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[Akilah Windsong]

Winter 23th, 512AV

The sun was warm on her back. Not hot, just warm. Even down here, as they approached the desert to their south, there was a winter. Akilah stood, straightening her back as she moved. Small cricks sounded off in her ear, her bones adjusting in place, and she stretched her hands above her.

Around her, a hundred or so goats bleated. Their warm coats made it even warmer where she was. Warmer and smellier.

Akilah wrinkled her nose as she breathed in. Sometimes it was all too easy to forget the smell, and others it was too hard to forget. Today seemed to be shaping into the latter. Luckily the males were further away from here and the stench with them.

Thank Zulrav none of her cousins knew about this job of hers. She had forced her father to promise to never mention to them. It was bad enough that she had to work as a shepherdess of sorts. She could do without their teasing.

Looking down at the ground, she sighed. "Stop eating so much. We're going to have to move soon at this rate."

There was bark nearby, and she looked to her right to find her dog raising his head from the ground. The old man actually had his own herding dogs, all well-trained in the art of moving a tribe of goats, but he insisted that she bring Vespera anyways.

Vespera, who seemed to cause more damage with each herding attempt.

"Training, he says," Akilah muttered under breath as she stared at the sleepy dog. "I'm sleepy too, but you don't see me lying on the grass." Her strider was beside him, relaxing as well, and she made a face at the pair. "Well, someone here as to work."

Grumbling as she moved, she waded her way through the browns and blacks of the goats. Dirt and grass had settled onto their short furs, matting them down. Finding a reddish-coloured goat, she reached down to touch it. It maahed once, not liking the attention, and darted down the rocks.

"Oh, come on!"

Sitting on her haunches, she stared at the legs around her. Their hooves all looked the same to her, dark and hard. If she looked closer, she could see that some of them were a little thicker than others. A few of the goats had a lop-sided gait. He was right, then, when he said they'd have to clean the hooves later this week.

This was like taking care of her strider, only the goats were a lot smaller and easier to move. When you could pick them up. Grothous made it look easy.

Getting up, she stared at the herd around her. Unlike other herd animals, goats were far more mischievous and frisky, excitedly chasing each other up and down rocks and away from her. Pretty soon she'd have to do a head count of the animals to make sure they were all there.

Pretty soon, but the sun was warm against her back and no one could fault her if she just soaked in the heat.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el had spoken to the old man, too. They had done business before, and he knew the old man's goats were good and would be kept away from Endrykas where the pox continued to plague his people. In order to make his pavilion more self-sufficient, he was determined to purchase another nanny goat, and perhaps a male to start breeding their own.

But as he approached the herd, he urged Dohaina to slow her gait to an unexciting walk that wouldn't cause the goats to bolt in every direction. They were flighty things, were goats.

He made sure to take a route in clear view so the shepherdess -- he had said her name was Akilah -- would not be spooked either. When he saw her, he raised his hand in greeting. Mostly bundled up against the cold, his face was uncovered, at least, as was polite. Did she look familiar? He smiled.

"Hello," he said when he was close enough not to need to shout. "The old man sent me to pick out the goats I want. I'll tag them and settle up with him, and then he'll make sure they get to me. You don't mind? I'm Sama'el."

[Akilah Windsong]

There was a loud bleating behind her and Akilah froze.

Hopefully this was not going to be another fight between the two queens. She'd have to bring some sheep over or something if that were the case.

Turning around, she started at the sight of a Drykas and his strider. Where had they come from? Visitors rarely came to the herd, only to buy--and that had to be the reason.

He must be buying some goats. She snorted softly to herself. Good luck to him, then, especially if he was buying a whole herd. Turning her head, she could see Vespera getting up and wagging his tail, extremely excited as the prospect of visitors. She could already picture him barking and running through the goats, scattering the herd she had so painstakingly kept together.

That wouldn't do. Adámas had stopped paying attention to the strangers, already determining they were no threat. Whistling, she caught her strider's attention and then signaled to her in Pavi.

Stop him.

Her strider whickered, and even here she could see the amusement in how Adámas tossed her mane before going to the dog.

Returning her attention to the stranger, Akilah watched as he picked his way through the herd. The goats scattered in front of him, but remained in the area. She sighed with relief.

That was one less thing to worry about.

"Hello," she replied, staring at his extra clothes. Akilah hadn't thought it was that cold, just enough for another layer or so, but maybe that was just her. Frowning at his words, she shook her head and sighed. "Not really, I just have a feeling I'm going to do a lot running today."

That would explain why Grothous wasn't here.

Giving Sama'el a smile, she continued, "I'm Akilah. I'm still a bit new at this, so I might not be of much use. Do you want a herd? Or just a few? What are you using them for? Depending on if you want them for wool or milk, we have to go to a different part of the tribe."

She gestured at the herd as she spoke. A few sheep mingled intermittently with the goats, to encourage them to stick together.

Grothous had managed to teach her the basics, at the very least, and that should be enough for Sama'el's purposes. Unless this was one of those strange tests the old man liked to give her.

She frowned at the thought.

[Akilah Windsong]

After Sama'el left, Grothus came up to her. She couldn't read his expression, as usual, but he seemed pleased.

"How did I do?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

Grothus stared at her for a few minutes, and she tried to maintain her gaze. There was something unnerving about how he looked at a person. It felt like he was appraising her, measuring her character, and she always felt like she was coming up short.

She was getting used to it now, though.

"Good enough," he finally said. "You can go home for now. Come back in four days, we'll clean the hooves then."

"Good job? I'm improving then!" Akilah grinned as she waved goodbye to him. He grunted his agreement and she rolled her eyes. One of these days, she was going to get a straightforward compliment from him.

[Praetorian]

Your Diligence Has Been Rewarded! Akilah Windsong Animal Husbandry (Goats) 2 The Smell of Goat Notes : Good thread, sorry it was cut off so soon.