Friends - a SoW fanfiction

[5] Talent Seeker

"Mother!" Niika called. "Have you fed Mittens yet?"

"No," Alanai replied. "I thought you wanted to!"

"Oh, yeah. Where'd you put the dried fish again?"

"In the shelf next to her pillow, obviously."

"Okay, uh, found it!" Niika poured the dried fish pieces into Mrs Mitten's bowl. The little Munchkin cat rubbed her body around Niika's legs. Niika smiled and rubbed the animal's neck as she purred. "Aren't you a cute little girl," Niika cooed.

The eight-year-old cat sauntered to her food bowl and started eating.

Niika made her way to her room—Sunami, Alanai's daughter's old room. Niika had personalised it slightly during the last year, but left Sunami's personal things—her photo, posters, eg.—alone so that Alanai, who had adopted Niika, might feel closer to Sunami and as if she's still around.

The walls were painted pink, and the bed sheets were pink, too. The girl in the photo was a smiling purple-haired human, who had the same eyes as Alanai's and the mischievous grin Darekk has.

Niika then heard muffled sounds coming from downstairs.

"Alanai, she's ready."

"No, Darekk, she's like a daughter to me and I don't think she should go yet! Maybe we should delay it a year."

"I'm not sure..."

"We haven't brought her to the village yet; let her make some friends before going, okay? She can go next year, I promise, but she's only nine."

"Well...let's just bring her to watch, but she won't participate."

"Yes. That's a good idea."

Niika wondered what they were talking about.

...

"Hey, honey, I have something to tell you," Alanai said that night. "Tomorrow we're gonna bring you to the town to meet some people."

Niika was pretty sure this had something to do with their conversation today afternoon, but didn't mention overhearing.

Suddenly, Niika realised something. She could make friends! She felt longing for Klinaya, her best friend from the tree village. The two were so close, but the undead...

Niika squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered the leader dragging Klinaya off by her hair, screaming. And the sword that ended her life...

"I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends," Alanai continued.

Niika wasn't so sure. It had been a whole year since she had seen someone her age.

"Also, we'll be seeing the Talent Seeker the day after."

Niika's brow shot up. The Talent Seeker!

That's just an event held with multiple different stands. Kids who are either eight, nine or ten can participate. Basically, they try out different things and try to find their talent; drawing, sport, hunting, etc. This year, Niika would be nine, so...

Will she be participating the next year?

...

"Lucan, dear, I know it's hard for you with your parents dying," Marana, who had taken Lucan in when he was orphaned, said, "but you're ten now; I think you ought to go the the Talent Seeker. It's your last chance!"

Lucan groaned. "Marana! I don't want to!" Even after a month, he still expected to wake up to his mother telling him he was going to be late for school, his father waving his coffee cup.

Here Marana frowned. Put her hands on her hips. "You are going, Lucan. Tomorrow."

Lucan groaned again. It was no use to argue with his best friend's mother; and after all, she had helped him a great deal. "Fiiiine."

What would happen the next day?