Heinous Omens [K-Tribe]

[Clover]

"Oh, is that so?" K'mih's smile lingered, unchanging, soft enough not to make her inner relief visible. She'd heard what she needed; now she could focus on her task as a huntress, whenever she remembered where she dropped her axe for the ritual.

 

"Li, do your best," she smiled to the half stranger warmly, having accepted him from the beginning. He'd been a good and helpful miqo'te so far, K'mih had no reasons to mistrust him. "I'll be joining the hunt now, we'll meet again afterwards."

 

With a playful wave of her hand, K'mih departed from the males. Her chest still felt tight and she couldn't even tell why. Maybe it'd been the unprepared dancing, or the fire, or K'nahli or the Nunh or this strange land. Maybe she just needed to find her sister and talk to her, and the pressure would be gone with a smile.

[Twinflame]

K'ile watched the huntress's pink ears and tail recede into the sinking dusklight. If she was going to be a very good dancer, she'd have to get over her fear of burning herself and probably accept some callouses across her skin. K'ile could hold a coal in the palm of his hand if he really needed to. K'mih's skin needed to harden. But, that was something that came with age, no matter what one did. And if that was her only flaw, he was sure she would be fine. She already had the upper-body strength for it, thanks to that ax of hers.

 

With a shrug at his own thoughts, K'ile turned to face Xha'li dead on, his ears turning limply on top of his head to face the outsider. "Ready to work?"

[K'nahli]

Her mind had been far too preoccupied with tending to the false sincerity that was needed to encourage every little lie that had slipped off of her tongue as she spoke to fully acknowledge the relieving feeling of her father's grip over her quickly loosening with each and every sentence that she would nervously spit out, but as her sense of awareness slowly crawled back to her, it served to both encourage and worry her. She had made the conscious decision to do this, to take the blame for K'mih after having nearly condemned her to her father's prying concerns, and yet the result for herself was something that she seemed to fear almost as much as she anxiously embraced it.

 

 

Regardless of how unreadable the nuhn may have thought himself, he did not hesitate long with revealing his complete disgust with the matter. Though her travelling glances were short and few in number, she could quickly detect even the most subtle of contortions as the nuhn recoiled in both horror and disbelief.

 

Not a moment too soon the girl had suddenly being relieved of the horrible intimacy that his leering and threatening presence had imposed upon her with the encounter. To be free his great weight against her was as much a blessing as it was a damnable curse, however. After all, she had achieved what she had intended from the second that she decided to defend K'mih... but simultaneously she had almost certainly lost everything that she had been looking to reclaim since the calamity had stolen her mind from her.

 

Yes, the girl had succeeded in her deceit. K'yohko Nuhn, her father, he now wholly believed that it was the elder daughter whom was in sin. Now at the very least she could be assured K'mih was safe from suspect; K'ile's unwanted knowledge of the matter could now be dismissed as mistaken identity should he ever seek the desire to bring it up for whatever sadistic intent he may yet harbour for the nuhn.

Yes, though not perfect, the deed had been done now... yet the little solace she had intended to achieve in the process was something that the girl struggled to tear away from the implicating shadows of consequence that now loomed over her. Even as she refrained from so easily submitting to the idea that the nuhn had not forsaken her to a life absent of his presence, a worrisome feeling continuously tore away at her heart as she lay there with her thoughts a moment longer.

 

With a near-noiseless heave, K'nahli slowly pushed herself up to a seated position as K'yohko slowly backed away from her. Her trembling hands folded inward across her chest to complete the anxiety-drunken form that sat shamefully before the purple-haired hunter. The man was a difficult person to read but that reaction was unmistakable, even for the short and indirect gazes that she could manage to bear against him in that moment... but of course, what else could he have felt from such a revelation? How could she have doubted him of something that came so naturally to everyone? K'mih was but an exception to many things... to think that she actually feared any other possible reaction from this.... what in the seven hells had she been thinking?

 

Pulling away her gaze from him yet again, K'nahli's fists tightened with the coming of a new thought. The repulsion he must have felt, the sickening feelings of disgust and despisal that he must have felt for her right now.... she could only imagine what it would have done to K'mih. Even as she continued to hold her own ill-conceived accusations against the man in her heart, even as she refused to so easily let go of the idea that he, before this, no longer had an interest in seeing her as a daughter anything like he saw K'mih... this was almost too much for her, as a willful daughter to bear. K'nahli certainly had hardened over the years and become a bitter shell of her former self, but to voluntarily create an even greater divide between herself and her father was something that she greatly lacked the capacity to remain truly resilient against, even now.

 

A shaken hand reached to soothingly massage the red band drawn across wrist of the other from where the nuhn's firm grip had held her down. It was strange how uncomfortable the distance she had moments ago so badly yearned for suddenly felt. Was this not the man whom she had felt complete and utter spite for not two minutes ago? Now he was leaving her well enough alone... and more.... yet the girl could not pull even an onze of satisfaction from the thought. She had not given up on those angry thoughts that had driven her into the position she now found herself in and yet the result felt far worse than she could have ever imagined it would have.

 

 

"We will never speak of this again" the nuhn's final words interrupted her thoughts before be swiftly turned his back on her to take his departure to what could only possibly be a more comfortable setting than the one she had provided. She, like him, found herself unable to look upon him fully even now as he had turned his back on her. Instead, his form lingered in the periphery of her vision - like a fleeting, dark shadow, quickly melting into the surrounding darkness.

 

 

".....I'm sorry.." the words finally slipped out, loud enough for him to hear, would he have let himself do so. Long had she wanted to sincerely say those words to her father since first truly angering him on the day that K'ailia had shamed them with her presence, but never had her pride easily allowed her the opportunity to do so.

 

The girl, however, still could not bring herself to even confirm that he had so much as heard her. Slowly she returned herself to her feet, maroon eyes painted through with the bleak appearance of loss as they focused absently on the ground below her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a few moments that, for her, seemed to drag on for several minutes, she remained alone and lost there in the silence of the darkening night before she would finally find herself greeted by yet another voice that had emerged from the wilderness.

 

"K'nahli? I thought you were out hunting?"

 

K'nahli's gaze half-heartedly searched for the source of the familiar voice though her expression loaned no new feelings to the moment, not anger, not embarrassment, not even a shy attempt to conceal her evidently torn out heart. Her gaze slowly scanned over K'tahjha with a look that lacked any form of interest or shame before slowly retreating back to the ground again.

 

"...Yes, I'll be leaving now" she added quietly, slowly taking a couple of steps forward to leave the curious girl behind her.

[Lyraciilee]

K'yohko gave a faint grunt in retort. It had been a very long time since they had sat by one another and spoke. Years even... K'yohko would have liked to belief they had spoken like this shortly after the calamity but, in reality it was probably far longer ago since K'luha had allowed him so close. His fingers entwined against each other, gripping his skin and turning his knuckles white.

 

K'luha's ears flattened out, her face pressing to her knees with an audible sob.

 

"What sort of horrific parent am I that I let my son and daughter die before me...? What sort of monster am I that could see it through twice... K'yohko... I am a bad parent.... I should have never been blessed with children...." K'luha gripped her knees tightly, fighting back what few tears her body could even muster anymore.

 

The nuhn frowned when he looked upon her, wasting away in her pain. And yet it was not really her fault for either of their deaths. Truthfully, K'ailia was not even death, even if she must be dead to them. He reached a strong arm out and placed it around K'luha's waist, pulling her into a firm embrace. K'luha was somewhat startled, but too lost in her own lamentation to fight it. She pressed her head to his chest, gripping at his shirt with a soft choking cry.

 

"I am also... a bad parent." K'yohko closed his eyes and pressed his forehead lightly to the top of K'luha's head. What sort of parent let their daughters fall in love with them? Had he been so absent that she could not view him as a father? Truthfully, there was but one solution that K'yohko could see to dilemma. There must be a new nuhn. If K'nhali loved him like she had said, there was but one suitable fate for his transgressions. He must fight K'ile for his title, and loose. But he could not just loose. His life needed to end so that K'nahli might be free of her burden. It was... the only way. The only way he could think of. "K'luha.... do you think the culmination of our knowledge as parents would serve another child better?" The question was sudden, but quiet. K'luha ceased her sobbing to look up to the elder miq'ote, confusion lingering in her eyes.

 

"I... p-perhaps. I was young... when I had them both so... " K'luha pulled back to sit upright next to K'yohko, wiping her cheeks and eyes dry.

 

"A new land. A new life... if you wanted another child, I could give that to you. K'ailia gave your life reason when you lost your will to live. I think, that perhaps, another child would be raised properly. It would give you reason again, and you are much wiser now. Perhaps K'ailia did you a great kindness to injure you hip. You will develop the knowledge and patience to deal with difficult things, instead of running away." K'yohko offered a small warming smiled to the former huntress. One that made K'luha blush and look away, her ears flattening.

 

"I had forgotten how charming you can be when you try." K'luha grumbled quietly. The offer was tempting. There was K'ile... but there was no telling if and when he would actually become Nuhn. And she loved K'ile but, he had also never.... at least to her knowledge... and every time she'd tried to pry it from him, he'd gotten all flustered over it. There was no telling even if he did become nuhn if he would still do such things. There was also of course, his grievous negligence of her and Tahj of late. He was so focused on the ceremony, but no, not even the ceremony. He had wandered off on his own and almost died again. K'luha was unsure if she could handle him wandering off to see K'piru. K'luha gripped her knuckles tightly, staring to the ground with dismay.

 

"I-i... w-will think about it.... I will... come to your tent with my answer..." K'luha blushed faintly, keeping her gaze from K'yohko. The Nuhn nodded acceptingly, his warm smile melting back to a stony gaze.

 

"K'luha, you are not a bad parent. Just remember that Tahj is your child now as well." He offered as his final words before standing up. He brushed a faint bit of dirt off him and strode off, his form melting away into the shadows before it returning, flicking back into camp. K'yohko purposely made his way between Xha'li and K'ile as he return towards his tent, his tail flicking backwards at K'ile for his attention. He stole a silence gaze towards the Tia, an effort to get the Tia to come see him at a later point, before he continued on his way.

[Izmina]

K'tahjha's gaze sharpened on her sister, she could tell there was something bothering the huntress. But past encounters with the taciturn girl had warned her off attempting to get too familiar lest she get bitten. "K'nahli?" Tahj lifts her ears and tries to look friendly but not overly so.  "I haven't had my trial so I can't participate in this hunt, but I'd like the chance to watch. Do you think it would be all right if I followed you? I won't get underfoot." Tahj waits patiently for K'nahli's answer, hoping her sister would accept.

[K'nahli]

K'nahli stopped in her tracks, albeit did not so much as attempt to shift her weak gaze away from the ground before her. K'tahjha was certainly an unusual girl, and in truth, K'nahli resented the idea of anyone watching her so closely right now. Would that she were even able to contribute the hunt was a question in itself but perhaps rejection of the girl's request would only bring questions... or further drama.... further noise.

 

 

"Do as you will" she answered bluntly yet with a somber tone before continuing to slowly walk forward again.

 

 

 

"See to it that K'luha permits such and then come find me, however; as I will not bear responsibility for your well-being."

[Izmina]

K'tahjha stands a moment looking after her sister, not sure if she should be happy or scared at K'nahli's partial acceptance of her proposal. Taking a deep breath Tahj backtracks to where she'd seen K'luha last, pleased to note she wouldn't have to interrupt her father to get permission. She approaches her aunt, slipping her arms around the woman in a hug, "Aunt Luha? K'nahli said I could watch her hunt if it's okay with you. May I go?" Tahj waits for her response, anxious to catch up with K'nahli before she became too hard to find.

[Lyraciilee]

K'luha blinked, glancing behind her at the sudden appearance and hug from her niece. K'nahli? The hunt? Oh, yes. Of course. How could she have been so absent-minded. K'luha smiled a bit and turned, petting Tahj's head.

 

"Of course you can. Just don't stray too far from the group. Be safe okay?" Luha ruffled Tahj's hair before settling her arms back into her lap. "Say Tahj, how would you feel about having a sister?"

[Izmina]

K'tahjha grins excitedly at her aunt, immediately patting her boot to make sure her knife was there and checking her quiver. She freezes for a brief tick at K'luha's next words then her face light's up. "Really? Are we having a baby?" She glances back towards where she saw her sister last and then back to her aunt, now torn as to whether she wanted to stay or follow the hunt.

[Lyraciilee]

"Haha, no, I'm not. No one I know is either. I was just curious what you'd think of it." K'luha smiled again, pulling lightly at her clothing with a bit of anxiety. "I was just... maybe thinking about it. Since we'll finally have enough food here for everyone.... then maybe it would be a good time." K'luha coughed awkwardly and reached over to pat Tahj's shoulder. "Come on, go watch the hunt. You'll enjoy it."

[Izmina]

K'tahjha's ears droop ever so slightly then she smiles and hugs her aunt once more. "Thank you for letting me go." Her gaze lingers on her aunt for a time then she shakes herself out of the daze she was in. A baby! She grins happily as she back tracks her sister through the camp. Tahj had little trouble finding K'nahli, near the group of huntresses. She had some trouble dimming her obvious excitement so as to not annoy the girl any more than necessary, but she made every effort to appear calm. She attempts to catch the huntress' eye and smiles,"K'luha said it was okay."

[K'nahli]

K'nahli found herself blending in with the gathering huntresses as they all awaited the final order to begin the ceremony. Though both her disinterested arrival and quickly selected destination seemed to be chosen at random, she still somehow managed to find herself near the edges of the group, away from the majority of the activity where many more of the huntresses socialized amongst one another and grew further anxious to finally begin the long-awaited hunt. The sound of bowstrings tensing in inspection and stone and steel both, being grated against and sharpened with whetstones passed over her ears as but a single, dull noise that hummed lowly in the background as she passed them all by and drew to an eventual halt herself.

She paused for only a second before also removing her weapon from over the body and giving it a slow yet seemingly close glance-over. Not that she'd likely have noticed right now even had it not been, but her bow had, as always, been in pristine condition. To the girl whose bow and the art of archery alike meant far more than just a means to provide her family with food - alongside the seldom but more shamefully enjoyed right to kill -, it was simply something that came naturally to her. Tending to her weapon every night to ensure it remained of the highest standard was as much a ritual for her as it was to breathe in the air around her.

The girl's thumb grazed gently across the finished surface as her eyes lay absently upon the wood's running grain. Her mind refused to allow her even the tiniest sense of indulgence in the fact that this was an activity that could normally rival no other for her.... and so she apparently remained, the only odd one from the group that had an entirely lacking sense of enthusiasm as a huntress and sister should.

 

The bustling excitement from those around her loaned to her ability to remain largely undetected and unnoticed even by those who resided nearby. It seemed that no time had passed at all until K'tahjha had returned with K'luha's response.

 

K'nahli's eyes very briefly met with K'tahjha's. Hers still very, clearly lacked their usual fire but perhaps it was something that would not go noticed by the youth, not that it was truly a concern of K'nahli's. Considering the idea that anyone might even ask about her well-being was a thought that yet lingered far away from her mind at the moment, an unnecessary concern that would remain lost amidst a sea far more important matters.

 

A stoic yet understanding nod was her answer before she smoothly returned her eyes forward once again to look out into the darkening landscape that soon would embrace, protect and hopefully too, provide for them all a new and better life than the one they had known for the past number of years.

[Xha'li Moui]

Xha'li grinned, "As long as you keep me away from the cookfires, yah."  Grinning sheepishly Xha'li continued rubbing the back of his hand, "I don't think K'zhumi would be happy having to treat a burned tail when we could avoid it by simply keeping me away from the fire."

[Twinflame]

It was a good thing K'ile had saved some of his venom for K'yohko, as the man seemed to be looking for it. When the Nunh brushed between K'ile and Xha'li, K'ile's glare followed the man, noting the giant Miqo'te's gaze and having little patience for it. "Just being rude." When K'yohko's gaze lingered, K'ile frowned. "Oh, yeah, I'll get you back later. Hey, if you're not busy being completely infertile tonight, maybe you can come help us cook the feast for the ceremony where I kick your ass!"

 

The Nunh was probably already gone before K'ile said most of that. K'ile simmered silently until Xha'li spoke.

 

Then K'ile groaned and rolled his eyes. "You're not gonna clutz this up and ruin it, are you, Xha'li?" The Tia didn't wait for an answer, however, before he began to walk towards the storage tent that sat very near to the center of the camp. "Just come on. There's going to be plenty of fire for cooking, so if you're going to burn your tail, do me a favor and cut it off before coming inside." He reached just inside the flap for an empty ceramic urn, large enough that it was awkward to move but not so heavy that he couldn't swing it into the open with one arm. He set it on the sand by his feet. "Then go fill this thing with coals from the bonfire. Hot ones."

[Xha'li Moui]

Xha'li shot K'ile an incredulous look and flicked his left ear, "No I thought you'd be cooking with cold coals.  Just cause I'm prone no nearly setting my tail on fire as soon as I try to cook over around a fire doesn't mean I don't know the basics." 

 

Taking the urn from K'ile Xha'li turned around and headed over towards the fire absentmindedly summoning Kedah as he went before setting the urn down by the edge of the coal-bed and looking at Kedah, "OK girl, we need to fill this with hot coals, and Uncle seems to have forgotten to give me a set of tongs so you'll need to grab 'em and put 'em in."  Chirping an affirmative Kedah turned darted among the coals, grabbing the hottest she could find and bringing them back to be dropped into the urn while Li stood by casting mild charms after every trip to maintain the familiar.

[Lyraciilee]

K'iara scanned the heads of the women following her. About eight in total at the moment, but they were missing a few stragglers. A certain useless pink haired girl, and her obnoxiously stoic sister, and of course that useless Tia of an Uncle. K'iara's ears flattened somewhat. No matter. They would be fine on the hunt without them. Stragglers could catch up or stay back. K'iara wasn't about to let a few idiots ruin the hunt.

 

While her usual raspy voice was never loud enough to call out directions, K'iara had long since developed a system of whistles to get her point across. It wasn't unheard of to have done, and since yelling out directions when hunting prey was a sure way to get the prey startled, K'iara had simply adapted it for use before the hunt's beginning. K'iara placed her fingers to her lips before whistling high and loud, catching the attention of the huntresses around her, and hopefully alerting the stragglers that they were leaving.

 

The red-headed woman lead the way, slipping out with limber legs into the darkness of night. Her brilliant blue eyes shimmering iridescently with the moon's light. There was less cover here than in the Sagolli, so they would need to stay low to the ground. She'd yet to see how the prey in the area looked fore predators. It was going to be a whole new experience in hunting.

 

As the last few of the huntresses caught up with her, K'iara picked out two of the group, motioning with quick hand signals to start the scouting. It would do no good if the whole group went around scouting, they'd draw too much attention. Kneeling low to the ground and having the others do so, K'iara crawled forward over a small rise in the grassy hills to inspect the land. The scouts should return with a good target, but for the time being, waiting silently in the darkness would be key.

[K'nahli]

K'iara wasted no time with setting K'nahli to work and lucky it was that K'nahli had not tarried much longer with sending her gaze toward the older huntress's direction lest she have missed the order and earned further disfavour that night. A quick and stoic nod indicated the girl's understanding before she quickly returned her gaze toward K'tahjha, meeting with the younger girl's emerald eyes before uttering an almost soundless whisper in her direction:

 

"Stay close".

 

 

With little delay, the archer hastily pushed forward into the welcoming, shroud of the evening's, falling darkness. Under normal circumstances the girl might have instead instructed K'tahjha to remain with the main party for the time being. After all, the very first excursion, and one held immediately preceding the quickly approaching night at that, was not truly the ideal time to have the young girl earn some experience with scouting in the ill-imagined event that she might only serve to scare any potential quarry off. Still, K'nahli had not the nerve nor the energy to do so right now. The path of least resistance was most alluring right now, even if the risks of drama later on were not beyond the realms of possibility.

 

**** **** **** ****

 

Darkness was no true companion of the sunseeker miqo'te, but it was a ritual long-since adapted to in the harsh years directly following the calamity. Though they were stripped of their fiendishly, perceptive eyesight during these hours, the Hipparion tribe's hunters and huntresses were certainly not to be underestimated. The fleet-footed girl quickly scurried her away across the landscape in a north-easterly direction, effectively dodging between the obstructing brambles and over loose gravel in an admirable and, so far, successful effort to avoid making any sound at all. In truth it was but a childish matter of discerning the environment around her by dodging between the subtle but perceivably darker silhouettes that decorated the barren floor around her.

The whole experience certainly was something new, and surely in better days, something that she would quickly learn to find both exciting and truly invigorating. Merely moving forward, even with a cautiously reduced pace, consumed a lot more energy in a short space of time than it would have in less taxing environment of Sagolii - where the sandy dunes loyally betrayed little-to-no sound, even for the more heavy-footed of hunters; but even so, that would only be something that would make it all the more interesting to K'nahli. The thrill of a hunt and the new challenges that it would pose... even now, somewhere deep inside her it still tickled at her stomach, though hopefully someday soon she would allow herself to truly and wholly appreciate this new experience.

 

 

Even in this new environment, the agile girl would normally be far more swift with this particular duty; though regardless of her large absence of mind right now, she could not neglect to remember that the young and ill-experienced K'tahjha was in close pursuit of her - for a variety of reasons.

 

Coming to a slow halt near the summit of a softly-sloped hill, K'nahli brought herself to a more stealthy crouch as she turned to cast her eyes back toward K'tahjha and observe her progress.

[Izmina]

Scouting? K'tahjha's ears drooped, surely her sister would leave her with the group since she was assigned such an important duty. She was so convinced she would be left behind she almost missed the nearly inaudible whisper form the huntress to stick close. 

 

Tahj was impressed by the speed K'nahli managed to maintain in the dark through unfamiliar terrain, and it took all of the more inexperienced girl's concentration to keep up. The brambles and plants were not much different than dodging trees in the shroud at night. But the footing was trickier than both leaves and sand, so much of her attention was on avoiding crunching them underfoot and scaring her sister's prey.

 

Tahj was fairly proud when K'nahli stopped and dropped to a crouch and she was not far behind and breathing easily despite the speed they had been making.

[Twinflame]

The meat was going to spoil soon. What of it had not been eaten on the trip. That made K'ile's stomach turn. He understood needing to wait on the feast, and needing to initiate the first hunt on the first night. But half of the food he'd brought for the tribe's feat was gone now, and the rest was sitting unused. He'd done everything right, securing the feast, the blessing of a female, but the tribe seemed suddenly uninterested in having anyone challenge the Nunh. K'ile wasn't old enough to be too bitter over it; after all, he did not want to become a Nunh for himself. All of this was for the tribe. Moreso, it was for K'luha.

 

But if the tribe kept this up, being a Nunh would mean nothing. There would be no lovers, no fathers, no families, no heart of strength in the tribe. And K'ile cared about that.

 

So he ignored everything and cooked. He stirred the salt and ignored the way the white dust of it stung his senses, blocking out every smell until he'd be luck if he could tell old meat from new. It didn't matter. He was going to cook everything. He didn't even care if he did a good job. He'd light the bonfire and cook the feast and dare the tribe to ignore his challenge then.

 

The tent that stored the food was no larger than a living tent for a small family; they'd never had enough food to need a bigger one. K'ile set all the boxes of meat open next to the salt and a broad ceramic vessel that would hold the coals that were brought to him.

[Naunet]

K'deiki had returned to the Elders' tent for only a short time, long enough to conclude their prayers and finish arranging their belongings. The actions were as familiar as breathing to the Elders, and to K'deiki, like to all of them, this was a great comfort.

 

Rather than linger further in the sanctuary of their tent, however, the old, withered woman left K'takka and K'jhanhi to their quiet and ventured beyond the drake-hide walls. Her old ears could not pick out sounds as they once had, and her eyesight made the waning twilight a wash of shapeless grey, but her old nose had not yet failed her. She smelled the leaving of the huntresses and, leaning heavily on her walking stick, sent them one last, silent prayer for success. A few family who remained behind cast respectful, if perhaps concerned, glances her way before continuing about their business.

 

Then she smelled the smoke of a renewed fire, and the old woman began to walk. The colorful cloth that wrapped her hunched body shifted over a far different ground, her feet settling against firmer dirt than the dunes of the Sagolii. Her nose led her between a number of tents that stood as only darker shadows against a vague, grey space. She trusted her remaining sense, her feet, and the stick that kept her upright to take her where she sought to go.

 

The Tia's scent became more noticeable when she neared the fire, along with the sharp, dry smell of salted meat. She paused, body curving forward as she worked to catch her breath and strength, and then finally spoke, "Twice now you have sought to teach our young new things." Her thin voice ended in a thick cough.

[Twinflame]

K'ile stood up straight from the rack of sticks he'd been setting up over the cooking vessel. His eyes saw K'deiki, but he didn't trust them immediately. The concussion was still playing with his senses, and without his scent of smell, his initial reaction was one of confusion. He couldn't recall the last time an Elder had approached him out among the tents. K'ile glanced outside the tent, into the night, seeking some sign of Xha'li with the coals that K'ile needed in order to begin cooking, but he saw no sign of the man.

 

Ears askew, K'ile returned a vexed gaze to the Elder. Then he inclined his head to her in respect. "K'deiki. I'm not sure what..." He heard the woman's words clearly, but couldn't discern their meaning.

[Naunet]

"Suffer me to rest my weary bones under the open sky for a time," the Elder replied with some humor, shuffling forward before very slowly beginning the painful effort to lower herself to the ground, near the fire.

[Twinflame]

Keeping his face inclined, K'ile Tia was still for a time. Perhaps he was wondering if the Elder was going to crumble in her attempt to sit down. Perhaps he was trying to discern her purpose in approaching him. He was not worried. Of all the Elders, she was the least likely to Exile him on a whim. Perhaps he put too much weight on the Elder's movements. Maybe she was just enjoying the cooler, wetter air of their new home.

 

"At least one man in this tribe should show some interest in the young." K'ile turned back to the salt and wrinkled his nose at it. "They deserve better than they're getting."

[Naunet]

When her withered limbs were finally folded beneath her, K'deiki set her walking stick upon the ground to one side and folded her hands in her lap. Her lungs wheezed for breath for several moments before she quieted and straightened as much as her arthritic spine allowed. Milky eyes watched the vague glow of embers, and the wrinkles that drew winding canyons across her face deepened with a secret smile, as though she were holding in some kind of joke.

 

"The whispers on the wind speak of constant water a short time south. That is a very generous gift from our Warden," her voice came thin and raspy. "We must take care not to spoil it, but... She cannot shame us for taking some enjoyment from it, I think. The young ones least of all." Still that secret smile remained.

[Twinflame]

"Uhm." K'ile reached up and tugged on one ear. He got salt in his hair, though, and so shook his head fiercely, ear flicking. This gave him a headache, which he cringed against subtly. Finally, he turned wincing eyes back on the elder. He hoped he never grew that old. "I'm talking about teaching the children. Role models. They don't have any good ones."