Flashback A Horse by Any Other Name (Jamila)

[Abashai]

Timestamp: 47th Day of Fall, 503 AV Location: Northwest Burning Lands Abashai had left the tents of a large family that morning. They had welcomed him with much hospitality the evening before, insisting he spend the night among them. He played his oud for them at the evening masha, and shared stories and news he had gathered from other tents as he traveled. In return, they provided him a full waterskin, flat bread and goat cheese to take with him. The endless dunes had given way to rockier dry soil in the past few days. Once the Redstone Cliffs appeared on the horizon, Abashai would turn his desertbred east. There was more relief in this terrain, the occasional rock outcropping or gnarly dwarfed tree to provide a measure of shade. As the chestnut mare plodded along, the young benshiran reach back and pulled out a hunk of the flatbread he had been gifted. Munching on it gratefully, he scanned the landscape for the scarce tufts of tough grass his mount could feed on. The supply of grain was diminishing, and he wished to conserve it until he found another family or caravan with horse feed. The desert was both silent and deafening...no sound but the roar of the wind. That is what made the voice so audible as the breeze carried it across the dusty terrain. It was a woman's he was sure. The words were not discernable, but the tone was not so desperate as frustrated. A slight tug of the reins redirected the horse towards the sound and a heel to the barrel sent her into a trot. The rider reached the top of a small rise, finding the suspected source of the voice. A woman stood below, the wind whipping at the shawl wrapped around her. "You..." He called down in Shiber, "Are you alright?"

[Jamila]

"Goat you stupid Beast!" Jamila, screamed as her stallion bucked at the site of a snake, her hands gripped the lead, trying with all her might to hold on. The Desertbred hearing none of which Jamila yelled, bucked up on his hind quarters, successfully throwing the young woman off. Jamila landed heavily on her back, an audible grunt could be heard for miles. With the breath knocked out of her, she rolled to her knees and hands, watching as the horse galloped away, still bucking as he went. Gasping was all that she could manage as she hopelessly watch all her possessions and supplies dance off in the distance. Defeated, she let her weight go, slamming on the ground, trying her best not to start kicking and screaming like a spoiled child. Her eyes finding the "snake", it was nothing but a twig. She cursed Goat in her head, thinking about how the horse would make fine glue. She stayed like this till her breath became normal, the pain in her back subsided to a small ache, surly she will be bruised. Yet another reason why her father should of cooked the horse for its meat, not push it on his daughter. She thought about just staying like this, sprawled out, face first, in the middle of the desert, no food nor water, with a four day hike back home.... she quickly got up. "I'm going to kill that horse when we get home, maybe sacrifice him to Yahal." She mumbled to herself, "No Yahal wouldn't want him. He is to stupid to be a use for anyone!" she stalked off in the direction her steed fled. Her mumblings became louder as she walked, the desert never answering her, the wind only whistling as it blew her shawl around her face. "Maybe I can sell him for a goat, no, I would be lucky to get a half of a goat for such a stupid animal!" Frustration was surly poiring out of the young woman as she stopped and yelled, "Goat when I find you...!" she didn't have time to finish her sentence, for a man on a proper desertbred rode up to her, small concern etched in his voice. Jamila just stared at the man, he spoke perfect Shiber, and yet the young Benshira just stared with her mouth hanging open in mid sentance. Sands clang to every inch of her, her face even dusted with the fine golden grains. Jamila quickly snapped out of her stupor, dusting her face off and clothes, knowing that she did not look proper for a meeting. "Sorry, yes everything is just fine, I mean no." She stammered. Feeling a need to explain, she started on a rant "The beast just ran away. Taking all my things with it!" she looked off in the direction Goat went, flaring her hand out as if mimiking the movement of the horse. "Father will not be pleased, Goat even took the mizars for the cheese!" She knew she was getting ahead of herself, yet words fell from her mouth like sand in a sand storm. "I told father he was not proper, but yet he pushed Goat on me saying he would make a fine pack animal!" she looked back at the man stopping in mid rant. Was that a tattoo? She the notice his eyes, green or blue? Feeling a bit winded she sucked in a heavy breath, along with some sand and started to cough, "Oh" cough, "this is embar.."cough, cough. "embarrassing." Her eyes watered as she bent down, trying not to make a spectical of herself by trying to spit the sand out.

[Abashai]

Abashai stifled a burgeoning grin as he guided the horse down the small rise to stop next to her. She was probably quite attractive, beneath the layer of desert dust and sand that clung to her cheeks and painted her eyelashes and strands of exposed hair a light tan. She was sufficiently disheveled, her garments likewise caked with dry dirt and twisted out of whack in a few places. Another chuckle was choked back as she tried to explain her current condition, going on about a goat who had run off with all her stuff. Rather foolish, he thought, trying to pack all of your things onto a little goat and expect it to behave. He was surprised a pack of wolves or a tsanas hadn't already snatched them both up. "Well," Abashai reached back and tugged a lambskin cloth from a pack, handing it down to the woman to use to wipe herself off. He forced a straight face, "I didn't see anything in that direction." His hand waved behind him towards the direction he had come from. "But the little fella could not have gone far. Maybe I could help. It is much easier to see things from up here." Once she was finished with the cloth, Shai reach down with his hand, offering to pull her onto the mare. He could not leave the pathetic thing to wander the desert without her....goat. "By the way, I am Abashai."

[Jamila]

Jamila gracefully excepted the lambskin cloth, her coughing slowing as she gripped the fabric at her chest. Taking a moment the young Benshira wiped the sands off her face, taking care to try and not rub the offending grains into her eyes. She took off her shawl, bending her head down and shaking the sand out of her hair. Loose brown hair escaped the braid framing her face. As she bent back up she looked off in the direction the man came from. " Well, I know he didn't go that way, for I watch him run off that way after he so kindly threw me off his back." she pointed off in the direction he fled. She didn't catch the mans look, or any of his stiffed chuckles for she was too busy grumbling to herself as she shook out her shawl in the wind, before placing it back over her shoulders. She looked back up to the man and smiled, "Abashia, I'm Jamila, and at the moment very grateful that you came about." she clasped his hand, a look of uncertainty flashed across her face before a look of determination replaced it. As he helped pull her on his horse she couldn't help but ask, "This beast isn't going to toss me off is it?"

[Abashai]

With a firm hold Abashai hoisted the woman up behind him onto the horse, scooting forward to make room for her in the saddle. Customarily, the young Benshiran would not be so forward with a woman. But she had no family around, apparently, and no brothers or father to mistake his helpfulness for unseemly intention. Likewise, Abashai avoided being alone with women, still a bit nervous in such a situation. But this girl was, well, not particularly intimidating at the moment. "Falim, Jamila. Nice to meet you. Now hold on." He instructed. She was dirty enough, he would hate to see her flip off into the dust again.

Abashai urged the horse forward in the direction the disheveled woman indicated. "Wait," he interjected, something she had said finally sunk in. "You fell off?" Gods, How big of a goat was it? Something was wrong with her. The poor woman should not have been out there alone, or maybe she has been out there alone too long. Certainly she was with a family, perhaps she was touched in the head and had wandered off. Abashai had seen it before, one family had a boy who insisted on wearing a bucket on his head and making inappropriate flatulent noises instead of talking.

As the desertbred plodded along the dry ground, Abashai scanned the terrain for signs of her goat. His curiosity pushed him past his typical shyness. "Are you....out here by yourself? I mean besides with your...Goat."

[Jamila]

The mans hand held tightly on to Jamila's as he pulled her up onto the back of the mare. She was thankful he was facing forward for she felt quite embarrassed, her hands, what does she hold on to? If it was her father she would never think about it. She would simply place them around his waist. But a stranger? Surly it would be inappropriate to place them there so close to his...manhood. Jamila opened her mouth to ask where she should place her hands but quickly shut it as an after thought compeated for her attention. She didn't think about this before but, what the Hai was she doing?! Here she was on the back of a strangers horse in the middle of nowhere and no one around to hear her scream. What if he tried to take her virtue? A fresh blush crept forward as she tried desperately to squish out any thought of bodily harm that could come to her. Her hands became clammy as she simply placed them on his shoulders. Her heart raced in her chest as she tried to think of an emergency escape plan. I could try and toss him off the horse if he gets too friendly...maybe ride away on his horse and pray this beast isn't faithful to him...maybe.. Her thought was cut short for the man was asking about her falling off Goat. "Well," she tried desperately to tell herself he was being a gentleman and not out to take anyones virtue. "More so bucked off then fell off. she squeezed his shoulders as the horse started to walk under her, she swallowed the lump that was slowly forming in her throat. "Goat was spooked by a twig. He still young only Three harvest seasons." she tried to nervously explain. Abashai was silent for a time, she wondered if maybe her imagination was getting to her. Maybe she was just over reacting. She took the moment to examine the man that was in front of her. He was fit, dressed in black, had shoulder length hair, dark in color. He seemed to have the same look to him as other Benshira men. Young, she couldn't help but wonder if he was married. All young Benshira where either married or betrothed. Even she was arranged to be married at the end of the harvest season. Her mind wondered to her future and how many kids she would be blessed with, that is if she ever made it home. She mentally cursed Goat again. Her internal wonderings where once again interrupted. "Um, yes just Goat and I traveling. I'm only a day and a half ride from my fathers tents. There I have my father, sisters and my mother. She wondered if she should lie and tell him she also had a hoard of brothers there too. Maybe that will discourage him from doing anything deemed unworthy..."Most of my sisters are already married. Only two of us are left. Some of my sisters and their husbands travel with us." honestly won. She bit her lower lip as she wondered if she was sharing far to much about herself to a potential threat. Quickly she changed the subject, "What about you? Do you always come to rescue young woman stranded in the burning lands?" Surly it was a hobby of his, or maybe his occupation. Dear Yahal please say it was luck...not some twisted fate of demise.

[Abashai]

Abashai shifted as far forward in the saddle as he could as Jamila settled in behind him. The young man suffered some measure of anxiety when he felt the press of the woman against his back. She was pretty, even caked in dirt. It would have been easier if she were...less pretty. As it was, he seemed to be holding his breath as he waited for the inevitable encirclement of his waist by her feminine arms. He was sure his guts were going to burst into flames if she did. Gratefully, Jamila rested her arms on his shoulders. It was awkward, but it quelled his hormones and his anxiety simultaneously. At least until she inadvertently squeezed his shoulders when the horse began to move.

The woman began to explain further the incident, which only perplexed Abashai further. A three year old goat had bucked her off? Something was very...off with this Jamila. For a moment he wondered if she was some kind of...thing, waiting to snatch the dagger from his side and shove it into his kidneys, then eat his blood or something. But that was ridiculous, she was just...odd, he told himself. Abashai continued to scan the landscape and the ground for signs of the goat.

"What about you? Do you always come to rescue young woman stranded in the burning lands?"

The Benshiran man laughed, turning his head slightly to the side so she could hear him better. "No, you are my first one. We'll see how it goes and then decide if I rescue any more." Abashai shifted in the saddle to get more comfortable. "How far could he have gone on those little legs?"

[Jamila]

Emerald green eyes traveled the length of the mans back that sat in front of Jamila. She tiled her head, following the lines of muscle with those eyes. A small smile formed as she focused in on the raven hair that curled around the base of the neck. Now that she was taking note, she found herself attracted to this man, after all her was her savour and well every girl wants a hero. She shook her head as she found it inappropriate to be looking at a man in this way,her father and mother had already chosen a husband for her, and that the way it was going to be, She tried to dismiss any attraction with the fact that she was alone in the middle of the desert with no shelter from the sun. Surly it was the heat that made her feel this way, yet her eyes traveled back to his curl of his hair. She simply stared. That was what she was doing when he turned his head to her to speak. Jamila flushed with color as she quickly looked down ashamed that she was possibly caught doing something she deemed wrong. She focused on the saddle listing to his reply, a small smile formed on her lips as he told her she was the first and possibly only one. Jamila couldn't help but feel a little glee at that. The smile quickly vanished as confusion took its place. Surely he was not talking about Goat, for he was bigger then this mare she rode on now. She once again felt the need to voice her own confusion."Goat? We are talking about Goat correct? Not me?' She leaned a bit to his left to get a better look at his face, her left hand dropping to the saddle that was left exposed from the obvious gap the two left, her right hand remained in his shoulders to keep balance. Sir, believe me when I say this, You will be able to see Goat from quite a distance away. For his is at least two or three hands taller then this mare we ride on now. I mean we could have difficulty spotting him for his coat might be only three shades darker then this sand, but I think we would stick out like a sore thumb. And for the distance, well, his stride it wide and he is high spirited so he would of ran at least," she stopped to think and sigh " Well pretty far, but don't fret for I think he would of stopped to look back for me, after all I had him since he was nothing but a baby. At least I hope he would stop and turn to look for me...' An after thought occured to her, what if her ran all the way back to fathers tents? She didn't take notice, for Jamila was quite distracted, but as she spoke her hand slid further up the saddle, it now rested grazing the back side of the man that so kindly sat in front of her.

[Abashai]

Abashai continued to scan the area for signs of Jamila's goat, sometimes looking down to look for any indication of its passing on the hard dry ground. The young Benshiran man's effort to see the animal was honed by his desire not to notice the equally young Bensiran woman sitting behind him, while his traitorous hormones wanted to make her proximity the primary focal of attention. Abashai truly had never rescued a lone woman before, and certainly never had one ride with him. the whole thing set his nerves on end, and he could not decide if it was in a good way or bad...or it was both.

Was she looking at my neck?

Though they were both speaking Shiber, Abashai was beginning to wonder if they were speaking the same language at all. He turned his head enough to see her from the corner of his eyes, for Jamila had leaned around to speak to him.

Taller then this mare...his stride was wide and he is high spirited. Well...she was sun sick for sure, poor girl. A goat taller than his horse would not be a goat, it would be a monster. Suddenly Abashai brought the mare to a halt. It was not the perplexing conversation between he and the girl that had caused him to stop, as much as it was the fact that he was hyper aware of the gentle nudge of her hand pressing at his backside. He could not remember a moment where something so small had been so distracting. Again...the man found himself somewhat undone.

"Well..." He chucked nervously, his eyes darting down to see her dark hand brushing against his arse. He was afraid to move, to embarrass her, and therefore himself, yet he could hardly carry on with her touching him like that. Did she do it on purpose? This was crazy...it was time to find out what this woman was up to. He twisted further in the saddle to look at her, trying not to move his seat and end up sitting on her hand.

"Wait, you are telling me that this goat is bigger than my horse, a goat...as big as my horse. And you have been riding this goat, with your possessions, alone through the Burning Lands." He stated twice, to make sure she could see how ridiculous it sounded. "You realize, you sound like you have been smoking something Chaktawen, don't you?"

[Jamila]

Green followed blue as they danced down to the saddle. At first Jamila wasn’t sure what she was looking at, till she focused in on her hand on Abashai’s perfect behind. Yanking her hand away her face turned, what once thought, to be an impossible shade of red. Mortified she looked down looking for a fast escape from the back of this horse. His voice hardly registering through the pounding in her ears, stammering over her own words, as she clumsily started to get off the man’s horse. “ Yahal! I’m so sorry! It was nothing but a slip!” she felt the ground under her tip toes and let go of the saddled as she fell back on the ground, landing on her back side. She talked still but more to herself. “What will father think?! He will not be happy! He will surly shun me! Why keep a daughter that is a shame compared to his other that remained pure till the married!” she didn’t try and stand up for she was lost to her over active imagination. “He’ll surly call off the marriage! GOAT THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!” she yelled out to the sky. “Damn horse and his spirited….” She stopped mid sentence remembering Shai’s question. “Goat?!” looking up to the man, everything started to make sense “Goat is not a goat. Goat is his name! Who would ride a goat?! Goat is a horse! A stallion!” looking to the west she shook her head. “Sorry I am not angry with you, but I think I have embarrassed myself and my family more than enough today. Thank you for your help but I think I will stay her and slowly fade.” She fell back and closed her eyes. Sure she was being a bit melodramatic, she would get up after a while and slowly make her way back to her father’s tents, only right now she couldn’t look up at this man for fear of death of embarrassment.