After stepping foot over the threshold of the gleaming white gates of Wineport, A multitude of sounds greeted R'fhansu, the shipping settlement beset by a busier wave of activity than usual. Due to the significant amount of people in the area, R'fhansu made sure to obscure her features even more and hurried about her task, bartering goods made from Raptor artisans in exchange for foodstuffs and supplies. Acute senses made it easy to stay out of the way of oncoming traffic and the crowds of merchants desiring the best in season from the renowned vintners in the area. Finding the stalls where she made her usual exchange, she shared a few words with the smallfolk and inquired about the massive flow of business taking place. "Happy Starlight!", the conclusive reply from most, a most peculiar phrasing that followed after every transaction completed. It was unfamiliar to her, but she couldn't help but appreciate the joyous grins that accompanied the saying.

After R'fhansu finished everything she needed to do, she prepared her trades for a long trek back into the thick undergrowth of the Raincatcher Gully, hoping to make it before dark. Seekers weren't fond of the night and found it a better time to rest and refrain from the usual tasks required by the tribe. Before she could prepare to leave, a shrill shout of excitement made her ears snap towards the location, and she looked in that direction by principle. Her tail flicked as she observed the cause of the sound: a tree it seemed, but decorated with ribbon and twine, and layered with a small string of scintillating lights. The source of the shout was a small Hyuran child, handed a bow by who must have been a parent or guardian. The child proceeded to jump up and down, instructed where to place the bow, which they followed through with glee, placing the bow neatly among the boughs of the decorated tree, and then turning to their adult to insist they look at their contribution. She could not help but imagine tiny R'nehva, having a chance to enjoy something like that, and upon considering it, she could notice warmth and joy fill her entire being. Her poor boy hadn't had the best of days, considering his auspicious arrival, and the threat the current Nuhn felt from him even now, as a small child. Something like decorating a tree for this 'Starlight' would be a chance for her to see one of his rare mischievous smiles that she knew he had. Mind decided, she stepped out of the din of the trading port and took a small detour towards the Red Mantis Falls, knowing it to be a reputable source for magnificent shells.

Over a few days, she would participate in her usual tribal activities, hunting and adding to the tribe's food storage and preparing the surplus for her unique role of trading with the nearby villages and ports for supplies. In addition to this, she would scour for objects that could efficiently work as decoration from the rainforest floor. Whatever she could find that gave her that same sense of warmth when she saw the tree at Wineport, she placed into a pouch for later, taking great care to maintain the integrity of the objects in her collection. She passed the days in bliss, eagerly awaiting the time when she felt she had collected plenty of decorations to prepare a Starlight tree of her own with her son.

On one of her usual excursions with the tribe, she happened upon a perfectly cut bough left as refuse from some logging activity. Her worry for encroachment on Raptor hunting grounds seemed slight in comparison to her excitement in seeing just how perfect the clipping would fit in her home and be a proper place for the decorations she had been collecting. The bough being too bulky to haul off in addition to her hunt expectations, she tethered a bit of vine to a loose branch. Moving it several inches at a time, she would make sure to cover it in a way that would make it unnoticeable to anyone else during the times she couldn't dedicate getting it to her home.

After what seemed like an age, she had moved the bough close enough to the tribe to begin her reveal to her young son. Pacing in their home while she waited for him to return from the instruction of the tribe's elders, she was too excited to reveal to him her efforts. R'fhansu had successfully dodged the scrutiny of other tribe members who suspected something was off if her collecting efforts would cut into her hunting results. She made final checks of everything in her pouch and then turned to greet R'nehva as he walked into the home. 

"Welcome, my tahmai (little boy). How were your lessons today?"

He shrugged in response, not incredibly energetic. R'fhansu's ears lowered by habit, always concerned with what the leaders of the tribe might be demanding from him, being the lone Tia of the Mahakala in a long time. She looked away for a moment, composing herself, then turned back to him. 

"I have a surprise for you if you are willing to help me with it?" He looked up, confused. Not accustomed to such gestures, he stared blankly at his mother, and a slight grin peaked at his lips. Her eyes sparkled as she cheered inwardly. 

"I'll show you. Follow me!" R'fhansu eagerly said as she stepped outside to show the way. He followed her to the small clearing where she hid the bough, and she uncovered it for him to see. He was even more confused. 

"A...tree?" He replied inquisitively.

"Trust me, my tahmai. There's more to it. Help me bring it into the house." 

He followed her request, helping push the tree and pick it up where it would snag on the ground, as she lifted it into the house. Placing it upright and standing against the wall, she motioned for R'nehva to get closer. 

"Now see, the people I visit take trees and stand them up to celebrate."

He turned his head, still not quite following. "Just trees? But we have so many here."

"Not just any tree. Watch." With eagerness, she revealed the location of her steady collection of decorative items and picked out one: a fiery red blossom cast off from one of the local plants. 

"The people take objects of color and dress the tree as part of their celebrating." 

He stood in the glow of the red blossom, mesmerized. Against the backdrop of the dark green foliage of the tree, it was a gorgeous sight.

"I wanna help!" He said suddenly, turning to the pouch. And there it was, the smile she knew her son for most, the wide grin that occupied his most enjoyable experiences, one she hadn't seen in some time. R'fhansu got to show off her collection of shells and seeds, glowing plants and decorative twine, even some ribbon she managed to trade for with her personal belongings. The family pair placed the decorations on the tree, stopping to hum and chant traditional song tales in-between as breaks. R'nehva was beside himself with joy, engaging in the activity of decorations with his mother, and she would take a moment to experience that warmth she felt all those days ago back at Wineport, noticing it swell up at a greater magnitude than what she experienced before then. While little R'nehva occupied himself with the decorations, R'fhansu went back to her personal belongings, retrieving a brightly colored package, which cost her. Still, she felt it was entirely worth the effort. R'fhansu was preparing to present it until her ears snapped at the sound of someone approaching rapidly. She hid the package back in its obscure location and turned to greet the approaching individual.

It was R'datih Nuhn, R'nehva's father.

Exuding his exclusive menacing air, he said no words as he saw R'nehva engrossed in the task of decorating the tree. Noticing the shadow from the doorway, R'nehva turned and jumped a little in surprise, oblivious to the Nuhn's disapproval. 

"Look! We're decorating for Starlight!" He ran over to hand a blossom to his father, who took it from his child's hand and ran a finger over the petal. 

"And pray tell, what does this have to grant the future of this tribe?" He said after a moment of silence, his voice low. He turned and glared at R'fhansu. 

She stood up defiantly. "R'nehva was simply enjoying himself. That's all. Leave him out of this. I'm the one to blame!" She clenched a fist as she faced the man, attempting to draw his rising aggression away from R'nehva. She knew all too well the results of his snapped temper.

"Is that so? Tribe merchants are not supposed to be bringing the confusions of the outside world into our home. If you can't observe such a simple procedure, then I'd consider you not fit even to raise the only Tia born to us in several seasons!" 

R'nehva flinched at the raised voice and lowered his ears. He sat down, returning to his previous state of despair.

"You cross lines constantly, Fhansu." he continued." You know this, yet you perpetually strive to engage in this reckless, selfish, uncaring behavior. Our ways die out more and more as more of us give in to that wanderlust that drives us away from ancient traditions! Have you no respect for our kind?" 

She hissed and turned away. There was no value in debating with R'datih. His mindset always determined that he was the right one in every discussion, and any effort to change his mind usually resulted in an endless angry cycle. She could see her son muted in the corner, miserable once more. 

"I was trying something new I saw to make him happy. I felt there was no harm in it." 

"Is that so? One unhappy with their auspicious standing is one ungrateful. The tribe works far too hard to be disrespected like this." With that, he crushed the blossom in his hands and then moved forward to the bough.

"Datih, wait! No!" Without thinking, Fhansu rushed to place herself between the tree and the oncoming Nuhn. He stopped. "Just because I have no approval in striking the mother of my child does not mean I will delay in administrating justice. We can fix this here or in front of the seers. Shall we take it to the council?"

She glared at him, angry and feeling powerless. To take it to council meant bringing this simple act and revealing it to the entire tribe. If met with disapproval, there could be consequences, and R'fhansu had no desire to be scorned, let alone her son. Especially her son. Her tribe's way was all she knew and this act would spur the conservative members among them fiercely. 

"No. We won't." She stepped aside and lowered herself to embrace her son as R'datih went to work, tearing apart the bough. The violent snapping of branches and crushing of vegetation echoed and caused her to hold R'nehva tighter. She began to sob. He threw out the broken branches and made sure to scatter the torn decorations. Once finished, he turned to leave, but not before looking over his shoulder. 

"You know better than this, Fhansu. Don't betray the trust we have in you as protector of the future of the Mahakala."

 Once he departed she began to sob harder, as she felt her son return the embrace. They sat for a moment in the ruin of the tree she worked so hard to bring into the home before she raised her head and wiped away the tears.

"My tahmai, do you trust me?" 

He looked up at her and nodded. He had tears in his eyes as well.

"I've no desire to lead you in a way that hurts the tribe. But you are named after the sea for a reason, my son. You must be free to go wheresoever the wind takes you. You deserve this, your freedom. For what R'datih forgets is that wandering has always been a part of our way of life. But that is another matter. Did you enjoy decorating the tree?"

He nodded slowly, frowning at the sight of the wreckage. 

"Then remember that feeling. Remember when you felt joy and use that to keep you above water in times of despair. Though sorrow may take you, the moments of joy in your life haven't vanished." 

She went to retrieve the package that she hid before R'datih approached. 

"You see, I learned that this Starlight is a celebration of the memory of happiness, from a faraway land called Ishgard. People give gifts to remind them of their happiness of the past that brave men and women risked being in trouble to give." 

She handed him the brightly colored package, which he took in his hands with wonder.

He opened the colored paper and found a small box within, which held a handmade necklace strung with raptor talons and shells from the sea in a uniquely colored pattern. The centerpiece was a brilliant disc of abalone, radiating color in the light. He smiled and sniffled, rushing to embrace her for the gift.

She returned the hug and stood back, smiling at him.

"Happy Starlight, my tahmai Nehva."