Arusa turned from Chezak with a derisive snort, though she sounded far more nervous than amused, a fact which caused her cheeks to flush noticeably. Nonetheless, she held her chin a little higher as she stepped out onto the street in the fae-child's wake, watching the injured girl trod along with clear purpose in her steps.
She was surprisingly graceful for such a young girl, despite it being clear that she hadn't spent much time in civilized communities, and Arusa began wondering if the Aniz had any dances of their own. Almost every culture Arusa knew of had their own particular dances, trolls included. Dwarves weren't much for it, but surely a race whose entire language was based on movement would also have grand and complicated dances.
A few people – mostly women – took notice of the girl's large spear, as it was indeed an odd sight for city streets. Not so odd for a man like Chezak to be carrying a weapon, of course, but a young girl? But the attention reminded Arusa that she was associating with an elven exile, and she made sure to make it seem as though she were not, as best she could. She did not look at him, keeping her eyes on the Tera instead.
Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
The stranger full place filled with stupid stranger full buildings fell away behind them. They moved slow like a fat bumbling bee. Amm had not seen so many bees, but enough to know they were dangerous food. But slow, sometimes, and stupid. No match for dragonfly. No match for Tera.
Fish and crane did not trouble her overmuch with mouth speaking. Fish, Amm decided one night, was guppy. Guppies could be fat, but they were not always. Guppies could be nice to watch. Guppy was nice to watch some nights. She moved well, and Amm thought to teach her proper speaking. Guppy was stupid like a fish, and teaching her was frustrating and boring. But guppy was nice to watch when she moved well. She could be loud and boastful like a crow. Amm hated birds. Crane was okay.
The land they traveled was flat and dry and too hot. There was much grass, and it was not ugly. The sky was so big above her. There were some trees in the marsh, but none in the great steppes. Land, sky, guppy, crane, Amm. That was it. Sometimes other travelers, but not many. Amm ignored them when they passed. Guppy and crane did not always ignore them, and that made her frown and twitch mocking insults at them. Amm did not forget her debt, and resisted putting holes into them with her spear, but she wanted to wipe it out.
The days blurred together. Amm was never comfortable with guppy and crane, but she became used to them. She was, in some ways, closer to them then she'd ever been with her tribe or clan, and it made her uneasy. Strangers were weird like that, always wanting to be close. Always wanting to communicate. They were dangerous to An. They needed to be reminded of their place. But what place? Amm didn't like thinking about it.
Amm had settled into routine the morning the great boom happened. She'd taken to waking before dawn, before her companions had woken, to give honor to the An, to Zu and all who had gone before. It did not take long, but the movements were complex and stately, and she didn't want nosy stranger questions interrupting. She was mid step when a sudden light brightened the far off craggy peaks to the north. It was not the sun. Amm was jolted from her routine, her head turning at an angle that was wrong to her ceremony, and she staggered off balance.
The light did not disappear. It flowed over the steppes, tipping stalks of grasses and flowers with the glow of morning light, but it was tinged too cool for the reds of dawn. It was greenish, blueish, and harsh. Amm went still. She stared towards the light, and as it began to gutter down a sudden rumbling noise growled towards her, until it folded her up within it. Deep, menacing, thunderous sound roared over the steppes until it was only she and it that existed and she clapped her hands over her ears.
The ground shook, and the faraway mountains seemed to disintegrate as the dimming light flashed forth brilliantly, and black and red shot up into the air. It was big, even at the distance, and Amm was down on her knees spear in hand as she stared. She could see it spread like wings, and a long trailing tail, and fire, fire spilling up into the sky from the mountains to replace the weird greenish light. The sound intensified, as did the shaking, and then it was gone.
Everything stopped.
Everything but that too large eruption. Amm hated trouble. The Aniz Tera knew of signs of Great Disruption, so awful, passed down and down through An. From the Bad Times.
Magic.
Fish and crane did not trouble her overmuch with mouth speaking. Fish, Amm decided one night, was guppy. Guppies could be fat, but they were not always. Guppies could be nice to watch. Guppy was nice to watch some nights. She moved well, and Amm thought to teach her proper speaking. Guppy was stupid like a fish, and teaching her was frustrating and boring. But guppy was nice to watch when she moved well. She could be loud and boastful like a crow. Amm hated birds. Crane was okay.
The land they traveled was flat and dry and too hot. There was much grass, and it was not ugly. The sky was so big above her. There were some trees in the marsh, but none in the great steppes. Land, sky, guppy, crane, Amm. That was it. Sometimes other travelers, but not many. Amm ignored them when they passed. Guppy and crane did not always ignore them, and that made her frown and twitch mocking insults at them. Amm did not forget her debt, and resisted putting holes into them with her spear, but she wanted to wipe it out.
The days blurred together. Amm was never comfortable with guppy and crane, but she became used to them. She was, in some ways, closer to them then she'd ever been with her tribe or clan, and it made her uneasy. Strangers were weird like that, always wanting to be close. Always wanting to communicate. They were dangerous to An. They needed to be reminded of their place. But what place? Amm didn't like thinking about it.
Amm had settled into routine the morning the great boom happened. She'd taken to waking before dawn, before her companions had woken, to give honor to the An, to Zu and all who had gone before. It did not take long, but the movements were complex and stately, and she didn't want nosy stranger questions interrupting. She was mid step when a sudden light brightened the far off craggy peaks to the north. It was not the sun. Amm was jolted from her routine, her head turning at an angle that was wrong to her ceremony, and she staggered off balance.
The light did not disappear. It flowed over the steppes, tipping stalks of grasses and flowers with the glow of morning light, but it was tinged too cool for the reds of dawn. It was greenish, blueish, and harsh. Amm went still. She stared towards the light, and as it began to gutter down a sudden rumbling noise growled towards her, until it folded her up within it. Deep, menacing, thunderous sound roared over the steppes until it was only she and it that existed and she clapped her hands over her ears.
The ground shook, and the faraway mountains seemed to disintegrate as the dimming light flashed forth brilliantly, and black and red shot up into the air. It was big, even at the distance, and Amm was down on her knees spear in hand as she stared. She could see it spread like wings, and a long trailing tail, and fire, fire spilling up into the sky from the mountains to replace the weird greenish light. The sound intensified, as did the shaking, and then it was gone.
Everything stopped.
Everything but that too large eruption. Amm hated trouble. The Aniz Tera knew of signs of Great Disruption, so awful, passed down and down through An. From the Bad Times.
Magic.
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Chezak D'Maroe
- Citizen
- Posts: 170
- Joined: Sat Jun 23, 2007 7:28 am
- Name: Chezak
- Race: Elf
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
The first night after Amm was injured, Chezak found them a different spot to camp. It wasn't far from town, but it was a small, comfortable clearing, again near running water. He left Amm to rest as he prepared the camp and dinner again, and they all dropped off to sleep. It was early morning when they set out again.
Days went by, and the three companions settled into a quiet rhythm, although an uneasy one. There was little strife between the three, but there was also little communication. Amm made it clear that she led, and the other two followed, but other than keeping them with her, and having Chez explain various workings of humanity to her, she showed almost no interest in them beyond that.
Chez was a light sleeper, a natural prerequisite to an exile, living on the road and often surrounded by the dangers of nature, as well as the more vicious humanoids. He often woke at the same time Amm did, at her first movements. He watched her on occasion as she went about her morning salutation to the sun, as he began to refer to it. He never let her know, barely shifting, eyes slitted to watch her through his eyelashes.
It was one such morning, with Chez lying on his side watching Amm's graceful movements, that the morning sky lit brighter than simple sunlight could account for. He sat up, feeling the magic use wash over him, causing gooseflesh on his exposed arms and chest. A shiver coursed through him, violent, bordering on a shudder, at the feel of so much magic used. He glanced to Amm, who was staring in the same direction, then to Arusa. He stood, slipping into his shirt, and immediately began breaking camp.
Chez didn't want to be around when whatever had caused that magic came closer, if it did. And he didn't want to stay around to find out if it would come to them. And somehow, he had the feeling Amm would want to go see what had caused it.
Days went by, and the three companions settled into a quiet rhythm, although an uneasy one. There was little strife between the three, but there was also little communication. Amm made it clear that she led, and the other two followed, but other than keeping them with her, and having Chez explain various workings of humanity to her, she showed almost no interest in them beyond that.
Chez was a light sleeper, a natural prerequisite to an exile, living on the road and often surrounded by the dangers of nature, as well as the more vicious humanoids. He often woke at the same time Amm did, at her first movements. He watched her on occasion as she went about her morning salutation to the sun, as he began to refer to it. He never let her know, barely shifting, eyes slitted to watch her through his eyelashes.
It was one such morning, with Chez lying on his side watching Amm's graceful movements, that the morning sky lit brighter than simple sunlight could account for. He sat up, feeling the magic use wash over him, causing gooseflesh on his exposed arms and chest. A shiver coursed through him, violent, bordering on a shudder, at the feel of so much magic used. He glanced to Amm, who was staring in the same direction, then to Arusa. He stood, slipping into his shirt, and immediately began breaking camp.
Chez didn't want to be around when whatever had caused that magic came closer, if it did. And he didn't want to stay around to find out if it would come to them. And somehow, he had the feeling Amm would want to go see what had caused it.
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
Arusa had been exhausted by the traveling, and her sleep enveloped her wholly. That depth kept her unaware as the ground shook and the earth moved, and still longer when Chezak and Amm bundled up the camp around her. It wasn't until she was the last to be packed that she was awoken half-heartedly; Amm standing off to the side scowling and grim.
"Go. We go." Amm said, over and over, pointing westward with curt jabbing motions.
"Now? We must go now? Why? What has happened?" Arusa took the time only to arrange her hair more favorably about her face, controlling her expression into something too light for a scowl, but too dark for anything pleasant. She was still neatly tucked within her blanket despite being annoyed awake.
Amm took her spear from the catch at her back, and swung the business end towards Arusa. "Go. Now," Amm said.
Arusa jerked back, affront and a certain nervousness causing her typical elegance to fall to the wayside as she climbed from the blankets. She shot alarmed glances at Chezak, but nontheless sloppily rolled her bedroll and arranged her few items to be ready for travel.
"It is not polite to point a weapon at one's companion," Arusa began once she'd assured herself Amm was not, in fact, going to do something so unthinkable as to move the sharp end of her little stick towards Arusa's person.
But Amm had already turned away.
**
Danger. Fear. Young. No time. To be separate from tribe, clan, aniz when fire shot from tall places -- no, not right. Urgency caught at limbs, desperate wind jets to ride higher and faster. Duty could not be shirked. Carapace and wings flexed under skin, until Amm ached to be dragonfly. No sense not to be dragonfly. No sense, but the two she stared at, weapon ready to sway and dip and jab jab jab. Amm would. Guppy gave her fish eyes, but crane was more canny. More watchful. Predator and prey. Eyes to eyes, warrior stillness in her limbs, she twitched emergency and danger at him. He knew in an unknowable stranger way, but he did not have nymphs to watch.
They began to walk westward. Dust puffed up beneath the slap of feet. Guppy moaned and made too many noises, but Amm was a smart tera. She had learned slowly to turn her ears away and focus upon what her eyes could tell her. She focused them upon Chezak.
"Must hurry. Big need." Amm twirled Make Great Haste or Die to a Warrior's Spear as she walked, looking Chezak up and down. She scrunched her face at him with the need of it, the urgency. "Need go faster."
"Go. We go." Amm said, over and over, pointing westward with curt jabbing motions.
"Now? We must go now? Why? What has happened?" Arusa took the time only to arrange her hair more favorably about her face, controlling her expression into something too light for a scowl, but too dark for anything pleasant. She was still neatly tucked within her blanket despite being annoyed awake.
Amm took her spear from the catch at her back, and swung the business end towards Arusa. "Go. Now," Amm said.
Arusa jerked back, affront and a certain nervousness causing her typical elegance to fall to the wayside as she climbed from the blankets. She shot alarmed glances at Chezak, but nontheless sloppily rolled her bedroll and arranged her few items to be ready for travel.
"It is not polite to point a weapon at one's companion," Arusa began once she'd assured herself Amm was not, in fact, going to do something so unthinkable as to move the sharp end of her little stick towards Arusa's person.
But Amm had already turned away.
**
Danger. Fear. Young. No time. To be separate from tribe, clan, aniz when fire shot from tall places -- no, not right. Urgency caught at limbs, desperate wind jets to ride higher and faster. Duty could not be shirked. Carapace and wings flexed under skin, until Amm ached to be dragonfly. No sense not to be dragonfly. No sense, but the two she stared at, weapon ready to sway and dip and jab jab jab. Amm would. Guppy gave her fish eyes, but crane was more canny. More watchful. Predator and prey. Eyes to eyes, warrior stillness in her limbs, she twitched emergency and danger at him. He knew in an unknowable stranger way, but he did not have nymphs to watch.
They began to walk westward. Dust puffed up beneath the slap of feet. Guppy moaned and made too many noises, but Amm was a smart tera. She had learned slowly to turn her ears away and focus upon what her eyes could tell her. She focused them upon Chezak.
"Must hurry. Big need." Amm twirled Make Great Haste or Die to a Warrior's Spear as she walked, looking Chezak up and down. She scrunched her face at him with the need of it, the urgency. "Need go faster."
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Chezak D'Maroe
- Citizen
- Posts: 170
- Joined: Sat Jun 23, 2007 7:28 am
- Name: Chezak
- Race: Elf
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
Chezak was packed and ready to go in moments. He began working on Arusa's items, strewn about near her prone form where she had left them out the night before. His hands moved swiftly, packing most of her items neatly, if less neat and folded than she would have done herself, before she was even able to be roused.
The elven outcast didn't pretend to understand everything the Aniz Tera told him, but he needed little of her language of movement to know the need to get moving. Unfortunately, she seemed to want to go in the same direction they were originally headed, instead of in a different direction. Even more unfortunate, the direction they were going in was in the same direction as the explosion of magic.
He had known it was from magic, the familiar tingle across his skin before the pressure of the outburst even blew past them, flapping loose clothing ends, whipping their hair behind them, uninhibited due to the lack of trees on the plains of Thar Shaddin. Bushes rattled and shook as the wind drove past them, and he saw more than one animal dart from cover from the unexpected gusts.
They walked, at a faster pace than any he had set yet, and Amm wanted to move faster. Instead of speaking, he moved his hand and arm, letting his eyes search the open areas of the plains, watching for any other signs of danger.
We move as fast as we can without abandoning Arusa, he signed as he walked. His eyes were back to the Tera in time to notice her frustration at that, then were back up and searching for danger.
Despite Arusa's near constant complaint at their speed, he kept up the pace until noon, at which time they took a short rest to eat food, then continued. Thus their day went.
The elven outcast didn't pretend to understand everything the Aniz Tera told him, but he needed little of her language of movement to know the need to get moving. Unfortunately, she seemed to want to go in the same direction they were originally headed, instead of in a different direction. Even more unfortunate, the direction they were going in was in the same direction as the explosion of magic.
He had known it was from magic, the familiar tingle across his skin before the pressure of the outburst even blew past them, flapping loose clothing ends, whipping their hair behind them, uninhibited due to the lack of trees on the plains of Thar Shaddin. Bushes rattled and shook as the wind drove past them, and he saw more than one animal dart from cover from the unexpected gusts.
They walked, at a faster pace than any he had set yet, and Amm wanted to move faster. Instead of speaking, he moved his hand and arm, letting his eyes search the open areas of the plains, watching for any other signs of danger.
We move as fast as we can without abandoning Arusa, he signed as he walked. His eyes were back to the Tera in time to notice her frustration at that, then were back up and searching for danger.
Despite Arusa's near constant complaint at their speed, he kept up the pace until noon, at which time they took a short rest to eat food, then continued. Thus their day went.
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
Amm did not need direction or suggestion from crane. Sacrificing ideas had passed through her, and to her the consideration stammered and thrummed with every step. Those weak went behind, and when warring they were left to dragonfly to do what good they might. Guppy was no dragonfly, and in the vast nothing with no water there was little for a fish to find useful. And Amm then was left with choice: what could she use the guppy for?
Walk. Rest. Slap slap slap of feet on ground. Buzzing whine of complaint from Guppy. Silent forboding know-better from long-legged crane, waiting with long beak to catch Amm off the wing. Amm hated birds. But that was every day, unchanging stillness and passing worried strangers on the beaten dust trail they followed. Most often there was nothing but the buzz and hum of bugs, so many bugs, but few enough dragonflies. Wasn't migration time.
Guppy and crane both kept mouth noises small. They listened to the noises the earth made, far off, and watched for strange colors. The earth grumbled, but the sky played innocent. Something was building, prickling skin and danger sense as they walked day after day, until finally there was a change in the unending flat, boring dry ground: stranger buildings rising up from nothing, and the smell sweet smell of water. Amm chivvied them, her slow strange fish and bird pair, and they did not stop until she could plunge her head and shoulders down in delicious wet salvation.
Amm waded into the slow eddies, uncaring that the water churned brown, stripping without a care in the world down to natural skin. She savored the water.
Arusa was understandably horrified and scandalized both. They were right across from the small town, in the middle of the blindingly bright day. A proper young lady would not wash in such an openly public place. True, there were no other travelers on the road or at the river, but whether or not there were people staring it was the principle of the matter.
"Do something," she hissed at Chezak. There had been some truly unpleasant misunderstandings between herself and the girl -- who had quite the brattish temperament -- and she had learned well enough that her opinion was not wanted. It was not her fault if the girl was too foolish and young to understand missed opportunity in the wisdom of her elders. It was obvious the child's parents had been faulty, wherever they were now, and Arusa had accepted the task of a savior to teach the little barbarian better.
Arusa was a paragon of virtue and sacrifice to display such patience in the midst of such savage companions, really.
Walk. Rest. Slap slap slap of feet on ground. Buzzing whine of complaint from Guppy. Silent forboding know-better from long-legged crane, waiting with long beak to catch Amm off the wing. Amm hated birds. But that was every day, unchanging stillness and passing worried strangers on the beaten dust trail they followed. Most often there was nothing but the buzz and hum of bugs, so many bugs, but few enough dragonflies. Wasn't migration time.
Guppy and crane both kept mouth noises small. They listened to the noises the earth made, far off, and watched for strange colors. The earth grumbled, but the sky played innocent. Something was building, prickling skin and danger sense as they walked day after day, until finally there was a change in the unending flat, boring dry ground: stranger buildings rising up from nothing, and the smell sweet smell of water. Amm chivvied them, her slow strange fish and bird pair, and they did not stop until she could plunge her head and shoulders down in delicious wet salvation.
Amm waded into the slow eddies, uncaring that the water churned brown, stripping without a care in the world down to natural skin. She savored the water.
Arusa was understandably horrified and scandalized both. They were right across from the small town, in the middle of the blindingly bright day. A proper young lady would not wash in such an openly public place. True, there were no other travelers on the road or at the river, but whether or not there were people staring it was the principle of the matter.
"Do something," she hissed at Chezak. There had been some truly unpleasant misunderstandings between herself and the girl -- who had quite the brattish temperament -- and she had learned well enough that her opinion was not wanted. It was not her fault if the girl was too foolish and young to understand missed opportunity in the wisdom of her elders. It was obvious the child's parents had been faulty, wherever they were now, and Arusa had accepted the task of a savior to teach the little barbarian better.
Arusa was a paragon of virtue and sacrifice to display such patience in the midst of such savage companions, really.
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Chezak D'Maroe
- Citizen
- Posts: 170
- Joined: Sat Jun 23, 2007 7:28 am
- Name: Chezak
- Race: Elf
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
The days passed. Arusa complained, Amm drove them ceaselessly forward. The only reprieve he had was hunting game to compliment the meager food they were able to purchase from the villages and towns along the way. Nothing changed, and the days still passed.
He recognized the land they were entering. He was back in Thar Shaddin. Twice, his path had brought him to this strange land, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it.
He watched Amm as she stripped and waded into the water, mild surprise on his face, but it was replaced by a smile as he turned his back and let her continue. Arusa wasn't as calm, hissing at him to stop her from doing what only came naturally. He glanced over his shoulder, and though it was true that some people stopped to stare at the Tera, most thought she was a child. Naked children playing in the water wasn't something exceptional, though she looked older than most children that would normally play so.
He shrugged at Arusa. "There's not really much we can do. Besides, most of the people watching think she's only a child anyways." He waved a hand across the water at the people, some stopping only briefly to see what was going on. "It's likely they think we're her parents."
An amused smile flitted across his face at the thought, one of the few things he had had to smile about in their long journey south and west.
He recognized the land they were entering. He was back in Thar Shaddin. Twice, his path had brought him to this strange land, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it.
He watched Amm as she stripped and waded into the water, mild surprise on his face, but it was replaced by a smile as he turned his back and let her continue. Arusa wasn't as calm, hissing at him to stop her from doing what only came naturally. He glanced over his shoulder, and though it was true that some people stopped to stare at the Tera, most thought she was a child. Naked children playing in the water wasn't something exceptional, though she looked older than most children that would normally play so.
He shrugged at Arusa. "There's not really much we can do. Besides, most of the people watching think she's only a child anyways." He waved a hand across the water at the people, some stopping only briefly to see what was going on. "It's likely they think we're her parents."
An amused smile flitted across his face at the thought, one of the few things he had had to smile about in their long journey south and west.
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
Parents? Arusa's lips thinned briefly before she snapped, "It is improper."
The spear had menaced her too often of late for Arusa to take the matter into her own hands, so she crossed her arms, turned red at the few stares, and fumed. That she, a dancer of such renown, would be seen near some savage child and assumed to be any sort of guardian for such base peasant behavior? Unacceptable. That her wishes be so crudely ignored? Preposterous!
"Do something, or I will not travel a step beyond this last bastion of civilization without a carriage."
The spear had menaced her too often of late for Arusa to take the matter into her own hands, so she crossed her arms, turned red at the few stares, and fumed. That she, a dancer of such renown, would be seen near some savage child and assumed to be any sort of guardian for such base peasant behavior? Unacceptable. That her wishes be so crudely ignored? Preposterous!
"Do something, or I will not travel a step beyond this last bastion of civilization without a carriage."
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
As the silence stretched between herself and the outcast, Arusa fumed. Chezak did not bother to hide his amusement at her displeasure, and as she had done many times during their journey, Arusa decided that the man must be deranged. He was not exactly unintelligent - he seemed to have a good sense for survival, for one thing - but to be so oblivious to social customs and the opinions of others... well, it was unusual, to say the least.
She stared hatred into him, willing him to act on her sound advice. Instead, he stood there doing absolutely nothing until it seemed he'd decided that playing with his bow was more important than making a good impression on the locals. More likely, he was only ignoring Arusa to get on her nerves; and it was working, as it always did, despite her awareness of his childish intent.
Once again, the dancer was forced to abandon any hope of Chezak showing maturity to match his age, and chose instead to settle the issue on her own.
She turned and stalked towards the water's edge, where she beckoned the Tera girl towards her. Mild surprise met her when the girl seemed to obey, approaching slowly and halting just out of reach. Unsurprisingly, the child's demeanor often reminded Arusa of a stray dog, but that certainly did not give her leave to strip publicly and bathe in mud.
In her embarrassment and anger, Arusa barely gave a thought to how the freezing water soaked her shoes as she closed the distance between herself and the Tera. As soon as she was within reach, Arusa grabbed the girl by the wrist, forcefully dragging her back onto dry land. She took off her own traveling cloak to drape over the child's shoulders in an attempt to hide the girl's nudity from prying eyes.
Although she was not completely satisfied with the result, Arusa continued to lead the girl towards the small town, hoping with all that she was to find a place where they could both bathe and dress properly, for a well-deserved change.
She stared hatred into him, willing him to act on her sound advice. Instead, he stood there doing absolutely nothing until it seemed he'd decided that playing with his bow was more important than making a good impression on the locals. More likely, he was only ignoring Arusa to get on her nerves; and it was working, as it always did, despite her awareness of his childish intent.
Once again, the dancer was forced to abandon any hope of Chezak showing maturity to match his age, and chose instead to settle the issue on her own.
She turned and stalked towards the water's edge, where she beckoned the Tera girl towards her. Mild surprise met her when the girl seemed to obey, approaching slowly and halting just out of reach. Unsurprisingly, the child's demeanor often reminded Arusa of a stray dog, but that certainly did not give her leave to strip publicly and bathe in mud.
In her embarrassment and anger, Arusa barely gave a thought to how the freezing water soaked her shoes as she closed the distance between herself and the Tera. As soon as she was within reach, Arusa grabbed the girl by the wrist, forcefully dragging her back onto dry land. She took off her own traveling cloak to drape over the child's shoulders in an attempt to hide the girl's nudity from prying eyes.
Although she was not completely satisfied with the result, Arusa continued to lead the girl towards the small town, hoping with all that she was to find a place where they could both bathe and dress properly, for a well-deserved change.
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
Water. . .water, running, dripping, sliipping over her, into her. Life, life for all. Beautiful, graceful, meaningful. It soothed Amm, its movements and sounds. She twisted as she rinsed herself, making steady imitation motions meanings in honor for water. Dance, movement, meaning. She'd missed it, the subtleties, the crystalized knowing of it as they'd walked. Water. . .water, she dribbled down her skin.
Relax, it told her. Calm. Calm.
The fish came to her then, which was right. Drip drip, the water on her skin moved in shiny rivulets. Drip drip, fish fish. She moved towards fish, thinking how natural for the fish to be in the water, but before Amm could invite to play and splash and dive and maybe eat, the fish took her by the hand and pulled her away. That wasn't right.
Amm blinked the world into clarity. Dirt, and dust, and something on her skin. No, she wanted water. She flicked her limbs angrily at Arusa. Guppy-Should-Go-To-Water, she slid and tip-toed near the larger stranger. Guppy did not blink. Guppy did not see, the rotten dumb fish without a dragonfly's instinct. Fish sometimes ate dragonfly, but Aniz Tera took fish easy chomp whole dinner meal.
Amm dragged back on the arm Arusa held. "Water. No. Guppy. Water." Finally, Amm gave in to mouth-stranger slowness, rudeness, and bared her teeth in warning. Her spear was on the bank, propped warrior right, glinting and waiting its turn. Amm held no weapons when going to water. That was wrong. This was wrong. She glared.
Relax, it told her. Calm. Calm.
The fish came to her then, which was right. Drip drip, the water on her skin moved in shiny rivulets. Drip drip, fish fish. She moved towards fish, thinking how natural for the fish to be in the water, but before Amm could invite to play and splash and dive and maybe eat, the fish took her by the hand and pulled her away. That wasn't right.
Amm blinked the world into clarity. Dirt, and dust, and something on her skin. No, she wanted water. She flicked her limbs angrily at Arusa. Guppy-Should-Go-To-Water, she slid and tip-toed near the larger stranger. Guppy did not blink. Guppy did not see, the rotten dumb fish without a dragonfly's instinct. Fish sometimes ate dragonfly, but Aniz Tera took fish easy chomp whole dinner meal.
Amm dragged back on the arm Arusa held. "Water. No. Guppy. Water." Finally, Amm gave in to mouth-stranger slowness, rudeness, and bared her teeth in warning. Her spear was on the bank, propped warrior right, glinting and waiting its turn. Amm held no weapons when going to water. That was wrong. This was wrong. She glared.
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
It was a constant struggle, but Arusa somehow managed to keep ahold of the girl as they approached the town. The Tera was stronger than she looked, but so was the dancer, if only just enough to keep her grip on the Tera's arms. It was ridiculous that Arusa had to constantly treat the girl as if she were an animal, and she sometimes wondered if all of the Aniz were like this or if this girl had been shunned by her people for her disrespectful attitude.
Each time she spied the girls' bare flesh from the corner of her eye, Arusa's cheeks flushed crimson with anger and embarrassment both, until finally she decided she would have to try explaining to the girl that appearances were important. The elf stopped, glanced around quickly to make sure no one was close by, then turned to Amm.
"Listen, Amm," she began, speaking slowly to make sure her words were easy to understand. "You come with me now, to clean water. Then, once we're wearing clean clothes, we will get food."
She waited only a moment for Amm to process the words before continuing on, spying something that looked like an inn not too far away.
Each time she spied the girls' bare flesh from the corner of her eye, Arusa's cheeks flushed crimson with anger and embarrassment both, until finally she decided she would have to try explaining to the girl that appearances were important. The elf stopped, glanced around quickly to make sure no one was close by, then turned to Amm.
"Listen, Amm," she began, speaking slowly to make sure her words were easy to understand. "You come with me now, to clean water. Then, once we're wearing clean clothes, we will get food."
She waited only a moment for Amm to process the words before continuing on, spying something that looked like an inn not too far away.
Re: Death, the Dance, and Destruction of Humanity
"Guppy!"
Stupid Stranger Hateful Wrong
Jerky movements. Shameful jerky movements. But Amm was mad. Mad mad, for the way the fish pulled and clung and snapped vicious mouth gaping noises at her. Amm glared, showing the wrongness of it in the pidgeon toed back-steps of her feet, by pulling back. Wrong.
The water had been good water, water of streams and bugs and fish and frogs. It was good Aniz Tera water, and to be given doubts by this stranger fish? A fish should know! A fish should have played. But maybe fish was many much more times more stupid than a fish. Maybe fish was actually mud. Mud, with a stranger's mouth and stupid mouth noises.
Amm's free hand caught on the edge of the wooden hole, to the big stranger house that Arusa tried to pull her into. No Never Free Proud she jerked and pulled and vibrated. Zuu would have been ashamed to see her. Spearless, proud warrior dancing like she had no wings at all. Nymph, Zuu would have called her. A bad name. A shameful thing. Amm was no longer a nymph.
The wooden frame splintered, and Amm and Arusa both fell into the Drunken Rat in an undignified heap of naked flesh and high quality skirts.
That, then, was Amm's introduction into the society of Strangers.
That, then, was when Amm decided she was going to be the first one to start spearing them down.
Stupid Stranger Hateful Wrong
Jerky movements. Shameful jerky movements. But Amm was mad. Mad mad, for the way the fish pulled and clung and snapped vicious mouth gaping noises at her. Amm glared, showing the wrongness of it in the pidgeon toed back-steps of her feet, by pulling back. Wrong.
The water had been good water, water of streams and bugs and fish and frogs. It was good Aniz Tera water, and to be given doubts by this stranger fish? A fish should know! A fish should have played. But maybe fish was many much more times more stupid than a fish. Maybe fish was actually mud. Mud, with a stranger's mouth and stupid mouth noises.
Amm's free hand caught on the edge of the wooden hole, to the big stranger house that Arusa tried to pull her into. No Never Free Proud she jerked and pulled and vibrated. Zuu would have been ashamed to see her. Spearless, proud warrior dancing like she had no wings at all. Nymph, Zuu would have called her. A bad name. A shameful thing. Amm was no longer a nymph.
The wooden frame splintered, and Amm and Arusa both fell into the Drunken Rat in an undignified heap of naked flesh and high quality skirts.
That, then, was Amm's introduction into the society of Strangers.
That, then, was when Amm decided she was going to be the first one to start spearing them down.