~ A new place with new people~
It was late at night when he awoke, the wind coming down from the mountains cool to his skin and he felt himself shiver. The shifter was still getting use to this cooler climate, and he found himself wrapping his arms around his body before he turned his head to look up at the night sky and at the full moon. A sigh escaping his lips as he wished on the brightest star in the night sky that he had been smart enough to bring warmer clothes.
Trying to ignore the cold which he found was hard to do, the bumps on his skin betraying just how chilled he was. Takoda found himself staring at it at the moon. It seemed larger when there weren't so many tree's blocking your view. Takoda felt his body grow calm, there was some comfort looking at the moon as it helped with his homesickness. The moon was the only thing that was consistent, well that and the sun and reminded him that he was still on the same world. Thinking of home only made him feel more lonely, he wondered if the nondwa was still hanging around, since he wasn't around to give it food he was positive the thing must of left by now. But that was something he shouldn't be worrying too much about. It was a rather large and pesky insect, even if he did save its life.
Thinking over the last couple of weeks of traveling he had met all sorts of people and come to many new lands. Tale had few tree's, most a grassy plains where the rains seem to strip away the days history in a large torrent, if only one in a very long while. Tale had the Leaf Tribe, a proud people who believe in the earth. There he had seen Jac being one of the rather large group, as well that scary girl Takoda had run into once before. Then there were the Alkidikes...well he still wasn't sure why they had come along for the journey, and he only recognized Maya from that tribe.
Even after they had all come together and discussed peace and staying out of each others hair things had remained uneasy amongst them all. Yet there had been no fighting at the most there was only glares tossed back and forth, and the traveling continued until then they had arrived in Sauti and discovered the mountain ranges of purple earth and stone, as well the Wind Tribe people.
Fair haired men and women with pink jewels adorning their bodies and striking blue eyes. From what he had learned about them they were nomads, which meant that they never stayed in one place for a long time. How strange and lucky that he got to meet two of them personally, since...they could of easily been somewhere else. Thinking on the two of the wind tribe members he had met his thoughts first turned to Ayo.
Ayo was...an interesting woman, her interest in him had thrown him off guard perhaps mostly due to the fact that most of the cultures stuck to their own kind...showing interest in the other races seemed to be almost an unwritten fo-paw. Of course he must of been reading into her actions too much, why would she been interested in someone like him? He was too timid to be of much use, and he had no romantic qualities about himself that he could find. No...he must of been mistaken. Ayo must just be a very curious girl is all and he had greatly enjoyed her company. He hoped to find her again and speak to her again. Once he spoke to the elders about why the worshiped the moon anyway. Their discussion about how the stones on their skins must have some sort of symbolism as well the surprise she had received learning that the alkidike women were born from trees had lead to some very interesting discussions.
Then his thoughts turned to Shukri, he was a very curious individual as well. It lead him to wonder if all the Wind tribe members were so curious. Granted they were....what did Shukri call themselves? Ah yes nomads. People who traveled due to a lack of resources. He had to wonder on this, for it meant that the wind tribe had no fixated placed of living, no true sense of 'home'. Though when he had brought it up to Shukri he didn't seem so perturbed at the idea of constantly moving. In fact the idea of staying in one place had seemed weird to him. Shukri had also questioned him about his self sacrificing ways, the way he always worried about other people, and Takoda had no answer for the wind tribe member. After all Takoda couldn't imagine himself not caring about others it almost seemed alien.
Everyone was different and Takoda was learning so much about all the tribes...well...except for the Alkidikes, they seemed like a very independent sort of women ones that didn't want to rely on anyone outside of the tribe. And though they were so distant he had met ...a couple of them. There was Maya that he had still yet to reconnect with, and then Phenyo. Phenyo although had started out rather scary turned out to be very pleasant. The shifter had enjoyed his time speaking with her and after their talk his perception of her race had shifted somewhat. Thinking them as flowers rather than bugs had really helped. Maybe from now on he would be able to have a normal conversation with one of the amazon like women.
Granted they were still rather daunting...being so tall probably didn't help things and their attitude was less than welcoming. All of it stemmed back because they believed that they protected the forest, he had to wonder how that belief started.
Lost in thought the shifter mulled on how each one of the tribes seemed to have a very specific view point, how each one of them had a very different opinion of their gods and the world itself. If one thought too long on it they could be overwhelmed by the arguments and very objective points of view. Every tribe felt that they were in the right, but every one of them had a niggling flaw in their history and legends that pointed out that it perhaps was not one hundred percent accurate.
Thinking of his own people Takoda felt homesick, he missed his little tree dwelling, the simple things he often took for granted but now thought of fondly and nostalgically. He even found himself missing the nondwa that had begun stalking him shortly before he left to go on this adventure. Takoda felt a bit guilty, realizing that perhaps the nondwa may of been alone, and wondering where he went. The shifter had never considered the giant moth to be a pet, but it had basically attached itself to him.
He also missed the resources, despite the large predators food was at least easy to find, in these new lands it was harder and harder to identify plants that were sage to ingest and they had relied on the dried fruits and meats they had brought along with them to make it through their travels. The farther they went the less useful he was feeling to the group. His healing was only useful if they got in a fight, and since everyone was tolerating each other he had no reason to use his magic. Not that Takoda wished for their to be battles or fights amongst the groups, no he would much rather feel useless than to have everyone risking their lives over something stupid or silly.
Blinking the moon had...moved from his line of sight, a sign that a passage of time had flown by despite him being deep in thought. Tilting his head he could see just how far it had moved, and he sighed rubbing his arms trying to warm himself up before he turned his head to look at the broad back that belonged to his friend Chalcedony. He had become a shield bearer, and the weapon/armor sat close by to him. His figure outlined by the dim light the coals of the fire offered Takoda resisted the urge to go and try and share his body heat with the other.
It would be best if he just tried to get some sleep. Perhaps in the morning something new would be going on and his home sickness could be forgotten for a bit longer. Takoda didn't think it would be possible, but he could always hope.
FIN ~ Word Count : 1507
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