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Post by darkfoxprime on Jan 23, 2008 15:08:52 GMT 9.5
Jakim crouched motionless at the edge of the clearing. With the sky turning to orange overhead, the kiwaa birds were returning to their roosts, long majestic feathers trailing behind them as they called softly between themselves. Jakim waited patiently, watching one of the brightly-colored birds approach his nest among the roots nearby. The Keid youth had been at this for a few days already; washing himself thoroughly in a stream, rubbing some aromatic leaves over himself to disguise his scent, then waiting for the birds to return. The large kiwaa paused nearby and thingyed his head at Jakim, as if starting a staring match. This had happened each time, always ending with Jakim making a movement or sound and startling the bird away. This time, he was *going* to be still! All he needed was for the large male to get a little closer, and he'd be able to get his first decoration for his bow. A minute passed by, then another. He silently reminded himself to stay alert, not to fall half asleep; he started counting the feathers in the kiwaa's head crest, to keep himself paying attention. Then, with a twist of its head, the bird suddenly clucked, and Jakim nearly jumped out of his skin. He just barely kept himself still, the only external hint of the start being the sudden tensing of his arm and leg muscles. Apparently, the source of the startling sound didn't notice Jakim's reaction; the kiwaa turned and calmly stepped over to its nest. Jakim, holding his breath, started inching his hand towards the long trailing feathers. Closer, closer... He almost had his fingers on one, when the birds across the clearing started a raucous calling, the loud "KIWOU!" sounds echoing around the space. Jakim's frayed nerves exploded, and the boy jumped backwards into the tree behind him. His intended "victim" spun around, adding its own call to the chorus; as Jakim got back to his feet, all the birds took flight, launching into the clearing and spiraling over the canopy. Jakim realized he wasn't the cause of the disturbance, and quickly picked up his bow, sliding an arrow into place as he stared at the trees across the clearing. -- ooc - thanks to treijim for the title  |
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Post by laurabeth on Jan 26, 2008 3:29:42 GMT 9.5
Her knees sunk into the soft banks of the small stream. She dipped her bloodied hands into the cool waters and rubbed them gently together in an attempt to make them clean. Her recently cleaned kill hung beside her from a low branch. It was rich with the smell of game. Kuvre pulled her clean hands from the water and flicked them, displacing small droplets of water in a small shower. She gently brushed her hands off on her skirt, first her palms and then the top of her hands. She took her meat, which was wrapped carefully and hanging from a rope, off the branch and put it over her shoulder.
Though her excursion was not very interesting, she did enjoy her time alone. It was rare for her to hunt in such a way: she often kept to a post in a tree, guarding Shuptalxia. She picked her way through the underbrush, and stayed on a path that only she could see. Walking slowly, Kuvre covered her tracks as she went. She was not especially close to Fanoran territory, but it wasn't out of the question to find one in this area.
A loud call of a bird, followed by a startled flock of kiwaa birds overhead, made her jolt. She stood completely still for a long time, watching the birds above her, and keeping her ears attentive to the noises on the ground. Her eyes picked up an oddity about one of the fowls in the air, though her mind did not register what exactly was different about it. After they had passed, she continued to remain still, hoping that the cause of the ruckus would reveal themselves.
For a moment, she relaxed her tense muscles: thinking it to be just an animal of prey sneaking up on the birds. But a soft sound, though not too unlike an animal, came across a small area, nearly snuffed by the thickness of the foliage. She ceased her breath momentarily to enhance the sounds about her. She looped the rope holding her meat across her chest and over her shoulder before reaching for her long bow that was slung about her other shoulder. Her arrows were kept in a small quiver which, for this special occasion, was wrapped around her waist and hung at her side. She slipped one out and slid it into her bow before beginning to breathe again.
Yet, though she tried to inhale, it caught in her throat. A short figure moved ahead of her. Kuvre could see it's dark shadow against the dying light that sifted through the canopy above. Her brows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed. It was short, and thin: much like a Fanoran. Suddenly her mind decisively chose to throw out logic as she rushed forward, the bundle of her kill flopping loudly against her back the tip of her arrow pointing at the stranger's head. Her facial expression morphed into one of extreme nonplus as she realized what it was she was about to kill.
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Post by darkfoxprime on Jan 26, 2008 13:12:53 GMT 9.5
Bow taut, ready to let fly, Jakin scanned his eyes back and forth across the clearing, waiting to see what was coming. For the kiwaa birds to take flight, it would have to be at least as big as a wolf.
When nothing appeared after a minute or so, he relaxed his grip, letting out a sigh and allowing the bowstring go loose once more. With his free hand, he could dip down and quickly snag his pouch and headband. He kept looking back up to the other side of the clearing as he pulled the headband on and hooked the pouch to the side of the belt holding up his simply-made skirt.
He waited a bit more, nervously fingering the pendant at the base of his neck, then saw the movement between trees across the open area. Swallowing hard, he gripped his arrow and pulled the bow back tight once more, aiming for the shadow. Then the shape burst out of the trees on two legs. He'd already psyched himself up to shoot when he recognized that it wasn't a predator, nor one of the cat-people. He was just able to drop his arm before he loosed the arrow, driving it halfway down into the loamy ground in front of him.
"W-wait!" he called out, voice croaking a bit, and dropped his bow. "Kuraban - f-friend!"
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Post by laurabeth on Jan 27, 2008 11:31:29 GMT 9.5
Lowering her bow slowly, yet keeping the arrow taught, she took a staggering step backwards. She blinked rapidly as she tried to get the newcomer into focus. He was definitely Keid, very much so indeed. But she had never seen him before, and he was unlike the Keid from her village. By this time, the tip of her arrow was pointed at the spot between her toes, and her head was tilted slightly in thought. Realizing how awkward it must be for the boy to be stared at, she looked away from him quickly to her bow.
"Kuraban." She lowered her head briefly in a welcoming gesture. She looked back up and licked her lips, searching for something to say. "I'm Kuvre, I'm from Shuptalxia. Who are you, kura.toto?"
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Post by darkfoxprime on Jan 28, 2008 3:13:13 GMT 9.5
Jakim watched as the taller girl fell back a step and relaxed a bit, shoulders dropping into a more comfortable slump. When her silent scrutiny continued, however, he bit his lip and looked away, then down. He crouched to pull his arrow out of the ground, his skin glistening as adrenaline-powered perspiration mixed with the oil from the leaves he'd used to hide his scent from the birds.
"Kuraban." ... "Who are you, kura.toto?"
He glanced back up at the girl.. at Kuvre. His hands started cleaning the soil off of the arrow shaft, scrubbing it with his palms. He replied, "'m Jakim, from..." then let that trail off with a shrug. He tilted his head and continued, "Shuptalxia? Where Buroba lives? I've come that far?" He kept in his crouch, looking up at her as he continued to scrub at the arrow.
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Post by laurabeth on Jan 28, 2008 4:45:01 GMT 9.5
One of her brows raised at him before settling back in place. "Shuptalxia is still a long way away, it will be past dark before I get back to my village." She took her arrow out of her long-bow and slid it back into her quiver. Her bow also went back over her shoulder, and with the same movement she unwrapped the rope of meat from her shoulder. She slung it more comfortably about her before taking a few steps closer to the boy. She did not feel friendly towards him, but she was curious about him nonetheless.
"Jakim," she said, looking over his over-thin figure and tugging at the rope over her shoulder, "Would you like to see Shuptalxia? I could use company for the walk there." She tried to smile towards him, but was unsure how friendly it looked.
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Post by darkfoxprime on Jan 28, 2008 10:20:38 GMT 9.5
"Shuptalxia is still a long way away, it will be past dark before I get back to my village."
Jakim looked back down at the well-cleaned arrow, a strange expression flitting across before his hair flopped forward over his headband to hide his face from the standing Kuvre. His hand paused for a second, then he abruptly stood and reached around to drop it back into his quiver. His eyes widened a bit when the girl shifted her burden, as if he hadn't noticed it before. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when she spoke again.
"Would you like to see Shuptalxia? I could use company for the walk there."
Shuptalxia. One of the biggest Keid villages. All those people. The place where Faedri, the old windtalker, had gone.
He froze for a dozen seconds while his mind raced in circles. To Kuvre, observing him, his face just went slack, mouth open. When he seemed to come back to himself, his mouth closed, his weight shifted back, and his eyes darted to both sides, looking like a trapped animal.
Then he swallowed, closed his eyes for a moment, and reopened them to look to the older Keid. "I.. I'll keep you company. For the walk there."
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Post by laurabeth on Jan 28, 2008 11:52:35 GMT 9.5
Barely taking time to nod, she began to walk softly back out of the clearing and to her path. She got on the almost invisible trail and waited for the shorter of the two to catch up with her. Without looking at him, she pointed to the path in front of her in hopes that he was an experienced tracker. "Do you see this small path that I have made? At first glance it looks to be one made by a deer, but with a closer eye one can see that it's traveler is taller."
She turned on the spot and looked down, pointing at her faint tracks in the soft earth. "This is where I was standing when I spotted you. As you can notice, I did not take the time to cover them properly." On the ground nearby was a stout branch, leaden with slightly wrinkling leaves which she took in her hand and scratched at the ground in one smooth motion. Her footprints were smoothed into the rest of the landscape. "This is what I desire of you to do, unless you wish you carry my kill, ke.toto?" She heaved it off her shoulder and held it out, her arm quivering slightly from it's weight.
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Post by darkfoxprime on Jan 28, 2008 17:20:26 GMT 9.5
Jakim blinked as Kuvre turned without another word and walked away. Frowning a bit, he checked to make sure he had his pouch, squeezed his hand around his pendant, then trotted silently after her.
He caught up to her at a faint game trail, slowing to a stop with the same noiseless gait. His frown turned into the start of a grin when she knew he was there without turning. Listening to her instructions, he glanced at the game track again, catching the broken leaves higher than they should have been, and nodded silently when she turned to face him.
Then she pushed the bundle of meat towards him, and he took an involuntary step back. The expression his face held was answer enough, and with a shrug, he hefted the branch. He then stood easily, quietly, and watched the girl expectantly.
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Post by laurabeth on Jan 29, 2008 3:22:38 GMT 9.5
The corner of her mouth went up in a satisfied smirk before she looked away from him. Kuvre twisted about before beginning to walk forward again, this time moving a little faster than she had while traveling alone: hiding tracks and carrying a heavy load were hard to do at the same time. The smirk did not leave her face for a long while as she enjoyed the leisurely walk back to her village. The young Keid seemed interested in seeing Shuptalxia, and Kuvre was likewise interested in the young Keid.
"What village do you come from?" She asked, turning her head slightly to look at him, "There are few Keid villages this close anymore..." Involuntarily, the back of her mind filled with images of a burning ruin. Years ago, from her post in a high tree outside of her own village, she could see columns of smoke from a great distance. She was not the only lookout to spot them. Soon a party of Shuptalxians went to investigate the fire, and found their closest village in smoldering heaps. They had searched the area around it for survivors, but had found none.
She broke out of her reverie with a small start, surprised at the distance she had traveled without noticing. She quickly looked behind her again, wondering if he had spoken. "Hm?" She asked again. Her voice now held a softer tone.
[Is it okay to use 'Shuptalxians'? <_<]
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Post by darkfoxprime on Jan 29, 2008 9:15:32 GMT 9.5
Jakim trailed along behind her, diligently brushing the path like he'd been shown. He'd not been taught this before and so his eyes were glued behind him, watching behind him as their tracks disappeared. Following Kuvre by ear, he only misstepped once, when she stepped over an unusually high root, and he nearly tripped. After that, he kept watch on where he was going like he should, cheeks burning in embarrassment.
When she asked about his village, he started to answer, "I'm from..." Then his voice trailed off as his eyes unfocused, the memories flowing through him. Some days it didn't take much. At the "Hmm?", he blinked, then shook his head to refocus. "From.." A momentary pause, then a quick wave of his hand around. "Xalo," he finished - the jungle. Keeping his gaze down, he dipped his fingers into his pouch, pulling out a string of nut pods. With his other hand still engaged in sweeping away their traces, he used his teeth to open one of the pods and squeeze the nut-meat out into his mouth. As he chewed, he looked up suddenly, realizing he was being rude. The next time Kuvre looked back, he lifted his hand wordlessly to offer the pods to her.
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Post by laurabeth on Jan 29, 2008 13:46:30 GMT 9.5
She wished to retort, be remained silent. While shifting the weight on her shoulder, she noticed that he was trying to offer her some food. She mumbled something of a thanks and took the nut from his hand.
The boughs overhead cast a thick shadow over the path, making it appear even darker than it actually was. In the east, the sun was dipping sleepily below their vantage point. Shafts of awkward light streamed through the underbrush from a clearing somewhere to the left: casting an eerie green glow on the path. Kuvre moved off her nearly hidden path and towards a large tree. The roots were monstrous and old, growing partially above the ground in a wide, low arch. The inside was dark, and the earth there was very damp. Moss and vines hung about the small cove, making it mostly in shade. A first glance it would make it appear to be a small hill.
She led the way, pulling back some vines before motioning Jakim to go inside. "No need to cover your tracks, we'll be going out in a minute." The inside simply contained a small woven mat on the ground, though there were small items hanging form the root ceiling. She took one pouch down and wrapped it about her hand before sitting down on the mat. "We're about halfway to Shuptalxia, a little less than halfway, actually." She put her kill down next to her and unwrapped it, taking the pouch and pouring some of it's content onto the meat to preserve it. "Sit down and rest for a while." she said, smiling genuinely at him through the thick shade.
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Post by darkfoxprime on Jan 29, 2008 23:57:56 GMT 9.5
"That's cool!"
Jakim couldn't help the soft-voiced outburst when he saw her pull the vines apart and reveal the hollow in the earth. The first real grin he'd worn for a while lit up his face, and he scrambled in at Kuvre's invitation, then crouched at the entrance examining the vines hiding it.
"We're about halfway to Shuptalxia, a little less than halfway, actually."
He turned to look back at the Keid girl, grin replaced by the same look of wariness he'd had on most of the trip. "What's it like? .. Shuptalxia?"
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Post by laurabeth on Jan 30, 2008 9:06:35 GMT 9.5
She kept the smile on her face while she worked on her meat, acting as if she hadn't heard him speak. She appreciated his childish enthusiasm, though she didn't know how much more to feed it. After a long while of preparing her catch, she spoke. "It's very large, you might be surprised at it's size." She said, still not looking up, and bit her lower lip in concentration. "If you're anything of a Keid you will know that it is where Buroba lives, at least in Genxren--the temple."
She took her cloth and wrapped it about her meat once again, hoisting herself back to standing and swinging it over her shoulder. "We should leave. We'll only be on my path for a short while longer, then you can stop covering our footsteps." She pushed the vines back and stepped out into the dusk, the sun now under the horizon and the deep shadow of the earth covering the jungle.
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Post by darkfoxprime on Jan 30, 2008 9:34:44 GMT 9.5
Jakim waited for a bit, watching Kuvre, then turned back to examining the entrance, running his hands along some of the vines slowly and feeling the leaves with his fingers.
When she finally did speak, his whole body tensed in startlement, then relaxed again almost right away. He listened without looking back at her again; the only clue that he was paying attention was his hands, now unmoving, clenched around two of the vines.
When he heard Kuvre stand, he released the vines and stood as well, ducking his head as he slipped quickly through the entrance covering. By the time the Keid girl was out, he was back on the path, holding the sweeping branch, his face studiously blank.
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