Thoughts In The Night

Kaithak and Madaya seemed to get along, once the girl got past her apprehension, which was good. Who knew how much longer they would have to travel together to reach their final destination.

The three of them continued on, when night came they stopped. Kaithak sat on Islana's shoulder as she offered the girl a date and some water. Despite both Islana and the girl being careful throughout the day, there was only so much to go around. The huntress knew her supplies were extremely limited. She ate a date herself and split a piece of jerky with the girl. It wasn't much but it was something.

Islana attempted to hide her concern but she apparently had not been very successful. Her green eyes watched with curiosity and wonder as Madaya made water with magik. It was similar to what Agizul had done, turning sand into water, but on a slightly larger scale.

The redhead smiled at the brown haired girl and nodded. The water was cool and tasted amazing.

"Thank you," Islana said, in Ozanine.

Knowing more words in the girl's language would have been easier but, at least, she knew a few.

Kaithak drank after Islana. Then the three of them settled in for the evening. The huntress wasn't sure about calling over animals to eat raw. It was one thing to take that chance with herself, but it seemed like too big of a risk for the young girl.

As Madaya fell asleep Islana's thoughts went to wondering what it would have been like, as a child, to not have to hide her ability. It wasn't dwelling on the question, more curiosity.

Her mind shifted to what would happen when they got to Gra'akast. Clearly someone would become The Prophetess but what about the rest? Or the rest, that made it. The body of the girl Islana had come across haunted her.

Madaya was gifted with water. "Those children that are gifted with the Water and the Dust are often recruited into the temple." That's what Agizul had told her, so Islana assumed that might be the future of the young girl, if she wasn't the next Prophetess. It didn't sound like a bad thing, though, her knowledge on it was clearly limited.

What about herself? Would anyone even believe she had been on the pilgrimage? How would they know? What would happen to her if the next Prophetess was someone else? Logically, the redhead knew the answer, she was the property of Shalia, and would likely be returned to her. Then what?

It was hard to imagine that this venture wouldn't strain her relationship with the older witch. Would Shalia understand that the younger witch had no choice? If the goal had been to run away, Islana would have been smarter about it. Leaving to an relentless terrain, with almost nothing, and then going straight to where the woman would be wasn't exactly intelligent, if the goal had been to get away. There was no telling though if she would be believed or understood.

So, then what?

Shalia was powerful, very powerful. Not just her magik (though that was a force) but her position in the clan. The ways she could have Islana punished made the redhead shiver but was that what would happen? It was difficult to tell.

Islana still did feel bad about just leaving the way she did. She imagined that Shalia probably thought the younger woman was dead.

Her friends - the images of their present. The predictions of their futures. It was concerning but despite Islana having no way to warn them, she was still grateful for having seen them.

There was nothing to be done. The pilgrimage had been what she was meant to do. Whatever the outcome, there would be losses and gains, like everything in life, it seemed.

With Madaya and Kaithak both by curled up next to her, the redhead eventually managed to fall asleep.

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