Timestamp: 33rd Day of Spring 512AV Sivana was frustrated. No matter what she did, she just couldn’t do it. She had two whips, one for each hand, and she had decided it was time to make use of them and practice. She knew she was holding them right, and she knew how to whip things with it but she had little control. Sometimes she used one whip and it left a mark on the tree, woodchips flying everywhere. Most of the time, however, the whip would slide harmlessly against the tree as if the whip were made of very flexible rubber or simple wrap around the tree. In the case of the latter, she would tug and the whip wouldn’t budge and the harder she pulled, the tighter the whip seemed to coil around the tree. Eventually she would have to walk up to the whip and remove it manually. Forget about using both whips at once. This frustrated her greatly. She wanted large improvement with little work. She had started when the sun was up high at midday and now it was almost sunset. Sivana growled as her whip once again coiled around the tree. She made next to no improvement since she had started and it made her feel unable to do anything right. As she moved to unwrap the whip once more, she found her world to be blurry. She realized that her frustrations had brought angry tears to her eyes. She growled once more as she pounded a fist on the tree, wincing as she hit the solid foundation that was so much bigger than her. She sighed, deciding that this practice was enough trouble for the day, and she wanted to make it out of the forest before dark, worried by the monsters that may be lurking. Despite this, she chose to go a different route than she usually did, confident that her sense or direction would guild her back towards a safer place near the city. She wanted to calm down and numb out the pain in her arms and the string from the blisters on her hands. She packed the whips in her pack and set off, wondering in the general direction or Sunberth. It wasn’t long before she heard voices. Being as curious as she was, she ran silently toward the sound, flitting about like a bird. When she got a few meters away from the commotion, far away enough to not be seen, but close enough for her herself to see and hear. She hoped no one would hear her frantic breathing or her heart pounding, or feel the heart scorching her chest and throat, for that’s all she seemed able to concentrate on for a few moments. Running is a lot different from flying… I’m never doing it again… Once she was able to calm herself, she peeked around the tree she hid behind. She gasped softly at what she saw, a sudden boost of adrenaline running through her. Slave traders… She thought as she saw large men shouting at people and a few animals. These people would take her, she knew, and for some unimaginable reason, she felt the need to run and don’t get caught, or die trying. She turned around, her mind set, and she ran. She got about half a mile away, only to face a man taller, and a lot wider, than her. She glanced around feeling panic, finding at least a bit of comfort in the fact that the man was alone, she was sure of that face. “Now what’s a pretty young lady like yourself doing out here alone in the woods?” His eyes raked up and down her body, and a savage look overtook his feature. Help |