Kasumi was sitting in her favorite tree just a short walk away from her home. It had a lower branch that she could access easily that was horizontal to the ground before it reached up as if it was meant to be the perfect little seat for her to find. Her mind was running through some of the things she had overheard in the main camp earlier today while she had been out with her Mom. Many of the older Elarian seemed excited about some meeting that had happened back in their former home on Yael. Apparently the elarian mystic had asked for help from the Alkidike mystic when their mother tree had appeared to be sick. It had been at this point in which her mother had heard the conversation and steered them closer to the growing group. They started talking about how the two mystics met in Zinris and how the alkidike mystic, whom Kasumi later learned was named Danika, shared some well kept secrets about their mother tree Aisha and shed some light on the fact that Elzira wasn’t sick but was going through a puberty! The elders went off on some tangent about what it meant for the extremist group they had recently been a part of and even what it meant for Esena if it ever happened to either of the two new trees. What really got Kasumi’s attention, however, was when they got back on track with the news that had been sent about how there was going to be peace between the Chibale Alkidikes and the Extremists! This seemed to bring mixed feelings to those around her and even when Kasumi looked up at her mother’s face she noticed that her brow was furrowed in thought.

It brought up a conversation she’d had fairly recently with an elarian who was just a little older than herself, about her sister’s age. Shikoba had explained that the two groups had just felt so vastly different about things that they couldn’t get along and be happy and that was also the cause of the group of Elarians who left Yael for Kahikina. After that discussion with Shikoba, Kasumi found herself thinking about it quite a bit. For someone as cheerful and kind as herself, it was hard for her to imagine disagreeing with someone so much that it would cause such a rift amongst one group of people. Yet, it had happened, not once but three times from what she understood. The original extremist group who got exiled to Yael. The group who left Yael for Kahikina. And the group that left Chibale for the other island in the north. It really puzzled her how one group of people could be so different. It was one thing or another when it came to the Alkidikes and the Elarians and then now with her own sisters and those of the tree in Belrea, there were clear physical differences. But yet, the elarians grew up around the extremists and _most_ had adopted their way of thinking and such had happened with her own sisters and the Elarians and the handful of Alkidikes that had traveled here. Kasumi rubbed her head. There were so many little things that didn’t make sense to her yet. Why couldn’t everyone just be happy and care for eachother, it really wasn’t that hard! She groaned and leaned back against the trunk of the tree and let her feet hang on either side of the branch. Kasu supposed that was one of the jobs of the mystics and the elders anyhow right? To care for all under them? She couldn’t help but wonder how all of those people had let such hate belong in so many aishan’s hearts that it festered, it just didn’t make sense to Kasumi. It was why it interested her so much to hear that finally two of the mystics had found reason enough to put aside their differences in order to try and help one another. Or rather, the alkidike mystic had helped which apparently was surprising considering she really hadn’t needed it. In any case, there was to be peace. Just the thought of that, of no one fighting, filled Kasumi with joy. Yet, she felt a sliver of worry deep inside. If there was going to be peace back on Yael...if the reasons why her Momma and Miovadi had left in the first place were removed...would they want to go back? It worried her if they would just leave her. But they wouldn’t do that right? They loved her. Would she be able to leave Esena if they asked and wanted to go home? Kasumi really wasn’t sure. The thought of that decision filled her with dread. Thankfully, it wasn’t one she had to make now, or hopefully ever. Hopefully everyone would just be able to enjoy the new found peace amongst the Aishans.

[819 words]