A Gaggle of Gossiping Girls<Shai City, North Pole>

[nekochi]

The day after talking to Taartoq about their unborn child, which they both hoped was a girl, Padma decided to return to the healing huts. Work was starting to pick up again for him at the achieves and she needed to be doing something more productive with her time than sitting around the house and daydreaming. After all, so many brave young men had been injured during the siege and because of her baby she hadn't been able to help them. She had done the right thing of course, not to risk her baby, but now that the danger had passed, there was no reason she couldn't lend her help since the injuries were due to fighting and not any communicable disease. She'd just have to be careful and make sure she didn't get so caught up in healing that she overtired herself.

So she had dressed herself in a midnight blue áo dài layered over a lavender skirt. The fabric she had chosen was rather plain, so that it would be easy to clean should it become stained with blood or medicine and the top color was dark for the same reason. The outfit also had very little adornment to it, save for two frog ties of braided silver string where the top closed. Of course, that hardly mattered as she was here for healing, not to show off her clothes. Which was why she was slightly disappointed to find that most of the patients had been discharged and the four most serious cases had all been healed within the last hour and were currently sleeping, leaving her little to do. It was good news of course and she was glad that everyone seemed to be doing well, but she had hoped that coming here would have provided her with something to do. Well, perhaps all was not lost. If she could find a friend to talk to, she would have plenty to say and there was a good chance she would be able to as most of her friends were healers. Yes, all was not lost. It was merely a matter of changing how you thought about things.

[nati]

“For spirits sake! Stay in bed! That is the third time I told you Jerra!” Nati’s voice could be heard from one corner of the hut, she was scolding a young girl she knew well for not staying put. The young girl pouted, then buried herself in the furs and lay down, pulling an annoyed face. The young healer knelt next to the cot, tucking the covers around the little girl’s neck to keep her warm. Nati felt the annoyance drain out of her, instead filled with a strange sorrow, the young girl had a broken arm and not understood a single thing about the siege.

“Now, get some sleep, and I’ll be back with some games later.” Nati gently stroked the girl’s hair, then kissed her tentatively on the forehead. She smiled warmly, showing she wasn’t too angry from before, just pushed to her limits with bad behaviour. She maintained the smile as she withdrew from the area and drew the curtains around it. “Sleep well.” Nati whispered.

Garbed in her normal outfit of a long skirt and over-robe trimmed with her favourite fur, Nati looked as she normally did, albeit a little more tired looking. The work never seemed to slacken for a moment with treating wounds here and there, but she was seeing less and less people everyday as they recovered. Her long russet hair was in their normal braids, along with her three white feathers tucked into the left one.

Nati sighed, rubbing her hands together, finding it rather warm inside the huts that she did not need her heavy parka. She walked forwards slowly, checking the couple of filled bedrolls that held sleeping figures, and wondering when their next healing sessions were. Trying to find some work to do, Nati found some old blankets that needed re-hemming and patching up. Scooping up the heavy arm full, and the sewing kit balanced on top, Nati found her way to the general area used by the healers for resting.

“Padma!” Nati suddenly exclaimed, feeling her spirits lighten all of a sudden. Her mind quickly jumped back to the brief time they had met at the market. She managed something of a clumsy bow with the armful of blankets. “Oh how are you?” Nati smiled wide, genuinely happy to see a beautiful familiar face.

[nekochi]

Padma almost jumped up from her seat upon seeing Nati, but managed to stand up with the same graceful movements she always used. "Oh, Nati, dear. It is good to see you." Her face reflected her friend's smile and had the other woman not been carrying so many blankets she would have clasped her hands in greeting or drawn her into a warm hug. To Padma, physical shows of affection like these were important and casual touch was something she often used without even realizing it. Taking some of the blankets she said, "here, let me help you with these. Just because my family has money doesn't mean I can't sew as well as any other woman." The comment was hardly meant to be offense and at the moment, she wasn't even thinking of it as such. It was merely a joke and would hopefully be taken that way.

She sat down in one of the chairs, setting her stack of blankets beside her as she threaded her needle before handing the rest of the sewing kit back to Nati. "Can it be only a week or two since we last saw each other? It seems like so much longer. Yes, that's a dear, sit down." She picked up a blanket and draped it across her knee, pricking the thick material with her needle and beginning to sew. "So much has happened since then. The siege, for one thing. Oh, I do hope that none of your family or loved ones" she placed special emphasis on the second group with a slight wink at her fellow healer, "were injured. Taartoq and I are fine of course, as is the rest of our family, which I daily thank the spirits for, but I know that not everyone was so lucky." The teasing had escaped from her voice as the subject was a serious one, but she could hardly hold back a smile. It was so nice to catch up...

[nati]

Pada was equally delighted to see Nati, and that made her feel a lot better, the smile on her face was indisputable, Padma was just as she remembered. Nati smiled, letting Padma take the heavy blankets off her hands. She rather approved a gentlewoman like Padma could sew, it was an important skill, though Nati remembered once having to sew for necessity, not for pleasure as she did mostly nowadays.

“And company with sewing is always the more pleasurable.” Nati commented, settling herself down into a seat, smoothing over her skirts and tucking her legs neatly under the chair. She place some of the blankets onto the floor, keeping one across her hand. She threaded the needle quickly, taking a moment to find a large hole, and carefully start darning it. To Nati, this could have been any other day at the Healing Huts during a quiet shift, catching up with Padma or the other girls. She couldn’t believe that the Siege had happened so quickly. She blinked a moment, wondering why time had moved so quickly. Nati then hard the stress on the word ‘loved ones’…oh dear…had Padma heard about Chamir and his brave rescue?

“Oh it’s wonderful to see you again too Padma, I’ve hardly felt like myself recently, it’s nice to get back to normal and have a good natter.” Nati said, turning her head to her work and then to Pamda. “My mother is good as when you met her, but her leg is still giving her a little grief. Kian my brother is fine, he pulled thought unscathed.”

“I’ve been praying twice a day for our luck” She smiled, her plaits swaying a little. “I was worried about not seeing you on duty, were you in the shelters along with your family and friends?”

It was a rather blunt sort of question to ask, but Nati just wanted to know where Padma had been during the Siege, Nati had only realised a day or two after that she hadn't seen Padma's face in the Healing Huts, and yet she was glad Padma had been shared from the stress of such an ordeal.

[nekochi]

"Especially when the company is so congenial." A smile could be heard in her voice and she paused in her sewing to grin at her friend. One who knew her would have been able to tell the grin was more than a little mischievous. As far as she knew, Nati did not yet have a sweetheart and Padma had only stressed the words loved ones on a hunch that such a pretty young woman could as Nati was could not stay single for long, whether or not they had a dowry. Now she was almost certain she was right, as she was not one to miss the startled and slightly embarrassed look that had come to her friend's face at her word choice. Oh, this was a path she would have to explore before the day was through. This was gossip she definitely wanted to hear about. But that would come later. There were other things she wanted to talk about first.

"Your mother's leg still bothers her? Have you tried cassia oil ointment? It's a little expensive of course, since it has to be shipped from the Earth Kingdom, but I've heard it works wonders. As for your brother, I'm glad he wasn't hurt. Please tell him how much I admire his willingness to fight for our people's safety and that my prayers are with him, with all of you really." Padma nodded. "Yes, I was in the shelters with my husband. I regret to say I could not join you in the healing huts during the siege. I would have loved to help, but I'm afraid I had a reason to worry over my safety." She set down the needle, blushing with happiness. "Oh Nati, I have the best news! Taartoq and I are expecting a child! I've known for awhile, but I was so afraid to tell him, he's never really wanted a child you know. But... He just took the news so much better than I expected him to—well, after his initial fainting of course—and I'm just so excited! I'm going to be a mother in six months! Can you believe it?"

[nati]

She nodded, keeping her attention on the sewing as Padma recommended some ointment for her mother’s leg. Nati nodded, thinking perhaps it was a good idea.

“I’ve heard Aloe Vera is a good one too, but I’ve been tending to her leg everyday.”

Nati felt the needle drop out of her hand, her mouth agape for a moment as Padma gushed about her pregnancy. She blinked, unsure of how to react, and then found a delighted but very unlady like squeal coming from her lips, She hopped out of her chair, long plaits brushing against her shoulders as she grasped Padma’s hands.

“Oh my that is wonderful news! Padma oh!” Nati then let go of Padma’s hands for a moment, she pressed her own hands to her mouth is shock and joy. It took her a second to calm down. “I so pleased for you! You’ll make the most brilliant mother.” She took hold of Padma’s hands again, squeezing them gently, she couldn’t quiet get the smile off her face, her azure eyes alight with pleasure, it was lovely news to hear, she felt better already. Nati then suddenly laughed.

“I guess that eel stew did its work then!” She remembered the market day, and being surprised by Padma’s witty humour. “Do you hope for a boy or girl?” The sewing for the blankets was quite forgotten.

[nekochi]

The first squeal had been released. There was no turning back now. Padma let out little yells of joy to match Nati's as she could no longer hold back the shrieks of happiness. Not even bothering to remove the blanket from her lap before standing up, she drew her friend into a hug and then held her hands while she jumped for joy in such a fashion that none of her good breeding was apparent. Then she hugged Nati again.

She hardly cared that they were making such a racket that some of the patients must have become quite unnerved by the noise and one healer poked her head in to make sure that everything was alright. Assured that it was, the older woman asked the two younger to please be a little more quiet, there were people here who were trying to sleep. After that, she calmed down a little, but nothing could remove a huge, contagious grin from Padma's face.

"Oh, do you really think I'll be a good mother," she asked a little breathlessly. "I hope I am!" She laughed at Nati's next statement and the grin on her face became a little mischievous. "Oh yes, the eel stew really does work wonders, but I had a few other techniques I used as well." The mother-to-be winked and whispered in her fellow healer's ear, "I'll be sure to teach them to you when we find you a husband."

Padma drew a hand to her face, brushing one of her beaded tendrils of hair behind her ear. "Taartoq and I are both hoping for a girl. He was teased terribly by boys in his youth, you know and I don't think he's ready for a boy just yet. So for now, a beautiful, healthy girl is what I most desire. I'm still young. There will be time for a boy later." She drew a dainty hand to her lips and let out a peal of laughter. "Besides, I am afraid my mother might do something very drastic if I didn't have a girl. She's been surrounded by boys for a good many years and after all my brothers she's sick of them." Her tone was light, cheerful, and it was clear that her words were only in jest. Padma was much like her mother in that she hoped for a girl, but would be happy with whatever the result as long as the baby was happy and safe.

[misui]

Misui glanced up at the commotion before noticing it was Nati and Padma, as the younger of the girls currently in the huts she felt a little unnerved that there were woman acting like teens. It wasn't in her nature to gush over life's little joys of tidbits of rumors, perhaps it was because she needed to grow up and take care of her family so quickly. Lord knows her sister shared some of the responsibilities.... She looked back to the basin set before her. She moved the water out of the bowl and into the air, sher gently twisted her fingers allowing the water to spin into the blue hue of healing magic.

There was a bit of gossip she had, but she wasn't much for idle chatter when she could do work. Healing to her was more of a hobby, her job was one with her family, still since the siege her superiors had requested that she take on more shifts, with all the people gone and hurt they needed help though recently less and less was truly needed.

The girl knelt over a man who had sustained various burns and frost bite, he wasn't doing well, it was hard to heal and they'd needed to move to some expensive herbal remedies. Her lips pulled into a thin line once she finished, there was no more for her to do with him. She allowed the water to fall back into the basin and looked at the wall for a moment collecting her piece, right now she really felt old. There was at least some silver lining in her life. Namely a man, their first date, well walk, went rather well, subsequent meetings were a joy. Still he'd have leave sooner or later, now she was back to being dull and listless.

Rolling forward lightly onto her knees she was able to untuck her legs from beneath her body. She stood up from there holding the basin of dirtied water taking it to be disposed of, the herbalist would need to finish up the job. She'd need to find another task now. Her mind was able to find another topic soon enough, Ryota. After dumping the water, Misui stood in the door way for a few seconds lost in her own thoughts. It didn't even occur to her that she might be blocking someones way.

[nati]

Oh she was squealing like she was a silly little girl again, and yet Nati was loving every moment of it. It felt good to let her worries slide away. Nati threw her arms around Padma, it felt natural to do this, though they didn’t know each other that well, it felt like they’d been gossiping partners for years.

Blush crept across Nati’s face as Padma whispered about the eel stew, and other tricks women of her Tribe knew about. How devious women could be… “Oh I’m well past my chances of being wed! I’ve just come to terms with the idea of being an old maid!”

“Oh I feel sorry for Taartoq and your mother, they must be running mad with so many boys and men in the family.” Nati replied to Padma’s comment, eventually letting go to straight her clothes and hair that had some loose or ruffled in the jumping up and down. “A little girl to start off with, the boys can always follow. I would always hope for twins, they run very strongly in my family, so I’m likely to be blessed the same way, but I would have to stop after that. My poor mother was in labour for days trying to pus Kian out.”

She then put her hand on Padma’s arm, her eye joyful. “I would love to weave you some blankets, and I could get my mother knitting some little pullovers…”

Nati smiled, restraining a loud giggle, then sat herself back onto her chair, then quickly jumped up again.

“I think we need some tea, we’ll go hoarse at this rate.” Nati suggested, her tiredness entirely forgotten. “And a brave rescue story is better shared over a hot drink.”

[nekochi]

Padma tisked a little and waved a finger in mock scolding. "Nonsense! An old maid! Such a pretty girl as you? You give yourself far too little credit." While old friends were nice, it was always good to meet new ones. That was one reason why she loved healing. She got to help people as well as meet many new people, some of whom would become lifelong friends. And Padma had a feeling that Nati would be just such a friend. She was kind and easy to talk to and it already felt like they had known each other for most of their life even though they had only had very casual conversations before this one. It left Padma glad to have met her.

“Oh I feel sorry for Taartoq and your mother, they must be running mad with so many boys and men in the family.”

"Yes, my brothers are the very definition of manliness and I'm sorry to say that Wahkan and Yusheng were among Taartoq's greatest tormentors as a child. Honestly, Shiye and Yahto aren't much better, but I do know that Yahto tries hard to be kind to him, for my sake if nothing else." She looked a little sad for a moment. Honestly, she felt slightly ashamed at her brother's actions and careless words from time to time. She also knew that they were her family, Wahkan and Yusheng were her protectors and she had helped to raise Shiye and Yahto and she could hardly stop caring for them. Besides, they weren't really bad people. A little careless at times, but Wahkan and Yusheng had grown into honest and hardworking men. They were the protectors of their family and were very kind to their wives. This was not something that could be said of all the men among the Northern Water Tribe. Not one to linger long on sadness, Padma's thoughts soon turned to happier things and she let out a chuckle. "I am quite glad that twins do not run in my family. If we were to find I was carrying two babies instead of one I think that Taartoq would be shocked enough to cause himself serious injury." Ah yes. He had been shocked enough to half drown himself when she had first told him she was having a baby. She could not help thinking his shock would be one of horror and not happiness if the baby happened to be a twin.

"And I would be happy to wrap my baby in any blanket you weaved." She followed Nati from the room in search of tea, paying more attention to sharing secrets than to walking so that she almost bumped into Misui. "What's this about a brave rescue? I thought you had just called yourself an old maid. Oh! Misui!" She raised a hand to her heart as she had been startled. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. Nati and I were just going to get some tea to enjoy with the lull in patients needing to be tended to. You are welcome to join us if you are not busy." Padma didn't know the younger girl very well, though she had seen her numerous times. When you went to the healing huts as often as she did you began to recognize the other healers by name, face, and bedside manner. But even if she didn't know Misui well, Padma was a friendly woman and rather outgoing. She honestly meant her invitation, for Misui was only two years younger than her and Padma lived by the old phrase, 'the more the merrier.'

[misui]

Misui was startled when Padma and Nati were suddenly in front of her, had she really been that absorbed in her own thoughts as to forget where she was. There was so much going through her head, she must have just zoned out, she wasn't used to being so flaky, so absent minded, her heart raced when she thought of Ryota, her mind turned into goo much like her knees when he was around. Her father approved of the boy, mentioning he seemed like a polite young man and a warrior who must be strong and brave to fight in the name of their tribe.

Her cheeks turned slightly red as she recounted the more inappropriate bits of her day dream, how was she so quickly falling in love, a night ago she wouldn't have gone that far but the more she thought about it the more she found herself pinning it on love. That would explain her desire to leave the water tribe to go with him where ever he may be headed.

The younger girl looked up at Padma and Nati in turn for once feeling her youth, it was odd, how being so out of the loop can put you on such odd ground. Quickly she noted the looks on the girls faces and her expression became rather bland. They were gossiping weren't they? it was written all over them, the giggly demur, the slightly mussed clothing and hair from girlish antics.

Misui managed to forget her romantic interlude in favor of dreading her shift which still had three hours left. Dejectedly she glanced around the room, it didn't seem like anyone needed and assistance at the moment, yet she didn't want to be idle and do nothing but talk. With a small sigh she figured it would be best to make the most of this situation. " It's fine miss Padma, I was distracted by my own thoughts."

She muttered mostly to herself lightly." It seems I've been doing that a lot lately....." She ran her hands over her hair making sure it was still secured back into her half bun, she didn't want to look unpresentable after all. The girls were her superiors in the hut, it wouldn't hurt to get to know them a little better, after all it may help her out in the future should she ever need assistance.

Managing a smile she looked to the over excited woman, her eyes not feeling the joy of her smile, she couldn't help but feel that this was just neglecting duties. " No I'm not really busy, it would make the time pass so why not?"

[nati]

Nati was equally surprised to see Misui, and yet knew it was very likely since they shared a few shifts. Her azure eyes widened for a moment, and then relaxed, and Nati smiled warmly to Misui, calming down a little bit from the previous moments of squealing with Padma.

“Sorry I didn’t see you there.” Nati said, giving Misui a familiar sort of smile and a nod of the head that indicated that she should join their little gossiping group. Nati felt she more of a connection with Misui, they’d worked side by side during the second Siege and that created a strong bond. “I was just going to get some tea, you and Padma go sit down, you look like you need a break.” Nati said gently, saying she didn’t need the extra help to get the tea.

And she wanted a few moments to get the story straight in her head, and more specially the details about Chamir. Where was he at the moment? Doing well she hoped, she’d not seen him since the siege nearly two weeks ago. They hadn’t spoken a lot, and Nati knew well enough this was just something to keep her mind off the more horrible things like the childhood friend she’d lost. Nati gestured for the pair to sit down again, and with out any further comments hurried to the kitchen area where food and drinks were prepared for the sick. Rooting about in a box on a shelf, she found some dried tea leaves and cast a handful into a simmering pot on a fire.

She knelt next to the water, moving her hand above the water in slow clock work circles to get the tea nicely infused. She drew a small glob of water out of the pot, twirling it around with a single finger, admiring the colour of the tea, lost in her own world for a moment. The water boiled gently, bringing Nati back. She reached for three teacups, carefully bent the water into the teapot . There wasn’t a spare tray lurking about, so she carried the teapot by it’s wooden handle and the three cups in her other hand.

Heading back to where she had been sat earlier, Nati knelt back down on her cushion, put the cups on the floor and carefully poured the tea demurely as her mother had taught her.

“So, who wants to hear my tale?” Nati smiled, picking up her cup and gently blowing some steam off her tea. It smelt fragment and soothing.

[nekochi]

Padma led Misui to the back room. Though Misui certainly knew the way, it was more fun to lean on a girlfriend while you walked, whispering all the way. Though Padma didn't feel it would be too polite to bring up her good news again and delay Nati's story so her questions were short and simple, consisting of 'how do you do's and inquires about the welfare of Misui's family after the siege. By the time they had reached the break room, their chit-chatty questions had turned into a companionable silence.

When Nati returned, Padma gladly accepted a cup of tea from her gratefully. It was such a simple pleasure to watch the steam rise off of the liquid and disappear into the air, but it was a rich one. She spared a moment to ponder the irony that, in some ways, fire was a better waterbender than even her husband before turning her attention to the people around her once again. "Oh, I always welcome a good story. Especially if it has romance in it," she teased. "And I feel quite sure that this one does."

[misui]

Misui remained quiet for the most part, giving simple answers to Padma's questions and allowing her to carry the conversation. She was never one for gossip, the company wasn't unwanted though. Padma seemed like a social icefly, very happy, perky, able to keep up a conversation with anyone. She mused that the woman might attempt to strike up a conversation with an ice badger before it went to eat her. That earned a small smile but she politely kept her comments to herself, she didn't want to appear rude and the woman was simply trying to strike a conversation.

The youngest of the three women set herself down at the low table smoothing out her dress over her self, her parka a little mussed from moving about though it was quickly fixed. Her eyes met Nati's for a moment beginning to catch onto the story she was about to tell. There didn't seem to be another of interest. She couldn't steal her older friends thunder so she kept quiet allowing Nati to tell her story uninterrupted. Instead Misui whispered a thank you for the tea holding the cup in her hands watching the steam for a time before she dared a sip. If anything the warm liquid was relaxing, it kept her mind off things that it seemed to linger on, a certain man and his warm arms, his warm smile.

[nati]

“I’ll happily spin some romance into my yarn for you Padma, I certainly don’ think it’s lacking.” Nati smiled, shifting her knees into a more relaxed kneeling position, a little out to the side instead of neatly under her, the tips of her shoes peaking from under her skirts. Nati ran a hand over her braid, an old comforting sort of habit.

“I’ll introduce the hero first: his name is Chamir, he’s a warrior from the Southern Fleet, and doesn’t take to kindly to authority, a commander gave him a very good talking down to!” She remembered Saghani’s sharp voice, and Chamir’s stubbornness. “There’s something about him, he’s very outgoing. Anyway, when it was quiet during the Siege, we started talking and he then suggested a morning walk to clear our heads.” Nati knew Padma would find this exciting and taboo, Nati knew well enough a woman couldn’t go walking about with a totally strange man.

“We went outside, and then some bombs started dropping in the distance, I don’t remember much apart from falling into the water.” Nati didn’t really put much of a voice on, only droppig it a little to create some drama and something for Padma to get excited about. Nati gestured with her hands a little, moving about in front of her as she described being the in the freezing cold water.

“Then I felt someone put their arms around me and then suddenly we were washed onto the egde of the canal.” Nati finished her story, sipping her tea then adding a quick smile. “It sounds romantic now, but it was so scary at the time. I was glad Misui was there to look after me.” She gave Misui a grateful look, the slight tilt of her head suggested a deep gratitude.