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"Hello, little guys."

The Elaria was squat down, her hand braced on a rock. Below her were a small pile of wiggling worm-looking creatures. They gave off soft light, which had attracted her to their spot out of curiosity without much hesitation. Maybe she should be more afraid of this world she wasn't as familiar with. This forest was different from Yael, less hospitable. She could even be snatched up by a vine and never be seen again, disappearing into history as quickly as she'd left for Jauhar. But Doesina had little care in the world. She was young, full of the arrogance that comes with it. And she was Aishan, trained for combat and taught how to survive and live off the land. What did she really have to fear? She'd hunted scary beasts before with her mother and grandmother.

Smiling down at them, she watched the tiny creatures for a while, making sure not to touch any. She had a respect for the animals of the wild, only touching them when she hunted them. And only hunting them when she needed to eat. Currently she was not hungry. And wouldn't have wanted these anyway, had she been. Not unless she had no options.

Once stood up, Doesina wasn't sure where to go next. Heike still was missing. As far as she knew. Her cousin could be done with the Alkidike for all she knew and was looking for her, since she'd wandered off from Ast, where they'd parted ways. She had intended on staying there, waiting patiently. Than time had stretched. And stretched. And before she knew it, she was wandering the forest. She'd gotten lost. Now here she was, unsure where here was. Not that that was the problem.

Maybe if she walked over this way, she'd find something that looked familiar.

Doesina hadn't gone very far from the spot where she had been crouched down when she stopped once more. Indecision racked her brain and she turned around to go back the way she had come only to stop again, looking around her. The forest looked all the same to her. The Elaria had never been good at directions, even around her home town. She didn't have the knack the rest of her family had with knowing where they were. She could barely even read a map. Not that she had one. It hadn't crossed her mind to ever get one. Back in Yaeli, it had been her mother or grandmother who was with her at all times and she relied on them to know where they were going. In Jauhar, she had only to wander the forest until she found her cousin. Than Heike had been her compass. Now she was without any compass, even the pocket-sized ones.

She bit her bottom lip, turning in circles until she spotted someone in the distance. Raising an arm, her mouth opened to call out, the words died on Doesina's tongue as she squinted in the distance. No. Surely not. Not all the way out here? What were the odds of that?

"Hey!" the tall woman called out, raising both arms above her head and waving them around. "What are you doing so far from home?"

"I never get lost!" Doesina shouted back. Of course this was a lie. She got lost all the time. She was lost right now. But she didn't really care. Getting lost was the best way to find new things. Like an old friend in a place you least expected to find them. "Okay, sometimes I do," she conceded with a giggle. She always relied on her mother to help her get around the wilderness of Yaeli. Than she relied on Heike. Now she had no one and she hadn't thought to bring a map with her. She didn't think she'd have parted from the other Aishan.

"Sounds exciting! There are some great animals here." With one arm, the Elaria swept it towards all the trees on one side, flourishing with her hand. From up in the canopy came the constant chatter of said animals, a few branches shaking every so often as they moved from one tree to the next. "I came to look for my cousin. Seems I have family from another Tree." It was fortunate that said cousin was now off doing her own thing. Doesina had seen her reactions to Earthlings. Heike would not have wanted to be around Teletta at all. Not even for a little bit. She hoped she never had to choose between the two of them whenever the two found each other again. Life would be so much easier if her Sisters could just chill. Relax. Just enjoy life and not worry about what the other races were up to or where they were settling.

Here the Elaria's smile slipped a bit, adapting more of a concerned expression. Since being on Jauhar, she'd become more familiar with the wildlife and knew the Radaku quite well by now in her travels across it. It was a common enough mount, used almost everywhere that she could see. But to go in search of a wild one would be suicide, even for the most experienced of her sisters.

Doesina brought her arm back down, crossing it over the other behind her back. "Mm, dangerous, that one. Should be lots of breeders selling them. I see them everywhere as mounts." Though she wouldn't be surprised if Teletta's intention wasn't to look for a seller, but go looking for one herself. It made the woman shake her head slowly before moving onto the next topic.

"I found her! We travelled for a bit and now she's visiting the Alkidike while I wander around alone. I wonder if she'll somehow find even more family here!" The prospect was exciting. It was indeed wonderful having more family. Doesina was a third generation Elaria. Her great-grandmother, long dead since the time she was a bloom, had been an Alkidike. She'd shared the name with Heike. If her cousin asked around, she was sure to find more. If she asked. Heike didn't seem quite as interested in making connections with family or other Aishans like she was. She was a little jealous of her cousin visiting the Alkidike while she wandered around Jauhar, trying to find any amusements she could. She wanted to meet other Sisters. But this felt like something Heike should do on her own. Maybe one day in the future Doesina could return on her own for her own visit.

"Mhm," the Elaria responded, tapping her finger on her chin. She wasn't thinking about the question, but disagreeing with Teletta's defense of not wanting to pet one. Animal people were crazy. They wanted to pet everything! Why wouldn't this one be any different? Not that she could blame most of them. So many animals were so cute, she could barely contain herself from petting them all, too.

So Doesina shrugged her shoulders, letting the subject drop.

"I've been here for a few years" she said. "I've seen lots of animals. The ones in the trees are my favorite! There's a few that rarely spend an amount of time on the ground, just jumping or gliding from tree to tree. The docile ones are tasty. The crystal ones have such strong silk!"

Still looking off into the distance, Doesina's focus returned to her childhood friend, a small smile slowly creeping onto her face. Not that Teletta would have even known she was now being looked at. Sometimes Elaria eyes were very convenient for trying to be sneaky.

Moving her head to follow her gaze, she giggled, patting the Yaeli on the arm. "I know you are not dumb with animals. But you are in a new place. Who am I to judge your enthusiasm?" Almost immediately, Doesina's face changed, the smile on her face widening. She pointed now at Teletta, triumph in her eyes. "See? Lets not find a docile creature, lets go find one of the more dangerous ones. You know people ride on those, right?"

But as soon as that question was out, there was a loud noise behind her. The Elaria turned, eyes scanning and antenna twitching, the fighter in her instantly surfacing. A rare sight to see on the ever cheerful Doesina. One could easily forget she was just as much of a carefully trained warrior as the Alkidike who roamed the forests north of them and gave her tree life.

Something was being chased. Something big and not by another predator. By something on two legs, with the way the footfalls sounded. That was worse than being in the path of two animals who might have just passed them by.

As the noise grew closer, the Elaria ducked down and pressed herself against the side of a tree, motioning for the Yaeli to do the same, gesturing her to stand behind. If Teletta had any combat training, Doesina would be unaware. But as a pure Aishan, she naturally had loads of it. Instinct told her to take control over the situation over from an Earthling.

She stayed quiet, half hidden around the tree so she could watch whatever it was that was about to unfold before them. It didn't take long. A tiny pup, by Jauhar height standards for its animals, was running as fast as its short legs could carry it, terror easily readable on its face even for those who didn't pay attention to animals. Behind it was a large Earthling male, closing the distance quickly with faster strides.

Now, Doesina didn't understand what exactly was going on. This could have been an escaped Radaku from a nearby breeding program or a favored mount who had just had a litter. At least if you ignored the look on the man's face. He was mad. Very mad. And than she noticed the shining blade in his hand and all doubt vanished. Without a word, she pulled the bow from her back and nocked an arrow to it shortly before letting it fly, hitting the ground in front of the Earthling. Though training wasn't something she had ever enjoyed as much as other Sisters might have, the bow was something she had found came to her easily.

While the man was confused at the sudden appearing of the bow, hopefully looking around in fear for the hidden Alkidike that shared the forest, Doesina blew a little flame onto the tip of her next arrow, just below the metal head. This, too, was unleashed near the Earthling. Not close enough to harm, but close enough he would surely get the message and run away in fear. She would hurt if she really had to. Only if she really had to.

Only when she was certain the Earthling was running away, probably thinking there was some wayward tribe of Alkidike shooting at him, about to descent upon him out of the treetops, did the Elaria shift her bow back towards her back. She remained crouched down, one arm flung out to keep her friend from darting forward as she knew she surely must want to do, to protect the terrified puppy huddled in its corner. Just to make sure there weren't any more hiding somewhere. That the coast was actually clear. She kept her head slightly turned, listening with her pointed ears while her eyes watched Teletta. She would be ready to spring and grab her if need be, but she trusted the Yaeli knew to hold back and wait for her instructions before moving.

When it seemed like there were truly no more, the bow was returned to her back and she stood up, still cautious. No one else seemed to be coming. Strange. Hopefully because he was telling his friends or cohorts about the pack of savage Aishans out there in the woods. Any Earthling would have to be mad to risk that.

"He had a knife. I can't imagine he was petting them and the pup ran off on its own." Rolled her shoulders, Doesina looked back at Teletta, her face still grave and serious. She didn't like seeing animals being potentially hurt. There was no need for it. "Do you have any meat? I think these guys are carnivores."