70th of Winter, 510 A.V.
Late Afternoon
She didn't have a death wish, even if her behavior certainly said so. The fourteen year old's head was swollen with the illusions that came with that young sensation of invincibility. Venturing this far outside her clan lands into the jungle would've had her clan elders shaking their heads, if only they knew. Stubborn recklessness and an insatiable thirst to constantly prove herself, had the young woman convinced she could go it a few bells alone. She was in no way defenseless at the very least. A spear fitted with a curious darksteel spearhead rested firmly in her hands, and a loaner gladius from her trainer hung from her hip in its leather sheath. The emptiness that characterized the small, woven bag slung across her body attested to a lack of success when it came to killing any quarry. And the frustration was evident in the tightness in her eyes and the beginning of a curl to her upper lip.
For petch's sake, Caiyha is testing me today, the Myrian griped within the privacy of her thoughts. Bare feet advanced slowly forward, spear swiveling carefully before her as she kept a keen eye on the unpredictable jungle. Familiar hunting grounds had been left far behind. She was even farther than the place she'd found and hunted with the half-breed, Tinnok, years ago. Strange ground did not stop Kaie from continuing northward in search of any sure sign of worthy game. A tree was gouged now and then should she lose her bearings, and the unnerving that came from venturing out of range was firmly swallowed for fear she might let dread in. Let me find some sign of something. Just let something cross my path.
Perhaps she was searching for something to just savagely dig the fatal side of a weapon into, something that would bleed when she wounded it. Usually a challenging spar would satisfy her desire to exercise aggression in the way her society encouraged. Today, however, seeking out an opponent seemed almost daunting to the woman. Her trainer, Yitmah, was not around to dole out his own daily torments to condition the budding warrior; and with her partner in crime, Keikyo, away in Taloba, that left Kaie to her own devices when it came to stirring up chaos. It was never a feat anyways. Sooner or later, trouble found the young Myrian whether she was ready for it or not.
Amber eyes widened for a tick before the woman dropped into a low crouch. Her spear rested along her knees, an index finger slipping down to feel the depth of the tracks that laid beneath her. Claws in the prints. Four digit pads. Akila? Petching hope not. One all on its own is really unlikely. A head snapped up, swiveling this way and that as if the creature who created the trail was lurking in the brush. She gave a scratch at her head, doing her best to decipher how fresh the tracks truly were before she rose to her feet again. The spear was tossed from one hand to the next before she settled low, letting the spear head lead as she continued to move. Her heels came down first before she rolled to the balls of her feet with each step in an effort toward stealth.
No sooner had she maneuvered away from the tracks did she hear the snapping of wood beneath something's step. Eyes widened in alarm, and her body all but threw itself against the side of the wide trunk of the nearest tree opposite the sound. The young woman cursed under her breath and gripped her spear with an iron grasp. The mystery creature continued to approach, its ominous pacing only growing louder as it closed the gap between them. Kaie grit her teeth, heart racing, and sprung from around her hiding place with a savage cry. The creature gave an alarmed yelp before Kaie switched tactics and planted a front kick to its chest. It landed flat on its back, gasping, shocked gaze locked onto the fatal presence of the unorthodox spearhead that hovered over their throat. The woman of her kind, perhaps a few years her senior, lifted her palms upward in silent submission. The sounds of other Myrians wandering out of view nearby warned her that her almost-victim was not alone.
"You're a little far from home," Kaie observed with a cock of her brow, seeming to plainly enjoy the momentary look of sheer terror she'd elicited out of the newcomer. "I could say the same to you. For Goddess sake, have you even had your Blooding yet?" the woman, far less amused given her predicament, shot back from the ground, taking a moment to catch her breath that had been knocked from her lungs ticks ago. "Either way, your day could've turned to shyke had you been a Dhani. Unless you were following me. Then I'd have to take that back." The woman gave a snort. Despite the dagger strapped to her hip, she hadn't tried to unsheathe it to retaliate. "As if I give two shykes where you were going. Now get that petching thing out of my face." She gave a rough shove of the spearhead away from her neck, glancing behind her as if she were expecting her friends were close behind. Or rather, hoping they were far enough back that they hadn't caught the embarrassment of her ambush.
Late Afternoon
She didn't have a death wish, even if her behavior certainly said so. The fourteen year old's head was swollen with the illusions that came with that young sensation of invincibility. Venturing this far outside her clan lands into the jungle would've had her clan elders shaking their heads, if only they knew. Stubborn recklessness and an insatiable thirst to constantly prove herself, had the young woman convinced she could go it a few bells alone. She was in no way defenseless at the very least. A spear fitted with a curious darksteel spearhead rested firmly in her hands, and a loaner gladius from her trainer hung from her hip in its leather sheath. The emptiness that characterized the small, woven bag slung across her body attested to a lack of success when it came to killing any quarry. And the frustration was evident in the tightness in her eyes and the beginning of a curl to her upper lip.
For petch's sake, Caiyha is testing me today, the Myrian griped within the privacy of her thoughts. Bare feet advanced slowly forward, spear swiveling carefully before her as she kept a keen eye on the unpredictable jungle. Familiar hunting grounds had been left far behind. She was even farther than the place she'd found and hunted with the half-breed, Tinnok, years ago. Strange ground did not stop Kaie from continuing northward in search of any sure sign of worthy game. A tree was gouged now and then should she lose her bearings, and the unnerving that came from venturing out of range was firmly swallowed for fear she might let dread in. Let me find some sign of something. Just let something cross my path.
Perhaps she was searching for something to just savagely dig the fatal side of a weapon into, something that would bleed when she wounded it. Usually a challenging spar would satisfy her desire to exercise aggression in the way her society encouraged. Today, however, seeking out an opponent seemed almost daunting to the woman. Her trainer, Yitmah, was not around to dole out his own daily torments to condition the budding warrior; and with her partner in crime, Keikyo, away in Taloba, that left Kaie to her own devices when it came to stirring up chaos. It was never a feat anyways. Sooner or later, trouble found the young Myrian whether she was ready for it or not.
Amber eyes widened for a tick before the woman dropped into a low crouch. Her spear rested along her knees, an index finger slipping down to feel the depth of the tracks that laid beneath her. Claws in the prints. Four digit pads. Akila? Petching hope not. One all on its own is really unlikely. A head snapped up, swiveling this way and that as if the creature who created the trail was lurking in the brush. She gave a scratch at her head, doing her best to decipher how fresh the tracks truly were before she rose to her feet again. The spear was tossed from one hand to the next before she settled low, letting the spear head lead as she continued to move. Her heels came down first before she rolled to the balls of her feet with each step in an effort toward stealth.
No sooner had she maneuvered away from the tracks did she hear the snapping of wood beneath something's step. Eyes widened in alarm, and her body all but threw itself against the side of the wide trunk of the nearest tree opposite the sound. The young woman cursed under her breath and gripped her spear with an iron grasp. The mystery creature continued to approach, its ominous pacing only growing louder as it closed the gap between them. Kaie grit her teeth, heart racing, and sprung from around her hiding place with a savage cry. The creature gave an alarmed yelp before Kaie switched tactics and planted a front kick to its chest. It landed flat on its back, gasping, shocked gaze locked onto the fatal presence of the unorthodox spearhead that hovered over their throat. The woman of her kind, perhaps a few years her senior, lifted her palms upward in silent submission. The sounds of other Myrians wandering out of view nearby warned her that her almost-victim was not alone.
"You're a little far from home," Kaie observed with a cock of her brow, seeming to plainly enjoy the momentary look of sheer terror she'd elicited out of the newcomer. "I could say the same to you. For Goddess sake, have you even had your Blooding yet?" the woman, far less amused given her predicament, shot back from the ground, taking a moment to catch her breath that had been knocked from her lungs ticks ago. "Either way, your day could've turned to shyke had you been a Dhani. Unless you were following me. Then I'd have to take that back." The woman gave a snort. Despite the dagger strapped to her hip, she hadn't tried to unsheathe it to retaliate. "As if I give two shykes where you were going. Now get that petching thing out of my face." She gave a rough shove of the spearhead away from her neck, glancing behind her as if she were expecting her friends were close behind. Or rather, hoping they were far enough back that they hadn't caught the embarrassment of her ambush.
