Responsibilities (solo)

[Siiri]

Timestamp: 27th of Spring, 511 AV

They arrived in Taloba in less than three tendays, hitching with riders and scouts on their leopardbred horses or tagging along with the fangs they encountered along the way. Most were glad to have Siiri's swordarm join their ranks, while those few who were loathe to have a non-Myrian in the form of Miharu walk among their numbers were soon swayed to accept the Kelvic because of her many natural talents when it came to hunting and scouting the wilderness. All updated the pair on the latest happenings in and around the land they had left for two seasons, though they did not give Siiri any news about her clan. Some admitted that they had been out in the wilds for weeks on end and never really had time to listen to rumors when they were in the city, while others merely shrugged and quickly changed the subject.

Not exactly the kind of reaction the Snapping Jaws warrioress was looking for.

Siiri would lapse into long, moody silences during those times when she felt that her fellow Myrians were keeping something from her, and no amount of prying, even from her bondmate, would break her out of the emotional barrier she had put up. The dreadful feeling she had since leaving Hai would return in full force then, and the warrioress would seriously begin to consider skipping her return to her home city and marching off to another foreign land, if only to avoid discovering the truth of things. Never had she been so unsure and filled with trepidation as she had during those times.

But the western gate of Taloba came within site before Siiri could make up her mind and she was left to continue with her course. A few pat on the backs and arm clasps were exchanged among the gate guards that she knew and nods of greetings to those she did not. There were plenty of new blood manning the massive gates and Siiri had to endure introductions to the younglings by the veterans, who lauded her as one of the better products of the army, before she could go on her way. She sent Miharu on her way to the barracks, trusting the Kelvic to report of their return as well as to prepare their old bunk. Siiri herself headed for the Snapping Jaws clan home.

Her face as an unreadable mask as she forced her legs to carry her there, worried and fearful of what she might find.

[Siiri]

Siiri gingerly opened the wooden gates of the Snapping Jaws compound and closed it as quietly as she could, not wanting to cause fanfare in the clanhome due to her arrival. The guards stationed just inside the portal still caught sight of her of course, and saluted her like they never had before. The warrioress returned the gesture somewhat belatedly, not to mention awkwardly, disconcerted as she was to have received it. The last time they did that was when she returned successfully from her Coming of Age Trials. She reasoned with herself that her arrival to Falyndar must have reached the city before she did. But then, even the children playing Battlefield in the courtyard with their small wooden swords paused in their rough and tumble game to regard her, their expressions filled with respect - a little too much of it. It was unnerving for Siiri, to say the least.

"Go on, get back to what you were doing!" she snapped at them in irritation. What was it with all the attention?

The children ducked their heads and promptly returned to their game, though their gazes still followed Siiri as she made her way to the central building, peeking at her from the corners of their eyes. Siiri ignored them after her initial outburst, shaking her head as she wondered what was wrong with her clanmates this particular day. Shutting all distractions from her mind, the warrioress made her way to the main building. Made of wood, bone and hide, it was the largest structure within the Snapping Jaws property, a place of gathering for all who belonged to the clan. It was where news were dispensed amongst the members, where disputes were settled by the ruling matriarch, and where celebrations were held.

It was home for Siiri, or at least it had been before she chose to move into the barracks when she joined the army. It seemed like a lifetime ago when she did.

The interior was dark when she entered, the many candles and torches lining the walls and hanging off the ceiling not lighted because of the time of day. Immediately inside was the main hall, large enough to hold a hundred of her clansmen, and at the far end of it was the Matriarch's Seat, a sort of throne crafted from the bones of beasts and enemies alike slain by Snapping Jaws warriors. Siiri knew for a fact that the skeleton of the crocodile she had killed as a youth, the one that took the life of her aunt Shara, was made a part of it. Presently, her mother did not occupy it. The room was empty save for one individual: her sister, Tala, was regarding the throne, her back to Siiri, both her hands clutching at the longstaff that was her constant companion. It served as a crutch for her, the weapon, allowing her to get around, limping on her good leg as she used it to take the step her bad one could not. The woman must not have detected her presence yet and Siiri did nothing to reveal herself, staying in the shadows as she observed one of the people she loved dearly.

Tala stood still for several long moments and Siiri, ever impatient, almost called out to her. But before she could, her sister shuffled forward, one hand grabbing at the armrest of the throne and leaned heavily upon it, before turning around and positioning herself to sit down. Every movement was painfully slow in Siiri's eyes, the simple task of taking a seat already an ordeal for the impaired woman. Still hidden, Siiri could see the concentration on Tala's face as it gave way to relief when she finally accomplished resting her slender frame upon the seat of authority. She looked upon the throne in wonderment as soon as she settled herself, appreciating its craftsmanship as she gripped the armrest. Siiri could not help but smile as she watched unseen.

"You look good in it, sister," she called out.

Her voice had obviously startled the woman, for Tala bolted straight up from her rest, her eyes peering in the darkness as she tried to discern her position in the shadows.

"Siiri! You've returned!" she gasped.

The surprise of seeing her younger sister once again, coupled with the suddenness of her movement as she stood up, unbalanced Tala. Her longstaff did not find stable purchase upon the ground and it slipped from her grasp. Left with nothing to support her save for her one working leg, the woman's arms windmilled as she fought to regain her equilibrium, but it was a battle she would obviously lose. In an instant, Siiri was there by her side, her long legs covering the distance between them with ease and she caught her sister as she finally fell.

"I am here for you, Tala."

Sister met sister's eyes, Siiri's emerald ones pained to see her sister suffer from an act as simple as standing up while Tala's hazel ones were filled with gratitude. She smiled at the warrior woman, delicate hands grasping her sibling's muscled arms.

"You always have been, Siiri," Tala replied gratefully. It took but a moment for her to stoop down and, with her sister's help, gather her longstaff so she could stand on her own. "It is good that you've come back home. The elders -"

"Tala," Siiri interrupted. "Where is Mother?"

[Siiri]

Siiri watched with growing concern as her sister's thankful smile faded, only to be replaced by confusion. A slight frown creased the smaller woman's brow.

"Siiri...has no one told you yet?" she asked, reaching over to grab her by the arm once more. "Mother is...Mother is gone."

The words washed over the tall warrior like a rain of acid, hitting her like a physical blow. She had an inkling of the fact ever since she had the vision-like dream back in Hai, but even with the truth laid bare before her, Siiri refused to accept reality. She tensed, seeming as if about to slap her sister's hand away, as if that would take back her words and make the world right again.

"Gone? What...what do you mean, Tala? Mother's always around here, giving a ton of orders to people usually." Siiri tried to pass it off as a joke, hoping that what Tala had said was a joke. A very bad joke, but it was better than the alternative. She could handle jokes.

"She's dead, Siiri."

And there it was, spoken plainly so that there would be no misunderstanding its meaning. Tala delivered it in a flat, expressionless voice, but Siiri could see the pain in her sister's eyes. The truth always hurt.

Siiri's reply came out as a jumble of words, as if she was struggling to ask two questions at the same time. All it did was make her incoherent. "Ho...wh-wh...How-why? Why is she dead? WHY? HOW? She was fine when I left!"

Her sister heaved a heavy breath and let it out slowly. She gestured at a nearby bench, one used by members of the Snapping Jaws when a meeting was being held in the clanhome. Tala hobbled towards it. This time Siiri did not move to help her. She was still stunned by the news.

"Look, you better sit down."

"No, Tala. You sit down and tell me how and why the petch Mother died," Siiri snapped irritably. Nonetheless, she followed her sister and stood before her, arms crossed, waiting, impatient.

Tala sighed once more but acquiesced, settling down on the wooden bench before speaking again. She looked tired and defeated.

"It happened last season. She went out to the Basin, wanting to see how our people were handling the work at the waters. We received news several crocodiles - right, you don't want to hear about that right now. All right, well, she insisted that she needed no guards with her on the way there. You know how Mother is, Siiri. We sent word anyway to let everyone know she was going there so that they could accompany her back. She never got th-"

Siiri did not let her finish. She could not believe what Tala had just said. The area of the Basin frequented by the Snapping Jaws was well within range of the patrols that regularly roamed the first twenty miles outside the city's perimeter but it was still a large area to cover. No one could keep every inch of it under surveillance, even if Taloba had the manpower to spare. It was foolish for anyone to walk alone even in that relatively safe boundary. Tala should know this, even if she had seldom set foot outside the gates.

"WHY THE PETCH DID YOU LET HER DO THAT?!" Siiri exploded. "There's so many things out there that can kill you in an instant! Even I wouldn't dare walk more than five miles from the gates on my own! Why? Where was Janna? Kara? The twins? Why couldn't they accompany her? WHY?!"

Another sigh escaped Tala's lips. "You know how she is, Siiri," was all she said in response, repeating her earlier statement.