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    1. LouLou 10 yrs ago
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Out for day but I'll have something up for tomorrow. Hopefully the others return as well!
Some found blessings peaceful, an act of meditation. It was rare for Aishla to feel such reverence, and she recognized only the tedium they made. But today was worse, more than a simple impatience. Something twisted in her stomach as her sister's voice chanted softly. Sweat began to dampen the hair touching her neck, despite the cold breeze. She closed her eyes, and breathed, trying to find the meditative state others went to when in communion with the gods, and failed. The nausea persisted; a blatant refusal from the gods to grant her safety. Aishla was standing again before Shytora could bid goodbye.

"Good hunt" Aishla only nodded in response, lips pressed to a hard line, turned, and walked away quickly. The grip on her stomach didn't loosen until she came into sight of Koric, and even then refused to let go completely. Still, she found herself breathing again as she approached where he was sitting, in a quiet conversation with Jeel. Her husband looked to her at the sound of footsteps and stood in greeting, Jeel remained seated, it was Aishla who bowed her head and raised a hand to her forehead, half greeting and half apology for interrupting. Jeel only nodded in response, barely glancing at her before nodding at Koric.

"You will be going then" The middle aged man said, stood, and walked away without further acknowledgment or explanation. Before she could speak, Koric was handing Aishla her spear and guiding her away; both their packs in his other hand.

"It's past time we left" This earned him a frown, but Aishla trusted her husband enough not to make a scene in the center of their makeshift village. People were already looking at Koric. With no other ceremony, they left. A few moments out from the tribe she tried to ask.

"Has something happened?" Her mind went first to her father. Which wouldn't make much sense. He would be with a large group, slow moving. They wouldn't reach their destinations for at least another two days. Koric ignored her question, instead walking ahead of her, still carrying two packs.

"Koric" she called, slight annoyance quickly igniting to proper anger. They hadn't even begun their journey and there were to many ill omens for Aishla to be anything but on edge. Still he remained silent, and lead. That too was an insult. Koric was no scout, a warrior as all men. It was to her to lead, he wasn't even meant to come.

She stopped after nearly an hour she stopped. It took Koric a few moments to notice; his own footsteps so comparatively loud. But he did turn eventually with a look of consternation to rival his wife's. Aishla didn't flinch, instead waiting for him to return to where she stood.

"We need to keep moving," Aishla tilted her head, letting a few beats pass before speaking.
"What did the Jeel say to you?" Koric's face twisted further,  it wasn't only her he seemed angry with. Aishla relaxed her posture and took her bag from him.
"If it is something about today I need to know." she softened her voice and sat down.
"We don't know where outsiders may be hiding, speak quick and quiet." Koric did not sit down, but sighed and finally began to speak.
"It is the All - Leader.  Jeel believes he is crossing his bounds"
"What bounds?"
"Jeel says he is too involved in the outsiders to the east."
Aishla frowned, those they would be attacking withing the fortnight, business of the war - leader.
"How so?"
"He forbade Jeel to follow your father, among others. Told them it was to strengthen the tribe."
"In what way?"
Koric shrugged,
"No specifics, though he mentioned something about good fortune in battle. Few feel at ease in the place- so much left by the ones before, and the cold-"
"That is the task of shaman and the tribe mother"
"There are other rumors-"
Koric stopped as a sudden sound came from behind Aishla, who was standing spear in hand barely a moment later. She signaled him to remain quiet. Her stomach twisted again, something wasn't right; but whether it was the conversation or the noise she could not tell. The panic was quickly drowned out with anger as Koric again took lead. His steps loud and ignorant to the twigs and rocks they hit.
She reached out to him, but stopped, breathing in sharply as he tripped. A loud noise followed, Aishla looked to her husband, who was inspecting something twisted around his ankle. She held out her spear, eyes darting the surroundings as her husband freed his ankle and began to stand again.
Aishla followed obediently, doing her best not to notice the small girl on the floor and the grieving couple looming over her body. The sisters remained silent, aside from Shytora's traditional phrases. It was good to be outside again. The air was cold here, as far as Aishla knew this was the farthest north the tribe had ever traveled. Winter here would be difficult. She sat on the log opposite her sister, moving in reflex rather than conscious thought. Her sister's hands moved quickly among her various tools. It reminded her hours spent on wasted lessons in her mother's hope that both daughters would be wise women. That wasn't a comfortable memory.

" Are you eating enough? You look weak. A scout should be strong!" Aishla looked up and blinked at her sister then frowned, dropping her gaze back to Shytora's hands. If it was mockery, it stung coming from her own sister. She involuntarily crossed her arms over an all-to un-rounded stomach.

"I came here out of respect for tradition, not to be chided at by my younger sister." If that was the part she was going to play, Aishla would simply leave. More tensions here would distract her out there, time was too short for that.
"You have to go in sometime."

Aishla looked up from her work to see Koric standing over her. His face and shoulders shown with newly painted red and black symbols. That was wrong; they should have been white.

"We are not headed to fight. Unless you have changed your mind?" she didn't acknowledge his first comment, instead returning to wrapping hide around the hot wax keep holding the spearhead to the staff. Her husband only grinned down at her.

"No, but there had been a change, Norti and your father confront the outsiders today."

Aishla didn't respond, looking down at the newly made spear in her hands. All the more important they leave soon then. The change in shadows warned that Koric had shifted to beside her.

"You worry about him fighting?" that caught her off guard, and she jerked away, suddenly angry. How could men be so blind? Her father was old but to imply the war leader was no longer battle-worthy was offensive to the extreme.

"No! I-" she stopped. She found it difficult to explain her worries to Koric in the recent weeks. More than anything else, he was her friend, even before they married. But now that they where she could not express herself. Unjustly or not she blamed her sister for that as well. If Shytora had not been such a child there would be no rift between them, and Aishla would be able to speak with her husband. But there was a rift, and the goddess of family would never grant her a child if did not make peace with the family she already had. She stood, bowed her head and raised an open palm to Koric in supplication.

"I apologize husband, the stronger winds of this pace make me uncertain. I will go make final preparations." He touched his forehead in acknowledgment and began to inspect the contents of the pack she had left open on the ground.

The sanctuary was at the far end of the tribes camp. In the place, they had found an uncovered building with three walls. This layers of hide and fabric closed it to the rest of the camp, in an effort to contain the smell. It wasn't terrible these days, they where not yet at war so there where fewer here for treatment. Not that there only being the very sick and elderly made the place any more appealing to Aishla. Death was one thing, the slow slipping away that happened here was something else. She scanned the room quickly until her eyes landed on one of the women holding a water basin.

"Shytora," she raised her palm in greeting but did not lower her head "I leave to discover learn of the neighboring outsiders, I would asks for the gods blessing." Her sister knew perfectly well why she was here. But there was ceremony, and a possibility she would want to be difficult.
Sorry if I held you guys up. I've unexpectedly moved again, but hopefully everything's calm now.
Maggie's attention was distracted for a moment to the young boy's companion standing next her, shifting uncomfortably and seemingly trying to make himself invisible. Her eyes didn't linger on his personage long, but his staff.  She frowned at it, not looking up until Irisara had already left the table.



"I don't think I caught your name,"
she smiled at the blond girl who had first approached, before following the others to get herself a glass. Did they all use magic? The thought made her uneasy, and she took a large first swig to ease her concerns.


"Miner's brew,"
she said absently continuing to sip the drink, clearly accustomed to the taste "the pride and shame of Earth kingdom."
"-I'm something of a demolition expert, I suppose."
She added quickly, realizing his question had been directed at her.
Finished mine! I think.
Things are moving so fast! Sorry if I missed anyone in my post, not a lot of time to make it but wanted to keep things moving.
Maggie didn't notice that the blonde woman was speaking to her at first. She stared at her blankly before forcing a smile. Time to test out her people skills.
"Fine," she replied, examining the woman "just isn't my usual crowd." Not that she had a crowd. As her eyes shifted again to the surrounding groups she found another woman staring, at her or her new acquaintance? Either way she was smiling, approaching even.

A genuine smile crept to Maggie's face upon hearing Irisara's greeting, and only flinched for a moment upon seeing the magic displayed on her hand.
"Maggie, and any number of drink would make all of this go down easier. This is-" she stopped in mid gesture to the blonde, realizing they hadn't actually gone through introductions. Thankfully two more showed to their table. To think she was worried about finding people merely seconds ago. The first man, Cypher looked young, especially to be in a war. Gideon didn't apparently to much of a warrior either. But looks didn't mean much, as she well knew. She smiled at the newcomers and folded her arms.
"That depends. I'm only interested in the serious work, the big ranks." She raised an eye brown as yet another man came to the table. A very social group they had growing here.
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