Green eyes dropped to the younger woman, and she kept a stern countenance for several seconds until, in the midst of the noise and clamor of the hunters and children, she tossed her head back, face to the sky, and let out a guffaw that shook her whole, aged body.
The laughter lasted for a good while before subsiding, and she turned her gaze, features crinkled deep with a smile, first to those around them - she could see one of the tias who had taken to alchemy since the Calamity tending to one of the less grievously wounded - and then to K'ailia.
"There's nothing to worry about, dear," K'deiki said at last, nodding to herself to emphasize her words. "Such focus is exactly what our family needs in these moments. When your brothers and sisters are in danger, there's no time for niceties." She dug the end of her staff into the sand, twisting it in her hands.
"It's clear you've learned much in the forest, and not just your magic. But you should know that these desperate times mean we all stretch ourselves well beyond our limits." Her smile evened out, though her eyes remained warm. "Healing your family won't be enough, not when each of us must carry the weight of two, or three, or more of our lost brothers and sisters. Were these better times, I wouldn't ask this of you, but..."
She shifted her weight and began to cross the sand, towards where a number of men and women had laid out a giant sandworm's carcass and had begun to systematically dismantle it, stripping flesh and organs, carving out the bony plates of its armor and the vicious spines around its head. "We must know you can nourish us, as well." A pause. "In a few hours, some will be rested. They'll go with you then, and we'll see just how well you can fight like a sandstorm."
The laughter lasted for a good while before subsiding, and she turned her gaze, features crinkled deep with a smile, first to those around them - she could see one of the tias who had taken to alchemy since the Calamity tending to one of the less grievously wounded - and then to K'ailia.
"There's nothing to worry about, dear," K'deiki said at last, nodding to herself to emphasize her words. "Such focus is exactly what our family needs in these moments. When your brothers and sisters are in danger, there's no time for niceties." She dug the end of her staff into the sand, twisting it in her hands.
"It's clear you've learned much in the forest, and not just your magic. But you should know that these desperate times mean we all stretch ourselves well beyond our limits." Her smile evened out, though her eyes remained warm. "Healing your family won't be enough, not when each of us must carry the weight of two, or three, or more of our lost brothers and sisters. Were these better times, I wouldn't ask this of you, but..."
She shifted her weight and began to cross the sand, towards where a number of men and women had laid out a giant sandworm's carcass and had begun to systematically dismantle it, stripping flesh and organs, carving out the bony plates of its armor and the vicious spines around its head. "We must know you can nourish us, as well." A pause. "In a few hours, some will be rested. They'll go with you then, and we'll see just how well you can fight like a sandstorm."
![[Image: AntiThalSig.png]](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/179079766/AntiThalSig.png)
"Song dogs barking at the break of dawn, lightning pushes the edges of a thunderstorm; and these streets, quiet as a sleeping army, send their battered dreams to heaven."
Hipparion Tribe (Sagolii)Â - Â Antimony Jhanhi's Wiki
