Tila's Story

It had to be at least an hour later now, as Tila walked with her spear as a staff, using it to urge her onward. She paused with her foot landing in a spot of mud. Her claws dug into the earth fruitlessly as she tossed her hair back over her shoulders. Glancing about, she waited for Baako to show himself before speaking softly to him.

"Wasn't Naia somewhere near this area?" Lifting her nose to the air, she sniffed around a bit. "I don't smell anyone around here, though...Don't tell me we're lost." she grumbled, hanging on her spear again.

"Any suggestions, Baako?" She figured he had much more experience at this than she had, he would probably be a far better tracker as well. In the meantime of waiting for an answer, she pulled her foot out of the mud and gave it a shake, splattering the wet earth around on the leaves.

A sigh slipped out of her as she reached up to scratch the back of her neck, eyes looking over to Baako. She was far from giving up, but equally distant from finding Kahl and Makya.

As the pair progressed it was becoming apparent that they were growing closer to their destination. The occasional totems and talismans could be spotted that marked the way for those who knew what to watch for, but for those who didn't, they would lead you astray just as quickly. There was a definite sense of something mystical about this place that was watched over by the ancestral spirits of the shaman that made her home here. The bringing of sick and wounded to Naia was relatively common place among both the Mira and the indigenous humans of the region, and most of the tribes people that made their home within the rainforest knew how to read the totems and talismans to find their way.

Baako looked around before he spotted a talisman of some kind. He stared at it. He had heard tales of how you could find your way to Naia by reading the talismans and totems. He didn't know how true this was, but he thought it was worth mentioning to Tila

"Have you seen any of those talismans around here?" asked Baako, "I heard some of the village elders talking about them. They said something about them leading you to Naia if you can read them correctly. I don't have much experience with them, but I can try."

Baako looked around. He sniffed the air and caught a faint smell. Mira. There had been Mira in the area recently. Baako pointed in the direction he caught the smell from. He hadn't any idea if that's the way the Talismans and totems said to go, but he was almost positive that Naia's hut was in that direction, "After you, Milady."

"Oh, Kahl told me about them once! Let me look at it..." Coming around, she took the talisman in her hand and ran a finger over the symbols. When Baako signaled that he smelled something in one direction, Tila took a moment to make note of which symbol on the talisman corresponded. Nodding towards him, she lead her friend in that direction, all the while looking for the next talisman.

After a moment, Tila lost track of the scent, but did see another set of symbols hanging off of a tree. "There should be an order to the symbols, you follow the order, and it takes you to Naia. Let's see, what was the next symbol...Mrr! Kahl, all your stupid rambling was actually useful information, why didn't I listen? Oh! It's that one that looks like the river! This way!"

Her excitement was bubbling over as she took off in a near sprint. Giggling, she slowed when she reached a thick undergrowth, whipping her head about to find another symbol. It would most likely be Baako's nose that lead them from here to their destination as Tila was far too wound up to focus on symbols any more.

"Are they near? Makya! Kahl!" Now she was just being noisy and when Baako no doubt pointed them in the right direction, she went on until she could see some sort of shelter ahead.

"Naia?" Tila's now small voice squeaked out. Had they really made it?

Inside of the Shaman's hut Naia was working over Kahl with diligent care.

"You have visitors," she noted.

She had known of Baako and Tila's arrival long before they had reached her hut, but the Mira were always welcome here.

In a mixing bowl she was grinding up a rather poignant concoction of herbs and various tree roots which she then scraped into a bowl of warm water that was in turn passed to Kahl.

"Drink that, it will help dull your senses while I work."

The cot on which Kahl had been left was tall enough for Naia to work over without needing to stoop and she turned her attention to his leg which had been splinted and propped up.

Bone, sinew and muscle were all visible, and all of which had been seared. What Kahl needed was modern medicine of which she lacked here, but it would serve little purpose to dwell on what she didn't have rather than what she did.

Another bowl was retrieved, this one containing a rancid but effective balm that would dull the nerves around the injury and help ward against infection.

The hunter lifted the bowl of mixture to his lips and snorted at the smell, despite being a wonderful healer the shaman could work on the taste of her salves. Kahl gulped it down and set the bowl to the side, careful not to move his injured leg. It hadn't taken long for Tila to get curious it seemed.

It wouldn't pay for either of the two cubs to see him laying down with such an injury, he needed to be an idol to them both, even if Baako was too disinterested for his own good. Luckily he wasn't the one that Kahl was grooming, he saw something within Tila that could become almost as savage as he, as good as a hunter and twice as deadly.

Small was better than large, and he'd make her see the way of the hunter if it killed him. Kahl went to move, but propped his back up instead. "I have visitors? Hmph. About time."

The hunter lifted the bowl of mixture to his lips and snorted at the smell, despite being a wonderful healer the shaman could work on the taste of her salves. Kahl gulped it down and set the bowl to the side, careful not to move his injured leg. It hadn't taken long for Tila to get curious it seemed.

It wouldn't pay for either of the two cubs to see him laying down with such an injury, he needed to be an idol to them both, even if Baako was too disinterested for his own good. Luckily he wasn't the one that Kahl was grooming, he saw something within Tila that could become almost as savage as he, as good as a hunter and twice as deadly.

Small was better than large, and he'd make her see the way of the hunter if it killed him. Kahl went to move, but propped his back up instead. "I have visitors? Hmph. About time."

Tila ran to the hut, gaining far too much momentum to slowly walk in. So, instead, she nearly fell putting on the brakes while coming into the hut. Her eyes bulged as she threw her arms into windmills to stop herself. Of course she couldn't get away with not hitting anything and soon enough she was convulsing and contorting to catch a bowl she knocked off the table. Standing up straight while still huffing out hot air, she gently rests the bowl back where it was.

In an attempt to regain composure, she ran a hand through her hair before crossing an arm over her exposed mid drift and bowing towards Kahl.

"Elder!" she chirped happily before standing and getting a good look at his leg. She actually gasped in shock. "Kahl, what...what did this to you? Humans?"

Finally she noticed Naia off to the side and quickly gave her a bow as well. She could care less about Baako at the moment, more concerned for her teacher than anything else - although there was one thing she couldn't stop noticing, Makya didn't seem to be here.

"Excuse me - not to be impatient, but - how long will this healing take? We've got to get to the village as soon as possible, Kahl. C'mon, I'll go get Makya - is he outside?"

Baako walked into the hut nonchalantly. He was not going to act like a maniac on what he considered to be sacred ground. When he noticed Naia he gave a full bow. Baako had much respect for the centaur. Baako had great respect for anyone who would selflessly help others. Baako tried to follow that example.

Baako looked to Kahl, he wasn't surprised by the wound, he had seen it happen. It was gruesome, but Baako had seen worse. Far worse.

When Baako heard Tila mention Makya he shook his head slightly. He had known that Makya wasn't in the area from the moment he took sight of the hut. His scent was nowhere to be found. Baako would let Kahl break the news to Tila. Baako didn't like to be the bearer of bad news. Baako new what disappointment felt like, he didn't like giving that feeling to others. Baako waited patiently for Tila and Kahl to wrap it up.

"If he wants to ever walk again, he won't be going anywhere for a while," Naia chastised lightly as she set the bowl aside.

"I need to gather supplies, so I'll leave you two with him for now," she added as she moved away to retrieve her satchel which she slung over her shoulder.

"And I mean it," she warned Kahl sternly. "The damage your knee sustained is unlike any wound I have ever treated before. I will do what I can, but there are no guarantees."

She pushed the flaps of leather aside from the door before looking back once more.

"I will return soon," she told them before she slipped out of the hut.