An Encounter in the Forest(Sarahi)

[Asha]

Time Stamp: 19 Summer, 512 Syna was bidding farewell to the day as Asha knelt to inspect a bush. The hot light still streamed through the foliage above but shadows were lengthening and Asha could feel the first hints of an evening breeze ruffle her black fur. The bush she knelt by was a blackberry thickly laden with white flowers. In a few days the flowers would start disappear and fruit would begin to takes it place. Asha loved blackberries and blackberry bushes dearly, they always reminded her of fond memories. It comforted her to see the bush even though it was not the exact same blackberry bushes that she remembered so well. It provided some peace of mind to realize that no matter what happened to the Spires, there would always be blackberry bushes. Even if this one and the ones from her memories were destroyed, somewhere, there would be a blackberry bush. Just like her memories. They would always be around. Asha sighed and straightened into a standing position. She walked around the bush a few times, inspecting how healthy the bush was. There was minimal insect damage on the broad, serrated leaves and she witnessed two of the Spires massive bumblebees approach the blossoms during her inspection. The bush was healthy it seemed, and would certainly have a bumper crop from the large pollinators that frequented the area. She made a mental note to inform Mogg of the bees she had seen. Perhaps there was a hive in the area. A lovely batch of honey would bring a smile to more than a couple faces back in the Base Camp. Bringing people the simple joy of sweetness was well worth the lengthy hunt to find the bee’s hive. Asha turned away from the blackberry bush reluctantly. It may remind her of good memories but she couldn’t very well stand and stare at leaves all night. She began to retrace the half bell journey back to the Base Camp but stopped after only a few chimes. Asha could hear running water in the distance. Perhaps there was a creek in the area. Her nostrils had picked up a tangy, sharp scent that had caused her cessation of movement. Her eyes scanned the ground, something around here smelled delicious. And with the proximity of running water she had a pretty good idea what. There, she spotted it. A thick patch of long, green leaf blades grew around the perimeter of a heavy rock only two strides away. The leaves were the source of the smell and Asha was drawn to it immediately. She knelt down by the patch and roughly pulled up a few of the plants. At the end of the long, straight leaf was a small, white, bulbous root. Wild onions!

[Sarahi]

Sarahi was exhausted. She had been walking around all day when she found a little creek with a small weeping willow hanging it's delicate branches into the burbling water. She was leaned up against it and had her feet dangling in the water and was admiring the beauty of the Spires. The sun was begining to set and the sky was an orange color, it looked as though the sky was on fire. The forest was alive with sounds of the forest and the rich aromas of flowers laced the air. A frog sang in it's beautiful tenor voice and dragonflys hummed along to the song. A bird in a tree somewhere overhead called to it family, bringing them home to sleep. Suddenly, Sarahi began to sing along with nature, just as she had in the desert. First, she only hummed admist the nature, but soon she was singing in her sweet soprano voice. "By the creek, By the riverbed You'll find me, singing along Nature sings, it's song a golden thread Sometimes i ask myself, Where do I belong? And then i hear nature's song It tells me belong here, on the side of the creekbed"

[Asha]

Pulling up more of the dirt clad, bulbous roots Asha brought them to her nose and greedily snuffled at the tangy aroma. Her mind was occupied with thoughts of crunching her teeth through the juicy flesh of freshly cooked onions and she did not immediately realize a new voice had joined the dusk choir. As the thoughts faded, the notes of a human voice were recognized in Asha’s ear. Eyebrows knitted, she tilted her head to the side and concentrated on the noise, curiosity wiping all traces of the onions from her mind. The song notes were carried on the wind and circled her head before sinking into her ears. Turning slowly, she tried to identify the source of the music. It appeared to be coming from her right, further into the woods. With long, quick strides she moved towards the noise and came upon a small creek cutting through the thick foliage on the forest floor. Asha stood slightly behind a tree trunk, keeping herself hidden until she could discover the song’s origin. On the other side of the creek a willow tree stood sentinel with its lithe branches dragging in the water. Through the curtain of willow branches Asha caught sight of a human woman relaxing with her feet in the creek, melody pouring out of her open mouth. Asha waited patiently in silence until the woman finished her song. She bit back her urge to call out to the woman and instead waited quietly for the song to finish. As the last notes hung in the air and the choir calls of the forest took over her sense again, Asha stepped out onto the bank of the creek. She looked at the woman and raised her arm, waving to get her attention. “Hello there! I heard your singing and I wanted to see who was making all the noise. My name’s Asha, who are you? I can’t recall seeing you around before, you must be new to the Spires.” Asha called out, smiling in a friendly manner. There seemed to be so many of these hairless creatures, these humans, running about. She knew they were around to offer aid to the Spires in its time of needs, but it was strange to see so many noisy, hairless beings when she was used to the tranquil presence of her Jamoura brethren.

[Sarahi]

As Sarahi finished her song, she smiled. She always liked singing with nature. The golden light made the water look like liquid gold and white flowers seemed to to be bronze. The animals of the dusk started to go to bed when the night animals started their own song, but Sarahi didn't join in this time. She had heard something rustle on the opposite bank. She sat up a little bit. Was that black fur? It was. The animal come out and Sarahi realized that it wasn't an animal, but a Jamoura. She had seen them around, but never really met one. The first thing she thought of was if the Jamoura was a male or female. Then the Jamoura open it's mouth and spoke. Am i knew to the Spires? Sort of. I got here a bit ago but never really left base camp. "Was my singing really that bad? I didn't think anyone was listening. Oh and my name is Sarahi. I am actually originally from Eyktol, but i lost my Caravan and found my way to Sunberth then I came here. I guess I'm still a nomad. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm rambling. Were you born here?"

[Asha]

As Sarahi was speaking Asha dipped a toe into the creek to gauge its temperature. Chilly, certainly, but not unbearably so. She intended to cross the creek, speaking from either side of the bank seemed silly. Shouting would only bring around unwanted attention from the Spires plethora of aggressive species. Asha let out a deep breath to prepare herself for the chill and placed a leg firmly in the creek. The cold water rushed against her leg and soaked her fur thoroughly. It would take a while for that to dry. Trying to move quickly Asha plunged her other leg into the creek and quickly crossed in two strides. At least the creek was shallow; the water only rose a few inches above her ankles. “Your singing was very pleasant. I haven’t heard anyone sing in a very long time. The Jamoura are not exactly a species prone to song; I think our voices are perhaps a bit too deep for anything pleasurable to spring forth.” Asha spoke as she stepped onto Sarahi’s side of the creek. The fur on her feet was dripping and muddied the ground beneath her. Asha stood on the bank of the creek a small distance away from Sarahi, it was always better to not be too close to unknown persons. One never knew what kind of person you might run into out here in the woods. “Ekytol you say? I met a girl from Ekytol not too long ago. She was from Ahnatep. Have you been to Ahnatep before? Sounds like a beautiful place though it’s far too hot for me to handle. Where in Ekytol are you from? Sorry if my questioning is too forward, I’m always curious about where people come from, especially when it’s a place as exotic sounding as the desert. I can’t even imagine such a thing.” Asha tried to speak slowly and confidently but soon began to babble in excitement as she imagined the foreign sea of sand. It was fortuitous that she had wandered into this desert woman in the woods, as it was her current subject of fascination. Another victim for her incessant need to know and question. “But yes, I was born here in the Spires. It is my home, the only one I’ve ever known. As much I love the sound of the desert, the Spires will be the only home for me.” Asha sighed softly as her heartbeat slowed back to normal. She gave the woman a small smile. Thinking of the Spires always calmed her. It was a place of peace and serenity, and it was the center of her world.

[Sarahi]

"Oh, that water is chilly. Would you like to use my cloak to dry off? It's warm enough that i don't need it. SHe smiled softly. "My family lived in a caravan, we would travel from place to place. I was born on the road in the middle of the desert and yes I have been to Ahnatep. It is a very beautiful city. We would often sell my mother's weavings there. I... got lost from my caravan when I was younger." She looked away, remembering her fight to survive without her caravan to protect her. She had been close to eating her horse, when she first found civilization. The Wild will drive a person to the extreme. When she found civilization, she had slept for two days before waking up. "Anyways, the Spires is beautiful. It's very peaceful. I love it here. It gets a bit chilly in winter though, I would think. I don't really know my way around that well. This was my first day getting away from base camp. I would love to see more of it. You know, your the first Jamoura I met here."

[Asha]

“Oh, I’m alright. My feet will be damp awhile but I will stay warm enough. A traveling life sounds interesting. I bet you had lots of adventures with your family. It sounds so exotic, yet I don’t think I could live a life that way. I like having a home that’s anchored down. You hairless beings do seem to like to travel. I’m sorry to hear that you were separated from your family, though. I hope that one day you can find them again.” Asha took a few steps closer to Sarahi, feeling more comfortable with the woman’s presence. She didn’t seem to have any ill intent. “I’m glad you like it here. I must confess I have a hard time believing any place in this world could be as lovely as this forest. But I imagine that everyone thinks their home is the loveliest in all the world. I am no exception to such vanity.” Asha chuckled at herself and finished her words with a sigh. She knew her pride in her city plunged well into the realms of vanity but she could not force herself to feel any differently. Asha always tried to be a humble Jamoura, but she allowed herself to be vain in this aspect alone. Or at least that’s the only vanity she consciously gave herself permission for. Asha lapsed into silence for a few moments as she considered various thoughts in her head, forgetting Sarahi’s presence. Often she got too lost in her head to remember her surroundings. As she stared past Sarahi’s head she noticed something very strange on the willow branch that stretched above the human woman. There was a green mass wrapped around the branch moving very slowly. As a small tendril extended oh so slowly from the branch Asha realized what it was. A snake! She couldn’t recall ever seeing a snake like that before. It was various shades of green and a pink tongue extended from its mouth to taste the air. “Sarahi. Walk towards me. But slowly. Very slowly. Don’t make any sudden movements, just walk this way.” Asha whispered through gritted teeth. She didn’t want to alarm the girl, but if she couldn’t recognize the snake then she knew it was best to assume the worst. She just hoped that Sarahi would heed her words but she also knew that the woman had no reason to trust Asha. They had only just met after all.

[Sarahi]

Sarahi smiled at Asha's kind words about her family. Oh, how sh e missed them. But she knew she wasn't going back. Not even to find her family. She had much more than a taste of adventure and wanted more. SHe was still a nomad at heart and didn't think that she could really settle down in one place. Maybe she would go and marry one of those Drykas she had heard so much about. They always travel. They must be very strong and she could learn how to ride more and... Asha broke into her thoughts. She spoke quiet, yet with an urgency Sarahi couldn't mistake. She slowly stood and felt her head brush against a willow branch. But that wasn't a willow branch. It was moving! She slowly turned around and was nose-to-tounge with a bright green snake. She fell backward back onto the ground and crawled back and didn't stop till she felt Asha's furry legs hit her back. Sarahi took a few deep breaths in to calm her heart, which was jumping out of her chest. She wasn't to fond of snakes, every since she was bit when she was younger by a rattler. The healer was able to stop the poison from spreading by making a deep cut in her leg and bleeding Sarahi out. She was dizzy and lightheaded for the next few weeks and slept for a few days. She hated snakes ever since. Sarahi explained her panic to Asha and apologized for freaking out.

[Asha]

Asha held her breath as Sarahi turned and saw the snake. She watched the human woman drop to the ground and scuttle backwards until she bumped into her legs. Asha held out her hand to help Sarahi up if she chose to take it. Asha could feel her rapid heartbeat start to slow as the threat of danger passed. Sometimes she forgot how dangerous her beautiful woods could be. Especially with the conditions surrounding the city, danger seemed to lurk around every corner. Which of course was why she never ventured too far from the Base Camp the constant activity and noise seemed to dissuade most animals from approaching too close. Asha nodded as Sarahi explained her fears. It was perfectly understandable of course, especially with a snake bite in her past. That certainly couldn’t have been fun. But snakes were a bit scary in general unless you were well acquainted with whether or not it was venomous. Since she didn’t recognize what kind this green variety happened to be it was best to keep a safe distance. Only a fool would approach a creature they didn’t know and Asha was no fool. At least she liked to think that she wasn’t one. “It’s alright, you don’t have to apologize. I was pretty scared there myself. I didn’t know if I was going to have to carry a human body back to camp. That would be difficult to explain. I’ve never seen a snake like that before though. I’m sorry to have startled you so much but I have no idea whether it’s poisonous or not so I thought it best to be safe.” Asha laughed a bit as the sense of danger faded. She knew safety was best but now she felt almost silly at how scared she had been. Looking up at the sky she noticed how quickly darkness was descending upon them. “Speaking of safety, we had better get back to the camp. Night is coming on quickly and more predators come out in the dark. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough danger for one evening I think.” Asha sighed and smiled pleasantly at Sarahi. Looking down Asha noticed that she still had the wild onions clasped in one hand. She had tightened her grip in her brief moment of fear and crushed the fragrant vegetables. With a disappointed snort she let the ruined onions drop from her grasp.

[Cinna]

And the forest reveals.... A close shave with that snake! Silly things are becoming quite the infestation! Nice job you two Asha : Skills: Socialization +2 Gardening +1 Botany +1 Lores: Gardening: Nothing Like An Onion! Contact: Sarahi, the wandering singer. Contact: The Talderan Viper Sarahi : Skills: Socialization +2 Singing +1 Lores: Contact: Asha, the curious Jamoura. Contact: The Talderan Viper If you have any questions or concerns about my grading then don't hesitate to PM me!