Footsteps in the Sand
Apprehension and intrigue mingled within Gareth as the details of his assignment were conveyed to him. Not so long ago, the Warrior of Light had secured a partnership for the Scions with the U’ tribe. Gareth had made excursions into the Thanalan deserts before, of course. Alongside certain comrades he had faced the Amal’jaa before, too. But he had never been quite as far as the depths of the Sagolii, nor had he encountered the U’ tribe. It may have been five years since he had stepped foot in Ishgard, but as one born within its cold stone walls, he had little knowledge of the customs of such groups of people. He was aware that life in Thanalan was a battle, and that the Amal’jaa were a constant issue, but other than that he was, in his opinion, frustratingly ignorant.
The U’ tribe was asking for help – apparently quite the sign of trust – and he had been requested to go attend to their needs. If he handled the situation wrongly, would the tribe lose respect for the Scions? It was a worry that niggled at him. Thankfully, however, he was not to go to them alone. It just so happened that one of his fellow Scions had been born into the tribe, and he was to accompany her. This fact helped ease the weight of his concerns.
Gareth moved through the Waking Sands, looking for his comrade. Entering the room that branched out on the right side of the hall, he began to survey the small cluster of Scions. At last, he spotted a miqo’te woman with a lance on her back. “Greetings,” he called out somewhat tentatively as he approached her. When she turned around, he smiled lightly. “You must be U’me Natski? I’m Gareth Hyland, your partner for the mission at Forgotten Springs.”
He blinked, a little surprised as he took in her features. There was something incredibly familiar about her. It took a second for where he had seen her to occur to him. “Ah, forgive me, but did you ever train at the Lancer’s Guild in Gridania?”