Koakiran returned with empty hands, an empty stomach, caked in dirt, and covered in cuts and bruises. His eyes held equal parts shame and determination as he walked hunched over, a sack carried over his shoulder, bowed by its weight.
The forest was alive with noise as the dawn sun rose. The Great Arc glinted softly in the sky as Koa saw his family home. The ornate entrance, a gate carved from the wood of the impressive gigantea, detailed the history of a people who had lived and shaped these lands for generations. From Mountain, who had sheltered and carried this family to a new home, to a crumbling island amidst the clouds. The gigavix who prowled these forests, the obo whose hide gave us warmth, and the strange beasts that lived deeper within the forests below. Beyond that, he could see the small, separate sleeping house where his adoptive parents lived. Each house was carved with expert skill, and the boy couldn't help but admire the work, as well as the stories of the tribe's lineage in each entry.
The valley at the mountain's center was peaceful and secluded, serving as their summer home away from the heat. The forests surrounding the mountain were bountiful with food that Koakiran was taught to find.
Hunting had never been Koakiran's strong suit, but the boy would have thought that he could at least manage more than just a single Lepu. His mother would have to make do without much meat, only the eggs and some roots. The rest of the contents were to hopefully appease them and distract them from the lack of prey.
The pale-haired boy waved to his cousins, who were setting up a game with loose logs.
"Care for a rematch?" One of his cousins, Topo, called to him. The game was one of his favorites; it involved standing on unsteady logs and wielding staffs to knock the opponent off. The staff were often wrapped with thick hides at the ends to prevent injury. Koakiranpaused for a moment, as if scared to answer before a grin spread across his face and he nodded.
Koakiran saw them get excited as he neared the gates to his family's village. He stopped, noticing his older cousin, Ina struggling with stringing a bow. He greeted her with a wave, then wordlessly knelt to help her, adding his own weight to her arm as the shaft bent further, allowing her to loop the bowstring around it.
"Finally," She panted, wrapping her arm around Koakiran, "Thank you Toako, uncle had asked me for help with it. Hey, will we see you tonight for another round?"
"I thought I was too rough last time."
Ina scoffed. "You won, my brother was being a sore loser. We will have plenty of practice for when you play with us again."
"If I win, do I get berries again?" He said, turning towards the village buildings.
"Topo found twice as much as last time."
Koakiran whooped as he broke off in a run. His mom, having heard him, called out.
"Well met, Koakiran, the little Founder!" Isa called, welcoming her son with a smile before staring at his injuries. "Are you alright?"
His parents stood under the entryway to their sleeping house, seemingly mid-conversation. The boy shied away from meeting his father's scrutinous gaze as he approached them.
"I'm fine!" The boy greeted his mother in their tradition, touching his forehead and nose to hers as she leaned down to him. "Is there any breakfast?"
Hota grabbed the single Lepu, giving it a thorough look over before looking to the boy.
"Only one?"
"Yes, sir," Koakiran swallowed, his mouth dry. "The trap broke."
"Did you check it before you set it?"
"… No, sir."
Hota sniffed. "It will have to do for today. Be at the Salo trees."
He left with the Lepu for one of the cooking houses.
"Did Ingot behave?" Koa asked.
"He was quite helpful at the quarry, as usual. He could stand to eat less of the materials we need, though. More importantly," She grabbed his tunic by the fringe, lifting it slightly, "what happened here?"
"It put up a fight."
"And that is why you check the trap." Isa chuckled."How bad is it?"
Koakiran moved away, hiding the several superficial cuts and bites that ran down his arms.
"Nothing some good rest won't fix." He smiled to ease her worries. Koakiran knew that despite the jokes and despite how frequently he would injure himself, there was still that glint of worry.
"Of course, you'll be alright. Come, we can clean you up and check your arm." Isa led him back to the hut they shared at the edge of the village.
"And maybe eat some food?" His question earned him a soft swat to his head.
His mother tutted, her eyes glinting with her quippy humor. "Strange boy, come asking for food, yet you bring so little?"
"Nope! I brought these!" He pulled a tightly tied bundle of Asclepi fibers. Isa's eyes lit up.
"You are forgiven." She traded the fibers for a baked batat she had been holding, which the boy ate greedily, huffing repeatedly to cool down the large bite he had taken.
"So?" Koakiran mumbled, his mouth still full.
"Hm?"
"I managed to catch a Lepu. Does this mean I passed? I can go back to hunting with the others?"
His mother sighed.
"No."
"Why not? I'm brave, I've proven it!" Koakiran complained/cried
"Bravery isn't all a hunter needs, Kiran. Your father told you this already." She turned and kneeled to meet his eyes. "You weren't brave for trying to grapple with a Lepu, nor were you smart for doing so. A hunter comes back with food, yes, but a good hunter comes back to his family unscathed. That is the bravery your father is trying to teach you. Now finish eating and go help your father."
In Koakiran's time with the clan, he learned that they tended to separate their men and women into roles. Mothers and aunts focused on plants and protected weaving, while fathers and uncles concentrated on animals and provided capabilities through tools.
The Salo trees, however, were something his father had taken personal pride in. His mother said they were essential to him, that when he was younger, his parents had maintained Salo trees in his old home. He was familiar with them, as they were more frequently found in his home territory, and thus the Elders had asked him to keep an eye on them.
As Koakiran approached, he saw that Hota was pruning the leaves. The circle of trees was situated outside the village, surrounding a small riverbank that extended further down the mountain. Hota has a small bag of mature seeds for planting later. As he moved through the Salo trees, he was reverent and slow, mouthing prayers as he looked through the trees and worked to defoliate and prune.
Koakiran often found himself hesitant and uncomfortable when interacting with his father. Hota barely spoke, and most of what he did say was usually blunt orders or feedback. It left Koakiran feeling awkward around him.
"For Elder La'Lo's arthritis," Hota pointed at a small pile of leaves and then some shaven bark, "for your baby cousin's toothache. Get more from the other side of the bank."
Koakiran said nothing, discarding his shirt and moccasins. Dipping into the water to wade through, it was more of a stream, only eight meters in width, and surprisingly deep. When he reached the bank, he fell into a comfortable rhythm, both of them remaining silent as they focused. Koakiran also checked the health of the tree, as Isa had taught him to do—elongated branches with few leaves, fuzzy leaves, or even brown leaves. With no signs, he began to trim some leaves and strip some bark into his pouch. Koakiran checked and double-checked which leaves to take.
"Thank you for giving me enough," Koakiran murmured before turning back around. He held the pouch out of the water while he swam back, and Hota looked over his son's finds. He nodded after a thorough check, handing the pouch back to the boy, as well as his own.
"Take this to Elder Lisi, then meet me at the gate. We need to head to the trading house."
Koakiran met his father's gaze questioningly. "I was hoping I could play with-"
"No. Get moving, I need you to help translate."
Koakiran froze, realizing what he meant. The trading house was located further down the mountain and served as a meeting place for several other groups. Meaning they would be interacting with the Aeolon and the Saigans. His mind began to race. The boy didn't want to go, but how could he explain it? Would Hota understand, or would he think the boy an idiot?
He stammered for an answer, and Hota stopped to stare at the boy.
"I don't think that's a - I mean, I think it'd be better if I don't- Ina said there were berries and-"
"Get going."