Solo Know Your Soul

[Amunet]

63rd day, Fall, 515 a.v.
10th bell
Shimmerstone Pavilion

The little red head was primped and polished to glowing. She had a borrowed dress from Tula that had to be taken up and in from various places. Everything was perfect except there was no smile from the bride. She barely heard anyone’s words as she walked slowly from place to place as she was told. Amunet said little to nothing. She didn’t even eat. How could she eat?

Most brides find this day to be the happiest in their life, but it felt to the free spirited girl like a funeral. Her heart ached at the injustice of the whole thing. She swallowed hard as she sat at the pavilion tent waiting for her sentence to commence. Every step was like another nail to her doom. She looked at herself in the mirror. A vision of loveliness looked back at her. They wanted her to smile. They expected her to smile. They…would have none. What would she do?

The Zith claw was not allowed as per Pratal. It was too pretentious he said to her grandfather. He succumbed and forbade her to wear it. It was like the shrewd trader had a spell over her grandfather. Goren her own father had went even quieter than he had before. He said nothing. The son of the Ankal, her father, the only other person who knew her better than her grandfather, said nothing as his daughter stepped towards marrying this person. He was a monster in her eyes. Every thought she had tried to come up with a way out of this. Those of the topaz clan said the agreement was binding. She could refuse, but she risked exile from the pavilion. Her only solace was this did not extend to the clan. How was she going to live?

The man words were like ice to her, icey spikes that jammed into her soul. The little lady still refused any advanced he had attempted. She wouldn’t even talk to him. She wouldn’t even look at him. He had sealed her fate and she hated him. Amunet was at least honest enough with herself to know that. The life she saw before her was a horrid unhappy but material filled life. It was as cold and empty as Pratal’s heart. How would her own spirit survive?

The sound at the tent as her father came for her. Gripping the bunch of carefully cut flowers that Pratal had insisted on in her hand were so tightly clenched that the stems were starting to crush. “Its time, baby girl.” He said softly.

She looked at his face as she got up to make the death march. The man’s face soured as he wanted his daughter to be happy. Maybe in time she would find it with this joining, maybe. Something deep down knew that his spirited daughter was ill suited to cages and walls. He put his arm out and they stepped out to walk towards the meeting tree. The tree loomed as it might as well be the hangman’s tree out in the Grass. Everyone was smiling and cheering. The beautiful red head did not smile. She did not look around. Those eyes looked to the sky for Zulrav to down pour and end this day. The skies at the moment were as clear as pure water.

The red head had never said if she saw anything from Caihya’s sacred tree. Amunet had grown even more silent since that day. That blessing of the gods was the reason the joining was delayed a couple of days. The girl went over every detail she could of that vision multiple times. She scoured it for any minute detail she may have missed. No more was forthcoming. It was at once telling and provided more questions than anything. She didn’t say a word to her father as she followed him out. This bothered him. He didn’t try to engage her in conversation as he was a quiet man. It was natural for him to be quiet. It was not natural for his young daughter.

[Amunet]

The flowers designed by Pratal, in a dress of his liking, in a ceremony of his influence, marching to her doom in a fate of that man’s doing. He had her grandfather, the Ankal of the Shimmerstone Pavilion in the palm of his hand. Amunet hated it. She felt the cage around her tightening up more and more with every step she took towards the Topaz official. Pratal was standing there looking quite pleased with how things turned out. Amunet looked lovely as she made her way to the appointed spot. Pratal stood to the side when her father relinquished his spot.



Amunet didn’t look at Pratal. There was no smile. There was nothing but grief on her face as she looked at the Topaz official who shifted his feet a bit uncomfortably before clearing his throat. He started the words and ceremony that Amunet didn’t hear. The image of the vision that she was provided by the goddess came across her head. Her brow furrowed as she finally looked at Pratal, then turned her head and looked towards the Sea of Grass. “Amunet, do you join with this man?”

The man had to repeat himself as she missed all of what he said. Pratal looked at her with disapproval, as did her grandfather. She looked at her Aunties as they were holding their breath for the vows. Her father had a concerned expression which was at least something. The girl looked at the sea of grass again as the pool reflecting the half-moon she was shown, the one that she was taken into in the vision. There was something else for her. Every fiber of her being echoed and screamed “NO!!”

She looked at the waiting official. “No.” The girl said as she turned and marched her little behind towards the pavilion with a purpose. There was a collective gasp as Pratal caught her elbow and pulled her arm strongly. “What are you doing?”

“What I must do. You wouldn’t understand that. You’re too proud to see the nose in front of your face. “ The girl spit back at him while wresting her arm from his grasp.

She continued to march herself back to the tent as Pratal made angry gurgling noises before he found his voice. “Pride? Your pride is going to cost your family the secret. You will get back there and say yes. You will not embarrass me like that.”

“What’s wrong Pratal? Not getting what you want? “ She decided to get her digs in as she was getting out of the wedding dress right in front of him. the smaller pieces she chunked to him one at a time.

Her grandfather came in at that point yelling at her. “Amunet, you stop this childishness at once!!”

The dress was off and came flying at Pratal and her grandfather. “The only childish thing is you thinking that a soul has a price. Only the price you are getting for this soul is worthless. You have no idea what you’re buying. He has you as his puppet. You will believe anything he has to say.”

They both was a little shocked at that as Pratal scoffed at her. “Leave business to Men. That’s your problem, Amunet, you wasn’t taught properly of what is your place and what isn’t. “

[Amunet]

Her father looked at the man a bit stunned. He didn’t say a thing, still. Lorak looked at his granddaughter. “The secret is…”

“Yes I know supposed to double crafting production for trade. What is this secret? Slave labor?” She fired back as she stood in her under garments in front of them as her eyes flared with the blue fire. “If you minded your crafting and actually practiced what you preached, maybe you would have better items for trade.”

The old man was stung by those words. His hand went out and back handed her hard. Her head came whipping around at the strength of it as she was knocked to the ground. Amunet knew she rated that. There was also no remorse for the words. The girl stood back up and her face came back to look her grandfather in the eyes with no less fire. There was no relenting. There was no regret. “Truth hurts doesn’t it, grandfather.” The girl said in a quieter voice as those fiery blue eyes bored right into his very own blue eyes.

The old man was taken back a bit at the strength of those eyes. “You get out there and join with that man or you can leave the pavilion.” The man said as that was his only choice. He had to get her to see the benefit of the joining even if it was to force her into it. She wouldn’t dare choose to be without a pavilion.

Amunet looked at Pratal who approved of the Lorak’s choice of words and threat. Her eyes narrowed as her hand went to her cheek that had been hit. The tear of skin there held a pearl of blood. Amunet chuckled a moment then turned on her heels towards her tents. “I would rather die than join with Pratal.” The girl said without looking back.

She started dressing for every day. The girl also started packing. Amunet got her pouch of Mizas out. Once that was secured on her person she went to the market. She needed something to carry her tent and stuff. At first she thought that maybe she needed a cart, but Shetanae was not trained to pull anything. The girl had no time or mizas to put the strider in to train for that either. Not to mention she was the wrong build for pulling even if it’s a small cart or wagon.

Amunet spotted the donkeys. Her head tilted to the side as she looked at them and inquired about them. They were perfect little pack animals. They were not hard to keep. They usually don’t founder easily or prone to eat the wrong things. The man selling them went about educating her about the basics of donkeys. The girl soaked it up vigilantly and bought two of them, a male and female. Along with halters, pack saddles and saddle pads. She lead them along the tented streets to her Pavilion and around back to where her tent was at.

Her father was waiting. “its not too late.” He said in his quiet voice.

“Father, if I go through with it. I will die a slow death every single day of my life. Do you want that?” The girl looked at him as she started packing.

[Amunet]

The man was struggling with his feelings. He didn’t want the daughter of his well-loved Leia to be out there on her own, by herself. He looked in his mind for a way around this. He gritted his teeth and went inside his tent. The whole of the pavilion was torn on this decision. Amunet continued packing. She kept busy to fight the tears that threatened. The vigorous packing helped that a lot. If Pratal was here, she would give him more than a bloodied nose.

As if her thoughts were prophecy. “Are you insane!?” The man started. “You actually would choose to live alone than to join with me?” His eyes were incredulous. His face was angered. “This nonsense has gone far enough. You will come with me right this instance. “ He went to grab for her arm that was entirely to handy lately. She writhed and wiggled to get out from his grip. He slapped her on the same cheek her grandfather did which made the slight abraision bleed more. Those little teeth clamped down hard onto a part of his body that was closest. He let her go howling in pain and disbelief.

Amunet stood back and pulled her dagger she kept sharp. “Don’t touch me!!” Bayon’s lessons came to the fore as she gripped it well as she was taught. “You have no right and you will never have the right. I WILL live alone if I must. “

The man tried darting for a body part as she moved to poke at some tender but non leathal part of his body. His hand got knicked and then his thigh before he got her arm around behind her back. Where he took the dagger away from her and dropped it to the ground. The girl didn’t scream as he had her close. “Stop this nonsense at once. You poked a hole in my good pants. You will pay for that girl.”

The girl stomped her heel on his foot as hard as she possibly could causing him to loosen his grip. Her elbow went into his side as she spun around and jammed her hand up to his nose. That was before her knee went up as hard as possible into his groin. His brothers came out at that point to see the altercation. She might be exiled from the pavilion but she was still their sister. One of them started rolling up their sleaves as Pratal started backing up. Then he turned and made haste quickly to leave.

“You alright, sis? “ They asked as they went to her side.

Amunet put her hands on her knees as she hung her head. Her breathing was hard and her hands shaking. “I will be. “

They didn’t like it but they started helping her take her tent down and pack. “Look you ever need anything you send for one of us. He might be the Ankal but your still our sister. “

Amunet teared up as she hugged them. “Thank you.” As she recovered her dagger and got a cloth to dab at her cheek. She would have a nasty bruise there before long if not by morning.

“Ami, Ami.” Drak came running up. “Please don’t go.”

Amunet closed her eyes as tears started flowing. The little brother she raised from infancy was as much as tearing her flesh off of her to leave him. “Hey listen, big guy. I have to." He looked distressed as he was trying not to cry. The young woman put a finger on his little lips. "Shhhh. I wont be far. You can come to the Riverflower if you want.” She said to him. “Listen to Father. Get bigger and stronger. Ok?”

He nodded though he didn’t understand. Her brother put a large hand on his shoulder as he didn’t want her to go either but it wasn’t his decision. Amunet looked at her big brothers. “Take care of Drak.” With that she turned and headed to her strider with the lead of the donkeys handed to her.

She looked back at them one more time before her and her animals started towards the outskirts. She had to turn her head back around as she lifted her head. The whole scene had garnished a number of onlookers. Her chin lifted as she made her way to look for a campsite. Grief was heavy in her heart. Death by the elements or death by a broken spirit, the choices that seemed to find their way to her as she chose the lesser of two evils.

[Tribal]

G R A D E S

Amunet

Experience

• Observation: 2
• Wrestling: 1
• Logic: 2
• Rhetoric: 1
• Socialisation: 2
• Brawling: 1
• Weapon, Dagger: 1
• Organisation: 1

Lore

• Amunet's wedding day
• Amunet: Hates Pratal
• Amunet's father: A quiet man
• Amunet: A refused proposal
• Logic: The truth hurts
• Donkeys: Good pack animals
• Brawling: Nose shot
• Drak: A heartfelt goodbye

Notes

Remember to make a note at the end of the thread when you spend coin so that the grader and check it against your ledger. Good end to the story, enjoy the rewards.