦПDΣЯ MY ƧᄂΣΣPIПG MΛƬ.

Artham narrowed his eyes suspiciously but not with contempt. "What book?"

Neet abruptly stopped writing on the tablet and looked up at Artham with a guilty expression.

"... It's *THE* book... isn't it?" Artham asked, seeing the look on his sister-in-law's face was grave.

Neet nodded but immediately looked back down at the chalk board. Some part of her felt guilty for leaving the book that Esben tried so hard to protect behind but the other half of her felt some relief that it wasn't in her possession any more.

Artham sighed.

"What are you two talking about? What book?" Wendolyn asked, slightly worried that their dinner was getting colder with each moment it was delayed.

"There... was a special book the High King of Anneria was supposed to guard- from the first Epoch. I thought it was lost in the fire but... I guess I was wrong... about a lot of things." Artham remarked, somewhat in disbelief that Nia had abandoned it to her cottage since she understood its significance. However, he had compassion on her because her mind was obviously in shambles. "... I'll have to go get it after dinner so it will be safe."

I ЩIᄂᄂ ᄃӨMΣ ЩIƬΉ YӨЦ... I KПӨЩ ЩΉΣЯΣ MY ᄃӨƬƬΛGΣ IƧ.

Everyone read Nia's message and hesitated in their responses.

On one hand, if Neet came with Artham, she could make the process way easier in finding her precious belongings. But on the other hand, Neet could have another nervous breakdown and have another opportunity to run away again. The family was unsure if they wanted to let her go but knew they would need her help finding the First Book... So, they allowed her to go with Artham once dinner was over.