Kindred Spirits

Islana had taken in the remarkableness of the tribe and how, even the children, seemed to just know what to do.

As the evening moved into night and the group took to sitting around the fire and speaking or communicating with the tribe, Islana was feeling uncomfortable.

It wasn't the tribe, she knew they were friendly, but they were still people she didn't know and her past had just left her uncomfortable in situations like this. It was a little overwhelming for her.

The young woman sat by Alexis but was more paying attention to the goings-on around her, than the one right next to her. As her eyes drifted around the campfire, the eyes of an older woman caught her own. The old woman seemed to beckon to her.

Islana rubbed her necklace for a moment, before she got up and went to sit by the woman.

The two seemed to take each other in and Islana realized that this woman was probably the oldest in the tribe.

The wrinkled hands of the old woman pointed at the silver bird Islana wore and then at her own necklace of teeth. Luger teeth.

Clearly, this woman was trying to communicate with Islana about something but what?

The young huntress tried, unsuccessfully, to use her hands in an attempt to understand, for a few moments, then Islana got an idea.

Going into her pack, she pulled out one of the notebooks Wim had gifted to her and started drawing. Islana's drawings were basic but good enough to get across what she was asking.

Were she and the old woman the same? Could the other woman also "communicate" with animals? After a series of drawings, the answer was yes. With the old woman willing to share that information, Islana could only assume the tribe didn't fear magik or maybe they didn't consider it magik. Islana had never really thought of it as magik, so much as just something that was a part of her, an ability or gift, as much as some people were gifted in other areas, such as music or art.

This revelation left more questions than answers. Would Islana eventually be able to communicate with more animals? Was she already communicating with the Luger, in a sense? What else would this ability bring to her?

Then there was the larger question; how did the old woman know Islana could "talk" to animals?

The young woman continued to try to ask questions using the drawings or a combination of both those and hand signals, not knowing if she would get any more answers but having a need to try.