Yu gada som in na kof op?

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TRY NOT TO RUN FROM THIS FREEDOM ALWAYS HAS A PRICE TO PAY tagged: Clarke Griffin

Niylah watched quietly as her father packed a large bag with supplies. She knew by the size of the pack that he would be gone for a few days this time... Running the trading post had become her task and responsibility, along with drying and salting meat and skinning game for pelts. He rarely had a hand in it after her mother passed. Without argument she took on the extra burden and watched him back his bag with trading supplies every morning before heading out—sometimes for weeks at a time. When he turned to say goodbye, she nodded once from her place by the stove where she was carving a large buck. It made her look small in comparison.

The entire trading post was filled to the brim with survival supplies and oddities like the thick metal bracelet on her wrist. The sky people brought it—and a small part of her found meaning in wearing it. After all, she had their leader to thank for the liberation of the mountain, and the justice delivered to those who took her mother away and left her family in such distance. Having this bracelet was the closest thing she had to a memory of her death... Unconsciously, Niylah traced the metal with a furrowed brow as the door to the trading post shut loudly. The sound made her jump before resuming her work on the buck.

Just as she made her first cut into the bled creature, the door opened once again. “One moment,” she called in trigedasleng as she finished her cut down the beast’s belly. She pushed herself up and made her way out from the back room; wiping the bloodied blade on her coat. Her eyes flicked back up—expression serious as she took in the momentarily unfamiliar woman. “Do you have something to trade?”

OWL

[Clarke Griffin]

She was still unsure of her trigedasleng, which was why Clarke took to places further away from larger villages. She liked the solitude, liked the place she had for herself at the moment. She liked not having to worry about more than where to get food and water and warmth from. By now she had suitable clothing. She had hair dyed by berries. Everything was going as well as it could possibly go. She managed to hunt by now, small animals easier than big ones, but she needed the big ones to survive. Clarke had just run out of her usual supplies. She had managed to catch and kill a deer. As she did in other trading posts, Clarke pulled it to this one, hoping to have it skinned and cut. She had no talent in it, never having learned it. She needed it, though. It was the best way to get to food. They would keep their part and Clarke could move on with what she needed to survive. 

As she dragged the deer in – full sized deer, which was hard for her average frame – she saw a young woman there, speaking to her in her native tongue. It took her a moment to really realize what the woman had said. Clarke nodded. She had to think about what she said, sadly. She needed to get it right so she wouldn’t immediately give away who she was. “Ai don frag trilipa op.” Clarke began to explain her kill. “Emo don biyo laik yu na sis“ At least she hoped this was true. She needed this and if this trading post could not help her with her kill, she would have to carry that creature further, attracting potential predators as she went along. She didn’t want that to happen, but she would have to take it, if there was no other choice. Like she ever had a choice in this world. 

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[amber4]

TRY NOT TO RUN FROM THIS FREEDOM ALWAYS HAS A PRICE TO PAY tagged: Clarke Griffin

There was something so familiar about the girl... Niylah looked over the large deer with a small and proud smile. “You’re stronger than you look; bringing it all the way here.” The young woman’s smile was almost playful as she took the long drag. “We can skin it; salt it and prepare it for you. We take a share of the meat and the fur. The rest is yours.” Slowly she dragged the heavy buck back towards the wooden stove in the back room. Her brain was still trying to tackle where she had seen the woman before... That rounded face and the smell of stain in the air between them set alarms off in her brain... Then she remembered a lone bounty hunter from earlier that day. There was a rough sketch of Wanheda on a piece of cloth.. Blonde, rounded face and charcoal smudged eyes.

Don’t get ahead of yourself, she thought boldly while she analysed her latest customer’s words closer. Nothing she said gave her away.

“Do you need anything else?” she asked as she peaked out with a small smile from the back room before she came back out to stand behind the counter and look her over with curious eyes. Her hair was wild and feral, and though her face was stained with dirt she seemed too soft to be one of her people. The thought made her laugh... Wanheda being soft... Though, her eyes were heavy. Exhaustion perhaps? “Are you travelling?” Niylah was a talkative woman at the worst of times, so the question seemed natural for her to ask. Not prodding.

OWL

[Clarke Griffin]

“People can develop incredible powers when they have to.” Clarke answered in Trigedasleng, carefully constructing the sentence in her mind and relaying it, even though she was still learning the language. This, too, was evidence of how the human body could do incredible things when it had to. The human body was incredible in itself. She wouldn’t be able to carry this thing, had she not absolutely needed to do it. But she needed meat and fur to survive. She had no other choice and so she used whatever her power had. Clarke listened to what she said. It sounded fair. The other trading posts did it similarly, though sometimes they tried to exploit her position of weakness. Needless to say she did not let them. 

Clarke looked around. The post was full of stuff thtat was wonderous to her. She wanted to ask what it was, curiosity being a trait of her, but she had more important things to do. For now she was in here to get much needed supplies. Clarke turned back to her, wondering what she should say to the woman. She was travelling, of sorts. She had no destination, only an origin. Maybe one day she would know where she would go to, but for now she didn’t. “You can say that, yes.” She replied. “I have no destination. I’m staying in the area for a while. Are you here alone?”

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[amber4]

TRY NOT TO RUN FROM THIS FREEDOM ALWAYS HAS A PRICE TO PAY tagged: Clarke Griffin

“That they can,” Niylah responded with a small smile as she walked towards some basic supplies. She took a large box and began to fill it with rope, dried fruit, some furs, flint, steel and even some paralytic poisons that assisted when hunting large creatures. She brought the box to the counter and set it down between them. “This is good to get you started; you can take what you need from this, but look around. There are many things here that may interest you.” No destination, so why was the girl here? She was far from villages, far from anyone... She certainly wasn’t Azgeda—but she had seen her face before on bounty hunters drawings... Wanheda. It had to be her... Disguising her hair in deep red dyes, hiding away... Niylah watched her with wide eyes, fighting her curiosity.

She didn’t want to be found, and Niylah wasn’t about to scare her away when she could help her.

“I live here with my father, but for now yes. I’m alone.” She smiled lightly and reached down to grab some dark, dried pigments they used to paint their faces. It was useful for camouflage. “You can use this, when you’re hunting. It’ll help you blend into the trees, and it will stay on longer than clay.” She offered Wanheda a smile and leaned on the counter. “Do you have anything else you wish to trade, or would you like us to take payment through the meat?”

OWL

[Clarke Griffin]

Clarke was surprised when the woman brought over a box, filled with tools and potions that would help someone with hunting. She was impressed, really. Not many traders had tried to actually trade for what she offered. They just tried to rip her off, but this one seemed to be very honest in everything she did. Clarke respected that, even now, even though she was more running from herself, than anything, she could still respect this. Given the kindness to try and trade, Clarke looked around the box. There was nothing she could use. She wasn’t skilled enough for half of the tools. The fur and rope interested her, though. She needed the meat, though. She needed something to eat, but maybe, if she went straight back to hunting, she could afford them. After all she wanted to be fair here, as well.

“Is he on travels?” It seemed to be a good thing then. She liked the woman, she found. She seemed kind and open. Clarke suspected she was open enough to allow her to come back and help her with staying alive for a while until the area was too dangerous for her to stay around. They always managed to et the idea in what area she was, sadly. She always had to move eventually and none of her moves brought her closer to home.

“I have red hair.” Clarke pointed out when looking at the pigment. “Painting my face will be useless when my hair stand out like that.” In truth that was not even why she refused this. The pigment, it was like war paint. She would not put on war paint. Not after everything she’s done. Not after everything it has come to resemble, not unless she absolutely had to and right now she did not have to. She managed to hunt without that as well. “I will come back.” She announced. “For now I need the meat more than any of those, but I am interested in a trade for them. I will come back.” Though she had something that could be of value. Of great value actually. “Wait.” Clarke pulled out the few vials she carried. She had gotten those a while back to start stocking up on herbs and potions she needed. Clarke placed two of them in front of the woman. Holding up one, she explained. “This is a tea. It helps to clean a body of infection. I have seen it save the life of someone speared through the chest.” Holding up the second while, she explained those contents as well. “This will help numb pain. Mix the leaves with water and place it on a wound and the wound will go numb for a while. Think you can trade those?”

amber4

[amber4]

TRY NOT TO RUN FROM THIS FREEDOM ALWAYS HAS A PRICE TO PAY tagged: Clarke Griffin

“In a way,” she said while the woman looked over what Niylah was offering her. She held her tongue; ready to tell her perhaps darkening her hair might do her good—but she sensed that wasn’t the only reason that she refused the thick pigment. Niylah slipped it back under the countertop and nodded lightly. “I’ll have the meat ready for you by sunset, if you’d like to return for it. My father is headed to Polis, so he isn’t due back for a while yet.” She watched as Wanheda turned to leave the post—but then she turned around and pulled out the herbs and healing supplies. Niylah, who was hardly a healer, looked closely at what Clarke held up. “Those sound like they would be of more use to you—since you know how to use them,” she began before arching a brow.

“I can trade them, of course—but that would mean I owe you more than what you have taken.” Instead of digging around, Niylah pressed her lips together. “I have some food already prepared—give me a moment.” The one who killed the buck she had already prepared was due back soon, so Niylah took some of their own share and put it in a medium sized box. Her father never paid attention to the trades and deals that Niylah made, so he wouldn’t notice. After Wanheda’s kill, they wouldn’t go hungry. She brought out the box of salted meat and a large bottle of clean and boiled water from their own supply and set it down.

Niylah smiled lightly at her and cocked her head. “Since you seem to be more interested in food, this should tide you over for a day or two while you wait for your kill. It would give me more time to prepare it for you... I still feel as if I owe you more though.” Her brow furrowed as she looked over the herbs. She could pass these off to a travelling healer easily. “Are you sure there is nothing else here that interests you? We have weapons as well...”

OWL

[Clarke Griffin]

“I can always make more, but I can’t make rope or knives.” Clarke pointed out. She knew how to deal with edibles, she had learned it now and she had learned it back at the Drop Ship. She could deal with that. She knew to go to trading posts to have meat and furs prepared. Maybe she should go with this. At least this time. Clarke sighed heavily. Surviving was not easy, not like this, not when everyone usually had their own gains and motivations in mind. Clarke looked down at the bottles. She wanted to trust this woman. She seemed trust worthy and strangely eager to help her. With the potions and the panther, maybe she could get through this for a while.

“Okay… you make a good trade.” Clarke began. She had to say this carefully, having been burned by trading people once too often. “I trust you here. What would the bottles and the entire panther be worth to you?” She needed to know. She just needed enough food to tied her over and some tools. “I need food and maybe rope, maybe a knife, that’s it. I don’t need much, so whatever you can give me for the panther then, it would be greatly appreciated.” She seemed to be willing to help. “And please don’t worry about the herbs. I know how to make them, I can always bring more, if they help you.” For a price, naturally, but it could be a good business for both of them.

amber4

[amber4]

TRY NOT TO RUN FROM THIS FREEDOM ALWAYS HAS A PRICE TO PAY tagged: Clarke Griffin

Niylah nodded in understanding as she looked over the meat and dry bread she’d put together in the basket. She set the small bottles down and looked under her counter for more supplies. The whole trade shack was covered from top to bottom with oddities and survival supplies—some were mixed together. She came back with a long and tightly wound rope which was rolled up and tied into a loop. “This is strong—good for building shelter,” she said as she offered it to the girl before moving to the shelves of weapons near the back. Some were clearly made for a warriors strength, but Wanheda, despite her kills did not seem to want a warriors pack. Instead, Niylah found a small but deadly sharp dagger and brought it over to the counter. She set that down as well.

The sky person was very well versed... Niylah would not have expected that. It was clear she was in hiding with her dyed hair and her rough clothing. With good reason—Azgeda was looking for her. She had them in the shop every day of the week looking for ‘new faces’. She said nothing, and would continue to say nothing... It wasn’t her place as it was. She was just a trader.

“This knife is sharp—be careful with it.” She set it in the basket of supplies and pushed it towards her. “Wolves fur, enough meat to last you for a week, the rope, the knife and some bread. That is what I am willing to trade for the herbs and the panther. If you come back with more—I’ll have a basket like this waiting for you, but make sure you keep enough of your medicines for yourself as well... You’ll need them to survive on your own especially if you’re taking down those beasts.”

OWL

[Clarke Griffin]

Clarke watched the woman go through material. Rope, something she needed, was among what she could offer Clarke. A knife was not necessarily what she needed, but along with the meat, the fur and bread it would easily tied her over for a good time. It meant she had so much less worries. With the medicine she produced and the animals she hunted this might be the place she would want to stay around for for a while. She seemed fair, at least it was more than enough for Clarke, so she was good with that trade, more than good. Clarke felt extremely grateful as this made her comfortable for a few days, something she hadn’t had since the snow melted and she had to leave her shelter again for food. 

Clarke nodded at Niylahs advice. “Thank you.” She whispered almost softly, still feeling the gratefulness at the peace she felt for the first time in so long. This was giving her more than she could tell the other girl. “I appreciate this. It will tide me over for a while.” And it would. She would still hunt more. Maybe with the meat she could actually build up a bit of a supply that would last her in case she had to run again. “I will return soon. Safe.” She smiled at her, somehow happy she had told her to keep enough medicine for herself. She would make enough for herself and to trade it again. Clarke picked up the basket. “I will see you next time then:”

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