93rd Ashan, 718
When they reached the front gate of Luna's Dream, Teia helped Kaien wave at Lei'lira, and took her leave with the kids. Lei'lira was too nervous about the crowds to walk to the orphanage on her own, but she felt safe enough once she was there that she didn't need Teia's constant presence. She paused to pat the big shaggy dog that "escorted" any stranger to the door before stepping inside.
It was like walking into chaos. But it was a fun, energetic, joyful kind of chaos that only children can create. Kids ran about playing, and calling out to each other. Lei'lira made her way into the kitchen where she found both Felicia Hounsworth and Nats Bettes helping to clean up after breakfast. The former woman ran the orphanage, and the latter was the teacher. Neither woman was a common sight in the kitchen, especially Nats, who preferred her own company when not teaching. Seeing them both cleaning up the lunch dishes told Lei'lira that something was wrong. Concerned, she hurried over, and joined in with the work.
"It's good to see you, Lei'lira. Tanya couldn't make it in, so we've been short handed all trial."
That explained it. Lei'lira nodded to show that she had been listening as she scrubbed a plate vigorously. She was just glad that it wasn't something worse.
"I think Nats was the washing covered. Why don't you take over the drying from me so that I can get back to the paperwork?" Felicia suggested.
Lei'lira grinned as she nodded in agreement. Felicia's organizational skills were well known among the staff of Luna's Dream. They were one of her strongest traits, matched only by her kindness. To see them in action now over something as simple as washing the dishes was both amusing, and very typical of the woman she worked for.
"We've got it covered." Lei'lira promised her boss.
They worked in a companionable silence. Between the two of them, Lei'lira and Nats got the work done quickly. After the dishes were put away, Nats started to excuse herself, but was stopped before she could escape when Tae'ryn burst into the kitchen in tears and wrapped her tiny arms around Nats' legs tightly.
"What's wrong, little one?" Nats asked the five arc old in concern as she knelt and enveloped the small child in a hug.
"Anton called me a poo poo head!" she sobbed.
Lei'lira frowned, in confusion. Not only did she not know what Anton had called the little Sev'ryn girl, she wasn't even certain which language she had spoken in. Fortunately Nats took a trill to whisper that it meant poo poo head in Ku'aric, one of the languages written and spoken in Central Idalos. While Nats was trying to calm Tae'ryn, Lei'lira walked over and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze.
"Well that wasn't very nice of him, now was it?" she asked.
Tae'ryn shook her head. After a trill, she turned and hugged Lei'lira. Lei'lira was happy to see that the young girl seemed to have overcome her shyness around her at last.
"He said I was stupid, too."
Once again Nats came to her rescue, explaining that it meant stupid in Pailtic, another of the languages that was written and spoken in Central Idalos.
"Well, I don't think that you're stupid." Lei'lira replied in Xanthea, knowing that Tae'ryn would understand her.
"I think that you are a very smart girl."
Any child who knew five different languages would have to be. Even though children learned languages more readily than adults did, that was still a real accomplishment. Tae'ryn had a real skill for languages, being able to speak Common, Scalveen, Xanthea, Pailtic, and Ku'aric. Lei'lira had no doubt that she would become fluent in all five languages eventually. Maybe even more.
"Would you like me to tell you a story?" Lei'lira asked, hoping to distract the little girl.
"A story? Really?" Tae'ryn asked eagerly.
"A story just for me?"
Lei'lira grinned at Tae'ryn. The little girl loved stories.
"Yes, a story just for you."
"Can I listen to the story, too?"
Lei'lira looked up to see one of Tae'ryn's three older sisters, Sai'ryl standing in the doorway.
Sai'ryl was a sensitive child who was eager to please the people she cared about. Her greatest joy was to make others happy. And she loved stories just as much as her little sister did.
"I think we can allow that. What do you think, Tae'ryn?" Lei'lira asked with a grin.
Tae'ryn giggled.
"Of course she can hear it, too!"
"Between you, and our "Little Mother" over there, I think you have things well in hand here. So if you don't mind, I have papers to grade."
With that, Nats took her leave, and Lei'lira led the children into one of the quieter common rooms so she could tell them a story.
