Rey smiled to himself as the comforting scent of heartwood filled the air as he shaped the block in his small hands. He had found it outside his bedroom door on the morning that his father, Corym, had left for another of his travels to a neighboring crel. The warmth of the wood, and the slight pulse of its latent energy made his skin tingle as he coaxed it into the shape of a small toy. He was too old for such toys - his Soulform ceremony would be in just a few short days, after all.
He closed his eyes, doing his best to imprint an image of a boar into the heartwood. Beads of sweat began to form, his thick brows furrowing in concentration. After a moment, he opened his eyes, pleasantly surprised with the result. The toy was lumpy and imperfect, but it was a boar nonetheless.
Rey was sure his new sister would love the toy. She would like all the same things as him, and he would teach her how to hunt, and fish. He was most excited to show her his skills at heartweaving. Even his father had been impressed when Rey had shown off his skills by shaping a tiny spear from a splinter that had fallen from one of their chairs. He was still young, but it wasn't often that children were able to heartweave before their Soulform ceremony.
He lay back on the boar skin rug of his family's home, staring at the woven heartwood roof and letting the crackling of the fire beside him lull him into a quiet contemplation. He looked up to his father, but Rey just couldn't decide what he wanted to do for his crel. Heartweavers were by far the most versatile and respected workers, but every time he thought about it, his mind would wander to the many times his father had lectured him on the importance of the Sai - The Defenders.
"The Sai are all that stand between our crel and the destruction of our way of life." Corym would always say "There are many dangers, even this deep in the forest - wild beasts, Shadow Asps, and sometimes there are other dangers that make even these seem small".
Rey never learned about these "other dangers", but he knew that after his ceremony, his father would have to tell him everything. If he became a Sai, that is. He let his thoughts trail off, holding the freshly shaped toy up to his eyes as he watched the firelight flicker against its shape, accenting its features. Only one more month and he would no longer be alone.
A whisper of footsteps outside the front door brought him back to reality. He sat up quickly, straightening his clothes and running his fingers through his hair as the door opened.
"Good evening, Solara", Rey said.
"How long have you been here?" Solara asked, her piercing green eyes inspecting him thoroughly, her mouth thinning in a disapprooving frown. She closed the door behind her, never taking her eyes off him. "You were supposed to be watching the weavers today. Do you think that the ancestors will bend to the will of a lazy brat that never works for anything?"
Rey looked down at his hands, squeezing the small boar for comfort and feeling it pulse softly in response. "The weavers sent me away an hour ago. They said the work was done. I-" he paused. "I wanted to make something for the baby."
Solara's eyes softened slightly as she noticed the toy in his hands. She sighed, settling awkwardly on the boar skin rug next to him with a soft groan, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Show me, Rey."
Rey leaned into her wiry shoulder, breathing in the earthy smell of herbs and spices that always seemed to emanate from her. He imagined his mother would have smelled much the same if she were still here. Solara brushed the hair from his eyes, her dirt-stained fingers lingering for a moment before falling back to her lap. Rey slowly opened his hands, revealing the dark red sheen of the toy.
Solara reached out, gently taking it from him, her voice proud. "This is so good! You are getting better. A week ago, I would have had to guess what it is. I'm sure she will love beetles just because of this."
Rey's smile froze instantly, and before Solara could correct herself, he snatched the toy from her hand and bolted from the room, his heavy door slamming behind him. Solara stared after him.
"Damn it."
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Rey cracked his window open, burrowing under his covers. He let their weight settle around him like a warm coccoon. The silver moonlight filtered through his blankets, and the sounds of night seemed to echo in his small room. I knew it. He clenched his fist around the toy before pushing it away from him, hearing it clatter against the hard floor. Just wait until i get my Soulform. I will become the strongest Sai of all.
A gentle knock sounded on the door. "Rey?"
Rey burrowed deeper, ignoring her voice. The hinges softly creaked, and warm air pushed back the chill of the night that had seeped through his open window.
"I am sorry Rey. The toy is a beautiful thought." A long silence followed, but Rey refused to respond. Footsteps drew closer to his coccoon, and then he felt weight of Solara's hand settle on him.
"There is soup on the table if you get hungry. Your father will be back tomorrow."
Silence.
"You need to keep your strength up. The ceremony can be taxing."
Silence.
"I am sorry, Rey. I love you. I know I am not perfect... I can never replace your mother... but I want the best for you. I hope you know that."
Her footsteps receded, and the door clicked closed behind her. The quiet sounds of night enveloped Rey again. He closed his eyes, letting the sounds drown out his thoughts as he drifted off to sleep.