As she glanced through the remaining books, one book in particular caught her eye. It was one that discussed the three main languages spoken in Rynmere, giving a little information on the people who spoke them. But it also gave lessons on how to speak each of the languages, and that was what drew Lei'lira's attention.
Their mother had insisted that she and Lazuli grew up speaking Xanthea, and their father had given in rather than argue with her. As a child, Lei'lira had been proud to know her mother's native language because it was one more thing they had in common; yet another thing that bonded them together. But now, Lei'lira was all too aware of the disservice their mother had done them. Common was the language spoken most often in Rynmere. And while one could get by knowing only Xanthea, or Rakahi, it was often difficult to understand what was going on around you, and to make yourself understood. Besides...Lei'lira loved to read. Knowing another language well enough to read books written in it would more than double what was available for her to read. Although she had managed to find a good number of books written in Xanthea, there were many more that she could not read because she didn't know Common well enough.
Lei'lira was determined to remedy this problem. While she was on her farm, it wasn't an issue since the only person she was likely to encounter on a regular basis was Lazuli, and she spoke Xanthea, too. But even though she rarely ever left the farm, she did have to venture out into the world sometimes. When she did, she needed to be able to communicate. With that thought in mind, she began to read.
There are three languages that are spoken in Rynmere; Common, Xanthea, and Rakahi. Of the three, Common is the primary language of the kingdom. It is the native language of the human race, and as humans are the predominant race in Rynmere, Common is the main language spoken. It is also the language of choice when members of two different races wish to communicate no matter where they live, as it is more likely that both parties will be able to speak Common than it is for one person to understand the native language of a race that is not their own.
That makes sense. Lei'lira thought.
Common is like a...trade language. It is spoken everywhere in the world when people of different races have to interact with each other. Whereas a person's native language would be used mostly when among their own race, or among people who know the language, and want to have a private conversation while surrounded by others who do not speak it. The book says that Common is the native language of humans, but it might be possible to say that it is the native languages of those who have mixed blood, as well. It seems likely that both parents would know Common, and they may or may not understand their spouse's native tongue. Besides...is it really fair for one parent to insist their children speak their language while they can't speak that of their other parent?
Lei'lira shook her head to clear her thoughts. Then she quickly lost herself in the book once more. The book offered a wide variety of lessons in Common. Some focused on vocabulary. Names of everything from flowers, to foods, to household items, to colors, and everything in between. Other chapters dealt with simple phrases such as greetings, asking how to get somewhere, how much something cost, or what time it was. Still others discussed grammar, and conjugating verbs. There were even chapters focused on terms and tools for specific jobs, or holidays. Utterly fascinated by what she was reading, Lei'lira devoured it all.
As she read, she would practice saying the words she learned in her head until she became familiar enough with them that she thought she could remember them. She paid close attention to how they were spelled and the tips on how to pronounce them as well as what they meant. Lei'lira also took plenty of notes. In some cases, she summarized entire chapters rather than jotting down just the important parts.
When Lei'lira looked at the other books that focused on teaching languages, she picked up more vocabulary that she copied down intently, wanting to learn it later. Most of the books she had chosen focused on Common. But there was one on Rakahi that described it as a difficult language for an outsider to learn. It offered some vocabulary as well, mostly simple phrases, and greetings. Lei'lira copied these down as well. She had always done well in school because she loved to learn, and this was no different. This was an opportunity for her to learn a little Rakahi, and she was going to take it; she liked the idea of eventually knowing at least the basics of all three of the languages spoken in Rynmere.
It was time for another break because Lei'lira's eyes were starting to feel the strain of reading so much. So she took the time to put the books she was finished with away, then went outside for a quick meal. She still has some of the supplies she'd brought for her trip, so she ate an apple, and a piece of bread as a quick meal. Both she and Lei'luna were happy for the rest, even if the wolf spirit's happiness stemmed more from a relief of boredom.
