Tolia peers in the doorway, and, seeing as she's not interrupting lessons or anything, slips in. "Kae!" A smile breaks on her countenance, sudden sunshine illuming her features.

Kae, who was reaching up to the top shelf for something, pauses in her stretch and turns her head in the direction of the door, the rest of her body following as she realizes who is standing in the doorway. "Oli!" she exclaims in return, giving her student-turned-friend a bright grin.

Tolia stands in the doorway for a moment, just beaming at Kaeryn. "You look great!" she exclaims finally as she steps closer. "How are you? How's Brencia? When can I meet her?" All the questions come at once, as usual.

"Finally beginning to look like the same old Kae again, aren't I?" Kae laughs as she unconsiously runs her hand over her now-flat-again stomach. "I'm good, Brencia is perfect, and even better, she's perfectly sleeping right now. Will later be alright? I'd really hate to wake her if I don't have to," she nods her head in the direction of her room and grins, "T'rell's taking a nap as well, since he was up with her all night last night so I could sleep."

Tolia's eyebrows rise, amused. "He did? Wow. I'm stunned. Yeah, I *guess* I can wait." She leans against the wall, watching Kaeryn. "How is it, then? You all getting on famously or what?"

"Yesterday was very," Kae licks her lips and runs her fingers through her hair as she tries to find a word to suit the previous day's events. "Very trying for me, tiring, I guess. And he's really good with her, and she definitely loves him as much as he loves her, even for her young age." She turns again to reach for the paints that are on the highest shelf and adds, "I guess it runs in the family."

Tolia takes a minute to marvel. "Wow. Good ol' uncle T'rell, gettin' all domestic. Incredible." She chuckles. "I guess it was a good thing I didn't look for you guys yesterday, if it was such a busy day for you, then."

"Just wait until you see him with his little girl," Kae sets the tray filled with paint bottles on the table and begins opening them, one at a time. "I'd swear he can talk to her as easily as he can speak with Sejith, because it seems they understand each other better than I'll ever understand either of them." A stool is claimed for her use, and she settles down into it, pulling a paintbrush from her usual storage place for them...behind her ear. "So, how are you?"

As if on cue, Oli suddenly grabs for a sturdy shelf, closing her eyes just in time to hear Kaeryn's cheery inquiry about her health. "Oh, you know," she tries to cover, opening her eyes, "Same as usual. All that sea air, you know." With exertion of will, she just keeps her position against the wall, thank-you-very-much.

Kae may not be a healer, but perhaps being a mother has made her a little more attentive to the actions and health of others. Mother's intuition, you know. "So why is it that you seem..." she studies Oli quietly for a moment before lifting her shoulders into a slight shrug, "maybe I just haven't seen you for entirely too long. Come, have a seat, let's catch up, shall we?"

Tolia almost begins to push away from the wall, then stops with a casual, "I'm fine standing. Nice comfortable walls you've got here." Yeah, that's it. Even in the last minute, she's grown pale, but she at least can't tell. "I can't believe she's already three months old, by my count," she directs the topic.

"About three and a half, actually," Kae gently corrects as she dips the brush into the jar of blue paint and motions toward the chair again. "Come, sit. You look like you could use a little non-moving rest and relaxation, you know."

"You're not kidding," Oli agrees, a touch ruefully and with unusual tension evident in her tone. Still she hasn't moved; her knuckles whiten as her grasp on the shelf becomes tighter.

"Do you need a little help?" Kae pushes her stool back from the table and gets to her feet again and moves around the table to stand beside her friend. "Let me give you a hand, alright?" she offers, holding her arm out for Oli to take.

"Yes." Tolia's tone is choked with defeat as she accepts her friend's support. "Thank you."

Kaeryn moves closer to Oli as her assistance is accepted, allowing herself to be used as support, and holds out the other in case it's needed as well. "Let's just get you into a chair, right here," she takes very small, very slow steps toward the nearest seat.

Tolia needs all the support Kaeryn can give, and when she finally collapses into the chair, she closes her eyes and cradles her face in her hands. "I'm sorry." The words are muffled, and she takes two deep breaths before straightening her shoulders and sitting up again with a sigh.

The concerned Kae drops to her knees beside Oli's chair, and puts her hand on her arm, "Is there anything I can get for you, or do for you? Do you need a healer?"

Tolia starts to shake her head, but stops the injudicious movement in favor of speech. "No, thanks. I saw the healers yesterday already." She closes her eyes; it keeps the room from spinning so fast. "The only thing they suggested was fellis, but I don't really feel like being knocked out right now." She gives a half-amused snort. "But if you could just stop spinning the room, I'd feel much better."

"I don't think even *I* can do that," Kae teases apologetically, squeezing Oli's arm before she gets to her feet and pulls a nearby chair over. "So, how long has *this* been going on?"

Tolia squeezes Kaeryn's hand back gratefully. "About ten days or so, I think. Since Seacliffs." She sighs, squinting to focus on Kaeryn. "This is as bad as it's been, though. Shells!" She leans back in the sturdy chair, simply trusting that it won't fall over. "But you can imagine how it is at sea, when everything's moving already. It's a wonder I stayed aboard until we docked." She gives Kaeryn a half-grin. "But I had to, or I'd miss seeing you."

"I'm definitely pleased you decided to come and see us," Kae grins, her blue eyes twinkling mischeviously. "Besides, I could use someone to watch Brencia while I paint sometimes, when she isn't sleeping, of course."

Tolia grins, secure at least in the chair and confident that at least in this room, it's impossible to be washed overboard. "I'd be happy to watch her for you," she agrees readily. "Soon as I meet this cousin o' mine. So what're you painting now?" Curiousity reasserts itself, though you'll understand if she doesn't get up to go see.

"Just a little something that I thought your dear uncle might appreciate," Kae grins and motions toward the canvas resting on the table. "I thought he might like a portrait of his darling daughter to hang in his weyr, for Sejith, of course."

Tolia beams again, all concern washed away. "How sweet."