Although he had seen the man before him unclothed and he too had been seen by this man naked, K'tai-tul shared breakfast with him surrounded by an air of shyness. Those things that O'vel-win had done to his body, that he too had participated in had felt amazing beyond words and he, K'tai-tul had trouble preventing his face from becoming rouge as he recalled them. Also, each time he met those warm, deep brown eyes, he felt flush with happiness so intense that he would shyly look away less he drown in their depths.

Mixed with this bashful radiance, was a tinge of sadness, for K'tai-tul had to return to his family today and O'vel-win would remain in the city due to his position. After breakfast, the technician walked slowly with the farmer towards his wagon behind the inn. As soon as they became swathed in shadows, O'vel-win succumbed to his desires and reached for K'tai-tul's face. The latter bent over slightly that his lover could have better access to his lips and they shared bittersweet kisses. Neither could say how long their separation would be and neither wished to part now that a heart felt connection had been made.

They eventually parted, their eyes both clouded and dazed and their hands joined. "I will come and visit you soon," O'vel-win swore.

"I'll keep you to that promise," K'tai-tul told him, his fingers rubbing the smooth skin over the firm bones of his lover's hands.

"I'd be a fool to break it," O'vel-win added as he watched the other least his beast to the wagon. There was a comfortable silence as K'tai-tul hitched the animal to the wagon, before guiding both out onto the main road. There was no need for words or goodbyes, both felt deep in their hearts that the other would not be happy to stand at anyone else's side.

K'tai-tul jumped up onto the seat of the wagon, took one longing look at the man he loved, before urging the pulling beast on. O'vel-win watched until he disappeared into the morning crowds.

*****

It did not take long for K'tai-tul to fill his wagon with that which he wished to buy and trade for. As this was the city, he took advantage of the larger variety of stores and products and purchased many things that they would struggle to find, such as quality fabric and spices. Bags of rice and flour were added, for now they would have to make more basic foods like bread themselves. He also picked up many dry vegetables in order to prepare for winter.

As he had just exited a shop that sold tea (he had bought for his mother intending to get into her good books so that she might accept that he fancied a man and could not produce a bride and grandchild for her), he noticed a flurry of long black hair disappear into the crowd. At first he thought nothing of it. It was likely his imagination that the child had monotone hair, she could also have dark silvers of greys running though it and from this distance he would not be able to tell.

But as he waited patiently for the crowd to part allowing for the wagons before him as well as himself, he saw the back of a girl child again for a moment, again with pure black hair and again running from his sight. He rubbed at his eyes, knowing that the thought running through his mind was an impossible one, that the one girl he knew with hair that was inky black from root to tip was only small and was under the watchful eye of other family members many hours distance away. Besides, despite monotone hair being rare, it was not like there were no others. The Grand Librarian had only silver hair and O'vel-win's cousin had only white. There were bound to be others with just black.

He smiled as he thought with fondness over his lover, remembering that wide smile, his jovial looks and his patient manner. And also his deep toned skin, his plush body and his gentle fingers. Heat rose to his face as he returned to reality to find the crowds were making way and he could now move on. Still embarrassed, he could not meet the eyes of anyone, even though they were strangers, it felt almost that they knew what was running though his mind.

Such illusions had him move his eyes around to avoid them, he looked at plant pots, he looked at small pets, he glanced up at the sky and down an alley way. And there he saw the girl child, who had stopped briefly. He could not see her face, she was too far from him and much of it was obscured by her long black hair. However, he noted that her skin tone was very much a paler version of his own, much like Ch'mai-tul. With a sigh, he realised his curiosity was too much. He needed to know that this girl was not his sister and if there was a tiny chance that she was, he needed to know how it was she came to be here. His mind would not let go of the possibility that it was her and leave the city without knowing. What if he travelled all the way home only to find out that she was missing and that it had been her all along? Forgiveness for such an act could not be called for.

So even though the chances were remote, he took a detour to follow the girl child until he could determine whether it was his sister or just a child that looked like her.

*****

K'tai-tul found himself with a small dilemma.  His eyes lifted from the small pouch of clay tokens still hanging from his waist to the intimidating building stretching up into the sky before him.  Then down towards the entrance where only a moment ago he had seen the girl he had been following disappear into.  She had entered the Grand Central Library.

To say it would be costly to his purse was not unreasonable, but he had come this far and was now forced to make a decision.  Either leave now and return home by third sunset, all the while praying that the child whose size and colouring matched his sister so much that it could not quite be considered a coincidence was not his sister or fork over much of the coins within his purse and enter the massive building and hope to find her, but risk not returning home until dark or even first dawn.  He also thought about going back and asking for O'vel-win's help, but he shook his head at that thought.  He might lose the girl altogether if he did.

In the end, he could not take the risk of not knowing and parked his wagon in the stable beside the library, thanking that he had not stocked items that would perish quickly.  That naturally stole away some of his coin, but a larger part was given as donation in order to enter the mausoleum of books.

The entrance was three times the height of a tall man and the width would allow three well fed men to enter side by side.  However, this simply led into a space that had no books at all, but was merely a large hall with a smattering of small windows upon one wall.  Here there was a couple of junior librarians, he assumed from their youthful appearance and they were greeting those that entered.  They did not distinguish between farmer or scholar, between man or woman or even elder and child, welcoming all and offering assistance where necessary.  From this Hall were two ordinary sized exits, one left, one right and a stone slope that curved steeply along the wall opposite the main entrance.  From near the top of that slope, a small girl with black hair peered down. 

K'tai-tul took off, walking briskly, but not running as he tried not to bring attention to himself.  At the top of this steep slope, he found himself upon a carved rock mezzanine, which looked down over a huge gallery filled with shelves and shelves filled with books.  Just as a slope had reached up to the mezzanine, so a slope fell down into this great place and K'tai-tul witnessed the girl running down the main thoroughfare towards an exit at the back.

Had he not been so focused on finding her, he may have noticed something odd; that no one turned to watch the child running uncouthly through their sacred place.  But he did not and swiftly made his way to follow her.  This hall lead into another large hall, one with several exits and more books, this time lining just the walls.  The tangle of hair disappeared through one of these doorways, which in turn lead to a carved staircase.  K'tai-tul stepped quickly up these steps, his footsteps echoing all around him, but he still did not question the fact that the girl made little noise.

What he did question was how the girl could always race so far ahead of him, but just enough for him to notice and this made him slow his assent.  Sure enough, this hallway lead into a smaller room, one filled with scrolls, and this room had one other exit.  He continued down this path, noting that it spiralled slightly to the left and also slightly upwards.  He came out into a room that had a window, a lone desk and a single book shelf with two very worn books upon it.  But there was no girl at all.  Exasperated and wondering what it was he was missing, he moved around the room, which was fairly large considering it's few furnishings.

The window was too high, just enough that he could peek on tip toes out and see the tower across the way.  Too tall for a small girl to attempt to leave from and even if she could, K'tai-tul felt that they were dangerously high.  Along the walls, there was just stone and the opening to which he entered and the bookshelf which was not flush against the wall.  That piqued his curiosity.  Admittedly, the wall would not be perfectly flat were it carved of rock then painted with a special substance that kept the walls warm and dry, protecting the books within.  But it seemed as if the shelf's placement was still off.

Sure enough, there was a slight gap behind the bookshelf, one that a small girl could easily squeeze through.  Not so easy for a grown man and he guiltily glanced around before pushing the case further away from the wall and exposing the hidden doorway behind it.  Unlike all the other exits, with the exception of the main entrance and the greeting hall's exits, this was covered with a door.  The door was currently shut.  He pressed down the handle, swallowing his nerves as he did and wondering if this was truly a wise move.

Ignoring the warning chimes within his mind, he went through the door, ducking his head as he did.  He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but what he saw was just another small library.  He let loose a nervous sigh and chuckled over his imagination, though he did wonder what sort of books would be hidden away like this and couldn't help but glance over a few titles.

The Master Cultivator and His Female Shidi.

The Pet Store Owner and The Businessman.

The Gangster and The Nurse.

He shivered, an ache began to form within the depths of his mind as his nervous fingers reached out to read a book with the unfamiliar yet familiar sounding words.  The first book was about a man who fell in love with a woman.  The plot, which he skimmed through, detailed their love story in a world that only valued strength.  It was not a long book and the couple had their happy ever after.  However there was a young man in the book, who had simply been a stepping stone to the woman and something about him resonated with K'tai-tul. 

He reached for another book.  This book was called The Chieftain's Son and The Captain's Niece.  His hands shook as he opened it to see a cross streaking though it's pages.  Also it was about a man and a woman falling in love and again there was a boy in it who spoke to his core.  This boy was supposed to be the woman's guide and help the couple meet.  The crosses made it hard to read and for some reason K'tai-tul felt as if something or someone was missing from it.

As he shelved the book and tried to calm himself, he looked around to see if he could see his sister, but as he walked amongst the shelves, he saw no sign of the girl.  In fact, instead he came across a silver haired man, who was glancing through another book.  That man threw the book down and marred it's pages with ink.

"Now look what you made me do," this man pouted, sounding unlike the calm, ethereal being he had portrayed before.  "You owe me." His icy eyes seemed to look right through K'tai-tul, who shuddered in fear.  "And it's time to collect."