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"I think it should be a fox!" Areluu crossed her arms over her chest and glared, daring anyone else to speak against her. The age-set had found a place by the fire and sat in a circle, discussing the very important question of what their age bead was to be.
"Well, a fox would be a good choice..." Enlaar was swift to support Areluu, hoping to fall in her good graces and be awarded with a smile, but instead of a smile all he received was a frown when another of their age-mates pipped up.
"What about an ice-wren? I think they are pretty!" Lenarai nodded to the suggestion and added her own. "How about a snow-cat? We all love to pounce in the snow."
Areluu snorted, "Ice-wrens are stupid, and you only want it to be a wren because you found the feather."
"That is not true, Luu, I have ALWAYS liked ice-wrens!"
Enlaar frowned at the brewing argument and decided it was time to offer his suggestion. "Why not a snowy horn? I like the spiral shape and I think it would make an unusual bead." Lenarai nodded at him and he almost smiled before it froze in place on his face at the glare Areluu gave him.
"No. Everyone always has things about a snowy. I wanted ours to be different."
Lenarai gave Enlaar a sympathetic look, oblivious to Areluu turning her glare to her instead of Enlaar. Tekoth frowned at Areluu and her behaviour as he joined them, sitting down next to Lenarai with a steaming cup of broth in his hands. "We are all different, perhaps we could find something that shows this, and also how we are all the same?"
The frown upon Areluu's face melted away at the suggestion from Tekoth, "Yes, that is a good idea Tek," She smiled sweetly at him, ignoring the puzzled look upon Lenarai's face at the use of his nickname. "We have agreed that our colour should be white, but I still think it should be a fox."
"Why don't you debate the idea?" The whole circle of age-mates turned to the voice of Dlameda as he spoke. "You could all put forward your ideas and reasons why you think it would be a good choice, then once all of you have spoken freely," He looked pointedly at Areluu and she pouted. "You can agree as a group, a whole, on what you feel represents you the best."
Tekoth nodded, the idea making sense. "Yes. We could make an evening of it. It will give us the afternoon to think of what we want the bead to be and then once we have had dinner we could hold a council."
"That's a good idea, Tekoth," and the young boy beamed with pride at the healer's words. "I will have some free time, so I will sit in and remain impartial, if I may?"
Lenarai gave a beaming smile, almost embarrassed at having an elder join them. It made the event all the more special. "Thank you, Dlameda, that would be an honour!"
The healer nodded and moved away to allow the age-mates to talk among themselves, all bar Areluu, of course, who was thinking this through. Perhaps she could sway the others on their own to chose the fox? She hoped so, as she thought it was the best idea and she did so love the fox.
"So, we should all go and think about what animal we think best represents who we are as a whole, yes? And we shall gather here once dinner is done to state our animal and chose our bead!" Tekoth grinned at them all.
Areluu was swift to nod before she turned and stalked away, followed by Enlaar who quietly whispered reassuring words about how it was probably going to be the fox anyway into her ear whilst Lenarai rose to her feet and brushed her knees off with her hands. Once everyone had moved on, Tekoth rose also and gave Lenarai a shy smile.
"Do you know what you are going to suggest already, Len?"
She nodded, returning the smile. "I think I will suggest the white hare. I think it would be a good animal for us. You?"
"I like the hare, that is a good idea. I was thinking I would suggest the white seal that we see when we travel to the coast. They always seem to be having fun in the water together."
"That's a good animal, Tek! I never thought of the seal for us."
Tekoth's smile warmed at the compliment. "So... Meet here after dinner?"
Lenarai nodded to him, a blush almost colouring her cheeks as she turned away, "After dinner." Author's NotesI wrote this to aid with the choosing of a bead for this age-set. |
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