Lake Rodney We don't like when visitors come

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To abandon the task assigned to her was far easier than she ever would have guessed. After having spent so long away from home already, the voice of her mother had started to fade from her mind—the words that instructed her to search for Airi were but a distant memory now, quieted by the many sights she’d seen and the voices of all of those that she’d met. Never would she forget her sister or the reason behind her own departure, and she definitely wouldn’t lose the memories of her home and mother, but to return to the lair wasn’t something that she intended to do. It was time, she felt, for her to head off on a whole new journey. To travel paths that would surely lead her to experience more than she ever would have had she never traveled beyond Ryūjin’s claim. Still, a part of her longed to return to that which was familiar, but the urge was shoved away and buried beneath her hopes for the future; allowing herself to move on wasn’t as easy as abandoning her search for Airi, of course, but she would work on it.

There a shift in the male’s demeanour, and the way in which he seemed to brighten caused a wave of ease to wash over her. At first, she was confused, but all was revealed to her in the moments that followed: he intended to create a settlement of his own. The revelation piqued her interest and led to her head tilting sideways, the gesture slight and just as bird-like as it always seemed to be. She was curious, wondering what might have inspired him and those that followed his lead to create a tribe—no, pack—of their own; she used to wonder the same about her mother, but had never thought to ask. However, this time, as she gazed at the male, she couldn’t help but present her inquiry: “What made you decide to do this?” Never had she heard of children doing anything of the sort but, then again, she hadn’t heard many origin stories. Nevertheless, whether it was unusual or not, she was intrigued—especially so once she realized that she might be able to join them.

The more he spoke, the more captivated she became. To be one with his group seemed simple enough, too, for all they required were the proper contributions. This she was more than capable of, for something similar was requested within her birthplace—and, she suspected, many other groups. With a nod, the ebony lamb made her interest clear, only to freeze when asked about trades. Her mother had taught her about them when she was younger, yet the girl had never put much thought into which she might want to pursue. “I… um…” she mumbled, brows pinching together as she thought back to her lessons. There were so many to choose from, each having benefits and dangers, that she felt rather overwhelmed. Slowing her breathing, she relaxed and thought everything over for a second time before settling on what would have been an obvious response to all that knew her mother: “Plants.” Kaori had been taught about plants for as long as she could remember, the way in which they should be cared for, and even the medicinal properties that many possessed. “Maybe I could be a botanist? Or a medic?” she thought aloud. “Would… would that be useful?” Although she dabbled in the art of medicine—accidentally and, initially, unknowingly—she lacked the confidence to treat severe injuries, and was therefore hesitant about taking on the role of a medic. Despite that, the knowledge was still within her head, so why not try and put it to good use?

As she thought of how else she might be able to help out, she was struck by a terrible realization: she hadn’t introduced herself. With her worries having run rampant at the start of their conversation, Kaori had forgotten her manners. Growing flustered, she acted swiftly and said, “My name’s Kaori.” It was rather awkward, the way in which she spoke, but she refused to dwell on that. Instead, she continued by asking, “What is your name?” However late she was, at least it was better than if she would have forgotten altogether.

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