Boom De Yada

Light, delicate steps told him that the child was moving again. Head low, he kept pace and followed her. To his question about her name, she giddily announced that, "Yep!" she was named for the bird. He hummed thoughtfully in response. That was quite interesting, indeed. He hadn't encountered many who were named for aspects of nature. "Zahir, my friend, says kestrels are tiny and fiery, just like me," she said, and he could practically taste the pride that emanated from her.

"Your friend, Zahir, sounds like quite the smart fellow." He rumbled kindly, a small smile playing upon his features. The hill was beginning to grow steeper, and he was faced with the realisation that he would need to ask for help from the child. After all, her demonstration had gone mostly over his head. Well, all good things must come to an end eventually. "How about you," the girl asked him, and he lifted his head some to catch her words. "Are you named after something?"

He frowned somewhat, thinking to himself. Father had never offered explanations for much. He was wise, and unquestionable. "I don't believe so," he replied after a moment. "I'm just Gabriel. Father wanted us- my siblings and I, to have holy names, thus our names sound rather similar." he added by way of explanation. A tiny shrug of his lean shoulders was offered, and he fell silent once more.

"Are we close to the top?" He asked quietly, beginning to feel the burn of his muscles. He had been partially bedridden for a while, and he wasn't as strong as he would like to be. "I think I'm becoming soft." He joked, smiling a little wider than he had previously. The Lord would be ashamed, but he didn't think of that now.