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S E N J A ' S . T A L E

That was fun, I got to go explore the rumored ruins in Tale! I didn't find any real treasure, but another part of the group did! I asked them about it and tried to write a song about it.. but I just can't get it written! I try to produce beautiful lyrics like I can when I dance or play my pipes, but when I write stuff? So terrible! Maybe I should leave writing to others....

S E N J A ' S . T A L E

So what started out as a fun and exciting event went rather bad at the end. Why'd that big dude have to ruin everyone's fun with the announcement of war?

Counts as an RP.

S E N J A ' S . T A L E

With Niadra and Rham


refection to come

S E N J A ' S . T A L E

Words: 1480

The Leaf Tribe Performing troupe had traveled all over Sauti and Tale and had come to the base of Zena’s mountains to stop and perform at the villages there. But before the performances, was a few days off maintenance and preparation as the Zena tribes men set up a small festival area. It made more sense to have them come down then to have the leaf tribe go up into the snowy mountains. So every year or so, they came here and performed at the same area as last time. The musicians and dancers were all ready for the performances, so there was a break in practice while people got used to the cold and helped set up the tents and stages. Warmer clothes and boots had been given out to them to battle the wintry chills, heavy blankets brought out, huge fire pits dug and Senja was bored. She’d helped out with the set up, but found herself with a lot of free time on her hands. She looked up at the towering mountain with its white covering and wondered what t was like up there. She’d seen many different types of places since she’d joined the Troupe, but nothing like this! She’d only go up for a bit and see what it was like be back before the performances started! She thought with a grin as she grabbed a bag and pulled on the thicker clothes that she’d been give plus her new boots. They were not dancing clothes and covered much more of her than she usually had covered, but Senja didn’t mind since it was warm. This cold was killer! She was so used to the humid heat of the jungle that even Sauti and Tale had seemed so different; but compared to the cold winds and snow, Zena made them feel like Jahaur. Ete had been buried and sleeping in a pile of furs that Senja slept in. When she heard Senj gather her stuff, she chittered a question. She didn't like the cold, she was a summer sprite!What was Senja doing with all those clothes on?

Senja turned at the sound of Ete’s tinkling voice. She smiled and said, “I’m off to go and wander up the mountain for a bit since I have a few days before the performance!” She knew Ete could understand her even is she couldn’t understand Ete. Which was proved by Ete quickly zipping over to her and chattering angrily.

Senja giggled and winked at Ete, “Oh come on, don’t be a spoil sport! What could go wrong? All I’m doing is walking up then walking back down.” She knew that Ete saw her as very irresponsible, but Senja was almost an adult! She could tell her way about the place! Plus, how hard was it to get lost in a mountain? All you had to do was go down to get off it! Despite Ete’s objections, Senja headed off. Ete wanted to stay behind, where she knew it was warm and she wouldn't be forced to go into hibernation, but she couldn’t let Senja go out there alone! The idiot girl would get lost, she just knew it!

Ete burrowed herself into the furry hood on Senja’s jacket as Senja left the camp, telling the guards she was going out for a walk and would be back tomorrow or some time around then.
Playing a cheerful lilting tune on her many chambered pipes, Senja walked in the chilly air up the inclining rocky ground. There was only small stunted trees and shrubs to break the white and brown landscape. It was completely alien when compared to her bright and colorful jungle home, though it was beautiful in its own right. The longer she walked, the more snow there was, and eventually Senja wandered up into the snow; the going getting harder as the snow began to pile up and the air got colder and colder. She put up her pipes and put Ete inside her coat, pulling up the hood and shivering. Maybe I should head back? Senja thought as she watched the sky darken with clouds. She didn’t like the look of them, they were dark and fluffy, the promise of precipitation. Turning around, Senja walked as fast as she could back down the mountain, not wanting to get caught in a storm. Ete slept on, warmed by Senja and the jacket.

Clouds came in from the north, boiling over the mountain top and bringing with them a cold wet wind. It smelled of moisture and ice, and the temperature took a steep dive as it began to blow. The snow started suddenly, like the downpours of her home jungles summer storms. The thick fluffy flakes whitened the world about Senja; sound became muffled except for the howling of the wind, and all sight was taken away. Senja stumbled blindly in the snow, trying to head down the mountain, but the blizzard blinded her and coated the world in snow, making it impossible to tell where she was headed. What an idiot I was! Senja berated herself as she tripped and fell into a snow bank. How hard could it be to get lost in a mountain, all you had to do was head down, she thought bitterly on her earlier thoughts. It’s easy to get lost! She sat down and shivered, her hands held protectively about the place where Ete was sleeping in her jacket.
Ete woke up and sighed. She knew it! She knew this would happen! She chittered disapprovingly at Senja as she looked out of the warm leather and fur clothing where she hid. All around was snow, wind, and white. Ete though, sensed something warm nearby. Heard something on the wind that was alive. What ever it was, it was from here right? It’d be able to help! She flew out of her hiding place and motioned for Senja to stay there. She patted her on the head and zipped off into the cold, flying in a weaving path as she dodged snowflakes.

She shivered in the cold and felt her instincts telling her to dive into the ground, hide from the cold, get warm. But she had to help Sneja! That fool girl needed looking after! She flew right at the warm large thing that she’d heard rumbling and walking about in the snow a little while ago. Large warm thing.. furry warm thing! She chittered happily as she burrowed into the mammu’s thick fur hide.
Large thing! Must help! Senja fool big-she-man needs help!
The mammu stopped and poked at the area Ete was burrowed in with her trunk. Small chittering thing, what are you saying? Why have you flown in there? One does not know this Senja you speak of.

Ete crawled up along the mammu’s side, admiring the pale icy blue white fur with it’s dark blue staining stripes.
Senja is Senja! Fool girl wants to explore. Ete told her was bad idea, but big people can’t understand Ete. Fool got caught, cold and stuck now! You come and help, yes?

One will help. One is lost from one’s herd and cannot find them. Maybe one will find a new herd with you. The large female mammu moved off ponderously, crunching her way through the blizzard with ease to where Senja was. The snow was blinding yes, but she could hear Senja, and she wrapped her trunk about the shivering girl and pulled her up as she stomped the snow flat about her. Lying down, she curled cat like about Senja, making sure that the girl was hidden beneath her thickest fur, protecting her like she would a child.

Senja squeaked as a trunk came out of nowhere and grabbed her, she would have struggled but she was far too cold, and when she Heard Ete’s chittering she knew her small friend had found help. he burrowed happily into the thick long fur.
“Thank you.” She murmured, not sure if the mammu could understand her and knowing she wouldn’t understand any reply. She looked at Ete as the small sprite tumbled into her hands from the fur above her. “Does this mammu have a name?” She asked. Ete shrugged, it was a big beast! How did they have names?
Senja took the shrug to mean no. “Then I’ll call her Shilea… Shilea’s a nice name.” She muttered sleepily as she fell asleep, warm at last. Ete looked at her and sighed.
You want name big beastie? Senja fool-girl calls you Shilea.
Shilea?
Yeah. A name. Like Ete is Ete and Senja is Senja. You no have name?
No. One has no… name. But Shilea.. One likes. One will call one’s self Shilea. The newly named Mammu gently touched Senja’s sleeping head with her trunk. A name sounded like a nice thing. Maybe she’d found a new herd?

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because of the war and the fact he's wounded, Senja takes him home with her... on the way there things get physical!

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Senja and Rastian had settled into a routine; several months of living together had been very pleasant and an eye-opener for Senja. You had to definitely compromise! Not that she minded too much since you had to do that anyways when traveling in a troupe like she had. And now there was the added benefits of a partner! He normally went about doing healer stuff, helping out the local healers, helping the city get it’s supplies up and ready for the incoming army while she was at the theatre mostly, learning to compose from her father, learning more details about instruments and how to incorporate dance into the music or words. She would normally take a break about lunch to go find Rastina and pester him, take walks about the city, eat lunch together, or just enjoy being with him. Then in the afternoon she would help play music for dancers in performances or practicing her own dancing skills. Just because she wished to concentrate on music, did not mean she’d given up dancing! Plus it kept her in shape. Dinner they ate with the family, a loud and very active affair. After dinner they spent together outside enjoying the evening jungle; usually more walks, conversations about their days, Senja often times performing a new piece she’d seen or made. She was happy and content and able to forget the army that threatened Neued somewhat.

It was in the second month of living together Senja got a shock. Morning sickness! She’d thought it was just a cold...but after the first week, Rastian had gotten very excited, especially after he’d asked her some questions about her health. Healer that he was, he recognized the signs and was ecstatic about it. Senja was... in two minds about it.

Pregnant…. Already? Was her first thought; it can happen this fast? Rastian was over the moon, very attentive to her every need but not overly crowding her with attention. That was nice! But…she was still nervous. Was she ready to be a mother? She’d known Rastian for like… only a year! All those tales and stories about things going wrong after marriage or kids crowded her mind. Rasitan, she kept telling herself, was not like that! He was kind, and there for her, and dependable! It would work out… right?

Senja looked at her stomach: she wasn’t showing… not yet at least! At least I’m getting pampered over this, she thought wryly. It was hard to hide his reaction and she didn’t think she should hide the fact that she was pregnant, which meant she’d have to tell her family about it. Her father was still grumbling over Rastian. Having him get her pregnant so soon? His reaction upon her knews did not bode well. He’d been very angry; the cold slent type of anger she hated, absolutely hated seeing. But luckily for her peace of mind he’d only been angry for a short time. When he saw Rastian’s reaction he calmed down, it looked like Rastian wasn’t some scoundrel taking advantage of his daughter, not if he was pampering her so much and seemed to be someone who was going to stick around.

Her mother was ecstatic: her first grandchild! A larger room, one with an adjoining smaller room for a nursery, was given to Rastian and Senja. Senja was given a slightly lighter load of work, which meant more time to write music or play it as well as time to prepare the nursery.
Over the next few months Senja’s waistline began to vanish and her chest size also increased. Senja found she kept running out of air when trying to play her pipes…. She had to set them aside much to her displeasure. With a healer for a lover she didn’t lack for medical attention, and any pains she had were usually taken care of; something she really appreciated when the soreness and back pain started.

With the lighter workload, Senja had plenty of time to consider the future, consider the changes. A kid… was she ready to be a mother? She was barely 20! But.. she did have her family’s help and Rastian was here. She smiled: at that thought; I’m a lucky girl, to have found a good man like him and have him love me back! I wonder if we should get our own house… It’s nice living with the family.. but… Some alone time, or mostly alone time since a kid’s on the way, would be nice. I wonder what Rastian would say to our own place? I’m sure my parents wouldn’t mind… though mother might be upset! But if I take the line of: ‘I don’t want a child’s crying at night to keep the other’s up,’ than maybe Father will support me.
Shifting slightly to a more comfortable position in her pile of cushions, she looked at the set of pipes she was making; bigger and more elegant than the simple set she’d carried all over Tendaji. I wonder if it’ll be a boy or a girl? Either’s fine! Will he or she want to be a performer? A healer? Or walk a different path than Rastian and I?
What will it look like? How will it grow up? Can I be a good parent? How do you take care of a kid? She paused, she had helped with her little sister... but that was after Chantuer had grown up a bit. I should go ask mother for tips, I do want to raise him or her and not have another do that. She’d seen some surrogate parents who’d given the child over to new parents and then left… and Senja had disliked the idea intensely: you gave birth to it, you ought to take care of it!

I’ll be a good mother, she thought as she laid a hand on her stomach, raise them with lots of love and hugs… and some lectures cause I don’t think Rastian will be a tough love guy! He’s much more a cuddler, she smirked, very much a cuddler!