The Wild Hunt [semi closed?]

[Clover]

//OOC: Obligatory apology about my English. Please, bear with me as I learn ;_;

 

 

“K’nahli…”

 

Beautiful shades of red coloured the sky that afternoon, an afternoon like any other to most. Not in the young Miqo’te’s heart, however.

 

K’mih approached her sister, fingers crossed behind her back and eyes bathed in concern; she couldn't quite hide it behind a shy, almost apologetic smile. Disguising her emotions had never been her forte; that something was worrying her was more than evident, especially to the girl who’d spent an entire life with her.

 

Even before K'mih spoke, K’nahli should have figured out the root of her younger sister's worries.

 

“K'nahli..." She said her name again, eyes traveling to a ground that had no comfort to offer. "When you had to go through your Trial… Did your stomach hurt...?"

 

Now that the young Miqo'te had spent 16 years in this world, her Trial of Adulthood had become an unavoidable reality. She'd have to face it in a matter of seven suns, and sleeping at night was getting harder as time passed.

[K'nahli]

K'nahli blinked softly as she awaited those words to finally slip free from her younger sister's lips before letting loose another arrow at her distant target. The arrow soared silently through the heat-infused, desert air like a predatory eagle homing in on it's prey, until it finally met the rusty can sitting atop a rock a distance away. The young Miqo'te's ears perked up slightly in satisfaction as a discreet smile cracked free from her chapped lips.

 

"Likely for a different reason.." she answered in a solid tone as she immediately leaned forward to reach for another arrow that prodded loosely out of ground before her, without looking back at her sister.

 

She fixed the arrow into position casually before returning her gleaming stare to the arid wasteland before her. Only four targets remained.

 

"...but yes..."

 

Her hawk-like vision analyzed the distance carefully. The celestial glow from the red sky made a beautiful contrast against the orange and brown tainted desert landscape around them. The tranquil scene was interrupted only occasionally by lonely, yet gentle gusts of wind that carried fragile veils of sand that felt almost like silk against their exposed cheeks. The tiny, yet sensitive hairs on the tips of K'nahli's ears felt the wind speed and direction, channeling secret messages to her nimble arms as they almost involuntarily guided themselves into position.

 

"...nothing has ever made me feel as fearful as I had that day" she added quietly as she drew her bow steadily together with a deep inhale of dry air. Her honesty was likely not what K'mih wanted to hear but at the end of the day it didn't really matter to her what the outcome of her little sister's trial would be.

 

Her ears pinned themselves low against her head in focus, twitching minutely as they continued to analyze the elements around her before finally releasing another arrow free into the weightless, yet caressing Sagoli air.

[Clover]

With open eyes and parted lips, K’mih observed her sister’s movements with the bow—her precision, her concentration. Her perfection.

 

K’nahli had always been amazing. Everything she did was amazing. So much that K’mih felt a pang of surprise –and anxiety- to hear that her older sister had feared that day as much as she did.

 

“But... K’nahli, you’re very skilled with the bow…” The young Miqo’te said, not raising her voice much in order not to disrupt her sister’s exercise. Concern was, once more, heavily imprinted on her tone. “Didn’t you… believe that you could do it?”

[K'nahli]

K'nahli paused in motion upon hearing her sister's innocent inquiry. Disbelief expectantly flowed through her words at the thought of her sister's own self-doubt during her trial little over one year prior. Hey eyes locked onto the grainy ground in thought as she replayed the question carefully in her head.

 

(“Didn’t you… believe that you could do it?”)

 

Didn't she? K'nahli was far from arrogant but her years of training with the bow had certainly paid off and left her a step above most tribe members her age back then. In fact, she knew she could do it. Even then, why was she unable to sleep the night before? K'nahli's eyes briefly darted in her younger sister's direction as she remained behind her, awaiting an answer with a painfully worried look. She smiled wryly to herself before returning to load another arrow.

 

"I guess that when you have something to lose, something that means more to you than anything... even tasks that are normally seen as trivial can make you doubt yourself" she confessed as she fired at the most distant target, her arrow this time, just grazing the top of the discarded, tin pitcher.

 

K'nahli narrowed her eyes in response to her misdirected arrow, but this time she did not immediately attempt to reload and instead stared blankly into the distance in deep thought.

 

 

"You're a good warrior, K'mih, and I have no doubt you'll do well in the trial" she suddenly announced in a slightly more optimistic, but steady tune, breaking the momentary silence.

 

She hunkered down to place her bow carefully on the ground next to her before reaching forward to grab another arrow. With her back still turned to her sister, she gripped it with both hands and snapped it cleanly, breaking off the entire shaft. She discarded everything but the arrowhead before bouncing back to her feet and turning to approach her sister.

 

"Anyways..." she began as she stepped towards her, clutching the small piece of carved stone in her fist. She reached out for K'mih's hand and drew it closer, turning her open palm out before her.

 

"I'll be there cheering you on from the sidelines just like you did for me" she said with a gentle smile as she placed the arrowhead in her sister's small palm, offering it as a token of good fortune.

[Clover]

Something to lose.

 

K’mih understood that feeling very well. Failing the hunt would likely entail abandoning the life she’d known up until now. She’d be separated from her sister, from her family. There was too much to lose for a young Miqo’te like her.

 

Bicoloured eyes kept observing K’nahli’s movements, waiting, needing something, anything that might ease a slice of her distress. It finally happened when the archer spoke next— simple words they were, yet so powerful.

 

(‘You’re a good warrior, K’mih’).

 

It was odd. The young Miqo’te had been too scared of herself; she’d spent day and night doubting her own capacities, wondering if she could succeed this. She’d only needed those words from her sister in order to feel that she was truly ready. As ready as she could be, at least.

 

K’mih smiled with relief, albeit briefly, for her expression turned into curiosity when her sister approached her with a gift. It was the head of a broken arrow, something that, in the pink haired girl’s mind, represented her older sister’s strength. She stared at it wide eyed for a few seconds, until her gaze rose to K’nahli with another smile, nervous and still genuine.

 

“Thank you, K’nahli!” She said, more cheerfully than how she spoke a moment ago. “I won’t disappoint you!”

 

If K’nahli believed in her, there was no way she could lose. There was no way. Every other Miqo'te she'd been living with had gone through this, she couldn't be the one left behind.

 

And yet, another voice in her mind needed to remind her that her other sister, K’ailia, had recently failed the hunt and would take her leave soon…

[K'nahli]

A wistful expression grew across the young archer's face as K'mih's words sunk in. She watched her carefully for a brief moment, studying her tiny form closely. She was a little happier, but understandably still nervous. She could never hide even the most subtle hints of anxiety from K'nahli.

 

"No, K'mih..." K'nahli uttered with a melancholic smile, placing both of her hands gently on her younger sibling's shoulders.

 

Her eyes fell to the ground in silent contemplation as she gathered herself to deliver one final thing from her heart. She couldn't help but feel a little sentimental in such situations, especially when her little sister felt so distressed.

 

"No matter what happens..." she spoke softly as her eyes returned to meet the curious glance of K'mih's teal and amaranthine-coloured eyes.

 

She lightly pulled her younger sister's body closer to hers in a tender embrace, resting the side of her cheek against the young Miqo'te's calamine hair.

 

"..you won't disappoint me.."

 

 

 

 

[align=center][end]

[/align]

[Kailia]

K'ailia looked up at the top of the boulder. It was not a native boulder. It had crashed into this spot five years ago.

"I am going to climb this", she thought, and took hold of the crevices and began her climb up.

The boulder was not that big, about eight feet in height. Once she reached the top, she took a look around then went to the other end of the boulder and sat down looking out at the Sagoili desert and the distant horizon. She gently wrapped her tail around and across her lap while looking at the horizon.

She was scheduled to leave the tribe camp to goto Gridania to learn from the Conjurer's Guild.

 

((This is a new scene by the way))

[Clover]

The sky had darkened when K'mih finally found the person she'd been looking for. It hadn't been an easy task; K'ailia tended to be found in the most unthinkable places, always climbing whatever she could find. Even now, K'mih almost missed her petite figure over the boulder.

 

"......"

 

With her target located, The pink haired Miqo'te clambered the huge rock up until she could sit right beside her half-sister. The air was filled with melancholic nostalgia. It wouldn't be the first time that the two of them would sit down together to observe the Sagoli desert from a high place, but it sure felt like the last.

 

"K'ailia..." K'mih's eyes were akin to an apology when they looked at her, her voice soft, even shy. She didn't want to make her sister any sadder, but she really needed to talk to her about the matter. "Where will you go...?"

 

 

((OOC: Any other member of the Hipparion Tribe is free to join! ^^))

[Kailia]

K'ailia looked at K'mih, "I'm not gonna be gone forever. They said just till I learn what I can from the Conjurer's Guild or somethin' like that."

K'ailia looked back out at the distance, "They are sendin' me to some place called Gridania. Said they were arrangin' transport for me there. Mom said she was commin' too"

She looked back at her half-sister, "Aint your trial soon?"

[Clover]

K'mih's eyes opened a bit more at her sister's words. So she just had to spend a while away from home, learning something, and then she could return? What was more, her mother would come with her as well so that she wouldn't be alone. Hearing that felt reassuring, somehow. It was still something K'mih would rather avoid, but at least it no longer sounded like an impossible or unbearable task.

 

"Ah..." She tensed at the mention of her trial. With a nervous little smile, her gaze fell to her own legs, fingers entangling with each other. A nod was her first answer.

 

"In seven suns......" A pause. "I'm a bit nervous..."

[Kailia]

K'ailia smiled, "I was nervous too. I dunno... I probably could of passed... but the wind blew just as I was about to fire my arrow and made me sneeze. I wonder how she is doin'..."

She then looked back at K'mih, "I suggest wearing something to cover your nose before you go shootin'" with that she let out a giggle.

"But then again, I was never much good with a bow to begin with. Even before the hunt I couldn't even hit a cactus with an arrow. I've always been better doing the shaman stuff.", Kailia added as she leaned back, letting her tail gently wag against the stone surface.

[Clover]

(Oh... so that's how it was...)

 

K'mih's eyes grew wider at her sister's story. That'd been such an unfortunate accident! She took her advice to heart and decided that she'd ask her mother to weave a mask for her, no matter how odd she'd look among the other huntresses. A thankful nod to her sister proved that she'd do as she suggested.

 

"I-I'm not good with bows either," she commented, smiling slightly as her eyes rose to the night sky. "Even if K'nahli has tried to teach me on several occasions, I'm still so..."

 

The image of K'nahli's back -bow tensed and expression hidden- interrupted her words, her previous thoughts. Smile fading, K'mih's unblinking eyes fell to the horizon for a few seconds. She shouldn't fail the hunt, not when K'nahli seemed to believe in her, but the possibility couldn't be ignored.

 

"..."

 

There was a moment of thoughtful silence. Then...

 

"I think you'll enjoy the Conjurer's Guild," she finally said, smiling as she stood up to jump down the rock. "When you return, you must have become a great shaman!"

 

It was reassuring to know that at least K'ailia would be alright.

[Kailia]

K'ailia smiled standing and stretching, "You bet! I will learn all I can! I love learnin'!" she proclaimed and jumped down herself. She gave a wave to K'mih as she started heading for her tent.

 

[align=center]End of scene[/align]

[Kiht]

(New Scene.)

 

The golden hue of the setting sun was preoccupied casting itself over the landscape. A plethora of mixed colours that conjure up the simple majesty of the sunset caused the cracked, dry desert to radiate with a mystical essence.

 

Standing just outside the borders of the encampment of this particular tribe, the Tia was preoccupied aiming directly skywards. Haft of the elongated bow clutched at the pinnacle of his reach. Forming a semi-circle over his skull with the strike of his arm holding it in place. Cocking a trio of arrows into the twine and tugging back slowly. Releasing the pressure to let loose the trio to disappear into the dimming sky. Singing through the wind with the assistance of the feathered ends to the ammunition.

 

Inhaling sharply, the wielder of the weapon began sliding sideways at an alarming rate. Side stepping to the right, being greeted by a loud 'clunk' as the quiver adorned to the clutch of his spine seemed to sprout a feathered end. A secondary dive step back to the left and the second plume joined the first with a hearty 'clunk. Before ending the footwork with the third clunk.

 

Kiht's palm raised skywards and gripped the trio again, cocking them in the embrace of the twine to repeat the process.

[Clover]

K'mih wasted no time after her conversation with K'ailia. Her trial was a few suns ahead, but she still felt in a hurry to make sure that every piece was correctly placed. Bells felt like seconds when your time at home was subdued to a countdown.

 

And so she ran, as fast as she could, asking her fellow Miqo'tes about the location of a certain Tia. He was a very unusual person for her to talk to; a solitary boy, one who'd never participated in any hide and seek game. She didn't know him much, she'd never trained or played with him, but there was something she was aware of.

 

"...!"

 

She stopped abruptly right outside the encampment, where shadows grew darker and bigger, on time to witness the dangerous dance of arrows. The shocked Miqo'te remained silent for a moment, unseen and wide eyed; she didn't remember having seen K'nahli do something as perilous when she trained with her bow!

 

A few seconds later, the Tia was attempting to repeat his little game.

 

"Kiht..." K'mih's Young voice tried to interrupt him, to hopefully make him aware of her presence before the arrows would be set free again.

[Kiht]

The tension encapsulating the cord softened. The Miqo'te's palm relaxed as it guided the trio back into their respective holster. Allowing his other hand to droop down limply, still clinging loosely to the frame of the bow, tugging it against his thigh before gently tilting his skull backwards. Just enough for a single Sapphire eye to weave it's view through the crevice of his chocolate crested locks. Blinking slightly at being addressed, cocking a golden brow skywards at the approaching female. 

 

It was renown that he wasn't much of a talker, that much was apparent with the crystal silence that was only shattered by the occasional wild life chirping in the background, yet Kiht simply stood, wondering what she could want from him. Waiting for her to take the hesitant step forwards into conversation, aimlessly blinking at her with the raised brow over the ocean of blue, contrasted by the paper thin slit of an excuse for a pupil.

[Clover]

Luckily for them, K'mih had always been a social being who barely feared anyone. Approaching him until she was at a safe distance took no effort, and neither did she feel bothered by his silence, awkward as it was. She had his attention, that was enough for now.

 

"I have a request..." she dared to say, concern all over her voice and eyes, which were glued to the Tia's figure; open, honest. And it was really odd that someone like her would tell such a thing to someone like him, for they'd barely shared more than a few mundane words in the past.

 

It didn't matter to the young girl. He was still a part of her Tribe-- a part of her family. She knew his name.

[Kiht]

An agonizingly slow pivot from his front facing position, he eventually faced the conversation partner. A golden brow still locked in an arched position of wordless questioning before finally softening back down to it's casual resting place.

 

His right hand advanced skywards and lightly clasped around the joint of his elbow. Awkwardly rubbing the arm still clutching the throat of the bow, resting against his leg. Ever so slightly angling his skull to the left as if to pose the wordless question for her to continue. The adam's apple dwelling within his underused vocal chords shifted slightly as he soundlessly cleared his throat.

 

"...Oh?"

[Clover]

"It's about my sister K'nahli... you know her, don't you?" She kept looking at him, kept talking in his silence, unafraid, yet distressed over something. He knew her sister's name, she was certain he should know it. He should know her face.

 

"She's very good with the bow... just like you are!" K'mih lowered her head slightly. She looked slightly nervous, albeit it wasn't due to Kiht's difficult nature. "I'm not sure yet, but there's a chance I'll have to leave the Tribe soon..."

 

Crystalline, sincere eyes rose once more, as did her voice when her very difficult request could be heard.

 

"Please! Could you train with her from now on? I don't want her to be alone!"

[Kiht]

Instinctively stepping backwards, nearly losing balance at the sudden burst of a request at the end. As if everything was calm before this female exploded with emotion in his face. Gathering himself up for a moment before blinking in slight dumbfounded awe. Pursing his lips to choose the next words carefully, taking his sweet time in the process. A good handful of seconds had past before he finally responded.

 

"... If you focus on the task, you won't have to worry."

 

A pair of slender digits rose to the plumes that were sticking out from the quiver adorned to his spine. Gripping a single haft and extending it towards her, the feathered end first. Clasping the arrowhead between his fingers expertly.

 

"Here... It's better than the average ones they'll give you."

[Lyraciilee]

"K'AILIA YOHKO!" 

 

The somehow familiar sound of a  particular gold-haired mother screaming for her child was not unusual to the tribe. Especially not when it came to K'luha and her daughter K'ailia. K'ailia was always running off after all, and K'luha was always running after her. Still, the lithe framed woman of her later thirties came dashing through the Sagoli desert's sands in a fury. Her usually tidy hair was a messy mop of sand and dust on her head and the usual tan color of her skin seemed to have faded to a pale sickly color. 

 

"K'ailia Yohko this is NOT funny! Where ARE you!?" she screeched again, her odd green and yellow eyes almost starting to blur with tears, or maybe it was unadulterated rage. 

 

Somehow through her terror and anger, the mother noticed her brother and a younger one of the tribe off in the distance. She sprinted to them as fast as her well-built legs could carry her and nearly tackled her brother to the ground, or rather she would have if she didn't skid to a halt in front of him and grasp for his shirt.

 

"Have you seen K'ailia brother!? She went missing again! If she's surrounded by wolves or worse another cactus patch..."

[Clover]

('... If you focus on the task, you won't have to worry.')

 

K'mih's tail lowered completely at Kiht's initial reply, words that sounded like a rejection. She still wanted to keep the tiny hope that perhaps he'd finally fulfil her request, for he hadn't blatantly denied his will to help K'nahli's cause.

 

"...?"

 

Ears perked with curiosity when the boy offered one of his arrows, the ones he'd been dangerously playing with a moment ago. Albeit her own worries prevented her from smiling when she took the pointy tool, her head lowered in a thankful nod. She held the arrow with both hands and stared at it for a moment, head still down.

 

"......Why do you like silence so much?"

 

Her young voice was barely heard after a few seconds, sad eyes glued to the arrow she was holding. The question was genuine and sincere; she wasn't judging him, she wasn't mad. It was simply something she wanted to understand.

 

It was then that a powerful voice startled her, interrupting any chance to obtain an answer. K'ailia's mother ran to them like a furious chocobo in an stampede, and a wide-eyed K'mih couldn't but instinctively take a step back.

 

(K'ailia...?)

 

"Ah..." Possessing some information about the matter, she tried to speak while the woman grabbed the poor Tia's shirt. "I was with her a moment ago..."

[Kailia]

A few minutes earlier....

 

K'ailia is walking towards her mother's tent, when a desert moth catches her eyes. Fascinated, she began following it trying to catch the moth. Before she knew it though she was on the edge of camp, but still focused on her quarry...

[Kiht]

Pressing his lips in a firm lock as he mulled over the thought. Finally separating them to allow the intrusion of the dusty, dry air as his response was about to headway. Until he was brutally interrupted in his own thought process from the voice that shook mountains and rattled dunes. Instantly flinching and ducking down, as if a projectile was about to connect with the broadside of his skull. Cracking one eyelid open to witness the stomping female rushing towards him. 

 

Standing stiff like a board, inhaling sharply as his eyes widened, mouth hanging agape slightly as he instinctively took a small hesitant step backwards before being lurched forwards with the grip of his elder sibling. Wiggling around in the grip, trying to pry himself from her titan clutch, to no avail mind you.

 

"I... D-don't know! S-she's your kid not mine!"

[Lyraciilee]

Hell hath no fury like K'luha whenever K'ailia had gotten distracted and run off again. Certainly the tribe would be used to the small but busty mother running to and fro, screaming and becoming hysterical that she had lost her child. But it could hardly be considered her fault. For keeping the child alive to her sixteenth, K'luha had done good job. 

 

Still, with blinding fury and concern K'luha had zero'd in on her brother and almost missed K'mih's comment about having seen K'ailia a moment ago. Of course, with K'ailia, a moment ago was like a year ago. It did almost no good at all. At least, that had been K'luha's experience with the child. She was about to thank K'mih anyway before Khit had to open his big fat pompous mouth. 

 

K'luha snarled at him and bared her fangs, pushing all her surprising amount of weight forward onto her brother and knocking him onto the ground before sitting atop of him. 

 

"My child! Your Niece! She. Is. Important! Khit! Just because you're a Tia, free of the pains of child bearing, doesn't mean you don't have to help me find mine!" K'luha hissed punching at his chest half-halfheartedly before bringing her hands to her face and letting out a soft choke of a cry. "What would I do if I lost K'ailia? If I lost her Khit," K'luha's sorrowed changed to fury again as she glowered down at her brother. "I would kill you for what you just said. Now help me find her." she snapped before hopping off him like she hadn't just threatened to murder her own kin. 

 

The mother glanced back to K'mih and raised a brow. "You said you saw her? I doubt she's still there but maybe I can find tracks or something. Where?"