Characters: Teyla Emmagan, Kanaan & Halling
Prompt: egg, Teyla Emmagan
Teyla watched as the boys played near the hill. She had wanted to play too but they had told her in a few strong words that girls weren't allowed in their little game. She sulked, watching as they played tag and tried to push each other to the ground. They yelled and screamed, laughing out loud.
"Teyla!" She turned, finding her best friend bouncing up to her. He smiled as he plopped down by her side. "They are going after the egg." His eyes sparkled.
The egg. It was a stupid little game the Athosian children liked to play. They would climb the highest tree and steal an egg from the nest of a Vista, a medium sized carnivorous bird which didn't appreciate thieves and would attack relentless if it caught the thief in the act. Many children had been seriously injured after such an event. There even had been deaths, but those were only rumored and many believed just made up to scare the children.
"It's not fair." Teyla pouted. "I can climb too."
"There is a nest not far from here." The boy got up and started running in the direction of one of the largest trees near the settlement.
"Kanaan!" Teyla yelled after him, following in his footsteps. "Wait!"
They reached the tree but noticed they weren't the only ones there. The boys had already formed a circle and one of them, the oldest of the gang, was already making his way up to the top where a small nest was hidden between the leaves. The few on the ground were cheering as the other one progressed at a steady pace.
"He will never make it." Kanaan shook his head. "Halling is afraid of heights."
"Then why is he climbing up?" Teyla glanced at the boy by her side, barely a head taller than her.
"He wants to show them he is not a coward."
The boy made it to the nest without too much trouble and cheered loudly as he reached for his target and stuck it high in the air. The others down below cheered alongside and urged him to return to the ground. Teyla and Kanaan noticed how one look to the ground made the boy falter in his resolve to end his mission successfully. He grabbed the branch nearest to him and held on tightly.
"Halling is in trouble." Teyla said, turning at the sound of a Vista closing in. "Find some pebbles and make sure that Vista does not get a chance to get near us." Kanaan nodded as she sprinted off towards the tree, climbing all the way to the top as if she hadn't done anything else but that all her life.
The moment the other boys heard the Vista closing in on them, they screamed and made a run for it, leaving Halling quite literally high and dry. Kanaan positioned himself so he had a clear shot and pulled out his sling. He was pretty good at it, easily killing small rodents with nothing but his catapult and pebbles for ammunition. In the meantime, Teyla had reached Halling, who was shivering like a leaf in the wind, clutching the egg to his chest.
"Halling?" Teyla dropped her hand on his shoulder.
"I cannot get down." He said as he dared another glance downwards.
"I will help you." He nodded. "Just follow my lead. Kanaan will keep the bird busy."
It was with some ease that Teyla managed to get Halling back to the ground below, while Kanaan seemed to enjoy slinging pebbles the Vista's way. He cheered every time he hit the bird and it squawked loudly in protest. It came down again, and again, but met pebbles every single time.
That evening the trio ate Vista for dinner and admired the size of the egg, wondering if a small bird was growing inside. If there was, Halling would be able to train it for hunting, even though he had given the egg to Teyla as a 'thank you' gift. She had returned it with a smile, and instead used the grown bird's feathers to make a nice necklace for herself.
"This will be our little secret." Teyla said as they walked back into the settlement, and thus none of the other boys would ever know that Kanaan had killed the Vista and that Teyla had saved Halling.
"Deal." Both Kanaan and Halling said at the same time, smiling as Teyla disappeared in her father's tent.