"Sarila. Get up."
The ten year old Sarila arose from her makeshift bed of hay and yawned, rubbing her violet eyes.
"Ytri, do I have to?" She sighed, stretching her legs. Ytri gave a slight scowl, but nodded. "It's high time you learn how to fish. We're running low on food anyway, and we don't need to make another trip into any cities. Not after last time…" Ytri winced for a moment before the normal hardened expression returned to her face.
Sarila grumbled under her breath and picked up her small backpack. She tugged the leather straps, her irritated skin crying out in pain beneath the thick leather. "Which way to the river?" Sarila asked. Ytri shielded her eyes from the bright sun before pointing forward. "It should be just up ahead. We'll get there in probably five minutes or so. Come on, kid." Ytri waved her arm forward as she began to walk, Sarila lagging behind ever so slightly.
Soon enough, the two reached the river. Ytri brushed the locks of brown hair that weren't in a ponytail out of her face. "Alright, first off, I want you to know that this is hard when you first start, but it gets easier. We don't have a fishing rod, of course, but we do have this." Ytri slightly smiled, lifting up an empty basket. "I got a smaller one for you too, so it'll be much easier to handle." Ytri added, pulling a smaller basket from the large basket she held. Sarila looked puzzled as she took the basket. "But Ytri, where did you find these?" She asked innocently.
Ytri opened her mouth to speak, but ignored the girl's question. She quickly looked away into the river, where several River Betties splashed around. "Why don't you try catching the River Betties near the shore? It should be nice and easy." Ytri suggested. Sarila nodded, having forgotten her own question.
Slowly, Sarila trudged through the rushing waters of the river and scooped up a River Betty as the rest swam away. Sarila giggled at the little fish that swam around in her basket full of water. "Look at the fish, Ytri! It's so pretty!" She beamed in adoration. Ytri's mouth tugged upward in a smile that was barely noticeable before her normal face returned a split second later. "That's…that's great, Sarila. Swim back to shore and then you can look at your fish." Ytri told Sarila, who was still busy giggling at the pretty fish and its gorgeous pink scales.
Suddenly, the currents began to pick up in the river. Sarila gasped and struggled to balance as the river began to swallow her up. In the confusion, she had tipped the basket over, freeing her fishy captive, who swam away into the deep. Ytri gasped and dove into the water after Sarila, who was being washed away in the current. "Ytri! Help! What do I do?!" Sarila splashed around in the water, firmly clinging to the basket as she panicked. "Just keep swimming, Sarila. Just keep swimming." Ytri instructed, keeping her voice at a calm level.
Sarila pushed through the water, swimming in large strokes as she tried so desperately to reach Ytri. Sarila tossed the basket onto the shore as she paddled through the clear water. Ytri held out her hand for Sarila to grab ahold of, standing in place in the midst of the raging currents. Slowly, Sarila edged closer and closer to Ytri, looking into her light green eyes for comfort. Soon, their fingers touched, and a moment later, Ytri had pulled Sarila into her arms, walking out of the river. "That was close. We'd better not let you fish again until the river's calmed down." Ytri frowned, shaking off her soaked clothes. Sarila squeezed water from her golden hair and walked over to her discarded basket, sighing in defeat.
Sarila's sadness turned to joy in a split second when she realized, in the midst of the chaos, a rather large salmon swam right into her basket, flopping around in desperation. Sarila giggled giddily and clapped her hands like a Horker. "Ytri! I caught a salmon!" She squealed. Ytri's sullen eyes suddenly brightened at Sarila's words. She strode over to the girl, who held up her basket like a trophy.
This time, Ytri failed to suppress her happiness, and broke out into a grin that was reflected upon Sarila's young, scarred face.
That night, the two ate better than they had for a very long time. Even the Twin Moons seemed to smile upon their makeshift camp, and the Luna Moths seemingly applauded Sarila with their little wingbeats.
Sarila opened her eyes and sat upright in her cot. She pulled the animal furs that covered her freezing body higher over her. "Someday, Ytri. Someday, I'll find you. Though you aren't family, you'll always be blood to me." Sarila murmured drowsily as she drifted off to sleep once more.
