Aminah mourns over her garden, interrupted by a highly surprising visit. [Finished]
Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 1:22 pm
Ticking
Aminah was getting older now. She could feel it when she was getting up in the morning or going to sleep at night, and she could see it when she looked at her reflection. She wasn't a teenager anymore, that was for sure, though she was also sure she felt older than she actually was and most would poke fun at her old soul behaviors. She felt past her prime, even though she was not yet 25. A quarter of her life gone and there was something else there, too. It was another feeling of hers, though this one wasn't quite so physical.
She saw the babies in the village, the little children running around and playing outside and wanted that. She wanted it so bad. She felt like she could almost feel her womb drying out and crying for help. It wanted to nurture something, to feed it and grow it inside of her, stretch out her stomach and swell her body to care for a child. Her body wanted it, craved it, but she needed it too. She wanted to hold a baby tight in her arms and rock it to sleep. To feed the precious thing she had made and watch it take its first steps, run outside and laugh during play. She wanted to care for a child when it was sick, to love it unconditionally and to hold it when it was scared of the dark.
She needed these things like she needed air. And at the thought of it she felt her stomach pull. She envied those with children. She envied Keilana with her two boys, and envied her brother Jacinthus with their adopted daughter of their own. Everyone her age seemed to be already situated with at least one child and she was still alone. Well, she wasn't actually alone.
She had Jerarda. But there were many many many questions to be had with her relationship and among the biggest were children. Obviously Aminah couldn't feel the joy of having a growing baby inside of her unless they found someone to help. But why would they need to do that if Jerarda's mother tree Aisha could give them children that belonged solely to the two of them? It was selfish of Aminah to want something so specific so badly, something she was almost sure would never bode well with Jerarda. But it didn't stop her body from wanting it. It was an odd thought, having children born from flowers, but if that was the way that she was meant to have bouncing bundles of joy in her arms, then that was the way it was meant to be.
She found some comfort in that at least. She wouldn't be without little ones forever, she just needed to make sure her body could wait that long. Could bare to stand the painful emptiness for just a little while longer.
Aminah meets up with an old friend for a sparring match [Finished]
kaname423 Crew
Offline
kaname423 Crew
Offline
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 8:30 pm
Victory
The cheer rang out through all of Tendaji, victory! Tendaji had won, Oba was defeated and made allies once a new king was put into place. It was good feelings everywhere.
Aminah had stayed home for the majority of the war, unable to leave after the invasion of her village by the bug mages and the loss of her garden. Her leg had her unable to do any real moving for months as the flesh slowly healed. And when it was finally done and she could move without pain and her skin bore the marks of her injury for probably the rest of her life - well... the war was over then. But that didn't stop her from enjoying the taste of winning. The village was rejoicing and partying, and Aminah was among them. They wouldn't be enslaved, they had freed others in the process. The water people of Matori were moving among Tendaji freely now, and it was thanks to the efforts of the people that united together despite their differences. It made Aminah proud.
Aminah pulled the final bandage from her leg, the last time she would have to wear it and looked down at the ugly scar from what used to be charred flesh. It was funny that she would have a burn on her leg during their war with the fire earthlings of all people. It was almost as if the gods had meant that as a reminder that this was a time that would be in history. Or maybe there was a different meaning.
Aminah rubbed over the tender flesh while she sat around the bonfires that lit up the night with the joviality in the air. She tried to think of it from the Obans point of view. The rest of Tendaji had basically robbed them of a way of life. Not that Aminah ever for a second supported even the concept of slavery, but what was it like to be an Oban who was just born into that life style? They had known nothing else besides being waited on by the Matori. It was an interesting thought, but she quickly returned to her present place. Though the common people might not have treated their slaves poorly, there were those that had and it was good that it had stopped.
Aminah picked up another cup of drink and enjoyed the warmth flooding her cheeks from the alcohol. It was a special night after all and celebrations were deserved all around.
Aminah and Sathe go to Zena again for a snowball fight. [Finished]
kaname423 Crew
Offline
kaname423 Crew
Offline
Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 2:04 pm
Winter is Coming
Winter Is Coming Prompt 1
Solo or RP Format Can be used toward Solo or RP req
The settlements of Tendaji all knew how to take care of themselves during the winter. Zena and Sauti received their usual snow fall, for Zena it was nearly year round and didn't faze them much at all; Tale and Jauhar seemed to retain most of their heat, dropping to milder temperatures; Matori and Oba seemed to flux between mild during the day and a sharp chill in the evenings. But usually it was all under control.
Word had passed through the elders and oracles and mystics that this winter was going to be a hard winter. The air would be sharp with cold and snow would fall in all areas of the world, something that had never happened before in Jauhar.
It came as a shock when the temperatures began to drop rapidly through the night. Most had thought that it was just a joke. There couldn't possibly be enough cold air to send snow to Jauhar. It was absurd. But it happened, and most of Tendaji wasn't prepared.
In the morning everything was frosted over, those in Zena and most of Sauti were barely able to open their doors the snow had risen so high overnight, and those in warmer climates could see the sheet of frost on the ground and the plants around them.
If the winter was going to be a long one, they would have to salvage what they could and come up with a plan...
Aminah woke to the chill in the air and sat up from her bed to see frost on the windows. It was still early in the morning, the sun hadn't yet broken the skyline, but she already knew she had to get up. She was an idiot, that was for sure. She had been told by the elders in the village that the mystics and oracles had said there would be an alarmingly cold winter. They had predicted snow, but Aminah had to laugh at that. Snow. In Tale. She had never seen such a thing in all her years, but as she strapped up her boots and pulled on shawls and coats to keep warm she wasn't so sure now.
She wrapped Niro in a little blanket and let him keep warm inside the house. she would have to have a fire. How was she going to have a fire in Tale? She had no fireplace. She had never needed one, and she was pretty sure that most of the others in the village didn't have anything like that either. Though the cooking stove could work in a pinch, it was just so small. It would be a rough night if it were to get any colder.
She moved over the pots and cleaned off the hearth near the cooking fire. She would need more wood nearly as soon as she started the fire, but she couldn't imagine leaving Niro without anything but the blanket. She lit the small piece of firewood she had and blew into the flames, coaxing them to grow higher with magic. It would use up the wood faster, but at least it would get the house heated. Satisfied that she could leave for at least the hour it would take to get more wood she opened up the back door and stepped into the frosted sand under her feet. The air outside of the house was at least ten degrees cooler and there was actually snow on the majority of the floor. Aminah frowned and definitely felt foolish for not having listened to those who knew more than her. She shut the door behind her before running across her still demolished garden and into the forest. Wood, it should be easy enough to find surrounded by trees, but a lot of the forest wasn't prepared for the cold as well and she would have to find wood that wasn't frozen through. It would take much too long to thaw and dry out to be ready for fire, even with magic.
She was able to find a smaller tree that grew under larger overshadowing trees. It was near perfectly protected from the falling snow thanks to its larger friends and when Aminah felt the wood under her fingers she could sense that there wasn't enough moisture to ruin the wood, though she would still need to use magic to extract any that had gotten in. Perfect.
With a push against the trunk with her palms flat on the trunk she focused all the energy she could into her magic and forced the tree to shed it's leaves on one branch in particular. The leaves did what they were asked and fell to the floor, immediately soaking up the ice and snow on the floor and becoming unusable. With another concentrated push of magic she willed the now empty branch to loosen from the trunk, to cut down where it was attached and to fall to the forest floor. It hit with a thunk and Aminah immediately got to work cutting it down to smaller usable sizes. The entire branch would be used over the next couple of days in the fire for the house, and she wouldn't leave any of the precious stuff behind. With the bag she brought with her full of whatever wood she could stuff in there, and her arms piled near to her chin with what was left, she slowly made her way back to the house. She would need to be careful if she were to get this stuff back without causing it to fall and get any more wet that what it was.
It wasn't long before she was at the back of the house, and with a bump of her hip, pushed the door open and stepped into the warming house. The fire had done its job, but it was weak and nearly out. Niro was curled at the edge of the hearth, warming himself. Aminah smiled at the little guy and put the wood carefully down onto the floor. Once it was all laid out, she picked up her staff and with some slight magic work had moved all of the liquid within the branches out and into the air. The droplets hung there frozen in time before pulling together into a ball of water and into a pot Aminah had placed out for just this.
Good, the wood was ready and Aminah would have fire for days. She would need to make a trip out once more, to gather more wood for her family, but that would wait just a little while.
(Word count: 856)
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 11:54 am
Tis the Season
Tis the Season Prompt 2
Solo or RP Format Can be used toward Solo or RP req
The air was ripe with cheer in all of Tendaji. The Oban's King had been defeated and a new and compassionate one put in his place, the slaves were released, and it was time for the Winter Solstice. Friendly faces abounded as the havoc of the war was nearly wiped away and the villages restored.
It would seem as if everyone was enjoying the season, and it was very clear to see why. Almost every land in Tendaji were hosting their own winter celebrations, partying and feasting until the early hours of the morning before settling in to sleep for the night. It wasn't a time for work anymore, but a momentary reprieve for play.
Aminah could feel it in the air. Everyone seemed happy this season, herself included. She took in a deep breath of the crisp outside air and looked out into the village square. There were preparations for a large bonfire tonight. There would be drinking and partying, children playing and screaming. Aminah would be alone, but not for too much longer. It was time to pack her things. She grinned to herself, enjoying the wash of anxiety and happiness flood through her. She was moving in with Jerarda.
She would have to leave behind her garden, but then again, she hadn’t actually healed it from the fire to begin with. Half of it was still charred and the other half had barely tended plants that would be fine on their own. She spun around to face her house and with a long look at the outside tried to think if she would be homesick for long. She would miss Sathe and her parents, for sure, but they supported her decision, however unorthodox it was. She opened the door and stepped inside to look at the crates and bags she had already packed. There wasn’t too much going with her, just the necessities and her pets. Niro was confused with the move. He didn’t understand yet that they would be going to a different home, but he would adjust she was sure. She looked at the things left unpacked and wondered what she was going to do with it all. Her parents didn’t need anymore things, and Sathe wouldn’t be moving out for a while still, maybe she would take some of it, but not all of it. There were cooking supplies she was sure Jerarda would have already, furniture that they surely wouldn’t need doubles of; the only thing Aminah wasn’t leaving any of behind would be her books. Even her desk was going with her, with its many small potted plants and drapings all over it and the window sill. She was sure she would be able to find room for them wherever it was she was going to.
She pulled her hair into a ponytail and got to work on moving the things she wouldn’t be taking with her. Someone would take them. After working most of it out of her house and sat them in the front, she started to walk to her neighbors, hoping they would be interested or willing to spread the news. Some found it helpful. There were still cooking things that would be useful if the original was broken, furniture that was in very good condition having been Aminah all this time, and plants and ornaments that Aminah wouldn’t be taking with her that would make good gifts for the solstice. All that took her things thanked her and bid her well, most asking when she was leaving and where she was heading off to. She spent most of the time smiling and enjoying the conversation, feeling like it was bringing her one step closer to Jerarda every minute that passed.
Soon enough it was late in the afternoon, and everything that needed to be given away was gone. The front of her house was empty, and the inside had only boxes and the things she would be giving to Sathe. She wondered what would become of her home when she left; if it would be left vacant for long or if someone would move right in. Though it wasn’t actually important.
The sun was fading on the horizon and with a rush of sound Aminah felt the fire some to life in the town square. It was already time for celebrations. Aminah returned inside to get a blanket to lay out and sit on and joined the others who were already setting up. It would be a good night. Almost like a final goodbye to Tale. She hadn’t actually known any other home, but change was always good and it was with no regrets that she was leaving. She settled in on her blanket, Niro curled up in her lap, facing away from the fire. She didn’t think he enjoyed the fear of being so close, but did like the heat of it on his fur. She patted him before beginning to rub his fur and watched the others as the music started and the drinks began to flow and food was served from neighbors nearby. Aminah reached out for a mug of whatever it was they were passing around and looked up at the tips of the flames in the sky thinking about how wonderful the night was.
