The Race

Leilani yawed. The sun was up early. Well, not really. But still, it felt early. Her mother wanted to teach her about the glowing mosses yesterday, and it got late. To late. She was still tired. “Aren't you up yet? The sun has risen!”

Elenor, her mother’s voice, sounded trough the cave. It wasn't angry, but it had a sense of rush to it. “Yes mother, I’m coming.”

Leilani was surprised, to see her mother so awake. It had been late for her too, but she looked even more tired. “Mother?” “My dear, I will have to leave, but I will be back by the noon. Can you handle training on your own?” Leilani could hardly believe her ears. This was a God’s gift! She could take it easy for a change! “Yes, of course.” Leilani smiled widely. Elenor seemed to have guessed her daughter’s thoughts, but she didn't go against them. “I need to gather some herbs. Please be careful and stay near the herd while you’re training.”

“Don’t worry, I will!”

Elenor smiled. “Good girl… I left some breakfast for you, over their. I’m going to go, be careful.” Elenor licked her daughter goodbye, and Leilani found herself alone.

Leilani started to warm up. She stayed close to the main herd, like her mother had requested. But she was taking it slow for now. She just had her breakfast down, she didn't want to rush herself. She happily hopped around.

Leilani started picking up the paste. it’s not like she hadn't done this before. It did get kinda boring sometimes. Always the same training. And always training. It’s not that she didn’t get why. But no others every did so. She never saw other train like she and her mother did. Kinda lost in thoughts, she didn't notice she had a follower. Leilani sighed, and jumped up ridge, now doing her training on a more rocky platform. She had to jump over some rocks, avoid crashing into them, without losing speed.

“Easy like finding Cordgrass!”

She hopped over a rock, cheerfully continuing her training, still unaware that she had a little follower.

Leilani’s concentration suddenly broke by a cry. “What..?”

She stopped running, gazing around. What just happened? She put one of her hooves on a rock, finally noticing the little fawn. She pinned her ears in her neck for a moment. She was followed by a youngling, hardly 2 years old perhaps? She felt ashamed. What did all that training result into? She couldn't even notice being trailed by a child!

And this one just fell.

Leilani forgot about her mom, and realized, if he tried following her, he could have gotten really hurt!

“Are you okay?” She jumped back, next to the young fawn. A stag from the looks of it.

“Did you hurt yourself?” she looked at some pointed rocks; but she couldn't see or smell any blood, so hopefully he was alright!

Scarapos: “Yes.. ahm No.. I’m okay I think”  “I was following you! You’re fast but I almost could catch up. If it wasn’t for that stupid rock here” 

Leilani looked at the fawn. He snorted, and got on his own feet.

He stuttered a little. ‘I must have scared him..’ though Leilani.

Seeing as how he was alright, she now started to wonder how he got here in the first place. She didn’t have to ask or wait long for an answer. He followed her, trying to keep up, and then tripped over a rock. Leilani couldn’t help grinning.

“Well kid, speed is nothing if you can’t use it. If you were chased by something, you’d be that something’s lunch. You have to feel where you’re going, and look where you’re going.”

She smiled, and wondered how old he was. A little younger then her perhaps?

“I’m Leilani by the way. You?”

She walked forward, kicking some rocks. “See how the rocks prevent you from running? They’ll also do that for whoever you’re running away from, or for whom you’re trying to catch up with. So using them -” Leilani proved her agility, by starting to run elegantly across the rocks, then jumping on a higher platform- “is more useful then cursing them.”

She grinned. “You give it a shot … if you’re up for it.”

Sacrapos: . “Sacrapos”

“That’s exhausting!”

Leilani

The little boy seemed to drain in everything she said. And even more, he did what she said, very well. He was a lot more clumsy than her mother, but he was still young of course.

“That was good for your first time.” Leilani complimented him. He was doing great for a first attempt.

She laughed at his claim. “Yes, it is! But it gets better if you practice more often.” She blinked at him. “I’ll race you up there.” She pointed at some upper lvl rock, with some bright glowing algae in all sorts of colors. She looked to see if he was ready

Leilani

Leilani wasn’t planning to just run past him, but she teased him a little by staying close to him. She pushed him to his limits; She would stay close to him, a little ahead, or a little after him.

Still, she had to be careful. She know it was a dangerous race; they were still jumping from platform to platform; 1 wrong step, and you would fall to your death. So she carefully looked where to place her feet; she did make sure Sacrapos stayed close to the rocky wall. She didn’t even want to know what his mother would do to her if she let him fall off. If his mother ever found out, that is.

They jumped up and up from rock to rock, carefully not to trip, and the bright glowing platform came closer and closer.

Scarapos: “You let me win” 

Leilani

Leilani simply hopped on the platform next to him. She wasn’t really out of breath, unlike her little friend. The girl giggled. “And your point is?”

Agile, she danced over some rocks. She was breathing more heavily, but not as much as her new training partner. She looked at the glowing algae.

“Aren’t these beautiful?”

She loved the glowing stuff. Her mother never really painted her, unless they were attending something of importance by the herd. Elenor, Leilani’s mother believed you could better train instead of spending time painting yourself.

Sacrapos; “Nevermind”

Leilani

Leilani wasn’t sure what to do now. The kid just unexpected fell asleep! The doe looked down. If he accidently fell off … A shiver crawled over her spine. She didn’t want to think about it.

Luckily, she didn’t have to. Elenor, Leilani’s mother returned.

“What are you doing up their?” She hopped up, and found the sleeping Sacrapos. She gave her daughter a rather strange look; sorta a ‘what’s the kid going sleeping here? Here, of all places?’

Leilani swallowed. “He followed me… he wanted to train too..”

Elenor looked at him. Wasn’t that the boy of some shaman? Not a bad connection to have!

Elenor’s cold look could freeze you without using magic.

“We should probably get him home.”