Heavenfall

Dawei finds the bathhouse of which he has heard and avails himself of it. The trip has left little time for cleanliness beyond the barest and most brutal, and while Dawei has had no shortage of time in the field and away from such amenities, that is no excuse not to use them when they are.

So he does.

And it is good.

Another also enters, and sluices himself clean. He had helped create the first bathhouse, introduced the idea to the Isawa, in addition to the sauna's, and enjoyed them whenever he could.

Kyosei, finished with sprucing up a bit, now took a seat in the bathing area, to let the heat seep in, and let him try to relax his muscles.

Dawei recalls the man, nods to him.

"Kyosei-san, it's good to see you."

"Good morning to you! Ah, this feels so good." He sinks down into the water to his neck, and rests a moment. "So, we did it. The next question, then, is 'now what?' Have you plans?"

"Some."

He smiles.

"Does my Lord Hantei permit it, I will wed. Aside from that, there is my carving, and there are the students."

He nods.

"More than enough for anyone, I think. And you?"

"I have to head home very soon. I've been away for quite some time."

He raises slightly in the water. "Carving? What sort do you do?"

Dawei nods.

"Home calls most of us--those who are not already home, anyway." And he chuckles a bit before adding "I work with wood. Coming from the Seppun lands, I was able to lay my hands on a lot of it. But I seem to recall you working in stone."

"Stone, yes. Jade most recently, but also Obsidian, and also regular old stone. I run a mine, used to work in it. Learned a bit there. Not as skilled as I'd like, but carving the stone takes time, and the one thing in short supply in life, I've found, is time."

Dawei nods again.

"You've the truth of that, friend. But practice is the only parent of skill, and even a small carving can be of great beauty."

"Now that is also a truth. Even my earliest efforts were interesting. And, I take my time. I know I've less skill than I could, so I take more time, go slower, do it right. Practice on other pieces first, before the important piece."

Dawei shifts in the water, changing its flow around him.

"Never can tell what will be important, though. I never thought my carving of the Nezumi would do what it did--but it did. Treat them all like they matter, I think--but, yes, definitely avoid rushing, even when moving quickly."

"Have you seen the large hand I have been carving? I have been working at it for almost 5 years now. But, for each bit, I practice on other pieces first. Make sure I have the attempt right. I have only ever found one piece this size, don't want to mess it up now."

"I did, and it is an exquisite thing. I well understand wanting to take care with it.

"Why a hand, though? Is that what the stone told you was in it?"

"Mostly that. Also, while I initially thought it larger, there was another stone, a brown one, mixed in with it. Once I took those off, it was shaped such that it reminded me of a fist, in a gauntlet."

Dawei nods decisively. "I've had pieces leap out at me from the wood like that. And it does seem they're never quite as big as you think."

He pauses, looks at Kyosei. "Always good to confer with another artist."

"Mmm. Ahhhh. Do you have any suggestions for the cuts, abrasions, and barks of knuckles? Each time it slows me down to have to heal."

"Don't get them?"

Dawei laughs at his own feeble joke, then continues.

"Some will be unavoidable, I think; I still pick up splinters from time to time. But you might wrap your hands, or as much of them as you can and still retain your dexterity. I've seen people do that with other work, and it seems to help them."

"Hmm. Mittens wouldn't work, no fingers. Well, maybe for the most broad of strokes. Even most gloves wouldn't work. Have to think over that. Could be something there..."

"So, you planning any new works to come?"

"More like the wrappings people use to help their hands who fight with them, I think.

"But, yes, I am planning another piece. Always am. I heard talk on the way back about establishing a library in the Emperor's City. I do not know how to read or write, myself, but I can still think it would be good to have carvings in it."

He smiles.

"Wouldn't be the first I'd given to His Majesty, truly."

"A new library? I wonder who I would talk to in order to insure that the Isawa might have the ability to copy some of those works? We would also have a few that I think we could have copied to them, as well..."