(Flashback) On the Edge [Ryshaltze]

by **Tayhura** on July 24th, 2010, 3:55 am

20th Day of Spring, 505 A.V.

A youth of sixteen, Tayhura was as jittery as could be. He had pleaded and pleaded with his brother-in-law, and the man finally agreed to send him off back home for one last spring with his siblings. He had thought he would have enjoyed being back with his brothers and uncles as they worked the construction site on the edge of the city of Ahnatep.

Alas, though, it was beyond all he could bear. It was a good day! A bright day! The day belonged to the gluttons and the lovers, and here they were squandering it away in work, work, work!

A hot, dry wind blew through the air bringing a thin cloud of sand his way. He wrapped his head cloth around his face. He looked entirely the desert wanderer with his white tunic and red and blue headcloth, both wrapped down with indigo-dyed cords.

He sighed wearily. It was a boring day. He forgot how dull masonry could be. His ice blue eyes shot up, reflecting the burning blue sky above, and he wondered what else he could be doing.

His eyes crept around the construction site: the workers were all occupied, like buzzy little bees. Smirking mischievously, Tayhura skipped off of the top of a newly formed wall and scurried away into the nearby desert, though not far enough to get lost. He may have been itching to move-- but not to die.

by **Ryshaltze** on July 24th, 2010, 6:12 am

Season of Spring, Day 20, 505 AV

Ryshaltze walked along with the Benshiran convoy, grumbling as the unrelenting desert sand steadily wear down the smooth surface of his cello case. He was getting fond of his current one, and honestly it was difficult to find one as huge as this one. To be honest, it was difficult to find one at all, as cellos weren't exactly the rage throughout bards due to their mobility. Or lack thereof.

He had seen them in a nearby town and gotten them to agree to allow him to tag along in exchange for providing security (more as a token gesture, since they already have their own). He had received news of a new pyramid being constructed somewhere in the area. And being physical objects of mathematical and architectural wonder, it was opportunity that he could not miss. He hoped to be able to speak to the designer or engineer of the site in order to understand the process of such an undertaking.

by **Tayhura** on July 25th, 2010, 7:28 am

As Tayhura kicked his feet onward, he looked forward through the tan fog of the sandy wind. He espied not too far off a line of Benshiran men approaching--and then another very tall man who was dragging a large what-not behind him. Clearly, an outsider.

Tayhura stood, his feet buried in the sand. His two pale eyes peered through his head covering at the approaching convoy. He said not a word but merely blinked and watched. He was usually the first one of his family to defend outsiders and strangers to the family, but--not yet exposed to the world outside his family-- he was always the first one to find himself self-conscious and distrustful when actually in their presence.

"A foolish thing to come ogle a bunch of bricks on such a windy day," he mumbled to himself, forgetting that the wind carries words far when in the heart of the desert.

by **Ryshaltze** on July 25th, 2010, 10:59 am

"A foolish thing to come ogle a bunch of bricks on such a windy day."

Ryshaltze lifted his head towards the source of that sound. It sounded as if it resonated from quite a distance away, yet near enough to be one of the Benshiran men. He looked around to make sure, and indeed the convoy was trudging on and lost in their own thoughts. Squinting his eyes, he did see a figure up ahead looking at them. It was a wonder how sound can travel extraordinarily far in the desert more than in other sort of terrain. He made a note to ask someone knowledgeable in the field regarding this phenomena for explanations.

As that figure did not do anything much, and probably never intended for him to hear what he said, Ryshaltze was still curious how that youth - probably no more than eighteen, managed to guess his intentions. Though it was pretty obvious that he stood out from the Benshiran convoy, from his clothing, to his features and his physical build. Not to mention that Benshiran merchants and escorts did not carry large musical instruments around. The desert was unforgiving to people who could not defend themselves.

He ignored the youth though, and proceeded onwards to the construction site.