Echo Isles: Regaining Home

Isondo walked through the crowds of the runt trolls, these jungle idiots, as the excited and nervous buzz of chatter and preparation filled the air. Her nose wrinkled as she looked around at the huts, the ramshackle buildings that seemed like they couldn't hold against a minor storm, much less a seige. She grit her teeth, thinking of the mighty stone halls of the Drakkari empire, of the elaborate water system, of everything that this backwoods shore town was NOT.

    Dzie'wanna dragged her here, of course. When news came about the retaking of the Isles, the call to arms caused her eyes to sharpen and it took less than a day for everything to be packed and them to be on their way to Sen'jin. Now she was off talking strategy with a old commander while Sassaba chased frogs, and Isondo wandering around and sulking.

    She was about to start listing all the ways this Darkspear town was inferior (then move on to how the Darkspear themselves were inferior) but was interrupted as a young troll swaggered in front of her, a wide grin being made almost ridiculous by his up-curving tusks, giving his smile an illusion of greater size.

    "May I help you?" Her nose rose in the air as she eyed him, wanting nothing more than to smack this little bug out of the way.

    "Yes lady, hope you don't mind but may I ask; you were the one to come in with Dzie'wanna, right?" His grin widened and became mischievous as he leaned forward, his eyes taking a leisurely stroll up and down her person.

    She was about to ask how one so young could be so perverted, when she realized that of course the Darkspear were smaller already, and skinny, so the runt was probably already a teenager. Wonderful. "Yes, she is my Mistress." She bit out. She knew she couldn't fudge the words around here, as she had to show that there was a very good reason not to mess with her.

    "Great! She's my Aunt, you know. I just wanted to make sure you see." His grin and light tone sounded perfectly pleasant, but something about him made her take notice at the young one. She sized him up, his orange hair pulled back in a large thick braid while his ears seemed a little longer then normal, all giving him a rather knobbly look that reminded her of the child giraffes in Sholazar Basin. He could probably be convinced to give her useful information.

    "So, you know her well then?" Her question was light, but her thoughts turning to think of all the use she could have of such info. The runt's grin turned into a smirk, leaving her feeling like she had just taken the bait.

     "Of course."

   "You would be willing to tell me about her, then?" Her tone became hard as she leveled a glare at him.

    "Oh, definitely. For a price."

   For awhile she just glared at him while his eyes laughed at her, and finally she bit out, making sure each words was sharp- "And what would that price be?"

    "A kiss." He said.

    "A kiss." She deadpanned.

    After a bit of a stare-down, she crossed her arms and gestured towards the  little place between two palm trees and a small hut. "Very well. You tell me first, and I will give you a kiss."

    He walked over in smug confidence, and shortly after sitting down Isondo started her first question. "So, tell me about all her family and her relationship with them." No one had ever told Isondo that she was subtle.

------

A young troll teen sat on the roof of the large market hut, hidden between the branches of a tree and the cleft of a the straw roof. He fiddled with some malachite, a gift from some adventurer who had no need for it, and was now trying to find a way to secure it to some twisted leaves, wood, and rocks that looked vaguely like a doll. His white hair stuck up with the bangs falling in his face, and along with his pale blue fur stirred from the strong wind coming off the ocean. He sighed, his orange eyes gazing  at the gems with a annoyed look.

   "Tsistu, guess what I know?" A swaggering voice practically crowed out, causing him to look over his shoulder at the other teenager scrambling towards him like a cat. Tsistu was about to follow along with the question before seeing the other boy's face, a large bruise blossoming on his cheek.

   "What in the name of voodoo happened to you?"

   The orange haired troll just grinned, looking a little dreamy. "I got a kiss."

   The other boy just stared, before slowly replying. "No, you got punched. Unless your a little dense and fell into something."

    The boy just smirked and pointed at the bruise that was actually showing through his greenish-blue fuzz. "It's how Drakkari woman kiss." His chest puffed up with pride.

   Tsistu just pinched the bridge of his nose between two large fingers. "Let me guess, that is what she told you."

  "Ya!"

   "Sin-ka-lip," Tsistu said, each syllable stretched out with condescension. "You are a idiot."

    Sinkalip just huffed as he lay back on the roof. "Well, I am a idiot who knows something you don't know."

   "And what is that?" Tsistu asked, finally digging the gems to the wood he had, securing it with rusted wires.

   "Your mom's here."

   The doll was dropped, it tumbling off the roof before landing in the dirt.

  -----


"Sir." Dzie'wanna saluted to the grizzled old commander, a hunter with his eyes graying with age and blindness. The man angled his face to peer at her, before a slow smile grew on his lips.

    "Ah, Dzie'wanna. How is my little frog?"

    Dzie'wanna relaxed from her stiff pose, allowing her her shoulders to roll off the tension at the kind greeting. "I am well, Revered Hunter."

    He huffed out laugh before waving her closer, shaking his head in good humor. "Quetz'le to you, little one. And do not lie, I can hear the weight in your voice."

   Dzie'wanna inclined her head, admitting his point as her eyes shifted around the old tent. "It has been awhile."

   "It has. But that is your fault, I believe. Not that I can blame ya." He motioned to a mat as he took his place on the one across from it. "Denying your mate's demand to stay would not have recommended you back to the tribe."

   Dzie'wanna remained silent, her eyes on the dirt of the floor. There was tension in her shoulders again. With a sigh, the troll man stood up before walking to her side, seating himself beside her with a grumble. "You were always stubborn."

   "I had to."

   "You had to leave?" He asked, looking vaguely amused again. Her eyes darted up at him before going back to the floor.

   "...I regret it, though."

   His eyes sharpened at her before he smacked her lightly on the back of the head. "You shouldn't! Because if you took the other you would have died from misery. You know that, so don't regret. And besides, now you are back home, among your tribe, and very few would deny your place after the wars you fought, especially now while you are aiding to bring the fall of Zalazane."

    She rubbed the back of her head slowly, before looking up at him. The shadows of the tent and the light coming through the cracks played across his face, old but not ancient. Her stomach twisted a bit, feeling the words get jumbled in her mouth. Finally she fumbled out. "Time has passed."

    He sighed. "There you go, jumping from topic to topic again. Eh, it's why I like you I suppose. You don't jabber on like some people." He gave laugh, lightening up the atmosphere. "And yes, it has. My eyes are failing and I even have wrinkles now, of all things! Ah, I used to be more handsome then this." He bemoaned, causing Dzie'wanna's lips to quirk.

    She paused for a second, her eyes looking  at the scars around her arms and stomach, not having to look to know her roughly hewed face with the broken tusk. She felt a sad weight settle on her chest as she answered. "I have gone from plain to scarred and plain, while you are still as handsome as ever. A little older but-"

   "Time really has passed." He said, looking at her softly as he brushed a braid over her shoulder. "There was a time you couldn't speak any compliments towards me without your throat closing up." A touch of amusement, and her eyes smiled back at him.

   A companionable silence passed in the hut, their eyes speaking to one another before he sighed and lay his heavy hand on her cheek. "There is much I regret as well. I was much to worried about my own status back then, that I allowed that young fool to demand marriage from your father. I should have killed him and claimed you for myself."

   She stared back at him, and then a smile grew across her face wide and bright. A question had finally been answered. "I am glad at least one loved me then."

   "Dzie'wanna..."

   She laid her hand over his, keeping it there. "You know as well as I do that he only married me because of my father. It was well known that more nights of his were spent in other's houses then our own. Which is why-"

    He interrupted her, leaning his forehead against hers and angled his face so his tusks rested on the sides of her neck. "I should have just kidnapped you. Your father would have been so happy that such a older man like me wanted you, that he would have killed the fool himself."

    Dzie'wanna sighed, feeling things click into place after a long time. Questions, fears, were settling down. She still remembered that night, the night that her mate had died after a attempt at Zalazane, slowly being killed from poison as he lay in their tent. He had demanded that she not leave, not leave to go with the horde and train. He had seen her eyeing the bow, practicing here and there when she thought no one was looking. He had been furious that night, at her silence, at her strangeness.

   "He said that you did not care for me."

   "He knew about us?" The surprise colored Quetz'le voice as his eyes opened to look at her.

    "He guessed. He was angry that night, allowing his rage to control his words. A woman is supposed to be faithful, after all. Even when her mate isn't. It was one of the reasons I left. Not the main one, but one reason. So few loved me that I do not think I could have lived should you have been another one."

    He let out a low hum as they sat there. With a chuckle, he let his other hand trail along some of the scars of her arm. "You have gotten stronger. And your way of speaking even stranger. So formal..." His tone had turned flirtatious, trying to dismiss the heavy conversation. When she looked at him, he fished out a necklace that was hanging by a rough rope. On it, was a roughly made doll of wood, stone, leaves and gems and worn from age.

    Her three fingers picked it up, looking at it before looking up at him, her eyes almost pained in the amount of affection.

    "I am a old man, Dzie'wanna. I do not expect much. I missed you, but I do not expect you to stay. I shall enjoy the time we have."

No words were spoken for the rest of the evening.

-----

Sassaba grumbled as she stumbled around as the sun set on the first day of preparations. Her hands were slimy from the frogs that she was gathering for spying, her feet and legs tired from trying to run in this sand, and she could feel dried salt stuck in her short hair which just made it more prickly then usual.

   It sucked. This place was awful, and though the ocean was pretty that appreciation faded when she got pushed in it for the fifth time by some troll brats. And she couldn't help it if her Zandali was bad! They didn't have to make fun of her for it: At least she knew Zandali in the first place!

   As she walked around, trying to find Isondo or Lady Dizzy, her eyes landed on something shiny being struck by the dying sun. She quickly trotted over, and bent down to pick it up. It was a doll, she thought happily. Rough and slightly silly looking, with shredded leaves propped up to look like hair, but a doll nonetheless. She looked around, making sure no one was looking, before hugging it to her chest. "Your name is now Zuggy, and you are my new best friend."

   "Sassaba! Brat! Come on, the tent is set up a little ways out there."

   Her head pulled up to look at Isondo, shocked at the cheerful voice. Isondo was preening, a gloating look solidly placed on her features.

   "Comin'!"



------------


-Writer's time-

So, a couple interesting things happened here. It was supposed to be a lot more fast paced, but I think that will come in tomorrow's post. Some interesting twists are in store!

Not that interesting twists weren't here as well. Like the freakin' 'she had a lover thing'. No, that surprised me as well. It was writing itself at that point, and suddenly some things about Dzie'wanna just clicked into place. Veeerry interesting. Well, that explains why she hasn't been interested in much of anyone. /blinks

A lot of this was to set up introductions to future plots. Tsistu and Sinkalip will be two alts in Cataclysm, a rogue and a druid respectively. I have been toying with the idea about Tsistu being Dzie'wanna's son, and finally decided to go with it. Let's see where that takes us. Feel free to leave comments to let me know if I am making a terrible mistake! :D

Oh, and quick age table-

Dzie'wanna: 31
Isondo: 18
Sassaba: 12
Tsistu: 14
Sinkalip: 15
Quetz'le: 52

Yes, Quetz'le and Dzie'wanna are very far apart. But this isn't happy perfect fairytale land, and they are a tribal society (which in many cases has younger/older couples) and is in a fantasy/medieval-esque world (where 50 year old kings would marry 15 year old girls).

As for Dzie'wanna's timetable, by age:

 8-14 : trained under Quetz'le with other children to learn hunting and survival skills. (my guess is that all trolls are trained for survival while young, by when they reach 'adulthood' or are married the girls then go to do 'womanly duties'.)
15 : Was mated to her husband.
17 : Had Tsistu.
25 : Joined the Horde Military/Mate Died