Private Similar Souls

[Eryndel]

Eryndel raised a brow, watching Zaytee's tail beat a rhythm against the ground. "Kind of?" she echoed, voice smooth but amused. "You finished that faster than a hatchling chasing its first glowmoth."

A quiet laugh followed, low and musical. "If that's 'kind of good,' I dread to see what happens when you actually like something."

She nodded toward the empty bowl in Zaytee's hands, her expression softening. "Food that reminds you of home tends to disappear quickly. It's a good sign."

Tilting her head toward the open sky, she added lightly, "Now then — with full stomachs and two suns above us, I believe someone promised a tree limb to stretch out on."

Her tail swayed once, calm and content. "Come. Let's find a good one before the day grows lazy without us."

Zaytee

 

[Zaytee]

"W-well, food is scarce, and delicious food is even scarcer." Zaytee chuckled with a light blush on her face. "Especially something that is so creamy like groundcrawler eggyolk and tastes like a rare festive dish."

Putting back the bowl onto the edge of the stall, she looked around, trying to see above the thick crowd, but with her size it seemed like an impossible task.

Hundreds of legs thumped through the street under the rays of the merciless suns, the dry ground causing small dustclouds all across everywhere while the endless laughing, chattering, and arguing of the people all around them felt like a heavy blanket over the younger Kiir's head. A full stomach and a tired mind was the perfect combination for a good sleep, but to get that, finding a tree to sleep on would be necessary.

Since she left their planet she could only sleep on top of some ships and shorter buildings, but her half-feral instincts already demanded a wide, comfortable branch in exchange for a long, undisturbed rest.

"Hmm... maybe there are a few trees closer to the edge of this place? Or do you think they have some greenhouse around?" She asked, trying to stand on her tippy toes to see further, but she could only see the colorful crowd and stalls every way she glanced.

Eryndel

 

[Eryndel]

Eryndel followed Zaytee's line of sight, amusement flickering in her expression as the younger Kiir tried to peer over the crowd. "You're right," she said softly, her tone touched with warmth. "After a meal like that, the suns will make quick work of your energy."

She glanced past the marketplace, eyes narrowing slightly as she extended her senses outward. Beneath the noise and heat, she could feel the quiet rhythm of life pulsing somewhere beyond the walls — faint, but real. "There," she murmured, nodding toward a side street where the air carried a cooler scent. "There's a garden or greenhouse nearby. The Force still hums through it — quieter, but alive."

Turning back to Zaytee, she smiled. "Come. We'll find you a proper branch before you collapse here in the dust."

Her tail brushed lightly against Zaytee's leg as she began to lead the way through the press of people, moving with that unhurried grace that always seemed to part the crowd around her. "Perhaps the trees here won't be as tall as the ones back home," she added with a small, knowing smile, "but I think they'll be kind enough to lend you a limb or two for a nap."

After a moment's pause, her tone softened further, almost fond. "And if they aren't, I'll ask nicely."

Zaytee

 

[Zaytee]

Quickly running after Eryn to not loose her, Zaytee followed her through the crowd with bouncing steps, sometimes stopping to look at little trinkets on the open stalls or to sniff some snacks, but even after she hissed at a small, doglike creature that sat on another traveller's shoulder, the young Kiir always got back to the older's side, happily humming to herself. Her tail swept left and right slowly, brushing against Eryn's tail from time to time, but even then their mannerisms couldn't have been more different.

Compared to the older's graceful and unhurried moves, her unbalanced steps on the solid ground looked like a toddler's happy little wobble, while her tangled and messy hair bounced up and down with every step, hair sticking to her neck from the hot weather.

Smelling around in he air, she finally caught a whiff of the trees unmistakeable green scent, and just as fast as she changed her interests earlier, her steps got faster toward their final destination, still not leaving her companion too far behind. It was like an ancient call, a call that was sang by the endless forest of their homeworld... so deep and long like the roots of the Worldtree.

As they reached the small, but comfortably cold shade of the garden in the middle of an open field, surrounded by the different small roads that all led to this place, Zaytee sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a second.

"Whew... its already a bit better here..."

Eryndel

 

[Eryndel]

Eryndel slowed when they reached the garden's edge, letting the noise of the market fade behind them. The air here was cooler, and the light filtered through the canopy of carefully tended trees. A few leaves stirred in the breeze, carrying the faint scent of moss and soil that had been missing from the streets.

She smiled faintly at Zaytee's sigh. "Better, yes," she agreed, her tone low and even. "You can almost hear the ground breathing again."

Her hand brushed one of the broad trunks, fingertips tracing the bark as if greeting an old friend. "These aren't wild trees, but they remember what it means to shelter. They'll do for a nap." She glanced toward the branches overhead—wide, sturdy, spread like open hands.

"Come on," she said, turning back to the younger Kiir with a small, knowing smile. "Let's find one strong enough for two tired wanderers. I'll keep watch while you sleep."

Then, with the faintest hint of teasing warmth, she added, "And if you snore as loudly as you drink stew, I'll know to choose the branch above you next time."

Zaytee

 

[Zaytee]

Zaytee snorted in response to the light teasing, bumping her elbow against the other's side.

"Hey, I don't snore!" She chuckled, spinning around under the green oasis of leaves, her steps getting more stable and confident in the familiar environment. "I'm just... trying to ward off wild animals in my sleep!"

Her eyes wandered over the strong branches with an experienced gaze as her tail's tip moved up and down like an excited cat's in the middle of hunting, and before the other could say anything else, the young Kiir darted forward toward a sturdier looking tree, hands grabbing the lowest hanging branch in the matter of seconds. She pulled herself up with ease, tail moving slowly to help her keep her balance while she climbed higher, footsteps light and quick, until she reached a specific branch. The girl hooked her legs around it, flipping upside down with her next moves, her hair and shawl, even her whole body hanging like a ragdoll in a giant's hand, and as she reached her hand down toward Eryn, a bright smirk appeared on her face.

"Come on princess, this is where we are home!" She chuckled, her cheeks getting a bit redder from all the blood flowing into her head from her position.

Eryndel

 

[Eryndel]

Eryndel's laugh came quietly but unrestrained, low and warm. "Ward off wild animals? Is that what you call it?" she asked, amusement glinting in her green eyes as Zaytee swung upside down like some joyful forest spirit.

She stepped closer to the tree, tilting her head back to take in the sight — messy hair, bright eyes, all energy and mischief. "You climb as if you were born for it," she said softly. "Perhaps you were."

Her palm came to rest on the trunk, feeling the living pulse beneath the bark. The Force flowed here, faint but steady, the quiet echo of the world's heartbeat. "You chose well," she continued, her voice easing into something gentler. "These branches are old enough to remember the wind."

Then, with a slow shake of her head, she smiled and reached up, taking the offered hand. "All right, then. Show me your kingdom, little warden of trees."

Her movements were slower, deliberate, the climb made with the care of one who honored the tree rather than conquered it. When she reached the broad limb beside Zaytee, Eryndel settled into the shade, letting the twin suns' warmth flicker through the leaves.

"Better," she murmured, leaning back slightly, tail draped loosely behind her. "Now, tell me — when you're not chasing frogs onto ships or stealing bread from stalls, do you always make a habit of dragging strangers into trees?"

Zaytee

 

[Zaytee]

After she helped up her companion, Zaytee sat back right up, tail tightly coiling around the branch more from instinct than genuine will, while her bare legs slowly moved back and forth, keeping her body balanced. The young Kiir waited for the older to get comfortable, then as she did and continued with her question, a very confused expression appeared on her own face.

"Strangers?" She asked back, head tilting so much to the side that a slight crack was audible from her neck. "There are no strangers here... All the Kiir are family. Some just... lives closer than the others."

She glanced upward, watching as the light played on the leaves similarly like the way that hidden Force danced around and inside everything that surrounded them, and for a shard of time, for a fleeing little moment, she felt like she could hear the voice of the smaller ones' laugh from the ground as they tried to catch up to her.

"I loved bringing the hatchlings up the trees... some were so small they couldn't even grab a branch properly, but their parents insisted that they have to learn climbing as soon as possible. Too many predator on the ground..." She shook her head slowly, hair falling before her face as she looked down. "I wonder who takes care of them now..."

Eryndel

 

[Eryndel]

Eryndel's expression softened, and for a moment, her composure wavered—just enough to show the quiet ache behind her calm.

"You are right," she said gently, her tone a whisper under the breeze. "There are no strangers among the Kiir. Even apart, our roots are the same. Distance doesn't sever that—it only tests it."

She shifted slightly, one arm resting against the trunk as she looked down toward the gardens below. The faint laughter of the city children drifted up, blurred and far away. "The hatchlings will be cared for," she continued, though there was a quiet sadness in her words. "The forest watches over its own, even when we are not there to guide them. And perhaps… perhaps they climb a little higher now, because you taught them to."

Her gaze turned toward Zaytee, green eyes bright and clear through the dappled light. "We all leave echoes behind. You, with the laughter of the little ones. I, with the voices of the trees I once tended. What matters is that the echoes still reach someone."

Eryndel reached out, brushing a loose strand of Zaytee's hair away from her face with careful fingers. "You have their spirit still," she said softly. "And that means they're not as far away as you think."

Then, quieter, with a faint smile that reached her eyes, "Now rest, little sister. The suns are kind today, and the branches are strong. Let the world breathe for a while—you've earned that."

Zaytee

 

[Zaytee]

Words burned in the younger Kiir's throat as she watched her elegant companion, eyes following her every movements. There was something so distant, so foreign the way she smiled, like she would carry the pain of her past, never letting herself slip from this strange facade.

But Zaytee was unable to ask the question that paced in her mind like some wild creature. She had no right to dig in Eryndel's past, or bring up memories she wasn't ready to share...

So without thinking too much about it, she decided to follow her advice, and rest a bit.

The branch under her weight didn't even move as she changed position, laying down on her stomach while her arms and legs hung down on both side of it, tail still tightly wrapped around to hold her steady, and after she tucked her scarf under her head as a pillow, the young Kiir finally closed her eyes.

"You know..." She mumbled quietly, already half asleep, but still thinking. "Its good that we found each other.... What was the chance that two of the same species that rarely leaves their homeplanet ends up on the same planet, in the same market?" She stopped for a second, her voice getting even quieter. "Do you think there are other lone Kiirs out somewhere? Travelling between endless starclouds, and hitchiking through solar systems..."

Eryndel

 

[Eryndel]

Eryndel's tail gave a small, contented sway as Zaytee's breathing slowed into the rhythm of sleep. The young one's words still lingered in the air—soft, half-dreamed, but true.

She shifted closer along the branch and let her hand rest gently against the younger Kiir's back. Her thumb drew slow, steady circles, the same soothing motion her own elders had once used. "There are always more of us," she whispered. "Scattered leaves carried on the wind. You are never alone."

The forest quieted around them. Below, the children of the city ran in looping games, laughter rising in bright bursts before dissolving into the hum of distant voices. Eryndel watched them, her expression thoughtful yet peaceful. Each shout and giggle felt like an answer—proof that life, in all its forms, persisted.

The suns slanted lower through the trees, painting her features in soft gold. She stayed there in silence, keeping watch until the light began to fade, the steady warmth of her hand a quiet promise that when Zaytee woke, she would not wake to emptiness.

Zaytee