Worlds Apart: Volume I

The Before: Next Step

Ney'ite and Neyetam walked up to the training ground. Ney'ite knew that her tail was twitching and curling. Her stomach was twisting and turning. Today was the the first day that her and Neyetam would be training with others. They would finally begin to learn how to work as a team with others. As they approached the training ground, Ney'ite saw Tsanten practicing his archery. There were six pa'li who's reigns were tied to the trees at the edge of the training area. Neyetam elbowed Ney'ite and turned her attention to their left. The others were walking up. Ney'ite saw two girls who looked to be a bit older than her and a boy who was a bit older than Neyetam. She was acutely aware of how young they actually were: she knew that they were some of the youngest to begin their training.

They all walked up to Tsanten. He put down his bow and looked at all of them. Ney'ite glanced at the others. She knew she had seen them at Home Tree, but she had never talked to them. The others were looking at her and Neyetam. She couldn't tell what they were thinking.

"Today, the five you will start your training to learn how to work as a team," Tsanten said as he looked at them. "Working together is how you survive as both warriors and hunters. The five of you have all been working for nearly two years. You have all proven yourselves to be fierce warriors alone. Now it is time to see how all of you learn how to work together. Today, the five of you will ride in the forest. I will be there, but I will just be there to observe. The goal for training today is simple, we will ride to the Tree of Spirits and back."

Everyone nodded. They all headed to the pa'li. Each of them got onto the pa'li and started to ride out. Ney'ite wasn't stupid. She knew that the purpose of today's exercise was to get them introduced to each other. Ney'ite kept glancing at Neyetam. She could see his mind working on the best way to break the silence.

"I am Neyetam," Neyetam broke the silence first. "This is my sister, Ney'ite. What are all of your names?"

"I am Tsyal," the boy said. "It is nice to meet you.

"I am Marali," the younger of the two girls said. "I am very excited to start training with all of you."

"I am Aytanin," the older of the two girls said.

Aytanin seemed very disinterested in making more conversation while Tysal and Marali seemed pleasant. The air of unfamiliarity had not quite cleared. Ney'ite looked at Neyetam. Neyetam urged her to say something. It was times like this that Ney'ite was glad that her and Neyetam could say so much without saying a single word.

"We are the first of our siblings to start training as warriors," Ney'ite said. "Do any of you have siblings?"

"I'm the only child of my family," Marali said. "But, I have spent so much time running around with the others that I barely even notice." She looked at Tysal. "Tysal and I spent most of our childhood being under his mother's feet."

"I have a younger brother," Tysal said. "He's nearly six years younger than me." He glanced at Marali. "Though, Marali basically counts as my sister considering how often she was with my family."

"We have a sister that is much younger than us as well," Neyetam said. "She's seven years younger than us. We have a brother a year younger than us and an adopted sister who's our age."

"The two of you have a full house," Marali laughed. She looked at Aytanin. "What about you? Do you have any siblings."

"I have an older and younger brother," Aytanin said as she looked at Marali. "My older brother has already completed his training. My younger brother is training to become a singer."

"Your family must be proud," Ney'ite smiled at her.

Aytanin said nothing. She just offered a look of indifference and contempt at her and Neyetam. Ney'ite turned away and looked at the path ahead. It was very hard to get a read on Aytanin.