Mnyiri kicked her legs into the air, drawing her makeshift swing back and forth. She was nestled on one of many vines whose loops had been tied off on a thick branch to make an interesting little niche for her to rest. It was different, off the ground, and most of all fun. And fun was what she needed right now.

Ever since being in Neued Mnyiri hadn't been able to stop thinking about the fire tribe. Obans had left her an orphan with only the vague knowledge of a sister to go on. It was hard to speak with them when all she saw was the blood of her mothers in their crimson eyes. Even the children caused her no small amount of anxiety. One day they would get bigger and maybe they would take her away from her daughters. The thought gave her a shiver.

It may have been different if her mothers had passed in their sleep, but like most alkidike they met a noble, yet tragic, end in battle. Ysmir had been burned alive and Amaka was shot with Oban arrows. The efforts of the fire tribe itself may have been met with approval had it not been for that. They were making great strides to build a better future for their people, one that embodied respect and a helping hand for others that she wanted no part in.

Mnyiri was bitter and she didn't care to change that. Why couldn't the extremists attack them instead? Surely there were still enough bad seeds in those cities to fill their need for bloodshed? Oh no, wait, let's go after the hybrids and wind tribe instead. "Idiots." It was a damn shame that they couldn't ship off the Oban soldiers to Yael with the rest of the evil doers.

She gripped the vines between her fingers and leaned back, kicking her legs out to balance herself. Truthfully she was still frightened to be in Jauhar by herself and that made her more miserable than ever. It just wasn't right not to feel safe in your own home! However, not every extremist had gone to Yael and not every fire tribe earthling settled in Jauhar was nice. Some days she felt like she was being attacked from two sides, and found it hard to breath.

Every time she held her mother's spear Mnyiri was reminded of a heartless world. She flitted from one day to the next with a large, idiotic grin on her face while inwardly screaming. There was so much out there for her to see and experience...but honestly, she was too terrified to go. Mnyiri desperately wanted to know about earthling anatomy and culture, but to go out there herself...

The traumas of her past were hard to forget. After suffering one loss and then another, Mnyiri had been forced to hunker down in a cave for a few weeks just to avoid being cut down by extremists. From her hiding spot she had seen more than a few groups of her sisters moving forward, though Mnyiri hadn't been able to tell if they were friend or foe. It kept her from reaching out when all she wanted was some form of comfort; someone, anyone to tell her it would all be okay. Strangely enough earthlings had banded together with her sisters, her true sisters, and in essence had saved her. Surely their sacrifices warranted a little more bravery than she was showing? If she were a true member of her tribe then she would stand tall and move on. Mnyiri was trying, but she was still a young girl with a teenagers worries.

Ignoring the Oban threat and chumming up to them seemed ridiculous. The extremists had been dealt a heavy blow, but Oba? It was rebuilding and Mnyiri just wondered how long it would take for them to strike again. All the more reason for her to buck up, and get stronger. If she trained with her spear then her physical might would catch up with her mental abilities, and maybe, just maybe she would let the world see she wasn't the bimbo they thought her to be.

"That's it!" Mnyiri swung, grinning proudly as her brain latched onto the idea. If she was strong enough physically she could defend herself against racist jerks, and if she were smart enough she could outwit any Oban soldier. "The jerks won't see me coming for miles. And then when I'm there - BOOM!" Maniacal laughter filled the jungle surrounding her causing several creatures to scurry away from the oddly demonic sound.

In the mean time she would just avoid any sisters that gave her a cross look and most of the fire tribe. That seemed easy enough, right?

(WC: 792)