.
Each peak was a carnivorous tooth of Falyndar that opened around the small patches of sky that were visible. Only among the mountains did the Dhani ever see the sky, this was what was causing the silent thread of excitement that rippled through the group of hunters gathering at Sissicillys. Ayszel however, had other ambitions as she moved among the ranks. I am done with Raviel.
Done with being restricted to collecting and crushing herbs, I am going to prove that I am valuable. I am going to find her a herb or plant that can only be found in the Cloud Mountains, then she won’t be able to ignore me any longer. Perhaps the idea was as petulant and childish as Rixal claimed, perhaps she really did just need to prove herself a patient and dedicated volunteer. But she didn’t believe that. I have waited long enough to be seen.
The large limestone cavern was filled with the large hunting parties Ollisscint and Amira were sending out. With Spring came larger parties than Ayszel had seen in any other season, and with them Ayszel wondered, would larger Myrian Fangs also be out there. The idea should have filled her with a tremor of terror a dull throb of foreboding, especially after what had happened to her mother and sister, but it didn’t. Instead it made a grin touch the corners of her lips. She was more powerful and in control than she had ever been as a youngling in the forest. She was almost a woman, and she would act like a Dhani woman, not a scared little child.
Hunters were moving about, full of words and their own thoughts and seeking out the long broad table at which the Mistresses sat. Most of the regular hunters and guards had already been assigned to groups, each given a long thin strip of coloured cotton cloth to help them find the rest of their group. Others however had gathered; novices, herbalists, healers and were signing in at the moment. Ayszel joined the brief line, meeting Ollisscints gaze when she reached the front.
The Dhani was uniquely pale with gentle curls of strawberry blond hair twirling in small swoops about her ears and eyes. Her hazel eyes were framed in thick outlines of Kohl. She had seen the Dhani before, on numerous occasions, and even as a youngling had found the woman delightfully mosquitoish and cute. Her hair was shorter than any other Dhani female Ayszel had met and her thick constrictor body was made softer by the large breasts swinging naturally from beneath her collarbones. Her face was thin and pert making Ayszels weak attempts at calm professionalism all the more insufficient, instead she smiled broadly, her excitement shining through every pore.
“Role?”
“U-uhm What?”
“Your role in a hunting party?” She added without looking up from the chalk board before her.
“I-I” Ayszel didn’t know how to answer, what did she possibly have to give a hunting party, she just needed their safety to get the ingredients, ”Do you always have to take. Why don’t you give something back for a change?!”
The sharp words that had followed her most recent fight with Rixal, her childhood friend, hung in her head. She shook them away with ease. Rixal had meant to hurt with those words, to pierce the thick armour Ayszel erected between herself and the world she wasn’t self conscious of her selfishness. It is necessary to be selfish, to take what I need to make myself great. Greatness doesn’t just come. She rationalized.
“I…am from…the Hundredth Hole, to collect supplies.” She spoke slowly, perhaps a little too perkily, when the idea occurred to her. It is fine to be manipulative…but not to lie to my sister Dhani women she asserted the rationalization having worked its way so far into her subconscious she felt no remorse. “…from the Cloud Jungles.” She added quickly.
Finally Ollisscint looked up for a moment, silence following her proclamation. Ayszel crossed her fingers beneath the table edge. “Ssskay…Shere…” She extended her arm with a thin blue band between her fingers. Ayszel retrieved it and scuttled away as quickly as possible her face flushed slightly as she tied the band in a woven braid around the leather band that crossed her chest, holding the sleeve upon her left arm.
The blue was pale, almost white and was easy to differentiate from the dark blue and grey bands of the other groups. Thus, she easily found the group of ten Dhani with matching bands. They weren’t kidding when they said large hunting groups… She thought as she gazed around the group. Her eyes moved clockwise around the circle briefly, but were too consumed with her own ambition to pay much attention to the figures she would be spending the next several days with.
Several of the hunters carried long spears and or bows while the guards carried a variety of swords. Metal was difficult to get a hold of in the underground nest and had to be traded for so they didn’t have the luxury of all having the same weapon and most were used when bought. Each individual wore almost nothing, as was typical in the moist warmth of the jungle beyond what was needed to tie the weapons to their body and a variety of jewelry. Ayszels backpack shifted uncomfortably on her back, much smaller than the others with a single-person tent tied to the top.
The majority of the hunters in their group were females while the four guards were all male. A brief glance over the ranks immediately carved out the Rattlers and Vipers from the others. The first to speak was a female constrictor. Her hair was tied into a loose low braid and died a brilliant vibrant blue. Her wet blue eyes were framed with thick Kohl making the lowered slant of the outside edges more distinct and despite her strong voice gave her a sad young appearance. She was large, even for a constrictor, her black and yellow scales as large as a human hand.
“We will be marching out towards the Cloud Jungles, it will be a 2 day slither. We will not come back until we have something worth bringing back. My name is Schissklyszoesum, you may call me Zoe. In an emergency.” she stated, clearly expecting the level of deference and power using her entire name granted her. “Sxeffersix, Cixsifill, Mryxiphylis, and Svensyl” She introduced each with a gesture in their vicinity and each gave a characteristic wave of their hands, “will be our guards.”.
She continued to introduce each individual and as she did Ayszel felt distinctly out of her place. She had no weapons let alone any training with them and each individual evidently knew of each other if not knew each other intimately. She paused when her hand reached Ayszel who nodded deeply in deference to the elder Dhani, “Osscilyashlayszel “ She spoke clearly and as loudly as Schissklyszoesum trying to carve out her place among the group with pure force and confidence.
________________________________________________________________
Ayszel slithered through the loud rumble of the chirping jungle. So full of life it throbbed like life within a warm womb making Ayszel smile. Today, today she was going further from Zinrah than she had ever been before. Chimpanzees swung overhead their raucous calls threatening the Dhani below, however Zoe’s pace didn’t falter as she led the group. Several individuals had drifted together and were talking quietly in relaxed tones as they spread out over the jungle floor until she only caught a glimpse of them between the ferns.
She lingered at the back, as she had since she was a youngling. It had shocked Rixal when she had first hiked with Ayszel in the jungle with Raviel and the other volunteers. She had expected the aggressive and confident Constrictor to burst her way to the front at every opportunity. When questioned Ayszel had quietly explained that her she wanted to be powerful, to be of use to the nest, and she could be of most use in a group to trail behind and watch what others did and missed. I am not a leader yet…. Her words were honest, without omission. She was always honest with Rixal.
Caught up in her own thoughts she hadn’t noticed the two figures that had also slid naturally toward the back until the moment one brushed her shoulder. Perhaps it is because they aren’t constrictors… She noted their relative diminutiveness first. The one to her right was one of the Rattler hunters, a woman with pale blonde hair laying loose and wild about her shoulders and framing her small young face. She was far younger than Ayszel, likely a barely grown out of the youngling restrictions herself. Her spear hung horizontally from her right hand while a dagger jangled against her left thigh.
The man to her left…
OOCI left it open if you want to the person to her left, if not then I will fill that in on my next post. Also, below I listed what was in her backpack would be great if you list what you are bringing in your first post as well. Can’t wait!
Posessions-1 Backpack which contains:
-1 Waterskin
-Balanced Rations (1 Week’s Worth)
-1 eating knife
-Flint & Steel
Spade
Thin Leather Gloves
Leather Cloak with Hood
Jar 4 ounce (x2)
Jar 6 ounce (x2)
Basket Large, Common (x2)
Bedroll
Tent (1 Person)
6th Spring, 514 AV
Each peak was a carnivorous tooth of Falyndar that opened around the small patches of sky that were visible. Only among the mountains did the Dhani ever see the sky, this was what was causing the silent thread of excitement that rippled through the group of hunters gathering at Sissicillys. Ayszel however, had other ambitions as she moved among the ranks. I am done with Raviel.
Done with being restricted to collecting and crushing herbs, I am going to prove that I am valuable. I am going to find her a herb or plant that can only be found in the Cloud Mountains, then she won’t be able to ignore me any longer. Perhaps the idea was as petulant and childish as Rixal claimed, perhaps she really did just need to prove herself a patient and dedicated volunteer. But she didn’t believe that. I have waited long enough to be seen.
The large limestone cavern was filled with the large hunting parties Ollisscint and Amira were sending out. With Spring came larger parties than Ayszel had seen in any other season, and with them Ayszel wondered, would larger Myrian Fangs also be out there. The idea should have filled her with a tremor of terror a dull throb of foreboding, especially after what had happened to her mother and sister, but it didn’t. Instead it made a grin touch the corners of her lips. She was more powerful and in control than she had ever been as a youngling in the forest. She was almost a woman, and she would act like a Dhani woman, not a scared little child.
Hunters were moving about, full of words and their own thoughts and seeking out the long broad table at which the Mistresses sat. Most of the regular hunters and guards had already been assigned to groups, each given a long thin strip of coloured cotton cloth to help them find the rest of their group. Others however had gathered; novices, herbalists, healers and were signing in at the moment. Ayszel joined the brief line, meeting Ollisscints gaze when she reached the front.
The Dhani was uniquely pale with gentle curls of strawberry blond hair twirling in small swoops about her ears and eyes. Her hazel eyes were framed in thick outlines of Kohl. She had seen the Dhani before, on numerous occasions, and even as a youngling had found the woman delightfully mosquitoish and cute. Her hair was shorter than any other Dhani female Ayszel had met and her thick constrictor body was made softer by the large breasts swinging naturally from beneath her collarbones. Her face was thin and pert making Ayszels weak attempts at calm professionalism all the more insufficient, instead she smiled broadly, her excitement shining through every pore.
“Role?”
“U-uhm What?”
“Your role in a hunting party?” She added without looking up from the chalk board before her.
“I-I” Ayszel didn’t know how to answer, what did she possibly have to give a hunting party, she just needed their safety to get the ingredients, ”Do you always have to take. Why don’t you give something back for a change?!”
The sharp words that had followed her most recent fight with Rixal, her childhood friend, hung in her head. She shook them away with ease. Rixal had meant to hurt with those words, to pierce the thick armour Ayszel erected between herself and the world she wasn’t self conscious of her selfishness. It is necessary to be selfish, to take what I need to make myself great. Greatness doesn’t just come. She rationalized.
“I…am from…the Hundredth Hole, to collect supplies.” She spoke slowly, perhaps a little too perkily, when the idea occurred to her. It is fine to be manipulative…but not to lie to my sister Dhani women she asserted the rationalization having worked its way so far into her subconscious she felt no remorse. “…from the Cloud Jungles.” She added quickly.
Finally Ollisscint looked up for a moment, silence following her proclamation. Ayszel crossed her fingers beneath the table edge. “Ssskay…Shere…” She extended her arm with a thin blue band between her fingers. Ayszel retrieved it and scuttled away as quickly as possible her face flushed slightly as she tied the band in a woven braid around the leather band that crossed her chest, holding the sleeve upon her left arm.
The blue was pale, almost white and was easy to differentiate from the dark blue and grey bands of the other groups. Thus, she easily found the group of ten Dhani with matching bands. They weren’t kidding when they said large hunting groups… She thought as she gazed around the group. Her eyes moved clockwise around the circle briefly, but were too consumed with her own ambition to pay much attention to the figures she would be spending the next several days with.
Several of the hunters carried long spears and or bows while the guards carried a variety of swords. Metal was difficult to get a hold of in the underground nest and had to be traded for so they didn’t have the luxury of all having the same weapon and most were used when bought. Each individual wore almost nothing, as was typical in the moist warmth of the jungle beyond what was needed to tie the weapons to their body and a variety of jewelry. Ayszels backpack shifted uncomfortably on her back, much smaller than the others with a single-person tent tied to the top.
The majority of the hunters in their group were females while the four guards were all male. A brief glance over the ranks immediately carved out the Rattlers and Vipers from the others. The first to speak was a female constrictor. Her hair was tied into a loose low braid and died a brilliant vibrant blue. Her wet blue eyes were framed with thick Kohl making the lowered slant of the outside edges more distinct and despite her strong voice gave her a sad young appearance. She was large, even for a constrictor, her black and yellow scales as large as a human hand.
“We will be marching out towards the Cloud Jungles, it will be a 2 day slither. We will not come back until we have something worth bringing back. My name is Schissklyszoesum, you may call me Zoe. In an emergency.” she stated, clearly expecting the level of deference and power using her entire name granted her. “Sxeffersix, Cixsifill, Mryxiphylis, and Svensyl” She introduced each with a gesture in their vicinity and each gave a characteristic wave of their hands, “will be our guards.”.
She continued to introduce each individual and as she did Ayszel felt distinctly out of her place. She had no weapons let alone any training with them and each individual evidently knew of each other if not knew each other intimately. She paused when her hand reached Ayszel who nodded deeply in deference to the elder Dhani, “Osscilyashlayszel “ She spoke clearly and as loudly as Schissklyszoesum trying to carve out her place among the group with pure force and confidence.
________________________________________________________________
Ayszel slithered through the loud rumble of the chirping jungle. So full of life it throbbed like life within a warm womb making Ayszel smile. Today, today she was going further from Zinrah than she had ever been before. Chimpanzees swung overhead their raucous calls threatening the Dhani below, however Zoe’s pace didn’t falter as she led the group. Several individuals had drifted together and were talking quietly in relaxed tones as they spread out over the jungle floor until she only caught a glimpse of them between the ferns.
She lingered at the back, as she had since she was a youngling. It had shocked Rixal when she had first hiked with Ayszel in the jungle with Raviel and the other volunteers. She had expected the aggressive and confident Constrictor to burst her way to the front at every opportunity. When questioned Ayszel had quietly explained that her she wanted to be powerful, to be of use to the nest, and she could be of most use in a group to trail behind and watch what others did and missed. I am not a leader yet…. Her words were honest, without omission. She was always honest with Rixal.
Caught up in her own thoughts she hadn’t noticed the two figures that had also slid naturally toward the back until the moment one brushed her shoulder. Perhaps it is because they aren’t constrictors… She noted their relative diminutiveness first. The one to her right was one of the Rattler hunters, a woman with pale blonde hair laying loose and wild about her shoulders and framing her small young face. She was far younger than Ayszel, likely a barely grown out of the youngling restrictions herself. Her spear hung horizontally from her right hand while a dagger jangled against her left thigh.
The man to her left…
OOCI left it open if you want to the person to her left, if not then I will fill that in on my next post. Also, below I listed what was in her backpack would be great if you list what you are bringing in your first post as well. Can’t wait!
Posessions-1 Backpack which contains:
-1 Waterskin
-Balanced Rations (1 Week’s Worth)
-1 eating knife
-Flint & Steel
Spade
Thin Leather Gloves
Leather Cloak with Hood
Jar 4 ounce (x2)
Jar 6 ounce (x2)
Basket Large, Common (x2)
Bedroll
Tent (1 Person)
I kept it largely the same actually, I just added a couple things. I think her forcefully proclaiming her independence in a place she has no business really being only to have it slap her in the face is very apt but I think it's written better this time.