to see the dancing ladies

Chitsa Amara · 06-12-2011, 12:55 AM

[html]

For Ralla. Optime form, at the Great Fire hearth, Mongwau isn't present but might be showing up later, who knows.

Again, Songan's presence had been diminished by another, a woman Chitsa was not pleased to see roaming the world of AniWaya; much to her dismay, this left her without much to do. As it had been in the days before her brother's appearance, Chitsa spent much of her mornings gathering wood. The forest allowed her to spend time alone, the hoarsely feminine voice she sang with bouncing off the trunks as the red wolf's hands found dry kindling for the tribe. She enjoyed the solitude of gathering firewood; even in her home, even in the Great Tribe, she often went to be by herself. It was rare to see the Amara woman and a friend gabbing amongst the trees. Instead, it would be the guttural folk songs of the Great Tribe heard in the distance, sung by a solitary Gata Hineyu. Today was no different.

She didn't return to the village until noon, arms piled high with wood of various weights and sizes — she made a mental note to go hunting for something to help her carry such large loads. Her singing stopped, a sigh replacing the words as her feet carried her to the place she was most comfortable at: the Great Fire. The pile of kindling was dropped with a hollow, wooden clatter upon the ground and the woman brushed her mass of feather-and-beaded hair out of the way, using two braids to tie it back as she sat to divide her load. Though she knew she'd need to go back to the forest later, she was content in dividing what she'd managed to gather into bundles to be used by the Etikaiele Gata in feeding the fire.

Ralla · 06-21-2011, 12:39 PM

[html]

SORRY SORRY SORRY! D: (Nootau: Not Visible)

It was true...! It was all true, and...she was so stupid. She had ignored it for days, distracting herself instead, and after resigning herself to read the stars... It hurt. Kemo was gone--disappeared, no sign whatsoever--and all the signs and readings could do was tell her that he was so; gone and disappeared. The readings wouldn't tell her if he was dead or injured or in trouble, or anything; just gone. That word echoed in her head for the past few days, causing her entire being to tremble. I...I loved him... He had been her first, and it hurt; worse than any burn or broken bone; he had left a mate and newborn pups; his family. She didn't know what to do, and she had told no one else of her inner troubles. But...she had stopped singing; her smile didn't quite reach her eyes; her work and care for the pups became mechanical for the past three days. She knew she had to carry out her duties, but for some reason, the spark within her had dimmed...and it was shameful.

As if still asleep, Ralla went down the tree hut to go through the mechanical routine she once so loved, but was still too shocked to put all her heart into again. As it had been in her native tribe, the tribe's duties and needs came before one's own; this was a value instilled into her, and once she could not break from her soul, even in its hardened state. And yet, how curious it was that it wasn't her pups' cries that broke that shell of cold, but the chanting of an unfamiliar song wafting over the hills to greet her ears, resonating from the center of the village. Just as it had begun it ceased, but Ralla persisted that way, since she had to go that way otherwise. The first thing she was the Great Fire, of course, but then a familiar figure. "Chitsa?" she said, gentle voice quiet from days of no use. She saw what the woman was doing and nodded approval, feeling ages older than she actually was. How long was it since she last ran among the forest? Sang with such joy? Too long. And how she yearned to do so again. Even the fire dancing which had been a great joy to her in the last winter had brought her no comfort, yet, as she practiced its fluid movements and forms. "I...hope that you've settled in nicely?" she asked as she went to stand beside the Great Fire, letting her fingers trail through the smoke wafting from it. The smoke, as always, was soft and smelled of the wood it was burning--oak and maple today--and it melted the ice a little. Her calloused hands had long ago stopped smarting from embers or half-burnt coals; she had allowed the fire to become a part of her, and still... She did not know what was holding her back from letting go. Even Nootau had been troubled by it, although he had tried hard to steer her on the right path. But this was not a path of reality or choice; it was acceptance. All that was needed was time. "Tell me...what were you singing?"

Moon walks. "Moon talks." Moon thinks.

Chitsa Amara · 06-23-2011, 11:35 PM

[html]

She was interrupted by the quiet voice of an unfamiliar-yet-familiar creature. Ralla had approached without the Fire Tender's notice, though it did not startle the red wolf Amara as it might have. They were, after all, around the Great Fire; this was a place for their profession, and to expect anything else would have been foolish. Chitsa paused in her work, turning blue eyes to the snow-colored woman with faint curiosity. Of course, it didn't take long for her to move on to questions. These weren't the questions of the annoying child, Ayasha, but simple things about her life. Had she settled in? What was it she was singing? The young Amara wiped her brow with the back of one cream-gloved arm.

"Yes, I've settled fine. In his condition, Dawali has kept me busy; it's a shame Mischka is gone. He really deserves a woman to tend to him." Her brother held a high place in her heart, just as any of her siblings did. It was enjoyable to serve dinner for Dawali and her niece, Sakari, and time in the Town Hall with the two of them had greatly helped her prior sorrows over the loss of Kotori; it wasn't the same, however, as tending to her duties as a mate, and she expected it wasn't the same for Dawali as it had been with her sister-in-law.

A hand rose to brush away flyaway locks of burnished brown. "It was just a song; Agitsi used to sing to me, when I was a little girl." Oh, her mother, who was suffering in the same place as her youngest daughter. Their mates were gone, and to add salt to the wound, Chitsa and Songan had left her as well. For a moment, she felt guilty, but it soon passed. Sanuye and her brothers would continue where Chitsa and Songan left off, there would be no break in her mother's life. Simply missing pieces.

She hefted a sigh and returned to her work, each motion effortless and fluid as if she'd done it all her life. "What brings you out to talk today?" she asked, her words curious; she hadn't tried to speak to others more frequently than she needed to, and often wondered if it caused them to see her as unfriendly.

Ralla · 07-10-2011, 01:11 PM

[html]

Forgive the non-prettiness/fail, I have no mouse and hence copying and pasting codes makes Rachel an annoyed-Rachel :< So it shall be prettied after vacation -_-. EDIT: IT HAS BEEN DONE! >:O

"I'm happy to hear that; that's you've settled, that is. I never knew Mischka; was she Dawali's mate?" Perhaps it was rude to ask, but Ralla's mind was not exactly as calculating and careful as normal. Besides, she would've been comfortable with these questions in any other situation with close friends; she would've asked the same question blatantly to Dawali--who, she had noticed, had become close enough to her that she no longer referred to him strictly as Chief Dawali in certain company--had she been prompted. It simply had not come up before.

"It was lovely." In truth, Ralla could not really comment much further than that. She had only briefly known her mother, when she was so very, very young. Perhaps her mother had sung to her--Noss had told her that Lenarshe liked to sing, and that's where Ralla inherited it from--but she could not recall the songs, and only the faintest wisp of a voice remained in her memory. She ceased her movements through the smoke and went to help Chitsa, not because she thought that the other women needed the help, but because she wanted to do a kind thing. Everyone in the world only needed a little kindness, and perhaps they would thaw quicker than her heart. But he had shown her kindness and love, and then...

"Only duty," she responded, feeling the bark of the newly chopped wood beneath her fingertips. Rough and smooth, all at once. Ralla was somewhat like a new tree; on the outside she was covered by an armor, and on the inside she was soft and green. Kemo had been able to cut through to her inside, and he had left a warped knot in his place. It wasn't always that way, though. Ralla used to be open to all--she wanted to be again. But how could one fix a warp? "I love the Great Fire; it was a great light in the darkness, whenever I needed it." This was true, and she hoped it would be true again. A tree didn't need an ax to get to its center; a fire could burn through the bark just as well. "I'm sure you feel the same way. It is our guardian." Thinking deeply, Ralla wondered when the last time was that she properly held a teaching circle; when she had properly trained someone or taught another the stories. Likely Chitsa knew the stories better than she, being born in the Great Tribe, but she was curious about another thing. "Did you dance, too, in the Great Tribe? The fire dances?"

Moon walks. "Moon talks." Moon thinks.

Chitsa Amara · 07-14-2011, 05:08 PM

[html]

She didn't answer the question about Mischka, for it wasn't her place to disclose any more than a name when it came to her brother's late mate. In fact, Chitsa remained quiet as she went about her task despite the fact that the Etikaiele Gata answered her questions. Her hands bundled the wood while ember-jaws remained shut and periwinkle eyes watched her fingers as they worked. Though Chitsa was so frequently a laughing, joyful woman, the death of Kotori had hampered her attitude significantly. She was sure that someday, like Dawali, she would return to herself and once again be something close to happy. Death was not an end, and the Spirits would allow her to be with him again.

Her ears twisted to listen as Ralla began to speak about the Great Fire, though her eyes remained focused on her task. It confused the woman to think that someone who had not been born to the world of her Tribe could be so attuned to it — they were not really the same. As Ralla expressed a belief that Chitsa felt the same as she, Chitsa cleared her throat and stood, brushing feather-woven locks back over her shoulders. "I believe that I feel more deeply about it than you do." There was no insult in her voice, only honesty, as she offered a firm opinion of the differences between those who came to the tribe after birth and those who were born into it through generations of blood.

She stacked the bundles of wood in a careful heap somewhere both close and far from the Great Fire, to ensure they wouldn't be confused as simple firewood but would not burn without prompting. The Etikaele Gata's question caused Chitsa to turn, a frown coloring her features. Dancing? As far as she was concerned, there had never been dancing. "I was unaware that anyone would dance with fire. Fire is dangerous; that would be similar to battle, I believe." A grim sense of distrust rose within her chest in regards to the white-furred woman, who seemed so different from what the Fire Tender was used to.

Ralla · 07-14-2011, 07:27 PM

[html]

By the way, to clear confusion, Ralla can speak AniWayan semi-fluently because her native language has the same roots. She further learned it while learning the stories and while communing with Dawali.

Ralla could only assume that Mischka was in fact Dawali's mate thereafter, because Chitsa gave no direct response. Ralla could respect silence; it was anyone's gentle answer to disclosing a subject, and should need no further prompting. Some issues were exceptions to this, of course, but a personal matter did not count as this. Throughout it all Chitsa remained dutiful, going through the motions efficiently and methodically.

Despite the tone that Chitsa gave, Ralla felt a pang within her heart. She had once questioned the nature of being a 'true' AniWayan--so much that it had caused her a period of depression like the one she was currently in. But Dawali had given her guidance, and her fears had been assuaged. Forest green eyes lifted from her hands which had been contemplating the wood to look at Chitsa--truly look at her, as if for the first time--and she then lapsed into AniWayan, the spiritual tongue. "Nigadawu adanhteha nudalehnav. Ge'lis gv...nasgi gesvi utselidv." Despite the fact that Chitsa was older than Ralla, and had likely been performing the fire tender's duties for far longer as well, Ralla had moments where she was wise beyond her years; it was the training she had undergone, and the connection she felt to the spirits and nature. The white mother respected Chitsa for multiple reasons, and she never wanted to have a misunderstanding between the two of them; she wanted it all to be open. Granted, she could not force that on Chitsa, and would only have to be patient.

So it is only here, Ralla thought after Chitsa's comment. Somehow, it made AniWaya all the more special for its diversity, and a welling of emotion--passion--came from within her that she might introduce such a great thing to someone from the Great Tribe. Standing, Ralla was regretful that she did not have her fire staff on hand, and for a moment contemplated whether she should begin to carry it about as a staff. This was irrelevant to the current situation, however, and she was quickly back on track. "Nasgi gesvi usgaseti, asehi. Aseno uwoduhi. Nasgi gesvi gohiyuhi, ale oginaligohi tsalatsisgi gvdodi nasgi igvnisisgi oginaligohi gvgeyui nasgi, ale igvnisisgi oginaligohi tsadu'li alenidohv gata ulanigvgv." She looked to the fire and back to Chitsa, the wan smile steadily growing. It was as if the fire was already thawing her heart because it could feel her love and passion; or perhaps that was just the romanticist thinking of a young woman. "Galisgia hawiditlv ehu anilasdalv, nu. Aseno ahani, nasgi gesei nudalehnav. Gvhna. Hia gata gesvi hia unadatlugi. ...Nahdvga nihi utloi aya dadeyohvsgv nihi nasgihai nihi anasgvti tsalatsisgi gvdodi aya soi gola?" Come the early snows, Ralla would certainly perform again with her staff for all to see rather than just her own personal ceremony. For now, though, should Chitsa accept her invitation, they would begin with the steps only, as Ralla had begun with J'adore when his path was still of the Gata Hineyu.

Everything one step at a time, and with patience.

Moon walks. "Moon talks." Moon thinks.

Chitsa Amara · 07-14-2011, 08:49 PM

[html]

The AniWayan tongue was not unfamiliar to Chitsa, but it felt misplaced to the red wolf as the Etikaiele Gata spoke it — it was a spirit tongue, one Chitsa had seen reserved primarily for the ceremonial aspects of the tribe, and it was this reason that caused the Amara to continue on in a common language. Periwinkle blues watched the woman without expressing the subtle curiosity she felt in regards to the thought of dancing with flames. It seemed foolhardy, dangerous, and caused Chitsa to wonder on Ralla's intelligence or sense of safety as she listened to the woman speak about it. Certainly no one would be so foolish as to risk harm simply for the sake of being close to the Great Fire. There were other ways, other paths to take to achieve spiritual calm, than one that was a danger to the soul. But the white woman seemed so adamant about the whole thing that it eased the suspicions that the woman was sick in the head. The faintest trace of a smile crossed over black-lined red jaws. "My mate would have appreciated such a spectacle, I'm sure." Kotori had always appreciated the different, the unique. The rush of adrenaline was why he had chosen the warrior's path and it was that same love of life that had caused him to lose his. Her smile faded into nothing again as she remembered he had entered the spirit world without her.

Her surprise was subdued as Ralla offered her the chance to learn the dance, and she was more than just a little apprehensive. To dance with fire, something she had seen to be destructive as well as powerful and beautiful, was not an idea she took lightly. Perhaps Ralla's mind worked more like a child than her own — in a realm of fantasy that Chitsa had left behind years before — or perhaps Chitsa was simply too tied into her traditions. Either way, there was a silence from the woman as she turned away to think, again working diligently upon the stacks of wood to ensure they were placed right. Once the pile was gone, she returned her gaze to the white Fire Keeper. "I will learn...for now. But I won't continue if it proves a danger." She wasn't ready to depart the world as Kotori had, certainly not touched by the Great Fire itself.

Login




Remember me Lost Password?