It had been a little over an hour since Eihmo'tei had left his companions. The crescent moon and stars above did little to illuminate the surrounding dunes. The only light to be seen was that of the dying fire in front of the party.
Everything seemed quiet, but really it was not. Those with a better sense of hearing would be able to detect the soft animal-esque chittering from every direction. These sounds seemed to be organized, emanating from the dunes themselves. There was a feeling in the air, like the group was being watched.
A prickling on the back of Kiara's neck woke her. She sat up slowly and quietly, not wanting to wake her four charges. "Kit..."
"I know," the dragon said softly. Golden eyes searched the darkness. "I think they've been watching us for a while."
"What are they?" Kiara whispered. Her hand moved toward the dagger at her hip. "What do they want?"
All around, green glowing eyes could be seen from the bases of the tall mounds of sand. They were reflecting the light of the slowly-dying fire. There were so many pairs in every direction, but the dark forms were mostly hidden from view. It was obvious that the group was surrounded.
At the first sign of movement, the sounds ceased entirely. They did not move, and only blinked occasionally. After a moment or so, one pair of eyes moved in closer. As they drew near, the form became clearer. Soon, the weak flame revealed the creature's identity. It was Eihmo'tei, carrying a bundle of dry sticks in his arms.
He dropped them to the ground, before carefully stacking them over the flame. They caught fire almost instantly, providing a bit more light and warmth.
"Hello Kii'arah. I hope we did not scare you."
"Eihmo'tei..." Kiara said quietly, looking around. "Are these...your people?"
As Kit translated, she reached out to wake the children, soothing them with smiles and murmured explanations as they woke surrounded by strange creatures.
Eihmo'tei gave a slight chuckle.
"Welcome to my home!"
The growing fire did more to reveal the other Zerdani that encircled them. They watched with curious eyes from holes dug into the sand. As if by some unspoken cue, many rose from the ground and slowly and cautiously grew near.
They all closely resembled Eihmo'tei in looks. Some were bigger, others were smaller. Like him, they wore simple clothing made from woven cloth and animal hide. They approached nervously, seeming as if one sudden exclamation could send them all back running for cover.
The children were silent and staring, almost mirroring their Zerdani guests.
Or rather, they were the Zerdani's guests, as Kiara realized they must be in Eihmo'tei's village (if that was the correct word). She smiled slightly when the youngsters scooted closer to her, evidently wary.
"Hello," she said, smiling and waving quickly around. "Um...I'm Kiara. Nice to meet you." Kit lowered his head toward Eihmo'tei, translating. Hopefully their friend would pass along their greeting.
Kiara's words, as well as Kit's growls, were received with silent murmuring from the crowd of Zerdani.
"It is safe brother and sister Zerdani! They seem intimidating, but they will not harm anyone! They have been my friends these many days!" he announced to the rest of his kin. Still, they were unsure.
Eihmo'tei turned to His comrades now. "They are cautious now, but they will accept you soon. I brought you to the middle of the tribe. Everyone hid when they caught your scent, and you did not notice the holes around. I thought it would be fine for you to sleep here while I explained who you were to all my kin. I guess I underestimated Kit's senses." he gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head.
Kit murmured a brief translation to the five humans. Nodding, Kiara stood, then bowed at the waist.
"Forgive us for intruding," she said, trying to seem as non-threatening as possible. Kit translated to Eihmo'tei, who she hoped would in turn translate for his tribe. "We mean no harm, we just came to deliver Eihmo'tei home, and rest. We will not overstay our welcome."
Out of the corner of her mouth she hissed, "Kit, ask him if there's any specific greeting I should do, to be polite..."
The tribe began moving in even closer. In response to Kit's translations, Eihmo'tei looked up to Kit and said "I think they can understand you, like I do."
He chuckled again. "If you wish, do as I did with the elder... uhm... Vii Za'rii? That is great sign of respect! Do not forget to look into the eyes."
Kiara nodded and repeated the gesture as best she could, making eye contact with the foremost of the curious Zerdani. Kit nodded his head regally and rumbled, "Hello, people of the Moraki."
"I'm called Kiara," the young woman introduced herself with the dragon translating. "This is Bibi, Ras, Perryn, and Tala," she indicated each child in turn, and they waved or nodded or smiled shyly. "And this is Kittsareyn," she concluded, waving her hand to the Kit. She wasn't sure why she used his full name, but something about this whole thing felt rather formal.
Sounds of approval echoed through the crowd. Now, some of the more brazen of the Zerdani came in close. They sniffed their visitors and looked them over the way a dog would a stranger. Each seemed to have something to say, but they said so soft as whispers. They did not seem threatening.
"I have explained to them while you all slept. They know we cannot stay, but we are welcome as long as we do. They, like me, have never seen any like you before, so please forgive their curiosity..."
As Eihmo'tei said this, a young Zerdani made her way over to Kiara on all fours. Like the rest, she resembled Eihmo'tei in appearance, just a lot smaller. Despite her tiny stature, her ears and eyes were almost as big as his were, giving her a look like a toy. On all fours, she slinked over until she was at Kiara's feet. She seemed to take great interest in the stranger's footwear, for her eyes were fixed on them. Then, she gave the left foot a couple soft knocks with her closed paw.
"Oh." Kiara watched with wide eyes, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "Um...hello?" She bent slightly to be closer to the little Zerdani's level.
Kit tucked his tail and head, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.
The children, on the other hand, seemed to be just as curious as these fox-people. Bibi was apparently the boldest, because she reached out to touch the one closest to her. Kiara could just make out the shadow of a smile under her veil.
I'll have to convince them to lose those, she thought distractedly.
"She thinks your feet are weird." said Eihmo'tei. He, too, though it was odd that humans walked on the whole foot, as opposed to just the digits. He never paid it much attention. The Zerdani only put their heels on the ground when they got close to the ground.
The rest of the Zerdani were becoming comfortable with their visitors. Some of the younglings were even trying to climb up Kit's black scales. There were louder comments and questions emanating from the crowd.
The male Zerdani that Bibi had reached for recoiled from her touch. However, he recovered, and reached out his own paw to grab her hand.
A young female came up to Perryn and looked right at his face. It was not really the face that attracted her attention, but the thin veil that obscured it. Reaching out with one paw, she grabbed hold of it. It was forceful, but not enough to remove it. That was clearly not her intention. She simply wanted to feel it.
The tiny Zerdani at Kiara's feet decided to do what most little ones thought was a good idea. She bared her tiny (yet sharp) fangs, and dug them into the hard leather boot. Although her teeth were sharp enough to penetrate the leather, they were not long enough to make it all the way through.
"Oi!" Kiara protested, giving a startled burst of laughter. She batted the little Zerdani gently away from her boot. "I've only got one pair of those," she said, but she smiled, hoping the expression would keep her in their good graces.
Kit grumbled and seemed to be resisting the urge to shake himself, consequently sending his several new passengers tumbling back onto the sand. With a heavy sigh, he dropped to the ground and rolled his eyes, evidently accepting his fate.
Bibi and her Zerdani seemed to be intently studying each other's fingers. Perryn had gently removed a Zerdani's paw from his veil, but seemed to be fiddling with the fabric himself. After a moment, he let it drop away and held the sheer material out to her with a smile.
Tala gasped and Kiara arched her eyebrows. Ras shook his head, eyes wide, and Bibi exclaimed, "You can't-!"
"Why not?" the boy asked, looking to them with a broad smile. "No one's a slave here, what does it matter?"
Kiara beamed in response, nodding at him. Now that she could see it properly, she thought he had a very sweet smile. She bent closer to Eihmo'tei and said, "Thank you for bringing us here." She gestured to the people around them, then put a hand to her heart, giving him a nod and a smile as Kit translated her sentiment.
Another Zerdani, presumably the youngling's mother, came by to collect her. Eihmo'tei was giggling in response.
"Kii'arah, it was YOU and KIT who brought us here. I simply asked for it."
It truly was a heartwarming scene to see everyone getting along with the strange giants. Some more of the Zerdani brought larger pieces of wood and added to the flames that raged on in the center of the community. There was now a sizable bonfire in the middle of everyone. A lot of the crowd began sitting around it.
"Come! Sit!" said Eihmo'tei, patting the ground.
"Yes, sit with my people. This is a special occasion!" This voice came from an elderly Zerdani that made his way through the crowd. He wore much longer hide clothing and the most "jewelry" of any of his kin. He wielded a long white branch like a staff. His tone was kind, but stared at the humans and dragon with a stern look. Eihmo'tei pointed to the old one and said in a hushed tone,
"Elder Takalo."
The manner of his speaking revealed the status of the elder as an important individual.
Realizing this older fellow must be someone important, Kiara bowed low at the waist, though she remembered what Eihmo'tei had said about maintaining eye contact. "Thank you for your hospitality, Takalo," she said, glancing at her friend to make sure she was pronouncing the name correctly.
She nodded at the children and they slowly sat among the Zerdani. All but Perryn kept their masks, though she saw Bibi's hand twitch toward the fabric more than once. Kit lowered himself fully onto the ground, nosing the few straggling Zerdani off his scales with a huff, then nodded to the elder.
"Get the visitors some food! They are probably hungry after such a long journey!"
After the elder said this, Some Zerdani brought scraps of meat to the fire. They brought everything from small lizards and scorpions to large chunks of meat from larger animals. They were skewered and stuck into the ground, hanging over the flames. The smell of searing flesh instantly filled the air.
From all around the fire, the simple Zerdani tribesmen spoke, questioned, and laughed. Even if their speech was unintelligible, the general air of happiness and excitement was pleasant. The elder disappeared into the crowd, only to appear a few seconds later beside Kiara. Very quietly, he whispered in her ear.
"Follow... We... Speak Alone." he said, in heavily accented - but otherwise perfect - common. He left, and went over in front of what was presumably his hole in the ground.
Kiara was surprised- both by the request and the language it was asked in. She looked around, making sure all her charges were content and wouldn't notice if she slipped away. Satisfied, she stood and followed the elderly Zerdani.
Kit looked at her and huffed questioningly. She shook her head slightly, urging him not to make a scene. Reaching the hole, she asked the elder quietly, "How is it you can speak Common?"
The old Zerdani simply chuckled at the question. He continued in the common tongue.
"Please... use simple word. It... been... long time. Takalo is elder. Zerdani... is elder when... Is oldest."
He pointed at the group having fun around the fire.
"No... Zerdani know. Eihmo'tei... not know. Many moon ago... Takalo... leave tribe."
His common was choppy, and there was a heavy accent. The elder used his paws to help convey his point.
"Like Eihmo'tei. Takalo find human. Takalo find city. Takalo learn... human talk... human way."
The nostalgia was clear in the elder's eyes. He took up a handful of sand.
"Takalo... come back. Tell Zerdani... all is... sand. Was many moon ago..."
Kiara gaped. "But...but why?" she asked, incredulous. What purpose could he possibly be serving, keeping his people in the dark?
She'd admit that dumping the Zerdani population into the middle of, say, Essyrn, would maybe not be the best idea. But still, shouldn't they be able to explore if wanted to?
"Life... easy here. Life... good here. Human life... hard... and cruel. Takalo do not want for Zerdani. For any tribe."
He sat down in the sand. Giving a chuckle, he continued on.
"Takalo... never miss it. Takalo never... stop Zerdani... from leave. Zerdani do as will. Takalo only hope... Zerdani come back."
He gestured for Kiara to join him.
Slowly, she sank onto the ground next to him. Looking around, she murmured, "I suppose I can see how you would feel that way."
Kiara ran her hand through her hair and sighed. "But...Eihmo'tei wants to come with us. And I will do everything I can to bring him safely home again, I promise." She met the elder's gaze. "Will you let him go to Serendipity?"
"Takalo know. Takalo... never want... stop Eihmo'tei."
Tears began to well in his eyes, yet he smiled.
"Takalo call Kii'arah here... ask Kii'arah... protect Eihmo'tei. World dangerous. Humans dangerous. Eihmo'tei young... need guide."
Reaching over, the elder put a paw on Kiara's lap.
Kii'arah promise Takalo. Protect Eihmo'tei. Make Eihmo'tei safe."
Kiara laid her hand over his paw, moved and feeling somehow very solemn. "I- Kiara promise," she said, nodding. She met his eyes and smiled. "Eihmo'tei safe with Kiara. And Kit." She nodded her head in the dragon's direction.
The elder rose, putting all of his weight on his staff as he did so. Once on his feet, he gave Kiara a friendly hug.
"Takalo trust Kii'arah."
Releasing her, he beckoned Kiara and slowly continued on towards the rest of the tribe.
"Takalo say goodbye soon. Takalo see... too many moons. When Eihmo'tei return, will be new elder..."
By the bonfire, the Zerdani were laughing, playing, and sharing food with their visitors. Some had even gotten their instruments out. These drums and rainsticks were as crudely made as everything else they had, yet they were effective. Some Zerdani even danced to the beat in their own tribal fashion.
Kiara watched him go, suddenly saddened. He seemed like a sweet old man...fox...whatever. She shook her head and stood, walking to Kit's side.
"Is there a problem?" the dragon asked quietly. She murmured, "No," and began to explain her surprising conversation with the elder.
As she talked, she saw the children nodding and clapping along to the Zerdanis' music and she smiled. Bibi had also now removed her veil, and suddenly she and Perryn were on their feet, laughing and spinning and stamping to the beat.
The elder again took his place by the fire. He enjoyed that his visitors were having a good time among his tribe. Then he looked to Eihmo'tei, still smiling, but with sadness in his old eyes. Eihmo'tei picked up his elder's thoughts immediately. He could not help but to wonder where he and Kiara had disappeared to, and what had happened between them. He moved in close to ask her, but was cut off by an announcement from the elder:
"My brothers and sister Zerdani! Let us perform "The Song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17svtURunUk)" for our wonderous guests!"
All of the Zerdani stopped what they were doing and quickly got into positions. They all seemed excited about what was about to happen. Even Eihmo'tei's eyes lit up in silent anticipation for what was coming. His tail wagged back and forth in excitement.
Some Zerdani started up with soft vocals, then another joined in with a rainstick. Soon, the elder began singing in a voice probably unfitting his age just as the drummers started. Soon, about half the tribe had joined in, each contributing their own vocals or drum beats to the harmony. Some others started a synchronized dance in circles around the bonfire.
Kiara was enchanted. Even Kit simply sat in awe, watching the celebration unfold around them. Bibi and Perryn stepped back to watch, smiling and swaying to the beat. Tala slowly reached up and undid her veil, letting the fabric fall to the sand to reveal her brilliant smile.
Ras, sitting next to Kiara, looked at her with wide eyes. She laughed and began clapping to the beat. As the song began to slow the others drifted to her sides and sat gently on the sand, eyes glinting in the firelight.
To everyone's surprise, Kit suddenly raised his head and let out a sharp, undulating cry that sounded more like the call of a hunting hawk than the roar of a dragon. Kiara looked up at him, eyebrows raised. She hadn't even known he could make that sound.
The dragon dropped his head and shuffled his wings, embarrassed. "I- I'm not sure why I did that," he muttered.
Kiara looked at the Zerdani with a smile, saying, "He's just excited." She pointed to her grin, then gestured to Kit, hoping they hadn't scared their hosts.
The sound was surprising, but the song did not falter. There was a smile on their little faces though. Those who were not occupied gave their own choir of giggling, laughing, and cheering. The performing Zerdani started up again strong, their song reaching a crescendo. Now the celebration was in full swing. Even Eihmo'tei added his voice to the rest of his kin's, not with words, but with sound alone. The sandy dunes themselves seemed to ring with music.
As slowly as it rose, the melody fell again. The song reached its diminuendo, and all was calm again. Once the song ended, every Zerdani began cheering.
Kiara and the children clapped and cheered along.
"That was wonderful!" the young woman said, leaning down to speak to Eihmo'tei. Kit rumbled an agreement, translating the sentiment.
"Eemo!" Tala excitedly grabbed at his arm, smiling. "Thank you." Her eyes were shining with excitement. "Thank you," she repeated. She looked around at her fellow ex-slaves and Kiara.
Kit shifted, curling around his human companions and laying his head on the sand. "Your people are interesting," he said to Eihmo'tei, nudging the Zerdani with the tip of his nose.
"They are, aren't they..." responded Eihmo'tei with a bit of sadness to his tone. "leaving again is not easy..."
Perhaps he had underestimated his simple life amongst the Zerdani tribes. He looked around, seeing his kin as if he would never see them again. His eyes became glassy, the tears reflecting in the roaring fire. The crowd was wild. Each Zerdani seemed to be doing something different, and had a lot of energy to do it with. The elder, being the voice of reason, again interjected. The crowd was silent.
"Brother and sister Zerdani! Be mindful! The humans need rest for their journey. The celebration should not linger too much longer.
With the calm, Eihmo'tei remembered something. "Kii'arah, you disappeared with elder Takalo. Why?"
Kiara hesitated, unsure what to tell him. She settled for a half truth, saying, "He asked me to make sure you stay safe."
As Kit translated she got the children's attention and said with as much authority as she could muster, "Alright, get some sleep. We've got a long couple of days ahead of us."
The crowd of Zerdani began to thin. There were some stragglers, those who were still not satisfied with the limited interaction. Mostly, they were younglings, not yet escorted away by parents.
Eihmo'tei seemed a little incredulous of Kiara's answer. "Kit was here. Were you able to understand him?"
In the distance, Elder Takalo watched with anticipation of her answer. Although elderly, his large ears were still able to pick up the conversation, and he understood both parties.
"Ahhh..." Kiara hedged, glancing from the Zerdani to her dragon, who was ushering their young charges to sleep under his wing, curled close to the warmth of his belly. She hadn't even told Kit yet about the elder's surprising revelation.
"He...well..." Normally she was a very good liar. But meeting Eihmo'tei's eyes, she just couldn't do it. "He speaks a little Common," she admitted finally.
Eihmo'tei could not believe it. Not entirely anyway. Even Kit seemed surprised as he translated it. He looked to his elder who, in response, let out a long sigh. His secret was out. Walking over to them, the old Zerdani began.
"It is true young one..."
Eihmo'tei almost felt betrayed. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but the only thing to come out of his mouth was "How?"
"Come, I will explain it to you." said the elder, putting a paw on his shoulder. He looked up at Kiara. "Thank you. Kii'arah... honest. Made good choice."
Hearing Kiara's language coming from his elder's muzzle was all the proof that Eihmo'tei needed. He was hurt that such a secret was kept from not only him, but from all the rest of the Zerdani. Eihmo'tei remembered back when this same Zerdani that stood next to him telling him that there was nothing beyond the tribes and the desert. Now he spoke human language? He needed more information.
The elder led, and Eihmo'tei followed. Now, the party was alone. All the Zerdani had disappeared into their burrows. The fire began to get smaller as it burned through its fuel. It's crackling and popping the only sound that could be heard...
Kiara felt a little guilty that she has told a secret the elder had kept for so long, but it seemed she'd made the right choice. She sighed and climbed up onto Kit's back, sprawling over his neck.
"Care to explain?" the dragon asked with forced calm. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, peering over his shoulder to make sure the kids were settled in before explaining her odd conversation with Takalo.
Kit snorted smoke, shaking his head. "Poor kid," he muttered, looking to where Eihmo'tei had followed the elder.
The two Zerdani were talking by the elder's burrow, the same place where he took Kiara. They talked quietly, being respectful to everyone. It seemed like the elder was explaining the same things he explained to Kiara. However, Eihmo'tei was not taking it as well as she had. He seemed flustered and, perhaps a bit angry, at what the old Zerdani was saying. He beckoned for Eihmo'tei to enter the hole, and the two disappeared into the desert sand.
"Well that doesn't seem promising," Kiara murmured. Kit snorted an agreement. She sighed and shook her head. She was tired, she'd admit, and she really should get some rest before they started travelling the next day.
But she was reluctant to do so without knowing the outcome of this conversation. So she settled in to wait.
After nearly half an hour, Eihmo'tei emerged from the burrow alone, and walked back over to his companions. There was a troubled look on his face, and he had something clutched in his paw. He seemed lost in thought.
Without a word, he took his place in the sand next to his youngest companions. He did not even notice that Kiara was still awake. Instead of curling up, like he normally did when it was time to sleep, he simply sat. His attention was on whatever was in his paw
Kiara and Kit exchanged a look as the Zerdani settled in. Moving slowly so as not to wake the children, the young woman slid down the dragon's flank to land lightly on the sand beside Eihmo'tei.
"You okay?" she asked, touching his shoulder gently.
The Zerdani released his grasp to reveal a piece of primitive jewelry. It was crudely made, even for the Zerdani tribal standard. It was only a short length of twine with three wooden beads wrapped onto it.
He looked up, eyes meeting Kiara's. "Eihmo'tei... Okay..." he said with a slow nod. A single tear rolled down his fuzzy cheek as he did so. "Tire..."
Then he grasped the jewelry tight, before putting his weight against Kit's side.
"Oh..." Kiara's hands fluttered, unsure what to do. She settled for leaning back against Kit next to him and putting her arm around Eihmo'tei. "Get some sleep," she said quietly, curling protectively around him.
Tala shifted in her sleep and Kiara reached out to lay her free hand on the girl's shoulder. Her eyes closed slowly.
His eyes closed, but Eihmo'tei did not rest. Not yet, at least.
He knew it would be a long time before he returned again. He was glad to show his kin that he was still alive, and to say his goodbyes. That weight was finally off his chest. However, being home again after his journey also rekindled his love for his simple life here. Leaving again would be hard, but he remembered what his elder had told him.
Without curling up first, he slowly drifted into sleep.
"Kiara? Wake up, Kiara."
With a groan, she blinked herself back to consciousness. Bibi and Pereyn were leaning over her, Tala and Ras visible behind their peering faces. It was still dark-ish, but she could tell darn was near. "I'm up, I'm up," she muttered, pushing herself off of Kit's side. The dragon snorted and grumbled in his sleep.
She prodded Eihmo'tei gently. "Hey, up and at 'em."
Eihmo'tei gradually regained consciousness. Once his sight returned, he saw that it was still early. Dawn's first light had not yet come over the dunes. He wondered why they had all arisen so early.
Getting up from his unusual sleeping position, the tired Zerdani delighted in the fact that he still held his little treasure.
"We... go? now?" he asked in choppy common. He hoped they would not go so soon, but if it was time to depart, then it was time, and he would accept it.
Kiara shook her head, giving him an encouraging smile. At least his Common was becoming more understandable. "We should eat before we leave," she said, reaching for her back and diving up travel rations among her companions. "Plus Kit is still asleep."
She thumped the dragon's flank and he grunted, cracking open one golden eye to glare at her.
Eihmo'tei let out a wide yawn. He refused the rations handed to him, but returned the smile. He had eaten enough during the celebration last night.
Instead, he started off in a seemingly random direction. "I will be back!"
He did not know how to say that in Kiara's language.
His destination was actually his home burrow. There was something he had to do before leaving.
Kiara blinked, once again simply watching him run off. "What?"
"He said he'll be back," Kit yawned, arching his back and shuffling his wings. Looking to the rising sun, he added, "I'm hungry. I'm going to hunt."
Kiara quirked an eyebrow but didn't argue. It had been a few days since he'd eaten. "Be back in an hour," was all she said.
He snorted an affirmation and took to the sky, the gale caused by his wings buffeting her and the children.
The wind from the dragon's wings loosened some sand from the closer of the dunes. Slowly, loose sand rolled down, burying the burrows that were dug into their bases. One of which, was Eihmo'tei's.
Feeling the ground inside his hole shake, he knew the great dragon had taken off. He was skeptical. Why would the dragon fly off? Kiara and the others knew he was coming... right? Although he probably DID come off as hesitant... he had to make sure his friends were still there.
Going to the entrance, sand suddenly began to fall and fill his "doorway". This happened every so often, but it was not what the little Zerdani needed right now. He needed to get outside as quickly as possible and check that his companions were still around. He started digging his hole out as he had done countless times before, although this time, it was at a more rushed pace.
All around, Zerdani were doing the same. The Zerdani were excellent at digging, being that their homes were burrows dug in sand. The ones who were not buried in their homes came out of their holes now. Some wondered about what happened, others were grumpy after not getting enough sleep. Some knew where the holes of others were, and assisted in the effort to re-dig the entrances.
"Oops," Kiara muttered, going to the nearest hole and helping the Zerdani excavate his home. "Sorry about that," she said with a smile.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her young charges were offering similar assistance to the others. Her smile grew a bit. Sweet kids.
She looked around for Eihmo'tei, wondering if his little errand had been completed.
Kiara's apology was only met with angry chittering and fist shaking from the disgruntled resident of the hole. Perhaps it was best that she could not understand exactly what it said. The hot blooded Zerdani then popped back inside, needing to clear the excess sand from his home. The children seemed to have better luck, as kinder residents thanked them for their assistance (Ras even recieved a lesson on how to dig more efficiently).
Eihmo'tei threw the last remaining sand from the entrance of his burrow and peered outside. Kit was nowhere to be seen. The Zerdani was nervous, at least until he saw his other comrades spread throughout the community. He let out a sigh of relief. They had not left him.
Still, he could not help his curiosity. He called to Kiara, "Kii'Arah! Where... Kit?"
Kiara smiled, relieved to have found her little friend. "He went to hunt." She made her hand "fly", then swoop down to grab a small stick from the previous night's bonfire. "Food," she said, then added- because this seemed to be a word Eihmo'tei had picked up easily, "Kit hungry."
The children drifted over to them, sandy and smiling. Kiara chuckled and began brushing them off.
It seemed the entire village was awake and about, drawn out by the commotion. The elder joined Eihmo'tei and their strange guests. He was successfully able to translate and teach his younger tribesman the words "Fly" and "Hunt" and "Food".
"All... leave soon?" The inquisitive elder questioned. His eyes were squinting in the morning light.
Eihmo'tei interjected. "Elder Takalo, I believe when Kit comes back..."
The elder's eyes never left Kiara's. He wanted to hear the response from her.
Kiara met his gaze steadily. "Yes," she replied. Gathering the children to her, she continued, "These little pests need to get to their new home as quick as possible. If I'm the one looking out for them, I'm gonna do the job right."
The children squirmed slightly and made faces when she called them pests, but honestly they seemed a little sad to leave the Zerdani village.
Kiara was too, if she was being honest with herself.
"Takalo... know... Kii'Arah traveller. Eihmo'tei tell... Kii'arah travel long way."
The elder grabbed Eihmo'tei by the shoulder, gave him some words in their own language. He nodded in response, and made a desperate effort to hold back some tears. The two looked to the humans now.
"No... have home? Welcome... here. Always... welcome here. Come... any time!"
The words his Kiara like a physical blow to her gut. A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed, touched by their kindness. "Thank you," she said softly, bowing her head. "Thank you so much."
The children echoed her sentiment, nodding and smiling around at the couple of Zerdani they seemed to have bonded with.
The elder conveyed to his people what he had told the humans. They responded with nods and cheers. Before too long however, they hesitantly went on with their businesses, off to do whatever it was they needed to do for the day. The elder offered a farewell, and was off as well.
Eihmo'tei beckoned his friends over to the hole that he just had to dig himself out of. The entrance was just big enough for a small child to fit, but it was not his intention for anyone to join him inside. He pointed to the sky, saying "Still waiting for Kit." in his native speech. He then crawled back into the tiny burrow in the sand.
Kiara looked up at the sky, shielding her eyes against the rising sun. She hoped the dragon returned soon, it was going to start getting unbearably hot...
As though her thoughts had summoned him, a thunderous roar echoed through the air and a dark shadow blotted out the sun. Kit spiraled above the Zerdani village, then came in to land several yards away. He must have realized the disturbance his takeoff had created and was attempting to avoid a repeat of the incident.
He strode easily over the sand to where Kiara waited. In his jaws he clutched what seemed to be a juvenile sand worm, which he dropped onto the ground once he reached the five humans. "For the village," he rumbled. "It may not seem like it, but their meat is actually quite good."
Kiara gave him a half smile, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "You old softy," she teased quietly.
Hunters about to set out for their hunt cautiously circled around the sand worm carcass. With their stone spears, they prodded it to make sure it was dead. These were the few that were a little hesitant to accept the newcomers last night. After all, the security of the tribe was also their concern. After it was confirmed that the worm was in fact a gift, they celebrated it. Sand worms, regardless of size, were a difficult quarry for the little Zerdani after all. Now, the hunters also accepted the strangers as friends. As four Zerdani dragged the carcass away, the lead hunter offered his thanks, laid down his spear, and gave a low bow like Eihmo'tei gave the day before. Then he was off to join his brethren.
Eihmo'tei came back into the open, securing his pack. It was just in time to see the worm go by. He knew that a hunt never went that quickly, especially for a sand worm. He put two and two together. "Did Kit bring that?" he asked, rejoining the group.
The dragon nodded. "A gift, to thank your people," he rumbled, lowering his head to speak closer to the Zerdani's level.
Then, uncomfortable with admitting he had emotions, he snorted and drew his head back, passing his eyes over their little, ragtag group. "Are we ready to leave, then?" he asked.
Kiara nodded, shooing the children toward him and shouldering her pack. Glancing to Eihmo'tei she said, "Ready? Or did you want to say some quick goodbyes?"
Eihmo'tei took another glance around, and let out a sigh. It was finally the time he dreaded. Looking up at Kiara, he gave a somewhat confident nod. "Rea- Ready..."
He went to climb Kit's black scales when a sudden sound rang out. A few younglings, without anything else to do, were watching the group intently. At this point, it was obvious that the time had come for their guests to be on their way. They honestly did not know Eihmo'tei was leaving again. While the others sat there confused, the one young female (the same that had bitten Kiara's boot the night before) called out "Everyone! Eihmo'tei is leaving!"
Suddenly, the entire tribe flocked over. Gathered around in a crowd around the dragon, they offered their "goodbye"s and "good luck"s and "health"s.
Kiara skittered back, a little surprised by the sudden rush of well-wishers, but she paused in climbing onto Kit's back and smiled around at them. "Thank you for having us," she told them, nodding politely. Swinging easily up onto the dragon's back, she leaned forward and asked him to translate.
He nodded and did so, adding as she said it in Common, "We'll bring Eihmo'tei back safe and sound, on our honor."
The children settled into place behind her and Kiara held out her hand to her Zerdani friend, eye glinting. This would be an adventure for both of them. "Let's go."
The Zerdani accepted Kiara's help onto Kit's back. Looking around, his eyes teared up again. He had become quite the celebrity. He waved goodbye to his kin, returning their sentiment. The last eyes he met were those of his elder, who he picked out of the crowd easily from so high up. The tears in the old Zerdani's eyes were as apparent, and just as meaningful as the smile on his muzzle. He remembered what they had discussed last night, how this would be their final goodbye. Elder Takalo had seen over 500 moons (about 38-40 years). He would most likely be dead by the time Eihmo'tei returned. The time spent last night was sacred to them both, and would not easily be forgotten.
With that, Eihmo'tei braced himself for takeoff.
Kit ran a few paces from the village before taking to the air. Kiara heard a soft gasp- either from Tala or Perryn- and smiled. There really was nothing like flying on dragonback, and it wasn't something you got used to easily. Even she was awed more often than not, and she'd been flying on Kit since his wings were strong enough to carry them both.
"Alright." She fished out the map and unfolded it, figuring out their position. "It'll probably take us a week to reach Serendipity, if we stop every night," she told her companions, Kit translating for Eihmo'tei.
The youngest of the tribe ran after the dragon. Of course, they could not keep up, but it was fun regardless. Eihmo'tei's gaze never left his people. Even when they took to the air, he never looked away. The burrows were hard to spot, but the rest of the tribe stood out against the desert sand. With every meter they flew, his heart grew heavier. They were nearly out of sight when Kit's translation snapped the Zerdani out of his daze.
"What? Oh. R-right..."
It would be a long time before he would be used to the homesickness. Eihmo'tei took solace in that fact that he would return one day.
"Hey," Kiara said gently, laying her hand on her littler friend's shoulder. "We'll have you home before you know it, promise," she said softly, smiling at him.
The children had been leaning back to wave at the Zerdani, but now that they were too high to do so they turned their attention forward. "Don't be sad, Eemo," Tala urged, leaning around Kiara to smile at him.
"I can't believe it," Bibi murmured, looking around at the sky that lay spread out before them. A brilliant smile spread across her face. "We're really free..."
Kiara smiled at her in return, though she kept her hand on Eihmo'tie's shoulder. She was a little worried about him.
Eihmo'tei knew there was always going to be a place in his heart for the tribe, but he decided that it should not dampen his spirits the whole time. He bucked up, and looked straight ahead.
"Thank you, friends I am fine. I am ready to see the "not-desert" now... he said, wiping away his tears.
Kiara laughed. "Well, we should be at the edge of the desert by the time the sun sets," she told him, Kit translating.
"Really?" Ras piped up from behind her. "That seems fast..."
She grinned back at him. "You know the phrase "as the crow flies"?" He nodded. Her grin widened. "Crows have got nothing on a dragon."
Kit gave a rumbling chuckle and with a sharp snap of his wings rocketed forward.
Eihmo'tei wondered what it would look like once they left the desert. What made a desert a desert? How much could land change once they left the desert. The sea, which was water instead of sand was already described to him, and that concept was still unthinkable to the Zerdani. That's when he had to ask.
"Kii'arah, is Serenippy close to the sea?"
"Parts of it are," Kiara told him. "Actually..." she glanced at the map, then nodded. "Yep. We're gonna be dropping the kids off in Cerenis, which is a coastal town. It's right next to the sea."
Kit translated distractedly, maneuvering around a cloud bank that seemed to have rolled in out of nowhere.
The Zerdani's eyes lit up when he heard that. Finally, he would be able to see this "sea". At least that was something to Look forward to. It excited Eihmo'tei to think about everything he would see on this journey, and all the stories he could tell his people when he eventually got back.
He scanned the landscape below, looking for the exact point where the desert ended. The naive Zerdani believed that the sands would stop suddenly at the border, like it did on the map.
"How much farther to the end of the desert?"
"Hmm...probably another hour or so," Kiara told him, peering toward the ground as well. "But there isn't really any tree coverage or anything for a good few miles after that, so we'll probably keep flying until we find a good place to camp."
"Will Kit have to hunt for us?" Bibi piped up from behind her.
That was an excellent question. When Kiara had first packed for her trip to the Moraki, she hadn't planned on have four extra mouths to feed on the return journey. "We'll manage," she said over her shoulder, trying to sound in charge and reassuring.
Though she knew they had a ways to go, she could tell they were nearing the edge of the desert. Scrubby plants were more frequent beneath them, and the dunes seemed to be growing gradually smaller.
Eihmo'tei attention was caught by the word "hunt".
"Kit hunt? Eihmo'tei hunt!" he responded. He hoped his "common", as the elder called it, was improving. Zerdani were notorious hunters, and most were trained as younglings how to track, stalk, and kill/capture their quarry.
"I only need to make a spear! Needs good wood and stones." he said in his language. He did not doubt Kit's hunting skill. Just earlier, he caught and carried a whole sand worm. Eihmo'tei only wanted to feel like he could help out, that he was useful to the group.
"Alright then, if you want to," Kiara said, rather startled by his sudden enthusiasm. When Kit told them that the Zerdani needed a spear, Ras suddenly spoke up.
"I can help him make one," he said, Kit translating. "I belonged to a smith for a while. Even with sticks and stones, I know how to fashion a decent weapon. If you want help, that is," he added.
Eihmo'tei was confused by the word "smith". The translation did not accurately come through since he could not get a proper concept in his head.
"A... Hunter? I do not understand." he told the dragon.
"If Ras can make one, we will both have spears! Ras is still young, has he ever hunted before?" The words were directed to Kit, but it was obvious that the Zerdani wanted him to ask Ras on his behalf.
Once the question was passed along, Ras shook his head. "I've never really been outside of Essyrn before," he said. "I'm a quick learner, though. Master Vizari said it was my best quality."
Kiara bit her lip to keep her anger in check. "I'm sure you are, but Vizari isn't the authority on you. You are, understand?" She looked back at the boy and he nodded slowly. It seemed it would take more than casting aside their veils to help these children truly understand the concept of freedom.
Kit relayed the conversation to Eihmo'tei, banking into a gentle dive as he did. Kiara glanced over his shoulder and saw they had reached the edge of the Moraki; the dragon was aiming to land on an outcropping of rock where the sand changed to dust and scrubby plants, and where there was probably a cave of something they could use for shelter.
Seemed they'd be making camp sooner than she'd thought.
"I will show you! Once you make your spear."
They began to lose altitude now, with a noticeable feeling in the little Zerdani. Below, there was more dense plant life, like there was back at the river. However, it did not seem like there was any water around. There was more rock here than sand as well. Such a slight change in scenery was still a lot to Eihmo'tei, who had been born and bred in the soft sands of the Moraki.
"So many plants... and rocks... Is this the end of the desert?" He asked in his native tongue.
Kit touched down and ran a few paces to lose momentum. As he slowed, he twisted his head around to nod an affirmative at the Zerdani.
"We're officially out of the Moraki now," Kiara said, jumping off the dragon's back and then reaching up to help her smaller companions dismount.
The area looked more... different... when they were on the ground. So this is what the edge of the desert looked like. Although it was not as fantastical as the Zerdani originally thought it would be, it was still new.
He threw himself from Kit's back, landing hard on the rocky terrain below. It hurt, but there was no real damage. Eihmo'tei's pain was masked by his excitement in his mind. He wanted to take a look around. There were different plants here, and more of them. He made sure not to stray too far from his companions, although the urge to explore a larger area was great.
"Hey, don't wander too far," Kiara called after him, brow furrowing slightly. "I promised your tribe I'd look out for you, and I won't have you make a liar of me."
She was mostly teasing, but being in charge of her five smaller companions was beginning to take it's toll on her. She wasn't used to being the "responsible adult" figure. In fact, she was usually the one giving the "responsible adult" the finger and running away laughing.
She snorted to herself and shook her head. "Oi, Ras, why don't you go with him, see if you can find any materials for those spears you want to make."
The boy nodded and eagerly followed after the Zerdani.
So lost in his surroundings was Eihmo'tei, that Ras coming up behind him made him jump in surprise. Seeing the boy reminded the Zerdani about the spears.
"Oh! Ras! Lets make some spears, alright?"
He looked around for materials. There were some small trees in the area, which would be perfect for shafts. Stones, too, were abundant. The Zerdani noticed something wonderful now, something that had been scarce in his desert home. There were small palm bushes everywhere.
"Here, Ras." He said, going over to one. "Collect these! Get a lot of long ones!"
He picked a couple and handed them to the boy, before spreading his hands apart to signify "big".
These could be used quite well, but probably not for the reason that his human friend thought. Back home, palms grew on tall trees, which were rare. Even if one was found, Zerdani were not very good climbers, and most of the leaves were to big to use anyway. These were more thin and low to the ground, perfect for what he had in mind. When he was sure that the boy was alright with that, Eihmo'tei disappeared into the brush after the tree.
Kiara chuckled quietly, watching Eihmo'tei flit around. Ras- confused but willing- set about collecting palm fronds. Noticing this task seemed simple enough, the other children drifted over to join him, chattering in Essyrni as they worked.
"What on earth is going on in that foxy head of his?" Kit rumbled, settling himself onto the sun-warmed rock with a sigh.
She shrugged, giving him a lopsided smile. "Search me. At least he seems happier though."
Making it to the small tree, Eihmo'tei began climbing. His race was better built for digging than climbing, so his ascension was slow. He searched for somewhat straight branches to break off. They would need a couple for what he had planned out.
SNAP!
One was down. The Zerdani threw it to the ground, so he would not be encumbered.
CRACK!
Another one down to join the first.
The third one was more difficult. The tree was not completely ready to give this one up. The fibers on the inside were tough. Eihmo'tei twisted and pulled, to no avail. He readjusted, trying to get in a better position to work the difficult branch.
KRICK...
The bough of the tree, the one Eihmo'tei had been sitting on, began to give way. Before it did, the Zerdani instinctively grabbed hold of the branch above his head. Now, with nothing to support his feet, Eihmo'tei was left hanging like a banner from the branch.
"Not my best idea..." he thought as he dangled.
"Kiara!"
"What?" At the sound of Perryn's voice, she looked up from the map that she had been attempting to plot a course with. She saw where the children were pointing and her eyes went wide. "Oh!" She got to her feet, calling to Kit as she made her way toward the dangling Zerdani, "Can you get him down?"
The dragon cracked one eye open and observed the situation. Then he closed it again, muttering, "If he can get himself up there he should be able to get himself down."
Kiara spared a moment to shoot him a glare, muttering, "Ass." Then she was under the tree, tilting her head to observe. It maybe wouldn't have been too far of a fall for her, but Eihmo'tei may actually hurt himself if he just dropped. "Here, jump," she called up to him, extending her arms. "I'll catch you."
The Zerdani began pulling himself up. He did this as quickly as his limited upper body strength would allow. Once Eihmo'tei's legs were high enough, he swung them around. Now, he was hugging the branch, but he was still hanging below it, unable to progress any further. His arms and legs were tired, he was not able to hold on for much longer.
Then, Kiara appeared below him, arms outstretched. Looking down, he was not as high up as he thought. Then again, Kiara was huge. She pleaded for him to fall, but it was still rather high up. There was that ever present chance that the human would fail to catch him, or lose him once he hit her hands. This was the ultimate test of trust.
"Alright... I a-am coming down... C-catch me, alright?"
With that, Eihmo'tei closed his eyes, and held his breath. He released the branch, plummeting to earth.
"Gotcha!" Kiara managed to grab him from the air, stumbling slightly from the force of his fall but regaining her balance quickly. The children laughed and gave brief exclamations of relief, and she smiled at her little friend as she lowered him to the ground.
"What were you doing up there anyway?" she asked, pointing to the tree, then at him, then frowning quizzically and shrugging to show confusion.
Eihmo'tei needed to get his bearings after that ordeal. Looking around, he regained his senses.
To answer his friend's question, he went over, and picked up the two sticks that were gathered before. He carried them over to the fallen bough, and raised them up for the others to see. He put them down, and grabbed hold of the stubborn branch, trying his best to rip and break the remaining strands of wood that held it to the bough.
"Umm..." Kiara crept closer, kneeling beside him. The children clustered after her, holding armfuls of palm fronds. She gave them a curious frown, then turned her attention back to Eihmo'tei. "Want some help?" she asked, still not entirely clear as to what he was doing.
Eihmo'tei looked up to see that the other children had helped in gathering palm leaves. There were now way more than was needed. They needed something else to do. He searched the ground around him, until he found a stone with a flat side.
Lifting it up to show everyone. "I need this. Rocks with flat sides."
He put his open paw against the smooth part of the stone. He rubbed it slowly up and down, saying "Flat... Fllaaat... Understand?" he handed the stone to Kiara, the only one with free hands.
Going back to the branch, Eihmo'tei drew the stone knife from the sheath behind his back. He got to work on sawing the stubborn strands.
Understanding dawned and the children placed their bundles of leaves on the ground to set off in search of acceptably flat stones. Kiara chuckled, watching them scatter.
Turning back to Eihmo'tei, she eyed his crude knife and shook her head. "Here," she said, tapping his shoulder and drawing on of her daggers from the sheath at her hip with her free hand. "Use this," she said, offering him the hilt. She taped the tip of the blade- careful not to cut herself- and said, "Sharper. Works faster."
Kiara's knife was heavy in the Zerdani's hand. For so long, he had wondered about these. He wondered what kind of stone could give off such a shine, and be so smooth. He took some time to observe it, delighting in his own reflection in the blade.
He put his own knife away, and went to work with the new tool. It sawed through the remaining fibers in only a few strokes.
"Whoa!" the Zerdani exclaimed. He inspected the edge, and saw for himself how much sharper the blade was than his own blade. With the job done, he went to hand it back to his friend, giving thanks as he did so.
She smiled as she took the knife back, a little amused by his fascination with it. "So what do we do with these now?" she asked, nodding toward the sticks he'd gathered.
"Eemo!" Tala and Bibi came running up, smiles bright and carrying handfuls of rocks. "Will any of these work?" the older girl asked, showing them to the Zerdani as the boys came trailing after them.
Eihmo'tei took the rock one of his smaller friends was holding. "Perfect!" he said, showing his approval.
He sat down with it, taking up one of the sticks. He started filing down the tip, presumably to a point. He only started it, before holding it up for someone to take over.
Ras took over this part, evidently happy to be at a familiar task. Kiara smiled as the others crowded around, asking for something to do, begging to be useful.
"Energetic little things, aren't they?" Kit observed from where he lay.
Eihmo'tei went over to break more sticks off the fallen bough. His ears picked up the pleading of the children, and he looked up. It appeared that they wanted work to do.
"Odd creatures, humans..." the Zerdani thought to himself. Back home, the young ones hated working with weapons. It was always so boring. Getting a fourth stick now, he rejoined the group. Thre was a big smile on his face.
"These too." He pointed to the remaining sticks, then rubbed the knuckles of his closed paws together to simulate filing. There was one for each of them now. Now Eihmo'tei needed one, so he went to search the bough once more.
Kiara chuckled as the children set to work eagerly. "Anything for me to do?" she asked Eihmo'tei, crouching down next to him. Kit woke himself up enough to shift his bulk closer to the group, huffing as he settled down again to watch them.
"Odd little two-leggers," he muttered under his breath, giving a dragon's smile.
As much as the Zerdani looked, he could not find another branch that was straight enough for a spear. He could not understand the words Kiara used, but somehow, he knew that she too wanted a job.
He understood the younglings were eager to try something new, but Kiara was an adult. Perhaps she too wanted to get in on the experience. Eihmo'tei was a bit overwhelmed, but he gave a chuckle to respond to Kiara's request.
"One more spear! We need a good straight stick from the tree." he pointed up. Kiara was bigger and seemed more capable to collect a branch than he was, and also, the Zerdani did not want to risk falling again.
Kit evidently didn't feel like translating, but Kiara got the idea. "Another stick?" she asked, tapping the straight shafts of wood he was working on. "Alright then." She stood and eyed the tree.
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to help?" she asked Kit. The dragon huffed a chuckle, eyes twinkling.
"It's more fun to watch," he rumbled. She made a face at him and set about climbing the tree. She was no stranger to such a task, she'd spent much of her childhood doing so- but there weren't a lot of study branches to act as footholds and it was careful going.
"Will this do?" she asked, as she climbed, snapping a branch off, and letting it fall to the ground. It was fairly straight, and they could always whittle it down.
She looked around and realized she'd gotten a bit higher than she'd expected to. And she'd just broken off one of her better footholds.
Damn.
"Perfect!"
Looking back up, Eihmo'tei saw that Kiara was in no better position than he had been just minutes ago. The Zerdani felt as helpless as as his friend may have been. He hated that he could not return the favor, and catch her should she fall. He did not know what else to do, other than call on the only one big enough to help.
"Kit! Kii'arah needs help!"
Kit snorted, raising his head to see what the problem was. He caught sight of Kiara and started laughing. "How you doing up there?"
Kiara glowered at him. "You are a jackass," she told him. "You gonna help me down or what?"
The dragon rolled to his side, batting lazily as a rock like a cat with a toy. "Nah. You're a big girl, you can manage."
She scowled. "I hate you," she grumbled, searching for a way down. Not able to find another foothold, she sighed and shook her head. The hard way down then.
She kicked off from her current branch and flipped through the air, landing- roughly hard, she had to admit- in a crouch on the ground. She winced as she straightened up.
"Whoa!" She jumped and turned to see Ras starring at her. The other children were looking up from their work too, mouths agape.
"How'd you do that?" Perryn asked, excited.
"Can you teach us?" Tala asked just as eagerly.
"Um..." She blinked. Great. She wasn't exactly being a stellar role model. "That's really just- practice. Uh, I don't think you should try it..." Their faces fell and she bit back a groan. "I suppose I could show you a few things, maybe," she relented, and they beamed. "But let's finish helping Eihmo'tei first, yeah?" she said with a smile, settling down with the others.
Kit did not ignore the plea for help, but rather refused it. Eihmo'tei did not know what to think of this. Why would he not help his friend? Didn't he care that she could get hurt on the rocky ground below? The Zerdani looked up, with a helpless look in his eyes.
Just then, Kiara sprung from her position on the tree. The move was reminiscent of the move that she made back when they first met all those days ago. She landed hard, but seemed to recover just fine. He ran over to her side. "Kii'arah! Kii'arah! Are you alright?!"
Easily interpreting the Zerdani's concern, Kiara laughed and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she soothed, smiling. A normal human may not have handled the jump as well, but there were times when having fae blood came in handy.
"Come on, show us what to do," she urged, hefting one of the potential spear-sticks and drawing one of her daggers to whittle the rough spots away.
"No, no, no... Make a point. Point... Umm..."
Eihmo'tei looked at Ras, who had been working longer than the others. His stick was successfully sharpened on the end, much to the Zerdani's surprise.
"That was fast. Good! You did very well!"
He took the crude spear from Ras, and showed Kiara. Putting his finger on the sharp tip, "Point. Make it sharp."
Kiara nodded, setting to work sharpening the point of her potential spear. Kit relayed the Zerdani's praise to Ras and the boy beamed in pride.
The girls were sitting a little ways off, playing some sort of game with the stones that had been deemed unsatisfactory and giggling as they did so.
That was an interesting way to make a point. The Zerdani wondered why none of his kind had ever thought to sharpen a stick like this. Surely a sharp enough rock would have done the trick, right? Eihmo'tei returned the stick to Ras, and approached Kiara.
"What kind of stone is that knife made from? I've never seen it before."
"Stone?" Kiara repeated when Kit translated the question. She looked down at her blade. "This? No, this is metal." She tried to think of a proper way to explain it as Kit spoke quietly to the Zerdani.
"It's, um... In some rocks, there's this stuff called "ore", and if you melt it down it can be molded into different shapes, then when it cools it hardens again." It was the simplest explanation she can think of.
Rocks melting down to be moulded into new shapes... And that's how the knife was made? What an odd, and... interesting, concept. It was almost too unreal to imagine.
"Me... Tal..." he repeated, looking at the dagger.
"Show me how to do it sometime, alright?"
"Um, well," Kiara hedged. "I don't actually know how. It's takes a good bit of training to learn to be a smith. But I bet we can find a place in Cerenis where you can watch someone work with metal." Ras had been an apprentice at it, right? Perhaps they could kill two birds with one stone.
There was absolutely no part of what Kiara said that made any sense to the simple Zerdani. However, it seemed like she agreed, even if there was hesitation. That was enough for Eihmo'tei. He gave a soft smile, and went around coaching the younglings that had not yet completed their task.
Kiara smiled as she watched Eihmo'tei instruct the children. It was rather heartwarming, she had to admit. And it was nice to relax after the past few hectic days. Of course the Zerdani had been gracious hosts, but she was never entirely comfortable in large groups.
Satisfied with the point to her spear, she leaned back on her elbows and closed her eyes, joining Kit in soaking in the sun's rays with a contented sigh.
There was some simple delight in teaching. For once, Eihmo'tei did not feel so simple. He had a knowledge that he could share with the others in his party, and they were eager and willing to learn it. He felt... necessary...to the group, like there was reason for him to be amongst the humans.
Now, the points of the spears were complete. Holding rough wood and hard stone could not have been kind on their hands. It was time for something easier, and in Eihmo'tei's opinion, more fun. He went to the pile of palm fronds. They had been drying out a bit in the sun, yet they were not too dry for what the Zerdani had in mind.
"Alright! Next thing we do!" he said, attempting to get everyone's attention.
He picked up some palms. They were thin, but not thin enough. Two palms were torn in half to make four strips. He held three of the four in one hand, and moved in closer to his friends.
"We will twist these into string."
He began the demonstration, narrating the two simple steps. He was braiding the strips, twisting two of them, then moving the third into place to be twisted with the center strip.
"Twist... Over. Twist... Over. You try now!"
He handed the started cordage to Ras, and went to split palm fronds for the others.
The children set to their new task eagerly. Bibi seemed most pleased, saying, "This is like basket weaving, I can do this!"
Kiara smiled, hearing their voices and Eihmo'tei's chattering. She rolled onto her side to watch them, brushing her hair out of her face.
He was good with kids. A thought struck her and she asked impulsively, "Hey, Eihmo'tei? Do you have a family back there? You know-" she gestured to the children, "kids?"
Kit translated lazily, not even bothering to open his eyes.
"Do I have..."
The question took Eihmo'tei off guard. It was not a personal or emotional question, he just did not expect to be asked such a thing. He had seen over 130 moons (10 years). Most Zerdani had a mate by this age. Some even had young ones. Despite pleas from immediate family, Eihmo'tei never really attempted to find someone. Perhaps he always had his head too high in the clouds to think about such things.
"No... I have no younglings of my own. You met mother and father at the tribe. I saw them talking to you."
He looked back at the human children. The thought of having young ones seemed more desirable now. He smiled at them, taking up some fronds, beginning to braid them into cordage.
"Hm," Kiara hummed when Kit translated. "Well, you're good with kids. I think you'd make a good dad," she told him with a smile, patting his shoulder.
She moved closer and took up a few palm fronds of her own, beginning to braid. "Anyone special waiting for you back there?" she asked, eyes glinting teasingly. Bibi and Perryn looked up curiously, giggling.
It seemed like such an odd question. "Well, everyone is special in my tribe..." he responded.
This warranted further explanation from Eihmo'tei's black-scaled companion. The realization hit the Zerdani like a lightning bolt. Under his fur, he was blushing. His eyes became fixed on the rocky earth in front of him. His ears drooped down while his tail subconsciously shifted back and forth. As he responded, an awkward toothy grin grew on his face.
"Umm... Maybe... there is one..."
He thought of one female in particular. The two
had been best friends almost since birth. She was someone he cared very deeply about. This was not the first time this thought crossed his mind. He had decided that if there was one female in the tribe he would court, it was her.
The more he thought, the more awkward he felt. Eihmo'tei ceased his braiding, and took up a spear instead. He took out his knife once again, and begin cutting a notch in its side on the opposite end as the point. This work made the Zerdani feel less flustered, although it was obvious he still felt awkward about the subject.
Bibi giggled and Kiara outright laughed, reaching over to rub his head affectionately. "She's a lucky girl," she said, grinning.
Of course, it seemed turnabout was fair play, because Perryn piped up slyly, "Do you have someone, Kiara?"
Her eyebrows shot up and she shook her head, chuckling. "Nah. Me and Kit only have each other really. And having him around is like having twelve older brothers." She shrugged. "Even if I wanted to court someone, he'd scare 'em off."
The dragon grumbled and flicked her sharply in the back of his head with his tail. She winced and cursed at him, then tried to change the subject. "What are we braiding these for, Eihmo'tei?"
"Thank you..."
The awkward tension Eihmo'tei felt was relieved by his friends. Eihmo'tei could not help but to giggle as Kiara and Kit messed around. He was glad to be in their company, as well as the company of the younger humans. It had only been a few days, but the Zerdani could not imagine what life would have been like without them. Now, the topic was back to work.
"Oh! Yes... We are making string to hold palm on the spears! Let me show you."
He finished cutting notches in the one end of the sharpened stick. The Zerdani gently took the long braid from Bibi, who had done the work fastest, and tied off the end. With some more reeds from the pile, he laid the ends in the notches, and used the cordage to tightly hold them in place. The "spear" looked more like a huge arrow.
"This tail makes the spear go strait when you throw it! We usually use reeds from the river for the string, but palm is better. There is not much palm back home."
He rested the stone knife on the side of the stick just below than the point.
"I think we have enough palm here. With more string, we can put tails here too."
Now that she knew exactly what they were doing, Kiara found she was rather impressed with the Zerdani's ingenuity. Not many creatures could thrive in the Moraki the way they did.
"Your people are an industrious lot," she said as she worked. Looking at Eihmo'tei, she asked curiously, "Do you always use spears? Or do you hunt with other weapons as well?"
"Spears are only for bigger things..." he started.
"A lot of what the hunters bring back are small things. Lizards and Scorpions. Those we just catch with the paw or a knife."
He held his knife in his open paws. The handle was a piece of wood taken from an old tree, with a dark sharpened stone. The stone was fitted into a split in the wood, then secured with twine, similar to what they had been twisting. Grasping the handle once more, he pointed to one of the unfinished spears.
"Those spears are quick to make. If we had more time, I would sharpen rocks to fit in spears."
"Well, I for one don't care how you do it, as long as someone besides me is taking care of the hunting for once," Kit grumbled. Kiara stuck her tongue out at him.
"Do you think we'll have to hunt in our new home?" Tala asked. "I've never done it before."
Kiara smiled at her. "If you don't want to I'm sure we'll find you a place where you can do something else. Cerenis has plenty of open apprenticeships." She hoped. "Besides, I'm sure Eihmo'tei is happy to teach you. Right?" She looked at the Zerdani.
Eihmo'tei looked up at the mention of his name. He had been working on the notches of another spear. He had no idea what the others were saying, but it sounded positive, so he offered a toothy grin in response.
Once that spear was notched, he moved to the next. His cuts were very careful and precise, making it slow work. The Zerdani feared that his knife was blunting, and he wondered if it was best to try and sharpen it, or make a new one.
Seeing his dilemma, Kiara reached out to tap his soldier, saying, "Remind me to buy you a real blade when we take you to watch that smith." She brandished her own knife as an example.
"I could make him one," Ras offered with a smile.
"Ras, you will show me how to make one of these?" he asked, pointing to Kiara's dagger. "Is it hard to do?"
Eihmo'tei remembered what Kiara had described. To make "metal", rock had to be melted until it was soft, before being shaped. It could not have been any harder than moulding wet sand or clay, right? Then again, even during the hottest of days in the desert, rocks did not melt. The concept was hard to believe, but if his friends said that is how it is done, that was how it was done. Perhaps it was best to only observe when the time came.
"Nevermind. I will just watch when you make it...
After listening to Kit translate, the boy nodded with a smile. "Sure you can watch." He frowned slightly and added, "I'm not sure if you could manage some of a smithy's tools though- I think the bellows might be as big as you are."
Kiara smiled slightly at the mental image that brought and Kit huffed a chuckle.
Eihmo'tei often forgot how tiny he was. Even the younger humans were taller than he was. It made sense that human tools were too big for him to use.
That revelation disheartened the little Zerdani, and it showed in his face. His work ceased to a halt. The best thing to do was change the subject.
"Do you know how to throw one of these?" he asked Ras, holding up the spear that he was notching.
The boy gave a small shake of his head. "But I have pretty good aim, I'm sure I can learn," he said quickly, looking at the Zerdani eagerly.
Kit translated lazily, fanning his wings to get as much sun surface as possible.
"Good! I will teach you!" Eihmo'tei said with a smile. He admired the boy's confidence. Another spear was notched, and he began on the next. It seemed like the others had finished with their cordage now, and the Zerdani was behind on his work.
"Anyone else care to learn?" he asked.
Perryn and Bibi exchanged a look and shook there heads, but to Kiara's surprise Tala piped up, "I do!"
Ras grinned and ruffled her hair, muttering something in Essyrni that made her stick her tongue out at him and the other two laugh.
"You better keep an eye on them," Kiara told her small friend cheerfully. "I think you're gonna have your hands full."
Eihmo'tei let out a chuckle. How hard could it be to train two younglings to throw a spear?
The Zerdani worked diligently to finish the notches in the bases of the spear shafts. Finally, all five had been completed. Collecting the cordage his friends had braided, the Zerdani put the final touches on them all. Now, there were five arrow-like spears ready to be used.
With all the work complete, Eihmo'tei was able to relax. He sat in a more comfortable position and heaved some long breaths. The sun was still high, leaving plenty of time to lounge around.
"When it is later in the day, I will teach you two. Maybe you can also hunt with me tomorrow, yes?"
Ras and Tala nodded eagerly at the suggestion.
Seeing that their work was done, Kiara leaned back against Kit's outstretched front leg with a contented sigh. "When was the last time we just got to relax like this?" she asked the dragon quietly.
As Bibi, Tala, and Perryn began climbing his flank in the process of some sort of game, he narrowed an eye at her and muttered, "Define relax." He jerked his head at Eihmo'tei. "Oi. You wanna be on babysitting duty for a minute?"
"Baby... sit... Duty?"
The term confused Eihmo'tei. He tried thinking of what it could mean, but came up short.
"How do I do that? Will you teach me?" he asked curiously.
Kiara couldn't help the burst of laughter that escaped her at his confusion. "It just means looking after the kids," she told him, grinning. "Kit's just being a grouch, don't pay him any attention."
The dragon growled and whipped his tail at her, catching the small of her back. She yelped and glared at him, rubbing the spot. "Jackass," she muttered, standing and arching her back into a stretch.
"I'm going to see if I can find a stream or something," she told the others. "Nobody wander off. Eihmo'tei's in charge while I'm gone." She threw the Zerdani a wink and set off. She wasn't planning on going far, just climbing down from the rocks and poking around a bit.
Eihmo'tei watched as Kiara walked off. These past few days must have been hard on her and Kit. It was time for him to take charge of the younglings, and distract them from climbing on his tired black-scaled friend.
"Alright! Ras, Ta'la, time for the lesson!" he picked up all five spears. Holding them under one arm, he beckoned to the younglings. "Perryn, Bibi, if you do not want to learn, there are still palms here. Maybe make bracelets... or a necklace? Back home, we wold make dolls with reeds and sticks!"
Kit translated for the young humans and Ras and Tala jumped up eagerly, trailing after Eihmo'tei. The other two eyed the palm fronds, then clambered down off the dragon's back, chattering to each other in a mixture of Common and Essyrni.
Kit grunted, but he threw the Zerdani a gratefully look as he settled down to sunbathe.
Kiara could hear the others behind her, but she knew Kit and Eihmo'tei could handle it. She heard the sound of running water and peered into one of the small caves that burrowed into the side of the rocks. It was gloomy, but she could definitely smell fresh water. She wriggled inside.
Eihmo'tei did not lead the children too far from the rest. They were well within sight, so everyone could keep an eye on everyone. Kit was resting, so Eihmo'tei had to rely on himself alone to get any messages across. The lesson was a physical one, and would not require much in-depth explanation.
In the near distance, there was a mound of soft dirt. It was a perfect target, since it would not mess up the wooden point too much. He pointed to it with his clawed finger.
"There! Watch."
Looking at his two students, he pointed to his eye, then to the spear. Readying his grip, he let the crude spear fly. The tails did their job, and the sharp stick stuck into the loose dirt, true to its mark. Taking up a second one, the Zerdani slowly mimicked the throwing motion, showing the other two how exactly what to do.
Kit watched lazily with one eye as Ras and Tala took their turn at throwing the spears. They weren't bad- nothing some practice couldn't fix. Bibi and Perryn seemed to be making some sort of intensely long chain out of the palm fronds.
Kiara crept further into the little cave, her foot slipping once and splashing quietly in the trickle of water that had been creating the sound she followed. She turned a corner, assuming its source must be some sort of underground pool.
Her eyes widened. "Whoa..."
"Good! Good!"
Eihmo'tei was sure to give positive reinforcement. They were only learning after all. The Zerdani handed the two students the two remaining spears. He gave additional coaching, using more action and physical contact than words. With the tails, the spears flew rather straight. Really, the two just needed more practice on their aim. He scurried over to collect the spears from the ground, before returning once again. With his own practice spear, he pointed upwards.
"When you aim high, it goes farther."
There was no shortage of body language used by the Zerdani to get his point across.
"Keep trying! You will get it soon!
Kiara breathlessly clambored back yo to where she'd left her companions. "Hey, hey!" she called, waving to get their attention.
She was grinning. "You have got to see this!"
The Zerdani's large ears picked up the commotion as almost immediately. He looked in the direction where she was. She normally was not this loud. Something must have happened.
"Go to Kit!" he told his two students as he pointed at the dragon. He ran off, but before he could go to meet her, she had already arrived. There was seemingly no trouble. In fact, Kiara seemed excited. Rushing over to her side, Eihmo'tei shrugged.
"What happened Kii'arah?"
"Come on, this way," she said, excited, beckoning for the children and Eihmo'tei to follow her as she scrambled back down the rocks. Kit followed more slowly.
"I don't know if you'll be able to fit," she told the dragon, talking quickly, "maybe you can stick your head in..." She looked to the others, grinning and eyes sparkling. "I found this cave- guys, you won't believe it!"
Eihmo'tei scrambled after Kiara. He was really just confused about this sudden burst of excitement.
"Slow down. What is happening?!"
The rocky slope was hard on paws that were used to the sand, but the Zerdani refused to be left behind.
Kiara waited at the entrance to the small cave for the others to catch up, still smiling slightly.
"What is it?" Ras asked as he came up beside her, eyes wide and curious.
She nodded at the dark hole in the rocks. "Follow me," she said, beginning to wriggle inside. Then she paused, saying to Kit, "I ended up leaving through the back entrance, so to speak. "It's on the other side of the rocks, and it's wider. Try to see if you can fit your head and neck in over there."
The dragon snorted and grumbled something about her going mad with desert heat, but padded away, circling around to the other side of the rocky formation.
The Zerdani allowed the four younglings to enter before him. He would bring up the rear, in case there was trouble.
Finally, there was an up side to being to small. He fit easily into the cave with room to stand. He followed along in single file, wondering what could be here to warrant such strange behavior.
Kiara turned the corner and quickly stepped to the side, reaching out to guide Ras- directly behind her- to do the same so the others had room. As the children entered the much larger portion of the cave they gasped.
The walls were covered with tiny, gleaming gemstones that gave off a soft light of their own, illuminating the pool of clear water in the center of the cave. Though mostly silver-white, a few of the stones flickered with deep blues or violets. Their glow seemed to dance, throwing fantastical patterns of shadow and light against the walls of the cave and its new occupants.
It was like standing in the night sky.
"What are they?" Perryn asked softly, eyes wide as he stared around.
Kiara shrugged, grinning. "I'm not actually sure. Some kind of geode, I think. But they may hold magic to keep their glow like this."
Eihmo'tei eventually made it into the cavern. What was inside was nothing he, or perhaps any of his race, had ever seen before. Stones that glow like starlight. Their soft light protested against the darkness that surrounded them. It was a beautiful sight.
"Stars? There are stars here!" the Zerdani wondered aloud.
He went to the wall and began touching some, feeling their coolness. No Zerdani knew what stars really were, but many believed them to be floating stones that reflected the moon's light back to the earth. To Eihmo'tei, this cave may as well have been a section of the sky.
"What are they doing here Kii'arah? How did they get underground?"
Kit managed to wriggle his head and neck into the cave, up to his shoulders. Just in time to translate the Zerdani's questions, too.
"I'm not sure," she told him with a smile, delighted by his and the children's amazement. "They're not exactly stars. But they are beautiful, aren't they?"
"So beautiful... Not stars, just rocks? How do they glow like this?
The Zerdani continued to observe them. There was something... special... about them. This glowing did not happen by chance alone. Well, he did not know that for sure. Perhaps glowing rocks were commonplace in the outside world. There was just some... feeling... to them. A feeling the little Zerdani could not describe.
"I think it's magic," Kiara answered, reaching out to touch one of the rocks. She had enough magic of her own to know the feeling.
"Yeah." She nodded, pulling her hand away and shrugging. "Some mage or another must have been using these rocks as a place to cast spells, once upon a time. The residual magic trickled down here, and-" She spread her hands to indicate the glittering jewels around them.
Realizing that might not be entirely clarifying for the Zerdani, she got Kit to ask, "Do your people practice magic?"
"Mah... Jiik..." he repeated.
"We do not know this... magic. What is it?"
The Zerdani questioned, yet he did not take his eyes off the shining stones. He could not. They were just too wonderful. His eyes were lit up, reflecting the dim lights that shone all around him.
Woof. That was a tall order to explain. "Magic..." She frowned. It would be easier to show him. "Well, sometimes, it lets you do things like this."
Kneeling and making sure she had the Zerdani's attention, she held her right hand out and concentrated. A flame flickered to life above her palm.
Suddenly, the stones were not so hypnotizing.
This fire had come from nowhere, almost instantaneously and without fuel of any kind. Kiara held it over her hand so nicely. This was magic? The ability to make fire from nothing? Kit must have had magic as well. Curious, Eihmo'tei went to poke it, wanting to see if it was real, or just some trick. The claw of his finger did not even come close before he felt the heat. He took back the paw. There was no doubt, it was fire.
"What else can this magic do?"
Kiara closed her fist, extinguishing the flame. "Lots of things," she told him, smiling. "I'm not a trained mage, and my only real gift is with fire, so I can't show you much. I'm sure we can find someone who could show you more in Cerenis."
"What else can you do with fire?" Perryn asked, coming up beside her.
She looked up at him, then smiled. Flicking her fingers, she conjured another flame. This time, she sort of molded it into a bird-like shape, then blew. The fire-bird fluttered into the air and circled their heads a few times, then disappeared.
Fire freely flying around the confines of the cave was a bit surprising, and a little terrifying. Eihmo'tei crouched down low to maintain his distance. However, once it vanished, it was exciting. He laughed aloud, and clapped his hands. He almost looked like a toddler getting excited about a new toy.
From what Kiara had explained, that was the least majic could do. It looked like such a great and useful skill to possess.
"How can I learn this... magic? Can you teach me Kii'arah?"
Kiara blinked. "Oh, well... It's sort of something you have or you don't, I can't really teach it if you don't have the gift."
But- maybe he did. If the Zerdani didn't practice magic, it was entirely possible there were those with latent power among them. "Here, give me your hand," she said, reaching out to him.
That response made the little Zerdani doubt himself. One either have magic, or does not, and Eihmo'tei did not like his odds. He was hesitant, mainly out of that fear that Kiara would give him bad news. He feared that he did not have magic within him, and would never be able to use magic like Kiara did. He kept his paws back.
Then again, the Zerdani had lived one quarter of his life without magic. He possessed other skills that even Kiara found interesting. Perhaps he did not need it. Perhaps it was just better to know either way. With a sudden burst of confidence, he gave his paws to Kiara, and awaited her findings.
Kiara took his paws with a smile. "You know, it's not a big deal if you don't have magic," she assured him, Kit translating. "Oh, and this might feel a little bit strange."
Closing her eyes, she summoned her power and breathed deeply, letting it trickle through her fingers into the Zerdani, searching. After a few moments, she released him and opened her eyes, letting out a long breath.
"You do have magic," she told him with a smile, a little surprised. "It's faint, but it's there. And I'm pretty sure it's elemental, which means I may actually be able to teach you."
"Really?"
"Oh, wow!"
The children's voices overlapped each other as they crowded around, Kit doing his best to translate for Eihmo'tei over the commotion.
Eihmo'tei held his breath, as he braced himself for the outcome. The process made him uneasy. The sensation was not exactly painful or uncomfortable, just... unsettling. His own anxiety added to this, making his stomach knot up. When she released, it took the Zerdani by surprise. This was it. The answer he was anxious about was about to be answered.
He could not understand, but from how everyone reacted, it seemed like he had the gift. It took the little Zerdani some time to process this. His sensitive ears picked up everyone's speech at once. He never heard the exact wording from Kit, but he got excited anyway.
"Is it true? I... I can do magic?!"
There was still a skeptical side to his thoughts, like he had misread his friends' excitement.
Kiara laughed, nodding at him and standing. "Yes, you can. I'm not sure how much, exactly, but I'm happy to teach you." Taking another look around the star-strewn cave, she said briskly, "Alright guys, this place isn't going anywhere. Come on, let's make camp."
Kit withdrew his head from the larger back entrance and she followed after, beckoning for the children and Eihmo'tei to come with her.
"Go ahead..." said Eihmo'tei, gesturing everyone to leave.
"There is something I need to do here first..."
He scanned the walls of the cave, then the floor. He appeared to be looking for something.
Kiara hesitated, but how much trouble could he really get up to? "Alright, we'll be right outside," she told the Zerdani, ducking out of the cave.
She stepped back into the sunlight, blinking.
"Could you get them off of me?"
Vision clearing, she laughed as she saw what Kit was complaining about. The children had wasted no time in climbing up onto his back, apparently playing some sort of game that involved skipping between the row of spikes that ran down his spine.
Before they separated, a sudden thought popped into Eihmo'tei's head. Poking his head out of the cave entrance, he called out. "Make sure those two keep practicing!"
He did not even wait for an answer. As quick as the Zerdani appeared, he pulled himself back into the entrance. He continued to scan the glowing rocks stuck in the walls of the cave.
"Let's see here..." he said quietly, whilst drawing his dagger.
"Alright, Tala, Ras, you heard him!" Kiara called when Kit translated the shouted order, chuckling to herself as the children complained but got down off the dragon easily enough. They were smiling though, and she thought maybe it was more for the form of the thing than because they really didn't want to practice.
"Great. But that still leaves these two pests," Kit grumbled, jerking his head at Bibi and Perryn.
Kiara gave him her sweetest smile and waltzed away to climb back up the rocks. "That seems like a you problem, love."
It was much later in the day by the time Eihmo'tei re-emerged from the cave.
"Now I definately need a new knife... he muttered under his breath. He once again observed his crude stone tool. The tip had been broken clean off. The Zerdani let out a disappointed sigh, and sheathed in behind his back. The thought of the metal knife Ras promised to make seemed better and better by the second. Eihmo'tei continued in hushed tone.
"That was harder than I expected. The work paid off though."
He hurried over to his friends. They all seemed preoccupied with their various activities.
"I'm Back! How is everyone?"
"What had you so preoccupied?" Kiara asked from her perch on a lip of rock, watching over Bibi and Perryn- they had settled down between Kit's front paws and seemed to be making some sort of toy or game out of their woven palm fronds- and Tala and Ras practicing their spear throwing.
Ras, who'd started off the more adept hunter, was steadily improving. Tala meanwhile had made a huge leap forward, hitting her target squarely more often than not. Kiara would venture she was making nine hits out of the ten, while the boy took more careful aim and seemed to hit his mark every time.
"It's a secret..." said Eihmo'tei with a smile. He put one finger to the front of his muzzle, akin to the "Quiet" gesture.
He put his pack down in the common area, but was very careful to put it down a certain way. He did this to hide what he had gathered, hoping to do it quick to avoid suspicion. Once the pack was "secure", the Zerdani went over to his two proteges.
"Good! Very good!" There was joy and pride in Eihmo'tei's voice. They had really improved, as he knew they would. He picked up the remaining spears at his feet. The wood fiber points had taken about as much abuse as he figured they would. It was nothing a good sharpening could fix. The Zerdani pointed to the rest of the party. "Let's go rest now, yes? I will get the spears!"
The children nodded and scrambled up to join Kiara on the rocks. Kit rumbled and slinked up after them. Shaking her head at Eihmo'tei's secrecy, Kiara gathered them onto a relatively flat portion of the formation where she had been setting up wood for a campfire.
The sun was sinking now, but it was still warm, so she shook her head when Kit offered to light the fire.
"Here!"
She looked up to see Bibi and Perryn offering her what seemed to be a necklace made of palm fronds and small chips of rock shot through with pink quartz. She took it, smiling gratefully at them. "Thanks you two. That's really sweet."
They beamed. "We made one for Eemo, too!" Bibi said happily.
Kiara laughed. "Well, go give it to him then," she encouraged, and they scampered off to do so.
Eihmo'tei carried the five spears in his arms. On his way back to the camp, he was intercepted by the other two younglings, Bibi and Perryn. He looked upon their gift with wide eyes. There was some intense emotion there, more than what seemed necessary for a trinket. Slowly, he pushed the spears under one arm, and with his free paw, Eihmo'tei accepted the gift.
"Thank you, young ones."
The Zerdani escorted the two back to the campground. Upon finding a nice spot next to his bag, he sat and made himself comfortable. He secured the gift to his wrist, the same one as his other bracelet that featured three wooden beads. It was a bit loose, because of his thin wrists, but his paw was big enough to keep it on. Looking at them both, Eihmo'tei got an idea.
He took up one of the spears as well as one of the flat rocks. Just about ready to get to work on re-sharpening, he looked his companions in the eyes.
"This is a fine bracelet. Tell me, do any of you know the importance of jewelry making?"
Once his words at been translated, all four children were interested, shaking their heads "no" and scooting closer. Even Kiara looked up, curious.
Perhaps this may explain his reaction when she's paid with a small necklace back in Essyrn.
"Kit... I'm going to need your help with this one..." he said with a chuckle, looking up at his black scaled friend.
He began the sharpening motions. If he would tell this story, he would get some work done at the same time. Running the rock over the point with ease, he looked out at his "audience". He cleared his throat.
"The art of jewelry making is very important among my kind. It is something everyone learns at a young age.
He paused, observing the point. It was good. They did not really require too much work each. Putting it aside, he picked up another and got to work. He continued.
"What makes this skill so important is... It is a way to capture memories. When a necklace, or a bracelet, or an anklet is made, it holds important memories within. Every time you look at your jewelry, or see the jewelry that you have made on someone else, it is easy to remember. The reason for making or receiving it, what was happenning at that moment, the emotions that were felt..."
Another one done. He put it aside, but did not take up another. Instead he inspected his own body, seeing four pieces of jewelry on himself. Actually, no, there were five including his necklace. He held up his arm, gently lifting up the loose-fitting bracelet with one claw.
"An example... Whenever I look at this one, I will remember you four. I will remember this place. I will remember everything I taught you here today."
Kit huffed and settled next to the Zerdani, apparently interested despite himself.
Kiara and the children listened quietly, smiling a bit as he spoke. "I like that way of looking at things," Bibi said when he'd finished.
"What memories does your jewelry hold?" Perryn asked curiously, scooting closer.
Kiara briefly worried that may not be a strictly polite question, but she let it go. If he didn't want to answer he didn't have to. Besides, she was curious too.
Eihmo'tei chuckled again. He took delight in his companion's curiosity. He searched himself, trying to decide exactly which piece to talk about first.
The wristband on the opposite arm would go first. Seemed to be made from woven strips of brown leather. It was old, and had noticeably taken a bit of abuse. He moved his other index claw over to it. It was one of his earliest memories. "This one here... When a youngling is old enough to leave the parents' burrow, they find a place in the community to dig out their own home. As I did that, my mother made this for me. It holds memories of my younger moons spent in their home, and memories of becoming an adult. When I look at it, I remember the day I made my own hole for myself."
Next was the necklace, which the Zerdani propped up with the back of his furred fingers. It was made from cordage, probably made from reeds. Animal claws and a diamond-shaped stone hung from it."This is an exciting memory. It was made by my father after my first kill. Normally, we hunt as a team, but I separated from the group. There was a large beast that I tracked down. Unfortunately, it saw me coming... and it charged!"
Eihmo'tei stood up, and picked up one of the dulled spears.
"I was so scared. I reacted only by instinct... I jumped out the way of the creature, and put my spear into its side!"
Eihmo'tei was a natural storyteller. He demonstrated, stepping slightly to one side, and giving a controlled thrust of the hand-held spear. He was careful to keep the point far away from everyone. Revisiting the memory made his heart beat more quickly. Once again facing his spectators, he continued.
"Everyone came by after it was dead. I thought they would be mad, but everyone was so proud. It became the talk of the tribe for about a moon or more..."
Kiara almost didn't need Kit's translation, Eihmo'tei put so much emotion into his storytelling. She smiled as the children gasped, wide eyed and leaning closer to the narrator.
"Wow." Tala clapped, eyes sparkling. "I want to be a hunter," she said excitedly, turning to Kiara.
She laughed, tousling her hair. "We'll see what we can do in Cerenis," she assured her. Then she nodded back to Eihmo'tei. "Go on, then. What about the other pieces?"
Looking at the other pieces of jewelry, Eihmo'tei sat back down. He seemed suddenly lost in thought. His smile never faltered.
"These..."
He paused. Slowly, he lifted his leg. Around the ankle was a bit of twine laced through yellowish stones. He dropped his leg again, letting his heel rest on the dirt.
"My best friend made this... The one I told you about. Me and her made matching anklets, and gave them to each other. This reminds me of her, and all the times we had together, both good and bad."
All that was left was the piece on the wrist (same as the loose one) with the three wooden beads. He seemed almost hesitant to talk about this one. His smile began to wane, and his eyes once again glassed up.
"Many Zerdani make jewelry for the elder... Takalo... to show respect and love. This one, I made for him. I was younger then... He gave it to me just before we left. It is a memory of him, and of home. It is supposed to help when I feel homesick..."
The children and Kiara fell quiet, evidently no one quite sure what to say. Then Perryn shifted closer to the Zerdani, touching his shoulder and saying, "Here, look."
He fished something out of a pouch at his belt, a handkerchief, Kiara thought. It was embroidered with writing and symbols she didn't understand, but it made the boy smile. "From my home," he explained, "Thanatos. Mother made it. I always keep it with me." He tilted his head, patting Eihmo'tei's shoulder. "It is good to remember home, even if it makes you sad."
Kiara's eyes prickled and she cleared her throat, looking away. Gods, a week with these people and she'd be a blubbering mess.
The Zerdani's eyes were drawn to the odd piece of cloth. Upon Kit's translation, Eihmo'tei looked up at Perryn. He managed a smile once again.
"Perhaps jewelry is not the only craft that can capture memories..."
He looked to the sun, that was now noticeably sinking in the golden sky. It's golden light gave an air of peace and serenity.
"When did it get so late?" he questioned with a chuckle.
Kiara smiled softly. "I guess that's your cue," she said to Kit. The dragon nodded and spat a jet of fire at the pile of wood she'd gathered in the center of their little campsite, igniting a roaring blaze.
"Come on, you lot, get some rest. We leave at first light." Kiara ushered the children to their bedrolls despite their soft complaining that they weren't tired. Looking to Eihmo'tei she said with mock severity, "You too, then. Come on."
She laid down on her own bedroll near the fire, passing out provisions before she did so no one woke her in the middle of the night complaining of hunger. Kit curled around them all, using his tail to scoop the Zerdani closer to their little huddle.
The Zerdani let out an "Oof!" as the great tail pushed him along.
Eihmo'tei gratefully accepted the ration. He had to admit he liked this foreign food. It tasted different than what he was used to. He settled in, but did not sleep. There was something he needed to do. Something secret. He waited for the rest of the party to fall asleep before starting.
Kiara woke to Kit's nose in her face. Groaning, she rolled over-
And found that Tala, Bibi, and Oerryn had snuggled against her side in the night. Even Ras had scooted closer. Smiling a little, she sat up and yawned. "Morning, guys. C'mon, shake a leg."