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 Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 11:06 pm
After setting up their latest campsite with the others, Shirin trailed along after two of her sisters to the craggy valley nearby, intent on gathering more roots and plants for the evening's meal. Nothing like setting up camp to work up a healthy appreciation for food.
The three girls had scarcely managed to gather more than a handful of roots when an argument broke out between Shirin's sisters. A criticism of root-gathering technique, of all things, had spiraled right out of control. It was, truth be told, only one of the many arguments to erupt in the family on a daily basis, but she still winced as their raised voices echoed throughout the valley. What a way to make an entrance to a new place. Hopefully no one from the nearby settlements was out there trying to hunt, she thought. The racket was quite enough to scare off any fauna in the vicinity.
Shirin tried, naturally, to reason them out of their disagreement, but neither sister was in a reasonable mood. As it became clear that her efforts were falling on deaf ears, she slipped away. There was another watering hole not far from here, she had heard, though she wasn't entirely sure where. She could totally find it if she walked long enough, right? Maybe she could gather more of the vegetation on her own. Plus, if she was lucky, her sisters will have made up again by the time she returned. After all, they were family, all bickering aside.
On that optimistic note, she ascended the side of the valley, stepping neatly from rock to rock. As the voices began to fade in the distance, she could feel a sense of calm settling over her. And look, there was a particularly lush growth of berries in the shrub up ahead, a prize indeed. She quickened her pace.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:01 pm
Rastian had only just returned from a trek to Jauhar with his adoptive brother, Natsu. While they typically got along rather well and appreciated each other as family, today had been a rather off day for the ice-leaf boy. Natsu was being too chipper, too touchy, too... UGH! Razzie didn't want all the hugs and attention, not today at least! All he wanted to do was get home, take a swim, and sleep! But Natsu wanted to wander all around Tendaji as if he owed the place! It was a good thing that Rastian had forgotten his spare water skin, or else they would have been out there forever!
Natsu had ultimately decided to go to the beach and let Rastian cool down on his own, something that made Rastian very happy. He left his satchels and boots in his tent before switching into some cooler clothing. His skin was practically dripping with sweat, it was obvious that he would need to find a place to splash some water on his face. He heaved a sigh and headed towards one of his favorite places, a watering hole to the left of the village. Along the way he cringed at the voices of two girls arguing, obviously sisters, and bit his tongue to keep from joining in. He was there to cool down, not rage back up.
He stepped carefully from rock to rock and padded down the path, the watering hole coming into view. But, just as he was making his way down, he noticed Shirin rushing towards a bush of berries and arched an eyebrow. Who was she? He'd never seen her around before. He glanced to the watering hole and back to Shirin, before sighing and waving towards her.
"Evening, neighbor!" He said, smiling. "I haven't seen you around before, are you new here?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 8:02 pm
Shirin paused mid-dash as she heard a voice. Looking up beyond that tantalizing bush, she spotted a young man waving. She waved back, of course.
"Evening!" she answered, returning the smile. "I am, yes. My family just set up camp in the area earlier. It's very nice here." Worry crossed her face briefly. "I hope we're not intruding." Thinking of the loud argument she had left behind earlier, she added, "Or disturbing you." On the chance that he answered in the affirmative, she decided not to pick any berries just yet.
Even as she spoke, one small part of her mind was puzzling over his unusual appearance. He had dark hair like those of the Ice Tribe, but the olive-green eyes and mottled skin were hardly Ice Tribe features, and he spoke like a Sauti native. A puzzle indeed, but one she was in no hurry to unravel. She had never liked to push for answers that others did not wish to give.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 8:49 pm
Ah, new neighbors! Fantastic! As long as they were competent and didn't cause issues, at least. He assumed a more relaxed position and smiled pleasantly at her. It had been a while since Mez had received any new folks, which wasn't much of a bother to Rastian in of itself, but it did get very boring around here from time to time. The same people, the same places, the same tents... The same everything. Seeing a few new faces around would be a nice refresh for the village, though he hoped there wouldn't be too many new faces to look for. He wouldn't want to be too preoccupied with meeting people, he was a wanderer, after all.
"Wonderful, I hope you find Mez as nice as your previous home!" He chirped, moving closer to her. He blinked a few times as her face changed to a worried expression, and his mind flashed back to the pair of girls he had seen earlier. Maybe she was related to them? Oof, no wonder she was over here! He didn't blame her one bit. "Disturbing?" He inquired, giving a nervous chuckle. "Well, those girls back there are certainly loud, but if you're part of their group, I don't blame you for seeking solace out here where it's quiet." He knew how annoying loud people could be, he lived with several of those types of people. He looked away from Shirin for a moment as he tried to find something else to say just in case he had offended her, and offered her another smile.
"Are you looking to gather some berries out here?" He asked, motioning to the bush. "If you are, I could help you, if you'd like."
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:36 pm
Shirin, in turn, relaxed as Rastian did. In the face of such a friendly welcome, her earlier anxiety melted away into a smile. "So far I'm liking it better than my previous home." Their last campsite had proved rather barren, and their supplies had run down to dangerously low levels. She had hoped this place would be better, and it was. "It's a nice change, being close to a settlement. I'm better at finding my way around wilderness than settlements, but I'm looking forward to exploring Mez." Was she talking too much? Maybe.
Now her sisters, on the other hand, were definitely arguing too much. "My sisters are still at it, then? 'Fraid I should've tried harder to calm them down, but it was easier just to find some peace and quiet of my own," she said with a rueful chuckle.
She nodded to his offer of help. "I'd be glad to have good company. If I'm not taking you away from your own work, that is. And there should be plenty to go around, if you wish to take some back to your family." Moving closer to the bush, she plucked her first handful of berries with efficient care, mindful of not damaging the plant.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 10:00 pm
Oh, so those girls were her sisters? Poor girl, having to deal with that all the time. He made a soft noise and nodded, as if to agree with the notion of getting away from them for a little while. "I know the feeling, believe me." He said, rolling his eyes. "You'll probably meet my ever loving adoptive family, we're pretty much the only permanent residents here, aside from a few others. I don't always hang around here, though. I like to deliver things to people all around Tendaji." He paused, smiling. "It's fun, but tiring. I've only found one place I truly dislike so far, which is good, I guess."
"Aaah, don't worry, I just got back from work." He said, shrugging. Picking berries was far easier than hauling another twelve satchels of junk around for a few more hours. This was a break compared to what he was used to, which was back breaking labor. Carrying berries was sooo much easier. "How many berries do you think you'll need?" He asked, gathering a few in his hands as he spoke. "I have a spare satchel back in my tent that you could borrow, it might make carrying them around a lot easier than if you just used your hands."
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Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 12:44 am
Shirin gave him a brief, soft smile, glad to find someone who understood the value of some quiet time away from family. The talk of his work drew her attention. "I imagine you've come across some interesting people and places during your delivery runs, then. Do you have any stories to share?" She sounded a little hopeful; she liked stories, and she especially liked hearing about other lands.
"Thank you for volunteering your help, then," she said, smiling again. Her brothers were generally all too happy to rest after a day's work. That a new acquaintance would offer to help even after a busy day was... rather nice. "We were hoping to pick maybe two baskets," she said, using gestures of one hand to outline the dimensions of a small basket in the air.
"I could improvise, but a satchel will help. My sisters are carrying the containers we were going to use." She was wearing a few, but they all held tools and supplies. One of the downsides of not bothering to fully unpack upon reaching the new campsite, she supposed. "Is your tent far away?" It simply wouldn't do to inconvenience him any more than she already was.
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Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:17 pm
Stories? Bah, woman, he could write a book! Old men rambling nonsense, children getting stuck in pots, women who didn't know how to use simple objects... Yeah, he had them all!
"I do have a few good stories, all of which are rather amusing." He replied. "I could share a few of them with you if you'd like." He smiled at Shirin with the slightest bit of hope in his eyes. He loved telling stories to anyone that would earnestly listen to them. It didn't matter how young or how old the audience was, if they were glued to a tale he was weaving, it meant a lot to him.
"My tent...Ah..." He pointed towards where he had come in. "It's just up the path a short while, we could talk while we walk there."
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Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 7:27 pm
Shirin's face lit up, and she left off berry-picking to beam at Rastian. A few good stories, hmm? She would definitely have to seek him out again, no matter how hard his delivery schedule made it. "Please share. An amusing story always brightens my day. Do you have a favorite?"
It was already a challenge to hold all the berries, so the promise of a satchel at the end of a short walk was very welcome. As he pointed up the path, she nodded and prepared to follow, her slim hands carefully cupped under the fruit she had already gathered.
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 3:09 pm
"A favorite?" He pondered. Hm, well, there were so many interesting ones. He hummed to himself as he searched for the perfect story to tell as they walked. Which one was the most interesting? He puckered his lip, twisting it slightly, before smiling.
"Well, I once went all the way out to Jauhar," He began, leading Shirin down the path. "Which is this huge rain forest, right? Yeah, well, I thought it would be much cooler inside of a rain forest than outside of one, but, boy, was I wrong!" He chuckled nervously. "I ended up wandering for hours on my route and ending up in Shifter territory, where I tripped and spilled everything onto the ground below!" He shook his head and sighed. "I ripped my best satchel, too..."
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 6:14 pm
Shirin followed, matching Rastian's pace with ease. Her head tilted attentively toward the other prentice as he spoke of his time in Jauhar. That was the native habitat of radakus, right? After gaining Kamaria's company, she'd wanted very much to visit.
Jauhar might not be the easiest destination to visit without a guide, though, by Rastian's account. "Sounds like the rainforest is trickier still than our winding mountain trails," Shirin murmured with a rueful, sympathetic little smile. He couldn't very well abandon his delivery route, but with the satchel ripped and its contents spilled, it certainly wouldn't have been easy to get back to work.
"Poor satchel. I hope you weren't injured too badly yourself?" Blue eyes started to look for scratches and scars on the fellow, but she stopped herself. This story could have happened months, even years ago. Her gaze, bright with curiosity, lifted to meet his for a moment. "What did you do, all alone in the rainforest like that?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 3:19 pm
Rastian chuckled. What had he done all alone out there? He was inches from a settlement that was bustling with people! He was never truly alone, which was a plus, though the fall was humiliating.
"Someone came running to my side as if I had fallen off a cliff or something." He laughed, rolling his eyes. "It was embarrassing, to say the least. However, the guy who had come to "save me" was nice enough to show me a place to repair my satchel. I was very grateful for that!"
He paused as a yellow tent came into view and smiled.
"There's my tent! Just follow me!"
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Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:27 pm
"Ah. Not entirely out of civilization's reach, then," Shirin murmured, a sheepish chuckle escaping her. Shouldn't have leapt to the conclusion that he was stranded out in the wilderness. She added with a grin, "Nice to know you can rely on the kindness of strangers, right?" She supposed that was what she was doing too, here and now.
As they came within sight of Rastian's yellow tent, she nodded and picked up her pace as much as she could without jeopardizing her gathered berries.
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Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:47 pm
"Absolutely!" Rastian agreed, nodding. "If he hadn't helped me out, I would have had a ripped satchel and lot of angry customers." He chuckled, it could have played out differently if he hadn't been so close to a village, he would have been lost if not for the stranger. Maybe he should have been nicer to him, then, he supposed. Too late for that now.
He parted the tent flaps and peered inside, before carefully reaching forward for one of his spare satchels. He placed his gathered berries inside of it before turning towards Shirin. "Here, just place your berries in there and I'll fetch another bag for when we go back for more."
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