"Don't know if we have a place to go to. Is there a place to go to if you don't have a place to go back to?"

"...there are Gabriel Schools in Velora."

"Okay. We'll go there."

Velora. Velora. Vel-or-a. 

"How far away is Feoa?" asks Kota.

"Ve-lo-ra. Almost a day walking, when my boy goes to market he spends the night in town before coming back home."

Oh no Kota can't remember names either. 

Velora Velora. SHe should prolly write this down in amalien once she can.

"Okay, we can walk there tomorrow then." 

"Might take longer with short little legs like yours, so you'll want to start first thing when the sun's up. I'll show you the hayloft."

The hayloft is full of hay. Kota looks kind of dubious about this and startles when a mouse scurries across the far end of the barn and looks like he might cry.

"What's wrong?"

Kota can also be hugged right now he wants, she doesn't need to know what's wrong to hug her friend.

He clings. "I saw a MOUSE in here."

"The cat doesn't keep up with them as well as it used to," shrugs the old woman.

"Do - do they get up in the loft?" he asks hopefully.

"Not usually."

Cling.

Cling back! 

"I can clean it up a bit and watch for mice when you are getting to sleep if that makes you feel better?"

"Pretty sure mouse won't hurt you less these ones are diff-rent."

"I don't know if they bite and even if they don't bite they could make me sick!"

The old lady has decided she doesn't need to be here for this conversation and that the ladder is sufficiently obvious. She departs.

Hugs.

"Could wrap you up during the night so they can't touch you? Or um. Could take turns not sleeping and keeping watch for mice to make sure they don't get near you? Would prolly be tired while walking a bunch tomorrow but would be okay I think?"

"Wrap me up in what?"

"Could use my clothes and yours? Would be un-comfy to sleep without them but I can."

"Or I could wrap you up in a hug while you sleep if that works."

"Maybe a mouse won't come near anyway. We don't have any food," says Kota, shivering a little. "- I want to climb up if they're not there as often as they are down here."

"Mhm, seems like a good idea."

She can help Kota up.

"Oh. Do you need to eat everyday?"

Amaliens do not, though it can become uncomfortable.

"Uh, yeah. More than once."

"Oh."

"Do you need to eat now?"

"I'm hungry but I think I'm okay to go to sleep instead. Maybe she'll give us breakfast in the morning."

"Mhm."

Fika will sleep all cuddled up with Kota.

Kota takes a while to get to sleep and flinches whenever he hears scurrying or squeaking but eventually manages some few hours of fitful sleep.

Fika does her best to hug but does drift off before him and isn't around to help more than by passively sleep snuggling. Fika manages to get a good nights sleep, it's not too different from other places she's slept.

Kota's up before her and sitting up vigilant against vermin, scratching at imaginary and real bugs.

"Gmorning!"

Fika is yawny.

He is picking straw out of his hair. "I hope Feoa is nice."

"Not sure if that was the name. I'll try to find out and then write it down just in case before we leave."

"I hope it's nice too. Do you want help with the straw?"