Ylja, Na!

Sentinel Island - Haven
JP with Omni and Lorem

The two women looked down at the Vaux, silently gauging his mettle. Draza offered no immediate explanation for her actions as she watched Gonyaul's struggle to understand and adapt to the unexpected situation. Her expression softened slightly and she looked to her mother in an expression of disappointment in her self validation. It was clear that whatever test or demonstration this was meant to be, it had served its purpose, at least in her eyes.

It didn't take long for the young man to regain composure, resuming his kneeling position. While a sense of tranquility came over him, it remained evident that a mixture of anger and bewilderment still simmered beneath the surface.

Draza’s expression changed to a mild respect. The old woman, observing quietly from the side, seemed satisfied with the outcome, her earlier scrutiny now giving way to a nod of approval.

Suddenly the door of the stone hut burst open and the lithe figure of a spry young child silhouetted the doorway. A little girl of age six or seven with tanned skin and silver hair looked from the two women to gonyaul in awe and curiosity.

“Ylja! Rek’sha torin veth? Gath’ra!” said Draza to the girl in a commanding voice.

“Na! Zi veth’ra za'lin norul da’kyr vys. Jy’lak na’thren shul zi’him gath’lan.” she responded in a tone of adorable and utter defiance.

Draza moved toward the girl to usher her out but the old woman chimed in, “Et-et-et-et. Leth vys ra. De na jyl ra.”

Draza sighed and rolled her eyes, then rested her hand on the pommel of her blade as the young girl approached the mysterious captive.

Her eyes scanned the man appraising him. She stood in front of him and gently grabbed his face, turning his head from side to side and she slowly smiled.

As Ylja was allowed to draw near, Gonyaul remained still and peaceful in every fiber of his being. The young girl could have probably roughly handled him, much like a child would a large dog that simply allows it, and it was certain that there would be no aggressive retaliation. She looked at him in curiosity, and Gonyaul mirrored the same expression. One would think that Gonyaul shared the same childlike sense of wonder.

With a hearty childish chuckle she said, “De gol thal! De varth ra’fem!”

The girl’s words put a smile on both of the women's faces. Yes, even the dauntless Draza’s stoic expression broke into a smile and she nodded in agreement.

Thinking the man before her looked like a woman, she pulled at his shirt to see his chest and saw his bleached tattoos.

“Ylja, na!” shouted Draza.

Gonyaul’s attention shifted, like the others, to the curious intruder at the doorway. Gonyaul instantly smiled and he sat back on his heels simply enjoying the unexpected and welcomed entertainment. He still couldn’t make out any words; however, a young child was not as masterful at the art of stoicism or guile, so it was pretty clear what Ylja and Draza were getting on about.

Gonyaul chuckled as he realized what she was searching for and her surprise. It was quite common he was mistaken as a woman, even to experienced adults up close.
The young girl, seemed confused, first at the woman being a man, and second, she had never seen those kinds of tattoos before.

Deciding that the girl, Ylja, had satisfied enough curiosity, Draza took her gently by the arm with her free hand and led her out with softer words and assurances.