The next day, Kolchais and Paiokp took some of their smaller projects and headed out. Their first stop was a tailor-family, the Stitch-Brights, that specialized in fancy clothing for the wealthy and powerful families. To the Stitch-Brights, they offered Kolchais’ small projects, which had so confused Paiokp. Kolchais explained they were meant as decorations. Like the multi-colored woven bands that some wore at wrists and collar; but made with the new technique. The tailors examined the three pairs they offered — one made of undyed linen, the light color emphasizing the new fabric’s texture. One pair was made with scraps of the vary-colored blue and green Paiokp had used for their presentation piece. And one pair made with undyed, black, and red linen in repeating rings.
“These are gifts,” Kolchais explained, “for your family to experiment with and see if your clients might interested.”
“Fascinating,” said the parent of the Stitch-Brights who had come to the gate to speak with them. It was slightly rude, being forced to meet at the gate rather than being invited inside, and Paiokp wished they had gone to one of the less prestigious families, who would be less stuck up. But Kolchais and Kyawtchais were right: if the Stitch-Brights accepted their work, everyone would.
When the Stitch-Bright was finished examining the pieces, Paiokp pulled out needle and thread and offered a small demonstration of how the new craft worked.
“And you are looking for an exclusive arrangement?” the tailor asked.
“No,” Kolchais said, “but we will not offer gifts like this to other tailor families. If the Stitch-Brights decide you want more of these pieces, we have few commissions yet, and you will get a head start on other families.”
“I see,” the Stitch-Bright said. “Thank you. We will consider your offer and get back to you tomorrow.”
Kolchais was pleased and told Paiokp as they left that ey didn’t expect such a quick acceptance. It seemed at least the fashions in the city were not stagnating.
Their next stop was a merchant family that Chotaikytsai’s family had dealt with. Here, they did not offer gifts but gave the family a swatch of the new fabric for the merchants to examine and discuss. They left the merchants with no commitment but didn’t really expect any.
They went home for midday, to stay safe from the bright hours. When they went out again, they brought Chestef with them. Paiokp had to resist the urge to pull the child close and hide em when ey noticed several places — a rotted patch on a tree trunk, a rock corner worn down to sand — that had obviously been sun-touched.
Their final stop of the day was the far-walker family Lefeng was distantly related to. Paiokp had thought Lefeng should make this visit, but Lefeng said ey preferred to keep eir relationship with them family and not business. Though how one could separate business from family was a bafflement to Paiokp.
While Chestef met and played with the farwalker younglings, Paiokp and Kolchais showed the parents the rough attempt at a sleeve Lefeng had finally finished. Lefeng still hadn’t found a way to make a shirt but was determined to keep trying. In the meantime, with the sleeve as a template, Paiokp was sure they could make socks and maybe even shoes.
The farwalker family listened as they explained their thought — that this fabric might do well for their travels in the high mountains, being warmer than woven but less hot than leather. The farwalkers were skeptical but interested. They especially liked that the fabric had a bit of stretch to it that woven linen didn’t — they thought it would be less likely to tear when caught on thorns and other obstacles of the trails.
What they liked more was that this craft required only a needle. It was something they could make for themselves if they needed to. Kolchais and Paiokp hadn’t thought of this. Of course, eventually, others would learn their techniques, and new families would pick it up… but they hadn’t planned on sharing it soon.
This time, it was Kolchais and Paiokp who made no commitments, teach a far walker something, and sooner or later, people from a month’s walk away or more will learn it — like how Lefeng had known some of the Silent Spinner’s hand speech.
But if they didn’t teach others, someone would figure it out. And it was better to get paid for teaching others than to let someone else figure it out, and they get nothing.
Kolchais and Paiokp promised to discuss it with the rest of the family. The far walkers understand their hesitation– and they won’t be journeying again for another month or so yet, so they aren’t in any rush.
That evening, the family gathered outside around the fire pit, as they had back before they finished their new home. Chotaikytsai had found or bought a bake-stone from somewhere and made flatbread over the fire that they ate with red fruit and baked tubers.
After dinner, they got comfortable. Kyawtchais pulled out eir spinning, and Kolchais lay down on the ground that slowly gave back the heat the sun had gifted it with throughout the day. Chestef came and sat on Paiokp’s lap and pestered em until ey pulled out a needle and some thread and guided Chestef’s hands through a few stitches. Ey got bored quickly, but that was to be expected at Chestef’s age. The child had several years yet before they seriously started teaching em the family craft. And as much older as ey would be than any siblings, Chestef would likely do better marrying out. As small as their family was, it was lucky that their work would be easy to do while pregnant. They didn’t have many potential Cenns, and would need to start having children soon.
Paiokp realized with a start that ey was thinking about the future, things months or years away for this family. And thinking about them as if ey would be here to see them. As if ey would be a part of them.
Across the fire, Chotaikytsai laughed as Lefeng tried to demonstrate a new stitch Kolchais had been experimenting with. Ey ended up with eir fingers tangled in the string. They didn’t need the grandparents to contribute to the work, no matter what that rotten log had accused Chotaikytsai of. But with only one child to care for and the long bright days upon them, Chotaiktysai and Tsouchm had been learning as they could.
Paiokp sighed and leaned back to look up at the stars. Lefeng was right: they were less clear in the city. But not badly so. Paiokp could still see well enough.
It was time to tell the others eir truth. Time to see if Lefeng and Tsouchm and Chotaikytsai were right and if Paiokp might truly have a place here.
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