|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 4:07 am
As ever, Dahak wasn’t sure of how much time it took him to banish the hurt but he didn’t think it had taken him all that long to unravel the redness and blow away the threads of it on the winds. Once he was sure the injury wasn’t going to try to creep back, the tall stallion opened his eyes and nodded to his fellow Katilenuck. “There, all healed. I recommend you take the rest of the day off to recover from the shock but you should be fine by tomorrow.”
The came the usual few minutes of profuse thanks, which he really rather enjoyed no matter how often it happened. Eventually however the soldier trotted away to enjoy his day of freedom, and Dahak nodded to himself at another good job well done as he headed over to the small pile of elppas that Virgil had brought for him earlier on. They were, of course, perfect. Nobody these days so much as considered letting his slave take anything but the best to him. It was good to be the Shaman.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:39 pm
Today, however, her main aim was just to climb as high as she could. She and Spyke had planned to do that together, and she regretted that the chance hadn’t come up in the end. She missed the little stallion, missed how good humored and genuine he was. This land was so very... complex, there were so many layers of etiquette and of rank, both formal and simple popularity within ranks. It wasn’t bad per se, she didn’t mind it at all, it was just more work than traveling with Spyke had been. It would be worth it though, to join this herd, to become inappropriate, untouchable to any plans that might otherwise have taken her freedom from her.
A stallion would help with that too. While her father had still been forced into an arranged mating despite b*****d foals, she doubted she would be if she had some. There was quite a gap between being the son of the herdlord and being the daughter of the herdlord’s son, his second son at that. She could ‘get away’ with less, could devalue herself more easily than her father would have been able to had he tried. Grinning to herself, Sekhmet took a deep breath of fresh mountain air as she reached the end of the slope she’d been climbing. As she turned, she saw the world spread out before her in miniature, she could see for miles and miles! Well worth the climb.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:40 am
Once he had eaten his fill, Dahak raised his head and turned around. A frown spread across his face as his eyes settled on the stripy-rumped mare standing on the edge of the plateau. He hadn’t heard her approach, but the route she must have come up was some way off from his sheltered herb patch. Still, he was annoyed with himself for not noticing her arrive; he liked to look all knowing, it was good for the image. Well, nothing to be done about it now but go and see what she wanted. Pushing his frown away, the tall stallion set off towards his visitor.
As he drew nearer, he noticed a subtle wrongness about her and a pace or two later he realised what it was. Sometimes the brindles that characterized his people were difficult to spot, but he was in no doubt now that the mare before him possessed none. She was an outsider. Still, if she was all the way up here she must be known about. There was no need to be rude to her, at least not if she was polite in return to him.
“Nice day, isn’t it?” Dahak commented as he came to a halt behind the black-winged mare. “I am Shaman Dahak, can I be of any assistance to you today?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:51 am
She had heard him approaching, so she didn’t startle when he spoke. She did, however, turn around smartly to greet the other Nequus with a smile; she needed these people to like her so being rude was out of the question. “Oh, you’re the Shaman are you? Well, I’m glad to meet you; I’m Sekhmet.” He really was very tall, especially for a stallion; he got that from his mother, the mad mare she’d seen on her way up here. How embarrassing for such a highly-placed young male to have a crazed parent...
But of course nobody knew, did they? She’d heard people muttering about the mare’s sudden disappearance; apparently she’d been a rather important tactician until a little while ago and now she was just gone, leaving nobody with any clue of where she might have headed. She couldn’t help but see parallels with that and how she herself had just got up and left her herd. She hoped they weren’t all still worried about her. She had to go back soon.
“So... Tell me Dahak; what’s it like being a Shaman?” That wasn’t a very good attempt at small-talk but it had been the first thing to come to mind. She could improve as they talked more, she would improve. He would be perfect for her purposes, although admittedly someone a bit dumber would have been easier to handle. Still, no matter even if he did see though her friendliness if she could show him an advantage to helping her get into the herd.
Perhaps she could be straight with him, she doubted many people did that, and she was willing to offer her body to him if he wanted it. The idea of being forced into a mating had been repulsive to her because it took away her freedom, not because she was a romantic planning to save herself for some One True Love that might or might not drift into her life.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:56 am
Well well, wasn’t she friendly? What did she want of him? Stupid question really, she wanted what they all did; power. Well he’d accept her presence and whatever praise she threw his way but she wasn’t getting a damn thing in return. “Sekhmet,” he smiled and bobbed his head, “delighted to meet you... Perhaps we could go for a walk and I’ll tell you all about it. I feel I’m due a break after a hard morning’s work.” Such a pretty face this latest little hanger-on had. Such striking markings and delicate bone-structure. It would do him no harm to be seen wandering around with a lovely mare even if she was an outsider; people were probably beginning to think he liked stallion a little more than was natural given how little interest he generally showed in females.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:20 am
The tall stallion set off before she event got a chance to respond; really very sure of himself. She doubted anyone had refused him something he wanted since he’d become the herd’s Shaman; why should they? Keep the magiker happy, and just maybe he’d prioritize healing you over healing someone else. Sekhmet snorted to herself and stepped out beside the brightly coloured Katilenuck.
“Sure,” she said with a nod, “I want to learn as much about this herd as I can; I’m hoping to join you know. I’ve talked to at least one person in every normal job you guys have, and so now I’m moving onto the more unique positions though I’ve covered the Heiress already.” She doubted it would impress him very much, but it might at least give him a slight pause, show him that she wasn’t just some dumb piece of arse. If he was in her position, she was sure that trying to meet with one of the herd’s leaders would be high on his to do list. There was no need to tell him that running into Yi had been pure dumb luck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:36 am
Well, he had to credit her with intelligence at least. Getting a feel for the herd at large, and then working her way upwards. If she petitioned the queen to let her join the herd, knowing him even in passing might do her a few favors. Less so with Yi these days; the little brat - he called her that and yet she was significantly older than he - had really disgraced herself with that outsider stallion.
This, of course, was one of the times he was glad to be Shaman Dahak not Prince. He got nearly as many useful supplicants and fair-weather friends as a prince, but was far less restricted. He didn’t have royal blood, so he could flirt where he wanted to, perhaps even more so than he would have been able to had he not developed magic. As it was, he was a bit outside of the rank and file of the herd at large; had he been normal he would always have been his parents’ son and expected to behave at least vaguely respectably.
“Sounds like you’re going the right way about being accepted,” Dahak commented, choosing not to mention the drek Yi was currently getting herself into. If she couldn’t pick that up for herself and chose to brag about knowing the foolish little bimbo then she deserved to sully herself with the association... Though in truth he probably exaggerated to himself the harm it would do her; in the end it would probably still be a positive. Royal blood was royal blood, even when it was being stupid.
“Anyway, about being the Shaman...” the tall stallion led the way over to the narrow winding pathway at the back of his herd patch that led twistingly around for some way but eventually led to an even higher plateau. May as well show her some nice sights. “Well I’m proud of it for starters; gaining magic may be completely random but few get it as young as I did. That’s still down to chance, though, all the work I’ve put into honing my abilities is what I’m really pleased with myself about. I am unique within the herd; nobody can do what I can do. I can bring people back from the brink of death, and I can heal injuries that would otherwise cripple for life. I am of course very different to everyone else because of it, and it sets me apart from society to a degree but I don’t mind that. I still have friends enough, and I wouldn’t give up my role in return for a more normal life.”
His real friends were very few, but that would have been so no matter what thanks to his parents’ positions and indeed his own personality. He was happy with things that way; a few deep connections and then a whole crowd that he could use as he needed or wanted to. Oh they got annoying at times of course, but when that happened he could send them away harshly and still know that when he did want them around, they would still be there waiting. He had yet to find a Nequus that first crawled for him who would give up on that just because he was rude or harsh to them a few times. The ones unwilling to take whatever he dealt out never crawled in the first place.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:54 am
Sekhmet grinned up at her companion slyly. “Oh yea, I bet you have plenty of ‘friends’. It was like that back in my old herd too; I’m the daughter’s of one of the herdleader’s sons so my siblings and I had lots of ‘friends’ when we were little. Personally I grew out of hanging around with people who were only nice to me because they - or their parents - thought they could get something out of me. If you still enjoy it though I guess that’s your business.”
Standing out to him, she felt, was a far better plan than sucking up to him. She didn’t want to come off as someone he could order around, avoiding being told to do things she didn’t want to was the reason she’d left home after all. True there was a risk that she’d piss him off, but it was a risk she was willing to take given the potential to gain genuine respect from him.
“So do you make your ‘friends’ run around after you like you do your slaves?” she went on with a grin. “I guess I could see the advantage to having a small army of people vying to please you; I wasn’t quite important enough to have people willing to go too far out of their way for me.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 8:01 am
Dahak stopped in his tracks for a moment and turned to stare and the outsider. Then he laughed and shook his head. “Frank, aren’t you?” he snorted. “Well if you must know, yes it is rather useful. People are willing to lend me their slaves, to share a nice piece of fruit with me if I approach them while they’re eating and all manner of other things. Life has handed me this plump elppa, I see no reason not to eat it just because other people don’t have one.” Funny, a moment ago she’d seemed quite willing to be one of those flatterers, but now she was sharing her opinions, implying that perhaps she was better than him for not taking advantage of the fake friendships that she could have had due to her position.
“Why did you leave your nice little herd then, Sekhmet?” the Shaman asked as he set off again. “Don’t tell me you were too noble and pure to live in a place where people would pretend to like you for a chance to share in your power?” He wasn’t going to let her get in all the remarks; not a chance. She was welcome to think he was a bad person, he didn’t give a Rit’s arse about that, but he wouldn’t have her think that he was stupid or slow witted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 8:14 am
Sekhmet laughed and shook her head with a grin. “Hardly; like I said, I dealt with that issue. No. I left because I didn’t want to be told who to have as my mate. That happened to my parents, and I sure as hell don’t want to end up stuck like them. Plus of course there was all the properness expected of me; high born mares in my herd didn’t get to do anything interesting at all. Here I see that you can be a teacher, a doctor, a tactician and Jala knows what else if you’re a mare. Back home, you just had to stand around and look pretty all day and talk about stupid, meaningless, mind-numblingly boring crap with other pretty mares. I decided I wanted to make my own way in life, so I left with the intent of making myself an undesirable match for any high-blooded stallion and to set myself far enough apart from my herd that I don’t have to live to their standards.”
Dahak really could be her ticket to all that. He seemed to approve of her attitude so far, perhaps she could make him like her enough to have a fling at least. She did want to have foals at some point in her life, and sooner rather than later was okay by her. She could take them traveling sometimes, and the rest of the time they could live here. Children would probably be good for Dahak’s image, but having them with an outsider mare would maintain that bit of difference about him that he seemed to love; he didn’t want to be part of the crowd or he wouldn't make such a show of being the Shaman. Of course even if she nominally joined the herd and made this place her home base to travel around from he’d get that bit f scandal. It could work. Yes. Live here maybe half the time, live with her family about half the time and travel slowly between the two places, maybe take detours to see more of the world...
It was a mad, impulsive idea she had to admit but then leaving home had been too and that had worked out just fine. Mad and impulsive did not equal stupid, after all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:43 am
Dahak raised his eyebrows and tutted disapprovingly. “Well that sounds like a rather foolish way to run things. We know the value of mares around here; they are closer to Jala herself than we stallions can be, and that’s why we have queens ruling us not kings. I’d say you did well in getting out of there, and in coming here. Fresh blood is never a bad thing, especially fresh blood with good brains... Of course a lovely face does no harm to the whole thing.” She’d make a good mate to some stallion or other, she’d keep whoever she choose well in line he had no doubt. “I imagine if you did join us you’d have a partner of your own choosing in no time at all.”
Frankly he didn’t envy whoever she chose; having left one herd to keep her freedom she was capable of anything from running off again to having lovers on the side. A mare he could admire; one who knew what she wanted and took it, but a rather worrying one when she turned her head to him and smirked like that at the mention of mates. What was she planning?
...Well, actually looking at her there wasn’t too much doubt about that. She certainly knew what would do her standing in the herd good but he was damned if he was going to play along with her given all he’d just thought and given he’d met her all of a few minutes ago. He had to respect her guile he supposed but he also had to admit it made him nervous. She was looking at him like a Rit at something small and squeaky that was destined to be dinner. Perhaps he shouldn’t have mentioned the lovely face part.
“Yes, and you can wipe that look off your lovely face,” he said after a few uncomfortable moments of silence. “I agreed to a walk with you, not a date.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:52 am
The striped Jala laughed, again and shook her head. “Actually you suggested a walk with me. Where’s all that self-assurance gone to then Dahak? Used to meekness are you? Don’t usually get lovely mares eyeing up your skinny arse?” This could be fun, playing with the proud and surprisingly skittish Shaman. He wasn’t used to this at all, he was like the colts back home who’d spent all their time learning from their elders and didn’t know how to deal with it when a filly said they were cute.
Frankly she wasn’t all that attracted to him physically, and though she could tell he was intelligent there was no immediate spark of connection there either. He just didn't really seem like her type. He might act high and mighty, but he was sheltered and nervous when taken away from familiarity. He was used to people trying desperately to please him rather than to tease him, and he was used to subtle flirting - if anything at all - rather than frank looks.
“Humm, nice view,” Sekhmet commented into the stunned silence as they came up onto another plateau. “Rather romantic up here, with just you and me, hu?” she smirked, swatting the tall Katilenuck’s rump with her tail before trotting forward to peer over the precipice. It was a deliciously long way down; leaping from here and then plunging downward, opening your wings only at the last minute would be quite a thrill. She wondered if she could prod Dahak’s pride enough to make him give it a try; evidence so far was suggesting he’d be too much of a coward to try it otherwise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:58 am
Dahak pinned back his ears and clopped over to join her. “Yes, I did suggest it and I am beginning to regret it,” he mumbled morosely, “and I despise romance. Otherwise intelligent people sighing wistfully over a sunset and how they couldn’t live without their One True Love. It is foolish and deluded to believe there’s only one person out there for you, though frankly in your case I wouldn’t be too surprised if there aren’t any.” Ears still back, the lanky stallion took a step closer to the edge, placing him even closer to the drop than Sekhmet. This wasn’t courage, however, just trust in his exceptional sense of balance and, failing that, his reflexes.
“You think you are brave, but you are foolish; annoying me is a sure fire way to lose you chance at joining this herd and possibly to get beaten to death for being a spy if you continue to ruffle my feathers.” Nobody talked to him like that and got away with it, nobody. “You will regret mocking me, Sekhmet.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:11 am
She yawned. “Sure I will Dahak... You know it’s funny how quickly you can hope between sounding like a crotchety oldster and a whiny spoiled colt who didn’t get the last sangui-drop.” He did have a bit of fight in him then. It was a wet, wimpy sort of fight but it was there and she did like a challenge. Maybe she could get him to toughen up at bit, and if not, if she ended up spoiling her chances here she could just run away and think of a different plan. Crossbreed children would probably work well if this one fell on its face.
“Still,” she sighed and lifted her head as a breeze cooled her body and tugged at her long mane, “it is lovely up here. Didn’t have views like this at home, I mean back where I used to live... I would like to be able to see things like this every day. Of course,” she turned to Dahak again with a grin, “if I have to choose between this and telling you things you don’t like hearing I’ll take the latter; seems like it’s about time somebody told you what a cowardy-cowardy-carris you are and how it’s a good job you are the Shaman or you probably wouldn’t have any friends at all. Oh, I expect your family would still love you though, except possibly for your mother; she seems to have gone thoroughly cracked in the head.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:18 am
For a moment, the tall stallion stood frozen. Then he flattened his ears against his skull again and bared his teeth. “What did you just say?” It wasn’t possible! Everyone was wondering where her ute had gone, yes, but how could they be saying she’d gone mad? There was no reason for them to think that, even if he did dread that it was the truth. If people were saying that about her, it wouldn’t be too long before his whole family lost its good name. That might not hurt him too much but his brothers and sisters would certainly suffer the shame of an insane parent and as for his father... Well maybe Xla’Lanan would be safe too but it was hard to say.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
