Issue 1 Downtime

At some point towards the evening Sam is shown a place juuuust on the edge of the village where she can make camp, suggesting that Sight-of-the-Sun's talk with the chief went okay if maybe not perfectly. And after a while Do'noma makes her way over with a steaming bowl an a waterskin slung over her shoulder. A handful of kids are following her, sticking closely together once Sam comes into sight.

"Hope you do not mind. I was not being able to send them away." she chuckles.


((Parallel thread so the other can go at it's own pace))

"Not sure what your idea of 'relaxing' is, here."

She tilts her head slightly. "But they do not think you are strange like your people do. They are curious..." she says, not quite getting that 'relaxing' for Sam probably means 'less people'.

"Don't think I'd be this much of a spectacle in town."

"I apologize. I thought it would be nice difference. They are not bad stares..." she says, looking a little dejected.

"I'm sorry. I just... I wasn't expecting quite this much attention."

She nods and turns around to the gaggle of kids.

"<I'm sorry, but the Dreamwalker is tired. Maybe tom-- >" One of the kids tries to interrupt her but she doesn't give him the chance to. "<Listen to your elders. You do not demand to talk to the spirits either. Now go.>" And the kids, grudgingly, turn around to leave, though not without trying to catch a few parting glances at Sam.

"Didn't have to be so harsh on them."

"I was not harsh. Did that sound harsh to you?" she asks curiously, handing Sam one of the bowls before sitting down on the ground, folding her legs.

"I'm just guessing from how they reacted," she admitted.

"Oh they are disappointed. But is a good lesson for them too. Learn patience."

"If I'd known it was going to cause this much of a stir, I wouldn't have tried that with that boy earlier. I just thought... well, you said it's accepted here."

"It is! But... this like a thing from stories. Skinwalker and Dreamwalker..." she shakes her head like she's still not quite sure if she believes it. Afterall, she only witnessed one of the two herself.

"It's like stories we have too, but you don't ever expect to be that."

"Yes! It is story, not real so it is hard to believe."

"So maybe you understand why I don't think of them as my people. They probably wouldn't think of me as one of theirs."

She seems to think for a moment. "But stories are part of people too. It does not mean you do not belong."

"But who wants to live with a fairy tale?"

"It is not actual story. Story can mean different things. It is just why my people reacted that way. Because stories taught them that you are very very rare."

"They accept you. I guess I'd just hoped..."

"They do. They let you make camp here. That is big. If you were one of us there would be celebration."

"Maybe I don't want to be celebrated," she frowned.

"I know now. But it means they do not mean ill. They want to know and being alone is not something we think is good." she tries to explain.

"So you said. It's just a lot to take in."

"For them too. Both need time, I think."

"That sounds about right. You've still been very kind."

"Sometimes they say I am too young and reckless still to be seer. I say some spirits are reckless too." she says with a bit of a cocky grin.

"Suppose they can't argue that you are a seer."

"Why would they doubt it?"

"And since you are, who is to say you're too young?"

She chuckles and shakes her head. "Very true. And sometimes just follow gut even if you can not hear the spirits directly."

"It's hard not to envy you, really."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"Because it all makes sense to you."

"You want me to explain better? More?"

"Explaining is all well and good, but it just seems like you know."

"I do. Because the spirits talk to me and I listen. I teach others." she nods in the direction the kids ran off to. "I can teach you."

"That's a lot of trust from you, or for me to give."

"Well first there are stories. They are not secret. Your people just not listen."

"I'm still not fond of you saying that..."