To neither of their surprise, Zamara proved largely useless in the next task. She lingered upon the outside circumference around the fire being born with the light steps of someone wishing to help but uncertain of quite how to. She ended up mostly observing and the young dancer noted how different this process was to the fires she had stoked in her own life. There was no chimney to focus the wind, no ready-to-use logs that were cut into perfect shapes, no iron pokers to jostle things about. It was as though Chaele were engaging within a contest of skill versus the elements themselves to harness the life-giving warmth they both would be relying on this night.
She does not answer the shaman’s question when it is asked of her. Zamara was not sure exactly how to answer it. Her mouth hung slightly slack as the thoughts that might have been clever slipped away from her like the rising embers lifting from Chaele’s fiery accomplishment.
They seemed to take pity on her and continued on with their guidance even while dividing their prey with extreme skill. And when the question finally came- the very one that she had been hoping to hear; Zamara’s heart still managed to skip a beat in relief.
”If…if you will not mind doing so, I will try my best to learn from you. And to be useful, if I can.” The words leave her slowly as she chooses them with great care.
She does not answer the shaman’s question when it is asked of her. Zamara was not sure exactly how to answer it. Her mouth hung slightly slack as the thoughts that might have been clever slipped away from her like the rising embers lifting from Chaele’s fiery accomplishment.
They seemed to take pity on her and continued on with their guidance even while dividing their prey with extreme skill. And when the question finally came- the very one that she had been hoping to hear; Zamara’s heart still managed to skip a beat in relief.
”If…if you will not mind doing so, I will try my best to learn from you. And to be useful, if I can.” The words leave her slowly as she chooses them with great care.
Zamara
