The gentle, almost soothing, chirping turned into furious pecking as Khea did not wake fast enough in the bird's opinion. Finally, the sharp taps from the bird's beak is too much for her to ignore and Khea grumbles and brushes the feathered creature from her face. The bird, content with his accomplishment, floats over to the crude window of Khea's dwelling and watches as she gets to her feet.
"Are you happy now?" Khea asks the small bird, no larger than an orange, as she slathers a mixture of mud and ground leaves from the Hoy Tree over her body and face to deter insects from feasting on her blood. The bird does look proud and confirms this by leaving the ledge and perching on Khea's shoulders careful to not dig his talons too deep into her delicate human skin. "Of course you are," she responds to her own question as she begins the descent from the safety of her tree house to the water soaked ground below.
Her people had inhabited these hostile swamps for hundreds of dual seasons. Stories from the Silvers, the elders of the tribes, told legends of a dry land where their ancestors had lived but Khea could never wrap her head around that idea. What she, and everyone still walking among the living, understood was a life in the swamps. A life living in huts built in the trees, bed hammocks constructed from vines, and food collected and hunted within the murky waters. A world where water was sparse seemed nearly impossible.
While most humans who occupied the swamps had the tongue of the plants Khea was the only member of her tribe with the tongue of the creatures. Plant Talkers could connect with the trees, flowers, vines, and even the weeds that flooded the waters. The vegetation told the Plant Talkers if they had rot, what sections of themselves were edible, and even helped predict strange weather patterns and impending insect infestations. Plant Talkers easily navigated the swamps by communicating with the surrounding plants and using them as trusted guides.
Creature Talkers had similar abilities but their connection was with the animal brothers and sisters. Due to their higher state of thought, communication with the creatures involved more complications as they tended to be more stubborn and less cooperative than the plants. Khea learned this the difficult way at the tender age of three when it became obvious the plants were silent but she could almost never sleep without a two or four-legged furred, feathered, or scaled companion despite her protests.
Being a Creature Talker presented challenges in her daily life. Unlike her tribe sisters, Khea refused to eat to hunt or eat the animals whose voices and personalities resounded within her skull. Due to this decision, which had been met with resistance from her birther, Khea's frame contained less meat than those she dwelled with and she often had to rely on her ability to help her locate berries and routes rich in nutrients to sustain herself. Her bond with the animals also caused a level of self-inflicted isolation from other humans. The creatures provided what she believed to be a more than adequate level of companionship and they often lacked the cruelty she noticed in her human brothers and sisters. The bird who woke her this sun rise, who she affectionately referred to as Peck, remained one of her closest companions and rarely left her side for more than a sun rise and set.
This morning, Peck sat on her shoulder and preened Khea's short, nearly shaved, aqua colored hair that contrasted sharply with her almond skin and eyes such a dark brown hue that they almost appeared to be black. Most of the women in her tribe had a similar appearance though hair colors ranged the spectrum that accompanied the sun on its rise and descent from the sky. Khea had heard that older tribe brothers looked much the same but men only visited per invitation to help usher a baby into the world, and Khea's urge had yet to surface, so her eyes had never seen a human brother older than ten years old. Her continued refusal to send an invitation generated whispers among the tribe but she did her best to ignore them.
Despite her aversion to hunting, and her mild avoidance of human interaction, Khea helped contribute to her tribe and her current trek would bring her to one of the Silver's tree house to get her light hours' duties. She usually spent her days repairing tree houses, asking the animals to assist in moving food or materials, preparing plant based dishes, and watching the young children whose birthers were occupied by other tasks, Though she did not want to take on the role of birther Khea enjoyed her time with the children. She filled the hours with the children teaching them about the variety of creatures that lived nearby and entertaining them with wild tales of far away lands.
Today she doubted she would spend time with the young ones as she heard no protests of warnings from the creatures of a hunting party which meant her sisters were staying close. As she approached the Silver's dwelling she ushered Peck to wait for her in a nearby tree as Plant Talkers tended to balk on non-humans entering their homes. Once Peck settled, Khea grabbed onto the vine hanging from the house with her calloused hands and hardened soles of her feet and hoisted herself inside of its walls. What greeted her caused a sense of dread in her chest; all the Silvers of the tribe sat in a row at the far end with no joy in their faces.
