Even Half-Moons Smile

Book Three

Honu

The air was crisp and cool; the sun had not yet broken the horizon, but the mountain was alive with sound. Climbing steadily, breathing evenly, was a young girl no older than sixteen. She climbed higher, racing against the sun.

'Almost there, just a little further, Yena. You can do this!' she thought, inching closer to the plateau. Her arms were tired; her legs ached as she gripped the rough stone with calloused hands. Scree powdered her clothes, a testament to her endurance.

The winter sun soon began to spread streams of gold, orange, and red across the morning sky, illuminating the snowcapped trees below and waking the wildlife. The skittering of a lizard reached her ears. Its tail brushed her hand as, with a final grunt, she pulled herself onto the mountain's peak. The snow was light, and the lush greenery of the valley below did not reach the top. Sparse, withered vegetation dotted the landscape. Her eyes were drawn to a blue butterfly resting on a twig before locking onto an unexpected sight—another person.

Across from her sat a young man about her age with messy, short, dark brown hair. Dark brown eyes met hers, untrusting and calculating. Sweat rolled down his caramel skin into thick eyebrows. His lips were turned down in a mild frown. The shirt he wore barely hid his toned form, and scars on his hands and arms hinted at intense martial arts training. His body was tense, ready to react.

For a moment, neither spoke. Then he broke the silence. "Staring is considered rude, you know, even for strangers meeting in the mountains." His voice was calm as he observed her closely. She stood a few inches shorter than him, dark brown hair pulled into a small ponytail. Sweat poured down her furrowed brow as her fierce almond-shaped eyes took him in. She had a small, pointed nose and heart-shaped lips set in a slight frown. Her tanned olive skin accentuated her lightly toned arms. Her petite frame belied the strength he sensed beneath the surface.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Yena asked hesitantly.

"So, manners aren't practiced where you come from, huh?" He turned toward her. "Where I'm from, introductions start with your own name first. For example," he bowed his head slightly, touching his brow before sweeping downward, "my name is Honu. What's yours?"

Yena felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I was just surprised. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be here, especially this early. My name is Asayena. But everyone calls me Yena."

A small smirk lit his face. "Well, Yena, to answer your question, I'm here to breathe the mountain air and watch the sunrise. What about you?"

"Same, actually," Yena said, looking sheepish.

"Well, turn around, or you'll miss it," he said, pointing over her shoulder. She turned just as the sun began its ascent beyond the horizon, lighting the plateau. Great stones in various shades of red, orange, and brown littered the area, large enough to fit a cottage. They spent the next few minutes in a comfortable silence.

"So, Asayena, where do you come from?" Honu asked, turning his attention back to her.

Yena looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

Holding his hands up, he stepped back. "Just curious. My clan lives in the valley west of here."

"There's no village in that direction for at least a hundred miles," Yena said skeptically.

"Ninety-three, actually," Honu corrected. "But who said anything about a village? I said I live in a valley, for the time being."

"You're a nomad?" Yena asked.