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 Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2021 4:02 pm
A Fresh Start
Somewhere in Jauhar | Prentice
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This was a world much, much different world than she was used to. Trees towered over her when she got off the boat, so tall she had stood there in awe for many moments before the next person, a sight-seeing Yaeli, behind her gave her a push to get her to keep moving and stop blocking the way onto solid ground. Heike had turned a quick glare in the earthling's direction, only to be met with an equal challenge that only made her madder. Such insolence. She could easily beat this man into submission if she wanted to, he was so much smaller than she was. To think he had enough arrogance to believe he was an equal to her was absurd.
But, looking around her at all the other people and remembering what had happened to her mother over something not much different, Heike had reluctantly stepped aside, though she continued to glare heavily at the man. He gave a sniff in her direction and moved past her, easily disappearing in the crowds of the street. The rest of the passengers gave her barely a glance as they also moved past her to their clearly defined destinations. For Heike there was no clear destination. She was not here on a planned vacation.
Even if she was, she wouldn't have picked a settlement. All these people in one location, barely of them her own people, was making her feel very uncomfortable. Hefting her pack onto one shoulder, the Elidae quickly moved along the edge of the settlement until the wilderness opened up around her. She continued walking deeper and deeper into the jungle until she could no longer here all the obnoxious sounds of other life. Just the sounds of the wilds. Heike stopped and breathed in deeply the strange new scents all around her before spying a brook. She bent down besides it to refill her canteen. She stopped before it could break the surface of the water, as the light reflected off the string of beads in her hair, caressing the side of her cheek.
This was not the ideal situation she had wanted to find herself in. So far from all that she'd known. In a strange new land she knew almost nothing about. Had not cared to know about. Even on the boat coming over to here, she hadn't asked anyone about where they were going, just kept to a corner away from everyone else. Everyone else on the boat had learned quickly to leave her alone. She'd almost been thrown off before they'd realized, if they just left her be, she wouldn't cause any trouble for them.
They'd caused lots of trouble for her. Even if they didn't know it. At least that was what her mother had told her all her life. Stick to your own and you would be fine. That was what had been taught to her from a young age. She planned to uphold that. Nothing was more important to her than keeping her mother's legacy alive in herself, not even the fact she wasn't even sure where she would go. All Heike knew was she couldn't bare to be back there. Maybe she could forge a new life with a cousin's tribe, instead.
Or maybe she would find a place somewhere just for her. For the moment, still strong in her grief, that was probably the best course of action for her. But where, was the better question.
Lowering the canteen into the water, Heike let the water flow over her fingers, the coolness of it pleasurable on her skin. Where and when didn't matter. Eventually she would find her way, again.
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Wordcount: 612
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Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:57 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2022 2:52 pm
Class Solo - Amazon
Somewhere in Jauhar | Prentice
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An assortment of weapons lay on the ground, some in better repair than others. The bow which had served Heike for so long being the worst of the bunch. The wood was chipping and she'd lost count how many times she had had to replace the string. It was high time she made a new one. But first, she'd spent a few months either making crude versions of other weapons or hunting to trade with others who had the skill to make what she couldn't. Such as the pair of daggers at her feet. Having spent so much of her life in the wilderness, away from even her own tribe, metal-working was thus far beyond her ability to even try.
Heike knew she was somewhat of a black sheep among the Elidae. Maybe even amongst most of her Aishan kin. Though she did feel a bond with her mother tree, she didn't think it was as great as she should be feeling towards her. She should be back home, helping her Sisters to protect her. But she wasn't. She never really was. Thinking about home only brought a pain in her chest that made her want to double over, but she stood her ground, tall and strong against the raging storm within her.
Instead of focus on it, the Elidae took a deep breath and focused on the weapons on display for her inspection. She was by herself and far away, but she could still honor her people and choose a path.
The bow she didn't even need to pick up and try. It was the one weapon Heike was the most used to, having used one ever since she was old enough to hold it. She enjoyed it, and was good at it, but it wasn't something she thought she could dedicate her life to using outside of hunting. The few creatures that had fought back and charged her had already helped her realize she didn't like the bow as a form of offense. She wasn't agile enough and it felt awkward.
The same could be said about the daggers. Heike kept a hunting knife at her belt. She'd already taken it out and held it up in front of her as if she were about to fight someone. She didn't like the closeness of it nor did she have the agility to use them.
Next was the sword. She thought maybe this would be closer to what she wanted, but she also found it awkward to swing. That seemed to be the running theme here. Everything was awkward to swing. If only she'd showed more interest in battle before now. All she'd wanted to do was hunt and wander the wilds. Now she had to pick.
The path was easy. Heike wasn't in tune with the animals of the world. She didn't really think she liked animals all that much. Nor did she have any desire to use magic. She liked the feel of something tangible in her hands, that she could see and understand how it worked. Magic was far too alien to her. That only left one choice. As she went through her small stock of weapons, even that she was beginning to doubt. If she couldn't even work towards the path of an Amazon, what kind of an Aishan was she?
One who wasn't about to give up, that was what. So what if she didn't feel comfortable using most weapons. Some people didn't.
Glancing over the collection, Heike picked her way carefully through them until she reached a spear. The wooden handle was long, with a simple green ribbon tied underneath the blade. If knives were too short and bows too long range, maybe this was the answer?
Picking it up and moving away from the others so she didn't accidentally slice her foot on something sharp, the young Elidae swung it about. She liked the weight of it. She liked the length of it. She liked the---
"Ow!" she gasped loudly, rubbing the side of her head where she'd just whacked the butt end of it with. Obviously, some practice was in order. She was willing to do that. And, now that she thought about it, the Alkidike lived here. Maybe she should pay the original tribe a visit? Maybe they could find a use for all these extra weapons.
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Wordcount: 727
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Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2022 6:41 pm
Under The Canopywith NayyaraSomewhere in Jauhar | Prentice----------------------------------------
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Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 12:31 pm
Found You!with DoesinaSomewhere in Jauhar | Prentice----------------------------------------
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Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2022 6:50 pm
Reflections
Somewhere in Jauhar | Prentice
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So much had happened in the span of a few months. On the surface, it would seem like nothing was changing. But Heike could feel things changing. Who knew picking up a spear could set so many things into motion. It reminded her of her heritage, something that she had been pushing away for a while. It wasn't that she was ashamed of what she was, it was just...She wasn't sure. Just a mix of living apart for so long? It wasn't like she'd been raised in a large family structure. It had just been her and her mother. Who she was coming to realize had been a misguided soul. Why would anyone want to alienate themselves from everything? Kioko had been apart of the kind of tribe that would have nurtured her beliefs. What had happened to make her leave that and start somewhere fresh and on her own? Did the answer lie in her Elaria family back on Yael?
Were she and Doesina caught up in the middle of some stupid family dispute? It was seeming more and more likely. The thought made her angry. If you wanted to fight amongst yourselves, that was fine. It was unfair to drag in those who had nothing to do with it. Neither of the young women had been born when Heike's mother had left Yael for, supposedly, greener pastures. Heike wasn't such a young, impressionable Elidae girl anymore, she was beginning to see the flaws in this "plan" of Kioko's. Heike had never been told anything about any other family members. She had been kept apart from the others of her tribe. And for what? Because Kioko had some argument with her family and wanted to have things her way? That wasn't a reason to go raise a child from another tree, in the hopes of spreading her own individual beliefs to. Heike was realizing she didn't want to live like that anymore. Now that she was in the wider world, she was seeing how others, even the Earthlings, worked together and got along...Well, maybe she wanted that, too. Maybe she deserved to have that kind of a relaxing existence in her life.
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Wordcount: 364
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2022 11:22 am
Off CourseOutside Ast | Blade ----------------------------------------
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Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:49 pm
Distant Relations
Emeka | Blade
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Heike was alone. It felt weird to be alone after listening to Doesina's chatter for so long. But she couldn't say she disliked the quiet, as awful as that was to say. She still wasn't sure how to feel about the whole situation. There were still many times she expected this whole thing to be a ruse, though for what gains she had no idea. She had no other family in Elidae for someone to use her to get closer to. She had no fortunes, no treasures, nothing but what was on her back for belongings. Now, she was no stranger to her Tribe's history. That, at least, she had been taught growing up. Had, in fact, met a few Elidae herself on her own and learned a great deal from them. She found it surprising that any Elaria would be so open to accepting her, even one as cheerful and easy-going as Doesina appeared to be. Still, even now, there was in the back of Heike's mind the thought that she was being tricked for some sort of revenge. Far back in her mind. For, though she thought about it, it still seemed as likely as the sky replacing the ocean.
One thing she was glad for was being away from that town. Her mind was a confusing battleground of various emotions as it was without seeing Alkidike/Earthling hybrids everywhere. They just added to the chaos within her brain. Did she even feel superior over them or was it just from years of it being drilled into her head? In all other aspects, Heike didn't really feel like an Aishan. Not in the way she thought she should. She didn't feel as much of a kinship with her Sisters and Cousins of the other Trees. So it made little sense to feel as if she was in a station above the other species of the world. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling off. It followed her, wherever she went.
The last fragments of her mother.
For days the Elidae traveled in the direction she hoped was one of the Alkidike towns, with these thoughts swirling in her head. The lack of extra chatter in her ears allowed her so much more time inside her head. It wasn't pleasant.
"Halt!" a deep voice commanded. Heike halted, obedient to the taller Alkidike who was looking down at her with suspicion, the sharp point of a spear pointed at her. "You cannot just waltz into our village."
No? But she was like them, just from a different…Oh. Right. Stolen seed from a stolen seed. Why did she ever think she could do this? Heike opened her mouth to try and explain herself, when another Alkidike approached the first. She lay a hand on the taller one’s spear, forcing it down and away from Heike.
“Easy, Sae. That’s no way to welcome someone.”
“I’m not trying to welcome her,” the other replied, growling out those words. Despite her clear displeasure, she didn’t try to wrestle the spear away from the shorter woman, seeming to defer to her. Heike kept silent, intrigued by this.
“Ah, you need to learn to let go a bit. Loosen up. You’ll feel better.” When Sae made no indications of answering, or forcing the weapon up, the shorter of the two turned towards Heike with a friendly smile on her face. Quite the different picture to the former. “You have travelled far, haven’t you? I’m Lae. This is Sae.” Sae gave a grunt in response, pretending to be interested in the sharp end of her spear. “Don’t mind my sister. She never learned any manners.” Another grunt.
Heike returned the greeting as politely as she could, giving her name but keeping the bag of items a secret. She felt silly for coming here with her cast-offs, most of which were cheaply made and wouldn’t stand much use. With how the Alkidike were, they would want something better. She knew she would want something better.
The two sisters lead the Elidae into their home, Lae offering a spare bedroom to her while she remained there. Against Sae’s wishes, all of which she wasn’t shy with sharing. Clearly she didn’t trust any stranger and Heike didn’t blame her, with the kind of history they all had. And while Lae was perfectly hospitable to her and friendly, Heike got the feeling she’d be just as quick as her sister to turn on the newcomer should she step out of line.
She would make sure she didn’t step out of line. She had nothing but the utmost respect for all the different children of the Trees.
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Wordcount: 773
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 6:06 pm
The Bold One
Emeka | Blade
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"You seem tense."
"Do I?"
"Yes. You do."
The edge in the speaker's voice was clear. Heike had given too much of her own attitude behind the tone. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, opening her eyes and lowering the spear she had been using. She didn't like being interrupted while she worked. The speaker was someone new, not one of the sisters she had been spending most of her time with. When she looked over at who it might be, thinking it would be a familiar Alkidike, a more familiar face stared back at her. Not that she knew who this woman was, but that she reminded her of someone she knew very well by now.
"Um. Sorry." Heike made sure to drop the tone from her voice, trying to adapt a softer edge to it. Talking to others was still a stressful moment for her. Maybe it always would be. She never meant to be as on edge as she always seemed to be, snapping at everyone all the time. She was just a tense person to begin with.
"Quite alright." The older woman came closer, studying Heike's stance with a critical eye. Heike felt uncomfortable, but said nothing. Even when the woman picked up the sharp end of her spear to balance it. "You are very tense with this, though. I can see it in the way you carry your shoulders. Perhaps you should look into some calming techniques. I know a few."
"Sure." Was all she could think of in response. This wasn't what she had been expecting when she'd come here. An Elaria offering help to an Elidae. Imagine. But she guessed Doesina couldn't be the only friendly one out there. An entire race of women couldn't all be as radical as her mother was. "Thank you," she added quickly, so she wouldn't come off too disrespectful.
Whether the other woman was taking offense to anything she was saying was unclear. She had a smile on a gentle and soft face. The kind of face that invited anyone to come up to her for a friendly conversation or to hang out. She had markings which only exaggerated this, some of them almost hiding a scar on her cheek. She looked well fit and like she trained often, as there were many muscles on her arms and exposed stomach. Her legs were covered by pants, but Heike imagined those, too, were strong. Everything about this woman looked strong. Except for her face. Had she been an Earthling, no one would have taken her seriously. Given that she wasn't, Heike was treading carefully. She was still a youngster herself, barely into her training to one day become an Amazon. This woman looked old enough to have seen a lot in her lifetime.
She nodded in Heike's direction, holding out her hand for the spear. Which the Elidae readily gave up. The confidence with which this Elaria carried herself had earned her instant respect from the younger Aishan, tripled by the fact she was an Elaria here with the Alkidike to begin with. Clearly she meant no harm to anyone. An Elaria here could only be here to mend the broken bridges that the war had caused.
For the first time in forever, she was letting her guard down. Oh, she trusted Doesina. She really did. But her cousin had nothing on the wisdom and experience that someone much older had.
The Elaria took the offered spear and sat it against the trunk of a nearby tree as carefully as if it were a fragile glass ornament. Turning back to Heike, she put her hands on her hips, planting her feet neatly apart on the ground. All the Elidae could do was raise one eyebrow and wonder where this was going. The woman looked like she was about to impart some very seriously information to her.
"You are so tense, I can tell you've never been taught any meditation techniques, have you?"
"No. Not really."
The older woman made a sound in her throat, a little hum of thought. "Than we'll have to start from the beginning." Folding one leg behind the other, she plopped down on the ground with a thud, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knees. She motioned for Heike to do the same before she continued. "I find when I have a lot of stress on my shoulders, that even a few minutes of calm breathing helps. Like this. Breath in slowly. And breath out slowly."
This felt silly. Heike had never been one to calm down and stop for long, unless she was eating or sleeping. Already this was causing her some discomfort and embarrassment, doing this out in the open. She kept these thought to herself and emulated what the other Aishan was doing, slowing her breaths down to match.
"Now, clear your mind of all thoughts and close your eyes. Just focus on the nature around you."
She did as she was told. With her sight cut off, the sounds of the Alkidike nearby were harder to ignore as they, too, worked on their combat training. She could hear swords clashing and arrows hitting wood. On her other side, birds were singing softly and some larger creature was digging about in the ground. She did her best to focus only on these sounds, to ignore the buzzing of constant thoughts in her head. But just the mere thought that these lessons were coming from an Elaria kept sneaking through. She wondered if the other woman also found this as odd as she did. Had she met Elidae before? Was that why she seemed comfortable enough in Heike's presence?
After a few moments of silence, the Elaria spoke up.
"Feel better?"
Heike couldn't help opening an eye, looking at her. He eyes remained closed. "A little. I guess."
"Of course, it might take some getting used to if you're not used to it." She opened her eyes, giving Heike a pleasant enough smile. "It does help. I promise." She took one last deep breath of the warm air before continuing. "I can teach you other things, too. If you want. I might look young but...I'm not that young."
"I'd be grateful for that," Heike responded awkwardly. Not that young, huh. Would explain how easy-going she was. Heike didn't have the patience to wait until she, too, was this unknown age to feel secure in her own skin. Despite her unease, she did really want to learn from this woman. From any woman here who had something to teach her. She had so much time to make up for. She felt like a babe, again.
Giving a big stretch, her arms waving high above her head, the Elaria bounced back to her feet. Heike followed, not sure how to act or what to say beyond just mimicking what this woman was doing.
"You don't have to be so stiff with me."
"Huh?"
"I said you don't have to be so stiff. It's fine!" Her grin increased in size, perhaps in an attempt to try and make Heike feel more comfortable. "I am here, after all. It's like not some Alkidike are happy with me. I know how you feel, if you need an ear to listen."
Heike nodded, stunned into silence by the boldness. An Elaria trait? Doesina certainly was bold, too. Than again, that was an unfair thought. People were governed by where they came from.
"Think on what I said." Coming closer, she gently patted Heike on the shoulder in a companionly way. She turned to go, stopping suddenly and looking over her shoulder to add, "and practice some meditation. It might help whatever is stirring in your brain." With a wave, she left the little space of the forest Heike had been using as a practice spot, heading back towards the town.
It was than the Elidae realized she hadn't even gotten the woman's name.
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Wordcount: 1,332
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Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2022 10:02 am
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Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2022 10:03 am
The Hunt
Emeka | Blade
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Damage done by the earthquake had fortunately been minimal. At least no one had been seriously hurt. Some of the youngsters had been climbing a tree and lost their grip at the last one, one spraining an ankle and another breaking an arm. But those had been the worst of the injuries. Everyone else had only suffered some bruising and cuts. As for the buildings, quite a few shelves had fallen down in many houses, breaking all manner of objects, but that was, again, the worse of the damage. Aisha surely was watching over them this day. It made Heike feel weird, hearing that being said by some of the Alkidike. She was Elidae, after all. Her Tree's seed wasn't even from Aisha. Would She care about Heike and her Sisters?
No. That was just insecurity talking. Of course she would. All of them were one and the same. The Trees did not seem to discriminate very much, given two of them were producing hybrids. If she was to be a strong defender for her Tree someday, Heike needed to be mentally strong, as well. She needed to stop thinking that way, as if everything was her fault. Nothing was her fault. She had done nothing wrong. Done nothing but tried to turn her life around and be a better person. All around her were perfect examples of that. So many women working together to fix the damage done by the disaster. Or just to do something simple like sending a few flowers to a Sister who was known to be having a rough time of it. They looked out for each other, in every way they could. That's what Heike wanted. But to get that, she needed to work on herself, so that she may start to believe that she deserved it.
Repairs on all the broken shelves had been underway for a day, now. Lae had been hunched over her pottery wheel, determined to fill her own shelves before the week was up. Her sister always frowned at her as she passed. So much wasted time that could have been spent training, Sae always lamented. It never mattered how old you were, there was always room for improvement. You should spend most of your youth bettering your skills before you grew too old to move your joints as fast. Than you had all the time in the world to spend on those hobbies. Heike agreed. Not that she had any hobbies of her own to distract from her training. What she had enjoyed doing when she was younger were all activities that benefited her or someone else. Like hunting in the wilderness of Kiros. That filled the table for supper. She wondered if those services would be needed now. It was nearing the time for harvest. The earthquake had happened just days before they were scheduled to start, where hunters would be redoubling their efforts. It had felt like so long since she'd been out stalking an animal. She was eager to practice her skills once more. She didn't want to ask to go, though. She felt like that would be some intrusion. She didn't live here and maybe they had their own ways of doing things.
One morning, Heike woke to an empty house. She had been staying with the twins in their spare bedroom. It was the day set aside to begin certain preparations, such as harvesting the ripe fruit and nuts that could sometimes be found up in the trees or on the ground, as well as when a large hunting party was set to go out. Heike had a bow with her, one she had crafted for herself not too long before arriving in Emeka after her other one had broken. She had been anticipating this day, waiting for someone to ask her to go along. No one did. They had already left. She had been excited to go and had been expecting it. Now she was left disappointed and angry. Rushing back to the house, the Elidae took up her bow and quiver and set out on her own to hunt down something. She needed something to do to get out her frustrations.
She wasn't sure in which direction the hunting party would have gone. There were women who had remained behind that she could ask, but she really didn't wish to talk to anyone at the moment. She knew her anger would show through and she really didn't desire questions right now. Fortunately, from her long stay in the forests both here and back home, Heike knew to just listen and watch. One way seemed more silent than the other and there were small signs of many feet walking. A broken twig. The accidental disturbance of a flower growing in the path. These told her where the Alkidike party had gone. So she turned her back on it, heading in the opposite direction.
Noises of animals not disturbed from their days greeted her. Something dashed away at her approach. All she caught was the quick glimpse of a furry hide, brown in color. She debated following it, hunting it. But since it was already aware of her presence, it would now be extra wary of anything approaching it. She would have a harder time of getting a clean shot on it. So, bow slung across her back and shoulders, spear slung across her back just in case, the Elidae continued on past the point she had seen it, listening for anything else that might make a good meal to bring back to the settlement. Something either big or many, if it was small. Something to prove to them, though really herself, that she was capable.
There was a sound above, a scraping like something sharp against wood. Heike looked up to see something pale jump from the top of one tree to another, so fast she barely saw it with even her keen eyes. One hand itched back towards the spear, unsure what the creature was. It could be one of many. She hoped it was a small group of Maglardilla, as they were easy to hunt and quite tasty to boot. But it as easily could be a Menzuri, the large spider creatures she had quickly come to regard with caution when she arrived on Jauhar. She'd been caught in their webs before, only escaping at the last minute and didn't wish a repeat of the experience. Moving slowly, she backed away from the movement, green eyes fixed on the spot in the canopy where the movement had been detected, one hand gripping the bow and the other flexing towards the spear. If it was Menzuri, she would have to be fast. If it was something less dangerous, speed would also be the key, to grab an arrow and shoot it.
A twig cracked underneath her shoe, causing a flurry of large, helpless insects to take to the sky, startled by the sudden noise. Heike watched them with a frown on her face, disappointed in herself for now watching where she was going. She was a skilled hunter, having spent more of her life in forests, quietly stalking between trees and following tracks for fun, that she should be undetectable. Maybe her brain was too preoccupied with the hurt from being left behind.
Not that her brain had much of a chance to dwell on it. As the bugs weaved through the branches above, they in turn upset a small flock of Maglardilla. Quick as a whip, Heike had her bow up, arrow nocked, and let loose. One of the creatures fell to the ground, followed by more, all dead upon impact, an arrow sticking out of a vital organ. When the world quieted down once more, the Elidae lowered the bow, slinging it over her shoulders and collecting her prizes. She tied them all together and slung them over her back, heading for the town to drop them off. Once done, she would return to the forests and see what else she could find. There were lots of mouths to feed.
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Wordcount: 1351
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Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2022 7:06 pm
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2023 7:04 pm
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Posted: Fri May 26, 2023 2:29 pm
The Sound of Wood
Emeka | Blade
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"So your mother was an Elaria. Yeah. That makes sense."
"Why does that make sense?"
"Um..." The panicked look on Lali's face gave Heike the impression this had something to do with her. Should she feel offended? She wasn't sure. She didn't feel offended. Mostly because of the confusion she felt instead by the comment. Was there some common knowledge about Elaria here she was missing? Some stereotype she hadn't seen? Of the few she had met in her life, all except her mother had been friendly, always willing to sit down and have a chat with her. Than there was the fact that, well, of course it made sense that her mother was an Elaria. Didn't her Mother's seed come from Elzira? It was only natural most of the Elidae had Elaria mothers.
"Because that's where your tree came from," the older woman answered, still looking embarrassed about something. Heike narrowed her eyes slightly, feeling even more suspicious of what had just slipped by right under her nose, but decided it wasn't worth pursuing. Did it really matter that much? No. Did she want to ruin her time spent with the Elaria? Also no. Lali had been just as welcoming to the lost Elidae as the Alkidike twins had been, going the extra distance to show Heike some fancy footwork with her spear. It was unfortunate that Heike had no magical talent to speak of. She could only imagine the variety of other things Lali could have taught her. Maybe if Doesina had come with her, she could have learned in place of Heike. She thought about going back for her. She could certainly use the experience of a seasoned Sacred Heart. Her cousin's fighting style could use a lot of refinement in the magic. Leaving her community before she had a chance to learn from what they knew hadn't been the best decision. Nor one that had mattered, in the end. Heike still would have come here regardless, than decided to visit the Elaria after meeting Lali. Her cousin should really just go back home.
That was, if she hadn't left the hybrid village Heike had left her at so long ago. How long had she been in Emeka, now? Time was hard to track here, with so much to see and so many wanting to talk to her.
The scrapping of a stone over the dagger in the Elaria's hand brought Heike back from her thoughts. Just in time to see the looks a pair of Alkidike visitors were shooting Lali. Travelers from Chibale come to trade or visit relatives. Either was as likely an option as the other.
"Does it bother you the way they look at you?" Like they'd love nothing more than to stick a spear in the Elaria intruding on their home.
Lali glanced up just enough to see the subjects of the question, than shrugged, turning her pale eyes back on the task in her lap. She made a few scraps with the whetstone before she spoke. "Not really. I understand how they feel. Maybe I'd feel the same if a seed was stolen from my Mother Tree." Looking up, she gave a small smile, placing the whetstone on a table next to her. "We're all protective of our Mother, are we not? I know you ran away, but I know you are also itching to prove yourself capable enough to return to Her."
"Yeah," was all the young Elidae could think to say. As usual, Lali hit the correct nerve, showing how perceptive she was about others around her. It wasn't like she was wrong, either. Those were all things Heike wanted. She just hadn't realized it until she'd come to this town and seen the first Sisterhood. It was strange how easily she felt she could talk to this woman. She had never felt that with her own other or Doesina. Would she feel this when she visited Yael and saw the rest of her close kin? Her aunt and grandmother.
"Also something we all share." Lucky guess? "How's your training going?"
"Good." Heike kept her green eyes down on the arrow she was fletching, smoothing out the feathers at the end of it. Maybe Lali took that for coyness, because there were sounds of the dagger being sheathed and the creek of the chair as the Elaria stood up. She looked up, watching Lali pull out two long poles from a barrel where they were waiting for blades to become spears. Holding one out, the older woman flicked her head in the direction of an open space just outside the town, a challenge in the smile on her face. "Show me."
Grinning her own challenge back, the Elidae stood up, putting the unfinished arrow on the seat to finish after. Her hand gripped one of the poles, feeling the familiarity of it as well as the missing weight of the blade that would one day be on the end of it. While she understood the need for safety, was it really necessary? Did she think Heike was going to stick her through with a spear by accident?
As was her way, she didn't voice this opinion out loud, but gave an arched brow look, balancing her weight on a single foot, holding the pole out.
"Not going to accept without a little risk? Okay." Her voice held a little amusement in it, the edges tinged with a laugh she didn't allow escape. Heike smiled back in triumph as the pole was taken from her hands and put back in the barrel with its siblings. From its place propped up against the side of a building, the Elidae took up her own spear. Now this was a weight she was fully familiar with. How many years since she'd made it herself? Many. She wasn't quite sure when. It hadn't been long since she'd arrived on Jauhar, that was all she was certain about.
From her side of the weapons crafting area, Lali choose a spear for herself, swinging it around with one hand and testing its weight. She seemed to deem it acceptable and moved away to more open grounds, Heike following close behind her. Until they split, each going to opposite ends of the small clearing. Scuffs and lines in the dirt showed this to be a popular spot for sparring. Heike rubbed the sole of her shoe over a set of two lines. Clear signs of a struggle of spear against spear. She looked forward to adding her own marks to the ground. Her fingers flexed on the shaft of her spear as she spread her legs, holding her staff in a very loose arm against the side of her body.
"We could toss a coin for who goes first," the Elaria was saying, jabbing the butt of her own spear into the ground. "But I'd rather you just come at me." Lifting it and pointing the tip at Heike, she got into her own battle stance, her own spear also held loosely, but in front of hers where Heike choose to hang hers more to her side. Lali was expecting to block, that was certain, And there really wasn't much else Heike could do but charge at her when all her attention was focused on the moment when that spear would need to be brought up to block.
Maybe she could use the block to try something else while she was distracted.
Digging one foot into the ground, leaning most of her weight on it, Heike gripped her spear and launched herself forward, swinging the butt end around, knowing Lali would react by raising her own spear and blocking it anyway. When she did, the sound of the connecting wood rattling across the forest and making some Alkidike turn their heads to watch, Heike swept out with one foot to try and unbalance the Elaria. No good. Lali's reflexes were too quick, too finely honed from so many years of fighting to fall for something so easy. She hopped backwards, releasing the crossed spears for a second before they swung back together. The two looked at each other, both with shining eyes and large grins, very much enjoying themselves. Until, with lightning reflexes, Lali pulled away once more and swung the butt of her spear down towards Heike's feet, knocking her off balance to go crashing down to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Her spear, still gripped in one hand, hit the ground above her head, her flung arm as far from her body as possible to keep the sharp tip away from her.
"Still not quick enough. But you're getting there." A face appeared above the Elidae, smiling down at her. Heike noticed the Elaria had barely broke a sweat, while she herself could feel the wind a little colder on her forehead. Nerves. Fighting with someone so much older and experienced than her was enough to shake the nerves a little.
"Maybe when I reach your age, I'll be able to do that." Reaching up to clasp the offered hand, she got back to her feet, brushing off her behind. "Once more?"
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Wordcount: 1531
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Posted: Sun May 28, 2023 4:39 pm
What I'm Here For
Outside Emeka | Blade
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Heike remained silent in the shadows, watching the large predator moving stealthily between the trees just a short distance away. Not too long ago, a Maglardilla had fallen to the ground, felled by the arrow she had let loose. She hadn't noticed the Radaku. Not until it was alerted by the noise of the smaller creature hitting the earth. It had slung out from behind a tree seconds before the Elidae started to move from behind hers to retrieve her prize. With quick reflexes, she had darted back behind it, using her antenna to guide her in the predator's movements. She was downwind from it. It shouldn't notice her unless she moved or it decided to come in her direction. Hopefully it would spot the meal on the ground and leave. There were many more Maglardilla where that one came from. She could spare one for a fellow hungry creature in the woods.
If only it would take it.
As still as the tree she hid behind, Heike waited patiently, almost holding her breath as the Radaku sniffed around. Twice it walked over her kill without reacting to it, one hind leg hitting the arrow that still jutted from the body. Maybe it smelled her on it and was reluctant to touch it. Seemed very likely. In her long years of experience hunting, predators easily learned the scents of the two-legged creatures who sometimes prowled the same forests and fields as they did, taking their own prey from the land. This one might have had a lot of encounters with Alkidike in the past and was now wary. But the lure of a free meal just laying on the ground was too tempting an offer to pass up, so it remained. Circling.
So why wouldn't it just take it?
Back and forth it continued to move, a few times bending down as if to take it but leaving the kill there. Heike was beginning to grow impatient and her legs to cramp from standing in the exact same position for what felt like hours. She was starting to debate fighting this thing. At the least doing something to scare it off. She didn't care about the Maglardilla anymore, she just wanted to return to Emeka in one piece.
As if on cue, she heard sounds coming from the opposite direction. Loud sounds, like lots of women talking loudly. Some even yelling and hollering. It took her a little bit to realize it was an Alkidike hunting group, making as much noise as possible as they approached because they had seen the Radaku from afar and wanted to scare it off. The creature was distracted by all the noise, looking in the direction of it with ears pinned forwards and body tense, waiting for the moment to spring and run. Or spring and attack. From her spot behind the tree, Heike couldn't see how many Sisters were coming this way or even where exactly the noise was coming from. More than likely they were using coordination to sneak from one tree to the next, drawing its attention away so that each woman could have her chance to get closer.
Finally, it decided it wasn't worth it and took off, right past the tree the Elidae was hiding behind. It never looked in her direction.
At once, all the yelling and loud talking stopped, to be replaced by cheers. Heike released a breath and moved her now stiff muscles, holding onto the tree for support as she stretched out each leg. A satisfying pop in each knee wasn't far behind each action.
"What's this here?" came a voice close by. "Looks like someone was hunting here."
"That would explain the Radaku's weird behavior," came another, deeper than the first. By now Heike was lumbered up enough to trust her legs not to stumble and make a fool of herself as she revealed her position to the other Aishan women. Six pairs of dark eyes turned to watch her approach, a few releasing the defensive stances they had instinctively gone into when the Elidae's movements had been detected. One of those women lowered a giant axe and spoke in the same deep voice she heard earlier. "You are hunting a long way from home, young one."
Another Alkidike, a different one from the first speaker, approached the deep voiced Sister to lay a hand on her arm. "Hold on, Sidei. I think I've seen this one around Emeka. You are the one who has been staying there the past year, right?" she directly asked Heike. She gave a nod, feeling very intimidated by all the older Alkidike standing before her. "I find it strange that you've decided to stay so long. I assume you have family here?"
"That's a nosy question, Siwa," the Alkidike with the deep voice, Sidei, told the shorter in a slightly scolding tone. "We only just met her and you want her backstory? Are you afraid she's some spy?"" The last sentence was said with an edge of teasing in her voice, and the one called Siwa nudged her in the arm, but chuckled at the accusation.
"Of course not. But it's not everyday you see an Elidae so far this way."
Before Sidei had a chance to say anything else to that, Heike spoke up, clearing her throat first so they all looked at her. She tried not to cower under all those stares, feeling like she was being sized up by six pairs of judgmental eyes. "I don't mind. I don't have ay family here, that I am aware of. I just...Decided to come here. For a visit." Sort of the truth. Not that she had intended on coming even to Jauhar. That was just where the ship had landed when she'd boarded it on a whim one day. She hadn't cared where she was bound for at the time. So long as it was far away from all the memories back home.
Someone from the back shuffled her feet, readjusting a sandal slipping off her heel. "I bet she came to see Aisha. Or try to. That's why they all come."
The tone was sharp, clearly annoyed. A few of the others nodded their heads, looking at Heike as if daring her to disagree. Well, she was about to. Because she hadn't. She never once even thought about going further west to the next Alkidike town, let alone to the island of Chibale. She didn't feel a desire to see Aisha. Neither had Doesina ever mentioned one. All she'd ever said was how being up here made her nervous. Completely understandable for an Elaria.
"Uh....No. Actually." Heike stopped to clear her throat. Mistake. That gave another one of the Alkidike a chance to speak up. The shortest of the six had crouched down to the fallen Maglardilla, pulling the arrow out of it and holding the carcass by the back end. She held the arrow out to Heike, clearly having not been listening to the conversation. "I assume this is yours."
Heike took the arrow with a thank you, wiping the tip off on a cloth pulled from a side pouch before returning it to the quiver on her back. The short Alkidike didn't offer the kill, however, but held onto it tightly. If Heike was staying in Emeka, than it went to reason that she was hunting to provide the town with food, anyway. It didn't matter who brought it back. Besides, Heike had many more where that came from to present herself. She wouldn't miss one.
"I...Didn't come for Aisha. Or anything, really."
"No?" one of them asked in disbelief, planting one fist on a tilted hip. "That'd be a first. We are going back that way in a few days if you want to tag along. No shame in admitting you want to go."
Pursing her lips, Heike narrowed her eyes, just slightly. She couldn't help getting annoyed, but she also didn't want to come across as disrespectful. These were all women who were her elders, far more experienced then she was while she was just a strange visitor. They had every right to be suspicious, she thought. Still...She wasn't lying and didn't appreciate anyone accusing her of it.
"I guess I came to see Aisha's daughters more than Aisha herself."
"Huh." Sidei looked at everyone else around her, spreading her arms out. "Hear that? She came for us." Suddenly, she sprang forward, taking Heike in a one-armed side hug. "I don't know if I have ever heard someone say that. We should celebrate!"
"Sidei, you always want to party." Siwa chuckled as she passed, giving the taller Alkidike a loving caress on the arm. The other four Alkidike in their hunting party followed suit, leaving Heike awkwardly in the muscular hold of the taller woman.
"Every excuse is a good excuse for a party!" Sidei yelled back at their retreating backs, pulling the younger Elidae around with her. "Especially in these times of peace, right? Come. I'll help you carry your stuff back to town." And, releasing Heike at last, Sidei moved towards the stack of Maglardilla on the ground, grabbing two handfuls and walking off. Heike picked up the rest and followed, the first seeds of worry clutching at her chest at what she was about to be dragged into later.
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Wordcount: 1563 Words
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