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 Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 2:17 pm
Youngling Solo
Somedays Zakia had to wonder where she ‘fit in’ as a hybrid.
With the exception of her eyebrows she looked like every other alkidike child. When other mothers had bloomed hybrid children their babies came out an array of colors and features, bringing both ‘joy’ and ‘shame’ from the community as a whole. Some basked in the fact that their daughters had found love in life, while others felt disgusted that their offspring would lower themselves. Every time she and her mother came ‘home’ it was always something new, but one thing never changed; the fact that she didn’t really ‘belong’.
While her friends in Chibale were practicing their skills and learning more about their culture, Mnyiri had taken Zakia to lands far outside their own. She’d been taught how to navigate the harsh craigs of Sauti and where the best place to stop at on the way to Zena was. She’d seen creatures that seemed outlandish to the other girls of Chibale, and when she tried talking to them they just laughed at her. If they believed her then they wanted so much detail she couldn’t keep up, and inevitably they would end up calling her a liar if they didn’t outright do so. It was...difficult fitting in, so when her mother agreed to spend a little more time at ‘home’ to give her the normalcy Zakia wanted she thought things would be better.
Unfortunately, things only got more complicated the longer she stayed.
Zakia made ‘friends’ with a group of girls that seemed so kind at first. They had a little bite, but nothing she wasn’t used to, thanks to Azreal and Kuno. The others laughed at her jokes, seemed happy enough to talk to her about her trips, and showed her the best ways to turn natural plants into cute friendship bracelets. She went to sleepovers at their homes, brought them back to hers for dinner parties, and spent so much time with them that Zakia genuinely thought that they were the best of friends.
So when she found out that their group's little leader, Varia, was upset it was only natural for her to rush over! She’d known that Varia’s mama had been gone for a few months and that the woman she’d met along the way was now living with them, so maybe something happened there? But she was so nice! Zakia hadn’t seen anything but kindness coming from the pudgy little Matori woman.
So when she arrived to hear Varia shrieking at the top of her lungs Zakia panicked. Several of their other friends were standing outside with the neighbors, who had been drawn out of their homes by the screams, but no one seemed eager to go inside.
“What’s going on?!” She turned to an older alkidike beside her. “Why isn’t anyone going in? They could be hurt!”
“They’re alright, little flower, it’s nothing like that.” The older woman looked as if she was struggling to say the right thing, and just when Zakia was about to move she spoke. “Did Varia tell you she was going to be a big sister?”
“Yeah, she did. Isn’t that usually a good thing?” Maybe something had happened to the bloom? Was that why she was so upset?
One of her friends tapped Zakia on the shoulder and shook her head. “No, it’s not! They brought that thing home and she’s mad about it. They should have just left it to rot! That’s what my mama said.”
The other girls nodded their head, and while the adults around them didn’t agree with them they also didn’t stop the children from slandering the new family.
“That...thing?” Zakia asked hesitantly. Who could talk like that about a baby?
Uula’s antennae flared. “It’s so ugly. I’ve never seen anything like it. My mothers were checking on my new little sisters when she saw them leaving. Solid blue with no antennae and yellow eyes.”
One of the other girls piped in, “And is it true? Was it a male?”
Uula nodded her head, as if all the answers were hers and hers alone. “Yep. They kept cooing over their son.”
“So what’s the problem?” Zakia broached, despite the near horrified looks her ‘friends’ passed her way. “If he’s just a little baby then he didn’t do anything wrong. His mamas are going to take care of him and be happy.”
“You would say that,” Uula grumbled.
“Excuse me?”
“What she means, Zakia,” Another girl stepped in, tossing Uula a sharp little look. “Is that even though you’re a hybrid you kind of aren’t. If you just keep your eyebrows short then no one would even know! And if your mom would color her hair dark then you could be just like everyone else.”
“You’re a good hybrid,” Uula contributed, “Your family keeps coming back to Aisha to make up for being bad and now you’re almost normal.”
Almost normal? Was that really what they thought? Zakia felt herself deflating under their criticism. To know that her friends only liked her for how ‘almost normal’ she was hurt. If they were this mean to a baby then what were they saying about her behind her back? As far as she was concerned there wasn’t any difference between herself and that infant, no matter what either of them looked like.
“There’s no such thing as a good hybrid or a bad hybrid.” She snapped. “Especially not when Aisha made us! She knows way more about what’s good and bad than you do, Uula!” She stamped her foot into the ground despite the way the adults around her were starting to turn their attention. “Besides, I bet his gold eyes are really cute! And your face looks like a spitorogs butt so being ‘pure’ didn’t help you out anyway!”
More words were said after that point, but none were appropriate for children that young to say. Thus, it came to pass that the surrounding adults separated the two and sent them back to their respective homes. The whole way back Zakia was trying to hold back her tears until eventually she just couldn’t anymore. How could they be so mean?! When she’d heard Varia screaming she’d thought the worst, but this...this was just….it was just dumb! Who cared if her brother was blue?! Who cared if she had a brother PERIOD?! Boys were stupid, yeah, and they smelled weird, but that didn’t mean they were a curse!
Hearing them say those things hurt as much as hearing them talk about her family. Why should SHE get a pass just because she was ‘almost normal’? That almost made her want to color her hair like her mama out of spite! It just wasn’t fair! Zakia knew she was just as mixed as he was, but then...a part of her knew she wasn’t. Because she ‘passed’ for an alkidike she’d already been treated so much better than the other hybrids, even her own mother, and for a while she’d taken that for granted. She thought that they just liked her for her, but if she’d had white hair like Mnyiri then maybe they would have felt different.
Sniffling, she kicked up the pace and ran home.
The weeks after her little ‘blow up’ weren’t much better. Uula and the other girls told Varia everything and in true childish nature the group ignored Zakia. If she tried to talk to Varia in the street the girl outright wouldn’t speak to her, or if she did it was more about her than to her.
“Did you hear that, Uula? Sounds like a bug buzzing in my ear.”
Classes were no longer fun without her friends to play with, and without any sleepovers Zakia mostly stayed at home with her mother. Of course Mnyiri asked what had happened, but Zakia didn’t want to tell her. She was still too mad to talk about it, and if her mama knew then she might cry too! Word naturally got back to Mnyiri, but Zakia didn’t care; she didn’t regret saying anything she’d said and would do it again if it meant standing up for her family!
It just...it just would have been a lot easier if she still had at least one friend.
Well...she did, but they just weren’t here, and even then she didn’t know what they thought of her. Azreal was constantly biting back at her and Kuno wasn’t much better! Still, with them it was a lot more fun than it was with Varia and….
….and they’d made fun of her lack of ‘hybridity’ too. When she’d claimed she was just as ‘special’ as they were they just passed it over.
So where did that leave her? Would she be better off shaving her eyebrows and going back to the girls, so she wouldn’t be alone, or accepting that she just wasn’t special and spending more time with the boys? What she was she to do if she was hybrid, but not hybrid enough?
Only time would tell.
[1551]
[5]
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 5:44 pm
Prentice Solo 1
Life at home had certainly gotten weirder over the years.
Zakia’s little band of friends had shrunk considerably after her incident with Uula and for a while she found herself at a loss. She spent a few months alone with only her mother’s friends to comfort her, but with time Zakia began to develop a sort of friendship with Varia. To say it was odd was an understatement.
In the beginning the little alkidike had been just like Uula; a purist who never really said as much, but openly detested earthlings. As children Zakia never really paid it much mind. She just thought Varia was a brat who got mad whenever Zakia proved she was smarter than her. What she knew now was that Varia had viciously spread rumors about her behind her back and just kept her around to make them look better by comparison. When her mother took an earthling bride she flew into a rage and her tantrum shook all of Jauhar. Of course Zakia never saw the problem with it, but Varia had been inconsolable.
For a while Zakia didn’t talk to anyone so naturally she never really got caught up on the situation. When she next saw Varia the two were twelve summers old and the little alkidike was walking a fat little toddler around by the hand. His blue skin was just as telling as his gender and the lack of antennae startled Zakia more than the markings lining his skin. At first she tried to avoid the pair; after all, if Varia was still mad at having a halfling brother then how would she treat Zakia? And yet…
“Is that your brother?” Bravely, maybe stupidly, Zakia approached with a bright smile. Of course Varia bristled. She turned as quick as a keldari to glare at Zakia, tugging on his little hand so hard the toddler almost fell over.
“What do you care if it is?” Varia hissed.
Zakia felt her cheeks warm and for a moment she thought about just leaving. If Varia wanted to be mean then let her; she didn’t need to stand around for this. And yet, there was just something kind of...weird about her today. She was alone, for one, and that wasn’t something that usually happened. Varia was like a hub for the other alkidike girls; a natural born leader with a charismatic heart. So, then, where were her friends? Why weren’t they here to help her babysit? And yet, looking at him, Zakia knew exactly why they weren’t here…
“I...I, uh...I just wanted to say that he’s really cute. I like the markings on his cheeks; they look like yours and the color is really pretty.” Unlike the normal alkidike green they were a sort of greenish-blue that shined like the ocean. When he looked her way his bright gold eyes blinked and she could see the smile building in those fat little cheeks. How sweet was he?
“...I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but stop it.” Varia groused, taking a half step infront of her brother to block him. Of course the toddler didn’t like that. He made a noise of disappointment and tried getting around his big sisters legs. When she tried to block him once more he cried out and started squirming. “Stop it Viktus!”
“I’m not trying to do anything.” Zakia pouted. “I’m just being nice and it’s true; they really are cute. I bet he’s going to be just as pretty as you are when he gets bigger.” The way she said it, with such straightforward courage, was enough to make little Varia blush.
As the weeks passed Zakia found out Viktus was half matorian and that his mother was as kind as she was beautiful. Up until that point in her life Zakia had never actually seen anyone from Matori, but her mother’s logs and sketches were detailed enough. Of course they could never prepare her for the real thing. Her coloring was pale, eyes as light as seashells and her hair was like fresh seafoam. The way she doted on Viktus was telling of just how much she loved her little halfling son, and when she tried to be kind to Varia the little alkidike would just brush her off. She never outright rejected her, but there was something about the interaction that always struck Zakia as painful.
“Why don’t you like her?” Zakia finally asked one long evening. They had been in training until the sun started to set, and the exhausted girls were lounging at the base of a great tree.
“She’s not my mama; she’s his. I don’t have to like her.” Varia tore off a piece of jerky and shoved it in her mouth, effectively cutting off the conversation.
I bet she would be your mama if you’d just give her a chance.
As it turned out life for Varia wasn’t much easier than it was for Zakia. Ever since she’d started spending more time with Zakia her social life had taken a sharp downward turn. Uula and the other girls had already ostracized her for the added time she spent with Viktus. Now that she trained with Zakia they openly bullied her. Zakia had found them more than once throwing insults her way, hurling wads of mud and outright mocking the girl when the adults couldn’t see. Sometimes an older girl would intervene, but there just weren’t enough around to stop the assault.
When they were fifteen summers Zakia had enough. She and Varia were as close as two friends could be which meant they often spent nights at each other's homes. Varia would even laugh from time to time and even though her jokes were often dry she had plenty of them! One afternoon Zakia was on her way to meet with her mother when she saw Uula, her cronies, and Varia disappear towards the river. A cold dread settled over Zakia. Usually whenever this happened Varia would appear the next day with bruises and some excuse for how she’d gotten them. Not today. Gathering her courage Zakia followed the group, and tried to stick to the shadows as best she could.
“-we don’t even live on Chibale, what does it matter if Viktus trains with us or not?”
“It doesn’t have the right! It’s a he! That alone means it shouldn’t get the chance to learn our ways. Your mother tainted Aisha and that’s why they even split off to Zinris in the first place. My Aunt went and if my mom wasn’t such a coward she should have gone too.”
Oh goddess. This was something Zakia hadn’t expected. A purist ideal, sure, that she could handle but an extremist masquerading as some stupid girl? What next? Was she going to start running around with a sword and cutting off hybrid antennae? Tough luck; Viktus doesn’t have any. And after thinking for a moment, Zakia grimaced. Yeah, but you do.
“Well then she’s just as dumb as you are. The elarian aren’t even mean anymore; everyones at peace now.”
“And you think that means I have to like you? If I pushed you down in the river right now they would say it was all an accident and no one would even miss you.” Uula started to move forward, but Zakia, in her panic, moved out of the shadows.
“Woah, woah! That’s enough, Uula.” What if she really was going to do it?! She couldn’t just stand by and watch a friend get murdered! “What are you trying to do?”
The other alkidike clucked her tongue. “I was wondering when you were going to show up, Zakia. After all, wherever your girlfriend goes your two steps behind, right? Like a trained mutt.” Uula’s cronies had a good laugh at that, but Zakia just rolled her eyes.
“I’ve heard better insults from earthling boys. You’re going to have to get more creative than that to get under my skin.” Of course that just seemed to make Uula mad and she came at Zakia swinging. The first punch she dodged, causing the other alkidike to falter, but in the end Zakia was a reader, not a fighter. She took the next blow to the side of her head causing her to fall over into the muddy riverbank.
Varia came to her aid, but as soon as she moved the other alkidike stepped in to defend Uula. It didn’t take long for an all out brawl to ensue and by the end of it Zakia was thoroughly trounced. She and Uula were sprawled out in the mud, soaked in murky water and blood with scrapes galore by the time Uula decided to leave.
“Why did you...do that? You’re so stupid…” Varia groaned. She tried to stand, but found her legs were too sore to do it so she flopped back into the mud.
“You’re my friend, what was I supposed to do?” With her jaw busted like it was talking hurt so Zakia let it drop off, but her loyalty was clear. There was still so much work to do here at home in terms of making things truly ‘peaceful’, and as long as people like Uula existed the world was never truly going to be safe for hybrids. Still, if they stood up for each other, it might change. “What are the chances they’ll send someone to help us?”
“Absolute zero.”
“Thought so.”
[1608]
[5]
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 7:41 pm
Prentice Solo 2
The first, and only, year that Zakia had seen a Zenan snow she’d been completely absorbed by it. And why shouldn’t she be? It was one thing to feel the bite of a frigid northern wind, but another concept entirely to see snow. When she’d woken that morning to find the entire sanctuary grounds blanketed in a thick coating of the white fluff she’d been forever changed. Of course she couldn’t wait to go out in it! Most everyone else was asleep, save for a few of the adults, and with their knowledge Zakia had traipsed out into the wilderness.
It was a novel concept that the snow could come up to her calves, considering just how tall she actually was. For the earthlings it must be absolutely consuming and the thought of seeing the boys shuffled through it later was enough to make her smile. This early in the morning the sun wasn’t high enough in the sky for her to worry about being blinded, but the wide expanse of wide took some getting used to. It’s touch ghosted the tops of her boots, pulling at her legs whenever she took a wrong step and when she fell over Zakia couldn’t keep from smiling.
The best part? It was still snowing! In fact it hadn’t stopped all morning and the longer she was out the more the cold started to get to her. The tips of her antennae started to ache from the exposure, but she couldn’t find it in her to go back just yet. She felt just like a kid again! Varia was going to lose her mind when Zakia told her about this. She’ll never believe you! Explaining what it even felt like was hard enough, but then talking about how she could pack it together in her hand and make a ball? There was just no way to say it right.
Of course she had no idea that once the animals were let loose their tracks would muck up the snow and cause it to take an almost brown tinge as it mixed with the wet mud underneath. They would pack it down, ruin the illusion and soon enough it would all melt off into slush. For right now it was beautiful and nothing would take that away from her.
Still, eventually the newness of it started to fade and when Zakia was ready to turn back she found herself in a bind. Where...exactly was she? All of the usual markers she knew to get back were blanketed in snow. Furrowing her brow the alkidike walked in a wide circle, passing a few trees as she did so in her attempt to find something she knew. Almost too late she realized that if she just followed her footprints back that she could find the sanctuary no problem! Rolling her eyes at her own stupidity, Zakia turned back and...saw nothing. Goddess, the snow filled in my footprints! There had already been enough of it to fall that save for her latest prints most of the previous ones were gone. The teen walked back for a while until it was obvious that she wasn’t really getting much of anywhere and suddenly, fearful that she was going the wrong way entirely, Zakia stopped.
At that point she was freezing and the tips of her ears burned. Of course she pulled the hood of her coat over her head, but it only worked so well. With the added tension of two antennas pressing against it the surface area was more spread out, meaning that there was less heat trapped around her head. Everytime the wind blew around her Zakia would feel a new chill and occasionally it would knock the hood down entirely. Maybe I should have waited for Azreal and Kuno. Surely they would have known how to get back?
At first the crunch of fresh snow under her boot had delighted her; now it just weighed Zakia down. She trudged again, aware at least that the more she moved the warmer she would be. The sun was high in the sky now giving the snow such a harsh glow that with her alkidike eyes she couldn’t see much at all. Zakia stumbled along, doing her best to stay upright despite running into a few trees and nearly tripping over her own feet. Eventually she came across a cropping of natural stones and realized that it was a little cave. How did I not see this before? Did that mean she’d gone off the path? Seeing it for what it was, the alkidike slipped inside and despite the cool darkness making her even colder she was at least grateful to see once again.
At some point during her wait she’d fallen asleep. When she woke it was only because the cold was biting so strong that Zakia’s entire body vibrated with shivers. As her eyes opened she noticed she was enveloped in total darkness and the entrance to her cave was almost entirely covered in snow! In a panic she started to scoop herself out, but trying to do anything at the moment was hard. She couldn’t move her hands the way she wanted and all she wanted to do was sleep…
No! Don’t fall asleep! If you do you won’t wake up!
Startled by her own thoughts the alkidike pushed through it and pulled herself out of the cave. In the span of a few hours the sun had set and in its place a mountain of snow had piled up. If she’d had any idea of where she was before it was gone now. Was anyone looking for her? They’ll never find me in this. If they couldn’t see her tracks then how could she ever hope to be rescued? Zakia might have cried if she had enough energy to do so. As it stood she was just trying to stay awake and stay moving. She’d gotten her legs under her just enough to trudge through the now hip high snow, but her shambles weren’t much more than that. Everytime she fell it took longer and longer for the teen to get back up. At a certain point she no longer cared if she got up at all; she just wanted it all to stop.
All at once a howl pierced through the fog of her mind. It was loud, long and mournful. A raptrix, maybe? With a low hum she craned her head to the sky, but in the haze she saw nothing. Just a large, dark shape closing in on her...All at once Zakia’s knees buckled underneath her and the teenager collapsed into the snow. She barely clung to consciousness, but something about hearing the crunch of a figure landing in the snow next to her kept her there.
And when a warm, fat tongue started lapping at her face her brain tried to keep up. Zakia did her best to focus and what she found was comforting. Midnight had found her. He was saddled, but only half way and without a rider. Had he taken off before the rider was even ready? Seems about right… He was excitedly barking, trying his best to get her attention and going so far as to nuzzle his large head under hers to get her up. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough; Zakia’s energy was depleted to the point that the best she could offer was a weak smile his way.
Get out of here, Midnight. You’re going to freeze.
She couldn’t see it exactly, but something about the way he shifted his body let Zakia know he was howling again. Somewhere along the line her hearing had started to phase out leaving her in a sort of void. The howl must have been short because one moment he was standing, paws braced and the next he was licking her face again. Or maybe it had lasted a long time and she’d just fallen asleep? Zakia wasn’t so sure anymore.
All at once he was nipping at her ears causing Zakia to weakly cry out. Why was he doing that? Didn’t he know her ears hurt enough as it was! When that wasn’t enough for him Midnight grabbed the back of her jacket in his maw and lifted the alkidike awkwardly out of the snow. At first she made noises of protest, but when it was clear he wasn’t listening Zakia gave up. She wasn’t even sure when he’d started to fly. One moment she was buried in the snow and the next there were trees leagues below her feet….The wind should have burned her cheeks but she felt nothing. The last thing Zakia remembered seeing before she blacked out was a group of people gathering below as the sanctuary came into view.
[1502]
[5]
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 8:29 pm
Prentice Solo 3
Zakia’s recovery was anything, but easy. Those first few days were touch and go. She’d been brought inside as soon as she was brought back to the sanctuary and stripped of her wet clothes. Everyone who was available helped to warm her core - chest, head and neck - first before focusing on the extremities. It wouldn’t matter if she lost an antenna or a finger if her heart stopped. When she was warm enough for the initial scare to ebb Zakia was kept in her bed piled under as many blankets and furs as possible. There were moments when she was lucid enough to recognize faces; her mother, for one, who looked so frantic with her cheeks stained from crying. At first Zakia was so out of it that she couldn’t even remember why her mother would be crying at all, and had asked as much in a fevered haze. Too bad she wasn’t able to remain conscious enough for an answer.
There were times when she distinctly remembered Azreal being with her. She thought that she’d reached out for him a time or two, but then she was never really sure if that was part of her dream or not. That Azreal was much kinder to her and even a little worried. She’d never seen that side of him before and maybe that was what had her the most confused of all.
Drowsiness claimed her most days. When her speech wasn’t slurring from outright exhaustion Zakia was asleep. A healer had told her once that it was okay; this was natural after almost freezing to death. There was nothing to worry about, but something in their tone didn’t sit right with her mother. One moment Mnyiri was in the room and the next she wasn’t, or maybe it was just later? Zakia’s memory of that time was hazy at best. She could only remember snippets, but the longer she healed the better it got. It was a full week and a half before she was able to get out of bed on her own without feeling drained an hour later. Of course she tried to push it when she shouldn’t, but sitting in bed all day was just as draining as the hypothermia itself.
Her first snow had almost been her last and that mark was a heavy brand on her soul. Zakia was under constant supervision, whether she was aware of it or not. If she wasn’t with the boys then she was under her mother’s eye or someone else's. At first it didn’t bother her because she honestly didn’t notice. Zakia was usually too drowsy to care, but now it was embarrassing. She’d been coming to Zena long enough now that she should have known what to do, and yet, because she only ever came up during the fair weather months she hadn’t known a damn thing. It had all just been so magical that she hadn’t questioned any of it and now...now she looked like a fool.
Her fingers and toes were still bandaged. They had lost bits of feeling that were slowly returning with each session the healer gave her, but the coloring was still a little off. Her antennae hurt the worst; any little touch or brush would send unimaginable pain straight through her. They were wrapped with bandages soaked in a healing solution that helped to numb them, but it all just felt so...off. She’d thought herself beyond all of this because she was a traveler, but really, all this had shown Zakia was that she didn’t know anything. That without the help of others she could have died and no one would have known where to find the body.
[624]
[2]
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 7:47 am
Class Affinity (Amazon - Bow)
Zakia’s brush with death marked her.
Initially she hadn’t ever really given much thought as to what direction her life was going. She was happy enough just to live it, but now that her ignorance of the most basic survival skills was thrown back at her face Zakia started to rethink things.
How many of her sisters had explored the reaches of Zena? The alkidike had started to branch out, sure, but how many had truly even see all that their own continent had to offer? How many could say that they survived a Zenan winter with little more than their wits to keep them going? Her mother would call her foolish; say that there was a reason settlements existed and that getting help was important when she needed it. Zakia wouldn’t argue that fact, but then she always just wanted to know how to do it on her own. She loved Zena as much as she did Jauhar and seeing the darker side of it instead of the vacation spot she’d come to associate it with had been eye opening. She’d always considered the alkidike to be better warriors than earthlings based on lifestyle and size alone, even if she never really said anything. But now…, thinking about how someone as small as Azreal could make it, made her flustered.
As she recovered Zakia wrote a few letters and had them sent to Varia, as she usually did when she came to stay at the sanctuary. At first she hesitated about talking to the other alkidike about her experience, but eventually she relented. And that’s when her friend suggested talking to the local huntsman about taking up training. After all, when she was in Jauhar she trained with the sisters so why not learn something new while in Zena?
What else are you doing, anyway? Sitting on your butt eating snow cream?
At first Zakia was skeptical, but the more she thought it over the more sense it made. The basics were still there for both races; most hunters were either mounted with spears or carried bows. Her own mother had tried to convince her that a mounted way of life was key, because of the bond it created with your chosen mount, but Zakia never really wanted that. Mvua was just as much a part of her family as anyone else, and yet...it never really called to her. There was no subtlety about it. When you showed up on something that large with teeth that can rend flesh from bone everyone knows why you’re there. What she wanted was something more subdued; something that could be just as practical as it was easy to put away when it wasn’t necessary.
That decision is eventually what led her to Old Maud’s door. She was some distance away from the sanctuary, about a half a days ride, but she came highly recommended. The old iceling was as sharp as she was generous and had always gone out of her way to help anyone who needed it. Now that her own children were grown she spent most of her days setting traps for fur, which led to a few tense moments with the sanctuary, but she did her best to keep her space.
When Zakia knocked on her door she was expecting a little old crone to answer; not a fully armed iceling with a dagger pointed at her belly. At first she panicked, breath hitching and she was about to pull away when the woman snapped at her.
“Move and I’m guttin’ ya! What’re ya here faw? Coming ta rob me?” She tapped Zakia’s belly a few times with the tip of the blade to make her point, but she never once applied pressure. For a moment she looked up at Zakia with a speculative glare and that’s when Zakia noticed that while her eyes were golden they were two completely different shades. One was as dark as hardened amber and the other as bright as the midnight star. “Whel, you just ayy youngun. Little young ta be a-pullin' ayy fast one.”
“I-I’m not here to rob you, I promise. I’m Zakia, the one you’re supposed to train?” Goddess this was just her luck; survive being froze to death only to be gutted a few weeks later! “M-my-my mom’s friends were supposed to talk to you-”
“Yeah, yeah, ay know who ya are now. Just done took me ayy minute ta remember; nahwt as awful young as ay done used ta be ayn' my maand goes. Didn't expec ya ta be so BIG.” Maud pulled her dagger back and slipped it into a sheath at her side. “So what kaand av hunting have ya done befawe? Have ya evuurr done held ayy bow befawe?”
“Oh, yeah, back in Jauhar. I know how to shoot pretty well, but I don’t know much about the terrain and I-”
“Oh, y'all ken shoot whel, huh? Whel then what do y'all nee me faw?” The older woman clucked her tongue before turning on her heel and wandering back into her home. It was small, even by earthling standards, and Zakia had to all out crouch just to get through the doorway. Her elbow knocked against something on the way in and her nausea built up when she noticed it was a jar of tiny eyeballs. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea… But then again, Maud really was the best at what she did. She was a renowned huntress who had been able to repetitively bring down big game over and over again, anytime she was asked, no matter if she was sick or aging. Even if Zakia wasn’t interested in getting involved in the fur trade she did want to get better at archery and if this was her ticket…
“Yal ken stay out bak in thay shed. Start ayy fere awful early in thay naheet ayn' it won't be awful cold.”
“I didn’t come to stay, I’ll be at the sanctuary, and I’ll have to leave in a few weeks anyway to go back to Jauhar.”
Maud clucked her tongue again and flopped down into an old, broken wooden chair. “Now listen ‘ere. If y'all wan-ta learn frawum Ol’ Maud y’ell be a-stayin' here, with me, faw two years. Even then ya won't learn ayy whowwl lot, but by then ya'll be able ta shoot that there bow with yer toes.” She groused. Zakia saw the older iceling lifted a mug of something to her lips and the color was decidedly off putting.
“Can I..have some time to think it over?”
“Sure, I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
Two years? Just to learn archery? She could continue her lessons in Jauhar and be just as good! And yet...if she didn’t learn from a Zenan professional then she could very easily fall into the same trap as before. Honestly, that scared Zakia more than anything else. She wanted to become an archer desperately, that much was certain, but two years...that would take some time to think over.
[1192]
[3]
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 9:49 am
Growth Solo
[For the first time in Zakia's life she's planning on staying away from her mother and moving out in order to strengthen herself. By choosing to stay with Maud not only will she be learning survival techniques for Zena but also becoming a better marksman as well. It's going to be a challenge, but one she's finally ready to undertake!]
At first the idea of taking up Maud’s offer was completely ludacris. If she wanted to learn how to shoot a bow ‘properly’ then she could just take up with another huntsman; one who preferably wouldn’t keep her away from home in the Zenan countryside for so long. Then again, this was an opportunity that likely would never come up again and Zakia didn’t know how she felt about turning it down. Looking down at the bow in her lap made her wonder just how far her training would go in Jauhar. Surely she would be decent enough, but with all the travel she’d done with her mother even she knew she’d fallen behind the other alkidike her age. Of course she was smarter than them; why wouldn’t she be? She’d done nothing but study since infancy and now her greatest joy was when her mother could afford foeign texts from Belrea. And yet...something about losing that part of her heritage bothered her.
If she could really improve in two years time then why shoudln’t she at least try? It wasn’t as if she would be so far away from the sanctuary that she couldn’t still visit them, but her mother...Well, that would be the hardest part. Mnyiri had ultimately told her to do whatever made her happy, but she knew her mother wouldn’t stick around in Zena while she trained. As soon as she was sure her daughter was being taken care of she would be gone again and up until that point she’d never really been gone from her mother for that long. Sure she’d spent a summer or two in Jauhar with her friends, but that was it. To go an undetermined amount of time without family...with only Maud of all people to talk to….Zakia knew she was going to lose her mind!
And yet, if she did this then she could have the best of both worlds. She would be able to stand her ground as a future Amazon in her own right as well as someone capable of surviving the harsh Zenan landscape. She would never be caught out in the snow like she had been. And maybe, just maybe, if she did this her nightmares of waking up so cold she couldn’t feel her toes would stop. She might be able to have control over her own fears again....
Ultimately she decided to take Maud up on her offer. It was possibly the harvest decision of her life, but one Zakia knew she had to make. If she was ever going to be able to hold her own she was going to need to take risks and spending two years in a shack with a wily old codger was the biggest leap she could ever make. Goddess help me. If you let me survive I promise I’ll be the best sister I can possibly be. She was going to need all the help she could get.
[504]
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