Refugees under the Sun [Hipparion Tribe]

[Naunet]

A week passed after K'ailia had made her request before one of the elders. During this week, nothing notably changed changed for the Hipparion tribe. Their worn hunters brought in what meat and bone and sinew they could; their children learned and played and grew and fought; they tended to sick and injured; they looked to the sky and prayed. When their stores of water began to dwindle, they sent out one of their shaman with a small escort in search of new sources, and two days later the entire camp they had settled into had disappeared, moved with brisk efficiency across rolling dunes to a new location.

 

And so when the word finally spread from the elders of a meeting, the Hipparion tribe was still settling in to their new camp. It will decide our future, said the whispers passed along from huntress to tia to child. It will tear us away from Azeyma's guardianship, said others still, and like this a slow conflict brewed over the course of a single day.

 

The meeting was to happen in the morning, a week and one day since the tribe's youth had first gathered in secret, and well before the first greying of dawn the Elders were up and preparing. They spoke in hushed tones within their tent, bent bodies shuffling back and forth carrying sigils and bowls of offerings. There was a strange air of urgency in their movements but neither were they hurried.

 

A bell after the shadows of night first began to fade, the elders left their tent. They walked through camp in single file, towards the center where the remains of a fire lay still warm. K'deiki moved at the head of their procession, one hand clutching a stone carved mark of the sun goddess while the other carried a small handful of dried shrub branches. The latter she cast into the shallow pit of the fire, and the rest of the elders settled into the sand on either side of her.

 

They remained there in silence as K'deiki breathed life back into the pit, waiting for their tribe to come and partake in choosing their future.

[Kailia]

K'ailia was anxious. She knew in her heart, what must be done. She had even been approached by the headmaster of the Ul'dah Garden, that she was enrolled in with an offer for the tribe.

 

Peaking outside her tent, she saw the elders moving through the camp. It was time. She untied her bandana, laying it to the side and pulls out a little circlet with a bright Tourmaline gem embedded into it's center. She then pulled from her pack a very old necklace that looked to be a string rung through small stones. The central stone itself having the symbol of Azeyma on it and gazed upon it with a smile before stuffing it behind the vest of her new clothes. Then she pulled from her pack yet another item, this one a rolled up scroll, the proposal from Ventus, the headmaster of Ul'dah Garden.

 

With a deep breath she opened the flap to the tent and stepped out into the open. She could see othe tribe members starting to head towards the meeting. She hurried along and upon arriving, gave a smile to all three elders before taking a seat near the fire. She was still small compared to the rest of the tribe, so she chose a spot where she might better see each speaker.

 

http://i.imgur.com/FfphMsO.png[/img]

[Twinflame]

The staff in K'ile Tia's right hand turned end over end in an idle motion. It was nonetheless precisely measured, constant as the passing of days, and the fire on either end drew slow circles of light in the air as he paced the outer perimeter of the gathering meeting. The beads, feathers and fetishes that ornamented his body were illuminated and shadowed in rhythm with the turning fires in his hand, and threw dark shapes upon his skin. The light he held threw his shadow into the gathering, and as he and the fire move his shadow shifted about wildly on the backs of those who had gathered.

 

His motions were ritual. In walking the slow, turning fire about the outside of the gathering, he was walking the sun about the horizon. It would rise and set, rise and set, and work its way through the sky from season to season as he walked. It was an imperfect gesture of respect to Azeyma, especially in the face of the perfection of the sun's actual movement. The honest, real sunrise, put this imitation to shame. But it was tradition and had always been sufficient for the shaman, the Elders, for the tribe and for Azeyma.

 

And so K'ile Tia walked the two flames about the gathering, moving in silence, and watched the faces of those gathering. His gaze was bored and dubious, his hair perhaps more fiery than even the fire he spun, his blue eyes looking gray and disinterested in the morning light.

[K'haali]

K'haali rocked nervously back and forth within the dark confines of her tent. Repeating almost mantra like to herself...

[align=center]"Strategy is a tool to manipulate ones future into the desired reality"[/align]

 

She'd bode her time for some weeks since she received her "gift" that fateful evening - and with it the words that had driven her to find a new direction in her life, it was clear now to her more than ever what she needed to do; what the tribe needed to do. But she needed to employ the proper strategy, moving too soon would see her rebuffed by the elder members of the tribe, too set in their ways to shape a new future until the old one had well and truly closed.

 

Lifting the cover she took one more peak at the quote, scrawled by an unknown hand inside of a dusty grimoire, before swiftly wrapping it in a hempen cloth and hiding it under her bedroll. Struggling to turn in the cramped sandy conditions of her tent, she opened a leather folder and removed a sheaf of notes and survey maps as well a small hempen sack. Seemingly all a part of her grand strategy; before marching out the tent flap filled with purpose and confidence to join the gathering outside.

 

 

 

...Today was going to be a good day...

[Clover]

K'mihgazu and her daughter K'mih didn't take long to arrive, taking a seat together with other members of the tribe.

 

There was a persistent knot in K'mih's stomach, for she remembered that this meeting had been her idea somehow. Seeing it become a reality was quite intimidating. Sadly, she knew there wasn't much she could contribute with this time; the young Miqo'te would likely remain silent for the whole meeting, listening to what the adults had to say. They were the most capable of making important decisions, after all.

 

Nervous, K'mih casted a few glances around her...

 

"K'nahli should arrive soon, don't worry," her mother told her with a warm smile, having noticed her gesture. Her daughter was nothing short of an open book, especially for her.

 

With slightly pink cheeks, K'mih smiled shily and nodded her head, before taking her gaze to the elders.

[K'nahli]

 

A rogue, though pleasing breeze brushed softly across K'nihqa's face as she exited her tent alone and began making her way towards the centre of the camp. Casually drawing her hand up towards her face, she arced her fingers loosely together to serve as a makeshift comb before gently brushing them across the side of her face, capturing the loose strands of hair that hung low by her cheeks and tucking them nimbly amongst the main volume. The compacted, sun-baked sand beneath her feet shifted and crunched softly with each stride she took and was the only sound that could be heard with exception to the distant crackling of the fire. No chattering nor any noisy shuffling from nearby tents. It produced an eerie feeling, one that would only develop as the morning progressed.

 

As she reached the centre of the camp and drew closer to the fire, K'nihqa smiled softly in a brief moment where she caught eyes with K'mih, her daughter's "other half" as she liked to jest, before twirling her tail around her thigh carefully and allowing herself to sit next to the young miqo'te. She nodded modestly to K'mihgazu as she seated herself quietly while permitting her eyes to look about her, studying all of the faces that had already arrived and predicting ahead of time who would be the most vocal when it came to voicing concerns.

 

"This will surely make for a long day" she sighed to no-one in particular while folding her arms snugly across her chest and crossing her legs.

 

Her eyes traveled upwards to greet the sun as it slowly rose higher and higher into the sky. The air grew increasingly heavy and warm as a result, not that it was anything unusual for the tribal miqo'te, but it carried with it a precarious feeling. An irregular uneasiness that led K'nihqa, at least, to harbour a perturbed feeling that the meeting and all events that it would incur would give cause to a great deal of conflict and anxiety amongst the tribekin.

 

She sighed again, this time more quietly and directed to no-one but herself.

 

"As if things weren't fragile enough" she whispered to herself, though not quiet enough for it not to be overheard.

[Lyraciilee]

[align=center][/align]

 

Striking violet eyes surveyed the morning sands as the sun rose to touch them. The male sat upon the far north sands of the camp. His mouth was set in a straight line, expressionless and unreadable. His eyes too, gave nothing away about what he was thinking. The sun slowly shook the chill of night from his sturdy frame. Soon it would be time for that meeting... K'yohko closed his eyes and thought deeply about the meeting. A meeting that one of his own daughters had suggested. 

 

With a quiet breath, he stood and the lingering coolness fell from his body. The Nunh stepped swiftly and silently across the comfortable sands, following the sun's light back to the center of camp. Already the elders had gathered in the center of the camp, and the tribe climbed from their comfortable beds to meet them. K'yohko had long since been up, unlike most of them. 

 

His violet eyes once again scanned the small circle gathering of tribe members. K'nihqa and K'mihgazu, K'ile, K'ailia and K'mih and K'haali. Two mates, two daughters. The Nunh chose a spot of precisely equal distance between his daughters and mates, so as not to appear to favor any of them. Thus, he sat fairly alone on the northern side of the circle. Sitting on the cooler sands, he closed his eyes and crossed his strong arms across his chest. Deep in thought about the coming meeting and what solutions and ideas his family may have.

[Torvhan]

((Don't wait up for K'mana she's in Gridania at the time of the meeting))

[Naunet]

Half a bell after the elders arrived at the fire, the blazing pinks and oranges of the rising sun had begun to bleed pale blue at the edges. The sharp shadows of the flame K'ile Tia spun softened along with the chill that swept in every night and out every morning, leaving behind ephemeral pools of dew the tribe would religiously took advantage of.

 

To K'deiki's aged eyes, she judged the whole of the tribe to be in attendance - all save for one that brought a brief frown. Anxious huntresses, not wanting to waste too much of the day that could be spent collecting food, mingled with strangely more attentive youth as the tribe settled into place around the now healthily blazing fire.

 

Placing the stone sigil in the sand at her feet, K'deiki slowly moved to her feet, looking in turn to the other elders at her side before directing her gaze outward, through the flames.

 

"Eight suns have passed by the will of Azeyma since one of our sisters took her heart in hand and approached the elders," she began, and what her voice lacked in volume it made up for in authority, carrying in the still, morning air as sure as the sun cut through the sky above. "It was not the first time she had chosen to do so, but it was the first time we deemed her words more than youthful rebellion." To her right, K'takka smiled under the white cloth that wrapped her head.

 

Cloudy eyes left the flames to scan the crowd around them and K'deiki continued, "You have likely heard already the purpose for this circle, but now I speak it before the tribe, with Azeyma as our witness: The desert has given us food and water and shelter, but it has taken from us much more since the sky fell burning, five years past. The desert is our home, but it has grown unwelcoming. Azeyma will not abandon her people, but neither will she coddle us as children." The elder paused, bowing her head briefly both to catch her breath and consider her next words. "... We do not wish to leave our home, but some of our brothers and sisters fear we must. We stand here now, beneath Azeyma's watchful eye, and decide our own fate. Speak your thoughts to the flames so that we may decide together."

[Kailia]

K'ailia stood and held up the scroll for all to see, "I speak to Azeyma, an my family. This scroll I bare, comes from the Headmaster o' Ul'dah Garden, a school I have been attendin'."

 

She walked over to the elders handing the scroll over to them, "Ventus Zeruel offers ta us, a temporary refuge so we can get back on our feet, an' if need be, find another home that can better support us. Or if we deem fit enough, return ta Sagolii ta continue livin' once more."

 

She turned back to the flame, "All o' Eorzea was hurt durin' the fallin' sky called the Calamity. But in me short time amongst the other races, I seen them come tagether ta rebuild an' help each other stand on their own feet."

 

She looked about the gathered with a smile, "We are Azeyma's children, but we are also part o' Eorzea. I think it be a good idea ta accept the open hand that seeks ta give us aid. We'd still have our privacy, we'd still be able ta practice our traditions. We'd jes have breathin' room ta get back inta a shape that will ensure we survive."

 

With that, K'ailia bowed and returned to her seat. She had made the proposal. It was now in the tribes hand if they would accept.

[K'haali]

K'haali watches K'ailia return to her place, wrinkling her nose with barely concealed disdain at her suggestion before standing, dusting herself off and retrieving her bag and notes.

 

"I stand before Azeyma and the tribe, to rrremind us what we and our ancestors are and have always been; apex hunters and gatherers. Nothing under azeymas gaze is beyond our grrasp, and that which is beyond it we have traded our excesses for." She offers a brief glance away from the fire, seemingly judging whether she has got the crowd's imagination.

 

"Our ancestors came to the sagolii tracking our namesake, hipparion. When they died out, they did not starve, they did not curl up and beg azeyma for succor, nor did they go running to outsiderrrs to shelter. They found new sources of food and new game such as the desert wurms and made them ours too." K'haali almost spits at the idea of going to outsiders for succor. "In this new umbral era, once more our old sources of sustenance are changing but the deserrt's bounty remains immense, if only hidden from Azeyma's gaze."

 

K'haali reaches into the hemp sack and lifts out a chunk of blueish grey rock, a handful of orange crystals, and a crudely smelted iridescent blue metallic ingot.  

 

 

"Our people have used mythril for generations, it is abundant here in the rocks of the Sagolii, as well as the fire crystals needed to extract it from it's rocky hiding place. However, this abundance is found in few otherr places; and few but us can thrive in these lands even if they wanted to take it for themselves. We used to trade what we had in abundance, for that which we needed, and the day rocks and sand are in short supply is the day the void takes us all. So, before Azeyma I propose we take our unique gifts, expertise, and access to these resources and trade that which we have in abundance for that which we need."

 

Content to have said her piece, K'haali kneels before the fire, removing a number of maps and charts of the Sagolii region from her leather folder and setting them a safe distance from the flames, weighing the papers down with the ingot and ore sample, before returning to her place among her sisters, discreetly trying to gauge the nuhn's expression for any hint of support.

[Torvhan]

For those that might not remember or know, K'rei is my NPC who was adopted by the tribe after K'mana (my character) rescued her during her trial. See: A Trial and Foraging

 

K'rei stays with K'mana now, and is a huntress who favors the lance.

 

 

 

K'rei looked around at her tribe, and smiled in remembrance. Three years ago a member of this tribe had rescued her and granted her succor and a place among people of the Hipparion Tribe once more. She stood and addressed her saviours.

 

"Five years ago the calamity struck Eorzea, and changed the landscape much as coming of the Fifth Umbral Era and the Ice that drove our ancestors south. When Dalamund fell, so did a great number of our friends and family. When I awoke my tribe was gone, but I was young, strong and full of pride, sure that I could survive alone and one day restore my tribe. But the Amalj'aa had other ideas, and if not for K'mana I would been sacrificed to Ifrit. But instead the strength of this tribe saved me, and granted me a new home and family."

 

"When you are weakened, there is nothing wrong with seeking help. We do not send our huntresses out alone to seek our strongest prey, but in groups. Because together we are truly strong. I do not mean to say to discard your pride as a warrior entirely, but merely do not allow it to rule you."

 

K'rei turned to K'haali and addressed her, "You raise an interesting point, but I have questions you may need to think on. What will we do for tools to work the rocks, and few of us have the skill for required of a miner. Then we need think on transportation of the loads across the Sagolii and then attempt to trade profitably in a city known for its wealth of minerals and gems. You say we have always been apex hunters and gatherers but do you wish us to discard that to become miners?"

 

K'rei then turned to K'ailia "So your Garden extends its hand to us in our time of need, I wonder how this came about. Such an offer would be beneficial to us, but I see the need to remind us all the help does not always come freely. It is possible that they hope to curry favor among our young to join this academy. Or it is possible they wish to bolster their strength of arms, for if we were to stay with them we would undoubtedly defend our new home if they were to be attacked."

 

K'rei looked between both girls, "Both your ideas have merit and I love to see the young seeking what they can to support their tribe. But I will add my voice and support to K'ailia's offer, for I think that experience would serve us well as we seek a new home and new prey."

 

K'rei bowed once to each the girls and then took her seat.

[Twinflame]

"I'll tell you now, and hope you don't test what I say," the voice of K'ile Tia circled the group as he continued to walk, moving the fire in his hand, "That if you entertain that outsider's so-called offer, you're entertaining the end of the tribe." His eyes seemed to become more blue as dawn progressed, trading out red firelight for the white, true light of Azeyma. These eyes cut sideways at K'alia, "It's a cowards proposal! Eorzea was burned. Did we expect they wouldn't be a drought? Did we think the umbral age would not bring hard times? Of course it does! As the elders say, Azeyma will not coddle us like children. We were given the desert, and there's enough food and water here to carry us through bad times. We have to work harder for it. I'm sorry, K'ailia, if this life seems difficult to you because your time at your school has left you weak, but you're young! Not all times are times of plenty! If we trust Azeyma, we can't just flee from what she has given us. Certainly not into the hands of this master you've given yourself to outside the tribe. That such a thing was even permitted in the first place surprises me."

 

For a moment, the fire that K'ile was spinning flicked in the direction K'haali. "Trade is better. I don't know much about rocks and metal, but adaptation is all about learning. Our tribe has always traded with outsiders, exchanging what we have excess of for what we have shortage of. If we have excess of rocks, let us trade it for food!"

 

He paused his speech, very briefly, and looked over the woman K'rei. She had been adopted as a member of the tribe, but that was still a very recent thing. But, the elders did say everyone should be here, outsiders included.

 

K'ile added a flick to one of the rotations of his staff as he walked, and the fire on either end responded by spitting hot plumes to either side of him. "Elders. You should let me burn that gardener's scroll. It's an insult."

[Naunet]

K'deiki held up one wrinkled hand, hidden largely behind the folds of light cloth shrouding her. "Is it an insult to offer help in a time of need?" she questioned, catching the spinning flame of K'ile's staff with faded eyes. "The message is an offer we can accept or deny. There was wisdom in our new sister's words, that we do not know the full motivation behind this gardener's offer. We should not treat it as entirely in good faith, but neither will we treat it as an insult."

 

Her arm dropped, hand resting back in her lap, and she bowed her head towards the fire. "We would hear more from our brothers and sisters."

[K'nahli]

"Nyaha..." the steel-blue haired miqo'te let out a modest, yet joyous laugh to herself as her arrows found both of the cans that lay parallel to each other atop a moderately, distanced rock. Striking two small targets at once from a single pull of a bow was something she felt only K'yhaega could succeed at. So much so that she had often felt that attempting to master such a technique was a waste of time. She was unsure why she had bothered pursuing the technique in recent days though she was certainly not regretting it. Her style needed perfecting, though she deemed it as success enough for one morning.

 

Her eyes glistened brightly as the effulgent ball of fire in the sky above radiated down upon the desert, quickly returning the frigid, Sagolii sands into the scorched saffron she was more accustomed to. Sighing in satisfaction, K'nahli turned to face towards home. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she grew curious of the impending meeting. Admittedly she had planned on not so much as even attending, though now her interest in what particular people might have to say on the matter intrigued her slightly, even if she cared little for the final deliberation. K'nahli passed a short glance down towards her hand which gripped her bow tightly. She slowly brought it up to chest level to allow herself a better look as her thoughts took a hold of her. Her eyes tapered more seriously now as she continued to focus intently on her weapon as though it served as a form inspiration to the young miqo'te.

 

"...I should at least appear interested... 'lest I cause unintended insult.." she spoke quietly to herself as she lowered her weapon and turned her stare once more towards the tribe. She closed her eyes briefly as she drew in a deep breath before affixing the weapon around her body carefully and briskly made her way homeward.

 

 

 

----------

 

 

K'nahli approached the campfire discreetly, choosing to enter from a direction that would arouse the least suspicion and not interrupt the ongoing proceedings. She paused briefly while still out of view from the preoccupied tribe members to scan for a place to sit. K'mih immediately caught her attention. Despite her petite build and relatively normal appearance, she was quite easy to pick out from a crowd. Or perhaps that was merely an independent trait that K'nahli had unconsciously developed for herself. Both of their mothers however, had taken seat on either side of the young miqo'te. Scanning the area again, K'nahli searched once more for a place where she could quietly listen in on the meeting without finding herself caught amongst the louder of opinions.

 

"...."

 

Stepping away from the concealing shadows of the tents, K'nahli slowly drew within range of the meeting and allowed herself to sit next to K'yohko. Though she and her father were considerably different, they were not without some very similar personality traits. She left a little distance between herself and the nuhn however, a form of unspoken, mutual agreement. 

 

Crossing both her legs and her arms, she sat silently alongside her father with her eyes shut calmly as her kin each took turns offering varying opinions. For the observer, one might believe she were disinterested in the events that were transpiring. An inaccurate deduction though not terribly far from the truth.

 

As the time came for K'ile to voice his opinion however, K'nahli's ears twitched and flicked minutely as his harsh yet passionate tone reverberated through the heavy, morning air towards her. Her eyelids rose slowly, unveiling her flaming eyes that blazed brilliantly against her youthful and contrastingly, fair face. She observed the older tia carefully as he spoke critically of K'ailias proposal, finding only, in K'nahli's opinion, raw truth in his words. His closing statement however was perhaps a little harsher than she would have cared to agree with. Her sister was young and perhaps more naive than herself, and though K'nahli didn't retain a particularly strong relationship with her, she didn't admire unnecessary brutality against K'ailia for proposing something only intended for pure purposes.

 

K'nahli's lips parted as she felt tempted to comment. Her gaze momentarily hopping towards K'ailia to attempt to gauge her reaction beforehand, hoping the young miqo'te hadn't been gravely upset by the tia's strong words. K'deiki, however, was more quick to rise to K'ailias defence, offering a similar insight and perhaps more weighing words than she, herself could have. K'nahli's eyelids drooped lazily once more as she returned to her passive state, awaiting any further opinion that her tribekin would yet have to offer to the debate. The heat-infused, desert air caressed her exposed skin gently as she remained seated silently next to her father. The day didn't feel unalike to any other. For now, she felt no desire to take part in the conversation. The outcome was not one that caused her grave concern. Her elders were no fools and it was arrogant to assume that they would jeopardize the safety of the tribe for the sake of tradition. She trusted the majority more than she would trust a lone, independent opinion. Be it her own or another's.

[Lyraciilee]

[align=center][/align]

 

K'luha had gone six days before to Ul'dah. She was unsure if what she was doing was forbidden, but if it could feed her family she did it anyway. She had always gone to Ul'dah to trade for supplies they couldn't make on their own and sell her excess wares. The trip was long and exhausting, but K'luha had made it so frequently that it did not tire her as much as it used to.

 

As the sun rose into the burning sky, K'luha squinted and glanced up to brilliant sky. She placed a hand on her faithful chocobo's saddle bag. K'yori, as he was called, looked to K'luha, his head turning at a tilt to express his question. They were very close to home now after the long trip.

 

Today was a very important day, and K'luha hadn't planned on being late. Although she was returning with some much needed medicine, some for herself, and a day or two's worth of water on her own and K'yori's back, she needed to move quickly. With a quick motion she vaulted herself up and onto her Chocobo's back. She patted his neck and squeezed his sides with her legs. K'yori cried out before dashing forward, as fast as he could with the heavy load. 

 

By the time the two had returned to camp, K'yori was exhausted and the meeting was about to begin. K'luha spied K'ile with the ceremonial fire, and the Elders already in place. Swiftly, she unloaded her supplies to her tent and found a seat as near to K'ailia as she could. This was partially of her daughter's doing after all, she wanted to be there to support K'ailia.

 

As the meeting began, K'luha kept herself silent. She listened intently to the elders, her grandmother in particular. K'deiki had always been wise, and when she was growing up, K'luha had really idolized her wisdom. Now, K'luha could only hope that Azyema would guide the elders into the proper decision for the tribe. 

 

Just as K'luha's nervousness began to subside with a short silent prayer to Azyema, her daughter stood. The mother could feel her heart beat fast, wondering what it was that K'ailia had in mind to propose, and yet somehow already knowing the answer. Ventus... this man was molding her daughter in someone K'luha no longer knew... She was going to have to had words with this man. Serious words. And perhaps a fist or two. K'ailia obviously had a great deal of trust and faith in that man. K'luha wasn't fond out dealing with outsiders, especially city dwellers and especially especially men who earned K'ailia's fondness, she would much rather punch them out and put an arrow through their skull but... if K'ailia really thought so highly of him to propose this idea, then it was worth consideration. This Ventus man, could be worth consideration. Perhaps a tour of said facilities was in order, if they were really to go down that path. 

 

K'luha thought deeply about K'ailia's suggestion. There was a lot to think about with such a proposal... but there wasn't much time to think on it as another sister stood. K'haali stood up and spoke what she had been thinking indeed. The desert was very plentiful, if only they knew where to look. As for abandoning hunting to becoming miners...? She was... hesitant. She wasn't really one for mining, although she had by this point, picked up a little of everything. Mining was very hard work, and surely she knew enough about economics that if they flooded the market with those minerals, they would loose value very very quickly and they would all be at yet another meeting here. 

 

K'rei... after all these years K'luha was still watchful of her. Not in a malicious way, but part of K'luha disliked her for 'leading K'mana astray', although it had not been K'rei's fault at all. Still, she had to admire K'rei and like her just a bit more for supporting K'ailia. Out of sheer motherly instinct of course. 

 

The next brother's words made K'luha's tail bristle with anger. K'ile that little stupid ignoramus opened his big fat mouth and it was all K'luha could do not to get up and punch him out. She may have shared his fear of entertaining with outsiders and the end of the Tribe, but such harshness and severity was uncalled for. It was lucky K'deiki spoke up when she did, as it snapped K'luha out of her unbridled shaking rage. A few more seconds, and K'ile would have never had the ability to become a Nunh. Still, she couldn't sit silently after that display. 

 

"K'ile..." she called lightly. her fiercely burning eyes turning to look at the Tia. "The only coward I see here is you. Afraid of the outsiders are we little boy? You should remember your place as a Tia. When you are an elder, you can make those decisions that your sister's suggestions are without merit. You may also stop accusing my daughter of having such vile relationships with an outside man. He is not her master but a teacher. If you met him, perhaps your words on the matter would mean something. Furthermore," K'luha stood for this one and shot looks at K'ile that could have killed. The sheer intensity burning in her eyes made the air around her tense and thicken. "If you insult my daughter, or dare to say she has done things for her own self-comfort and not the betterment of the tribe... I will cut you down to your proper size boy. She may be young, but so are you. I have yet to see you go to the lengths that K'ailia has to better her people. Watch your mouth, or I will watch it for you." K'luha hissed, baring her fangs at K'ile. She sat herself down before someone could stop her and instead crossed her arms under her chest and said nothing further. Unless K'ile was as stupid to provoke her again.

[Twinflame]

Still stubbornly spinning his flame with at the same clockwork pace, K'ile averted his eyes in annoyance, first at K'deiki and then at K'luha. He held his tongue, though, until the latter woman had said her piece and sat down. The man turned his eyes on her. He did not glare. The expression he wore was a deliberate mask of calm as he said, "Check your threats. Violence between tribe members is forbidden."

 

He breathed deeply, exhaled smoothly. After a few turns of the fire, he continued, "Your daughter is an adult, but provides no children and brings us no meat. Instead she comes with a letter from some outsider, whom she herself called her master. Does it anger you that I judge your daughter by choices?"

 

His path around the outside of the group brought him near the woman he spoke to, and as he walked behind K'ailia and K'luha, he said, "K'ailia is an adult now. If you want to convince her to return to the cradle so you can protect her, you can try. But I doubt she'll consent. Do not humiliate her further by defending her when she should be defending herself."

[Kailia]

K'ailia listened to what K'ile said, along with K'deiki and even her own mother. Was she furious at K'ile? Of course, but probably to the shock of everyone there, K'ailia remained straight faced as she stood once more.

 

"K'ile, it is true, I am no good as a hunter. But my strengths lie elsewhere. The elders, an' even everyone here could see things have not been right in the tribe. You say there's food a' plenty in the desert? Then why do we look at our huntresses, and other youngling and see starvation? Even the very beasts we hunt have been few, an' starved themselves."

 

She paced around the fire, approaching K'ile, "I was sent from the tribe ta learn new skills for the tribe. Ta learn ways ta help save the tribe. What have ya done ta help find a way ta save this tribe? The answer is nothin'! Ya sit around playin' with yer lil flames an' dream o' becomin' Nuhn some day."

 

She then turned to the rest of the tribe, "I've learned stuff about the rest o' Eorzea. An' I've evaluated our skills an' our current levels o' survivability. None o' us are miners. It takes time an' strength ta go diggin' up the ores an' minerals. An' those that do it be exhausted afterwords, even when they be well fed. Our tribe is in a state o' starvation. Time I do not feel, is a luxury we gots."

 

She then turned to the elder, "Azeyma is the goddess o' inquiry. Her teachin's is about adaptin' an' learnin'. I have been dedicatin' myself ta learnin' as much as I can. I've gained skills our shaman never dreamed o'. An' I did it all fer the tribe."

 

She turned back to the rest of the tribe, "An usin' my learnin's, an' seein' with me own eyes the state we are in, we wont last long under these conditions. Ta survive, we must have food. If prey has dwindled ta a state that we cannot properly feed ourselves, an' the condition is the same in all our usual camp locations, then it is time ta find prey elsewhere."

 

She took a deep breath and steadied herself, "But our hunters and huntresses are ill fed, they can hunt yes, but their state is not what it used ta be. Outsiders have offered their aid ta us, so we might grow strong again an' live on."

 

She turned back to K'ile, "Ventus is not my master. He is the headmaster o' the school. It is a title, much like Nuhn is a title depictin' someone important. I have no master, an' ya would be well ta remember that. I follow only one, an' that is Azeyma."

 

With that she returned to her seat and sat, her tail quite fizzed out but wraps it around onto her lap.

[K'nahli]

K'nahli let out an exasperated sigh as she freed a hand from its folded position across her chest and instead placed it over her face as if to silently denunciate K'luha's outburst. While K'nahli was under the impression that K'ile was needlessly harsh with his words towards K'ailia, the woman was far too emotional and had more than overstepped her boundaries.

 

After K'luha was finished speaking, K'nahli rose her glare towards her, a clear hint of irritation present in her, squinted, gem-like eyes. She felt tempted to speak out again, only this time with the intent of more hostility but instead she managed to restrain herself. K'ile didn't need her defence after all and as it would turn out, he handled the situation well enough to leave the matter where it was rather than cause extra tension.

 

Sitting more upright now, K'nahli returned her arms back to their folded position, paying more direct attention to the meeting now as ideals began to collide and spark. She looked towards K'ailia as she took to her feet once more to rise in defence of herself against K'ile. Though it was, in an odd fashion, admirable that the girl did not submit to the older man's scoldings, K'nahli again found herself a little irritated with the words that were being exchanged.

 

"This is ridiculous..." she chorted quietly to herself as her head turned to face away from the fire and off into nowhere in particular. She blinked slowly as she sifted through her thoughts for a moment before returning her glance towards the would-be-arena. K'luha, it appeared, would be taking the stand once again.

[Lyraciilee]

[align=center][/align]

 

Perhaps the most infuriating thing about K'ile was that he was indeed, correct. K'ailia was her own person now. She had to defend herself as an adult. And indeed, violence against a tribe member was... forbidden. That didn't mean she didn't want to rip his smug head off. She was better off letting K'deiki do it for her though. 

 

K'luha clenched her fists and held her tongue as much as was possible. She had never wanted to punch someone in the face so badly. 

 

Even K'ailia standing up for herself did not ease her anger. At least... at least K'ailia had a good point. Azyema was indeed the goddess of inquiry. Although... for all her words, K'ailia had hardly been present in the tribe ever since she became an adult. And K'luha... she quietly berated herself. She had to stop trying to protect K'ailia. How would her daughter ever learn if K'luha did not stop protecting her? One thing was very clear to her though. 

 

K'luha clenched her fists so tightly her sharp nails made her palms lightly bleed. 

 

"I..." K'luha stood sharply and looked to K'ile. "I am angered by your attitude K'ile. But I am also angered by your narrow-mindedness. And... also that I agree with you. I do no want to accept the help of this Ventus man. And K'ailia..." K'luha turned and looked to her daughter sadly. "I dislike how much time you spend with him and how little you spend with your family. Regardless of our decision, it hardly affects you as you are almost constantly at that school." K'luha closed her eyes and looked to the ground again. "You are adult, he is right. I cannot fight for you anymore in good faith but..." K'luha looked sharply to K'ile again. "If you think I wouldn't kill you for humiliating my daughter, even if it meant death and shame, you are wrong. Have some respect, as you are equally useless as K'ailia. You have given us no children and little meat."

 

K'luha stepped back and looked harshly to the rest of the tribe. "I will leave the decision to K'deiki and the elders, and I will respect whatever way they think is best. I will not be a part of this discussion any further." She gave K'ile another glare before turning on her heel and storming back over to her tent to unload her goods from Ul'dah.

[Twinflame]

Like a wave against a rocky shore, the anger and heckling of his tribe-mates shattered against K'ile Tia and slid away, leaving him unmoved. Even as the sun continues despite all, so the twin flames continued to turn beside him, and his steps carried him about the meeting. He did not look at K'ailia as she spoke, nor did he watch K'luha leave. His eyes were on the sojourning shadows thrown by the camp structures, the way the shook under and fled from the fire he turned.

 

Still, he felt suddenly old. K'luha was one of K'yohko Nunh's women, and the Nunh himself sat silent and useless to one side. K'ile Tia was surrounded by K'yohko's children: K'ailia, K'nahli. Even humble K'mih, child of K'ile's niece, grandaughter of K'thalen Nunh who had been his brother. K'ile set his gaze on K'mih, the last person in the tribe he felt any true relation to.

 

What had become of K'thalen's women and children? Where had his family and blood gone? The shadows shook around him as he walked on and just kept turning his fire.

 

By now his silence had spoken for him. K'ile Tia had nothing more to say.

[Clover]

After K'mih's initial deception to find out that her sister's mother had come alone, she tried to pay attention to the meeting. It was important, and little did she know at that moment that this task would drive her to the edge of a headache.

 

Wise were the words she heard, and confusing the points made. The opposite stances from several members translated into pure chaos in the young Miqo'te's mind, unable to decide which of those opinions felt more right. Every time she heard a new point, she'd question the previous one.

 

Contrary to what she'd expected, the atmosphere grew hostile as minutes passed by. Watching her brothers and sisters argue with such aggressiveness made an impressionable Miqo'te like her really uncomfortable, even scared to open her mouth to say a word. She couldn't help but shrink on her sitting position, worry and sadness crossing her features.

 

What's more, K'ile's concern about the questionable intentions behind K'aila's offering also made her uneasy. In a mind like hers, the possibility of helping anyone just to obtain something not as good in return was unthinkable. When had the outside world become such a rotten place?

 

Perhaps it was the need to seek comfort what moved her eyes to the figure of her stoic father, and something even better was found by them. The effect was immediate-- K'mih's eyes brightened and opened wide at the sight of her missing sister K'nahli, unexpectedly sitting next to her father K'yohko. The young Miqo'te even tried to wave at her, the gesture timid in order not to get too much attention.

 

What would K'nahli be thinking about everything that was being said? She wondered. Perhaps her sister would shed some light into that confusing pool of undone thoughts that had become her mind.

 

The colour of the world chanced once more when K'mih's attention returned to the meeting. She was startled to find a pair of familiar eyes looking at her, as if they were expecting something, anything she didn't even know. Unconsciously, she shrunk again in something akin fear, head slightly down and eyes forced to look back at the Tia in submission.

 

She didn't want to speak, she didn't want to agree or disagree. She didn't want to be there.

 

("I'm so small...")

 

She thought again.

[K'nahli]

K'luha storming out of the meeting resulted in a momentarily silence amongst the tribe members that had congregated around the fire. What may have been going through the minds of each individual member at that moment was anyone's guess. Likely, however, they varied from opinions of both sympathy and condemnation against both sides. Regardless, the silence had only added to the tension of the scene.

 

 

A loud sigh finally escaped past K'nahli's lips as she took the initiative to put an end to unnerving reticence. Her gaze had followed K'luha up until the moment she had slipped out of view though in truth, she felt almost entirely indifferent to the woman's feelings. In spite of that, she didn't find solace in leaving the matter unresolved if she could help it. Her glance shifted sideways to meet with those of the elder K'deiki.

 

"Would you like me to speak with her, Elder?" she asked firmly. Her voice faintly hinting towards concern.

 

She retained her focus on the frail stature of the old miqo'te as she awaited an answer. Her vibrant, fiery eyes that, even in the most placid of settings, could burn right the target of her gaze, as always, suggested that she felt resentful towards the proceedings. K'nahli was not one whose thoughts were easily perceived but her stern appearance would often enough convey the wrong impression and only further mislead people from understanding her true feelings and intentions.

 

Whether or not her considerations were acknowledged mattered rather little to her. An additional hidden detail that only further clouded the mystery that was the young miqo'tes mind.

[Kailia]

K'ailia shook her head and rose to her feet, "No need sister. I will to talk ta her. I've said my peace. I am gonna trust in the elders now ta come ta the right conclusion."

 

With that she worked her way around the fire and squeezed passed everyone following the trail of her mother. Her part of this meeting was done. She knew this. There was nothing more for her to say.

 

She followed K'luha's footprints, though her expression was blank, she felt hurt by K'ile's words. She had devoted everything since her failure at the hunt, to learning skills and other things on behalf of the tribe. She was heartbroken at the suffering her tribemates have been enduring while she was learning conjury.

 

Yes she hadn't been spending much time in the tribe camp, but she wasn't sitting on her rear either. She had saw an ad for Ul'dah garden, that promised to help teach her new skills, and refine old ones. She had even found a temple of Azeyma that had sank beneath the sands of Southern Thanalan that she believed held the teachings of Azeyma.

 

At last she found her mother, just outside their tent unloading the large sacks of water and crates of food, "Hey ma. Can I talk ta ya fer a bit?"

[Torvhan]

K'rei looked around and listened, surprised and bemused at the scene which unfolded before her. The very same people who were berating the young were the ones acting immature themselves. She watched K'luha and K'ailia walk away and sighed inwardly. The day had hardly begun and the important part was about to begin. Opening statements made; it was now time for the discussion to actually begin. She stood up once more and stepped into the circle.

 

"Well, thats a thing" She chirped quickly in attempt to lighten darkening moods. "Before I begin I'd like to remind us why we are here. To offer ideas and our experiences up together as whole to the elders and to gauge the general inclination of our tribe toward those ideas. So that we can decide on the best course to take, I expect the discussion to become heated but we are all family and should stay on topic of the merits of these ideas. From what I have seen is that the ideas of the "young" are being looked down upon. But both K'haali and K'ailia are worthy of our highest praises. While young these two girls have not only sought out ways out of our situation, but also did the legwork behind them in an effort to bring them forth. If you seek to support one of their ideas or wish to offer up your own; support it with logic and your own experiences, not with anger and name calling."

 

"To start off on the subject of the bounty of the desert, it is true that there may still be prey to seek, but we are not the only tribe in the Sagolii, the Tribe of the Drake holds one to some of the best hunting grounds here. The desert is one of the harshest environments in Eorzea, and we have done well to adapt to it. However to say that we are not trying hard enough would be folly. Our hunting parties are out for longer and longer, and return with less each time, that is why we are here. But think not only on us, but on our environment as well. As we seek to hunt more and more to survive ourselves we are slowly depleting the bounty of our fair home, and it is slow to recover. If we are not careful we could not only put ourselves in danger but also the creatures we hunt. Our ancestors did adapt and stayed strong, but remember when the Ice made the land barren and prey became sparse they left their home and sought out new prey in new places. We settled here, but the tribes settled all over Eorzea, my own tribe lived upon the lands of La Noscea, our sisters of the moon, largely settled the Black Shroud. There would be danger in moving, Yes, but there is also danger here. It is a part of our lives. I think we should find a new place to call our own; maybe one day when the desert has recovered from the calamity and from our presence maybe we can return."

 

"What this Ventus offers us is a temporary solution; a place to lay our heads while we seek a new place and new prey. But I see a distrust of 'outsiders,' not a mistrust borne of experience, but a fear based in lack of understanding. Not everyone is out to get us, there are evil men that is true, but even a member of the tribe can become twisted and cruel. As there is evil there is also good, but those are extremes. Most of the outside world are people just trying to make their own way to survive much like we do. Farmers, hunters, merchants; their are many ways they work together to survive.

 

K'rei looks at K'ile, "you say you don't wish to accept help from outsiders. But while it is true we have traded small amounts for things we do not have or could not make, we have not entered into the market as K'haali's idea would bring us. I spoke earlier of merchants; In Ul'dah good and evil are shallow points, they exist for profit. To attempt to trade for our food for the right to survive would put us fully at their mercy. I spent a good deal of time there after I lost my tribe. Before the Amalj'aa found caught me outside the city. The distribution of wealth there is staggering and I had never seen the likes of such before. Elsewhere such an idea might be more promising, but Ul'dah is a city which grew rich on the trade of such minerals that they harvested from the desert and Thanalan, and they have been miners and traders of these goods for many generations. We would enter such a market at a great disadvantage."

 

"What Ventus's offer has in advantage to this is he is offering us a place to stay, I doubt he plans to feed us all, as such would have new land to hunt in a more bountiful area of Thanalan without worrying about such things as being stepping on people's toes about where we have settled our new camp. Also remember that this is an academy, I'm sure they have guards but I doubt they have to manpower to stop a tribe of warriors from leaving when we choose to leave, as I said earlier I do not know why he made us this offer and I expect several of us would like to speak with him and see what he has to offer should we choose to look into this path. But I mentioned two possibilities earlier."

 

"One he seeks to expand his school, it is possible some of our younglings might like to enroll if we stay there for an extended period of time. But I don't see how this could be an entirely bad thing, this school has taught K'ailia many things we could not, and these skill will most likely benefit the tribe. Are we worried that we will lose our younglings to this man and they won't return? I don't see that happening with K'ailia I see a young woman who burns with desire to save the tribe she loves, and is using the skills and resources she has to make it happen. "

 

"Two he seeks to use us as a safety measure to guard his school from external threats. Unless he's at war with a specific group, or he's managed to incite the Amallj'aa I can hardly see this being a large issue. All of Eorzea is at war, and the Amalj'aa are an issue even here. What harm would their being in defending his school? If we were to live there it would be our home as well, and we would only be bolstered and a harder target to strike with his forces added to ours. I doubt we would have another attack there such as the one we had four years ago."

 

"I'm sure others of you have opinions and experiences with the outside world to offer the elders. Do not be shy, now is the time to speak and make your voice heard."

 

K'rei walks calmly back to her seat to watch the next speaker.