Words to read, words to write

JP with Lorem and Bandorchu

She took a look at the filigrane paper, identifying the fragrance Voah favoured.

“Is that from Voah? That oughta be private for sure.”

Looking up at her friend, she was clearly a bit confused.

“Wouldn’t you rather have her read it for you? Keep it between the two of you?”

He nodded, “Yes, Voah give.”

He didn’t know what the contents were about yet, so he wasn’t entirely sure if what was written was private or not.

“She say read when by myself. Nnn …” he didn’t even realize he used that mizarian filler that Voah always does.

“But, I not read Helias.” He said feeling embarrassed of his ineptitude. He also didn’t know how to write either. Two more reasons why Voah probably had countless other options which were better than him.

“Ah.”

Made sense. Being able to read and write wasn’t that common in the first place, and to Gonyaul, despite being quite adept at it, this was a foreign language to boot.

“We might want to do something about that, if the two of you wanna keep that up. Alright, if you are sure.”

Alexis took the letter hesitantly, looking around.

“… but maybe not in the middle of the wreckage. Wanna find somewhere to sit?”

He nodded appreciating that she was willing to help him.

“Yes, thank you.”

They found themselves a more private area at the edge of the destroyed settlement.

After asking Gonyaul again wether he was really, REALLY, sure about this, Alexis gingerly unfolded the letter and read it to her friend.

“Gonyaul,

Blessed is she who knoweth your smile,
true tenderness and innocent wile

Grateful is she who hath traveled with thee,
daily, each step, unknowingly

Greater is she for having known,
the truths and gifts that thee hath shown

Happy is she who beareth your love
Forlorn be she bereft thereof

Eager is she all the more to learn,
Her heart and mind and body doth yearn

Voah

P.S.
Please take this gift in exchange for your necklace.”

Well, what do you know. Quite the poet. Alexis seriously wished she didn’t have to intrude on this, but unfortunately it couldn’t be helped.

Gonyaul listened intently. The smile and blush on his face growing exponentially with each line. By the end he was beaming and dreamily looking up into the sky.

It was unfortunate that Alexis didn’t want to intrude, because he had to ask her what several words meant, so she had to go through it a few times with him.

He whispered, “Tis special.” Simultaneously he touched the jade token as if charging it with all the poem’s meaning.

He blinked, awakening from his intimate daze. “You help me write letter back?”

Somehow she knew that this was coming.

“As long as you don’t need my input. Not a romantic on the best of my days. You got something to write with? Otherwise let me get my pack.”

She marvelled at the bizarre irony of writing a love letter on the edge of a battle field. But, as her mother might have said, love is a sturdy flower, able to take root in bloodstained grounds, bloom in the absence of the light and persevere in the cold of winter solstice. Alexis might not be a romantic, but her mother certainly had been.

He shook his head no to having any writing materials.

“I write all. Need only turn to Helias words.” He said eagerly.

Alexis was investing big time in Gonyaul’s friendship bank.

He thought what was the best way to do this, probably like Boyce had him do. That thought made him pause and reflect on that recent tragic loss. Boyce was going to decode his language and archive it into the great library. Alas, that minor thing would no longer happen. He inwardly wished Boyce would just walk around the corner as his gaze wandered to the direction of Maru.

Looking back to Alexis, he replied. “I write first and then change under?”

Boyce had him write in Vauxian and then beneath the Vauxian they worked together to make translate into sense for Helias.

“Sure.”

She handed him paper and pen, and leaned back to let him write down his thoughts.

Gonyaul went to work on the paper. Apparently he was able to read and write very well, just in his own language. His calligraphic markings wasn’t him trying to make the handwriting look lovely, it was just the nature of Vauxian script.

As he worked he spoke out loud in his language and would work over his words again and again until he felt he got it right. Then he would write it down.

Eventually he stopped writing and read the entire thing out loud to himself.

Satisfied with his poem, he handed the paper to Alexis.

Taking the paper, Alexis asked Gonyaul about the meaning of the words in Helias, working together with him to adjust them to the Helian speech pattern.

Whenever Gonyaul was satisfied with the translation, she would add it in her clear, no frills writing under the respective line.

When they were done, she handed him his letter.

Gonyaul moved right past the letter and gave Alexis a quick hug before taking a step back and accepting the letter from her hand. He smiled brightly up at her.

“You are friend at beginning, middle and end for all good things. Thank you.” He likewise signed.

Gonyaul truly appreciated the amount of time and work she had just invested in him. She didn’t have to go out of her way to accommodate him; however, she did.

Alexis smiled, genuinely this time as she rose and squeezed his shoulder.

“Always.”