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 Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:58 pm
Godar stared at her lunch in fascinated horror. Bread and cheese. Again. And oh, oh yes, a flask of water. Wonderful. Gnawing on the bread, she stared off into the distance, mainly at the ocean, that blue ribbon trapped between the earth and the sky. Everything looked so small from up here, even Niffin. Funny, back when she was little, she always thought Niffin was big, a real city. Certainly too big to escape from... well, she'd finally done it. She'd finally escaped. To come here. Goat camp. Where she was stuck with a bunch of goats. It's so nice to see that all of my dreams have finally come true, she thought wryly as she took a swig of water.
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 9:43 pm
"Looks beautiful even from up here, doesn't it?" Naramankh asked Godar as she plopped down beside her. She unwrapped her lunch to reveal the same bread and cheese that was common among the herders of Goat Camp. The bread was stale and tough, but at least the dry climate meant that there was no need to pluck off mold. "Cripes, I'd love to be there right now. Fish Camp, I mean. Not Niffin. Anything's better than relatives complaining that you'll be a spinster someday." She patted Godar on the back. "Your parents given up yet?" she asked sympathetically.
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 10:33 pm
Godar nearly choked when Naramankh patted her on the back. "No, not yet," she managed to get out between coughs. She wiped her mouth. "But that comment about relatives... is Fish Camp any better? There are still adults around, and, well... all the young men, doesn't anyone ever try to do any match making? That's the one advantage of Goat Camp; no more formal dances and I only have to deal with my extended family, not my parents." She sighed. "The only down sides of being up here are the goats and Smidgin. I know he's my cousin and all, but... man, what a brat! He's been assigned to a different flock today, though, thank goodness."
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 6:46 am
"Yeah, I'm glad that we've been assigned to the same one today." Naramankh sighed. "Fish Camp...well, there are dances and suchlike, but they're all in fun. More like highland dances than anything else. And the work you can put in in a day proves to the young men that you're anything but feminine. It helps; you get more respect between equals than googly-eyed stares." She wrinkled her nose. "You're right about the goats. I think one of them escaped earlier," she sighed. "I'll be back, I'm going to go find that pesky beast."
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 1:15 pm
Godar stuffed the remaining bread back in her napsack. "Let me come," she pleaded, "I don't want to sit here on my own. I'll go crazy!" She swung her napsack over her shoulder, and thought about Naramankh's comments about Fish Camp. "Boys are dense," she said at last. "This isn't any easier than fishing! Storms, cold weather, lost goats... man, I hope this one isn't injured, then we'll have to carry it back."
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 1:43 pm
Naramankh groaned. "If it's injured, then I'll carry it. As long as you hold it still while I bandage it up. I hate goats! Hairy, stupid, smelly goats. What I'd give to be out to sea right now..." She shook her head. "Oh well! Maybe we'll see some tracks of other animals. Not as if there are any wolves here," she hastened to say. "I mean, sure, they eat goats, but they're infinitely more interesting! Isn't that right, Dust?" she asked the small dog next to her. Dust sneezed and thumped his tail on the ground.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 1:56 pm
Godar hesitated. Should you tell Naramankh about the hairy black and silver thing she had seen some months past? No, Naramankh would think she was telling stories. "Deal," she agreed. "And I agree about the smell of goats... but don't worry," she said with a wink, "you'll get used to it soon enough. I mean, when everything smells like goat, you stop noticing it after a while."
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 7:31 pm
Naramankh walked outside of town. Dust ran ahead, scenting for the goat. After half an hour and no sign of the goat, he ran back whimpering. "What is it?" she sighed. He whimpered and ran to another part of the path. Naramankh jogged up to the area and gasped.
There in the dried mud was the imprint of a paw. "Godar! Godar, come look!" she exclaimed to her friend. "You've got to see this!"
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 9:17 pm
Godar ran ahead and stared at the paw. It was huge, certainly too big to be a dogs... she bent over and held her hand over the paw print as a better size comparison. But what could make such a print? Her mind flashed back to the black and silver creature she had seen before. Surely not. "Do you know what made it?" she asked Naramankh.
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Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 9:39 pm
"No clues," Naramankh confessed. "Well, okay, we have a few clues," she ammended. She pointed to the pawprint. "For example, whoever heard of an herbivore with paws?! So it's a carnivore. See the claw marks? That implies a canine. The toe-pads are too large in proportion to the main pad for a bear. But it looks like a cat!" she said in frustration. She knew the wildlife around here! It didn't make sense!
She looked up from the print and saw something bright on a nearby briar. Standing up, she carefully stepped over to it. It was a twist of scarlet hair. "Godar," she gasped in awe. "Look at this!"
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 4:54 pm
Godar walked over to better look at the hair. Red. So, not what she'd seen before. Unless... "Naramankh," she whispered, "I've never seen fur this color before, unless it was dyed by one of the hill folk, and they only dye wool. Do you think... do you think it might be from one of the, the, the..." She blushed, well remembering her previous humiliation when she last brought up the possibility of the dragons being real, not just bed time stories to tell little kids. Godar Dragons, they were now called, to mock her. She took a deep breath. "Do you think it's from one of the dragons?" she said, all in a rush.
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:13 pm
Naramankh turned to stare at Godar. Of course she remembered Godar's insistance that dragons existed. Just like the other citizens of Niffin she had laughed--dragons? How thick could you get? Creatures that seemed half wolf, half horse? Yeah, right! Godar must have eaten the berries older, more experienced goatherds had warned her about.
But now...now..."Yeah..." Naramankh said slowly. "I didn't believe you before, but now...the stories said they came in all colors..." Naramankh stared unseeing at the sky. "Yes...yes!" She whirled around. "Godar, it must be true! Dragons! Dragons here, in the Orxlo Mountains! What an opportunity...we could track them down and observe them!" Naramankh forgot herself for a moment and gave a whoop of pure joy.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 9:12 pm
Godar crossed her arms. "I told you." But she was excited as well, too excited to stay mad at her friend. She knelt down besides the tracks. "How good are you at tracking?" she asked. "The tracks are easy to follow now, but I doubt that will last for very long." She looked up again. "And don't forget that we'll have to get back before nightfall. This will be our secret, okay? We'll let other people know once we actually find one, but not before then."
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Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 9:24 pm
"I'm a fair hand," Naramankh replied modestly. "At least lemme try. And I agree; we shouldn't let others know until we find them. Man, am I glad Smidgin isn't here! What a pest!" She got to her feet and started following the tracks. "Even if I can't track, Dust can," she added.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 3:50 pm
"Let's not bring up my cousin," Godar said with a sad shake of her head. "What a hyperactive little brat!" She glanced at Dust. "That scaredy cat?" She snorted, but bent low to the ground and followed Naramankh anyway. She was a fair hand at tracking herself, but she trusted Naramankh's skill more.
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