Flashback Maybe I'm a Fool (Akilah)

Children play at being warriors

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Not found on any map, Endrykas is a large migrating tent city wherein the horseclans of Cyphrus gather to trade and exchange information. [Lore]

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Maybe I'm a Fool (Akilah)

Postby Drifa on May 13th, 2015, 11:53 pm

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Time Stamp: 5 Fall 509


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"Going out!" shouted the dark girl as she signed leaving at her uncle who nodded absently before he returned to his work. She wasn't planning on going far, just far enough that she could be alone to her thoughts. Perhaps she'd run into some of her friends, but it was unlikely. She spotted Eclipse in the distance and debated whistling for him before doing just that. The buckskin, half-grown colt trotted over to her and nudged her with a velvety nose. She laughed and patted him gently before she pushed him away.

"We're going exploring," she informed him as she patted his cheek. The colt obediently fell into step beside her, occasionally prancing ahead before he returned to her side. When she finally stopped and sat down, he stopped for a minute next to her before going off to graze. She loved being on her lonesome. Her grandmother had returned to the Songstorm Pavillion a year or so ago after her husband's tragic death and so Drifa was constantly surrounded by her uncles and aunts and older cousins. Some of the older girls made fun of her quite often which frustrated her to no end. They mocked her looks, which was really quite annoying. It wasn't her fault she wasn't fair skinned and fair haired. Some of her cousins had quite dark hair themselves.

Of course, when she was younger she handled it by biting whomever was the bully. She had stopped that off when her uncle had turned her over his knee and spanked her while she cried. She was still remembered by some of her cousins for her sharp teeth though. Those were the smart ones; they didn't mock her.

"What should we do today?" she asked Eclipse while signing the word for bored. Her horse snorted at her in response and she rolled her eyes as she flopped down to look at the sky. It was a clear day with large, fluffy clouds.

"I wish I had friends," she mumbled to herself. She had never been exactly social and because of that, she had never had a lot of friends. It didn't mean she didn't want any.


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Maybe I'm a Fool (Akilah)

Postby Akilah Windsong on May 14th, 2015, 2:16 am

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5 Fall, 509 AV


14. She was 14 and still hadn't found her strider yet.

Akilah bit her lip in frustration as she meandered through Endrykas. The winding paths mirrored her thoughts, the trails they ran nowhere and everywhere.

Her closest cousin had already found her strider. She was getting her marks now--a floral pattern scrawling her arm. Jealousy unfurled in Akilah's heart and she shook her head to be rid of it.

"Sometimes you have to wait for the strider," she said to herself, repeating her father's words. "Sometimes your partner just hasn't found you yet."

That was easy to say when you already had one. She shook her head again, annoyed by the feeling that spread in her thoughts like a weed.

"I'll find mine soon, I'm sure." She slapped her cheeks and closed her eyes. Opening them again, she looked up at the bright sky. It was such a nice day, too nice to be moping about. There was a cool breeze and she embraced it, embraced Zulrav.

The wind flowed through her hair and for a moment, she pretended she could understand it. A gentle breeze, maybe it was laughing. Her mother would know. Maybe one day she could know too.

Her fingers curled, touching the hilt of her sword. Looking down at the weapon, she frowned. It still felt awkward in her hands, too long and too heavy. Maybe she shouldn't have picked swordfighting--brawling wouldn't leave her feeling like a novice after practice.

Or at least, as much of a novice. Her limbs were too long, her body never moved as she wanted--maybe brawling would have helped her with that at least.

Still, this was her mother's weapon. Her mother promised to give her a lesson when she came back from the Watch.

"That's it, I can practice." Akilah grinned broadly, heading to the outskirts of town. Her cousins wouldn't be there, not at this time of day, and she wouldn't have to feel so stupid.

Especially around Ronan. Perfect Ronan who never made a mistake. Of course he didn't. Because if he did he wouldn't be perfect.

Akilah was so caught up in her thoughts, she almost tripped over the Drykas lying in the grass.

Catching herself, she stared down in surprise at the younger girl, her skin darker than Akilah's own brown skin. How she could have missed her, she had no idea--it's not like she blended in with the long yellow grass of the plains.

She stared at her a moment too long and then blushed, mortified. She almost trampled her! "Sorry, I didn't notice--wait, you've got a strider?" Akilah noticed the young colt nearby.

It had to be the girl's strider. There weren't any other good reasons for it to be here, especially alone when it was just a colt.

"And you're younger than me!" Akilah groaned. Maybe she should just walk around all the stables then? Maybe her strider was waiting for her somewhere in the city and she just had to put more effort?

Oh Zulrav, what if her strider hadn't even been born yet? It made no sense, the thought--people have multiple striders, striders weren't born knowing who they would go to.

But still. Akilah sighed. She wasn't going to run through these thoughts again, not now.

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Last edited by Akilah Windsong on May 15th, 2015, 4:51 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Maybe I'm a Fool (Akilah)

Postby Drifa on May 14th, 2015, 2:34 am

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Time Stamp: 5 Fall 509


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Being stumbled over was less than pleasant, Drifa soon found out as the girl tripped over her and sprawled to the ground. Letting out a groan of pain, Drifa raised her head to eye the girl who had stumbled over her. Slowly, she got to her feet. A bit older than Drifa, the other girl seemed distraught, easily distracted. Carrying a sword.

Easily distracted indeed, Drifa noted as the girl caught sight of Eclipse and began mumbling about not having one. Her body language spoke of longing, a feeling that Drifa understood. From the time she could walk, she had spent time among the Strider herds, waiting for her Strider to find her. Eclipse had only been a few months old when he found her. This girl was impatient indeed.

"Yes. This is Eclipse," she finally replied to the girl's quesiton, gesturing at the buckskin colt who raise his head at her words. The girl's exclamation on her youth puzzled her. Striders picked their bondmates when the time was right, it had nothing to do with age. It was not a sign of immaturity to not have a Strider, nor a sign of maturity to have one. It was, however, a sign of being Drykas and that was important.

"Strider will come," she said, awkwardly attempting to comfort the girl who seemed so thoroughly upset by the sight of Eclipse, "Eclipse came when I least expected," she added, signing the word for surprise for emphasis. She shifted uncomfortably, feeling as though she had forgotten some important tidbit of information. With a shrug, she decided it couldn't be terribly important and returned to appraising the girl with her strange, intense gaze.


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Maybe I'm a Fool (Akilah)

Postby Akilah Windsong on May 14th, 2015, 4:18 am

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5 Fall, 509 AV


Akilah blushed again, embarrassed by her words. The younger girl seemed mature almost, more than Akilah was a least.

"I know, I know," she replied, her hands moving quickly to form signs. "Eventually, a strider will come. It's just..."

She paused, not sure of what to say. Of how to put her feelings into words. She just...she just wanted to grow up faster. To be like her mother. Her mother had two gnosis marks from Zulrav already, had three striders.

And she didn't the mark nor a strider. She wasn't a proper Drykas yet, she wasn't old enough nor skilled enough to be useful to the clan.

She was just...a child that had to be looked after. How was she supposed to catch up to her mother, to be helpful to her when she was like this?

And maybe it was a silly thought, but having a strider--it felt like a sign of growing up. Of belonging. Sure, striders could pick someone of any age, but if she had a strider, she was just that much closer. And though she'll never admit it out loud, a strider always felt like a grown up thing.

You were never just a child, if you had a strider. You were something just a little more.

"I just want to grow up already," she mumbled, her signs less certain, less steady. Her face grew hot as she noticed the girl staring at her. The intense gaze unnerved her and she couldn't hold it for long.

"Sorry about tripping over you. Are you okay?" she asked, changing the topic.

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Last edited by Akilah Windsong on May 15th, 2015, 4:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Maybe I'm a Fool (Akilah)

Postby Drifa on May 14th, 2015, 12:59 pm

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She had embarrassed the other girl, quite unintentionally. She immediately felt guilty and wondered if perhaps she had lost her chance at a friend. Social conventions were difficult, perhaps the girl did not like to be chided on her impatience. It was not such an unfamiliar thing, for a Drykas to long for a Strider was common. Some Drykas were blessed to meet theirs very young. Some were not. She whistled for Eclipse and he trotted to her side.

"Perhaps your Strider is still a baby," she offered as Eclipse stretched out his neck to sniff at the other girl. The horse was daring, more daring than she and he seemed to think the other girl posed no harm to him. Her darling Strider was still young and full of curiosity which made him amusing at times.

"Did not mean to embarrass," she apologized, signing sorry quickly with her hands, "You are grown," she added, signing woman with her hands as she said it. Four years seemed an eternity to Drifa. Even with her bonded Strider she was still little more than a child. Still, she did not envy the unbound.

"I am fine," she answered with a smile meant to be friendly but probably came off as unnerving. She had a mouth like a predator and because of that, often came off as less than friendly when she smiled like that, "Are you okay?" she asked in return.

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Maybe I'm a Fool (Akilah)

Postby Akilah Windsong on May 15th, 2015, 12:47 am

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5 Fall, 509 AV


Akilah laughed as Eclipse pushed his velvet nose to her hand. The colt was curious and his wet nose soon moved down her arm. She rubbed his head, a firm hand pressing against his fur.

"Oh, no, don't apologize!" Akilah flushed again--she tried not to keep count of many times this had happened in the last few minutes. She signed stop, shaking her head. Pointing at herself, she indicated who really was at fault.

Not that big... Akilah signed back. She wasn't happy with her height yet--hopefully she could grow taller before the summer was out. Just tall enough that these limbs of hers felt more natural.

The girl smiled again, and Akilah tried to surpress the shiver crawling up her spine. Again. That was the second time the girl looked at her and something felt off.

Off. That was the best word for it. Off. Maybe the smile was a little too sharp or her eyes too fierce or something. It unnerved her, but it was probably just her imagination.

It took her a second longer than she liked to reply. Fine, "Just fine". Her fingers and voice merged with one another, her language so much like a dance. She never understood how the strangers that visited Endrykas could get by with just Common. So much was missing, so much lost.

"What were you doing here?" she asked, gesturing at the area curiously. It was a nice day. A nap? she guessed.

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Last edited by Akilah Windsong on May 15th, 2015, 4:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Maybe I'm a Fool (Akilah)

Postby Drifa on May 15th, 2015, 12:58 am

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Time Stamp: 5 Fall 509


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The girl's laughter widened Drifa's own smile. Eclipse was delighted with her as well, prancing about her and snorting. He was an easily pleased beast, often playful and amusing. Drifa smiled at his antics before returning to the task at hand, making a new friend. The girl denied her height and Drifa opened her mouth to respond before thinking better of it. If she wanted to consider herself short, so be it.

With relief, Drifa noted that the girl was fine. It would have been a fine thing to bring an injured girl back to her Pavillion. Grandmother would have told her that she was a nuisance and a hazard. Even if it technically was the other girl's fault for not watching where she was going!

"My uncle's wife had a baby," she noted, signing out crying and loud as she spoke "I wanted peace." After a moment she added, with a smile, "so did Eclipse." The infant had, indeed, been quite the nuisance. The birthing had been loud and unpleasant and Drifa had decided to get out just as soon as she could.

"Why are you here?" she asked, gesturing to the wide expanse of space around them. She eyed the sword the girl had with her, "and why do you have that?" she indicated sword with her fingers.

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Maybe I'm a Fool (Akilah)

Postby Akilah Windsong on May 15th, 2015, 5:07 am

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"A baby?" Akilah's grin broadened, signing cute, exciting, and joy. She loved her younger cousins, though she could barely remember what they were like as babies. She had been little more than a baby herself back then.

Maybe she was lucky she forgot. This girl didn't seem eager to have a cousin. "I guess the crying might be annoying..."

How disappointing.

"Oh I..." Akilah scratched her cheek awkwardly. She had originally come here so no one could see her practice.

To admit why she was here would ruin that. But she did almost trip over her. And sparring worked better with a partner.

Probably.

At least Ronan wasn't here to be compared with.

"Well, I was going to practice my sword skills. I'm kinda...not very good at it," she admitted, averting her gaze. "At least not as good as Ronan is." Perfect. Always perfect. Her fingers indicated that he was her cousin as well.

Akilah looked down at the girl curiously, not seeing a bow or a sword on her. No Drykas would ever walk around with some way to protect themselves. Maybe she used a small dagger or something else she couldn't see. "You don't have a weapon?"



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