A Trial and Foraging [Backstory, Hipparion Tribe RP]

[Torvhan]

((This thread covers K'mana's Trial of Adulthood and subsequent Foraging, and is open following the scene change to any of the missing or displaced tribal members, or any wandering tribal members who happened to be in the area K'mana is searching at the time of this event))

 

2nd Year of the Seventh Umbral Era ((1573, 1 year following Dalamund's Fall))

 

K'mana followed the trail of the creature, she had been tracking it for several hours and traces of its passage were fresh. She glanced back at K'luha, the huntress who was observing her trial, as the huntress silently followed K'mana through the desert. She crested the dune and saw the worm basking in the late afternoon sun, she maneuvered to stay downwind and silently crept forward into range of her bow. She carefully withdrew several arrows and stabbed them into the sand at her feet. She drew another arrow, nocked, and drew back the string aiming at the unmoving worm.

 

She slowly exhaled as she prepared to loose the arrow, but felt an uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. She froze, and felt a strange tug on her senses, a feeling that this was not how she would complete her trial. Flashes of the camp came unbidden to her, the tribe had been successful on recent hunts and was not in need, but her trial had come and they could always store extra meat for later use. But some feeling was telling her that this worm did not have to die today, that she had to complete her trial another way.

 

She slowly released tension on her bow and stowed her arrows, the huntress looked at her questioningly but remained silent until they retreated a distance from the dangerous worm.

[Lyraciilee]

It was not terribly uncommon for K'luha to accompany a child on their first hunt. Despite being mostly concerned with the tribes crafting and foraging, she too was able to hunt with a bow. The bow in question was nestled on her back, along with the quiver she had made for it. She was prepared to aide, should K'mana fail her trial or need assistance in subduing the worm, as they were not easy prey, and yet... 

 

K'luha raised a brow as the girl suddenly withdrew her weapons and started away. Strange. What intentions did she have in suddenly withdrawing? K'luha could not tell. But she followed K'mana away from the site until they were a safe distance to speak. 

 

"What was that? The worm was in a perfect position. With a few well placed arrows you could have passed your trial. Why withdraw?" she questioned, not demanding or anger, but with a tone of compassionate and a desire to understand.

[Torvhan]

K'mana slowly drew a few breaths to steady herself and focused on that uneasy feeling, as it slowly receded. She looked up to K'luha and saw the worry in the huntress's eyes.

 

"Have you ever felt that feeling of uneasiness in the pit of your stomach? As I drew, something, was telling me that this is not my task." She paused as she was speaking collecting her thoughts.

 

She thought back on times she had spent with K'piru and her daughters as the shaman had spoken of the spirits. She thought on the tribe a sudden stinging pain echoed through her, a feeling much like being torn apart. Then a strong but clear pull towards the horizon in a direction away from the camp.

 

"It is not clear, but there is someplace I must go, maybe something I must do, and I don't think it can wait for my trial." she spoke firmly, determination for the choice ahead welling up inside.

[Lyraciilee]

K'mana's words did not much but to startled the older woman further. K'luha bit her bottom lip and took a step forward, moving to place her hand on the girl's shoulder. Someplace she must go? Someplace spirits were urging her to go? 

 

"I think perhaps you have succumb to the desert's heat. Leaving the tribe is... such a rash decision. Perhaps you should lay down and think on it first? Besides, you can't just run off to wherever you think you ought to go. You need a mount, you need supplies, and you couldn't just... abandon your family like that, could you?" K'luha reasoned gently. Something about this feeling frightened her. The last time she had felt such a thing... she didn't want to think of what had happened when she simply wandered out to follow it. 

 

"Come with me first. You can lie down and think about it more first, okay? We should get out of the heat to make sure it's not heat induced though..." she tried to coo gently, moving to take K'mana's hand and guide her back to the tribe.

[Torvhan]

K'mana closed her eyes, and searched for the words she needed. "K'luha, I love our family, I'm not going to run away and never return. You know how often I badger the elder's of our past. But....there are to many stories left untold. K'piru, K'airi, K'airos, K'aijeen, even K'haz he came and left like the wind following The Fall. So many stories came to an end following The Fall, our family is being slowly torn asunder."

 

She took a breath, looking at her older sister "I don't think I can bring order to our tribe's story, I have a feeling that task lies with others, but If I can bring those stories together..."

 

She gripped K'luha's hand "You taught me most of what I know of the hunt, and I have the knowledge K'piru taught us; I will be fine and I will return. Will you let Raqi and the others know that I am departing on my Foraging?"

 

She released the hand and slowly backed away.

[Lyraciilee]

Although K'mana was right in addressing K'luha's fear, her words did nothing to assurance K'luha that she would indeed be alright. K'piru, K'airi, K'airos, K'ajijeen, and K'haz... every name hurt like an old wound. How could they leave like that? They were a part of their family. A family K'luha loved and had tried so very hard to keep together. To loose K'mana to the desert suns? Even if K'mana vowed she would return, there was no such promise. And when would she return? Would she even be able to return to a tribe? 

 

K'luha shook her head no and took a step forward more forcefull, grabbing for K'mana's hand again.

 

"You can't leave! We need you here. If our family is ripping apart, leaving is not the way to sew it back together! K'mana... please... you can't leave.... please come back with me...." K'luha pleaded, sounding desperate. Everytime a family member left it pained her so. This was her family, this was what she had dedicated her life to saving and preserving. To watch people walk away from it like it meant nothing...? That wasn't something she couldn't allow.

[Torvhan]

"K'luha..." K'mana started to speak then stopped.

 

She reached into her pack and pulled out a worn tome. "Do you know what this is? In it is all of the stories that I have recorded from the elder's around the campfires. It is my most prized possession. I want you to hold on to it for me, I'll come back for it I assure you."

 

"Besides you know the law as well as I do." She shook her head, "I failed my hunt, I can't return empty handed. I certainly don't want to be exiled. I will go, if my feelings prove to be false, then I will return with something else worthy of my Foraging."

 

K'mana knelt in the sand and lowered her head "I swear upon these burning sands, with Azeyma as my witness, that I will return to the tribe, worthy of becoming an adult."

 

She slowly stands up and places her tome into K'luha's hands.

[Lyraciilee]

K'luha looked at the tome, unsettled by it's presence and K'mana's willingness to give it to her. She didn't want this. Not at all. Why was K'mana insisting upon this? It was wrong... it was... 

 

She took the tome was it was pushed into her hands. Prayer or no, God or no, this was a betrayal.  K'luha gripped the tome and looked at it and then at K'mana again. 

 

"You wouldn't be exiled... we can find another target. You never even took a strike at it...." she breathed out quietly. Failing the hunt never meant exile... there were other ways. K'luha shook her head, taking the tome anyway and tucking it beneath her arm. 

 

"You may swear to the sands, but if you go now when we need you the most, I will never forgive you." K'luha finished quietly, looking K'mana in the eye.

[Torvhan]

K'mana closed her eyes she did not want to distress K'luha, but the pull was undeniable. She opened her eyes and looked back at K'luha.

 

"I don't think its a matter of choice, I could never forgive myself if am needed elsewhere and I ignore this call. I am sorry that it is so sudden, but we WILL talk about it when I return."

 

K'mana turned with her heart heavy and set a brisk pace into the desert.

[Torvhan]

K'mana looked out amongst the desolate sands of the Sagolii, and thought. It had been a week since she had abandoned her trial and she was beginning to worry. She was in no immediate danger, K'luha's lessons had indeed prepared for life in the desert. She had set a brisk pace but, had she set off on a fools errand? She was around 3 suns travel out of Ul'dah and had still found nothing. She thought back on her partying with K'luha, her sister was going to KILL her if she came back empty handed after worrying her like that.

 

She continued to march up the dune she was climbing, while lost in thought, but froze when she reached the top of the dune. She cursed under her breath "Amalj'aa", as she quietly lowered her self to the sand and backed down the dune.

 

She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying herself and blocking distractions out allowing her to think, as K'piru had taught her so many years ago. There had been two Amalj'aa hunters, she wondered what they were doing so far south, but quickly discarded that line of thinking as unimportant. She focused her memory on the two women she had caught a glimpse of Hyur and Miqo'te. A direct assault would be far to dangerous, not only was she out numbered but they had possibility of using the women as hostages. There was no chance of help, and she quickly realized her only chance would be a ambush at night, hopefully the emptiness of the desert would cause them to lower their guard.

 

K'mana began to erase the tell-tale signs of her presence and circled around behind them tracking their movement keeping far enough behind that they were never insight, should she be spotted any chance of rescuing the women would be forfeit and she seriously doubted she would escape with her life. As the day drew to a close she began to focus watching and listening for the signs that they had stopped for the night.

 

Night fell and and the twin moons rose in the night sky. K'mana left her bow and spare gear in the sands and once more checked herself over. Any clink of metal or glint of its surface could give her away. Certain she was as prepared as she could be she said a small prayer to Menphina, guardian diety of the Keepers of the moon, sister clan to the Seekers of the Sun. She smiled at the irony but Menphina was keeper of the twin moons, and the night was under her watchful gaze.

 

K'mana silently crept over the dunes and looked toward the camp, scanning for movement. The camp was silent the only light came from the twin moons high in the night sky. One of the Amalj'aa hunters kept watch but he was facing away from her. Between her and the watch, slept the women and the other Amalj'aa. She swiftly decided that silencing the sleeping Amalj'aa first would be the surest path to victory. She surveyed the camp as she moved silently through the sands, noting position of the sleeping Amalj'aa's spear. Heavier and wider than her own spear it lay close to the sleeping beastman. She kept a watchful eye on the other beastman as she approched the sleeping form.

 

She silently placed her spear on the ground in the direction she planned to flee, and scooped the Amalj'aa spear from the sands. The blow was swift and clean as she jammed the weapon through the soft flesh of the beastman's throat. The cry was short and the beastman gurgled blood before falling silent. The other Amalj'aa rounded in surprise weapon at the ready, but K'mana was already racing toward her own weapon in the sand. Scooping it up in one fluid motion and racing up the dune before the beastman fully registered the attack. He roared and charged.

[Torvhan]

K'mana gripped her spear and stood and the top of the dune ready, hoping the slope and loose sand, would help off set the mass advantage the beastman had over her. "By Azeyma, their much bigger than I thought" she gulped reminded of a charging auroch as the mass of muscle charged up the dune.

 

The Amalj'aa weight and speed worked agianst him as the loose sands slowed his ascent up the dune. Much of his moment was lost as he reached striking distance making a fierce strike, his greater height and larger weapon afforded him longer reach and K'mana began to doubt her chance as her arms shook from deflecting strike. She exchanged several blows with the beast man and realized though on higher ground his advantage in reach was far to great, as he kept her out of striking distance. She continued to exchange blows as her arms and lungs ached with exertion looking for an opening. The sand shifted under the Amalj'aa and the beastman staggered slightly, K'mana deftly steped inside the reach of his spear and thrust her own spear downward into the beastman's chest. She realized her folly as she saw the beastman's fist swing in. She head the crack as her arm fractured and she flew sidewise into the sand. She looked up as the Amalj'aa approched. "Sorry K'luha" she whispered as she saw the beastman pull her spear out of its chest and raised it to strike her down.

[Torvhan]

K'mana couldn't even raise her arm, the pain was excruciating and she closed her eyes for what she knew would be the last time...

 

A faint whistling sound echoed through the night and she felt the warm sticky spray of blood on her face.

 

She heard an inhuman gurgle and realized that the sound had not come from her. She looked up and saw one of the Amalj'aa spears pierced cleanly straight through the center of the beastman's chest. The Amalj'aa fell foward and she rolled out of his path wincing in pain as she rolled onto her broken arm. As she sat up she realized that no one was standing behind where the Amalj'aa had stood.

 

Standing over the corpse of the first Amalj'aa hunter about 40 yalms away stood the Miqo'te woman, *grinning* and rolling her shoulder in a stretch.

 

K'mana slowly lifted herself from the ground and searched the dead Amalj'aa, taking a iron ring of keys. She slowly made her way down the dune and over to the camp and the waiting women. The mood was subdued and no one talked as K'mana freed the two women from their leg irons.

 

The miqo'te woman spoke up "That was a foolish but brave risk you took young one, but I am grateful you are here." She looked over K'mana and dressed and splint K'mana's broken arm as she spoke. "What tribe do you hail from?"

 

K'mana winced as her arm was set and answered "K'mana Haaz of the Hipparion Tribe, and your names?"

 

The Hyur woman spoke quickly uttering a single word "Brianna."

 

The miqo'te woman smiled softly "Well K'mana, I am know as K'rei Heleh also of the Hipparion Tribe, though sadly I am the last of my family." She looked over K'mana once more, "You look barely old enough to have completed your trial what are you doing so far out here by yourself?"

 

K'mana had the grace to look embarrassed as she answered quietly "I umm....abandoned my trial to find you, or at least I think I was meant to find you"

 

K'rei looked at K'mana evaluating, "Did you indeed, well your little adventure may have well bought your tribe the time they need to survive." K'rei suddenly spoke seriously losing all traces of the earlier humor. "The Amalj'aa here are a small foward scouting party, while we were captive they spoke of their tribes plans to attack and secure a small tribe of miqo'te who lived deep in the Sagolii, we need to get word to your tribe as soon as possible." She looked at Brianna, "What do you plan to do it maybe be safer to travel together but we may very well be walking into a battle."

 

Brianna shook her head and stood stretching her legs "I am bound for Ul'dah, I will not be caught unaware agian." She turn to K'mana and saluted "K'mana Haaz of the Hipparion Tribe. I owe you my life, should you ever find yourself in Ul'dah and require assistance, ask for Brianna Hawke at the quicksand, Miss Momodi will know how to contact me." With that she turned walked into the desert towards Ul'dah.

 

K'rei looked back at K'mana "Will you be able to travel?" she asked indicating the arm.

 

K'mana looked at the older huntress "It hurts like the seven hell's but my tribe is in danger, I would crawl back if I had to." She looked up into the night sky and got her bearings and lead the way out camp, they could travel for a few hours before they would need to rest.

 

---

 

 

((OPEN to all Hipparion Tribe members present in camp))

((Note: takes place 12 days after K'mana left her trial))

 

18th Sun, 5th Astral Moon, 2nd Year of the Seventh Umbral Era

 

5 suns later, a battered and worn K'mana walked into camp followed by a young adult miqo'te woman with a muscular build and short black hair.

[Clover]

"K'nahli, K'nahli!"

 

A very young K'mih ran to her sister's tent, looking for her. Her tone was excited, as was the light in her eyes.

 

"K'mana is back! She did it!"

 

The 13 years old Miqo'te could barely wait for her sister to come out; she hurried up to join all the other curious Miqo'tes who wanted to welcome the huntress. Oddly, K'mana didn't come alone...

[K'nahli]

("By Azeyma...")

A fourteen year old K'nahli rubbed her eyes with the sides of her balled fists as she was suddenly awoken by her noisy sister's outburst. She sat up in her tent as she squinted against the blinding beam of light that pierced through the small opening in the tent flaps, turning her eyes away from it in annoyance.

 

"K'mana is back! She did it!" the happy little miqo'te announced in an excited tone from outside of the tent. Her excitement was evident, even if not visible to K'nahli, from the familiar sounds of her shuffling and fidgeting outside, in impatient anticipation.

 

"K'mih, keep it down! I'm too tired for gam-..."

 

K'nahli paused in her sentence as K'mihs words finally sunk in. She assumed K'mih was simply looking for a playmate again out of habit, something not alien to the girl as it was almost always K'mih who would deny her sister a well-deserved sleep in. She had been out hunting late the previous evening with K'yhaega and was still feeling fatigued from her exertions, but this news had caught her attention.

 

"K'mana...?"

 

Climbing to her feet, K'nahli exited her quiet haven and drowsily chased after the fleeting glimpse of pink hair rushing off ahead of her to join up with other tribekin as they congregated together to witness the return of their sister.

[Kailia]

13 year old K'ailia was having a game of hide and seek from her mother again. This time to avoid a much needed bath as the young miqo'te had fell into the chocobo pen but a half hour ago.

 

As she ran through camp she slid to a halt, falling on her bottom in front of K'mana. She smiled, "Welcome back sissy!"

[Torvhan]

K'mana smiled as the girls ran up in excitement, she smiled "I'm back, I'll tell you all about it later" and she winked. She looked at the oldest girl K'nali, "Could you gather the elder's for me I'll need to report to them shortly...I need to make a detour before meeting with them."

 

She knelt slowly and helped K'ailia up, a flash of sadness showing on her face. "Could you take me to your mother? I should let her know I'm back."

[Lyraciilee]

K'luha had not been herself the last twelve days. She had been silence almost and cold. To those that knew her, it was a sign of a great deal of pain. Even to her precious daughter, she had been distant. Mostly, she took a great deal of time weaving or leather-working in her tent. And when she was not crafting, she was sleeping. 

 

That sun-baked afternoon she sat once again silent beneath the shade of her tent. Skilled fingers weaved cloth quickly and precisely. The huntresses were always in need of new clothing, new bandages, and such. Weaving out simple undyed cotton fabric was always useful for the tribe, and along with the small stack of fabric she'd already weaved, she continued on another longer piece of the material, meant for bandages.

[K'nahli]

K'nahli approached the scene, unsure of what to expect, but sure enough, her sister had not been mistaken, K'mana had returned. She was accompanied by an unfamiliar face, a sunseeker at that, one which appeared to be a little older than K'mana.

 

 

("She found one already...?")

 

K'nahli thought quietly to herself, but chose not to question the situation. After all, K'mana's arm was injured. K'nahli took a step forward, about to inquire to the prodigal's well-being only to be interrupted by the girl herself.

 

"Th...the elders?"

 

K'nahli inquired, unsure as to her reasons. This sudden return? A mysterious guest? It was all very unusual and unexpected. Regardless, the girl followed her older sister's instruction. Offering a brief nod of understanding, the girl departed the scene at a brisk pace to alert the elder's to the situation.

[Kailia]

K'ailia nodded and took K'mana's hand leading her to her mother's tent.

[Clover]

Like the rest of the Miqo'tes that had gathered to greet their sister, K'mih was lost as to what was going on. She didn't bother them with questions, though. Rather, she merely watched how her older sister K'nahli left in search for the elders, and how K'ailia led K'mana to her mother's tent. The identity of the new Miqo'te was still a mystery, but she guessed that she'd learn about the situation in due time.

 

As for now, all the young Miqo'te could do was wait with the rest of her friends, without interfering.

[Atem]

An unusual sounds of excitement reached her greyfurred ears from over at campside.

The dark skinned Miqo'te put her leathery wrinkled hand on her forehead, covering her old and painted face from the sun.

 

Her eyes barely made out someone moving up to her, her nose gave her ensurance: she was needed. Grabbing her gnarly staff she pushed herself onto her feet with a groan, to be up in time that K'nahli reached her.

[K'nahli]

The sun drew higher into the sky as it approached midday, warming the desert air quickly around them. A gentle breeze carried over the dunes that morning, acting as a soft coolant that occasionally brushed against her cheeks. It was a morning like any other, with exception of course, to the commotion caused by K'mana's sudden and unexpected return.

 

K'nahli spotted one of the elders almost immediately, Elder K'atem, sitting by the campside a distance away. The young miqo'te immediately made for her in order to relay the message as her sister had eagerly requested. Perceiving her arrival ahead of time, the elder slowly took to her feet, her frail form struggling to do so. Like most tribal elders, K'atem's face and now-feeble body seemed to tell a story of her past years, a vast range of experiences that only made her all the wiser.

 

K'nahli slowed her pace as she drew closer to the elder, stopping a couple of yalms before the hunched stature of the older miqo'te to bow her head respectfully before addressing the former hunter.

 

"Apologies for interrupting elder, but sister K'mana has returned with an outsider, a sunseeker" K'nahli spoke clearly, brief and to the point.

 

"She has requested an assembly of the elders.." she added after a brief pause, her eyes nervously meeting those of K'atem as she awaited the elder's response.

[Atem]

The elderly Miqo'te wipped back and forth in an overpronounced nod.

"And she brought a lot with her!" she said in a friendly voice that was corse as the desert sand. "... do an old branch a favor and gather the others. They probably sit in the elder tent and stare at each other." what followed was a raspy laughter and a grin that showed a few remaining teeth.

 

"...Good to have a young one back... yes...yes..." She added as she started to unevenly make step after step towards the center of the encampment.

[K'nahli]

K'nahli's eyes followed the elder as she stepped past her, making her way towards the crowd with the help of her staff that gave off a gentle clack against the tough, arid ground below with each stride she took. She couldn't help but smile a little to herself as she continued watching K'atem's back, pacing slowly away from her. She had a humourous and surprisingly energetic personality for her age, one that made K'nahli feel more at ease in her presence.

 

As requested, the young girl began making her way towards the Elder's tent once more to pass on the message to the remainder of the tribe's leaders.

[Torvhan]

K'mana walked in silence as she followed K'ailia. In a few years K'ailia would be taking her own trial of adulthood, and K'mana silently prayed the girl had an easier time of the whole evolution then she had herself.

 

In short order, the small group was standing outside of K'luha's tent and K'mana took a deep breath before following K'ailia in.

 

"K'luha, I'm home" K'mana spoke into the silence her voice wavering ever so slightly, as she braced for the coming storm.