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Post by Jenny on Sept 8, 2013 23:58:13 GMT -5
Yiska and the shaman had been chuckling at the chorus of the Yitoki children. But they soon sobered as they watched the exchange between the cub’s mother and Sinjun.
The children, as they do were prone to distraction. Soon they were running about, one of the larger boys pretending to be a monster. The little girl yelped and shrieked and giggled, the others close to her heels. They were causing quite a ruckus, and there were chuckles all around.
Yiska was laughing along with them, watching the little ones play. His eyes were crinkled in good humor. He turned his eyes on Sinjun, the smile playing on his lips. He walked over to her, his sorrowful mood had not lasted long. He would lock the feeling away for some other time.
Tahki had stood up, wiping her brow. “Let us all go to the tent, the sun is hot today.”
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Post by KD on Sept 9, 2013 0:06:54 GMT -5
As if to drive the shaman's point home, Sinjun looked up at him questioningly as they walked back to the tent, clearly picking up on something wrong beneath his smile. She didn't question him about it, at least not yet. After so many days either in old tombs or the hot sun, she was more than happy go be inside a tent again.
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Post by Jenny on Sept 9, 2013 0:14:02 GMT -5
Yiska did not want to feel guarded around her, but this was not the time for sad words. He reached out his hand and took hers in his and gave it a meaningful squeeze.
Inside the tent Takhi had drawn a bath hidden behind curtains, it was a shallow tub but good enough to get the sand and sweat off of your skin. Tahki indicated that Sinjun should allow herself the privilege of using the clean water first. It was not an unknown routine in the desert.
Yiska shouldered off his belongings, hung up the bow in its place and sat down to unpack his belongings from the bag he had been carrying, putting everything in its place. Tahki hummed a light tune, going to work at fixing a quick meal.
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Post by KD on Sept 9, 2013 0:17:06 GMT -5
Sinjun was almost pathetically grateful, folding her sand and blood stained clothing beside the tub. She winced as she cleaned herself. The wound in her side was healed over thanks to the yitoki and Sapphira's abilities, but it was still tender. She cleaned herself off, scrubbing days' worth of accumulated grime off her skin. Her hair took on its usual pale blond shade, taking on a clean, healthy shine again. She slipped into a clean robe before joining the rest of the family.
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Post by Jenny on Sept 9, 2013 0:27:28 GMT -5
“Feel refreshed?” Tahki smiled up at her from where she squatted by the small stove.
“Ah ah, Yiska.” Tahki slapped his hand with a spoon as he tried to reach for a piece of quickbread. “Bath first.” She had such a stern look that Yiska burst out laughing and it was not long before Tahki was giggling too. “Just get in the bath, son.”
Yiska continued to snicker as he disappeared behind the curtain to take a bath.
Tahki flipped the last of the quickbread on a platter and set it on the ground in front of Sinjun. She then slid a bowl of desert fruits and a small pitcher of a sweet sap syrup that she could smear on the bread if she was so inclined.
As Sinjun ate, Tahki seated herself close by. She opened and closed her mouth, then opened it after a breath, deciding to ask the question. “Sinjun… just what was it like, in that temple?”
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Post by KD on Sept 9, 2013 0:32:56 GMT -5
Sinjun looked thoughtful and didn't reply for a long moment. Not because she didn't want to but because she had nothing to compare it to that Tahki would know what on earth she was talking about. "It was a grand place once...a long time ago. It had doors and traps that were wholly mechanical like those beetles and scorpions and we saw wreckage of even more fantastic machines. But when a place has so many bad things happen in it...when it's touched by so much evil and suffering...it leaves its mark."
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Post by Jenny on Sept 9, 2013 0:38:52 GMT -5
Tahki had never seen such a place. The ruins were simply taboo, an unspoken out of bounds. The Yitoki were not explorers, they kept to what they knew, and it had served them well since the beginning. “Tell me, Sinjun. Was this the work of humans?” She spoke every word evenly and carefully.
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Post by KD on Sept 9, 2013 0:42:02 GMT -5
"I don't think you could call them human. Not the way I am. They were a race similar to humans but with more magic running through the veins of a single one of them than runs through the viens of all of my family combined. And the old god....that thing was not human, not even close."
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Post by Jenny on Sept 9, 2013 0:46:49 GMT -5
Tahki contemplated this, taking a bite from a desert fruit. “To think that there are more of them out there… Hoti tells me that ruins have risen from the ground.” She took a hard swallow. “Are we in danger here?” She looked close to panic. “Will more like them come? Tell me the truth, Sinjun, please.” Tahki pleaded with her. “I can’t bear to go through that again, the thought of losing you and Yiska…” She shook her head.
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Post by KD on Sept 9, 2013 0:54:35 GMT -5
Sinjun rose to move to her, sliding an arm around her shoulders. "My aunts are going to destroy what's left of the temple and sink it completely beneath the ground and it was the largest, the main ruin and the only one that had a beast like that," she said quietly, trying to reassure her. "The others are tiny compared to it, Tahki, and they have no real importance. Matthias and those other humans came here because that beast was calling them and the beast is dead. The danger is passed. For you and me and Yiska and the whole village." She couldn't promise no more humans would come but the ruins were out in the deeper desert and none of them coming would be drawn like Matthias was. Explorers, scholars, people who knew well enough to stick to their studies and not bother the natives of the land. And her aunts were staying around to reinforce that just in case.
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Post by Jenny on Sept 9, 2013 1:18:32 GMT -5
Tahki rocked a little as Sinjun held her and hiccupped because she was upset. She began to breathe more easily as she went on, her fingers knotting at the edge of her dress. She took a few gulps of air and managed to stop shaking. “Oh Sinjun, Sinjun… thank the gods that your kin are here to help us.” Tahki turned and put her arms around Sinjun, giving her a good firm squeeze. “If you had not been here… Oh Sinjun, what would we have done?”
Yiska had grown still from behind the curtain, forgetting his bath for the moment. He simply listened, thankful that Sinjun was able to give her answers, to comfort her. Those men like Matthias had brought grief to his mother. He thanked the gods, help him, that they were dead.
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Post by KD on Sept 9, 2013 1:25:07 GMT -5
"The shaman and Yiska would still have been here to help free the spirits and protect the village. And someone would have followed Matthias when he left to come here. They would have been too worried to just let him go off and do whatever he wanted especially with the way he'd been acting." Sinjun hugged her tightly. The guilt she might have felt for her part in Matthias' death vanished with the sight of Tahki so upset. In fact if he'd been there right then she would have killed him all over again. "And anyway we all were here and that combination of all of us destroyed that thing completely. I'd say that was meant to happen."
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Post by Jenny on Sept 9, 2013 1:37:08 GMT -5
Tahki gave her a shaky smile and ran the back of her paw across her face. “Spirits bless you, Sinjun.” She bent to give Sinjun a light kiss on the cheek. “For you are a blessing to me. And to our family.” Tahki looked at the curtain and back at Sinjun with a knowing smile. “You are a part of this family too, Sinjun.” She whispered between the two of them. “You always have a place here.”
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Post by KD on Sept 9, 2013 1:40:00 GMT -5
Sinjun hugged her softly. "And you are a blessing to me. All of you are but..." Sinjun's duel colored eyes glittered a bit with a sheen of tears. "You...you're more my mother than the woman who birthed me ever was."
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Post by Jenny on Sept 9, 2013 1:50:26 GMT -5
“Oh, no tears now…” she whispered soothingly, running a paw over her fair hair. “I am proud to be able to have you as my family. Whatever you have missed all these years I will give you, gladly. I can only give you what I am, and I hope it is enough. Of course, you’ll have to share me with Yiska.” She chuckled a little. “But I think he would gladly relinquish his share. He has already given you his whole heart, can’t you see?”
Yiska heard whispering and he didn’t like the sound of that. He smiled and lowered his body so that his ears were covered. Women.
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