Just twelve. If Khara could make a fire and find animal tracks she just knew she could find twelve measly little flowers. At least, she really hoped so. She wasn't competitive, not like some at least, but she did have to admit there was a certain sense of joy that came from finishing a task before, and sometimes better than, other Yasi. Not that she got to experience that much, but the rareness made it something to look forward too all the more, right?
Either way, it wasn't like she was the only one of that mindset, despite what the Avora told them all. The other Yasi ran off eagerly, casting looks at the other pairs as if judging their competition. Even Pho - she hoped he'd let her call him that, she never got to give someone a nickname before - seemed to feel confident that they'd win.
As they set out towards the stream they had been told about, Khara couldn't help but feel better rather quickly. She honestly did like being outdoors, which was a good thing considering what she wanted to become when she was finished being one of the Yasi. The other places had always seemed too stuffy for her. She liked the heat of the Glass Reverie, though the actual art that was created there had proven far beyond her comprehension. The Crafts Gallery similarly wasn't disliked, but Khara never got the feeling she exactly belonged there either. The Kitchens and the Hydroponic Gardens though? Both of those were right out. The only indoor placed that Khara had taken any sort of liking to was where the birds, both large, small, and ginormous called home. The Aviary and the Nesting Area were close contenders for second place, but first and foremost was always going to be anywhere along the slopes and valleys of Skyinarta. They were home to her, at least it felt that way far more than any of the places inside the warrens of Wind Reach. Maybe her mother was to blame for that...
Her thoughts were interrupted by her partner's question and for a few moments all she could do was blink her eyes in rapid succession as she found herself somewhat startled by how well his question matched her own thoughts. There was only one answer that came to mind immediately though, something her mother had warned her of.
"Wolves," she stated. "And zynx. They're not so scary, I think, but they're dangerous. There's too many of us for the adults to watch all the time and they think we're gonna get snatched off or something." She offered a shrug as means of reassurance that she didn't buy too much into what the adults used as an excuse. Khara had never even seen either of those animals ever, so they were probably just some sort of story that was used to scare Yasi.
"Besides," Khara added. "It's the spider people you have to actually be worried about. But my mum used to say they only came for the bad Inarta who didn't do as they're supposed to and you don't seem bad to me and I know I'm not bad. So we're pretty safe, I think."
A small smile was cast in Phobius' direction, more attempts at reassurance even if she didn't know if they were needed or not. They would be fine. It was an adult thing to worry so much and they wouldn't have to do that for another four years. So all they had to worry about right now, at that exact moment, was some silly twelve flowers that Khara figured would be no trouble at all.
She heard the stream before they could see it. There weren't very many trees at this altitude at all, but there was enough smaller brush to obscure sight along the small ridge. Khara tried to remember what she had learned about finding water in her wilderness survival courses, but now that the sound clearly reached her she doubted she would need to know things about how it traveled downhill or how plants would grow thicker the closer you got to the stream bed.
"I wish they would let us do more outside. I kinda miss it. When I was little, well... littler, my mum used to take me outside a lot. She'd leave real early in the mornings and go hunting and come back by afternoon and we'd go hiking and she'd let me come to the ranges to watch her practice with her bow and..." Khara's voice drifted off as a small frown tugged at her.
She hadn't really seen her mother since becoming a Yasi, and while at first that had bugged her a whole lot, it wasn't something she usually thought of a ton. Not something she really talked about, anyway. You didn't talk about your parents a lot if you could help it. Some thought it made you look like you were weak, that you were still relying on them if you had them at all. She couldn't help but wonder if Pho had a similar mother which was why he liked the outside so much. Khara was scared to ask though, she'd made that mistake once when she was younger, asked one of the other Yasi if they missed their mom and the other child had answered her with a blank stare and a simple "I didn't have a mom. I grew up in the nursery." She'd felt awful then and had made it a point never to ask anyone else ever again.
But here she was now, rambling off about her mother and she felt the beginning of that awful feeling form in her stomach again. The girl wrapped an arm in front of her and scratched at the other arm nervously as she glanced back to the boy. "Sorry, they tell me I talk too much sometimes."
The slight glum look that came upon her was lost as she finally caught sight of the stream that ran through the small wooded area. It wasn't as small as she had thought, they'd get wet for sure if they had to try and cross to the other side, but it was far from any sort of raging river, either. What Khara couldn't help but notice though, was the way that small patches of snow still clung to the edges of the stream bed, stubborn in the shade and near the cool water to fully give up to Spring just yet. The girl had expected that spotting white flowers would be very easy, but that last bit of snow was going to make things a bit harder than she had counted on.
Either way, it wasn't like she was the only one of that mindset, despite what the Avora told them all. The other Yasi ran off eagerly, casting looks at the other pairs as if judging their competition. Even Pho - she hoped he'd let her call him that, she never got to give someone a nickname before - seemed to feel confident that they'd win.
As they set out towards the stream they had been told about, Khara couldn't help but feel better rather quickly. She honestly did like being outdoors, which was a good thing considering what she wanted to become when she was finished being one of the Yasi. The other places had always seemed too stuffy for her. She liked the heat of the Glass Reverie, though the actual art that was created there had proven far beyond her comprehension. The Crafts Gallery similarly wasn't disliked, but Khara never got the feeling she exactly belonged there either. The Kitchens and the Hydroponic Gardens though? Both of those were right out. The only indoor placed that Khara had taken any sort of liking to was where the birds, both large, small, and ginormous called home. The Aviary and the Nesting Area were close contenders for second place, but first and foremost was always going to be anywhere along the slopes and valleys of Skyinarta. They were home to her, at least it felt that way far more than any of the places inside the warrens of Wind Reach. Maybe her mother was to blame for that...
Her thoughts were interrupted by her partner's question and for a few moments all she could do was blink her eyes in rapid succession as she found herself somewhat startled by how well his question matched her own thoughts. There was only one answer that came to mind immediately though, something her mother had warned her of.
"Wolves," she stated. "And zynx. They're not so scary, I think, but they're dangerous. There's too many of us for the adults to watch all the time and they think we're gonna get snatched off or something." She offered a shrug as means of reassurance that she didn't buy too much into what the adults used as an excuse. Khara had never even seen either of those animals ever, so they were probably just some sort of story that was used to scare Yasi.
"Besides," Khara added. "It's the spider people you have to actually be worried about. But my mum used to say they only came for the bad Inarta who didn't do as they're supposed to and you don't seem bad to me and I know I'm not bad. So we're pretty safe, I think."
A small smile was cast in Phobius' direction, more attempts at reassurance even if she didn't know if they were needed or not. They would be fine. It was an adult thing to worry so much and they wouldn't have to do that for another four years. So all they had to worry about right now, at that exact moment, was some silly twelve flowers that Khara figured would be no trouble at all.
She heard the stream before they could see it. There weren't very many trees at this altitude at all, but there was enough smaller brush to obscure sight along the small ridge. Khara tried to remember what she had learned about finding water in her wilderness survival courses, but now that the sound clearly reached her she doubted she would need to know things about how it traveled downhill or how plants would grow thicker the closer you got to the stream bed.
"I wish they would let us do more outside. I kinda miss it. When I was little, well... littler, my mum used to take me outside a lot. She'd leave real early in the mornings and go hunting and come back by afternoon and we'd go hiking and she'd let me come to the ranges to watch her practice with her bow and..." Khara's voice drifted off as a small frown tugged at her.
She hadn't really seen her mother since becoming a Yasi, and while at first that had bugged her a whole lot, it wasn't something she usually thought of a ton. Not something she really talked about, anyway. You didn't talk about your parents a lot if you could help it. Some thought it made you look like you were weak, that you were still relying on them if you had them at all. She couldn't help but wonder if Pho had a similar mother which was why he liked the outside so much. Khara was scared to ask though, she'd made that mistake once when she was younger, asked one of the other Yasi if they missed their mom and the other child had answered her with a blank stare and a simple "I didn't have a mom. I grew up in the nursery." She'd felt awful then and had made it a point never to ask anyone else ever again.
But here she was now, rambling off about her mother and she felt the beginning of that awful feeling form in her stomach again. The girl wrapped an arm in front of her and scratched at the other arm nervously as she glanced back to the boy. "Sorry, they tell me I talk too much sometimes."
The slight glum look that came upon her was lost as she finally caught sight of the stream that ran through the small wooded area. It wasn't as small as she had thought, they'd get wet for sure if they had to try and cross to the other side, but it was far from any sort of raging river, either. What Khara couldn't help but notice though, was the way that small patches of snow still clung to the edges of the stream bed, stubborn in the shade and near the cool water to fully give up to Spring just yet. The girl had expected that spotting white flowers would be very easy, but that last bit of snow was going to make things a bit harder than she had counted on.
"Nari" | "Common"