She listened as he answered her. She had been wondering how Arvaelyn was doing, as she hadn’t had the opportunity to see him in a while. And with his new status, she didn’t think he would be much interested in their tea and dessert dates, even if he had the time for them. But she was glad that he was doing well. That the things he had wanted were coming true for him, and that he was hopefully happy with all of it. “I miss seeing him for our tea and cafe visits. But he’s been so busy with everything that’s happened since the Jubilee. To be fair, so have I,” Hilana admitted. She had lessons with multiple teachers, her work continued, she had camel racing with Hayima’el. She had a veritable zoo of reptiles, venomous and otherwise, that she handled regularly and often, and not to mention she spent a lot of time milking them for their venom in the evenings. Risdra needed loving. She was socializing Fiya, and if her newest little snake hadn’t been digesting her rat, she would have gotten her out to show Finn. But there would be other times.
All the same, she would have to find out the next time she saw Finn what his Amatus thought of this surprise. She didn’t know if Arry had forgotten it since they had discussed it that day in the Temple of Midnight’s Mother, but it would be a nice treat. When he spoke of it being difficult to get used to servi waiting on him hand and foot, the girl chuckled. She was well familiar with that, he knew: when she was in Tertium, there were servi everywhere, and the girl didn’t even hardly have the opportunity to dress herself. But on the other hand, she worked her tail off in the Sands, and out there, her status meant nothing to her companions. Sure, Equestrians were only one step above Plebeians, but Finn had likely met enough of them by now to know the broad majority of them took that step very seriously.
Hilana, on the other hand, simply didn’t give a flying cupcake.
“There is a great benefit to anonymity. Many don’t understand the power of moving quietly and unnoticed. The veil affords you a certain fear and respect, too. Do you find that amongst the people you come across while in your uniform?” she was curious. But there was a truth to that, a power to be found in being silent and moving in the shadows. She was learning. Slowly, perhaps, but she was learning. With the marshmallow in the pans setting, Hilana moved them to the counter and indicated for Finn to make himself comfortable at the table. She would hang his apron up for him, too, and take off her own. “How are your shoulders and arms feeling? I have a muscle balm for you,” the herbalist took a squat, but wide-mouthed glass jar off of the counter. The jar was opaque, a milky blue colour obscuring the contents from the outside. But it had the Herbal Remedies label on it, and set it on the table. If he wanted to open it, he might well pick up some of the herbs his cheerful paedagogus had taught him about: arnica, juniper berry, and eucalyptus among them. She could apply it and massage it in for him if he liked, but she had half a mind to do it anyway - apply it before the burning ache starts, and get ahead of it. But Finn was plenty strong, and he was well-practiced in terms of exercising.
“I did ask Prince Phocion if I could borrow a Wyvern,” Hilana admitted when Finn made his offer, getting out some brightly coloured ceramic plates and putting them down for them, and grabbing knives, forks, and spoons. Using oven mitts, she pulled the rice and chicken dish from the oven and set it on the table. “He agreed because they want this found, too. And while I’ve had a few lessons… I’m not quite there in terms of piloting one myself, especially since I don’t have Mesmer to bridge the gap between us. But if you’d like to come along, I’d be grateful for it. I’ve gotten permission from his Dominus for my friend Khyan to come along, since he has a lot of experience with Wyverns and he’s a Master Sembler. His Dominus likely will come too, but that depends on what all he has going. But if you came… then we’ll get two birds with one stone,” she put a large serving spoon in the roasting dish and urged him to help himself with a smile and a nod before topping up their hibiscus teas. After grabbing a stack of pita breads and putting them down between them, she joined him at the table. “Since you can fly the Wyvern… once Khyan does his Sembling at the site, you could make a portal back to the city for him and Dominus Æros, and we can continue on to make your delivery to Syren's temple.”
