Flashback Harsher by Far [Kaie]

[Tinnok]

Harsher by Far
5th of Spring 504 AV

The abomination was where she normally was...in a tree.

The circumstances that found her there were much of the same ones that had plagued her life to this date, and would continue to harry her throughout life: Her scales, her blood, her very presence.

Clutched in her hand was a dagger, slick with blood not her own. It was her sister's...Reina. The bitch had deserved the cut to her thigh she had gotten when Tinnok could no longer bear the names, the swears, the pummeling. She had dropped her practice dagger and pulled out this beauty, a blade surely to be taken away from her when she finally showed her face in the Tempered Steel yard again. And a beating would be sure to follow.

She tried to tell herself that this was not a childish thing to do, but her confidence levels plummeted realizing she was literally curled into a ball with the bloody knife in her hand.

She remembered the sheer panic mixed with a strange glee as she ran from the compound, Reina screaming epithets at her fleeing feet. Her sister may have been a monster in combat and the most talented warrior as the eldest, but Tinnok could run fast and far, and she knew the jungle around their clan like the back of her scaled hands. It took only five chimes (she was counting rather intently) to realize Reina had given up chase, but Tinnok refused to believe that was the end of it. More than once she had been brutally attacked by younger clan members who had tracked her in the woods, and so the seventeen year old had scaled a tree, hopping nimbly from branch to branch in search of the perfect hiding spot...and this little nook, it was it.

Now Tinnok attempted to calculate when she should return home. Either way she wasn't getting food, so it seemed better to go home amidst the darkness, saving the punishment for morning. On the other hand, it might be better to get it over with. She'd face the brunt of her sister's rage, with her family glancing sideways at her...but then again it would be over.

Tinnok sighed through her nose and shifted slightly in her seat, glancing up at the beautiful green canopy, watching as the shadowed forms of birds flitted to and fro overhead.

That was when she heard the snapping of the underbrush far below, and her body froze. Had Reina tracked her here? It would be particularly stubborn of her sister to come so far, knowing Tinnok had no other choice than to return into her open arms...yet...

Cautiously, two yellow eyes peaked out from her hiding spot, leaning slowly over the branch to glimpse what moved below. The figure below was not one familiar to the half breed, and golden orbs squinted, attempting to make out the details of what appeared to be a young female.

[Kaie]

Crunch. It was the most unflattering sound to a young hunter, the sound of one's own feet. A tell tale sign of a foreign presence to the entirety of the animal kingdom. Whatever she had been stalking was long gone somewhere in the thickets. "Time to start from scratch..." Kaie thought to herself in utter annoyance. The eight year old was dressed in traditional Myrian attire. Decked out in a leather loincloth and matching vest. A single white tiger fang dangling from a string around her neck. Moving through the jungle purposefully, one might've mistaken her for a feral child. The way she navigated the forest like she had been raised by it and the creatures that dwelled there. Although small, Kaie's thin, lanky appearance was evened out with toned muscles from childhood play. A product of frequent sparring with friends and occasional training received by her father. Always busy. Yet she was alone now to test her own skills. Far from the trading center and her family's house. The noise and the responsibilities far behind her. To be honest, the solitary end of her double life was just as satisfying. There was no greater way to explore than racing between the trees. Brown, wavy hair trailed down her bronze shoulders freely in the soft spring breeze. A carefree expression on her face as she juked this way and that around obstacles. She was in her glory. Young passion boiled in her like an unattended kettle over a longhouse fire. Brown eyes even then had that sort of intensity, the focus. A sharpness to the color of her bold sights. Her posture was upright except for the slight bend it adopted while she stalked low. After all, what good tracker keeps their head in plain view of their prey? What sunlight did manage to slip between the thick leaves of the canopy colored her tanned exterior in a healthy glow. Accentuating the exotic look the Falyndar "savages" withheld. There was no mistaking her for anything but a pure blooded Myrian. In fact, she could've been the poster child. Another crunch rattled from beneath her young, bare feet. Kaie's brow furrowed at the sound of another misplaced step. If the broken branches lining the forest floor were alive, she surely would've slaughtered every one in her wake by then. It was practically genocide. Alright, maybe that was an exaggeration, but nonetheless she needed to be more careful. Had her father taught her nothing? Her steps would be more deliberate now, more calculated. The eight year old was starting to learn the advantages of being meticulous. High above she heard the flapping of a couple birds in the canopy. Vibrant eyes looked up to observe the colored animals fly. She envied them. The way they could simply flap their wings a couple times and be somewhere else. Off on some new adventure far away. Did their parents ever call them home? She bet they hardly had any duties to withhold all the way up there. A moment of rational thought crushed that little dream. She doubted the birds really journeyed that far alone to begin with. Probably kept close to some sort of flock. Still, the fantasy was amusing to her. A tease for her short attention span while she waited for some action. Kaie scanned the tree line for some sort of movement or color. Anything to catch her interest. All she caught sight of was foliage, which would've been fine if she was hunting for a salad. And here she thought finding an animal worth observing would be easy.... Just then a new awareness came about her. It was like a sudden shift in the forest as a whole. Despite the routine chirps of birds overhead and the constant sway of vegetation, the jungle was quiet. Too quiet. An eeriness crept along her skin, electrifying her senses. She gritted her teeth. There was no sudden kick in her pulse or goosebumps along her limbs. Sure, there was that natural release of adrenaline into her system. The fight or flight idea playing about her wits. It wasn't fear though. Not yet anyway. For now, that sixth sense was the most prominent piece in her mind. That feeling of being watched by something. Or was it someone? Small, bronzed fingers wrapped tightly around the shaft of her makeshift spear. Whatever it was, she obviously wasn't alone. Kaie steadied her breathing upon stopping her pace so suddenly. She stood there for a moment, feeling the environment. Letting those primitive instincts loose to guide her. Listening. Without warning the Myrian whipped around like a furious tiger. Muscles in her arms tense as she held the weapon, pointing her spearhead in front of her. Brown irises flickered about the area before her but nothing laid on the path. She was just about to lower her weapon and call herself crazy when she looked up. High above her in the trees, Kaie caught a glimpse of something. Golden circles. Disbelief. That was the only word she could throw around to describe her intial reaction. Staring upward she could focus only on the yellow eyes hidden in the trees. Was it a snake? No, but she was pretty petching close. Upon further inspection, her straining eyes found a body attached. It looked Myrian from what she could make out. There was a head and limbs from what she could see, but there was something that didn't fit. It wasn't just the unusual eyes either. It was...The skin. The frail light from above found their way upon the figure in question. Oddly enough, the effect gave off an almost shimmery effect. Like scales. Kaie stared up at the woman who looked to be quite a bit older than her, but not quite an adult. The eight year old's eyes were wide with wonder and curiosity, though she never relaxed her grip on her wooden spear. "So. What the hell are you doing up there?" She called up confidently without even thinking about how invasive her question was. Her tone was unwavering despite her uncertainty. It was like she was simply addressing someone from Taloba she ran into all the time. Not quite friends but good acquaintances. Maybe it was just her personality. Then again it could just as easily be a byproduct of her youth. Either way she didn't look like she planned on moving anytime soon. Her previous infuriation with herself and sheer boredom had been quickly slayed.The Myrian kid continued to stare up the tall tree expectantly, waiting for an answer. She should've known there was no guarantee she'd even get one. Or perhaps she just didn't care.

[Tinnok]

She saw the girl pause, knew that the young Myrian could sense another presence in the jungle, yet her mind drifted for a moment there. She was just a child, yet the way she stalked the jungle floor was...well it clearly needed work, yet she appeared just a miniature version of her adult counterparts, wild and Myrian. Tinnok's mind run rampant with thoughts as to why the little girl was so far out on her own. Sure it was true Myrian children were raised to be independent from a young age, but was she truly hunting alone?

She tried to remember precisely what she was up to at such an age, and realized that she had ran out into the wilderness for entirely different reasons, which of course...was why she was in this tree now, wasn't it?

And then two dark eyes, cautious and searching, flickered up from the ground and found Tinnok's yellow orbs, thoughtfully peering at the child.

At first the half breed's head retracted like an adder's head, lips curling in distaste that she had found herself so distracted. She could have just curled up into a ball and let the girl pass, but her mind just had to get the better of her.

There was an extended pause in which Tinnok sat, ears straining, hoping to hear the sound of the girl's feet marching onward, taking her eyes as just a trick of the light.

Then she heard the call.

Slowly, a head filled with loose brown curls tugged into tight braids rose over the tree as a tall female stood up in the heights she had been using as a hiding space. She considered just staying up there and making the girl come to her if she truly wished to carry on a conversation, but one way or another Tinnok was going to have to leave this tree, and she took the little wildling as a sign that that time was to come sooner, rather than later.

"Hunting spider monkeys." Tinnok shouted down. It was a preposterous answer, but the half breed had often considered how difficult it would be to catch one of those high flying primates.

She leapt out onto a lower branch, two hands coming up to cling onto a supporting vines to her right. Lowering herself into a seated position she folded her legs around the limb and let herself fall, swinging her body to grab onto another vine which allowed her to swing to a much lower set of branches, from which she lowered herself quite nimbly to the ground.

Brushing a few stray bits of moss off of her person, dressed in a wrap of clothing around her waist and chest, the half breed glanced down at the little girl, who she noted, was carrying quite the formidable looking spear.

"And what pray tell, are you doing here?"

She slid her bloodied dagger into the slip she wore, making sure it was secure in its set of folds, before leaning up against the trunk of the great tree.

[Kaie]

The little Myrian cocked her head at the answer that was shouted down from the trees. Spider monkeys..? The black primates that swung so high above in the canopy would prove difficult prey. Impossible to catch. They were quick. Now that she really thought about it, maybe one could take one out with a ranged weapon. Yet, her searching brown eyes didn't discover any sort of bow around. Kaie's brow arched curiously at the strange woman in the trees. She doubted the alibi but there was no way for her to be certain. For all she knew, she could've just met the most skilled hunter Falyndar had ever seen. Without warning, the older girl dropped from the trees in a display of acrobatics that impressed Kaie. The way she fearlessly moved from one vine to the next in a fluid motion. The eight year old could only hope she'd be half as good when she aged. Then came the question that caught her off guard in more than one way. "And what pray tell, are you doing here?" So awestruck by the woman's skills, Kaie hadn't even come to the full realization she was ground level with her. Quite frankly, she was a tower in comparison. She sure did have the advantage with her height, that was unquestionable. The scales weren't hard to forget either. It threw everything off in her young mind honestly. "This woman. She looks Myrian. But she has scales like a Dhani?" She thought to herself uncertainly, reminding herself of what she'd heard about the snake-like race. What was it her cousin had called them? Walking Stomachs. The thought caused another round of chills to slink slowly down her spine. Dhanis were generally, and often passionately, hated by the Myrians. They were worthless, vile, vicious little pests of the jungle that needed to be eradicated. In fact, the population of her clan that did choose to live outside the walls, sworn to secure the outer limits, hunted them mercilessly. She'd seen them before, the carcasses of slain serpents hung over low branches for any traveler to witness. Gutted bodies whose skins were left to rot in the jungle and serve as a warning to the rest of their kind. Wouldn't the same task pass onto Kaie, here in this very moment? Didn't she have an obligation by blood even if it killed her? Yet, undeniably, this woman was Myrian. No matter how strong the death-grip she had on her spear was, or how her heart burned with the desire for glory in battle...She raised her spear but could not follow through. It wasn't even the fear of certain death if she chose to engage the half-breed. She wasn't a fool to think that she had even a shot at victory here. No matter how confident she was. Even if she was lucky enough to succeed against all odds, the taking of another's life probably wouldn't bother her at all. It was...Something else. Something she couldn't place. Slowly, Kaie lowered the point of her spear slowly. Losing the aggression in her stance. Loose and relaxed. Maybe her curiosity was her fatal flaw rather than her ridiculous self confidence. Or maybe the Myrian youth had seen something in the golden eyes of the stranger that had nothing to do with her own presence. Fear. "Oh, you know. Exploring to see what prey I could find. Looks like you're it." She said easily with a playful shrug, brown eyes locked on what the half breed was doing. It was then that she caught sight of blood glistening on the edge of a dagger the woman slipped into its hold. Kaie appraised it for the short moment it was in view before making a comment on it. "Huh. Looks like you already caught one." Kaie added casually to continue playing along with the lie she was fed earlier, gesturing with her spear hand toward the stained weapon. Her expression was a bit accusational, like she was waiting to see if the other would play her lie all the way through. There was no gutted primate anywhere. No blood drops on the branches of any tree she could see. If she really had caught something, she must've been experienced to keep its fluid off her clothing. Kaie was young and naive, not stupid.

[Tinnok]

The girl was no fool, that was easy enough to see. Her stance was defensive, bordering on hostile, and her eyes clearly doubted the strange lie. Tinnok only bore her dagger, but she liked to think it would be the only thing she needed against the child. Long enough to drive the spear head away if necessary, and waiting her attention in the folds of her light clothing.

She did not want to fight a child, however, no matter how wild she appeared to be.

When she spoke Tinnok sensed something careful about the words, and suddenly realized (as if she could forget) her appearance. The eyes, the scales, the poor child must be torn between fighting for her life or fleeing.

The half breed thought about coming clean, explaning the whole situation to the young child, but part of her...decided against it. It would be interesting to see how far the girl went, and if she ever lost patience, precisely what she would do against the older and perhaps superior skilled opponent.

She shook her head at the second commet. "Haven't caught one yet, just nicked one on the tail. Fast buggers."

She noticed the girl looking to see if Tinnok was armed with anything more and slowly her mind began to process an unasked question. "I don't take my bow monkey hunting to even it out. They're fast, but they can't fly away like birds, so this way, I have to catch em in the trees, see."

Deciding to flesh out her tale she continued. "Howlers are easy to get, they're bigger, dont move as fast, and I don't kil capuchins, they're mcuh too smart, almost like us Myrians..." She paused, wondering how the girl would respond to the slit eyed woman calling herself a Myrian. "Spider monkeys though, aren't too bright, but very fast. Both hands and toes are clawed for better swinging, and they don't have prehensile tails like capuchins and howlers so they have to use their feet and hands all the time."

She smirked then rubbed her mouth. "Ach, I'm being rude. Didn't even ask about how your hunt was going. DId you find anything before I scared away everything?" Her voice was the fake sweetness of an adult, and Tinnok realized she quite enjoyed this strange lying game more than she could have imagined when she first threw out the comment.

[Kaie]

The jungle child's eyes lit up hearing the strange half breed's response. "She managed to slice a bit of the tail, huh? Too bad I missed that one..." She thought, though a small grin laced up one side of her face as she wondered how exactly that feat was accomplished. Imagining the strange Dhani-Myrian scampering along the branches, slashing furiously at the ever twitching tail of a fast moving primate. It was all she could do not to let out a short burst of laughter. Besides, throwing the dagger seemed more plausible even if it wasn't nearly as amusing. "I don't take my bow monkey hunting to even it out. They're fast, but they can't fly away like birds, so this way, I have to catch em in the trees, see." Bold brown eyes seemed to refocus then, full attention back on the girl rather than amusing explanations. Clearly when she had searched her for a weapon, her rapid eye movement hadn't gone unnoticed. It was like the scaled one had read her mind. Evening it out? Huh. Maybe she had made a false assumption about the jungle snake with golden eyes. It seemed as though they had something in common after all. Kaie for one absolutely adored the idea of prospective challenges. Evidently, the other did too. Well, if all she had said held any merit at all. If any of it had an ounce of truth to it rather than deception. "Howlers are easy to get, they're bigger, don't move as fast, and I don't kill Capuchins, they're much too smart, almost like us Myrians..." Us? What an odd thing to say considering the controversy over that statement. She seemed to be gauging Kaie's reaction to her choice of words, but before Kaie could interject, her was speaking again. Enveloping her lies further. "Spider monkeys though, aren't too bright, but very fast. Both hands and toes are clawed for better swinging, and they don't have prehensile tails like Capuchins and howlers so they have to use their feet and hands all the time. Ach, I'm being rude. Didn't even ask about how your hunt was going. Did you find anything before I scared away everything?" The little Myrian had to admit, for such an utterly terrible alibi, she wasn't doing too bad trying to make it work. The eight year old was enjoying the game they both had started to play. Going back and forth with words with as much value as Tskanna shyke without even batting an eye. Although, with all that knowledge thrown in her face, she thought she might've even believed it all for a moment. Unfortunately for the half-breed though, Kaie had spent her fair share of time within the jungles of Faylndar too. "Not bad. Except for the fact Spider Monkeys do have prehensile tails." She said with a superior grin, using her own knowledge to level the playing field somewhat. (Of course she'd still get her ass royally kicked if it came down to it, but why be so pessimistic?) It wasn't said in a snobby manner, nor was its purpose to condescend. For the most part it appeared in good nature. Even she was aware she a little bit naive though with her age. Honestly, she hadn't a petching clue what the word "prehensile" meant, but using the context clues around it, she grasped the concept. Well, at least she was pretty confident she did. It was just another word for something that can be used like an extra hand right? Just something that can grab things like branches, which she knew the black monkeys in question could do with their tails. In fact, she could see the image in her head from an incident just the other day. She was out following a thick stream through the jungle when there was a rustle in the trees across from her. When she turned to look, she witnessed a flexible branch lean a few feet above the water with a Spider Monkey hanging from it. Its tail was wrapped tightly about the branch while its body hung limply, lips just touching the liquid to take a drink. "My hunt has been atrocious by the way. I stepped on every petching branch and dried leaf just on my way over here. I think we both know you didn't scare anything that was already fleeing for its life within a mile radius of me." She added after a pause with a sarcastic laugh, well aware the last comment was just made out of polite conversation. Maybe even a distraction from the original topic. It was a nice gesture anyways, pretending it wasn't common knowledge that Kaie absolutely sucked at keeping quiet at this point in her life. Her language was probably frowned upon, but out here she wasn't too concerned about trivial things like that. Besides, she didn't feel like she needed to hold up any standards with the half-breed anyways. If the jungle was an outlet for her like it was for Kaie, she'd understand. "So, do you have a name? Unless you prefer Skurak." Her crooked grin seemed to widen as she said the phrase, a genuinely playful smile on her face. Of course the slur probably had more weight than she realized, considering it was probably wielded mercilessly as a verbal weapon. In a way it just gave her the opportunity to dull its meaning into something less derogative. Similar to how repeatedly receiving strikes from her father had dulled parts of her body to the pain, killing off the nerve response. Kaie seemed more at ease now, the once tense muscles in her young body relaxing. Her demeanor was even more placid and less strained. Actually, as soon as she finished the last syllable of her speech, she spun the end of her spear downward. Then she jammed it roughly deep into the dirt, releasing her grip on it to fold her small arms across her chest.

[Tinnok]

Tinnok was surprised with the fluidity of speech the young girl seemed to have, and grinned as she was corrected about nature, hitting her head with her hand, though whether it was another act or actual annoyance with herself at forgetting was hard to say. "You're right of course, they do. It's thumbs they don't have like other monkeys, I always forget."

She smirked and watch the girl...seem to relax a bit. Whether or not she believed the lie, she seemed content to play along, the half breed admired this. After all, it did the girl no good to potentially insult and annoy an enemy who might be able to skewer her with a sharp and already blooded knife.

She thought back to a mother Spider Monkey with her baby clutched tight upon her tummy, foraging in the upper stories, balanced with the tail like it was just another arm or leg. It was why they had gotten their name after all. Vaguely Tinnok wondered if she could catch one. Not bloody likely, though perhaps swiping at their tail wasn't so far fetched, they were quite long after all.

She glanced at the girl as she explained the faults with her hunting, acting quite humble before this complete stranger. Tinnok wasn't sure what it was that made the girl describe herself in this manner, but it seemed an admirable trait to have. She found herself smirking as she explained the wilderness fleeing before her.

"You are young still, as you grow you will learn of the jungle and how it works, and our feet will grow quieter, all Myrian's do." Her smiled faded somewhat. Her own feet were calloused and hard from her travels across the jungle bare foot. Why would she wear shoes when she could feel the soft earth beneath her feet.

She glanced at the girl, sizing her up. "That spear is half your problem, probably knocks branches and leaves while you work, and is a bit too big for you, no?" She shrugged. "Hold it tight to your body when you walk, or use it to push branches away and slowly replace them, it will help lessen your noise, as to your feet...well that just requires using your eyes, stepping on roots and soil and not leaves. Some patches of green are softer than others, but I am sure you'll learn."

At the insult TInnok snorted with laughter. Bold too...perhaps it was the fact that she knew there was no true animosity behind the words that nullified the insult.

"Most do call me by that, now that you mentioned it, but if you care to, the name is Tinnok, of the Tempered Steel, and what should I call you, noisy child?"

She had to admit, she couldn't help but feel an affection towards the strange little girl. Most any other child she would come across would spit at her feet, try to stab her then flee, throwing insults all along the way. This one seemed more thoughtful and observant, cautious, but brave too...quite Myrian.

[Kaie]

Kaie found she was actually quite surprised at the admiration she noticed she was acquiring for the half-breed. She knew what she was talking about and had brought up points the little girl herself hadn't even considered. Furrowing her brow slightly, she turned her head to eye the spear. Truly, it was a bit too long for her at the moment. Heavy too. She could handle it, but it wasn't a proper fit. Just a shoddy replacement. As for her feet, that was pretty spot on too. So excited was she to set her eyes on that obscured creature hidden in the foliage, she hardly ever looked down. Whenever her father brought her out here, he never needed to even glance at the forest floor. Or so it seemed. Would she be able to do that one day? A short burst of laughter caught her again, bringing her back out of her mind. The sound brought a bit of brightness to the kid's eyes. She didn't trust wholly so easily, but it seemed moderately safe to say animosity wasn't present. The scaled girl hadn't yanked the dagger back out to gut her for her comment at least. "Most do call me by that, now that you mentioned it, but if you care to, the name is Tinnok, of the Tempered Steel, and what should I call you, noisy child?" The name was catchy. It rolled right off the tongue too. What really caught her attention now was the fact she had a clan. A Myrian clan to be exact. Clearly, she wasn't just some hatching. She'd never seen this girl before, which lead her to believe she might've been the type whose family resided in the forest. Were they like hers? The half that protected the perimeter? If that was the case, it must be awkward every time a family member brags about killing a Dhani. "Tinnok of the Tempered Steel. Huh. Never heard of ya. Rather than Kotakbil? The name's Kaie. Cutthroat Shadows." She replied nonchalantly, unfolding her arms and shrugging her narrow shoulders. The eight year old was thoughtful for a moment, watching the other curiously. Tinnok looked like she was old enough to be at least past her blooding. Lucky. Kaie was practically living one day at a time, swarmed by her eagerness to drink from the basin. She practically lived for it. Shallow, she knew, but it couldn't be stopped. Her life revolved around it and her training. What about this one? "You a soldier? Or training to be one?" She asked vaguely, eyeing her. Of course the answer to both questions could be a flat out "no," but if this girl wasn't a tanner or a hunter, she wanted to know. The training yard was one of her favorite places to spectate. She was always perched somewhere she could see all the action without getting in the way. It was sick how she badly she wished to feel the pain of the training, the screams of abuse in her ear. Was she really turning into a masochist already at the age of eight? Kaie didn't really know the answer to that, but considering the world she lived in, that was the nature of the beast.

[Tinnok]

Tinnok felt strangely at peace in that moment with the child, unsure of what brought it on. Surely the entrance of an adult at any point would ruin the mood for both of them, but for now at least, a child young and old could simply be.

Tinnok acknowledge Kaie's name with a nod. She had heard vicious tales of the cutthroat shadows, but there was no need to go filling up the young girl's head certainly.

As for the question..."I would like to think all Myrians are training to be part of the military." She shrugged, she was tall due to her snake blood, so it wasn't hard to be confused with someone older. "I will most likely enlist in a few years time, with more experience beneath my belt."

"And you?" Tinnok asked curiously, sizing the 8 year old up once again. "Will you serve your life in the Taloban army, you think? Never leave Myri's side, metaphorically at least."

She could see the child being the perfect soldier. Clever and skilled. A soldier always needed a good head upon their shoulders. Goddess knows she would need it if and when she joined the military. She was going to get torn to pieces one way or another, and she didn't relish the day when she would set off to the training yards for that to happen.

[Kaie]

"I would like to think all Myrians are training to be part of the military. I will most likely enlist in a few years time, with more experience beneath my belt." Now that was interesting to her. She could hardly imagine it, the scene of a Dhani-Myrian strolling into the training yard and insisting on joining the army. Considering Kaie herself hadn't seen a half-breed before, she could only guess how more vicious warriors would react. The ones who clothed themselves in snake skin, adorning coats of slain enemies. Taloba wasn't even open to outsiders so most of the recruits probably wouldn't take it too lightly. It would be the Myrian blood in her that allowed Tinnok to keep her head. Kaie had watched the ruthless training exercises and slurs howled at the freshly enlisted people. Even an eight year old could understand all that would be amplified the second the scaled girl entered that environment. She made a mental note to suggest to Myri through prayer to keep murderous hearts at bay, when the day came. "And you? Will you serve your life in the Taloban army, you think? Never leave Myri's side, metaphorically at least." The young Myrian's brow furrowed in thought, or rather lack of it. There was never a question about her future. Not in her mind or her family's at least. You were a warrior inside the walls or in the jungle. There was no in between. Of course there were the rare occurrences of tanners and hunters, but those individuals had no other choice. If they took those alternatives, it was because they were incapable in one way or another. Even a minor birth defect or weak knee was unacceptable. Her clan would provide Myri only with their finest. As first born, Kaie felt weight on her shoulders to succeed. She would rise to the challenge and surpass expectations. She would make sure of it. "There is nothing else out there for me. My life is dedicated to bringing honor to the Goddess." Lifting a bronzed foot, she swiped it across the dirt in front of her anxiously. Her time seemed so far away. All she wanted to do was train and learn. It seemed every hour her father spent with her only made her feel more empty at the end. Kaie was insatiable. She leaned her shoulder on the nearby tree trunk, letting the fingers at her sides trace the cracked skin. Her eyes glanced about once in a lazy yet meticulous kind of way. Searching. She wasn't supposed to be out here this far alone without a companion. In fact, she blatantly lied and claimed Keikyo, her older cousin, was joining her. That might've worked if her favorite cousin hadn't started entering the walled city to learn the trade of tanning until he could enlist. He would be heading home eventually and her deception would be discovered. Frankly, she couldn't give a damn about the restrictions her parents tried to place on her. Kaie was their rebel child in a more Myrian way. Her recklessness was not aimed at destructive behavior. It was focused only on her fist and spear at the moment. Regardless, it was the idea one of her clansmen could be lurking somewhere in the forest only to stumble across her. With what looked like a Dhani. Now that would be a challenge to explain. That's when her mind came to a scenario that actually brought her slight discomfort. What if someone else were to find them first? "So. What were you really doing up in that tree?" She asked deviously, dropping whatever dark thoughts she harbored in that moment. A mischievous smile crept up the corner of her lips and her eyes focused solely on Tinnok. They both knew the whole spider monkey hunting deal was nonsense. A cover up. Though the lie itself amused the hell out of her, the mysterious truth was far more captivating. Whose blood was really on the dagger?