The trip had not been difficult for K'iara. Very little changed for her, other than that the ground was so hard now and the prey seemed to be looming everywhere. She was more concerned that the damned goat things were going to trample them during the night. Not to mention setting up the tents was more difficult than it had ever been. She was sweating just digging in a few tents and unloading.
Her ears flicked behind her at the call from K'takka, and she turned sharply from the tent she was loading and jogged over. The first hunt. Her heard beat hard in her chest in anticipation. She nodded hard and turned on her heels again, her tail swaying eagerly behind her as she jogged off to call the women to hunt. She called off her first friend to check up on K'ile, and waved down a few more huntresses to gather the rest as she stopped by K'luha's tent.
Unlike K'iara, K'luha had not taken the trip well. Her spirits seemed always lifted about K'tahja and even sometimes Xha'li, but the moment she was left to her own thoughts during the night she seemed empty. It was somewhat frightening to K'iara. When K'ile had gone missing the first time, K'luha had ceased speaking and drained of color. Although her hip was mostly healed and she was capable of walking with a limp, she did not seem to want to go anywhere. She was slow to walk, and was promptly thrown onto a Chocobo to make up for her slow speed. K'iara to seen to that much. K'iara had seen the tail end of an argument between K'luha and K'yohko during K'ile's missing period as well. She sense a great tension between them now, but she had done her best to ignore whatever they had been talking about.
Even with K'ile's return K'luha had not seemed to fair well for awhile. K'iara tentatively approached K'luha's small tent. She was sure K'tahja was out helping set up the other tents, which made K'iara more nervous to enter. She pushed the fabric of the tent aside and called out softly.
"K'luha?" The tent was fearfully still, and K'iara had to take a moment to locate K'luha's sullen figure in the corner. The air seemed somehow stale in the tent. K'iara carefully inched inward and tapped the woman's shoulder. It was a bit cold to the touch.
"Oh... what? Ah, K'iara... hello..." K'luha's face twitched into an unsettling smile, the lines across her face deepening. Thick bags had formed beneath her eyes, and the distinct outline of her cheekbone could be seen across her face. She was gaunt, something she had never been before. K'iara had to wonder if this change was really for the better. She supposed if it didn't work out, they could always move again.
"K'takka wanted me to ask... if you still wanted to support K'ile if he challenges K'yohko...?" K'iara hesitated, taking a small step back towards the entrance to the tent. Why was it so cold in this tent anyways? K'iara shivered slightly. K'luha was seriously giving her the creeps right now.
"I... i..." K'luha's voice faltered a bit, her brow turning downwards. A familiar deep ragged voice echoed in her ears. Words she had heard not so long ago. It made her hesitant. It felt like so long ago that he had said he loved her. It felt like some cruel joke now. Her ears fell flat to her head, her entire body sagging with the effort of the decision.
"Um... just um... go tell K'takka when you figure that out, mkay? K'ile said tons of women would support him anyway, so don't feel pressured!" K'iara quickly ducked out of the tent, catching the faintest glimpse of K'luha turning her head sharply to look at the retreating huntress. One of her eyes burned with a strong hatred, and the only seemed to drown in sadness. K'iara shut her mouth and sharply turned to hustle off in the other direction. Maybe she shouldn't have said that last part. Well, it was K'ile's problem now! K'iara ducked around K'yohko as she went to join the collection of the huntresses.
The Nunh raised an ear at K'iara's swiftly moving form, and glancing back to K'luha's tent. He could feel it strongly now. Magic. The unnatural movement of aether from K'luha's tent. There was nothing he could do for her now. His eyes turned dark, and he forced his head away from the tent. She was dying. He felt it in the way the aether pulled across her form. She was dying, and he could only hope that K'tahja would save her.
His stride shifted across the sands, pausing in front of the elder's tent. He looked to K'takka, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"Grandmother, may I join the first hunt?" The question was soft like a breeze, gently riding the wind to her ears alone. He was Nunh like K'ile had once said. Running off on his own was foolish, but the honor of the first hunt was something he desired for himself. He would have very much liked to partake in it, but never without K'takka's permission.
Her ears flicked behind her at the call from K'takka, and she turned sharply from the tent she was loading and jogged over. The first hunt. Her heard beat hard in her chest in anticipation. She nodded hard and turned on her heels again, her tail swaying eagerly behind her as she jogged off to call the women to hunt. She called off her first friend to check up on K'ile, and waved down a few more huntresses to gather the rest as she stopped by K'luha's tent.
Unlike K'iara, K'luha had not taken the trip well. Her spirits seemed always lifted about K'tahja and even sometimes Xha'li, but the moment she was left to her own thoughts during the night she seemed empty. It was somewhat frightening to K'iara. When K'ile had gone missing the first time, K'luha had ceased speaking and drained of color. Although her hip was mostly healed and she was capable of walking with a limp, she did not seem to want to go anywhere. She was slow to walk, and was promptly thrown onto a Chocobo to make up for her slow speed. K'iara to seen to that much. K'iara had seen the tail end of an argument between K'luha and K'yohko during K'ile's missing period as well. She sense a great tension between them now, but she had done her best to ignore whatever they had been talking about.
Even with K'ile's return K'luha had not seemed to fair well for awhile. K'iara tentatively approached K'luha's small tent. She was sure K'tahja was out helping set up the other tents, which made K'iara more nervous to enter. She pushed the fabric of the tent aside and called out softly.
"K'luha?" The tent was fearfully still, and K'iara had to take a moment to locate K'luha's sullen figure in the corner. The air seemed somehow stale in the tent. K'iara carefully inched inward and tapped the woman's shoulder. It was a bit cold to the touch.
"Oh... what? Ah, K'iara... hello..." K'luha's face twitched into an unsettling smile, the lines across her face deepening. Thick bags had formed beneath her eyes, and the distinct outline of her cheekbone could be seen across her face. She was gaunt, something she had never been before. K'iara had to wonder if this change was really for the better. She supposed if it didn't work out, they could always move again.
"K'takka wanted me to ask... if you still wanted to support K'ile if he challenges K'yohko...?" K'iara hesitated, taking a small step back towards the entrance to the tent. Why was it so cold in this tent anyways? K'iara shivered slightly. K'luha was seriously giving her the creeps right now.
"I... i..." K'luha's voice faltered a bit, her brow turning downwards. A familiar deep ragged voice echoed in her ears. Words she had heard not so long ago. It made her hesitant. It felt like so long ago that he had said he loved her. It felt like some cruel joke now. Her ears fell flat to her head, her entire body sagging with the effort of the decision.
"Um... just um... go tell K'takka when you figure that out, mkay? K'ile said tons of women would support him anyway, so don't feel pressured!" K'iara quickly ducked out of the tent, catching the faintest glimpse of K'luha turning her head sharply to look at the retreating huntress. One of her eyes burned with a strong hatred, and the only seemed to drown in sadness. K'iara shut her mouth and sharply turned to hustle off in the other direction. Maybe she shouldn't have said that last part. Well, it was K'ile's problem now! K'iara ducked around K'yohko as she went to join the collection of the huntresses.
The Nunh raised an ear at K'iara's swiftly moving form, and glancing back to K'luha's tent. He could feel it strongly now. Magic. The unnatural movement of aether from K'luha's tent. There was nothing he could do for her now. His eyes turned dark, and he forced his head away from the tent. She was dying. He felt it in the way the aether pulled across her form. She was dying, and he could only hope that K'tahja would save her.
His stride shifted across the sands, pausing in front of the elder's tent. He looked to K'takka, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"Grandmother, may I join the first hunt?" The question was soft like a breeze, gently riding the wind to her ears alone. He was Nunh like K'ile had once said. Running off on his own was foolish, but the honor of the first hunt was something he desired for himself. He would have very much liked to partake in it, but never without K'takka's permission.
![[Image: urVhoNf.png]](http://i.imgur.com/urVhoNf.png)
