"What did I do wrong?" The choked, mournful words were followed by a lower, soothing tone in the shadows of the tent, at the center of which there crouched two forms around a low fire. "I've tried to be patient. I’ve tried firm. I’ve tried… tried everything, but nothing--â€
“Not a thing you can do when she gets herself into these moods, y’know that, Piru,†the second voice, K’thalen, interrupted, large hands petting at the other’s tail. “She’ll calm down eventually. Think of how I was at that age.†This was followed by a chuckle.
The other didn’t share his humor, though she did mutter morosely, “You haven’t changed much at all since that age.†She leaned against him and then sighed. “You don’t have to keep me company. I’ll just… wait up for my girls and then we’ll sleep.â€
“Heh, what if I wanna say hi to them, too? Maybe get some pointers on how to cause trouble.†This comment earned him a rough jab in the ribs, which he theatrically responded to by flailing his limbs before wrapping them up around K’piru in a near-tackle. She groaned in half-annoyance and pushed until he just relaxed next to her, still petting her tail soothingly. The two fell into a silence then, calmer, and the low glow of the fire cast deep shadows on their features.
In what he thought was fast becoming a family tradition, K'ile Tia approached the tent of K'piru Jhanhi, one of his brother's women. His mood was darker than it had been earlier that day, but also less somber. It was one of those I've-had-just-about-enough-of-this-shit moods. So when he squared off in front of the tent, arms crossed, his bellow wasn't especially polite. "K'piru! Bring your damned kids out here!"
K'piru flinched bodily at a voice she had begun to dread. Burying her face in her hands, she mumbled a weak, "Oh no, what now..."
Frowning over towards the entrance to the tent, K'thalen's tone remained cheerful, "Eh, he probably just wants to lecture 'em. I can send him on his way if you want. That kind of thing can wait til the morning anyway."
At this, K'piru just nodded, and so taking that as his cue, the nunh pushed to his feet and, with a smile flashed at K'piru that she didn't see, lumbered over to the entrance and tossed it open. "They're off coolin' their heels. No need to bother her any more tonight, yeah?" He said, with a cocked eyebrow in his brother's direction.
When it was K'thalen and not K'piru emerged, K'ile recoiled in dread. He relaxed when he observed that K'thalen was in fact wearing his pants, so he hadn't interrupted anything. This time. He frowned and re-centered himself. Managing to reclaim his dire composure, K'ile Tia said, "There's food missing again."
K'thalen's expression didn't change for several seconds, his head angled in one direction while one arm held open the flap of hide enough for his body. Eventually, however, he let out a long, even breath. "Azeyma really missed the mark on that one, huh," he sighed out, though under his breath so K'piru didn't hear. Tossing a glance back at her, he worked his jaw for another moment before saying to K'ile, "Hold on a sec," and jerking the flap closed roughly.
"Uh huh." K'ile ground his teeth.
K'piru looked up as K'thalen approached once more, her ears lifting slightly with some hope. Which, he dashed as gently as he could manage, "Don't get too upset now, alright, Piru? We're gonna work this out..."
Eyes widening, she was on her feet in an instant with a cry of, "No!" and rushed past K'thalen to the entrance, flinging it open once more. "This is a joke! Tell me it's a joke," she begged to K'ile's face. Behind her, K'thalen grimaced.
Poor K'ile leaned away and frowned. He didn't want to upset K'piru. He liked the woman well enough. But, "Sorry. We were recounting the food and there's a bunch of it missing again. So naturally I though... You know."
"It has to be someone--something else! A... maybe the buzzards got into the stores! Not Aijeen. Not Aijeen," she insisted desperately. She didn't react when K'thalen put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, breathe for a second, Piru," he muttered. "It's not the end of the world, even if it is her, huh? Azeyma will rise again, and your daughter will... well, she'll do whatever it is she does."
"Let's not think too hard." K'ile said, pulling on one of his ears. "If we don't know where your girls are, we should find them. We can check around the camp for traps again. Maybe she's just baiting the same one."
At this, K'thalen nodded, gesturing at his brother, "See? Level head. Wanna come with me and look for her? I remember where the first one was."
Burying her face in her hands once again, K'piru managed a small nod and then, frowning, "It's not her. It can't be her."
"Well let's not dawdle," K'ile said. "If we wait too long, they might actually succeed in attracting a Sand Drake, and that would be really dangerous."
"They??" K'piru practically wailed, but quieted at K'thalen's urging and allowed him to lead the way forward, off in the direction he'd first stumbled upon K'aijeen's trap.
"I'm just," K'ile said after. "I don't mean anything! I just haven't seen K'airos or K'airi either. If you see them have them help!"
“Not a thing you can do when she gets herself into these moods, y’know that, Piru,†the second voice, K’thalen, interrupted, large hands petting at the other’s tail. “She’ll calm down eventually. Think of how I was at that age.†This was followed by a chuckle.
The other didn’t share his humor, though she did mutter morosely, “You haven’t changed much at all since that age.†She leaned against him and then sighed. “You don’t have to keep me company. I’ll just… wait up for my girls and then we’ll sleep.â€
“Heh, what if I wanna say hi to them, too? Maybe get some pointers on how to cause trouble.†This comment earned him a rough jab in the ribs, which he theatrically responded to by flailing his limbs before wrapping them up around K’piru in a near-tackle. She groaned in half-annoyance and pushed until he just relaxed next to her, still petting her tail soothingly. The two fell into a silence then, calmer, and the low glow of the fire cast deep shadows on their features.
In what he thought was fast becoming a family tradition, K'ile Tia approached the tent of K'piru Jhanhi, one of his brother's women. His mood was darker than it had been earlier that day, but also less somber. It was one of those I've-had-just-about-enough-of-this-shit moods. So when he squared off in front of the tent, arms crossed, his bellow wasn't especially polite. "K'piru! Bring your damned kids out here!"
K'piru flinched bodily at a voice she had begun to dread. Burying her face in her hands, she mumbled a weak, "Oh no, what now..."
Frowning over towards the entrance to the tent, K'thalen's tone remained cheerful, "Eh, he probably just wants to lecture 'em. I can send him on his way if you want. That kind of thing can wait til the morning anyway."
At this, K'piru just nodded, and so taking that as his cue, the nunh pushed to his feet and, with a smile flashed at K'piru that she didn't see, lumbered over to the entrance and tossed it open. "They're off coolin' their heels. No need to bother her any more tonight, yeah?" He said, with a cocked eyebrow in his brother's direction.
When it was K'thalen and not K'piru emerged, K'ile recoiled in dread. He relaxed when he observed that K'thalen was in fact wearing his pants, so he hadn't interrupted anything. This time. He frowned and re-centered himself. Managing to reclaim his dire composure, K'ile Tia said, "There's food missing again."
K'thalen's expression didn't change for several seconds, his head angled in one direction while one arm held open the flap of hide enough for his body. Eventually, however, he let out a long, even breath. "Azeyma really missed the mark on that one, huh," he sighed out, though under his breath so K'piru didn't hear. Tossing a glance back at her, he worked his jaw for another moment before saying to K'ile, "Hold on a sec," and jerking the flap closed roughly.
"Uh huh." K'ile ground his teeth.
K'piru looked up as K'thalen approached once more, her ears lifting slightly with some hope. Which, he dashed as gently as he could manage, "Don't get too upset now, alright, Piru? We're gonna work this out..."
Eyes widening, she was on her feet in an instant with a cry of, "No!" and rushed past K'thalen to the entrance, flinging it open once more. "This is a joke! Tell me it's a joke," she begged to K'ile's face. Behind her, K'thalen grimaced.
Poor K'ile leaned away and frowned. He didn't want to upset K'piru. He liked the woman well enough. But, "Sorry. We were recounting the food and there's a bunch of it missing again. So naturally I though... You know."
"It has to be someone--something else! A... maybe the buzzards got into the stores! Not Aijeen. Not Aijeen," she insisted desperately. She didn't react when K'thalen put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, breathe for a second, Piru," he muttered. "It's not the end of the world, even if it is her, huh? Azeyma will rise again, and your daughter will... well, she'll do whatever it is she does."
"Let's not think too hard." K'ile said, pulling on one of his ears. "If we don't know where your girls are, we should find them. We can check around the camp for traps again. Maybe she's just baiting the same one."
At this, K'thalen nodded, gesturing at his brother, "See? Level head. Wanna come with me and look for her? I remember where the first one was."
Burying her face in her hands once again, K'piru managed a small nod and then, frowning, "It's not her. It can't be her."
"Well let's not dawdle," K'ile said. "If we wait too long, they might actually succeed in attracting a Sand Drake, and that would be really dangerous."
"They??" K'piru practically wailed, but quieted at K'thalen's urging and allowed him to lead the way forward, off in the direction he'd first stumbled upon K'aijeen's trap.
"I'm just," K'ile said after. "I don't mean anything! I just haven't seen K'airos or K'airi either. If you see them have them help!"
![[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
