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 Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:58 pm
The Return
reserved. *writing*
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:12 pm
midnight_medea Ziya looked at the primitive mallet with a grin. he couldn't believe his dad was actually letting him hammer in the pegs for their home. Usually only the big kids were allowed to do such important jobs. His mum always helped but she couldn't right now. She was going to have a baby.
"Daad." he asked, smacking the huge peg hard into the sand. "How come you didn't just find this baby like you found me?" he asked, watching his father with curiosity in his large golden eyes. "And how come this one is inside mum? I thought that was only animals." He said, giving the peg another hard smack. All of his friends had been found, like him. Well, all of his friends in the town. He didn't have many friends in the camp. They were a little scared of him. ceedabear Azhar worked diligently at sorting out a few of the ropes that held the tent in place and merely arched his brow as his son's voice cut through his concentration. Blinking a little at the question, he lifted his eyes and looked over to Ziya, smirking as he watched him hit the peg as hard as he could.
"People are animals Zi," he replied simply, turning his eyes back to his ropes as he continued to sort through them, making sure there were no knots. "We are just a different kind of animal. Don't you remember Ms. Darya before she had her baby?" he asked, glancing over at him to make sure he wasn't about to hurt himself. midnight_medea Ziya nodded and started on another peg, feeling rather grown up with his important task.
"Yeah, but ... Why didn't I come from there?" He asked pausing and looking at his father again. "Does that mean I have two mothers?"
He looked down at the sand and picked some up with his hands.
"I don't understand, why are some of us found and some of us not?" ceedabear Az smirked as he persisted with the questions and glanced up towards the clear sky above them.
"You didn't come from your mother's stomach because you are a special boy. You are not like the other children here. You and some of the other children we have met were gifts from the spirits." Or perhaps curses, he thought with a wry smirk, not meaning it in the least. He and Isra's lives had changed for the brighter ever since Zi had chosen to make himself known to them, no matter how troublesome the curious boy could be. "As far as I know you only have one mother and she cares for you very much," he said, turning his eyes back down to his task. midnight_medea Ziya smiled at his father's words and started to smack in another peg. He was glad he only had one mother. He was not sure he would like one who just left him in the sand. It didn't seem like a good thing to do.
"So how do they get there then?" he asked. "If they're not gifts from the spirits, who puts regular kids in their mother?" he tried to think of all the posibilities. "Do they just decide they want one? Why didn't mum want one before? Even before I came?"
He knew he wasn't supposed to ask so many questions, but he really wanted to know and this was his dad not the caravan elders he was quizzing. Sooo he figured it would be okay. ceedabear Enjoying the brief reprieve, Az gave a snort of laughter as the inquisition continued. Breathing in deeply, he set the ropes down and sat down in the sand to put himself on Ziya's level. Where to begin, he thought with a smirk.
"Usually it is a decision made between both a man and a woman who love each other very much. They decide that they want to share that love with a child," he started and looked down to the sand as he tried to think on how to explain this next bit. "Um, the reason why your mother and I didn't have any children before we found you is because we thought we were unable to have children like Ms. Darya and the other families in the camp. We wanted them, but the gods had other plans for us. Like finding you," he smirked a little. "As for how your new brother or sister got to be inside your mother," he smirked and looked up at him, then across the camp. "Do you remember the mating season for the camels?" he asked, deciding to pick a neutral animal he knew Zi liked. midnight_medea That made sense. he thought to himself. The gods clearly were strange beings. he thought, remembering Mitra and his visits to them. Turning his mind to camels he giggled and nodded.
"Yeah." he said, looking back up to his father. "They make a lot of noise." ceedabear Az couldn't help but laugh at that. Shaking his head a little, he looked back down to the sand and picked up a small handful to let it run through his fingers.
"Well, after all that noise, a month or so later, the mother camel starts to show that she has a baby inside of her," he smirked slightly. "It's not much different for people." midnight_medea Ziya listened intently and chewed on his lip a moment.
"Ahhhh." He said as if he had just learned the greatest secret in the world. "I think I understand." he said with a nod, half trying to imagine people mating like camels did. It was a funny mental image. "Thanks dad." he said with a grin, picking up his mallet. "You still want to keep me though right?" he asked, pausing again. "Even if this baby is a boy too." ceedabear Az looked up at Zi's understanding and smirked slightly as he watched his son's little mind try to understand all that he had been told. He was more than likely going to have to one day sort out this little mess he had created, but the explanation had sufficed, he decided, reaching for his ropes, pausing at Zi's next question. Looking up at him, he smiled softly and held his arm out to him.
"Of course I still want you Ziya. You're mother does too. It makes no difference if the baby is a boy or a girl. Nothing will change that. You will always be our son. No matter what," he smiled. midnight_medea Ziya smiled and walked over to give his father a hug.
"Good." he said squeezing him tightly. "I don't want to go anywhere." He smiled and pulled away to get back to his job.
"I don't think any other parents could be as good as you and mum." ceedabear Azhar smiled as Zi walked over and hugged him back just as tightly. Laughing softly at his words, he released him as he pulled away, then smiled rather broadly at his comment about his and Isra's parenting. He truly doubted that they would ever hear anything more honest or sweet from that child. It truly warmed him to the core.
"Good. Now get back to work. We want to surprise your mother with the tent being ready for her and the baby," he smiled and turned back to his previously abandoned task.
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:01 am
ceedabear "Kamil! Kamil come back!" Karishma shouted as she gathered up her bright pink skirts in one hand and ran as fast as she could across the loose sands. "Come back you stupid dog!" she shouted with a frown as the puppy clearly thought she was playing a fun new game with him. She was supposed to be trying her hand at training some of the caravan dogs just like her elder sister, but the little pup she had been given charge of was proving more than a little difficult.
"I'm not playing with you!" she cried out as she kept after him, not noticing that the camp was falling away behind a dune. Suddenly some sand gave out from beneath her feet and she went tumbling down into the sand, rolling a little before coming to a complete stop down at the bottom where the sand had hardened and some desert shrubs were managing to keep themselves alive. Clearing the sand from her face and mouth, she glared up at the little puppy as he came bounding up to her and started to lick her cheeks. "Stupid mutt," she muttered as she reached up to grab him, but he suddenly shied away with a whine. Frowning, she pushed herself up and glanced around. "There's nothing to be afraid of Kamil," she said, shaking her head and reaching up to brush sand from her dark hair before readjusting the thin, brightly colored veil her grandmother made her put on in the morning. Holding her hand out to Kamil, she started to crawl after him when she felt it. A sharp, painful p***k to her lower leg followed quickly by what felt like liquid fire. Crying out, she turned to look at what had happened and screamed as she saw the large snake that she had not noticed before hiding beneath the shrubs from the hot sun. midnight_medea Ziya had been playinghis favourite game in the world. Camel racing. Though he was racing against himself he rode swiftly across the sand. A much underestimated animal were camels. He thought to himself as he held tightly to the coloured reins.
He almost didn't see the little puppy that was barking at them. Thankfully Nina did and drew to a halt. Blinking Ziya slid off his saddle and bent down to pick the little thing up. As he tried it moved away and he realised that it wanted him to follow.
Shrugging he started after it, Nina trotting along behind him as they approached the thicket and saw the colourful clothed girl lying at the bottom.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ziya asked, making his way down to her. ceedabear Kari had managed to pull herself away from the small shrubs and and had even attempted to try to walk on her injured leg, but the results had been both painful and unhelpful to her plight. Lying on her back in the sand, she could feel the pain in her leg growing and tears rolling down her cheeks. She had completely forgotten Kamil and was quite surprised when the little pup ran up to her and started to lick her face again. Hearing the voice, she pushed herself up and turned a little, blinking as she saw the strange young boy that belonged to Isra and Azhar.
"A snake! It bit me!" she cried out, tears rolling down her cheeks as she watched him make his way down to her. "It hurts so much," she cried softly, looking back down at her leg and reaching out pull her skirts up a little, crying more as she saw the damage to her leg. midnight_medea Ziya frowned as he listened to her words and moreso as he noticed the bite on her leg.
"You need to try and keep calm." He said softly as he crouched down next to her. She was the leader's granddaughter. he recognised her from around the camp. it will slow the poison down.
He breathed deeply and smiled a little.
"I'm going to lift you up." He said. "Is that okay. I'll take you to my dad." ceedabear Reaching up and wiping her tears with the palms of her hands, she nodded as he told her to keep calm, then swallowed hard as he said why she should. Clinging tightly to her skirts with both hands, she trembled with the effort to calm herself down. Looking back up into his eyes as he spoke to her and even managed a small smile, she felt herself start to calm down a little despite the pain she felt.
"Yes. Okay," she said softly, nodding a little and glancing towards the dune she had fallen down nervously before looking back at him. Releasing her skirts, she held her arms up to help him as best she could. midnight_medea Ziya smiled and knelt down so that he could scoop her up into his arms and hold onto her tightly.
"It'll be okay." He said with a soft smile, glancing up to the dune and then back to the puppy.
"Come on mutt." He said, starting to run up the dune to where Nina was waiting. he did not have time to get the girl um into the saddle. "Follow me." he said to his companion before starting off at a run across the sand. To a human this would have been a rather stupid task.
For Ziya however it was like running on hard ground. He was the sand and the sand obeyed him, helping him be as swift as he possibly could as they ran back towards the camp.
"Dad!" He cried, as they came near the tents. "Dad, i need your help." ceedabear Karishma wrapped her little arms tightly around Ziya's neck as he lifted her. Looking down at the ground and then turning her deep grey eyes back to Zi's pretty gold ones as he spoke, she swallowed again and nodded at his reassurances. Blinking a little at the speed he used to navigate his way up the dune, she tightened her arms around him. She knew he was different from her and the other children in the camp, born of the deserts and not of a mother, but she had never realized how sweet and gentle he truly was. She had always steered clear of him because her grandfather insisted he was nothing but trouble and she loved her grandfather dearly so would never do anything to upset him. But as they fairly flew across the loose sands she had been struggling against while chasing Kamil, she could not help but thank the gods that it had been him that had found her. Instinct told her that no other would have been able to help her as much as he was able to.
As they arrived at his family's tent, she could feel the poison start take over her further and her arms started loosen their hold around him as her head fell heavily against his shoulder.Azhar had been mixing up some herbs for one of the caravan elders when he heard his son's shouts. Noting the urgency, he dropped everything and hurried to exit the tent. Seeing the young girl in Zi's arms, he frowned slightly and quickly rushed forward, reaching out to take her from him, recognizing her instantly to be the chief's favoured granddaughter.
"What happened to her Zi?" he asked, sinking down to one knee, so he could inspect her eyes and breathing. midnight_medea Ziya breathed with relief as his father appeared and let him take her.
"She got bitten by something. A snake I think." He said, breathing heavily and looking up to his father. "I got here as fast as i could." Hearing the commotion Isra came slowly from the main tent and breathed in at the state of their leader's grand-daughter.
"Snake?" She said softly easing herself down next to the girl. "Take her to our tent. I'll get your things and make some sweet tea." ceedabear Azhar looked up sharply as Zi said she had been bitten by a snake. Glancing up as Isra joined them, he nodded his thanks to her and quickly rose to his feet.
"You did good Zi," he smiled warmly at his son. "You should probably inform her family that she is here. Can you do that for me?" he asked as he turned and carried the poor child into the shade of the tent, carefully laying her down on the plush carpets so that he could examine her while Is got his things for him. midnight_medea Ziya nodded and turned to run out of the tent.
Isra appeared after, not as fast as she would have liked, heaving the box of herbs and medicines.
"Here." She said with a smile, placing it on the floor next to her husband and going to get blankets and make some tea.
"Will she be alright?" She asked softly. "I do not fancy our chances if the elder's grand daughter dies in our care.
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:15 am
ceedabear Az looked up as he heard Isra enter, then looked back down as he lifted the poor child's skirts to her knees and grimaced at the sight of the puncture wounds.
"Hmm... I think it's Zi I would be more worried about than us if something were to happen to her," he muttered under his breath as he quickly turned and started to shift through his supplies for the things he was going to need. "Considering he was the one to find her. Though I think she was very lucky he was the one to find her. He seems to have gotten her here just in time," he said, glancing back up to Isra and breathing in deeply as he got his sharp knife ready. "Hold her down Is. I'm going to have to bleed some of the poison out of her before I can give her any of the antidote." midnight_medea Isra looked up at his words and swallowed. She knew the Elders were not so enamoured with their adopted son, but surely they wouldn't be so cruel. Nodding she slowly sank to the ground and thanked the lords she was only five moons pregnant.
Carefully she placed the girl's head on her lap and took her hands, folding them across her chest and holding her firmly.
"Okay." She said with a nod. "I'm ready." ceedabear Az nodded to her and breathed in deeply as he started to make the small incision and massage her small leg to start to work the poison back downwards, his years of training helping him to ignore her cries of pain before she finally passed out. After several moments and cleaning the wound out properly, Az prepared a poultice and slathered it thickly on her leg.
"Stay with her Is and don't let her move if she tries. Just give her the tea and make sure she drinks it all," he said, rising to his feet as he wiped his hand on a cloth and started towards the tent entrance, wondering where Zi had gotten to. midnight_medea Isra nodded and smoothed her hand over the pretty girl's dark hair. She would like a daughter, she thought randomly as she picked up the tea. An ally in her house of men."Oi, you're hurting. I didn't do anything!" Ziya cried out as old Parvaiz dragged him across the camp.
"I just found her hurt." He frowned and looked up as he saw his dad coming towards them. "Dad, tell them." ceedabear Emerging from the tent a frown instantly settled across Azhar's features as he saw that the caravan's chief had his son in a vicelike grip as he dragged the poor boy across the camp. Striding forward, he stopped before them and bowed respectfully, though the frown never left his face.
"He speaks the truth. Please unhand my son," he said, gesturing to the older man's hand on Ziya's arm. "She was bitten by a snake. If Ziya had not found her and gotten her to me as hastily as he had, you would be one grandaughter less," he said, trying his hardest to keep the slight edge from his voice. midnight_medea Parvaiz stopped as Azhar approached and let go of Ziya.
"She must have been led out there by him." he said angrily. "Why else would she be on her own off on the desert. She knows better.Ziya frowned and looked up at the old goat.
"I wasn't with her. I told you!" He said angrily. "You can ask her yourself." ceedabear Not having an answer for the other man, Azhar closed his eyes and shook his head a little as he reached out to take Ziya by the shoulder.
"Ziya, that is enough," he admonished lightly, though half envying the boy his insolence. "It seems that that is the most logical thing to do at this time though," he said, looking up to Parvaiz. "We cannot answer why Karishma was off on her own as I believe that Ziya is telling the truth and was not with her. You are welcome to join my wife in our tent while we wait for her to wake and might ask her once she is able to speak," he offered with a polite gesture towards his tent as he squeezed Ziya's shoulder gently with his other hand. midnight_medea Parvaiz looked at Azhar and nodded. That was the damned thing about the healer and his polotician wife. They were far to reasonable to argue with.
"Then that is what we shall do." He said with a frown. Stepping into the tent and nodding to Isra.Isra listened to the argument outside the tent and rolled her eyes. "Men." She smirked down at Kari as she started to come round. As the chief entered she bowed her head respectfully and placed her hand against Kari's cheek. "It looks like she will be well." ceedabear Kari breathed in deeply as she started to come around and her deep grey eyes slowly opened. Seeing the female advisor above her head, her eyes unusually soft, Kari blinked a little to clear the fuzziness from her mind and turned her eyes to the others in the tent. Seeing her grandfather, tears instantly sprang to her eyes and she tried to push herself up as she reached for him.
"Opa!" she cried out, then blinked a little as dizziness swept through her and she started to fall back to the plush carpet beneath her once more.Az followed Parvaiz into the tent and gave Isra a small smile as he eased Ziya down to the ground at the edge of the carpet. Seeing the young girl start to stir, he walked over to the kettle and poured out some tea for her. midnight_medea "Kari." Parvaiz cried, rushing to her side and kneeling down next to her. "Kari. What happened." He said, forgetting those around them and reaching out to caress her cheek. As she fell back down isra caught her and smiled down.
"not so fast little one." She said, stroking her hair and helping her sit up slowly.ceedabear Kari looked up at Isra caught her, then turned her eyes back to her grandfather as he caressed her cheek.
"Kamil ran away and so I had to go get him and he wouldn't stop running so I chased after him. I fell down and huge black snake bit me. I tried to come back, but it hurt too much," she explained in a torrent of words as she eased out of Isra's arms and moved to slip her arms around her grandfather. Sniffing away some tears of fear and pain, her eyes fell on Ziya at the edge of the tent. "Ziya found me. He carried me back," she said, turning her big, tearfilled eyes back up to her grandfather. "I've never seen anyone run so fast."Azhar moved over to the little reunion and just barely managed to keep the 'I told you so', from his expression as he handed the tea to Parvaiz to give to Karishma.
"Help her drink all of that down," he instructed softly. midnight_medea Isra watched the reunion with a smile and noticed the look on Azhar's face. Smirking she held her hand out to him and her other arm to Ziya who was still looking rather irritated.
Parvaiz hugged his joy tightly and looked to the young man as he joined his mother.
"It seems I owe you an apology young man." He said with a small smile. "Sorry, and thank you for rescuing my granddaughter. You too Azhar. Your skills really are second to none." ceedabear Looking to Isra as she held her hand out to him, Azhar moved to kneel down beside her. Slipping his hand into hers, he smirked slightly and felt his own irritation at the man's quick judgement of Ziya start to lift a little. At least he had the decency to admit he was wrong and apologize to Zi for saving his beloved grandaughter's life. As he thanked him as well, Az bowed his head to him and smiled softly.
"Thank you sir. I am just glad that Zi was able to get her to me in time," he said, looking over to his son proudly.Karishma turned her eyes back to Zi as her grandfather apologized and thanked him. Watching as he moved to sit beside his mother, she smiled softly at him as she held tightly to Parvaiz.
"Thank you Ziya," she smiled, then blinked a little as her grandfather held the tea to her lips. Putting her hand over his, she sipped it carefully as she continued to watch Zi. Suddenly he did not seem so strange or scary to her now that she knew he was quite nice and gentle. Medea Isra smiled at his apology and wrapped her arm around Ziya's shoulder. She was so proud of both him and Azhar.
゛How are you feeling love?゛ She asked the girl as she sipped the tea. ゛I will give you some leaves so your grandmother may make you some.゛ ceedabear Kari blinked a little from her thoughts and turned her eyes away from Ziya to look to Isra. Pushing her grandfather's hand away, she smiled a little and glanced up at him briefly.
"It hurts. But not as much as it did before," she replied, looking down to her leg and shifting her skirts so she could see what had been done to her. "I like this tea," she commented, looking back up at Isra once her leg proved to be uneventful with the bandage around it.Azhar smiled and nodded to her words, then looked up at Parvaiz.
"It is going to be sore for a few days. She should not be on it too much to make sure that the herbs are able to draw all the poison out without causing it to spread," he advised, smirking slightly as the little one boldly spoke to Isra. Not many children in their camp seemed so eager to speak so plainly to his wife.
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