Akea was so excited, she was old enough to go to the nearby green market, right nearby and get some of the harder to fin vegetables for dinner. She swam delightedly out of the house with a few coins which she inspected closely, they were so cool. They made a pleasant tinkling sound when she wiggled her fingers. The green market was very close by, basically just up the beach a bit. She was there in no time. She browsed all the tables hoping Kaiko didn't mind the slightly longer wait on his supplemental greens.

She finally picked the vegetables that looked the best and stored them in the little leather backpack that her addy Ikaika had made for her. She was heading home out of the crowd when she felt a strange tug on her bag, she turned to see a small earhling youngling with flat pink crystals grasping the cucumber that was supposed to be the main ingredient in dinner.

Surprising herself she growled and lunged at the veggie, trying her best to steal it back.

"Hey, go by your own, this is for my Daddy!" She cried her squeaky war cry. It was quite loud like her parents had taught her to do if anyone tried to hastle her on her outing. Usually they had no problem here, she suspected the kid got brave because she was so small. Maybe she should pretend to have venom.

"Theif!" She howled. The kid tried to sramble away but a much taller and quicker adult earthling plucked the cucumber out of his hands and offered it to her, the kid bolted the moment the adult looked away from him. She sneered at his cowardice, he should own up and face the consequences for his actions not run away like the little twerp that he was. For the first time in her young life she was angry.
She thanked her helper and headed home on the double. Her mind was whirling with the exciting events and she couldn't wait to tell her parents. She also didn't want to bump into anyone else on this water forsaken beach. Little boys couldn't bug her as deep as she could go and she sighed in relief as the sea swallowed her again. Home. She was safe now.

Later that night when the house was very quiet she crept out of her room and looked out the window at the dark sea. As viscious as the deep was at least it was expected. On land it seemed like anything could and would happen. Imagine being accosted by someone even smaller than she! She rolled her eyes at a passing school of fish. She could see quite well, even at night in this shallow water.

Akea rested her chin on her folded up knees and watched the night go by. She loved these quiet moments of thought and drifting mind where she looked out at the depths and wondered what more was out there. She wanted to know more, wanted to explore. Except now she wanted to do it with one or both parents nearby. She seemed to be stuck at a crossroads, land and sea, she stood on the edge of both and felt increasingly curious about eat. What was deeper? What was further inland? What was through that next patch of bushes or seaweed or clearing?

She also wondered about the shear immorality of the world beyong their small garden. Her folks had always told her right from wrong and she had always believed that the rest of the world followed the same rules that her parents had laid bare before her. Evidentally that had been false. She was starting to give herself a headache. and this stuff was stressful. Her parents had tried to tell her there were bad people out there. she hadn't believed it but today it had been a kid! A little kid, younger and tinier than her and her willowy frame.

She was so confused but she also still wanted to explore. She also wished she could talk to that kid and ask him why he wanted to steal from her. If he had been hungry, why not go get his own. Cucumbers were about the cheapest vegetable out there too. Surely even he had a few coppers.

She paused, maybe that was the problem. The next day she took a little of her own money and went back to the market. She hunted around and waited until she saw the kid.

Holding him with her bicolor gaze she placed the coins on the ground and backed away, before turning around and heading home. There better than nothing. What a lone leafling was going there she had no idea. He may be an orphan. Pity she had her family were aquatic.

Oh well, she felt like she had done her part. She trickled home, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way. She returned home and read for the rest of the day, for once content simply to stay home for a little bit. It felt good to do good for others, even in small ways. She felt she had learned quite a bit during the overall mess that yesterday had been. Only the tough survive, Ikaika had told her once. But while being tough one could also be kind or empathetic. Everyone had a story after all, so did she. But her story was a very good one.

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