Worlds Apart: Volume I

The Before: Scars of the Past

"Let's go," Tysal urged Ney'ite and Marali as they all headed to the tallest branches of Home Tree.

"We're coming!" Marali hissed at him. "It's not our fault that you, Neyetam, and Aytanin have longer legs than us!"

"And it's not our fault you're too slow," Neyetam teased.

"I will throw you off the top of this tree, Teyam," Ney'ite playfully threatened her brother.

"If the two of you don't hurry, I'll throw you two off the tree myself," Aytanin said.

Her tone was much more prickly than Neyetam's or Tysal's, but none of them could fault her. They were going to get the wood from which they would make their bows. Ney'ite thought back on the promise they had all made after they truly became friends.

"I'll make the grandest bow any of you have ever seen," Tysal said as he stood up with grandeur. The fire they had lit made everyone's eyes glow in the darkness. "It will be the envy of all who see it."

"Calm yourself," Neyetam said as he threw a stick into the fire. "If you keep talking that vainly, you'll start sounding like a Sky Person from beyond the stars."

"You're just jealous that my bow will be better than yours," Tysal stuck his tongue out at Neyetam.

"He's right," Aytanin said in a sing-song voice.

Ney'ite just watched as she laid her head in Marali's lap. The older girl was twisting her strands of hair into braids. Marali was humming a sweet song softly. It filled Ney'ite's head with peace.

"When Ney'ite and I make our bows, we will take the wood from the fallen Home Tree," Neyetam said as he looked into the fire. "It will be our way to remember our grandfather who died that dark day."

"How can you return to a place that holds so much sorrow?" Aytanin hissed. "It is a mass graveyard for our people."

"Not returning does not change what happened," Neyetam sighed. "This is how we choose to remember those who have returned to Ewya's side. If you don't like it, don't do it."

"Teyam," Ney'ite softly scolded her brother. There were times that she thought he could be a bit harsh even if he didn't mean it.

"It is a good idea," Marali said as she braided. "It forces us to remember. Would you let me join the two of you when we are able to make our bows."

"You know that you are always welcomed by our side," Ney'ite said as she looked up at Marali.

"Perhaps I should go with you too," Aytanin spoke quietly. "Your reasons are sound and I still have so much anger that I need to let go of."

"That just leaves you, Tysal," Neyetam looked at him. "Will you join us? Or will you be to focused on making the grandest bow possible to make a trip with friends?"

Tysal looked at all of them with a conflicted look. Tysal was the one most likely to boast among all of them, but he was also the one who kept them all together no matter what squabbles they got into. He would not so easily abandon his friends in his journey for his own pride and vanity.

"Fine," Tysal sighed. "But only if we all swear to it here and now. I won't have any of you going back on your word."

Ney'ite's head cleared as she soared through the skies on Swirya's back with her friends. Ney'ite and her friends didn't talk much while they flew. It was never easy to yell over the loud winds. Besides, Ney'ite didn't want to catch bugs in her mouth. Ney'ite watched the ground as they flew over it. It always surprised her how small everything seemed from up here.