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Scherazade nodded again, taking up another mouthful of grass and wishing nearby was water. "When the council broke up a week later, the Sultan finally said to his vizir: 'I see a woman in the audience-chamber every day carrying something in a napkin. Call her next time, that I may find out what she wants.' Next day, at a sign from the vizir, she went up to the foot of the throne, and remained kneeling till the Sultan said to her: 'Rise, woman, tell me what you want.' She hesitated, so the Sultan sent away all but the vizir, and told her to speak freely, promising to forgive her for anything she might say. She then told him of her son's love for the princess. 'I begged him to forget her,' she said, 'but in vain; he threatened to do a desperate deed if I refused to go and ask your Majesty for the hand of the princess. Now I pray you to forgive not me, but my son Aladdin as well.'

The Sultan asked her kindly what she had in the napkin, so she unfolded the jewels and presented them. He was thunderstruck, and turning to the vizir said: 'What say you? Ought I not to bestow the princess on one who values her at such a price?' The vizir, who wanted her for his own son, begged the Sultan to withhold for three months, in the course of which he hoped his son would contrive to make him a richer present. The Sultan agreed, and told Aladdin's mother that she must not appear before him again for three months. Aladdin waited patiently for almost three months, but after two had elapsed his mother, going into the city to buy oil, found everyone rejoicing, and asked what was going on. 'Do you not know,' was the answer, 'that the son of the grand-vizir is to marry the Sultan's daughter to-night?' Breathless, she ran and told Aladdin, who was overwhelmed at first, but presently bethought him of the lamp. He rubbed it, and the genie appeared, saying: 'What is thy will?'

Aladdin replied: 'The Sultan, as thou knowest, has broken his promise to me, and the vizir's son is to have the princess. My command is that to-night you bring to me bride and groom.'

'Master, I obey,' said the genie. Aladdin then went to his chamber, where at midnight the genie transported the bed containing the princess and her groom. 'Take this man,' he said, 'and put him outside in the cold, and return at daybreak.' So the genie took the vizir's son out of bed, leaving Aladdin with the princess. 'Fear not,' Aladdin said; 'you are my wife, promised me by your father, and no harm shall come to you.' The princess was too frightened to speak, and passed the night, while Aladdin lay down beside her and slept. At dawn the genie fetched in the shivering bridegroom, laid him in his place, and transported the bed back to the palace. The Sultan came to wish his daughter good-morning, not long after the transport; the unhappy son jumped up and hid himself while the princess would not say a word, and was very sorrowful.

The Sultan sent her mother to her, who said: 'How comes it that you will not speak to your father? What happened?' The princess sighed , and finally told her mother how, during the night, the bed had been carried into some strange house, and what had passed there. Her mother did not believe her in the least, but told her rise and consider it a dream. The following night the same happened, and next morning, on the princess's refusing to speak, the Sultan threatened to cut off her head. She then confessed all, bidding him ask the vizir's son if it were not so. The Sultan told the vizir to ask his son, who owned the truth, adding that, dearly as he loved the princess, he had rather die than go through another such fearful night, and wished to be separated from her. His wish was granted, and there was an end of celebration."

She shook out her mane, waiting to see if the stallion in front of her would speak. There was much more of the tale, and though she was loath to cut it short... she, for one, was growing thirsty, up here in this heat.

She inclined her head and rose to her feet. "I am, milord. I do thank you for your ear, however. It's been a long time since I have had the pleasure of telling a story to someone who expressed interest."

Her teepee-mates had such... plebian taste in stories.

She stretched herself as well, glancing at the sky. "Would you care to accompany me to the river?"

Weeeellll, she wasn't too sure either. But one thing she could do was find her way home. There was a river near there, and she knew the land around her human's teepee well enough that she could avoid having Mozenrath assaulted by one of her two-legger's other companions.

So she led the way, filling his ear with light, idle chatter. Really, she didn't know half of what she said. What the storyteller was truly curious about was where his eyes had gone... what he had thought about in that brief moment.

They finally came to the water, and she dipped her muzzle into the cool liquid, drinking gratefully, pleased that her veil hid her guzzling. Odd. She didn't know what to say anymore, and it was rare that the mare was without words. So instead she maintained the silence, wondering if it was growing as awkward to the stallion as it was to herself.

She thought for a moment. "Not really. I know some of the history, but legends, that is what you mean, correct?" her eyes wrinkled as she thought. "There is the story of Wind Horse. I heard that one secondhand though, and only from one person. There are legends of the trickster coyote, and the demon-posessed Kalona. And stories of the skinwalkers. Stories of the tribes... I haven't been around long enough to hear a great many tales, though I keep an ear out for traders and travelers."

She shook her head. "No items. Not that I have heard talk of. Gods... well, these people have many gods." she shrugged one shoulder. "If you wish legends, seek out the two-legger, Princess Soquili. I hear she is wise, and kind, and well-versed. If you would like, I can seek out little bits of information I can find."

She smiled. "Stories hold knowledge. The more stories you hear the more knowledge you can gain and learn from." His own words, very true. "I love stories. It is my own desire for knowledge that will assist you, my own selfish desires. If they can assist another..." she shrugged delicately. "Then my desires will be a -little- less selfish when I pass away and have to go for judgement before the gods."