Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sighing Mella stretched out and took a look over the border. She was pretty close to the edge of the land she thought. There where snow capped mountains in the distance and that was Zena. Shifting her pack she took off at a jaunt to head over there. It was going to be colder she knew but there were things there that weren’t here in her homeland. New sights new things to paint, and even new kinds of things to make into paint. Her plan was a simple one to skirt the border area between Zena and Sauti for a few weeks and come back with a bunch of new painted skins. She didn’t really plan to talk to too others or to stop at any village on the Zenna side of the boarder.

“Bergchi guide my steps and keep them on stable ground.” With that soft prayer taken away by the breeze she felt her spirits lift. This was a wonderful bright day and she had enough supplies to last for a week before she had to start really conserve and be careful with her rations. She saw some sail scales in the air dancing about so elegantly that she stopped and stared for a while. When they were done with their acrobatic ballet she continued her trip toward Zenna humming a tune softly.

Half a day had passed when she decided to sit down for a meal and to make a sketch of the mountains on a skin. It would be good practice and it would help track her journey through the land. She might not be skilled but she wanted to keep a log of some kind for her trip.

Mella heard a call and stopped cocking her head to the side. She thought she heard something and waited for a few seconds to be certain. When no other sound was forth coming she was about to continue her trip when smoke from a fire caught her eye. Standing there she debated on whether or not to go toward it. She was on the Zena side of the border and didn’t know too much about the culture on this side of the border. Still if she shared a fire her own supplies would last longer. Practicality said she could run away if needed so she started off toward the fire. She decided not to call out until she came into view of the fire to see how many others she would be dealing with. To many she would flee, only a few she might stay.

Mella finally caught sight of the fire and saw only one person sitting there eating. He didn’t seem particularly threatening so Mella called out a greeting and walked toward the fire. “Mind if I join you?” She stood a distance apart from him just in case he was less kind than he appeared. There was a small sail scale by his side. Seeing it there made her smile with delight. It was taking delight in eating some meat near the stranger. She thought back to the skin she made for her mother. “That is a cute sail scale.” She gestured to the lizard feeling a tingle in her fingers that told her she was itching to sketch it.

Nodding yes she decided that just taking food would be wrong. “I have some nuts to add to the meal in trade.” She smiled toward him. More at the sail scale than him. Inui was cute name. “I’m Mella.” She used one hand to dig into her bag for some of the nuts to set in the fire’s base to cook and took the skewer with the other hand. Backing up from him she pulled out the nuts and squatted down to roll them into the flame. “Just a moment and,“ She turned her head looking for something to crack the shells with. “They will be done.” She was only feeling a bit awkward talking to such a stranger after all what did she know about him? Still this was an open flame and not an apparent enemy. She looked at the skewer. Cooked rat was what it looked like. Taking a nibble she had some of the juices drip down her chin. Wiping it off with her hand she realized she could use the grease as a base for her paints if she didn’t want to waste water. “Might I know your name?

He told much of his history in his introduction. Her own felt empty by comparassion. Still it seemed he had missed when she gave her name. Unable to surprise a smile she gave it again. “I’m Mella.” She decided not to say she was of Sauti even if her home did much trade with Zena. There were enough of the wind people in Zena that her presence wasn’t to strange. “I’m not really much of an artist but that’s what I would like to be some day.” She smiled as she took a bit of the meat thinking of all the things she drew and all the things she wanted to draw. Eyes strayed to sail scale once more.

Her eyes followed the sail scale’s progress and Mella was fine with the inspection. “It is fine. I don’t mind such a cute thing investigating a bit.” She thought for a moment. “As long as she doesn’t eat anything.” Mella looked to the nuts in the fire and watched their outsides blacken. Using the skewer once it was cleaned of meat she reached in and rolled the nuts out one at a time.“Mella means black or something along those lines, I believe.” It was almost funny to be of the wind tribe and have a name like that but she never minded. She noticed the sail scales investigations had a bit of skin poking out. Grinning she reached and plucked it before taking the now blackened skewer to make a quick sketch. It might not be of the very dynamic sail scale but it kept her fingers busy.

(one in color for you. and the non color she is making. )

Finishing up the quick sketch she uses her still slightly juice covered fingers to smear some of the charcoal.
“I would be happy to. I have a few skins we can use for practice if you would like.” She flipped the sketch she had around to show him.
“It’s quick but this is what I do.” She grabbed a nut with her free hand to crush it on the ground so that she could pick out the meat.
“What about you? Any talents you really enjoy expressing?” Setting the sketched down; she picked out the nutmeat and offered some to Iniu. The sail scale was so much more friendly then the wild ones from near her home.

Logical problem solving was an interesting thing but tracking seemed so much more interesting! Then she would be able to see animals more often and paint them! Doing a journal of animals was also a stroke of genius. Giving up on Iniu wanting the nut she popped it into her mouth to show it was edible. Reaching back in her back she tugged out another skin and set it down near the quick on she did and moved the burned skewer next to it for him. “It’s easy enough to practice on a flat surface like rock with coal before working on a skin, you’ll find the skin is easier to work on with smoother lines, but you can take it too far to fast sometimes if you aren’t careful.” It was advice she herself sometimes had to say to remember. With that said she picked up one of the crushed bits of shell from the nut. “For now this works in place of the skewer unless you want to dull and reburn it.” She placed the side that had the meat next to her finger and pressed down on the ground around her with the burned outer shell to make a mark for him to see. “what’s it like to track an animal?”