She was perhaps more deeply moved then she would show, but Neesie rarely displayed her emotions openly, and so her gratitude could only be reflected in those two simple words and something of the way her hands had lingered on each gift. She straightened up now and lifted her head to smile a little at Aiden, though it faded soon enough into her usual serious demeanor. "I'm glad to see you," she told Aiden simply, which was not a phrase she used often.

"Lead on." He motioned to Gabriel though a warm smile was given Neesie. "I've been training more then I should. It's good to see you also, Neesie. How have you been?"

"I'll bring the buckboard down here to the lake's edge where we have more room for you to lay out the nets." Which Aiden could work on as he headed up to lead the workhorse down, slow and careful so it didn't overturn. Once parked and the brake kicked in again he would wait for the nets before piling a few lengths of wood. "While you do this, I will bring over the saw, hammers, nails." Extra stuff that would be needed. All put in two sacks wound up well he could sling over his shoulders. "Neesie, if you can help you're welcome too," wings spreading out from beneath the shirt through the slats before he was airborne. His wings had become strong since those months ago when first discovered.

"Well enough," she told him with a little movement of her shoulders. "I've moved. Perhaps Gabriel can show you where I live, sometime." She glanced then to Gabriel and from him to Raphael, conscious that they were in the process of some project. She stooped down to pick up the box of things Gabriel had given her and stepped back a little.

"Congratulations, Neesie." He knew she didn't know him well but he probably knew more of her through Gabriel. One Gabriel had taken under his wing by the looks of the gifts. Something that was good to see in his soul brother. He waited at the wagon, taking some of the lumber to lean against the side. "There are a number of shorter pieces of lumber that you could probably handle in stacking on the shadow nets."

"I'm sure he will." He chuckled as he headed to the shore. "But for now, he's putting me to work." Not that he was disagreeable to the idea. "How do you like your new home?" He could talk now while he concentrated on weaving the shadow nets. Another accomplishment in itself.

Shadow nets? She didn't voice the question but there was something of it in the way that she turned to watch what Aiden was doing. Her brow even lifted a little. Not in alarm, simply intrigued. She studied them a little longer and then took Raphael's advice and joined him at the wagon.

His fingers working, he pulled strings of shadows from larger ones and began to weave them. In a short time, there were two nets, then three. "How many do you want, Gabe?" They could expand and contract as needed.

While Aiden continued to weave, Neesie spoke up to answer his question, keeping it as brief as possible for this didn't really seem the time for an extended conversation. She imagined what Aiden was doing must require some concentration. "It's quiet and has a view of the lake." Which were, presumably, positive things.

Gabriel was back by the time Aiden asked the question. Landing to his feet as wings drew back down into the tattoo under his shirt on his back. "Three or four, we can bring the ones back as we unload them under the tree picked." He started to pile about 5 good lengths of lumber into the bigger net.

He was right by Gabriel's side to place the slats of lumber onto the nets. "Gabriel, have you tried keeping your wings out? Control over whether they are out or in?" Which he was pretty sure Gabe could do, "keep them out, get use to walking with them, doing things." There obviously was a reason or he would not suggest it. Once the one net had enough lumber, enough he could fly with, he gathered up the ends to work across the back of his neck and shoulders above where his wings would appear. The netting with the lumber would hang below like a hammock hung in a tree. Wings spread in the colors of black, blues and whites as he took wing headed for the great oak chosen down in the curve of the lake.

Neesie would help as best she could, though, in comparison to the loads that three strong men could manage, her own contribution might be small. In fact, she determined fairly quickly that she would be of more help simply staying out of the way and stepped back to where she'd set her box, settling down on the ground beside it to watch them. She tilted her head slightly as Raphael spread his wings and watched him fly off with an interested gaze before she looked back at Aiden. "Do you have wings too, that I don't know about?" she wondered with a half smile, though it was a serious question.

Gabriel gave Neesie a quick wink, maybe she could try the boots on, see how they fit and break them in before winter set in. He was piling the pieces of lumber into the second netting before taking it up much like Raphael, around the back of his shoulders to support the weight as his wings sprouted out before he took flight. This was a little heavier as he probably flew a little lower than his brother but well above the water.

He completed the fourth quickly enough then moved to start loading the nets. He chuckled and shook his head. "No wings. Only shadows to work with." Though he could run as fast as a wolf it seemed. "I'm happy with my feet on the ground."

"I think if I were to choose one or the other, shadows would fit me better," Neesie mused. Though there was something to be yearned after in the freedom of wings.

As Gabriel was coming to land at the oak, Raphael was already in flight bringing back the net as he would spread it out once landed on the sandy shore. With the other filled with lumber he would take it up, leaving the one just brought back to be filled. Which he would pile some in before back in flight. Wings stayed out, folded back in a way they were out of his way until he took off again.

Once more the two passed in flight as he was returning with the net to be filled again until all the lumber was over at the chosen tree. He had to remember to keep his wings out although that wasn't that hard as he landed but as he started over he tripped up on the tip of the one for dragging. He was down rolling and luckily since a few accidents already, had the instincts to fold them in so they didn't get harmed and still keep them out instead of the usual instantly disappearing. He was up to his feet with that kind of surprised look upon his features. Wings looked like they had been ruffled up good as he tried quick flaps to straighten out the longer flight feathers as well smooth down the more downy type.

"I'm sure if I were younger, I'd be wishing I had wings." He watched as Raphael landed, then helped him again. They could keep things moving easily enough. "But each of us have our own purpose." Even if he wasn't sure what that was yet.

Neesie made no comment regarding Gabriel's mishap, though there might have been something like the ghost of a smile at the corner of her mouth. It was not so easy, she imagined, to walk with large wings protruding from your back. She lifted her knees and wrapped her arms loosely around them as she watched.

Raphael was back again as he landed going straight over to Gabriel. He helped to set the flight feathers correctly before taking hold of the strong arched curves of the wings. Carefully positioning then back and up. "Feel how that sits, learn to hold them this way when walking and doing things. Keeps them back as well off the ground." Giving a pat on his shoulder as he stepped away. "You'll get use to it quick enough and not even  have to give it a second thought." It was how he held his wings as he was over then to help load the last of the lumber into the shadow nets. Enough for both of them to carry in one last trip.

It was easier for Raphael to fix the ruffled up feathers and he well memorized how he was shown to hold them. He could tell the difference. "So I learn something new today." For all he had learned, walking and the like with his wings remaining out was not something he'd done yet. "Don't laugh.." spoken Neesie's way with wink, chuckle too as he knew she would not laugh even for the mishap, even if it had amused her. He was over to gather up the edges of the netting to wind over the back of his shoulders and neck before he was taking flight. This part he had no problem with!

He paused to watch Gabriel then let out a little sigh of relief. He didn't look any worse for the wear and Raphael was there to help. Flashing a quick grin at Neesie, he set back to loading the nets.

He gave a nod more to himself as Gabriel picked up quickly on how to adjust his wings while on land and walking. He would need to ask him about his landing in trees. All these things would be necessary for what was coming their way. A mission. He was quick to adjust the netting over his shoulders in like before he too was in flight headed down the distance over the lake to the chosen oak.

Continued...