Night fell upon Soldul, dark as ever, and Malta enjoyed the way the darkness flowed over the soft leaves like velvet. Nighttime was pretty, moreso because she was protected from its dangers.
Regeel had been reprimanded recently for abandoning her the other night, and he wasn't going to be pulling a stunt like that anytime soon. Her cousins thought she'd tattled on him, but she hadn't. -He'd just been stupid enough to try to court his female friend (all but Kumog had one) after he'd left her in the forest alone, in front of the elders.
The other two were off tonight - it was a big night for them, their first sacred ritual battle, and they had to prepare. For the glory of Soudana, her mother had said - the first words Katangi had said to her daughter in months.
Malta hadn't seen a ritual battle herself. She wasn't Diabi, so she wasn't required to attend or, possibly, permitted, though she wasn't sure about the latter. There had only been one other ritual battle since she'd come here to Soldul anyway, and she'd been out herb hunting that night.
It was, though, an auspicious night. She could feel it - a sort of depth to the darkness, a finality and awareness of something greater than the mere shadows.
"Find any of you'r little fluffballs yet?" asked Regeel, growling at the lightless waters of Korafiel.
"No." said Malta. She'd thought that it would be a good night to pick some more fluffotton, but apparently they were not in this part of the lakeshore, which was a shame.
"This is a waste of time."
Regeel always said that, but Malta knew he was wrong. Time was never really wasted, she felt. It was always used, and fairly well at that. "I'm sad you think so." she said politely, sniffing around the lakeshore.
"Liar." scoffed Regeel, "You do this on purpose, don't you. You like forcing warriors to waste their time protecting a useless flower-picking lump like you." he glared, "Get over yourself"
"I didn't force you." she mumbled unhappily. He was being unfair, but he was always unfair. Her earfins drooped sadly. She'd really wanted to get along with her cousins, to make them like her, but she didn't think it would ever happen.
He was quiet, mumbling things under his breath that Malta pretended not to hear. She decided to give up on the Fluffotton for now and change sites - there were other lakeside herbs that she wanted to use. "So..." she said, breaking the silence, "How did it go? Uhm... with her?"
"Who?"
"That, uhm, female you like..." Malta couldn't remember her name. She felt she had to ask, as family, though as she said it and the silence was broken, she realized that Regeel would probably hate her more.
She braced for his anger.
"Tzari?" he sighed, and she was surprised to see his anger recede. "Not well." he confided, "She won't have me. I've talked to her again and again, and I've shown my prowess in the fights. I don't know why..."
Malta looked back at him, feeling sorry for her cousin. "Have you... uhm... tried gifts?" she asked, wanting to be helpful.
He glared at her intently with his shining yellow eyes. "Gifts?!" he growled, uncertain.
"Mmm! Gifts! Like, uh... Flowers? Pretty things?" she asked, encouraged by his lack of anger.
He scoffed. "She isn't weak like you, Malta." she couldn't remember hte last time he'd called her by name. "She wouldn't care about flowers or pretty things. She's a warrior." he said scornfully.
"Well, uh... What about fresh kills?" Malta offered, ignoring the insult - she got it so often, and it was true. "Maybe she'd like that?"
Regeel stared at her as if she'd grown an extra head. "You mean... bring her things I've killed?" he shuffled his wings, "Thats... thats actually a good idea." he mumbled. Malta beamed at him, pleased. He looked around for a moment, then grinned. "And that will do nicely!" he said. Malta looked over to where his gaze fell, seeing a shelled, red-backed creature - a Drouil - meandering about nearby.
Malta was not a hunter herself, but she watched him, smiling, as he set out to attack it. She was happy that he liked her idea, and didn't mind violence when she didn't have to do it. It did occur to her that it was hypocritical, but... meat was also tasty. And he had liked her idea!
His claws skittered on the shell, and the drouil reacted with a lash of its stingered tail. Or several lashes - it was hard to tell. The drouil was ferocious, and Malta knew it was poisonous. Normally, she did not interfere in her cousin's fights, but as she saw Regeel stagger and fall, she felt she had to.
"Get away from him!" she yelped, running at the drouil and trying to be as big and scary as she could. It snapped at her, then ran, as she bared her teeth at it.
She kept chasing it for a few feet before returning to her cousin's side...
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