3rd Trial
Zi'da
Arc 717
Zi'da
Arc 717
"Papa?" Vega said, sitting on the bed in her room. It had been her room all her life, and one of the things that she loved about her life now was that there was no room that was hers. She didn't sleep beneath a wooden ceiling any more, there were no walls. There was their tent, the open skies and them and Vega was more content with that than she could give words to. "It's your birth-trial on the last trial of this season. Are you going to see the new arc in like usual?" She wasn't sure, usually he and his twin would celebrate their birth trial together but this arc, of course, her father was alone. Her uncle's death had hit him hard, Vega knew and Jo'qan shrugged and looked up from what he was doing.
"I am not sure, Eva. I thought I would like to spend it with family. What are you doing?"
Vega shrugged, slightly, answering before she really thought about it. "Papa, Arlo an' I don't really plan much more than a trial ahead, if that. I've no idea." In Vega's hand was a piece of wood which she was working. It was a piece of driftwood, long and wave shaped, and Vega was carefully engraving into it. She had not started using the tools on it, yet. Her father was sanding another piece like it as she worked on drawing the design she planned for it on there. Looking up from it, though, she caught sight of her father's face and she engaged her brain. "I'm spendin' yer birth-trial wherever you want me to be, Papa. If you want yer family, I'll be there where you are." Jo'qan smiled at her, pleased at that response. Vega grinned as she reached for the oiled cloth which would treat the wood and allow her to engrave on it more easily.
"Does Arlo have different plans?" Jo'qan asked and Vega looked at him, surprised. "No, Papa, not as far as I know, any'ow. But you said you wanted to spend yer birthtrial with fam'ly so I figured..." Jo'qan stopped sanding the wood he was working on and he turned his full attention to his daughter.
"Am I misunderstanding the nature of your relationship, Eva?" His eyes were stern as he asked that, "are you simply engaging in a meaningless fling?" Vega shook her head, frowning deeply. "No, Papa! I wouldn't do that! I've never done that." Vega was quite prepared to get upset about such a suggestion, and then her father nodded his head and smiled. "Good," Jo'qan said, with a smile. "I have been thinking that he and you are truly together. That makes him family, Eva." Vega's expression told a lot more than she could manage with her words what had never been her strong point.
"I am not sure, Eva. I thought I would like to spend it with family. What are you doing?"
Vega shrugged, slightly, answering before she really thought about it. "Papa, Arlo an' I don't really plan much more than a trial ahead, if that. I've no idea." In Vega's hand was a piece of wood which she was working. It was a piece of driftwood, long and wave shaped, and Vega was carefully engraving into it. She had not started using the tools on it, yet. Her father was sanding another piece like it as she worked on drawing the design she planned for it on there. Looking up from it, though, she caught sight of her father's face and she engaged her brain. "I'm spendin' yer birth-trial wherever you want me to be, Papa. If you want yer family, I'll be there where you are." Jo'qan smiled at her, pleased at that response. Vega grinned as she reached for the oiled cloth which would treat the wood and allow her to engrave on it more easily.
"Does Arlo have different plans?" Jo'qan asked and Vega looked at him, surprised. "No, Papa, not as far as I know, any'ow. But you said you wanted to spend yer birthtrial with fam'ly so I figured..." Jo'qan stopped sanding the wood he was working on and he turned his full attention to his daughter.
"Am I misunderstanding the nature of your relationship, Eva?" His eyes were stern as he asked that, "are you simply engaging in a meaningless fling?" Vega shook her head, frowning deeply. "No, Papa! I wouldn't do that! I've never done that." Vega was quite prepared to get upset about such a suggestion, and then her father nodded his head and smiled. "Good," Jo'qan said, with a smile. "I have been thinking that he and you are truly together. That makes him family, Eva." Vega's expression told a lot more than she could manage with her words what had never been her strong point.