::: [ One Small Life ] :::
Brenda couldn't figure out why she'd been so nervous about getting on a Pa'li. Granted, Kilvanä was the right size for an Avatar who was almost twice her height; but mere height had never bothered "Mountain Girl". Nor had instability, really; her homeland was mostly sitting on volcanic rock on the seam that had created the Caucasus Range, while on the personal level her feet had seldom known level ground during her fugitive years. So if it wasn't the way-up-there and it wasn't the rhythmic rocking, what was it?
It's that I'm hanging onto "Baby-girl" right where I know she's been hurt, she concluded. And that I don't give a rat's-ass if I fall as long as I don't take her with me.
She was not out-of-line to worry about this. After all, she couldn't feel the corrections; couldn't know how Kilvanä instructed Enya's body as easily as her own; couldn't know that, for all intents and purposes, the stranded Avatar could be considered "linked in".
She caught the name "Atreyu" and urged Enya to catch up with Kenten. "Speaking of who...guess who Ni'ka and I ran into this morning? Atreyu sends his affectionate regards; he's with a big group on their way to a village a day's ride upstream from here. And, personally...? I think that'd be a better place for you guys..."
Tali's eyebrows shot up. "Funny you should mention that; Sa'nok was just talking about moving us somewhere..."
Kenten just bit his lip and looked away.
"Seriously?" Brenda asked; she'd been with Tsanten when 'Iheyu and the others had discussed it. "Damn, didn't know I was touching a nerve... I seem to do that a lot," she added ruefully. "See why I took a job that keeps me out in the boonies all by myself?"
"Seriously," said Tali. "It's mostly Tangek who wants to go, but we figured if we try to make this place a little more like home, it'll be good for him and everybody else... Sa'nok's not going anywhere until we see if that's working."
Kenten filled in. "'Iheyu's in no hurry. And Enya thinks giving Tangek the sorts of things he likes best about Hometree--mainly greenery, a perch, and lots of excuses to fly--might help everyone. That's why we're foraging today, is to find camouflage for our camp--but you knew that; this is just an extra reason."
Enya furnished another detail. "Is a lot 'cause Ash get mad at people all-sudden about little things... I not understand, though. She been real nice since she come back from Hometree! She talk, she listen, she share with Sprout a lot--all like in short wood place before Mother-god came... She even say sorry for fussing at me, and she try real hard not to, and not to be nosy... Do know she used-to fuss a lot and say 'It gotta be this way or is not gonna work!!' Ahh, nobody really like her when she get like that. But is used-to. She not has been like that in days! Why everybody picking on Ash? We almost Close-friends again; is like picking on me!"
"And Sa'nok already talked him into waiting for Ash to come back; maybe she'll be better, so he won't have that excuse," said Tali.
Brenda took all this in. "So you guys are not in favor of going just yet? And Tangek's pushing for it anyway and getting everybody upset? Sounds like I'd better have a talk with him," she said, her mouth tight. "I might just show him where to put his anger..."
"Dum, dee-dum-dum," Enya and Tali chimed together.
Talk then turned to perches, with Brenda admitting that she hadn't been able to get Tall Brenda into a proper tree last night, and opining that an observation tower like the ones in the Avatar compound might be a little less problematic. After all, they'd never been attacked by Changed ones in a tower. "Guess we're just gonna try to give everyone a little slice of the familiar," she concluded.