25th Ashan, 705, Evening
It was evening, later than usual for Kali'rial. Most nights she was in her bedroll as soon as the sun set yet still light, early to bed and early to rise as Nonna would say. Tonight though, the hunt had run late, and so her grandparents had kept her up later to help finish off stretching and scraping the hide they'd collected before salting them for the ride across the ocean back to Desnind. They'd camped just outside the Gunvorton commons, in a familiar clearing that was often graced by travelling merchants.
As the firelight crackled before her, the young brunette scraped the soft rabbit hide staked out before her, using the back of her hand to wipe a stray hair from her face. Beside her, Dyn'rial and Xan'neua both worked on their own skins, whilst other traders sat talking and laughing at the main gathering a little further away. The Sevir looked up at the others with a smile as one of the older boys jumped up and ran to hide amongst the wagons circling the perimeter of the clearing, a couple of younger children laughing and running to chase him.
"Poppa, if I finish the rest of these hides, can I-" Her question was cut short by Xan'neua's sharp tongue.
"What have we told you before Kali?" The girl blushed, bowing her head in respect and talking in a low voice.
"Xanthean in Desnind, Common on the road." Lifting her head again, the blue eyed girl looked at her grandmother with a hopeful gaze.
"Can I go and play if I finish the rest of these quickly?" The older woman sighed heavily and paused her own work, giving Dyn'rial a look that silently said 'help me here', before putting a hand on Kali'rial's shoulder.
"What happens if I let you go play chasing with those boys? It's dark already, and you can't see your hand in front of your face behind those wagons. It would take but a moment for something to come up and snatch you away, and we wouldn't even know until it was too late." Dyn'rial grunted in affirmation, giving the youngster a stern look with a raised brow.
"Whilst those youngsters waste time running around like headless chickens, you will be learning better ways to tan these hides so you're able to earn better nel." The brunette opened her mouth to protest, to which the man raise a finger to silence her.
"Do not question us Kali'rial, that's final. Now pick up your scraper and finish your job." Closing her mouth tightly with tears of frustration stinging her eyes, the youngster picked up her tool and did as she was told. Over the brunette's head, the two elders looked at each other with furrowed brows, before quietly turning to their own tasks.
It was later that evening when Kali'rial snuck out of her sleeping roll, quietly as she could as not to wake her grandparents. The other children were still up, not quite ready for bed, playing a game of 'would you ever'. Listening silently from beside their wagon, the young budding huntress suppressed a few giggles as the youths came up with the most ridiculous things they could think of.
"Would you ever...mmm...ride a hafrein. Backwards. Wearing no clothes." Laughter erupted from the little group, before the next one was thought of. Kali crept closer, watching her step to avoid being noticed. Unfortunately she wasn't as stealthy as planned, knocking over a stray tea can in the dark. The group of children squealed, before the older boy from earlier jumped up.
"Who's there?!" He spoke in a voice that was trying to be deeper than it really was. Kali felt her heart in her throat as she stepped into the light.
"Sorry, I didn't...I mean sorry. I could hear you and...my name is Kali'rial." The group stared at her, before looking back at the older boy. He seemed to weigh up her worth, before grinning.
"Kali'rial. Nice. Would you ever...hrm...eat aye-aye eyeball soup?" The group broke into laughter again, Kali included. She scrunched up her nose in disgust with a giggle.
"Gross! Um...would you ever...wear your pants on your head whilst making a trade!" All the kids burst out laughing again, and Kali moved to sit with them, a wide grin on her face.
----
As the night wore on, the little group of happenstance friends laughed and talked, not noticing the figure that had come up beside them.
"Kali'rial, what in Moseke's name do you think you're doing?" A hard clipped woman's voice snapped out of the darkness. The children screamed, and Kali felt her stomach sink. Leaping to her feet, she stared at her Nonna in horror.
"Nonna! I'm..er...I just..." Some of the other adults had come from their own wagons to see what the fuss was about. Xan'neua ignored them all, steely green eyes fixed on her grand daughter.
"You were just disobeying your Elders, not to mention sitting away from camp with people you don't even know and not a single weapon with you! What did I tell you before? About how dangerous this is?!" One of the other merchants shrugged and chuckled at the woman.
"Hey, she's just a kid. Lenwyn here is old enough to take care of this lot, they're fine." Xan'neua glared at the man.
"You look after your young ones, and I'll look after mine." Pointing at Kali, she beckoned.
"With me. Now." Wide eyed the brunette scrambled to follow her Nonna, heart thumping in her chest, knowing full well the tirade she was about to receive.
"Nonna I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again! I'll finish all the hides by myself tomorrow." Xan'neua didn't speak as they headed back to the wagon and inside, where Dyn'rial paced. He turned on the girl with angry eyes, a look of worry behind them.
"What in all the Immortal's names do you think you were doing?!" He said with a deep frown, bringing the youngster to tears in an instant. Dropping to one knee he gripped her shoulders and looked at her.
"This is why we don't let our emotions break our focus Kali. When we do, we get distracted and do things like disobey our elders. Anything could have happened to you, understand? You must never get distracted Kali'rial. Ever."
As the firelight crackled before her, the young brunette scraped the soft rabbit hide staked out before her, using the back of her hand to wipe a stray hair from her face. Beside her, Dyn'rial and Xan'neua both worked on their own skins, whilst other traders sat talking and laughing at the main gathering a little further away. The Sevir looked up at the others with a smile as one of the older boys jumped up and ran to hide amongst the wagons circling the perimeter of the clearing, a couple of younger children laughing and running to chase him.
"Poppa, if I finish the rest of these hides, can I-" Her question was cut short by Xan'neua's sharp tongue.
"What have we told you before Kali?" The girl blushed, bowing her head in respect and talking in a low voice.
"Xanthean in Desnind, Common on the road." Lifting her head again, the blue eyed girl looked at her grandmother with a hopeful gaze.
"Can I go and play if I finish the rest of these quickly?" The older woman sighed heavily and paused her own work, giving Dyn'rial a look that silently said 'help me here', before putting a hand on Kali'rial's shoulder.
"What happens if I let you go play chasing with those boys? It's dark already, and you can't see your hand in front of your face behind those wagons. It would take but a moment for something to come up and snatch you away, and we wouldn't even know until it was too late." Dyn'rial grunted in affirmation, giving the youngster a stern look with a raised brow.
"Whilst those youngsters waste time running around like headless chickens, you will be learning better ways to tan these hides so you're able to earn better nel." The brunette opened her mouth to protest, to which the man raise a finger to silence her.
"Do not question us Kali'rial, that's final. Now pick up your scraper and finish your job." Closing her mouth tightly with tears of frustration stinging her eyes, the youngster picked up her tool and did as she was told. Over the brunette's head, the two elders looked at each other with furrowed brows, before quietly turning to their own tasks.
It was later that evening when Kali'rial snuck out of her sleeping roll, quietly as she could as not to wake her grandparents. The other children were still up, not quite ready for bed, playing a game of 'would you ever'. Listening silently from beside their wagon, the young budding huntress suppressed a few giggles as the youths came up with the most ridiculous things they could think of.
"Would you ever...mmm...ride a hafrein. Backwards. Wearing no clothes." Laughter erupted from the little group, before the next one was thought of. Kali crept closer, watching her step to avoid being noticed. Unfortunately she wasn't as stealthy as planned, knocking over a stray tea can in the dark. The group of children squealed, before the older boy from earlier jumped up.
"Who's there?!" He spoke in a voice that was trying to be deeper than it really was. Kali felt her heart in her throat as she stepped into the light.
"Sorry, I didn't...I mean sorry. I could hear you and...my name is Kali'rial." The group stared at her, before looking back at the older boy. He seemed to weigh up her worth, before grinning.
"Kali'rial. Nice. Would you ever...hrm...eat aye-aye eyeball soup?" The group broke into laughter again, Kali included. She scrunched up her nose in disgust with a giggle.
"Gross! Um...would you ever...wear your pants on your head whilst making a trade!" All the kids burst out laughing again, and Kali moved to sit with them, a wide grin on her face.
----
As the night wore on, the little group of happenstance friends laughed and talked, not noticing the figure that had come up beside them.
"Kali'rial, what in Moseke's name do you think you're doing?" A hard clipped woman's voice snapped out of the darkness. The children screamed, and Kali felt her stomach sink. Leaping to her feet, she stared at her Nonna in horror.
"Nonna! I'm..er...I just..." Some of the other adults had come from their own wagons to see what the fuss was about. Xan'neua ignored them all, steely green eyes fixed on her grand daughter.
"You were just disobeying your Elders, not to mention sitting away from camp with people you don't even know and not a single weapon with you! What did I tell you before? About how dangerous this is?!" One of the other merchants shrugged and chuckled at the woman.
"Hey, she's just a kid. Lenwyn here is old enough to take care of this lot, they're fine." Xan'neua glared at the man.
"You look after your young ones, and I'll look after mine." Pointing at Kali, she beckoned.
"With me. Now." Wide eyed the brunette scrambled to follow her Nonna, heart thumping in her chest, knowing full well the tirade she was about to receive.
"Nonna I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again! I'll finish all the hides by myself tomorrow." Xan'neua didn't speak as they headed back to the wagon and inside, where Dyn'rial paced. He turned on the girl with angry eyes, a look of worry behind them.
"What in all the Immortal's names do you think you were doing?!" He said with a deep frown, bringing the youngster to tears in an instant. Dropping to one knee he gripped her shoulders and looked at her.
"This is why we don't let our emotions break our focus Kali. When we do, we get distracted and do things like disobey our elders. Anything could have happened to you, understand? You must never get distracted Kali'rial. Ever."
