Searing 45, 110.... Three years after the end of the war
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"
The young voice rang out all through the Great Tree of Ounokt Nora, sending beetles and birds alike fluttering out, startled. A pair of green hands were grasping upon a vine whose leaves curled around the fingers, holding them in place, as a young, Orkhan lass swung from one branch down to another. As she landed confidently, she whipped her body upright, smiling and proud, her dark eyes shining. She turned in place on heel, still holding the vine, hollering across the gap to another little girl there. "See? Easy! Your turn!"
Norani swung the vine back across, and the other girl caught it carefully. "What if I fall?"
Norani beamed, sticking out her chest, "Don't!"
The girl nodded nervously, wrapping her arms and a leg around the vine, then pushed off with her other leg. She squealed, her eyes squeezed shut as soared across the gap in the branches, several hundred meters above the ground below. As she came close to Norani it became obvious that she didn't have enough oomph to reach. As her swing crested, Norani crouched, "Hold on tight Juno!" As Juno began to swing back, Norani jumped hard, reaching out. She caught the vine and Juno both and their combined momentum helped carry them across and back to their first branch.
Juno slumped off the vine, "I didn't make it." Norani pulled her into a tight embrace, "But you were so close! And you tried! Not so scary now, right?" Juno considered it and nodded, "Not so scary." Norani stepped back and offered up the vine, "You go first this time." Juno smiled, her amethyst eyes glittering in the high morning sun. "See you on the other side."
Sometime later there was the sound of two pairs of feet slapping against wood as the two girls raced along one of the many branches of the Great Tree. A quick leap down a set of foot worn notches, a short climb against the trunk, and the two were now gathered around several fires with many other Orkhan. Juno was positively beaming, rushing to get into the throng as Norani followed after her. This was the Branch of Fire, where the village came to share their communal meals. The fires were carefully attended to by the cook, Hoka, and his apprentices.
And Juno loved the communal meals here. The pair of girls got in line behind a very large man, pure muscle, towering, every inch of his body covered in tattoos. Juno bumped into him a bit, and his glaring eyes peering through long, curved tusks, found her as he turned to see the disturbance. Then his face broke into a bright smile, "Hello again little ones!"
"Hello Kivak! Catch any fishes today?"
He offered a hand down to each of the girls, and they placed their hands into his. He then hefted both of them up and onto each of his shoulders. He pointed to the biggest fire, handled by Hoka himself. There on a spit, was a massive, bright yellow and green fish with a large sail of a dorsal fin. "That one there is mine. I chased her for five hours this morning. She was smart, and so terribly fast."
Both of the girls unisoned, "Woooow."
"She's called a Mango Fan and they only live in Nora. A delicacy that only our people are lucky to experience."
The line was moving quickly as Hoka and staff were carving up the fish and other animals, as well as a wide array of fruits and vegetables. Feeding an entire village was tiring work, and they did so with a smile on their face. The villagers of Ounokt Nora were all happy, strong, and fed. But not everyone received the same amount of food, nor even the same food. As Norani, Juno, and Kivak approached the fires, Hoka smiled at them, "Seems you caught a couple more fishies for me, Kivak."
The two men laughed heartily at the girls' momentary looks of worry before they joined in on the laughter too. A leaf wrapped meal was handed to Hoka, and a knife was pointed at the fisherman. "When are you going to the healer next?" Kivak paled. "I don't know, it's not bothering me so much today." Hoka's eyes narrowed, and he pointed his carving knife closer, "Don't lie to me Kivak. Your intestines were shredded by their bombs. The healers did good work on you but their work will never be done. You look to be two pounds lighter and you're tired at midday meal?" A glare was sent down the knife point.
Kivak slumped his shoulders, "I'll go today."
Hoka nodded curtly, "Good. Eat all of that, it will soothe the pain and help the healers work." Kivak looked down at it, "But it's so much." Hoka's eyes narrowed, "And you're underweight. Eat your food." The man nodded. Hoka handed two leaf wrapped meals to the girls, "You two are all legs and arms, I can't seem to feed you enough!" Hoka glowed. The girls giggled, and the trio went off to join the rest of the village in their meal.
They sat down on the edge of one of the branches, as people paired off or found their various little social groups for the day. Across the way Norani saw one of Juno's mothers speaking to one of her fathers. She waved at them. They paused a moment, then smiled and waved back. Norani set about eating quietly, not really paying to the meal. She didn't really care about eating that much, not like Juno or some of the others did. If Norani could, she would do without eating, so that she could go back to playing or chasing lemurs or something. She glanced over at Juno as the girl ate at her flatbread stuffed with the marinated and roasted fish meat, filled with a fruity chutney and topped with peppers. Each bite was an experience, a moment she would savor. She knew that tonight, Juno would draw the meal in her food journal, trying to figure out what all was in it.
She could easily ask Hoka, but she liked trying to figure it out.
Norani whispered to Kivak, not wanting to disturb Juno's meal, "Did it hurt a lot?"
She pointed at the scarring that raced all over the front of his stomach. Whispering back, "Yeah. It was pretty bad. I thought I was going to die." Norani nodded, "Were you at Ailos?" He shook his head, "No, I was at Dratir. I was helping to sink their ships. Until they dropped some bombs in the water where I was."
Norani shivered. "Are they scary? The humans?"
Kivak's face softened, "Humans are no more or less scary than us Orkhan. But those soldiers, these Imperials, they were scary. I've never looked into a man's eyes and seen so much hatred. That's what's scary."
Norani nodded, "Is it true that they are pink skinned?"
At that Kivak threw back his head laughing. Juno looked over, one last bite of her flatbread, confused, "Many of them turned pink because they aren't used to how warm the sun is here. They come from the northlands, there's a lot less sunshine and warmth up there."
Juno's eyes grew wide, "So is it rainy season all the time there?"
He shook his head, chuckling, "No, they have four seasons, not two like us. A season for wet and growing, a season of dry and warmth, a season of death and decay, and a season of cold and darkness."
"Oooooooh," they chimed once more.
"Any big plans today?"
Juno piped in first, "I've gotta get home soon. Papa Joji is coming home tomorrow so Mamma wants some help gathering some flowers and stuff."
Kivak nodded, "Oh, Joji's back, wonderful. Haven't seen him in ages. Do you want me to take you home? I have to go see the healer there."
"Yes please!"
He looked over at Norani, "And you?"
Norani thought for a moment and then was quiet. Kivak snorted, "You're going to go spy on the bigger kids aren't you?"
The tips of Norani's ears darkened, and she looked away, embarrassed, "Oh nothing to be ashamed about. Your mamma Ourha did the same thing growing up."
Norani turned back, disbelief painted on her face, "Really?"
He chuckled, "Yeah, she was a bit smaller so she often watched us play our games until she figured out the rules herself."
Norani crossed her arms, "I hope I don't grow up to be small."
Kivak laughed loudly again, "Small is not a bad thing, and larger isn't better. Your mamma is one of the best fliers this village has ever seen. And I'm probably the biggest fisherman here in the village, and that's why your papa catches his fish faster than me. You'll turn out the right size, and the right way, whatever that looks like."
He cast a glance over at Hoka at the fires, "As long as you eat all your food..."
