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 Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 7:37 pm
Alizeh had wandered off a bit too far this time. She’d gone out with her Oma for hunting but when Akel had been distracted she’d snuck off. It wouldn’t be too long before she was found since her Oma had brought Yava along with her and if nothing else the insect was good at sniffing things out. One of these days she’d find out how the mainland familiar did it and trick it, but for now she was more interested in seeing what she could find before her mother dragged her back. It was likely that her wandering off habits would land her in trouble, possibly grounded from going out hunting. Ali just needed to make sure her Mata didn’t find out that she liked to sneak off. Mata was a worrier.
It was later in the afternoon close to when the sun hid behind the horizon but Alizeh didn't seem too worried about it. Instead she perked up a bit when she noticed signs of a village through the trees. Her steps slowed down some so that she could watch where she was going and step over any fallen branches. She didn't want to make any noise or sudden movements and spook the fragile earthlings she'd heard so much about. It worried her that they were easily spooked. It made her wonder if they scattered like bunnies did when they heard a sudden sound.
As she got closer and closer she kept an eye out for any random earthling. Her head moved this way and that and she even seemed to duck and raise up on tip toe as she looked. When she finally spotted one she smiled. In the dark it was easier to find them since their eyes glowed. The yaeli she was looking at was still a ways away but coming toward her and doing some kind of thing but she couldn't tell what. To not scare them she stayed by the tree and didn't move as she watched and waited.
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 8:10 pm
Over the years Esai had gotten into the habit of finishing up his chores early in the afternoon so that he could have a few moments to himself before heading into the woods towards the south of the village. After all the darker Yaeli constantly had to be on guard for random visitors at his family home - a result of his unique heritage and his supposed ability to destroy curses and bestow the gods' blessings on others who needed aid - and so he found himself rather relaxed whenever it came to hanging up talismans around the edges of the village. Esai had already replaced the painted talismans around the entrance to the village and had made his way towards the forest to replace those he had hung a week or so ago in the trees. Many of the local villagers were wary of the ancient forest, the darkness there intimidating along with the creatures and spirits that prowled its depths. The older generation were especially superstitious and had grown up with the talismans being handed down from their own parents and grandparents. It was no surprise then that his mother had eagerly agreed to take up the task whenever she first moved into the village with her husband and it was common for many to see her with her youngling wandering along as she placed up the hand painted talismans around the edges of the village. Now that he was older Esai had completely taken over the role to ease his mother's burdens and many were happy with the transition considering how they believed Esai brought even more strength to the talismans with his presence alone.
Usually Esai felt completely confident while he walked around the edges of the woods but tonight something felt off. Acting as a protector for so many had honed his senses and the teen couldn't help but to feel more sensitive to his surroundings. When he placed the first charm in a tree, the bells attached to it letting out a faint chiming sound as a breeze brushed through the forest, Esai almost expected an animal to dart from the shadows. When nothing appeared he found himself frowning slightly but continued on with his task. If anything it would mean that he should quickly put up the talismans to prevent whatever presence he was feeling from entering and harming the village in anyway. Curiosity, however, was slowly getting the best of him and so after placing up the third charm on a tree further away from the village itself the teen found himself turning and surveying the outer woods once more. "Hello?" He called out, his voice surprisingly calm and deep despite the mixture of feelings twisting in his stomach. Was he just imagining it or was there really something out there watching him?
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 8:24 pm
She stayed where she was and watched as the person, who she now realized was no a girl like her and the rest of the Elaira, came closer. It was strange that they were putting things on trees though. The bell sounds made her want to move and come out to see what it was but she stayed put to keep from scaring them. Earthlings were fragile things that spooked easy, she reminded herself. By the time Esai spoke up he was already right by her tree. It was strange. Had she been seen? No. Alizeh watched as he seemed to look around but never right at her. So then he must just feel that weird feeling of being watched. She got it sometimes too when she was playing and one of her mothers was watching out the window of the house. She moved as quietly as possible once Esai was looking the other way. Ali was half behind him some six or so feet away when she stepped on a twig and it snapped under her foot. Instantly she looked down at it and froze. "That's why we watch where we put our feet Alizeh.." She muttered to herself. Remembering that she could have spooked the yaeli she slowly widened her eyes and peeked up. Had he gone running off like a scared rabbit? "Hi." A single word was spoken to Esai in greeting and her voice was typical of a little kid. Soft and kinda squeaky.
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 8:50 pm
There just had to be something out here. Esai just couldn't shake the strange feeling that was hovering over him, a creeping sensation that made him swear that someone or something was watching. Perhaps the spirits were trying to distract him from his duties? The thought made the Yaeli press his lips into a tight line as he moved on from tree to tree with the talismans. He would not fail those who relied on him to protect their home no matter the risk to himself. Honestly Esai was almost more thankful than startled whenever he heard the snapping twig. At least it proved that he wasn't simply being paranoid! Bracing himself for whatever was approaching, whether a beast or worse, Esai was even more surprised to find himself face to face with a youngling....instead of some wild animal or spirit. Though if he hadn't paid attention to the stories of wanderers the teen may have mistaken the Elarian youngling for a spirit with how strange she looked.
One of the invaders? Were they considered that still? Rumors of potential peace had spread but many of the Yaeli refused to acknowledge that such at thing could be possible with the race that had disturbed so many of their lives with their violent invasion of their lands. Even if they were limited to a small area of Yael, their encampment in the woods away from the cities, the Extremists and their children had destroyed homes and lives like some plague when they first arrived. In later years things had seemingly calmed down but it was still dangerous to even go near those woods and not uncommon for Yaeli to return injured, if they even returned at all, from venturing into the invader's territory. Esai knew that his own mother had trama from the Extremists but he personally had never interacted with one before to make his own opinion. If anything he was rather shocked instead of scared whenever the youngling spoke up. What was she doing all the way out here and why was she so young? It was hard to be terrified of a child even if she was from some sort of dangerous race that had killed so many of his own before. Others may have run away but Esai simply approached and crouched down so that he could study the girl more, "Hello there little one." He replied quietly with a small smile. "I don't think you belong here....are you lost?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:15 pm
She stood absolutely still and watched. Alizeh was staring at Esai like some kind of cute fuzzy animal that would high tail it out of there at the slightest movement. As the yaeli seemed to be going through his own thoughts she was going through hers. Her green eyes moved down to look at the teen as a whole. From feet to the top of his head she looked him over. Body mass alone had her comparing him to the fierce warriors of her own village. When he approached her she didn't step back like any normal scared child would, instead she brought her hands together in front of her at chest level. There she fidgeted with her fingers and lowered her head a little to avoid making eye contact. If anything she looked... shy? He repeated his greeting but added to it and that made her bring her hands up just enough so that she was fidgeting in front of her mouth. "Hello bunny." Since earthlings were supposed to be frail and easily spooked like rabbits she figured she could name this one 'Bunny.' Her solid colored eyes moved again, barely discernable, and she met his gaze. She even returned his smile. When asked if she was lost she shook her head slowly. "No. I was looking for you." Ali swayed on her feet before her weight shifted to the left and her right foot scuffed the ground a little like she meant to kick at the dirt.
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 10:11 pm
Amusement flashed through his dark gaze as she called him bunny. Did he somehow remind her of those floppy eared creatures that darted through the forest's underbrush? A hand nearly reached up to touch his ear at the thought before he forced it back to his side. "Esai." He offered with a soft chuckle, "That's my name." He was still baffled about why a youngling would be so far away from home and more wary that it could mean older invaders were out and about so close to his village. Part of him wished that he had taken his training staff into the forest with him tonight but another part of him was worried about scaring the little one. He just had to pray to the gods that she was actually alone or if someone was looking for her that they didn't mean his village harm. Thankfully he had been the one to run into the youngling, Esai could only imagine the chaos that her appearance would have brought if anyone else had found her first.
His confusion increased more when she responded to him. "Looking for me?" He replied with a slight frown. There was no way that any of the invaders would care about him and his gifts....right? The teen shook his head before offering an apologetic smile towards the youngling, "I'm sorry but I don't understand. What do you mean by that?" Esai kept his gaze on her though he was listening intently to the area around them just in case someone else was lurking nearby.
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 10:33 pm
She noticed the slight movement of his hand toward his ear and she smiled even brighter. Alizeh gave a small shake of her head to signify that wasn't the reason why she had nicknamed him that. Of course when he gave her a name she was surprised to know he had one. Though the more she thought about it the more it made sense that he would have one. "Alizeh. That's my name." She pointed at herself with both hands.
Since he was crouched down in front of her she looked him over again, taking in the details she missed before. Ali reached out with both hands as his confusion reached his face. Her small hands cupped his cheeks just as he asked her to explain. "Not you you but one of you. An earthling. My Oma told me of one before. Said he was cute but easily spooked. Like a rabbit." Her fingers, if her allowed for it, would trace the edges of his face and then go to his ears. Alizeh was amazed with his different features and when she got to his downward ears she trued to see if he had any tendrils behind them like she had. "You are big. What do they feed you? Oma and Mata say if I eat right then I can grow big and strong."
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 8:25 am
"Alizeh." Esai repeated the name softly before freezing in place at the sudden touch. He was accustomed to others randomly reaching out and touching him, a slight touch to his arm to try and steal some luck and a lot of hand grasping whenever someone was thanking him or begging him for help, but he had not expected the youngling to touch him so willingly. Nor had he expected that she would be holding his face! A strange twist indeed. Esai stayed perfectly still as he patiently stayed in place and allowed Alizeh to trace the edges of his well defined face, the tickling sensation of his ears being touched making the teen nearly falter before he caught himself once more.
"There are many who are like your rabbits." Esai admitted softly, amusement making his silver gaze gleam as he reflected on how others would have reacted to the presence of the invader's daughter, "However, I don't spook that easily." It was his duty to be brace and strong so that he could protect his family and the villagers who relied on him. Once he felt the little fingers trailing behind his ears, Esai left out a chuckle before moving so that he could settle on the soft ground where a large patch of moss grew from around the tree base. "Did I pass your inspection? I suppose I am big because I eat so many of the herbs from the garden and lots of fish while working hard at training every day. Do you eat similar things?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 6:43 am
She was mostly amazed at the fact that he hadn't pulled away or run when she touched his face. Her eyes went from the side of his face where her hands were to his eyes as he said that many were like rabbits but he wasn't easily spooked. Alizeh gave a smile and then giggled. Her little head gave a nod. "Yes. I like your eyes. They glow and its pretty." Her hands stayed were they were though, as if she forgot to put them down. "I eat those thigs too but I'm not that big." She didn't really train everyday though. She would rather sit and play with dolls for now. After a second a thought occurred to her and she stood on her tip toes to try and be taller than him while he was crouched down. "How old are you? Will you get really tall?" Did earthlings get as tall as the Elaria?
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2020 8:29 pm
The admission caught him by surprise and Esai found himself pausing before letting out a quiet laugh. It was hard to be afraid of such an innocent and honest child. "Thank you. Yours are a very lovely shade of green." He offered, his habit of being courteous resurfacing as he gave the compliment in return. It was simply rude not to give some sort of praise in return, right? With every passing moment Esai found himself more relaxed around the little one and was more concerned for her well being than his own. Did she know her way home? Was she okay being out so far like this? Perhaps he should risk escorting her back just to be safe? There were many dangerous creatures that roamed the woods that cared nothing about one's race since for them any prey was still prey.
"Give it time and it will happen. You just need to be patient and keep doing your best to keep strong." Replied Esai with amusement as he noticed her antics to appear taller and he couldn't help leaning back a bit so that he was looking towards her. "I'm still fairly young about fourteen summers so not really an adult yet. I suppose that means I may grow a few more inches but I doubt I will be able to match your warriors." He personally had never seen one until this child appeared but the stories always told of towering women who stood above the tallest of Yaeli. Esai had the feeling that when she was an adult that she wouldn't need to push herself to stand above him. "What do you have? About one more moon before you're fully grown?" He added teasingly as he studied the Elaria some more.
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Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 4:45 pm
The compliment gained him a cute grin, one that revealed a secret. Dimples! "Thank you! They look just like my sister's. She's my twin." Alizeh seemed proud of that fact. Her little shoulders went back and her chest puffed up. Like having a twin sister was an honor. When he leaned back her hands came away from his face and she had to use her fingers to count out how many summers he'd mentioned. It took her a second with some confusion on what to do when she reached ten. The girl settled for looking down at her toes and counting off four more digits. Once she was done she looked back up at Esai with wide eyes. "Thats a lot. I'm not on my toes yet!" Her hands dropped back to her sides and she fidgeted. "Nooo.. I'm only nine summers. I can't even hold a sword so I can't be a warrior." There seemed to be some disappointment there.
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Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 10:12 pm
Esai smiled. "I wonder how the world manages with the two of you instead of one." He teased lightly though he did feel some concern. Was her twin sister nearby? How did the little one get so far out by herself? He truly hoped that her family didn't come after her and encounter any of the villagers. Esai could only imagine the terror they would feel and worried about any potential fights.
He couldn't help chuckling at her disappointment. "It won't take long before you reach your toes, I promise." The Yaeli shook his head slightly, "You'll be holding a sword before you know it. Is that what you like? Swords?" He was honestly curious since he didn't know much about the Elaria and the weapons they would prefer. Even Esai wasn't certain about what weapon he would pick up if he decided to take up the path of a warrior one day. He would have to decide soon though since he knew that training would begin soon, he could only do so much without picking a particular style to learn for his future.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 6:04 am
"Very carefully." She supplied in answer to his question. Alizeh was the shy one of the two, especially in crowds. It amazed her that she had spoken to the earthling, Esai, so willingly without the coaxing of her twin. Ali chalked it up to curiosity. She also knew her sister didn't like earthlings, just like her Mata didn't. Her Oma, Akel, said the younger earthlings were alright and cute in a baby animal kind of way. When asked if she liked swords she took a second to think about it then shook her head. "No. They hurt my hands." Alizeh paused just a bit more before she moved so that she stood in an archers position. One hand out stretched in front of her like she was holding something and the other flexed back like she was pulling something. "I like the bow." Her stance was sloppy but she was also using an imaginary bow. " What about you? Maybe I can get my Oma to get you a sword or a bow." Surely if she asked then her mother would get her anything.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 3:50 pm
Another soft chuckle left his lips as he watched the youngling. It seemed the world would have to be very careful indeed. How was it that his people were so terrified of this race? What changed by the time they grew older that made things so different? It was a shame honestly because he couldn't find it in himself to feel any hate for the girl even despite the atrocities that her own kind had done to his grandmother. He had been blessed by the gods to rid others of curses so perhaps it just wasn't in him to feel hate even against the invaders and their children.
"A bow is nice. I think your elbow should be a bit more tilted." He found himself instructing as he slowly rose to his own feet so that he could demonstrate. "My father enjoys archery so I've learned a bit from him." Esai frowned thoughtfully at her question as he pondered things once more. "I'm not certain honestly. I want to be able to protect others but choosing a weapon that fits me is difficult." Still Esai found himself smiling as he reached down to pat the girl's shoulder in appreciation. "Thank you for your offer, Alizeh, but I don't want you to get in trouble with your Oma because of me. Won't she be worried since you're not home right now?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 5:38 am
When he corrected her on her technique she watched him closely, paying attention to his arms. Alizeh adjusted her elbow to match his, though without an actual bow in her hand she couldn't tell if it was right or wrong. Maybe when she got home she could ask her mothers for one. "Really!? My Oma uses a spear. And Mata has swords. Its fun to watch them spar." Despite having different weapons her mothers went against one another for fun all the time. It made Ali giggle. As he said that it was difficult to choose a weapon she looked at him. She only knew of weapons used in her own society. "You look strong, so.. swords." A firm nod followed. When he put his hand on her shoulder she blinked in surprise at first but it turned into a full grin as she beamed up at him. "Oma won't be mad. She has her own earthling. His name is... His name is.." A hand was brought up so that she could tap a finger to her mouth as she thought. "Kolan? Catlin? Caolan! Yeah, Caolan." She nodded again. "And Oma is out in the woods too. We went hunting but I got curious and wanted to find Caolan. She said he was small like me and collects stuff to make paint." As she spoke her hands moved to illustrate her words, Ali pointed to the dark woods behind her, then reached up to measure her own height, and finally put both hands together to make a basket. When she was done she looked at Esai and smiled. "But I found an Esai bunny instead."
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