S'jira sat there at the end of the bed that she and Panther shared at the Loft. Against the soft layers of covers she had spread the large square of cloth where the light from the nearby window fell over it.

Heart lightened and a smile surfaced as fingerstips passed over the beaded design worked into the strongly woven cloth. The scene of Rhydin's best-known buildings against its magical horizon was improved with the hint of a dragon among the clouds. The beads were varying colors from blacks and browns to greens and blues to bring to the gaze of the onlooker a glimpse the land's beauty.

It had taken the small women months. And it was the kindly hearted Rena's request. Perhaps by then, it was assuemd to have been forgotten. But S'jira had been quietly working on it. Quiet, as she did many things within her life.

A sudden, mirthful quip left her to see how it had turned out and hoped that Rena would like it. A few longer, loosening strands of the cloth along the edges of the work were clipped off. Then she put it into the frame of wood and glass the one of the merchants had created for her, for this very pupose.

She turned it over to look upon it again, then slid from the bed to small sandal clad feet. Movement was enough to bring life to pallid material of the skirt of her sleeveless, white dress.

Down the ladder from the Loft to the livery area below before S'jira was out the door and headed to find one of the messenger boys of the city to deliver it to Rena.