A Hasaa’ki’rin’s journal

Excerpts from Tiskha’sae Solawne Hasaa’ki’rin’s journal. These pieces range from log entries, to sketches and other travel observations.

They are reproduced here as they were written. Without tempering or corrections. Entries written in traditional Hasaa’ki language have been translated as close to the source material as possible, typos included.

## First entry. Tisk is ten.

Today big brother Ehmi’to gave me this book. With thick paper. And this thing to make lines made of hard cowl.

He got it from the traders and told me not to tell the elders about it. He says that way i can keep my words and images close to me.

I think our parents are mad tho. I heard them yell a lot earlier when brother came back. He’s been absent a lot lately.

He’s gone again now. He told me he has to go away for work. But I don’t understand what he means. Work is close. Why does he go?

## Second entry, the day after

I asked mom and dad today. They told me not to worry about it and to stay away from the iridescent fields.

I think they don’t want me to know. I can tell they’re tense tho. The whole tribe is. It’s quiet except for the roaring ships of the traders overhead. They’re more and more common and everyone gets tense. I have not seen Talik’a in moons. I wonder if Ehmi’to will disappear too... Yssia’li has been super quiet and distant too.

## Drawings date tba

[There are crude drawings of plants, animals, and a couple of hekerin.]

## A week after the last entry

Today mom took me aside and told me to never approach the iridescent fields or the traders. She looked angry and scared. I nodded, i didn’t know what to say.

How will we get to the moonlands now?

I’m scared.

## Entry

I've kept close, but mom still looks tense and I haven't seen Ehmi'to since that day.

I'm not going to stay scared tho. I decided that last dip. Today I'm going hunting with our hunting teacher. It's going to be a good day.

[drawings]

It was great. She taught us to use smoke to chase the bintoas from their galleries. We just had to catch them as they ran out. I hadn't thought about it. She's amazing. She also showed us how to use projectile weapons to down bigger beasts. I want to hunt more with her.

## Entry

I hunted more today. I'm getting good at this. And now that I can hunt on my own, mom and dad look less tense when I go out of our camp. I have my favourite spot a few hundred hops away. It's one of those weirdly green places with humidity. There's big enough rocks to stop the winds. There's so much to see there.

## Entry

We're moving camp tomorrow. There are more ships in the sky than ever. Everyone is tense. We're nearing the time of our moonlands pilgrimage. It'll help renew the land we took from. We have to do it, but I can tell everyone is thinking what I'm thinking... Do the traders know? Are they swarming us now to steal the energy we bring back?

I'm anxious. But if we don't do it.. what will happen to our land?

## Entry

We started moving to the iridescent fields. Everyone is grim, but there's no use delaying. If we miss our window, we'll have to wait for the spirit lights to align again. I was too small to remember our last pilgrimage, but everyone tell me things have changed so much.

We crossed a group of harvesters as we neared the fields. They were dressed in ways I'd never seen.

Ehmi'to was with them.

Someone threw a rock, there was almost a fight but we went each our way before anything happened. I can tell dad is bitter. Either way, we're setting camp close by, everyone is tired from the walk.

I don't know what to think. Maybe I'll sneak out while the elders are asleep.

## Entry

I've seen my brother. I missed him so much! Yssia'li was there too when I arrived. That's the happiest I've seen him in a while. Turns out the traders are cool and Ehm's made a bunch of friends from other tribes. They all get that thing from the iridescent fields. I'm not sure I get it but that's what they give the ships. There's a lot more right now he said. But it's safe and they get some nice things out of that.

I wish he would come tell that to everyone at the tribe but when I told him that, he just patted me on the head and said maybe.

I don't think he will...

## Entry

We missed our window.

There were traders camps all over, just beyond the iridescent fields. I've never seen so many Hekeri in one place. The elders started a fight this time and we got chased off. They called us degenerates and backward. They said we were getting in the way of progress... But mom said we're not the only tribe not liking this.

There's so much tension in the air... I don't want to fight our own.

Dad says they're traitors and heretics. That they'll bring down Taktak on everyone with their foolish actions. That the spirits will go dark and the sun will stop shining.

Can that really happen..?

## Entry, a few years later - Tisk is 15?

It's been a while, hasn't it? Where to start... I had to find a new journal. Mother found it back then. She threatened to burn it and make me eat the ashes. I think she knew I knew I wasn't supposed to have it. What happened to it? I have no idea. I hope it's still there somewhere.

During all those moons, I've gotten my spot in the hunting group. I helped around and I've been observing plants. I wish I had you at the time to write things down, but that's okay. We've moved back away from the fields, but not too far. Our circuit now keeps going around them. I think father is trying to gauge the enemy for when we need to get back to the moonlands again. We can't fail this time... or at least that's what the elders say. It can't be that bad if so any are doing this.

Last dip I sneaked to my brother camp again. It's been so many moons, what with our changing location regularly. But I finally got to go back to him. He seemed happy to see me and gave me this journal, like the last time. I owe him. I'm a big Hekerin now, I can help.

He and the others explained so many things about the world. I tried to write it down but it makes my head spin just thinking about it. He said the spirits in the sky are just stars, the same as our sun but so very very far away. He said that the iridescent fields are a precious resource to other races, and that we have to protect ourselves from it if we stay a while. He said it's nothing sacred or mystical, but just our sun making that. Somehow. He insisted it has nothing to do with the pilgrimage or the moonlands.

I want to believe him but this is all so out there. I don't know what to think.