The morning after learning about the god Durasyan from the priests, Meyrin woke to find that Elrin was the only other person up and about the waystation. He was grooming the horses in the corral, talking softly to them as he did so. By the time Meyrin had risen and refreshed himself, Elrin had moved on to grooming Jako. 

"You don't need to do that," Meyrin told him, slipping into the corral between the rails of the fence. 

Elrin smiled at him. "It didn't feel right to groom the others, but not him. I enjoy it. I find it peaceful."

Meyrin rubbed Jako's face and noted that the horse did seem to be enjoying the grooming that Elrin was providing just as much as he usually enjoyed when Meyrin did it himself. The horse was perfectly relaxed, one hind leg cocked and his ears relaxed. Meyrin knew not to reject a kind deed, so he simply asked, "Would you like my help?"

Elrin shrugged. "As I said, I enjoy the work. If you'd like, you can set up some targets to use for our shooting contest while I finish here."

Meyrin decided that that was not a bad idea. He gave Jako one more pat on the neck, then slipped back out of the corral. He chose to set the targets up so that they were not shooting in the direction of any of the structures of the waystation or where the horses were corralled. One of the targets would be a nearby tree with a large knot in the trunk, another a large branch he found and stood in the ground. It was much narrower than the tree trunk, and therefore a good challenge. When Meyrin judged that the targets were acceptable to him, as well, Meyrin retrieved his bow and strung it, then took a few arrows from his quiver.

By the time they began their match, Thallia and Sarlin had joined them to watch the match unfold. Elrin hit both targets with apparent ease, and the speed with which he did it impressed Meyrin.

"You would be an excellent choice to look to join the Tetimi, too," Meyrin observed. "I don't see how I'm any better than you are."

Elrin smiled and motioned to the targets. "Show me."

Meyrin took a breath to calm himself, telling himself there was no reason to be concerned about demonstrating his skills to Elrin. After all, this was not his test to enter the Tetimi. Even if he missed a target, it meant nothing in this moment. His biggest risk was in causing himself to feel doubt about his own abilities, but he forced himself not to think about it.

He breathed once more, then fired at each target in rapid succession, hitting very close to Elrin's arrows both times. 

"You are quite skilled," Elrin commented. "You would likely be a wonderful addition to the Tetimi."

The each fired another round with very similar results before Elrin went on, "I never thought to join the Tetimi myself. For me, the path was always to Durasyan. I wouldn't want my archery skills to be the basis of my life as it would be in the Tetimi. I wish you great luck on your personal path."

"Thank you," Meyrin replied. "You, as well."

They continued shooting for a time, each of them missing a few times, but mostly hitting the targets. Eventually, the branch Meyrin had stuck in the ground splintered and fell, though Meyrin was impressed it had stood for so long. They then moved their complete attention to the tree. As they shot they also talked, and Meyrin explained the story of how he had learned to use a bow and how he had come to be on his way to Solaris to attempt to join the Tetim Lanali. Elrin had also learned to shoot in order to hunt, going on hunting treks with his father and uncle at a young age, but always knowing where his calling was. Meyrin confessed some of his fears of being on his own in Solaris, fears he had been trying to ignore. He knew little of city life and the true ways of the world. 

"You will meet many new people very quickly," Elrin assured him. "And if you are ever lost or feel unsafe, find a temple. It doesn't matter what god the temple is to, if you enter and state that you have lost your way, someone will help you. If it's directions you need, they will give them or guide you. If it's spiritual help you need, they will give it. If you are facing rogues of any kind, they can protect you for a time. If what you need is not something they can provide, they will direct you to someone who can."

"How do I know when I've found a temple?" Meyrin asked.

"All temples in Solaris have a great spire rising up from the roof, topped with the symbol of the temple's god. This is to make them easier to find for those seeking them. They are all scattered across the city, not all on one street. This means you are rarely far from one."

"Is that so someone always has one to turn to?"

Elrin shrugged. "I think it has more to do with when each one was built and what that area of the city was known for at the time. Times change. The newest ones are already two hundred years old, and many are older."

Before they parted a short time later, Elrin presented Meyrin with an amulet that depicted the rose symbol of Durasyan. "To remind you that love does not need to be directed toward anyone but yourself, and that love that does go toward someone need not be intimate. Pleasure does not need to be sexual or even physical. It may be as simple as shooting your bow with a stranger you met on the road."

Meyrin smiled and took the amulet, thankful to have met Elrin and the others. He knew he had much more to learn about world outside of his aunts' inn, but he felt he had learned much in just a few days. He slipped the amulet on over his head and tucked it into his shirt.

"Thank you."