The 59th day of Spring, 512 AV
"... Weapons?"
"Check!"
"Survival kit?"
"Check!"
"Maps?"
"Check!"
Three Yasi, two male, one female, crouched on the forest floor, rummaging through their backpacks as Chyna read off a checklist she had created in her mind. She didn't really need a piece of paper to remind her anymore, as she had done this so many times in her lifetime. They all chimed in unison a couple ticks after she had spoken, it seeming more like a competition to the young Inartans to see who could find their supplies faster.
She was taking them on their first hunting trip in the Unforgiving. It mostly took her off guard when the Duvin Kakiv, the youthmaster, asked her to volunteer. She had never been prone to teaching, or leadership really, but she took the job willingly and seriously. She actually felt that it was somewhat of an honor to be teaching the youth.
The forest in the Unforgiving wasn't exactly the safest place with the Djed Storms just recently happening, though it really wasn't that safe even without the Storms. But now she had to be especially on high alert. She heard tales of brown bears, triple of their normal size, and mutilated squirrels, no longer tame creatures, but now vicious and violent. She even was told of clouds of wild djed, closer than ever to boundaries of the city.
She felt a warm hand placed upon her shoulder and turned to look upon the face of the other volunteer, another Avora, Enric. He had much more experience than Chyna in teaching of the youths. That's probably why he was asked to come along as well. Usually it only took one instructor to aid the children, and it seemed that Duvin had not put much faith in her to go by herself. Honestly, she would probably be learning more than the Yasi today. This was all a new learning experience, and she wasn't sure how well she'd fair. Enric seemed to sense that something was troubling her.
"You'll do fine, you know." He leaned into her ear and lowered his voice. "I can tell. You were probably born to do this."
A tight lipped smile developed on Chyna's lips at the feeling of hot breath on her shoulder. She quickly shrugged off his hand. "Thanks."
He narrowed his eyes at her and crossed his arms into one another, something she wouldn't be able to see, but she didn't care about him, really. She was here to teach.
"You there, girl. Tie your hair up. You don't want it getting in the way of your shot." Chyna's voice was commanding, something she was quite used to as she found herself bossing the Drudges around quite often. It wasn't really the commanding part that she was worried about, but more or less the fact that she was working with children. She had never been one to find them cute and innocent, but rather snarky and mischievous. The thought of working in a nursery repulsed her to the point of her palms getting sweaty and her brow dampening.
"But... I don't have anything to put it up with." The girl's small voice could barely be heard in the giant forest surrounding her. She couldn't have been more than twelve years old, a scrawny little thing with red brittle hair, but eyes as a bright of gold as Chyna's. She gazed at the Avoran woman with a look of bewilderment, like she couldn't believe she had done something wrong. Chyna's face softened immediately at the sight. She might not like children, but something told her that the girl had been preparing for this a long while.
Chyna untied an extra piece of string from her wrist. She kept it there for this exact reason, though rather a spare for herself than to give to another. "Here, take this. And don't take all day. We've got to get going soon."
"Check!"
"Survival kit?"
"Check!"
"Maps?"
"Check!"
Three Yasi, two male, one female, crouched on the forest floor, rummaging through their backpacks as Chyna read off a checklist she had created in her mind. She didn't really need a piece of paper to remind her anymore, as she had done this so many times in her lifetime. They all chimed in unison a couple ticks after she had spoken, it seeming more like a competition to the young Inartans to see who could find their supplies faster.
She was taking them on their first hunting trip in the Unforgiving. It mostly took her off guard when the Duvin Kakiv, the youthmaster, asked her to volunteer. She had never been prone to teaching, or leadership really, but she took the job willingly and seriously. She actually felt that it was somewhat of an honor to be teaching the youth.
The forest in the Unforgiving wasn't exactly the safest place with the Djed Storms just recently happening, though it really wasn't that safe even without the Storms. But now she had to be especially on high alert. She heard tales of brown bears, triple of their normal size, and mutilated squirrels, no longer tame creatures, but now vicious and violent. She even was told of clouds of wild djed, closer than ever to boundaries of the city.
She felt a warm hand placed upon her shoulder and turned to look upon the face of the other volunteer, another Avora, Enric. He had much more experience than Chyna in teaching of the youths. That's probably why he was asked to come along as well. Usually it only took one instructor to aid the children, and it seemed that Duvin had not put much faith in her to go by herself. Honestly, she would probably be learning more than the Yasi today. This was all a new learning experience, and she wasn't sure how well she'd fair. Enric seemed to sense that something was troubling her.
"You'll do fine, you know." He leaned into her ear and lowered his voice. "I can tell. You were probably born to do this."
A tight lipped smile developed on Chyna's lips at the feeling of hot breath on her shoulder. She quickly shrugged off his hand. "Thanks."
He narrowed his eyes at her and crossed his arms into one another, something she wouldn't be able to see, but she didn't care about him, really. She was here to teach.
"You there, girl. Tie your hair up. You don't want it getting in the way of your shot." Chyna's voice was commanding, something she was quite used to as she found herself bossing the Drudges around quite often. It wasn't really the commanding part that she was worried about, but more or less the fact that she was working with children. She had never been one to find them cute and innocent, but rather snarky and mischievous. The thought of working in a nursery repulsed her to the point of her palms getting sweaty and her brow dampening.
"But... I don't have anything to put it up with." The girl's small voice could barely be heard in the giant forest surrounding her. She couldn't have been more than twelve years old, a scrawny little thing with red brittle hair, but eyes as a bright of gold as Chyna's. She gazed at the Avoran woman with a look of bewilderment, like she couldn't believe she had done something wrong. Chyna's face softened immediately at the sight. She might not like children, but something told her that the girl had been preparing for this a long while.
Chyna untied an extra piece of string from her wrist. She kept it there for this exact reason, though rather a spare for herself than to give to another. "Here, take this. And don't take all day. We've got to get going soon."
