Shattered Bow, Splintered Wood (open)

[Shena'doah]

TIME OF DAY: Early morning
DATE: Season of Spring, Day 37, 510 AV

The splintering of the shattered wood was perhaps the last bit of detail she had been hoping to endure. ”Guess it could be of better use as fire wood now…” she muttered loathfully under her breath as she tossed the disheveled bow in the sand a short distance in front of her where she sat. Now she had to make another trip into Ahnateb that she hadn’t been planning on, which irritated her. Her dark gaze shifted towards Emiliuz’s general direction and huffed, ”I want you to know that this is your falt…” Waving obtusely at her broken bow. Of course the idea of getting a dog was becoming to seem rather appealing. Her dappled companion must have known what she was thinking because he promptly snorted and turned his backside to her. To that she just laughed tossed a handful of sand at him – which he ignored of course.

Shena’s gaze fell on her broken bow once more, contemplating the possibility of mending it. Chances were that if she did that it wouldn’t perform the same anyway. Leave it to Emi to be a temporary nutcase and trample on it… As the thought passed through her mind, she picked up the terrifying stick he had thought was something dreadfully frightening and shook her head hopelessly. He had mellowed out a great deal since she’d left her home with him, but he was still a silly horse. Emi had been her father’s prized colt and was a splendid parting gift unbeknownst to her father. Not that her father would have used him for anything else than breeding.

Tossing the stick over her shoulder and standing up to stretch her limbs, kissed to Emi and he turned his head to look at her with pricked ears. ”Yeah you’re coming too for this trip. I need a new bow to hunt with.” she said and bent down to pick up her saddle and blankets. The whole time she strapped the girth and adjusted the stirrups, she muttered under her breath. Shena didn’t particularly like going into Ahnatep. Such a dislike was based completely on the general indifference she was presented with by the locals. Hell she didn’t think anyone could smile at her in that place without the supposed kind gesture possessing a condescending undertone. Bastards…

Pirched atop Emi – who was probably too fine of a horse for her to be sitting on in anyone’s opinion - , Shena tried her best to appear as though she had just as much a right to be in this city as anyone else. Though there was a benefit to arriving early in the morning, not even half the population outside those running shops were awake or at least in the streets. The air was dry and crisp as usual, its temperature a comfortable neutral. ”Let’s see if we can find me a new bow and make it out of here with both our prides intact.” she cooed to Emi who snorted in somewhat of a response. Proud of her steed’s competence, she patted him on his shoulder as the turned the corner. Before she’d spent more than enough time to know her way around the city if Ahnatep the best way to find the marketplace was to follow the noise; given its large scale in size.

When she finally reached the long road cluttered with stands and shops, Shena ditched the idea of Ahnatep being somewhat peaceful in the early morn. Noise filled her ears and she had to tug lightly on the reins to bring Emi to a stop long enough for her to take in the sight and get her bearings. This was uncharacteristic of Ahnatep, to be in such a state of congestion at this time. Perhaps this was a good sign that the population was growing rather than dwindling.

[Hirem]

Hirem leaned against the wall of the shop, taking another small bite of the apple that he had bought.(1 gm) The taste was sweet and juicy, heaven itself compared to his last few meals. He was loitering about in the early hours of the city, basking in the quiet and peace he had during that time rather than the bustle and panic of the noon hours. At this time, guards were slow in patrols and tired, letting him slip away before they could notice him. He used this hours as a resting period in the city, plotting and debating his options. Usually, they weren't fruitful, but he had to do something. The city guards were still after him, though they had lost track of their captive by now. For safety measures, he still wore his head-cover around his forehead and neck.

The morning sun was dull, and it only provided some warmth from the cold nights of the desert. Later, it would become a blazing orb of fire that it should be, but it, just like the denizens of the world, was still fighting fatigue and the sweet temptation of sleep. Hirem sighed in the quiet silence, and glanced up and down the road.

His eyes shot up in curiousity when he saw the woman riding into town atop her horse, a Benshiran one at that. He took her appearance all in at once; long, full hair, golden skin, the noble look in her face, and the green cloak that added to her frame. He found himself momentarily stunned by such beauty, but quickly shook it off and remembered his manners. He took another bite of the apple, waving with his other arm to the woman. "Hail, friend! It is good to meet another Benshiran here!"

[Shena'doah]

Suddenly the task of finding a new bow seemed more daunting. Very few people actually turned to look at her let alone notice her presence, which she might have assumed to be a good thing. Any attention she expected to receive in this place would be far from friendly no matter how big their smiles were. The fact that she was even a little deterred by the busy markets didn’t show on her face, she wouldn’t allow it. Instead to leaned forward and gave a slight nudge to signal Emi to move forward, he hesitated only slightly, knowing all too well of the anxiety and apprehension she was feeling. Take good care of me, Emiliuz…

A ways into the crowds and Shena decided it would be best to get off and guide Emi through – if only for his own piece of mind. Only now did others take notice of her but she didn’t notice the looks she’d been given because she was on a mission. That mission currently consisted of getting to a clearing then going from there. Of course that mission quickly turned into another. And that was to find out who was yelling at her. At least she thought the male voice was calling out to her since she didn’t think any other Benshirans were nearby.

Shena pushed the rest of her way through and looked around, her brows furrowed slightly as she happened to glance towards where the sun was rising. She narrowed her eyes and lowered her gaze out of the sun’s unforgiving shine. Still, she looked around until she saw a tall man waving at her from where he stood leaning against the wall of one shop. It was a relief to see another Benshira, having almost forgotten the look of her own tanned skin that nearly matched his. Emi was uneasy, however, not completely liking the idea of standing still for too long and proceeded to rub the side of his face against her back. The manner was boisterous enough to nearly knock her over so she decided it would be best to approach the man rather than being bowled over by her mount.

It was hard not to choose her words carefully, ”I could say the same as well. What brings you here?” Shena suspected it was an intrusive question to ask and quickly made it seem bemusing as she realized she hadn’t even asked his name. ”And I seem to have completely forgotten to ask your name…” she said, trying to look embarrassed rather than a bit irritated with herself. For a moment she studied him whilst he thought of a reply. He appeared comfortable with his surroundings, which made her wonder if he’d been here a while and also wonder why she’d never seen him before.

[Hirem]

Hirem took the time as she approached him to observe her horse, a nervous white steed that was impressive enough. Hirem had never liked horses that much, but he didn't detest them. He had the same feelings to a horse as he did to a goat or carrier pigeon. Useful, but not very endearing to him. Still, he could understand why people could like them and develop relationships with them. He, after all, had loved the sheep he herded during his youth, and some people thought sheep were useless animals that only redeemed themselves with wool. He didn't like those kinds of people much either.

Hirem chuckled as she fumbled with the introductions, and gave her a friendly smile. It was nice to enjoy good company again, after weeks alone in dark rooms and venomous words. "Don't worry about greeting me properly. This place does tend to make you forget the customs of our people." He paused momentarily as he searched for a name, and then nodded. "I am Labran, of the tents of Alachi, from the sons of Jeroab." It was a much better name than Kalen, he reflected, which put a good-natured smile on his face.

He debated telling her about what he truly was here for, which would have made a good laugh and lengthy imprisonment. Being imprisoned the first time had definitely boosted his sense of humour. "I'm simply a man looking for a job and a purpose, as it were. Finding work and all that." He gestured towards her, taking a light smile now. "May I ask your name?"

[Shena'doah]

She glanced at Emi and nearly dropped the reins so he could pace his nervousness out. One brow lifted slightly at the mention of a proper greeting. Something haughty inside her reared its ugly head and she could feel her chin lift just ever so slightly. Shena supposed that she was glad she’d forgotten Benshiran ways so easily and considered greeting others like that from now on. The fact that it was a general and polite way to greet others had nothing to do with her own kind, however. It was a relief that she didn’t have the urge to lower her gaze in any way, instead she bravely looked most anyone in the eye and any other Benshira were no exception to this.

For a moment, she had to take time to step away from the now more common natural urge to be defensive. For her own benefit, she decided not to reply to the social customs comment because she was sure he meant nothing by it. His name was a good distraction as he went into the lengthy task of introducing himself and she found herself tilting her head and looking at him in slight amusement. It is rather refreshing to meet you Labran. she replied with a smile that was easier to produce than she had expected.

He seemed reluctant to answer her other question to the point of possibly ignoring it. Though, he pleasantly surprised her with a rather vague response that made her think he was being obtuse. Shena didn’t question him, however, and just glanced further down the street for a brief moment. ”Finding work here is rather hard. Wouldn’t you think you’d have better luck farther north?” she asked as she looked back at him and just before he asked for her name. It was only fair that she give it to him but she wasn’t going to put any effort into it. ”Shena.” she said then decided she liked saying it so simply and smiled contentedly. ”My full name is Shena’doah but in fair warning I won’t answer to it if you call me that.”

[Hirem]

The way her eyes flashed during his greeting, the way her chin tilted and she met him in his gaze, there was something she was holding back. Hirem couldn't quite place it, but he wasn't trying to judge this woman or find a crack in her mental defense. For days he had been without a good conversation, and this was a good excuse to vent his feelings, though he kept his negative emotions on a tight leash inside his mind.

"Shena. She-na." He rolled the name around in his tongue, amused with testing the syllables and sound of it, but he caught her questioning eyes and stopped the folly. "Well, Shena, I did not go farther north because Ahnatep still thrives... and I love the desert." He shrugged, bearing another smile, an outburst of his positive behavior that wanted to be let out. "It's strange of me to say so, but it's true. The Burning Lands are my home, and I cannot leave it be." This was, thankfully, easier to say than the previous lies because it was true. He couldn't make himself even think of leaving the desert with the Eypharians.

"And as for you, Shena? What is it you do here?" In all respects, he was having a grand time with such an innocent conversation, relishing in the good-will that was overcoming him and his dark thoughts.

[Shena'doah]

Finally Shena couldn’t take Emi’s constant nickering and let the reins go. He was a flighty stallion but was faithful enough to stay nearby without her having to worry. The two of them spent more than enough time in the desert to know that they needed each other. Such a trust had been hard to gain from Emi and Shena liked to think he was much of an idiot in his younger years. The slightest whistle of the wind would make him uneasy. Hopefully as he got older, he would continue to mellow out. As per usual, he took to pacing back and forth behind her in brisk strides as if to clear an area.

It was true that Ahnatep was a striving city. This reason alone kept her close to the place though she didn’t actually live in it. It was the perfect outlet for food, a bit of work if it could be found, water, and supplies of the like. The bath houses were even a joy on hot days and with her luck, her arrive at such a place cleared an area. Men were a different story but women, they were something else. They went through great efforts to make an outsider feel like an outcast.

She nodded in common agreement and wondered if perhaps that was the reason she hadn’t gone further north. Hell she’d been practically camping out for the past few years. ”I don’t blame you as I often feel the same. The desert as a whole is my home.” And in spite of wanting to ask him why he wasn’t in what could be considered a Benshira’s true home, Yahebah, she remained momentarily silent.

His question gave her pause and she glanced at Emi. ”My horse stomped on my bow so I’m here to try and find a new one.” she said, irritation clear in her voice. She was very disappointed in Emi for doing such a thing but supposed she could forgive him. ”I would have tried to mend it to save a trip into this city but I fear I would have been better off just throwing arrows if I did that.” It made her wish she could make her own bow if she could just get the appropriate make in wood. Another time perhaps when she had time to spare. ”You wouldn’t have any outrageously priced suggestions would you?” she asked.

[Hirem]

Hirem chuckled slightly as he glanced at the horse, which looked miserable and even guilty. "Your horse destroyed it?" He took on a silly grin as shifted his gaze back to Shena, meeting her serious look with one of mirth. "So you left it on the ground and he stepped on it?" He chuckled once more, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm not one to mock. It is just amusing to me."

He took on a more serious tone as he chewed on the apple thoughtfully, before letting his hand fall limp and making himself shrug. "I'm not an expert in Ahnatep markets, I'm sorry to say. Rafais over on the corner makes some hunting equipment for a decent price but that's all I can think of." He smiled politely at the woman. "Sorry. But, shopping in this city can be quite boring. Why don't I come with you?"

In truth, he rather liked this woman, and wanted to continue speaking with her if only for a moment's companionship. Others probably volunteered to surround her for her looks or her purse, but Hirem knew that today, like the other days, would not prove wildly successful and he wanted to just be light-hearted for today.

[Shena'doah]

She stared at him with a rather sour look on her face. The idea that this was a laughable matter was far beyond her comprehension at the moment and she visibly bristled. Shena unknowingly took on a rather put-out and pouty expression whilst shaking her head. ”So I left if on the ground, not much other place to put it…” she muttered under her breath. ”So yes, it got trampled as a result and perhaps I’ll be able to see the humor in it once I have a new bow.” Though rather huffy over the situation and his amusement, she finally sighed and shrugged it off.

For a moment Shena thought he might be of no help to her at all in suggesting one place to look but smiled approvingly when he did mention one place. ”That is better than I can do, expert or no…” she added and started walking. He stated that he would accompany her and she nodded thankfully, it would certainly make this trip go by faster as well as make it more enjoyable. ”That’s typical, however. I don’t know many men who particularly enjoy browsing through markets. Most treat it like a mission and get in and out as fast as possible and still get what they needed.” Which was true but she had become to be much the same. Shena used to enjoy visiting markets if only to look at things.

Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled when she saw that Emi was close behind them. He hadn’t lost consciousness of her whereabouts amidst his pacing after all. ”Thank you, by the way.” she said with a rather bewildered look on her face, as though the words were alien to her. ”I don’t suppose I often share friendly conversation with others when I’m here.” That was all she said, rather than given an explicit example of her temper in one of many cases where someone said something she deemed to be out-of-line.

OOC: Okay so I may invent something fun in my next post because I usually don’t sit still very well for casual conversation.  if you have any ideas to contribute, feel free to pm me or toss something into your reply.

[Hirem]

Hirem sidled up beside Shena, chewing on his apple with another smile on his face. She had provided interesting company so far, and the day looked like it was going to be bright indeed. In between bites, he nodded at her thanking him. "It is no trouble to me." He was grateful for her arrival indeed, as it gave him something else to think about while here.

Still, if she wandered into the more populated areas with him, that would be trouble. She was beautiful enough to attract attention, and if not her shape then her mannerisms would dig a grave for him. She seemed the woman that would fly into a rage if thoroughly provoked, and that was something that would easily draw the guards. Right now, Hirem had had enough of Jackals.

The city was still quiet, however, and that gave him hope. Right now, he could forget his worries and troubles. Forget Netanel taking his men and his hopes, forget about Osahar and forget about Liviya, and forget about the hated Bashti. Right now, he was strolling into Ahnatep with food in his belly and a companion at his side. A glorious day!