Submission (#318) Approved

Hanami wandered through the dense forests of Kyendi with her father and sibling. There was a stillness to the forest but the looming treetops seemed to almost look down on the small kittom. Bazil was agile but even he was taking the safer path with his children. Peering over her shoulder to look back between her father’s paws Hanami could see her sibling, Mallow, in their father’s wake. He had warned her sibling not to get distracted trying to pick herbs while they traveled but Mallow at least listened better than Hanami. Father had always told her that she took after her aunt but given the brown kittom had only met her aunt a pawful of times she still did not quite understand why her father said that.

Assured Mallow was still with them Hanami walked forward along the path. Occasionally a twig cracked beneath Hanami’s paws but it was fairly safe aside from those small startling motions. She was the kittom that more often rushed ahead but the unfamiliar surroundings had her a bit more cautious. It was just their father with them right now and for all the admiration Hanami had for him she also knew now was not the time to stray. Such actions would just invite trouble and worry him. She looked at the treetops above her, watching the sun shift and a coolness start to set in.

Some areas along the path she could see the mountains through the trees while other spots were denser. Staying on the path meant avoiding unknown steep drop offs. Bazil had stopped once to show his kittoms one though he kept them a safe distance from the edge. Mallow had been a bit too interested but Hanami stayed back a bit more, perhaps a bit more weary of heights that her sibling would ignore if it meant getting the right plant off a ledge or tree knot.

The journey was a long one even with the frequent breaks her father was taking for the kittoms. They were heading into the mountains to reach a city beyond Sulapei where one of their relatives was living. As time went on though and the dark seemed to be setting in they hurried to make it to a safe resting point. They stopped for the night to make camp a little ways off the path in a haven their father knew of. For him this journey was a bit more of a tradition and it was one he wanted to show his children.

Bazil had used a manaberry potion to make the task of setting their camp up go a bit faster at least in terms of cooking. Hanami watched as he lit a small fire pit to cook over and pulled out some vegetables to steam over it. A few pieces of dried jerky he set before Hanami and Mallow to eat while the other foods softened. Around them Hanami could hear the soft chirping of bugs and the hum of wings among other things. Once or twice Hanami even thought that she heard laughter not far off but tried to ignore it. The soft crackling of the flames drowning out some of the ambient noises in the area. There were sounds from the bugs still but it grew more distant as they shied away from the flames.

Bazil let his kittoms rest on his lap, Mallow already nodding off though Hanami looked at her father a bit wearily. When the vegetables were cooked though and her belly full and warm she quickly followed her sibling into slumber. Bazil watched the fire burn down to embers and put it out before nodding off himself. The night was calm and Hanami felt herself being nudged awake by her father the next morning. It was another full day’s travel by the time they arrived at the mountain city. As the path broke free of the trees and dirt turned to small stones Hanami was starting to get excited. It was getting later in the day again but they were close.

“Should we stop to get dinner before finding an inn?” He suggested and the two kittoms nodded eagerly. They hadn’t eaten since lunch time earlier that day and Mallow’s aching paws had caused Bazil to carry the small kittom on his back. This time Bazil lead the way while Hanami trotted afterward, her head admiring the stone buildings and foreign architecture. Parts of the city seemed almost carved out of stone but there was a more open market area it seemed. Through a set of doors Bazil set Mallow down at a table and helped Hanami crawl up on her own seat. The tables were a bit lower but still too high for a small kittom.

Sitting down some bowls of noodles were set before them. Hanami was in awe as her father had not even ordered anything yet. Her eyes grew wide as she turned to the waitress who gently patted her on the head. It was a familiar face, her aunt’s. “Aunty Anko! Is this where you work?” Hanami inquired. The curiosity was enough of a distraction to keep the kittom from eating right away but another waft of the food and any hope for a greeting was lost. The small kittoms made quick work of their small bowls.

Hanami even jumped a little when her gaze turned upward again to find someone had slid into a chair next to her father. They were a rougher looking elnin, youthful though they must have been traveling a while. Their fur was a bit unkempt and they had a grin on their face. “Have you softened at all brother after having these little ones after you?” Kite teased. Bazil just elbowed him a bit at the words. “When have I ever been soft?” He raised a brow at Kite. “When you use to look after us. I’ll bet he tells you stories before bed as well.” Kite said, his words shifting from Bazil to Hanami who was flustered. It didn’t make sense how this stranger had known until she remembered they had called her father their brother.

“Father, do we have an uncle?” Mallow asked next to her, stealing the words out of Hanami’s mouth as they usually seemed to do. Bazil paused, looking thoughtfully with a smirk on his face as though he really had to consider it but Kite next to him just scowled. “You introduced them to Anko but not your own brother?” He looked a bit resigned, enough to make the usually stern elnin laugh.

“Yes you two. This is your uncle Kite. Your aunt, Anko, works here usually but works closer to where we live during the winter months. Kite, Anko, and I use to visit this town with our father when we were very young and Anko fell in love with it at some point in time but it’s quite far from home so this is a bit of a treat. You two would get tired if I brought you here more often. So eat up and grow up strong. We’ll be here a few days more. I’m sure you’ll want to get to know your uncle a bit better.” He explained to them. He knew his kittoms would be curious, as family seemed to be a hot topic around this time of the year.

“Kite meet Hanami and Mallow. We’ll have to visit your kittoms someday since they were a bit young to make it here this year.” Bazil said. Hanami’s ears perked up at the mention of more kittoms. She hadn’t known she had cousins and in the excitement Kite was pelted with questions. The air was crisp if not a bit hazy outside and as the sun set on the small noodle shop there were sure to be interesting days ahead. Hanami could be almost sure of it.