Akayaa was months into her long trip, southbound through Eriador. Over the months, the wounds healed from the raid that ended her tribe, what seemed like just a moment ago. The piles of bodies; the blood on the ice and snow; the shouts of women falling, as they try to protect their offspring; these things are still on the forefront of Akayaa's mind.
She has gone far south on her own feet, stopping only to rest, and occasionally to eat the wild berries that grow in the north-west; she remained too weak to hunt. The worst part was not the weakness, but the loneliness. Traversing a hostile environment with no one watching your back, no one to speak to.. Knowing that there is nowhere to go. The mental scarring was far more gruesome than the spear wound she suffered.. The latter had already healed.
The climate slowly raised in temperature as she kept south. Gradually, she would shed her furs, and leave them behind. In the hills of Evendim, was the first time she had seen grass before. Or anything that wasn't covered in snow.
It was a shock, to see something so vastly different than what she is accustomed to. Her natural curiosity got the best of her. For the moment, her exploration meant more to her, than the family she could never see again.
It was time to move on.
