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There's one village we shall never turn to, son. Not even in our greatest time of need...
The young clavat's eyes were wide as he charged through the underbrush. "C'mon, c'mon!!" he called desperately, pulling the arm of an even younger selkie. "Run! You gotta run!!"
The selkie's face was streaked with dirt and tears, and he was sobbing. But he stumbled blindly after the clavat.
"It... hurts...!!" he cried.
"It doesn't matter!!" The clavat's eyes began to fill, but he quickly dashed the tears away. "You gotta run! Just... keep going!!"
Don't even think of going near it. If you join the caravan, when you're older, don't go near the shore. Stay away from the peninsula...
The selkie was coughing violently. He stumbled, falling, but even so, the clavat's grip did not loosten, nor did he stop.
"Get up!!" He was panicking. "Please, you gotta get up!!" He pulled desperately at the selkie's arm, but aside from his faint, labored breathing, the selkie didn't move. There was a dull roar behind them.
Its too small to even be considered a village. They're like a group of brigands who steal the very myrrh from our chalices...
Wild with panic, the clavat seized the selkie under the arms and dragged him on. He was barely more than ten summers old, his companion a little less than eight.
Promise me, son. Promise me you'll never go anywhere near that accursed place. That you'll never go near those accursed people.

"... I lied, father."

A roar of anger came from behind them.
"I've found them!"
The clavat cried out in panic, dragging his selkie friend after him. He was only a child, and he couldn't get far. It wasn't long before a trio of archers were shooting at them. The clavat's eyes teared up again. These were people of his own village, parents of the children he'd grown up alongside. Arrows thudded into the earth not far from where they stood.
"F-Father!!" he cried. "Father, help me!" He sobbed noisily, childishly, shielding the selkie with his body, coughing and choking. But the elder clavat only glared at him from the hilltop.
"You are no son of mine. Kill them."
"Father!!!!" He cried helplessly, choking and coughing as the miasma invaded his system. If he wasn't shot down by the arrows, then it wouldn't be long until the poison invaded his body. His friend had already stopped breathing. he could see spots in front of his eyes.
"Father..." he choked. "P-please..."
But he could no longer see the clavat. He could barely see anything. Everything fogged. He couldn't breathe...
Just as he felt he had reached his final moment, a blurred shape stepped in front of him. There was a dull hiss and a thunk as an arrow aimed at them hit his would-be defender squarely in the chest.

"What have we here?" Came a chilling, amused voice as the other village cried out in surprise.
Before the clavat lost consciousness, he remembered one other thing that his father had told him.
Beware their leader, my son. She is as mad as her father...

--

When the clavat regained consciousness, the first thing he heard was a scornful voice.
"... imagine! A whole village sent out just to kill two poor, innocent boys."
"Maybe they're cursed, Arrow."
"Its a good thing Yayoi came across them when she did..."
"I'm just saying, they might be cursed. I mean, why would you need a whole village to kill a couple of ten year olds?"
"Nobody asked you, Rose. Look at them! They're so sweet... why would you want to harm them. They're children, Rose. Children!"
With that, the clavat sat up.
A yuke was placing a wet cloth across his selkie friend's forehead. His eyes widened.
Her name is Yayoi. Her temper is as short as that of Dyango. She's just like him. If you ever cross their caravan, don't talk to them. Ignore them completely. Lest she chooses to enchant you to get what she wants...
The yuke looked at him. If she'd had a mouth, he knew she would have smiled.
"Hello." she said softly.
He'd never seen her, but he knew she was who she appeared to be. Yayoi. THe brilliant spiral. A spiral yuke by birth, and spiral bound by nature. The fur just before her hands curled. The sleeves of her shirt had been slashed in decorative spirals. She could have been as mad as they said. But the clavat didn't know. He kept silent. The spiral pulled a chair up and sat by his bed, placing a furry head on his forehead. He was filled with calm.
"I'm not going to harm you, darling." she said softly. "I just want to know why your village ran you and your friend out like they did."
The clavat coughed, voice coming out as a harsh croak. He covered his mouth in surprise. Yayoi laughed softly.
"You took quite a turn in the miasma there. You two were almost dead by the time I found you."
"What happened to me?" he rasped.
"Well," the yuke looked thoughtful. "I saved you. I shielded you from those villagers." She tilted her head slightly. "Because if there's one thing I just can't stand, its injustice to children. Preying on the defenceless and so on. ... Is that... alright?" she asked nervously a moment. "You... didn't want to die, did you?"
The clavat thought she was almost childish in some of her gestures. He shook his head. "No. I... I'm grateful for your help." he smiled. "I... I thought that my father wouldn't pursue me down the coast if... if I..."
"If you headed for Hyaoi." She laughed. "of course. I understand. They'd avoid us if they could."
He nodded.
"What's your name, child?"
He looked up at her. "Dextra, ma'am."
She chuckled. "Well Dextra, from now on, you and your friend over there are going to live here with us in Hyaoi. Think you can handle that?"
He nodded.
"Good boy." She patted his shoulder. "So tell me, Dex... can I call you that? Yes? Oh, great! How did it come to be that you were chased out of your village by your own kin, huh?"
The clavat paled and fell silent. He'd felt hopeful. That he'd possibly just found friends. But now he risked losing his newfound home.
"I-I..." he looked over at the slekie, still asleep in the other bed.
Yayoi followed his gaze. "It has something to do with your friend?"
"Both of us." he nodded.
"hmm..." Yayoi itched at her throat. "I know. You love him."
And Dextra blushed deeply, so surprised at how casual her answer was. "Y-yes..." he stammered in his surprise.
Yayoi nodded. "I thought so. I could tell by the way you looked at him." she tilted her head. "You're a bit young to fall in love, aren't you?"
Dextra blushed and looked away. "Will you throw us out into the miasma...?" he asked softly.
"No way." A heart top suddenly stuck her head through the window. "THere's no way we're letting you two go again. you're in no condition to leave."
"And we've taken a liking to you." A tulip yuke said simply, sticking her head in beside the heart top. "From now on, all of us... we'll be your family. Even if you're cursed."
"They're not cursed, Rose." Yayoi sighed. "Dex, might I introduce to you Arrow and Rose, two of my clanmates."
"Are you all yukes here." Dextra asked softly.
"All of us, yes. There's just us four. White happens to be out collecting myrrh for our chalice. And now we have you two. You'll be like children to us."
Dextra smiled. "I... I'm honored, miss Yayoi. Thank you. I... we won't disappoint."
"I'm sure you won't." Yayoi nodded. "Take as long as you need to get settled." She ruffled his crimson hair. "Rest well, Dextra."