Flashback Bonfires and Starlight

[Jalen]

11th of Fall, 507 AV

Heart galloping in his chest Jalen rounded the outskirts of the camp. He could barely hear the thumping of their feet behind him over his own panting. They were so close! But he was still ahead. Arms pumping wildly, he sped forward in the sand. Where was it? He was getting tired, he could feel the initial burst of adrenaline wearing thin in his blood. Sweat curled off his brow, raining to the earth in his wake. There! Just ahead. Two stones set a man's length apart. Victory was his! And then, a whoop of excitement behind him, and Pa'ute materialized beside him. Oh, Jalen wanted to strike that dumb grin plastered on his friend's face as the Suli whipped ahead of him. With a handful of loping strides the Chaktawe leaped across the finish line, cawing boisterously. Two seconds behind him, Jalen skidded to a stop, sending sand spitting up into the air.

"Whoo! Whoo! Haha, did you see that?!" Pa'ute cried, hopping in a little celebratory dance with energy to spare. Jalen nodded in frustration, bent double and struggling to collect his breath. Oromoph, the third of their trio, graced Pa'ute with his congratulations as he walked across the finish line.

"Yes, yes, well done." The black band across his eyes marked Oromoph as Kalanue. Seeing the race was lost as soon as the finish line came into view, he had slowed his pace and conceded his loss. The youngest of the three, he was ever graceful in defeat. Pa'ute on the other hand enjoyed milking his victories for as long as possible. Jalen, two season's the Suli's junior, fell back into a sitting position. The sand clung to his sweaty limbs.

The sun sank in the sky as his breathing slowed, bathing the camp in the rosy glow of sunset. The tribes would collect soon around the bonfire and begin the night's festivities. Singing and dancing, the sharing of stories and food. A reinforcement of the Chaktawe's unity. Though they were split into three tribes, they retained their community and history. Recovered, he took Oromoph's hand and allowed his friend to pull him to his feet. Brushing grit from his arms and legs, Jalen strode into camp beside his companions. The three talked excitedly, continuing to catch up with the previous season's exploits and make plans for the future.

Truthfully, Jalen's mind was still stuck in a tent across camp. Akasja had captured his thoughts and pinned them there. He couldn't help but think about her. His heart did flips trying to theorize about what it had meant. Was it just a friend helping out another, or was she as confused as he was? Part of him wished he had gone in for the kiss, imaging himself as suave and confident. The rest of him knew that debonair version of himself didn't exist. But the thought still twisted his stomach into knots.

Again and again, it all came back to the same question: did she feel the same?

The three friends took leave of each other soon after. Pa'ute wanted to show Oromoph a new knife his father had crafted for him, but Jalen knew his mother wouldn't let him roam free that night if he didn't report back in before the feast. And he didn't want to be stuck with his family that evening. Finding his own tent took some time now that all of the tribes had gathered. Hundreds of tents were clustered together in a ring around a large space cleared for the main gathering. His parents were waiting for him. A wolf-fur cloak large enough to wrap himself in that night was waiting in his mother's arms, and she fastened it about his shoulders as his father talked with a neighbor.

When they were ready the family traversed the labyrinth of tents to the clearing. Chaktawe had already gathered there in the hundreds. They clustered around smaller fires while wood was piled near the back in a dip in the earth. From their positions, the people would be able to hear their Wayhali's speak before the fire. Soon it would be lit, flinging shadows around the clearing and adding to the mystery of the event. Jalen escaped his family swiftly, weaving between the members of his tribe and others, searching for Akasja.

His brother waved cheerfully from a fire surrounded by the older sibling's friends. Jalen returned the gesture but kept searching. He recognized Pa'ute's parents, a few cousins, and even stopped to bow his head respectfully as the Kalanue's Wayhali strode past. Somewhere in this mess of people Akasja was waiting for him. Or so he hoped.

[Akasja]

"How is that stew coming?"

Akasja looked up from the small fire where she was busying herself. Her grandmother, Ayejli -her mother's mother- had poked her head out of her large tent and called to the girl with a voice as comforting as a fur cloak on a chill night.
"Should we add the vipers now?" Akasja replied. Viper cucumbers were one of her grandmother's favorite stew ingredients.

Ayejli grinned widely and stepped out of the tent carrying a large bowl of the chopped fruit. Her once jet-black hair was streaked with white and grey, braided tightly down her back like usual. A few loose strands bounced around Ayejli's face, their paleness glowing gently in the afternoon light.
"Yes, I think it's about time," she agreed.
Akasja's three younger cousins huddled around the fire, watching their grandmother's cooking methods closely. The one cousin who was many winters older than Akasja, Riika, overheard the conversation from inside her parents' tent and headed over to mind her siblings' behavior. Riika had busied herself with some other craft that Akasja had not yet investigated. Tonight, Akasja had become the guardian for her cousins while Riika was tending to whatever task she needed to complete. The young woman was well-regarded among the Kalanue. She had successfully finished her Searching five winters ago, was quite skilled at pottery, and had many suitors after her. To say Akasja looked up to her would be an understatement.

Carefully, so as not to splash anyone, Ayejli shimmied the sliced cucumbers from their bowl into the simmering stew, encouraging Akasja to stir it. Next, the elder produced a small clay pot of some crushed spice, which she sprinkled in generously. Akasja watched her grandmother's hands and tranquil expression. Whatever she cooked was a creative project to the woman, an act of love. There was no sense to Akasja that her grandmother thought it to be work at all. It brought Ayejli more happiness than much else could.

Decisively, the elder brought forth a lid for the stew pot and set it slightly off-center to allow some steam to escape. "Akasja," Ayejli began, "you have done good work here. It is enough now. Go play with your cousins over by the water. Make sure they don't cause any trouble." Ayejli gave a sly grin to her granddaughter, then looked up at Riika and winked playfully. The young woman responded with a light smile.
"Thank you, grandmother," Riika said softly, touching the elder on her shoulder before slipping back to her own tent.
"What are you going to do now, grandmother?" Akasja asked curiously.
"For a short while," Ayejli replied, "I am going to rest. Then we will eat."

Akasja and her three younger cousins headed off excitedly in the direction of the spring that the camp had settled around. It would disappear in a matter of days, and after that the Chaktawe would part ways and head back to their tribes' original settlements. It was important to drink and store as much of the water as possible while the clans were all here. Fresh water was holy and quite scarce, so the children were thrilled to be in its presence. On their way over, Akasja and her cousins joked, played tenderly with each other's hair, and told all the stories they could from the past season.

The two younger girls, Aleja and Ewaaya, were like sisters to Akasja. Akasja was her parents' only child. As such, she came to have a sibling-type relationship with her cousins. During the seasonal gatherings as of late, Akasja's responsibility had begun to soar. She had made it to the age where she was old enough to take younger children on short outings, or to supervise them in situations where the community was present. Akasja watched the younger girls giggling just a few feet in front of her as they reached the half-way point to the spring. Soon it would be time for Akasja to leave childhood behind. Akasja wondered how much would change once she got back from her Searching.
"Akasja, did you hear me?"
It was the voice of her year-younger cousin beside her, the third of the four siblings. He looked at her strangely.
"Oh, Koyok... I wasn't even paying attention."
"Why did grandma put you in charge?" Koyok replied teasingly.
Akasja grinned, going along with the boy's joke. "She thinks I'm practically a grandma, myself."
"You look it with all these little kids running around you," Koyok said, laughing, and began to imitate an old person walking. Akasja couldn't help but laugh at his mimicry.
Suddenly, the girls ran up to Akasja and Koyok, pulling their arms.
"Let's go!"
Some older Chaktawe had gathered by the spring and were handing out clay pots for the children to drink from. Akasja and her family ran up to them and were able to sate their thirsts fully, storing water within their bodies for the rest of their stay. They would have to come back to the spring with waterskins to collect more before everyone left the campgrounds for good.

After a while of playing and even more storytelling with her family, Akasja noticed that the sun was going down quickly. She had been talking with Aleja and Ewaaya near the edge of the spring, spinning tales of far-off places and musing about the future, but when Akasja looked up she realized she couldn't see Koyok.
"Where is your ridiculous brother?" she asked, scanning the tents ahead and the scenery to the left and right of them.
"He always disappears," Aleja said, grabbing Ewaaya's hand and helping her up.

With Akasja holding both of the girls' hands, the trio slowly wandered around the area, calling Koyok's name. There was no response from him. A few people looked over to the girls curiously, then went about their business. The western sky was the color of fire, the eastern sky like cooled embers. Akasja felt her heart skip a beat. What if she couldn't find Koyok?

Akasja and the girls had made it almost to the edge of the campgrounds, past the spring and near a rocky embankment. A few acacia trees grew here, providing some cover. From the top of the embankment to the ground looked about fifty feet, Akasja guessed. It probably used to be an ancient stream bed. Within a chime or two, the group of girls could clearly hear the voice of Koyok coming from somewhere along the embankment. He didn't sound hurt, but was talking loudly.
"Wait here," Akasja instructed, and left the girls standing together by a large boulder.

Akasja began to jog anxiously, following her cousin's voice. Soon, another voice came into her ears, followed by another. When she found Koyok, she realized he was in the middle of an argument with two older boys. She recognized the boys, but didn't really know them personally. They were both from her tribe, Suli. One had already painted his face, the other hadn't yet. In general, they were both known to be trouble-makers.
"I told you we already did it!" one of the boys remarked defensively.
"I didn't see you, so I'm not going to do it," Koyok snapped.
"You're such a coward," the other boy laughed. "You're not worth your own spit."
Akasja's footsteps slowed, and she took a few seconds to realize what the older boys were trying to get Koyok to do: go down into the ravine.

"You guys are liars!" Koyok huffed, and walked angrily away from the two boys. "I'm getting out of here."
Akasja decided to come into full view and shouted her cousin's name. All the boys looked up at her, the older ones grinning as if something was particularly funny.
"Eyy, it's you!" one of them yelled at her. "It's that girl!" Akasja ignored him. They needed to get going, fast.

Koyok didn't usually want to admit defeat or fear, but his expression softened as he looked into his older cousin's face. He hadn't liked the situation he'd been in, either, to say the least. As Koyok reached his cousin's side, Akasja was quick to give his shoulder a nudge.
"Your sisters are waiting. Walk fast."
"Coward!" one of the boys yelled again.
"Eywaat's beak, won't they ever shut up," Akasja growled.
Suddenly, Akasja noticed something skittering out of the corner of her eye. She squinted in the dim light and realized it was a rock. One of the boys had thrown it. Turning back around, Akasja saw both of the older boys laughing and picking up more rocks to throw at them.
Koyok kneeled down and scooped the little rock back up into his palm. Quickly, and dodging more fire, he managed to hurl it back towards the older boys. Akasja started shouting for Koyok to stop it when a sharp pebble landed square under her eye. She pressed her fingers to her skin to quiet the burn, but felt tears welling in her eyes anyway.
Koyok was still backing up, out of rocks to throw. The older boys were laughing even harder now, one of them leaning against a tree to catch his breath. Akasja saw a much larger, somewhat jagged stone nearby and didn't stop herself from grabbing it. She aimed for the boy by the tree and hurled the heavy rock his way. It cracked into the tree right next to his face, bouncing off of it and landing at his feet. Cries of shock and a slew of curses rang out.

Akasja swiftly realized that she had almost really injured that boy. She knew he had deserved the injury, but how close she'd been to actually doing it frightened her. She didn't know how bad it could have been had that rock hit its target...
"Let's go, Akasja!" Koyok barked, and together the cousins ran off, kicking up dust. They reached the younger girls at full-speed, grabbing them and begging them to run as fast as they could until they all made it back into the campgrounds. Thankfully, no one had followed them.

[Akasja]

The cousins caught their breaths together, clustered by a group of familiar Kalanue tents. Akasja and Koyok gave each other knowing glances, then broke into grins. They began to laugh heartily.
"What happened?" Aleja asked.
Ewaaya added, "Who were those boys?"
"Just some Suli clowns," Akasja replied.
"Not worth their own spit," Koyok repeated, and smirked at Akasja. "When we get back to the tent, I'll tell the whole story."

As the kids felt more and more at ease, sure they hadn't been followed, they came to realize that the sun was gone and the sound of drumbeats had begun to echo off the rocks. The smell of different Chaktawe meals cooking made Akasja's stomach rumble. She realized how late it had gotten and knew she would have to meet up with her parents before all the tribes gathered together. It didn't take Akasja very long to usher her cousins back to their tent, sending them off with hugs and promising to hang out with them before the night was over.

When Akasja got to her own tent, her parents were both outside. Her mother, Naya, was busy finalizing side dishes of seasoned Vesper peas. She looked up at Akasja and instantly furrowed her brow.
"Akasja, what happened?"
Akasja was confused. "What do you mean?"
"Your face," Naya continued, approaching her daughter. "It's bleeding."
Akasja instantly remembered that a little rock had struck her in the face -but she didn't expect it to have cut her. Most likely, her cousins hadn't noticed it in the dim light, but here by the glow of many fires, the stark red and white contrast was probably unmistakable.
"Oh, it's probably dry by now," Akasja mumbled as her mother lifted a clean cloth to her face.
Akasja's father, Kekayaat, looked her way as well, putting down the flute he had been busily cleaning. He loved to play it, and especially had a good time during their seasonal festivals. Now his expression was one of curiosity and slight bemusement.
"What did you get yourself into with those cousins?" he asked her.
"Some boys were acting like clowns and throwing rocks," Akasja sighed, not wanting to make a big deal out of what happened. "It's over now, though."
"Come fix your paint," Akasja's mother finally said, having cleaned the small wound, washed away the dried blood trail, and applied a light medicinal paste.
"What tribe were those boys?" her father pressed. He looked somewhat mistrustfully at his daughter.
Akasja didn't want to answer, but before she could debate how to craft her response, one of her father's brothers strode up to them and interrupted the conversation.
"Kekayaat," he said cheerfully, "if you want to play any songs with all us brothers, you'd better come quick before your spot gets taken."
Kekayaat thankfully dropped the conversation with Akasja and managed to wave away his brother, promising he would be there soon. He patted his daughter on the shoulder before heading off to where a lot of the music was coming from. Kekayaat looked wonderful all decked out in his ceremonial regalia, and Akasja regretted not telling him so, but she hoped to have the opportunity later.

Rhythmically, Akasja followed her mother without saying a word. They made it to almost the center of the campgrounds, where a large fire was blazing and many different families had brought food to share. There was laughter and talk from all directions. The energy and movement from everyone around her made Akasja feel like there was electricity under her skin. Akasja heard nearby drum beats and realized it was where her father was playing music with her uncles. After eating a few bites of food here and there and exchanging pleasantries with various community members, Akasja let her mother know that she was heading over to where the music was.
"Akasja," her mother yelled after her, which stopped the girl in her tracks. "You never fixed your paint."
Akasja felt suddenly self-concious. She wondered if anyone had seen her messy face, the cut she had sustained, and thought her to be silly. "I don't have any paint with me," the girl replied. "And this cut..."
Another Kalanue woman stepped over to them at that moment, a small clay pot in her outstretched hand. She was a friend of Akasja's mother's and well-regarded among her tribe.
"Come here, girl. You're part Kalanue anyway," she soothed, and began to sweep a black stripe along the underside of Akasja's white band. It completely covered the cut and made the white clay on Akasja's skin look even brighter. Akasja's mother thanked her friend warmly.
"You look beautiful," the woman said, smoothing Akasja's hair. "Now go. Find your friends."

Akasja's uncles noticed her arrival quickly. They welcomed her with warm smiles and waves, then got back to their drumming, rattles, bells, and flutes. A few people hummed along, weaving melodies through the air. Akasja watched those who were dancing and couldn't help but begin to sway along with them. She surveyed everyone in the area, looking for any particularly familiar faces. Suddenly, she remembered that Jalen would be looking for her. He was nowhere to be found at the moment. Akasja knew that some of the girls she had befriended would be in the area shortly, but they hadn't shown up yet, either.

Within a matter of chimes, Akasja was overtaken by the rhythms around her. She started to bounce and twirl with the music, moving around the musicians in a circle with the other dancers. Shadows from the nearby fire danced with them, forming seemingly magical shapes on their bodies. Akasja looked at her skin in the fireglow, enjoying its even richer color. She threw back her head and stared into the night sky. It was filled with the glow of an impossible number of stars. Soon, Akasja was lost in the music.

[Jalen]

The sea of bodies ebbed and flowed around Jalen as he waded in. The clusters around fires swelled with the current as more families and friends gathered together. Black, red, and white painted faces intermingled evenly. Most bore the simple stripe of paint across their eyes, though many had added extra strokes in patterns that seemed to glow in the firelight. Not a single gloomy visage was among them. The sorrows of the year were forgotten for the moment and every eye was shining. Later, when the fires burned low and the stars winked in the sky discussions might turn to weightier matters: the struggles of the coming season, loved ones who had passed between gatherings, or the minor disputes that occasionally arose between tribes. But for now they would have none of it.

Laughter and cheering erupted from a group of young men. Jalen caught glimpses of two warriors sparring between the throng of bodies. Good-natured contests were common, and the young Chaktawe resisted pushing his way to the front for a better view. Pa'ute and Oromoph were probably in that crowd, cheering with the rest of them. Another minute of searching passed fruitlessly. She was one in hundreds! It was impossible. If only he'd already passed his searching; surely a guardian could find her. Without any spiritual aid he was left to his wits.

Forcing himself to stop, he thought. His father had always taught him that, when hunting, his other senses were just as important as sight. In The Burning Lands, where sand shifts and tracks disappeared with a gust of wind, you could never be certain of what your eyes told you. So Jalen listened. The usual sounds of the gathering washed over him. The crackling of the fires, the roar of the crowd, and humming beneath it all the rumbling rhythm of drums and pipes. The music! Jalen perked up, starting towards the source. Her father played didn't he? Even if she didn't accompany him, perhaps he could ask after her between songs.

Pushing past a ring of jovial observers, Jalen found himself in the midst of the music. The drummers gathered in the middle, surrounded by the by the swaying dancers. He'd met her father before, but making him out in the midst of the other musicians would be hard enough without the dancers eclipsing them from sight. Sighing impatiently, he resolved to wait it out and try to find him when the song ended. He stood for only a moment, arms crossed and face curved in annoyance before his foot began tapping along to the beat. He'd always loved dances. In a second he was nodding with it, his frown melting.

Even if he couldn't find Akasja, the night should not be totally wasted, should it? An opening in the dancers presented itself and he threw his body into their midst. Bouncing and spinning with the rest of them, he let the music take over. There was something magical about these moments. With the campfires blazing, shadows seemed to join the dancers, not just mimicking the movements of their owners but pirouetting separately. Jalen laughed, interlocking arms with another young man and letting the momentum spin them away from each other. His movements were not always graceful, but he'd never cared much for that. To him, it was about the thrill of the moment, the exertion of constant movement.

Wobbling to a halt he changed direction with the group, coming face to face with another dancer. A young lady whose face was painted with not only Suli white, but Kalanue black! His heart leaped into his throat when he recognized her. "Akasja!" he cried, voice lost in the ocean of sound. He wanted to tell her immediately that he'd been looking for her all night, but he knew she wouldn't hear him. Instead he let his smile do the talking, grasping her hands and whirling her around with him. Awkward, hushed conversations in tents were new to him, but dancing? That he knew!

Stepping in time, they weaved in and out of the others, and though did not always dance together, his eyes always followed her--an action that nearly sent him sprawling twice. But who could focus on their own clumsy feet when she was there? Her eyes glowed, reflecting firelight from below and starlight from above. As far as Jalen was concerned, Eywaat himself could manifest in their midst and she would still command his attention.

[Akasja]

As one song ended, Akasja slowed to a halt and found herself grinning widely, hands on her hips. She looked over to her father, who winked at her, glad to see her having a good time. Akasja scanned the crowd again, this time meeting the gaze of her good Suli friend, Meljaad. The two girls embraced happily, glad to have run into each other. The next song started up, and the friends danced side-by-side without a care in the world.

After a while longer of dancing and chatting, Meljaad excused herself, and Akasja went back to dancing without a partner. The tempo had just begun to pick up when Akasja heard a male voice shout her name over the music. She turned and saw Jalen, his face glowing in the firelight. Excitedly he reached for her, and before Akasja realized it, she had joined her hands with his. Together they spun and bounced among the other dancers. Akasja laughed with merriment, slipping away from Jalen and back again as the song ebbed and flowed. She knew Jalen was watching her as she danced, but she chose not to let the thought possess her. Occasionally, she cast glances his way, too, watching the way he moved when he was on his own or with others. His energy was uplifting, his carefree nature contagious.

Another song came to a close, and the musicians called for a short break. Akasja didn't know where Meljaad was anymore, but she now had the chance to talk to Jalen, and she would take it. Ambling over to him, Akasja felt warm inside and out. She smiled at the boy.
"That was fun, huh?"
Akasja's father walked over just then, resting his hand on her shoulder. He looked at Jalen with a smile, giving the young boy a once-over.
"You're having a good time?" he asked both Jalen and his daughter.
"Yes, father," Akasja replied. "Your flute playing makes it easy to dance."
Kekayaat laughed heartily. "I'm pleased to hear that!" The man lifted a clay cup to his lips and downed the rest of whatever liquid had been in it. Voice lowered and eyebrows raised, Kekayaat continued, "You two be careful, now." Kekayaat's words had a vaguely suggestive tone that Jalen might or might not have picked up on. Akasja began an embarrassed reply when her father cracked a smile and added, "Don't go too far from our tents, okay? And don't leave the camp. I want you two to be safe. Plus, I think there are a few more songs left in your uncles and me. You should stay." With that, the older man walked off.
Akasja cast a glance to Jalen to gauge his reaction to her father. Kekayaat had a strong personality and didn't usually hide his thoughts on others. Hopefully, Jalen was not frightened or offended.

After a pause, Akasja let her eyes wander around the campsite. She couldn't see her Suli friend anywhere yet, though there were other familiar faces around the fire nearby. Akasja looked back to Jalen, her mind suddenly heavy with thought. They were here at this seasonal gathering to celebrate and spend time together, but it couldn't be all fun and games. Akasja sighed. She wanted to talk to Jalen about the Searching that would be coming up for them, but maybe she could put that aside for just a while longer...
"Jalen, you won't believe what happened to my cousins and me today," Akasja began, trying to put excitement in her voice.

She wanted to say more, but knew that nosy people would probably try to listen. Akasja motioned subtly for Jalen to follow her, then began walking away from the music and large fire. She didn't want to disobey her father's wishes, but she did want to remove herself a little bit from the festivities. Instead of leading Jalen, Akasja walked beside him, her pace steady, her eyes focused ahead of her or on the ground.
For a moment, Akasja did not speak. She re-centered herself, then remarked, "There were these older Suli boys arguing with my cousin. They wanted him to climb down into this ravine over by the spring." As she and Jalen walked, their path was lit mainly by hanging lanterns, the occasional small pit-fire, and the stars above. It was enough to see by for the most part, but Akasja found herself extending her left hand gently to feel around for movement with her sensitive fingers.
"I interrupted them and grabbed my cousin. But the boys were trying to rile him up, insulting him and all that. We tried to leave, but they started throwing rocks at us." Akasja paused, watching for Jalen's reaction. She wondered what he would think of her after this story. She felt herself smiling a little mischievously as she continued, "So we started throwing rocks back. And then...I threw a big rock right at this boy's head!" Akasja laughed, covering her mouth, almost still in shock. "It missed him, but just barely. It hit the tree instead." She tried to mimic the sound of the collision, then laughed and shook her head. "I couldn't believe it, really. The whole situation. So we just ran out of there as fast as we could!"

Finally, Akasja stopped, realizing they had made it nearly to one edge of the camp. A large gorge could be seen beyond, lit with moonlight. Even further ahead were the seemingly endless expanse of sand dunes. Akasja felt a thrill being alone with Jalen in this wide open place. It wasn't as confining as the tent had been. Maybe here they would be able to talk just a little bit about the Searching; Akasja almost couldn't stop thinking about it.

[Tribal]

G R A D E S

Akasja

Experience

• Observation: 3
• Rhetoric: 1
• Socialisation: 2
• Cooking: 1
• Childcare: 1
• Wilderness Survival, Desert: 1
• Running: 2
• Stealth: 1
• Brawling: 1
• Storytelling: 2
• Dancing: 1
• Flirting: 1

Lore

• Ayejli: Akasja's grandmother
• Viper Cucumbers: A great ingredient for soups
• Riika: A skilled potter with many suiters
• Akasja: Boys will be boys
• Naya: Akasja's Mother
• Kekayaat: Akasja's Father

Notes

Your RP paints a very nice picture which makes it enjoyable to read; big fan!

[Akasja]

Thank you so much for taking the time to grade this! And I'm so glad you enjoyed it