Welcome to Gaia! ::

Teiluj looked at him sideways before looking towards her feet. "You're right. I don't understand. I don't know the ways of earthlings. I want to know about it. But it's hard to find someone willing to show you the ways. All the tribes are so secretive about who they are. Alkidike's aren't based on lineage. It's all about individual achievements...."

She paused to look Nkole over. Blinking twice. She felt like she had offended the Oban somehow unintentionally as it pained her. She didn't want to cause anyone pain, or insult. It was hard to know what to say or how to act. And her encounters with the other earthlings were only going to continue to go from bad to worse. She just couldn't get it right. "Humble and quiet? If that's the kind if thing you like. What's her name? How long have you known her?" Teiluj shrugged reaching into her pouch to produce a nut for Starline who greedily took the food and settled down.

Shaking her head back and forth Teiluj stepped away from Pacju and watched as the bored Radaku wandered off towards a tree to curl up. "It would be hard to be accepted by any of my sisters. I guess that's why Mamma moved me away from them. In her mind she wanted to protect me... I'm not weak."

Moving a little closer at the open gesture Teiluj gave Nkole a concerned look. What did he mean by something else? Was he looking down on her because of her physical makeup like the majority of the Alkidikes did? Or because she was asking questions which he never seemed to answer. The idea of traveling with Nkole was both exiting and fearsome. He didn't seem like the kind that could tolerate having her around for long.

"I would just be a burden. Besides, I need to get to Tale. I need to find more information on the Kinfa, to make sure I'm raising Starline correctly." Her heart sank at the idea of him not finding his sister. If she had siblings she would probably be desperate to find them. Thick lashes fell over her yellow eyes, the sound of dirt shifting under her feet. "I thought... well alright. I'll take you back to Neued."

Teiluj turned to give Pacju a whistle. Perking up from her resting spot the Radaku pranced playfully over to her companion. Nuzzling Teiluj's side only to make the young prentice giggle as she turned to wrap her arms around the Radaku in a hug. Starline gave a bright whistle of excitement flapping and scrambling towards Pacju to make sure she wasn't going to get left behind. "We can ride Pacju there. It's faster than running."

Kicking her legs up and around her mothers Radaku Teiluj blushed again as she extended her hand out to the Oban. "I've never offered an earthling a ride on Pacju before... but I've ridden with mother lots. How familiar are you with riding?"

Teiluj gave the Oban a strange look as she continued to hold out her hand. Was he just adverse to touching her like others because she was a mixed blood? Or was it more to the effect that he was slow and weak? He did carry a 'ornamental' weapon that he refused to sharpen for defense after all. Perhaps the reason he was insisting on joining her was less because he wanted the help and more because he wanted the protection. Either way, Teiluj figured it wouldn't hurt to indulge the Oban earthling in what seemed an insecurity.

She smiled when Nkole mentioned having never ridden on a Radaku before. "Well then you'll have to sit behind me. Radaku move unlike others... well... so I'm told. So you..." Teiluj paused and blushed furiously, he would have to hold onto her. Somehow the idea felt rather awkward to her, and she wasn't sure if she should guide his hands to the best places to hold on. Or if she should just let him do so naturally. Her mother had forced her to learn naturally but this was an earthling. She knew customs and upbringings were different. What she had learned from the shifters was that they weren't as hard on the learning.

Shivering a little at the contact Teiluj closed her fingers around his hand. Jerking him swiftly up onto Pacju who only seemed to ignore the Obans touch. Once Teiluj had pulled Nkole up, Pacju took a couple steps forward to shift better into place. "Which way is better to teach you how to hold on? With my instructions or letting you find out for yourself?"

Teiluj shuddered lightly under Nkoles hands as they moved around her. It sent an uncomfortable tingle up her spine. The young Prentice tried to brush off the feeling as she squeezed with her thighs in a signal to move forward. The radaku under them started at a slow walk. Teiluj wasn't exactly sure why her breath staggered a moment as Nkoles arms tightened around her. And the tingling fire spread from her spine to her shoulder and down her arms as Nkole pressed his chest into her. It was the breath in her ear that made her antenna twitch. Her face burst into flames as she leaned back in the saddle. A command that Pacju recognized as a stop.

"W-wh-wh-wh-what do you mean!?" She turned to look at the Oban from the corner of her eyes. Trying to seem collected and calm despite the strange feelings that shivered across her body like a feather. Giving him a hard look as Pacju shifted impatiently under the pair. Her brain struggled to understand what he was asking. "A-Alkidikes? Most maybe? Some think they are too strong to have relationships. Aisha grants children to Mothers who want to raise children, if that's what you ask." Teiluj's blush deepened at the thought of someone falling in love. "Mamma didn't fall in love with a woman though. She had a crush on a wind earthling. A boy."

Teiluj tried hard not to breath. Not to move. She was all to aware of exactly where the earthling was. Her antenna quivered nervously near his face. Was he trying to lure her into a trap? Had she already been lured in? Was he going to try to kill her with his strange dull blade? She glanced towards his hip as her face paled. Her eyes watching his ornamental dagger. If he was going to slit her throat she preferred he tried with a bit sharper weapon.

Letting no free time pass Teiluj scrambled from off Pacju taking a few steps back. Ignoring the fact the Radaku had turned her gaze on Nkole and had started growling. "If you try to hurt me with that dagger... Pacju will eat you..." Teiluj said. Her voice struggled to sound strong. What was happening to her!? This wasn't her... she was an Alkidike warrior!

Teiluj opened and closed her mouth several times her face draining at the tease. She wasn't sure if he should be taken literally or not. The mixed blooded girl shifted on her feet uncomfortably in the silence as she stumbled over what was the correct approach. "N-no... I thought you were trying to lure me in to a trap or something." She finally muttered. Her eyes downcast and shaded by her thick lashes.

Pacju made a growling whine as he moved over towards Teiluj, her eyes still trained on Nkole. Waiting a moment as Nkole spoke about what he was asking Teiluj looked up at him. "Y-yes it's possible for our kind to fall in love with those who are not women. Or even our other sisters for that matter..." Teiluj was starting to feel bad that she had not understood Nkoles intentions properly. Reaching out she gently stroked Pacju and hummed a little. Relaxing the Radaku into a calmer state.

"I'm sorry... for... the misunderstanding." Teiluj finally spoke timidly, biting the inside of her lip as she pulled herself back up onto Pacju. "Look maybe it's better if you sit in front. So there's no more funny business."

Teiluj watched the Oban with mild fascination, he did make a point. She hadn't really thought that he would be defenseless against her companion. After all he was an earthling of the Oban's. Obans were supposed to be skilled warriors. Some had even claimed in her village that they were strong like the rest of her Alkidike kind.

Trying to turn her eyes away from Nkole as he let down his hair Teiluj could feel the heat rising in her cheeks again. Glancing back every once in a while to see when he was done. Only to look at him again when he mentioned a stream. "Well yes, there are plenty nearby."

Squeezing her thighs together Teiluj was able to guide Pacju where she wanted to go. Walking towards the oban again Teiluj shifted back on the saddle. "Do you want to walk there? Or did you want a ride?"

Teiluj shrugged. He seemed like he was the stubborn kind. Who didn't want the help of a hybrid. Or was it because he had figured out she was a hybrid after the shock of her looks had worn off? Teiluj raised her hand an pointed towards the river east of where they were located. "It's a while up that way, you'll smell and hear it soon enough. There's also alot of fish in there to eat. Beware though, you're new here. And that can put you at a disadvantage."

Clicking her tongue at Pacju, she and her Radaku turned away from the Oban. "Be safe Nkole." A few sounds later and the pair were walking away. Teiluj had to go back for starline before heading off towards tale. It was important that she recovered the information she needed about the Kinfa.