10 Glade, Year 110
[Closed]
The last time she had been back in Tertium was over a year ago. There had been few trips back to the family’s estate since the great tarantula tragedy, and Hilana was perfectly happy to be in the sands with her friends. Her pack, as Asher and the others called it. It was a family that they made, not necessarily the one that they were born in. And those bonds mattered just as much. Sure, some of the boys that worked the herds went to and from to visit their parents for a few days, but Hilana was one of the ones who stayed with the pack on the herding grounds. But she had been brought back in again, and she just knew that there was trouble coming. And no one was particularly keen to tell her why on the way home. That didn’t stop Vorenus from the lecture as they rode on their camels back to Tertium.
“There’s no grabbing anything or bringing it in,” the young man told her dryly. “No tarantulas, no lizards, no snakes, no birds, nothing. Every one of us knows what happened when Markus took you in for your father’s birthday. This isn’t a birthday, so you don’t need a gift for anyone.” Hilana had twisted around in her own saddle to look up at him, frowning, sitting on her dark-haired camel.
“If it’s not a birthday, why do I have to go back?” she asked him. “I want to stay with the pack.”
“Life is full of doing things we don’t want to do, cub,” he sighed. “That’s just the way of things. You’re going to have to walk through the fires all your life, but the difference is how you do it.”
“Walk through fires? We’re going to walk through fires in Tertium?” she stared, her dark eyes properly enormous.
“No, Hilana. It’s just a figure of speech. It just means things can be difficult, but how you face it will determine what kind of a person you are. Are you brave and do it anyway? Or do you try to run away from it?” He looked over at her, his reins loosely draped over the front saddle bar while he leaned back against the back of the saddle, relaxed.
“I don’t run away,” she scowled, looking down at Sakima.
“Then you have to be brave and do the best you can to behave yourself for them so that we can go home in a few days. If we get through this without any fights or mess ups, we’ll practice with bows from Et’imi, alright?” he nodded down at his camel mount. Hilana looked pleased by the possibility. “Do we have a deal?” He guided his camel closer to the girl’s, and offered her his hand.
“Deal!” Hilana leaned over and shook it, excited by the prospect. “Can you hit a gazelle from Et’imi?” she wanted to know, her eyes huge.
“Of course I can. How do you think we got the last one?” Vorenus asked her, still with a straight face.
“So you’ll teach me how to shoot from Sakima so I can get the next gazelle?” the child was all but squirming on the saddle, turning back to look to see where he had stashed the bow.
“If, and only, Hilana, this visit home goes smoothly. If everyone is happy when we leave, then I will teach you. I promise,” he nodded solemnly. The girl’s hands went back to the saddle bar in front of her, putting the reins of the young cow over the saddle bar like Vorenus had. She was already looking out over the sands as if she was hoping to find such a prize already. He just shook his head down at her. But there was something to be said for enthusiasm, and when they’d practically drawn straws over who was going to be responsible for taking her back, this had been the compromise they’d come up with. Bribery. She was always eager to learn and try new things, and the promise of a private lesson was a tempting one for her.
~~
“Remember,” he reminded her when he brought her to the main house, sliding off of Et’imi and holding his hands out. Hilana crouched on Sakima’s saddle, looking like a little frog from the way her legs were bent out, and took a flying leap, springing off the dark-haired camel. Vorenus caught her easily, and set her down, passing her on to the serva who came to collect her before taking her camel to the stables to be taken care of. He would go make his own trip to see his friends, and be back for her the next morning... unless they called him back sooner.
After a long bath and getting her hair oiled and combed to enhance her natural curls, styled with ribbons to keep it back and out of her face, Hilana’s earrings were changed from the little copper rings she wore while with on the herding grounds to those made of gold instead, and after being dressed in a burgundy and gold sari, she was brought in for lunch in the kitchen. The girl didn’t run around, didn’t get into everything, didn’t climb on the counters to better watch and see what was going on... and Sarala was pleasantly surprised. Well, now. That was more like it. She was acting civilized, her father would be pleased. Perhaps giving her that camel for her last birthday had been the right choice after all. He had gone out there for her birthday, rather than bringing her home, much less taking any of them with him. Her sisters had refused to make the trip, Sarala knew that her showing up was just going to cause trouble, and so her father and grandparents had made the half-day trip out. Another servus had gone to check the girl’s room to make sure nothing had been smuggled in after the last disaster, and fortunately, nothing had been found... Her youngest niece still had far too much energy, and it was obvious to her. Her own late sister had been the same way, but they had grown up in the Expanse where such things were acceptable.
Still, she was trying to contain herself, and her table manners were satisfactory, so the young men that had been raising her for the last six years had done decently. That much couldn’t be faulted. Even if she looked like she’d rather be sitting on the sands by the fire sharing a meal, she was eating carefully from the plate that had been put in front of her and answering questions with what was still far too many words... but small steps, Sarala sighed. She was still a child. But she was at the age where these habits could be refined in the schools, and with luck, her paternal grandparents and Eliana would agree with that course of action. They’d been against it before, but they might be able to make the case now that she might be about ready to come home permanently. It was something for her to talk over with Lebaoth, at least. It was high time that she was assessed for aetheric potential, too. That had been delayed, considering how she was prone to acting, and that was in a way a secret best kept within the family. But she was maturing now, so surely...
Her sisters still weren’t home yet, but they would be back later - the three of them were at one of the spas, getting ready for the party that night, the woman explained when Hilana asked about them, finishing off her plate of snacks. She always had a healthy appetite, and while Vorenus had packed a few things for the trip, Hilana was hungry... but she would also tackle a meal at any hour of the day or night if it was presented to her.
Sarala set her up with the spotted kitten, tawny gold with darker brown patches and bright blue eyes, for her to play with in the meantime. She could tell Hilana was having a hard time sitting still, but a kitten was a nice distraction as she relaxed with her lacework. There were only so many more preparations to do for the party; as almost everything was done and had been handled by the household slaves. All she really had to do now was keep an eye on Hilana and keep her contained, and try to keep her from getting into everything. The kitchen had been the easy part, when she had her own plate from most of the dishes that have already been made and sparkling juice just for her, and enough to pick from so that she wasn’t getting into the counters to see what else there was. “Why is there going to be a party?” Hilana wanted to know as she rolled the ball for the kitten, sitting on a cushion on the rug.
Part II
[Closed]
The last time she had been back in Tertium was over a year ago. There had been few trips back to the family’s estate since the great tarantula tragedy, and Hilana was perfectly happy to be in the sands with her friends. Her pack, as Asher and the others called it. It was a family that they made, not necessarily the one that they were born in. And those bonds mattered just as much. Sure, some of the boys that worked the herds went to and from to visit their parents for a few days, but Hilana was one of the ones who stayed with the pack on the herding grounds. But she had been brought back in again, and she just knew that there was trouble coming. And no one was particularly keen to tell her why on the way home. That didn’t stop Vorenus from the lecture as they rode on their camels back to Tertium.
“There’s no grabbing anything or bringing it in,” the young man told her dryly. “No tarantulas, no lizards, no snakes, no birds, nothing. Every one of us knows what happened when Markus took you in for your father’s birthday. This isn’t a birthday, so you don’t need a gift for anyone.” Hilana had twisted around in her own saddle to look up at him, frowning, sitting on her dark-haired camel.
“If it’s not a birthday, why do I have to go back?” she asked him. “I want to stay with the pack.”
“Life is full of doing things we don’t want to do, cub,” he sighed. “That’s just the way of things. You’re going to have to walk through the fires all your life, but the difference is how you do it.”
“Walk through fires? We’re going to walk through fires in Tertium?” she stared, her dark eyes properly enormous.
“No, Hilana. It’s just a figure of speech. It just means things can be difficult, but how you face it will determine what kind of a person you are. Are you brave and do it anyway? Or do you try to run away from it?” He looked over at her, his reins loosely draped over the front saddle bar while he leaned back against the back of the saddle, relaxed.
“I don’t run away,” she scowled, looking down at Sakima.
“Then you have to be brave and do the best you can to behave yourself for them so that we can go home in a few days. If we get through this without any fights or mess ups, we’ll practice with bows from Et’imi, alright?” he nodded down at his camel mount. Hilana looked pleased by the possibility. “Do we have a deal?” He guided his camel closer to the girl’s, and offered her his hand.
“Deal!” Hilana leaned over and shook it, excited by the prospect. “Can you hit a gazelle from Et’imi?” she wanted to know, her eyes huge.
“Of course I can. How do you think we got the last one?” Vorenus asked her, still with a straight face.
“So you’ll teach me how to shoot from Sakima so I can get the next gazelle?” the child was all but squirming on the saddle, turning back to look to see where he had stashed the bow.
“If, and only, Hilana, this visit home goes smoothly. If everyone is happy when we leave, then I will teach you. I promise,” he nodded solemnly. The girl’s hands went back to the saddle bar in front of her, putting the reins of the young cow over the saddle bar like Vorenus had. She was already looking out over the sands as if she was hoping to find such a prize already. He just shook his head down at her. But there was something to be said for enthusiasm, and when they’d practically drawn straws over who was going to be responsible for taking her back, this had been the compromise they’d come up with. Bribery. She was always eager to learn and try new things, and the promise of a private lesson was a tempting one for her.
~~
“Remember,” he reminded her when he brought her to the main house, sliding off of Et’imi and holding his hands out. Hilana crouched on Sakima’s saddle, looking like a little frog from the way her legs were bent out, and took a flying leap, springing off the dark-haired camel. Vorenus caught her easily, and set her down, passing her on to the serva who came to collect her before taking her camel to the stables to be taken care of. He would go make his own trip to see his friends, and be back for her the next morning... unless they called him back sooner.
After a long bath and getting her hair oiled and combed to enhance her natural curls, styled with ribbons to keep it back and out of her face, Hilana’s earrings were changed from the little copper rings she wore while with on the herding grounds to those made of gold instead, and after being dressed in a burgundy and gold sari, she was brought in for lunch in the kitchen. The girl didn’t run around, didn’t get into everything, didn’t climb on the counters to better watch and see what was going on... and Sarala was pleasantly surprised. Well, now. That was more like it. She was acting civilized, her father would be pleased. Perhaps giving her that camel for her last birthday had been the right choice after all. He had gone out there for her birthday, rather than bringing her home, much less taking any of them with him. Her sisters had refused to make the trip, Sarala knew that her showing up was just going to cause trouble, and so her father and grandparents had made the half-day trip out. Another servus had gone to check the girl’s room to make sure nothing had been smuggled in after the last disaster, and fortunately, nothing had been found... Her youngest niece still had far too much energy, and it was obvious to her. Her own late sister had been the same way, but they had grown up in the Expanse where such things were acceptable.
Still, she was trying to contain herself, and her table manners were satisfactory, so the young men that had been raising her for the last six years had done decently. That much couldn’t be faulted. Even if she looked like she’d rather be sitting on the sands by the fire sharing a meal, she was eating carefully from the plate that had been put in front of her and answering questions with what was still far too many words... but small steps, Sarala sighed. She was still a child. But she was at the age where these habits could be refined in the schools, and with luck, her paternal grandparents and Eliana would agree with that course of action. They’d been against it before, but they might be able to make the case now that she might be about ready to come home permanently. It was something for her to talk over with Lebaoth, at least. It was high time that she was assessed for aetheric potential, too. That had been delayed, considering how she was prone to acting, and that was in a way a secret best kept within the family. But she was maturing now, so surely...
Her sisters still weren’t home yet, but they would be back later - the three of them were at one of the spas, getting ready for the party that night, the woman explained when Hilana asked about them, finishing off her plate of snacks. She always had a healthy appetite, and while Vorenus had packed a few things for the trip, Hilana was hungry... but she would also tackle a meal at any hour of the day or night if it was presented to her.
Sarala set her up with the spotted kitten, tawny gold with darker brown patches and bright blue eyes, for her to play with in the meantime. She could tell Hilana was having a hard time sitting still, but a kitten was a nice distraction as she relaxed with her lacework. There were only so many more preparations to do for the party; as almost everything was done and had been handled by the household slaves. All she really had to do now was keep an eye on Hilana and keep her contained, and try to keep her from getting into everything. The kitchen had been the easy part, when she had her own plate from most of the dishes that have already been made and sparkling juice just for her, and enough to pick from so that she wasn’t getting into the counters to see what else there was. “Why is there going to be a party?” Hilana wanted to know as she rolled the ball for the kitten, sitting on a cushion on the rug.
Part II
