Calla

The silence, filled with nothing more than the white noise of the ocean and the buzz of insects, and the fading light from the setting sun made work easier. Some would think that working in such conditions might be difficult, but Calla found it comforting. She enjoyed working before the day's light faded into night. It gave her the incentive to finish her work as quickly as possible. Her maps were finished quickly, her plans perfectly formatted. Yes, working during the sunset and until the last remains of sunlight faded was the best option to work in peace and to work quickly. Speed was something Calla was known for when it came to her job. She never took too long on anything she did. The only time wasted was the time she needed in order to perform her duty before leaving the comfort of the clan grounds again on another adventure. Where her job took her was a mystery until it was time to leave.

She looked up from her work, staring out at the calm ocean. The Sundial Terrace was one of the best places to watch the ocean at a distance, and it was a comfortable place to work. It was a ways away from the clan grounds, but that was even better. It meant silence. Exclusion. Nothing other than nature around her. Still, she could sense something approaching. Her job had required her to be on her toes at all times. She was incapable of turning such worry off. Calla set her quill down on the map she was working on and looked behind her. Naoki was making his way towards her, as quietly as he could. Calla smiled and watched him until he finally nestled beside her. Together, they looked out at the ocean, watching the gentle waves topple each other in a playful dance.

“When are you leaving again?” Naoki asked softly. Calla frowned.

“Tomorrow.” She smiled at him and took his claw. “But I will return sooner than I usually do.”

Naoki looked up at the slowly appearing stars. Calla looked back down at her work and sighed. She folded it all up and placed it in her satchel. She could skip an hour or two without working. She worked all the time, and who could say she didn't deserve some quiet time with her son? So often did she leave without being able to tell him, and she could never promise when she would return. It wasn't fair to her child. He deserved better, but Calla's job was demanding. Yet she had no problem demanding some time away from her job.

“Which star is that?” Naoki asked, pointing towards a large cluster of stars. One of them was brighter than all the others. Calla narrowed her eyes and looked for more clues in the sky. She smiled once she found them and nodded to herself.

“We call that the Great Claw. You see how the cluster around it curls, like a claw?” she asked. Naoki nodded and continued to stare up at the sky. It was beautiful. All the stars were coming out the darker it got, the only light being the moon that shined down upon them. Yet it was just a sliver in the sky, making the weaker stars more easily visible. Calla tapped her son's arm and pointed towards another star. “That is the Spiral constellation. Do you see that star, there?”

Naoki nodded. “Yeah, but why do they call it a Spiral constellation, I don't see anything like a spiral.”

Calla got out a fresh piece of parchment and lit a candle. She began to sketch the stars above them, selecting them carefully. Then she drew straight lines between them. “You see,” she said as she worked. “it appears to be a spiral dragon twisting itself into a knot. It used to be called the heavenly knot, but there was another constellation called that in the Southern Icefield. The stars change depending where you are, but the Spiral is always the same. The dragons farther away from us call the Spiral the Dragon's Pupil. But recently, everyone calls it the Spiral to match what Wind and Water dragons called it. The Spiral helps people find their way home. The eye of the Spiral, this star, never moves. It is north. So people use it to find their way home.”

“Do you use it to find your way home?” Naoki asked after a few moments of silence. Calla nodded.

“Yes. I'm never lost. As long as I can see the stars.” She pulled him closer into a hug. “I'll always come home to you, no matter what.”