Being caught in a storm was the last thing Heike had expected to happen when she set out that morning to explore more of the strange forests she now found herself in. Vastly different from the tall trees of Jauhar that made her feel tiny, Yael's many cracks in the earth full of water and the mist forever clinging to the air made her feel overwhelmed. Like the tops of the trees were crowding down on her. The Elidae had taken to walking the wilderness a few times a week, until she had become more used to it, studying the different signs left behind by the creatures that inhabited the world just out of her sight. Mostly. A pair of Quristine glided away from her when she carelessly allowed a twig to snap under her boot, their white horns slicing through the mist.
Above her, the sky had been clear for much of the day. She wouldn't have left Zinris if it had showed even the smallest hint of bad weather. The rain she didn't mind, but a thunder storm would be a different matter. Heiked shifted the spear on her back as the clouds started to darken and push together, as the first few drops of rain fell on her head and shoulders. She was a long way from Zinris, but maybe if she was fast enough she could make it back in time before it got worse. Unforunately, get worse it did. And fast. Suddenly the sky opened and released all the water that had hung heavy in the clouds, drenching the Aishan in seconds. Heike grumbled under her breath. A little rain, she didn't mind. This was more than a little rain. She would need shelter and to wait it out before she continued back. It took her a little bit of searching, with the thunder rolling overhead, to find a small cave to hide underneath. To her surprise, someone else had had the same idea. Even more surprising, she thought she recognized the other woman.
"Well," the Elaria said, hands going on hips as she studied the Elidae who had just joined her. "You are certainly the last person I expected to find out here. Or on Yael, for that matter, even if I did know you were coming here." Heike stepped further beyond the opening to the cave, shaking off the raindrops from her hair with a shake of her head. She had been a bit worried at first when she saw the other shadow further in, but now she was completely at ease.
"You know why I am here," Heike agreed quietly, wringing out water from a single dread by her face. "Why are you here? I thought you were settled back in Emeka."
Lali shrugged, settling back down on the ground and pulling out her dagger. She held a block of wood in one hand that she slowly began to scrape at. "Same as you. Visiting family. I got a letter not long after you left, my sister and her wife had been granted a few blooms that had recently opened. I couldn't stay away with that going on, could I?"
Heike merely nodded, picking a spot by the wall to sit down and lean against, pulling her spear across her shoulder to rest on her knees. She watched quietly as Lali worked in the semi-darkness, her eyes narrowed in concentration. It felt good to find someone she knew and respected here. While she liked her grandmother, sometimes the older woman's presence could be draining on the young Elidae. Or it reminded her of her own mother, which made perfect sense. Still, she had learned so much since coming here and not just more about her own family. She felt like her spear skills were improving and her body was toughening up even more than it had before under the strict and tough tutelage of Mayella.
"I was actually still on my way to Zinris when this storm came out of nowhere," Lali was continuing, slicing off a large chunk of the wood with a single swipe. Heike watched almost fascinated as it spun through the air before landing on the ground at both their feet. "I was hoping you'd still be here. I planned on visiting."
"Did you?" Heike wished she could control the surprise in her voice. Though she was equally as glad to see the Elaria, again, it was still hard to imagine anyone enjoying her company, or she them.
"Mhm. I was curious to see how you'd get on here, with all these Elaria for company. We can be quite a, uh...Tough bunch."
"I'm doing good. I like it here." There was a slight edge to her voice she hadn't meant to add. Why did everyone assume she couldn't handle it? Did everyone here think the Elidae were just a soft bunch? Heike ran her hand down her spear, feeling the smooth wood beneath her fingers, free from splinters for the time being. Of course, she still couldn't wait to return to her real home. It had been far too many years since she had left and none of the other settlements felt right.
But all Lali did was raise her head from her work and smile, nodding slightly. "I had no doubts." Glancing out the mouth of the cave, she sighed. "Might be a while until this lets up. Hopefully we don't get flooded. Though I'll appreciate the company nonetheless. Especially on the long walk to Zinris."
"Yes. Me, too."
Reply
