Post by KD on Feb 8, 2012 3:24:47 GMT -5
"If she wants power, she should focus on my father. Of course, that is impossible. I have no power as I am now. Prestige, yes. I am my father's son, I cannot deny that."
"But you're going to have it. Everyone looks to the shaman, Yiska, you know that." She nudged him. "Already people are looking to you for answers they can't find themselves."
He gave the slightest of pouts. "Yes, of course you are right." He sighed a little. "Let us not put another thought into it. I will simply keep avoiding Fahla. If I see her daughter, I will go the opposite way. Now, about those medicines..."
Sinjun was more than happy to let the subject drop in favor of a more enjoyable one, listening intently and filing everything away as he showed her
He had a practical way of teaching, dividing the herbs up so that she may copy his actions and watched patiently as she worked at the medicines herself until she got it just right. "Good job, Sinjun." He grinned a toothy grin. "You always learn so quickly."
"I have a good teacher." She gave him a bright smile, going over the medicines one more time to commit them to memory. "You have any idea why your father was looking so worried?"
"If I had been here, I may know something. But I have been away. I will ask my friend Takoda if he has heard anything on the wind. His tent is near the council's." Yiska suddenly broke out into a mischievous grin.
That grin always meant trouble....and fun. She leaned forward in anticipation, her own bicolored eyes gleaming with mischief. "What do you have in mind?"
He was sure she had met Takoda before. Takoda had at first not liked Sinjun. For one, she had taken his best friend away because the two of them were inseparable. And secondly, less surprising, because she was a stranger, not a Yitoki. That had seemed to be a commonality around the tribe. But those who loved Yiska in turn began to love her, and even more when they found out just how warm and open Sinjun had been. "Next time the elders convene, we will just happen to visit Takoda. Then what happens, happens." He chuckles.
"That's sneaky. I like it." Sinjun grinned.
It would not be suspicious that Takoda would have visitors at any time of the day, for Takoda lived by himself. He had been raised an orphan, which is why he often calls Yiska his big brother.
The medicines made, he pulled out a few ceramic jars and doled the medicine into them for later use. It was true that his people relied on him, for he had many medicines stored up, with the help of Sinjun of course. Yiska was naturally happy to help.
"Yes, it is good to have fun. I have to be serious all the time when I am with the shaman..." he chuckled.
Sinjun giggled. "You do not. Just because he doesn't get when you're teasing him has never stopped you from doing it."
Yiska sighed in contentment, he leaned backwards and closed his eyes. The breeze was forgiving today. He opened them again and looked beside him at Sinjun. "What have you been doing while I was away?"
Sinjun had flopped down beside him, looking up at the sky. She turned her eyes to him. "Helping your mother gather things together for the great hunt. Bread, roots, all the things the hunters will need while traveling."
"Ah, the great hunt." He nodded slowly, a whistful look in his eyes. At one time, Yiska could have looked forward to such a time honored event among the other warriors, but now that he was a shaman, he was not to gets his hands dirty, so to speak. "There will be many new faces this year."
She reached over and squeezed his hand lightly. "Lots of young men ready for their first hunt," she agreed.
He could not say he wished he could go, for that would be selfish. It was honorable to be the next tribe shaman, a great honor. One was chosen by the spirits... and Yiska was that chosen. "It is strange, Sinjun. I would have not seen myself in this place when I was a cub."
"What did you expect to be when you were young?" She propped herself up on one elbow, looking at him. Her skin had gotten darker but the sun had lightened her hair until it was almost white, strands of it coming loose from her braid and dancing around on the breeze.
"Like my father," he turned his head to look at her and smiled softly. "Nootau, the storyteller. When he was still alive he told firelight stories to the young cubs. He would speak of the warrior, of the origins of the Yitoki, about our culture. I would pound my fists against the sand like drums when we cubs would hoot a warriors cry in response to his words. I will be the mightiest warrior, I would think to myself. I would be like Moraji."
She nodded. She couldn't see Yiska as a tradition bound warrior like his father. That wasn't an insult to Moraji, who was indeed a great warrior, but a shaman, someone whose powers spread beyond the physical, suited Yiska more, she thought.
"How about you, Sinjun? Did you have dreams when you were a child?"
"I wasn't supposed to. I was supposed to focus on supporting and serving my sister but..." She smiled wistfully. "Sometimes I would have fantasies of being a wandering performer, doing acrobatics and performing music for people from town to town, wandering free on the roads. That was before I had any idea how dangerous the roads can be..."
He chuckled a little. "I am glad you can have your own life now, Sinjun."
"Thanks to you." She smiled at him.
"But you're going to have it. Everyone looks to the shaman, Yiska, you know that." She nudged him. "Already people are looking to you for answers they can't find themselves."
He gave the slightest of pouts. "Yes, of course you are right." He sighed a little. "Let us not put another thought into it. I will simply keep avoiding Fahla. If I see her daughter, I will go the opposite way. Now, about those medicines..."
Sinjun was more than happy to let the subject drop in favor of a more enjoyable one, listening intently and filing everything away as he showed her
He had a practical way of teaching, dividing the herbs up so that she may copy his actions and watched patiently as she worked at the medicines herself until she got it just right. "Good job, Sinjun." He grinned a toothy grin. "You always learn so quickly."
"I have a good teacher." She gave him a bright smile, going over the medicines one more time to commit them to memory. "You have any idea why your father was looking so worried?"
"If I had been here, I may know something. But I have been away. I will ask my friend Takoda if he has heard anything on the wind. His tent is near the council's." Yiska suddenly broke out into a mischievous grin.
That grin always meant trouble....and fun. She leaned forward in anticipation, her own bicolored eyes gleaming with mischief. "What do you have in mind?"
He was sure she had met Takoda before. Takoda had at first not liked Sinjun. For one, she had taken his best friend away because the two of them were inseparable. And secondly, less surprising, because she was a stranger, not a Yitoki. That had seemed to be a commonality around the tribe. But those who loved Yiska in turn began to love her, and even more when they found out just how warm and open Sinjun had been. "Next time the elders convene, we will just happen to visit Takoda. Then what happens, happens." He chuckles.
"That's sneaky. I like it." Sinjun grinned.
It would not be suspicious that Takoda would have visitors at any time of the day, for Takoda lived by himself. He had been raised an orphan, which is why he often calls Yiska his big brother.
The medicines made, he pulled out a few ceramic jars and doled the medicine into them for later use. It was true that his people relied on him, for he had many medicines stored up, with the help of Sinjun of course. Yiska was naturally happy to help.
"Yes, it is good to have fun. I have to be serious all the time when I am with the shaman..." he chuckled.
Sinjun giggled. "You do not. Just because he doesn't get when you're teasing him has never stopped you from doing it."
Yiska sighed in contentment, he leaned backwards and closed his eyes. The breeze was forgiving today. He opened them again and looked beside him at Sinjun. "What have you been doing while I was away?"
Sinjun had flopped down beside him, looking up at the sky. She turned her eyes to him. "Helping your mother gather things together for the great hunt. Bread, roots, all the things the hunters will need while traveling."
"Ah, the great hunt." He nodded slowly, a whistful look in his eyes. At one time, Yiska could have looked forward to such a time honored event among the other warriors, but now that he was a shaman, he was not to gets his hands dirty, so to speak. "There will be many new faces this year."
She reached over and squeezed his hand lightly. "Lots of young men ready for their first hunt," she agreed.
He could not say he wished he could go, for that would be selfish. It was honorable to be the next tribe shaman, a great honor. One was chosen by the spirits... and Yiska was that chosen. "It is strange, Sinjun. I would have not seen myself in this place when I was a cub."
"What did you expect to be when you were young?" She propped herself up on one elbow, looking at him. Her skin had gotten darker but the sun had lightened her hair until it was almost white, strands of it coming loose from her braid and dancing around on the breeze.
"Like my father," he turned his head to look at her and smiled softly. "Nootau, the storyteller. When he was still alive he told firelight stories to the young cubs. He would speak of the warrior, of the origins of the Yitoki, about our culture. I would pound my fists against the sand like drums when we cubs would hoot a warriors cry in response to his words. I will be the mightiest warrior, I would think to myself. I would be like Moraji."
She nodded. She couldn't see Yiska as a tradition bound warrior like his father. That wasn't an insult to Moraji, who was indeed a great warrior, but a shaman, someone whose powers spread beyond the physical, suited Yiska more, she thought.
"How about you, Sinjun? Did you have dreams when you were a child?"
"I wasn't supposed to. I was supposed to focus on supporting and serving my sister but..." She smiled wistfully. "Sometimes I would have fantasies of being a wandering performer, doing acrobatics and performing music for people from town to town, wandering free on the roads. That was before I had any idea how dangerous the roads can be..."
He chuckled a little. "I am glad you can have your own life now, Sinjun."
"Thanks to you." She smiled at him.