The sun beat down on the desert sands, making each individual grain like a hot coal to the feet of those who were not natives of the climate. An equine with a long, curly blond mane and a white as snow coat walked along the dunes, wincing in pain at every step he took. Sweat drenched his body, and his throat was parched. At least my coat doesn't absorb the heat.

He had come to the desert in hopes of finding an outcast of the humans that Father had told Knave about. This man was supposed to be in need of some sort of help, and Knave was obliged to help him. Now Knave was the one who needed help, in need of water and rest. There were no landmarks here that he knew of, and for all Knave knew, he was wandering in circles.

Nabooru cocked her head and sorted, half asleep under the minor shade of a palm tree oasis; barely blocking out the scorching mid day sun. Some weird 'scree' noise kept pestering her and it wasn't until a few little claws pawed at her high risen ponytail, did she realize it was Requiem. "Mmn what troubles you friend?" the tanned mare questioned, getting to her hooves and shaking sand from her human apparel. "There's a moron wandering about the sands. Quite I'll equipped for being in the desert" the bat squeaked, hanging lazily off a palm branch upside down. Boo made an awkward face. That was ...new. Without a further word, she left the bat to steal her napping spot, wandering out in a regal canter to try and spot the other soquili Req had mentioned.

Tired of having his sweaty hair in his face, Knave had pulled a ribbon from his leg and used it to tie his mane in a loose ponytail that looked more effeminate that rowdy. He had done the same for his tail by tightening the ribbons around it, and soon was feeling slightly less uncomfortable. It was still hot though, and Knave was quickly growing irate. Where was that blasted hermit? Father had told him his teepee would stick out like a sore thumb. He trudged on, stumbling and tripping often. He squinted due to the wind kicking sand up, blazing hot grains rebounding off his face. He thought he saw a four legged figure a few hundred yards ahead of him. Was it a mirage? Only one way to find out...

"Hey! HEY! Are you real?"

Nabooru neared him, not slowing down speed until she could frolic about him in a playful prance, grinning. "As real as they come, rookie" the mare answered, batting her golden eyes. The desert rogue paused in her tease and pursed her lips upon taking the look of him in, looking as if she was trying so very hard not to laugh. "What brings the inexperienced into my dry heated domain? You aren't suicidal, are you, white legs?"

Knave blinked quickly at the site before him. A chocolate brown mare in human clothing, red hair tied up in an elegant pony tail adorned with a ruby dancing around mocking him. He grunted and snorted, holding his head high like Father had taught him to deal with women... but he didn;t want to be like Father. He dropped the facade and looked the mare square in the eyes. With a sigh, he began. "My father told me a hermit lives out here, and he needs help. And no, I've no intention of suicide." He coughed, snorting sand out of his nose. "And my name is Knave, not white legs."

"Sure, sure, whatever you say; but as far as I know, there's no hermit out here Knight" she replied, hardly caring to get his name right, "Pretty much just me, myself and I." Her humored look exchanged itself for flirty once more as she turned her back to him, tail swishing in a beckoning way. "I'll take you to water" she replied boldly, "We can discuss your father's pathetic attempt at getting rid of you over the oasis and some water reeds."

"It's Knave." The stallion mumbled, turning his glance to the side. If he were a knight, then he would actually be able to traverse the desert. She said that the hermit wasn't real, which Knave probably should have expected. Father was never too fond of him. "Thank you, and I'd be glad to discuss my pathetic excuse of a father figure." He snorted, following behind the mare. "I don;t believe you've told me your name yet?"

"I am Nabooru. Gem of the sand lands, sage of the desert and..." she added, looking back at him with a smirk as they walked, "moonlight thief, extraordinaire." She cleared her throat as they neared her oasis hideaway and mused, "Good thing Requiem found you, or your possible linage assassination plot may have panned through. Pity though, why would someone want to get rid of such a strapping son?" Req shifted in the trees above, yawning in full and pipping up a small comment of "Shameless flirt" to Nabooru.

"Nabooru...that's exotic." Knave commented absent mindedly, looking at the oasis. Palm trees made a small half circle around the natural well, which was a clear blue that reflected the sky perfectly. "Thief, you say? Like...a Robin Hood thief or a pirate kind of thief? If I were a thief, I'd be a Robin Hood thief; steal from the rich, give to the poor." Knave mused before dipping his head to take a drink of cool water.

"My father is obsessed with 'beauty and he says that I am not 'beautiful.' He likes to try and 'fix' what he deems 'ugly.' So, I guess this time it meant killing me. Thank you for finding me." Knave looked at the bat hanging on the tree. Father had always said bats were ugly, but this one was quite pretty. "And thank you for the compliment..." He blushed, deciding to take another drink of the water.

"We don't much like dead carcasses in the desert. They bring in too many carrion birds" Requiem replied shortly, ignoring the comment about being 'pretty.' "Its his way of saying you're welcome" Nabooru corrected, snorting in amusement. "You remind me of a certain kid with that kind of selfless attitude. But no, like a pirate kind of thief. I take what I want, for existence too short for anything less than instant satisfaction. Takes the strife outta life" she grinned, looking down at one of her jeweled accessories, "If I see something I like, I usually prefer to lay claim to it." She let that last kind of hint hang a moment before taking a drink of water herself.

"Oh, I see." Knave wasn't too sure if he should like this bat or not. He cleared his throat a bit, catching on to Nabooru's hints. If there was one thing his father had taught him, it was how to pick up on a mare's hints. Father had tried to make him a womanizer, but Knave didn't want that kind of life. He would rather settle with just one woman.

"So, um... are you in any need of help?"

"Great spirits, you're so uncanny to another hero I once knew" she laughed, winking, "Have a cure for loneliness? It does get, rather dull out here by my lonesome self." She heaved a rather dramatically fake sigh, still stringing him along in good humor, "I rescued you after all. Maybe that should come with some kind of reward." "Thieves code and all" the bat added, blinking one eye open an grinning, catching on that the stallion was pretty clearly an object of interest to Nabooru; which in his mind, was hilarious and made for some interesting events.

"I'm not exactly a hero..." Knave muttered, shooting another glance to the side. She was really coming on to him, wasn't she? "Well...I could spend the day with you, if that's what you're looking for. I don't really have a set place to return to." Knave was confused by all this thievery talk, he had never delved into the darker dealings. "And I suppose it should... so yeah, I'm yours for the day." Knave knew he was probably going to regret this... that bat seemed too happy about the situation.

Requiem put his wings over his snout to stifle laughter as Nabooru looked like someone had just produced a treasure chest before her. "Well well, company for ...a day...seems a fair trade" she mused, smirking, "I'll accept that as payment." The sun-tanned mare stretched out, her gold trinkets chinning slightly. "But now there's the dilemma of what to do with a studly companion for the afternoon" Nabooru chuckled, "Unless you have ideas, bright eyes?"

Knave looked up at the bat, giving him a frown. What in the world was so funny? Did Nabooru have a habit of doing this? He turned his eyes back to said mare, to find her stretched out in a seductive fashion. What in the world? This woman was nearly as forward as his father... and he was attracted to it. "Well... um..." another blush transformed Knave's face from white to rose red, " I suppose we could, um... go on a raid? Is that what they're called?"

"A raid" Nabooru echoed, an octave of pure amusement drifting on her tone. "Oh look. Someone painted the roses red" mused the bat, oddly well versed in what could be taken as 'carol-isms.' The mare eyed his blush, wondering if it was interest or embarrassment. "I must say, I'm slightly more interested in meeting this 'father' of yours..." she began softly, slyness dripping from her voice, "Scowl at him for the potential attempt to 'off' such a pretty prize I came across." Nabooru took a couple more sips of water and eyed the sun in the sky. It wasn't as high as it was before, if they left now; she could get him out of the desert in comfortable time, but before nightfall.

Knave threw a glare at the bat, having heard his mother say that phrase before. His mother was not someone he liked to be reminded of. "Keep talking like that and I'll throw you into the water." It was a silent,deadly whisper meant only for the bat to hear. He returned his attentions to Nabooru. "Well, if you really want to, we can do that. Careful though, he abhors winged horses... a trait that wasn;t passed down to me." He hoped that was enough of a hint to tell her he was interested as well. Father always said to be forward...

The bat made a small squeak and shifted uncomfortably from his upside down position on a palm. Nabooru in turn, looked back at her wing, as if having forgotten she had them. "Oh yeah, those?" she chuckled, "I hardly use them. Glad someone finds them interesting." Boo grinned at him, "Your old man sounds like a snoot. Glad the apple falls far from the tree in your case" she complimented. "I can handle males. Hardly any phase me."

Knave grunted, looking over his shoulder as if expecting his father to be there behind him. He wasn't. "Yeah, more like a pompous, self righteous jerk. All he cares about are looks and himself. Just like my brother." Knave looked back at Nabooru. "Well, I hope so. He can reem insults off like no other."

"I've met those types" Nabooru replied, scrounging up her nose. Still, this didn't deter her from the idea of giving Knave's DNA donor a good attempt at a verbal run-through. "I don't 'get' families like that. Sometimes it makes me very happy I have no known heritage" the mare sneered, quirking an eyebrow as she softened up, "Sticks, stones and hooves break bones, words aren't too wounding. Takes a whole different kind of strength to endure insults; I've got that in spades." With a funny sort of two-step, she inched her way over two him and bumped her hind quarters against his. "I'll lead the way out of the desert, you just follow the tail" Boo teased, purposefully slinging in innuendo.

"Well, good luck then." Knave smiled, glad to have met this mare. She certainly was a spunky one. She had a vast amount of confidence, and a while lot of will. Knave saw in her every positive trait he didn't have, but would like to have. At her innuendo, Knave had to reply "My father's the tail chaser, not me. I like to follow just one tail." He hoped that would make her blush like he had been the entire day. Probably not, since she was so confident. It was a good hint though, Knave though.

Nabooru shook her rump, not even bothering to turn back around as she strolled with a sway to her hips. "Oh!" she giggled, her eyes twinkling over her shoulder as she caught his comment, "and would that be an offer to perpetually follow MY tail?" She added another wink and grinned, flattered; although hardly showing it on her exterior. "You seem like a stallion I could put up with" Nabooru continued, "Devoted AND a good listener. Can that be beat?"

"It's a possibility." Knave winked at the tanned mare, finally having come out of his shell. He didn;t like the over extravagance his father used while chasing tail. Knave preferred regular flirting over anything; it was simple and mostly effective. She returned with a compliment that brought a light blush to Knave's face. "Well thank you. My father would probably tell you to drop me, but he's just a jerk." He paused to think a moment. "I'm sure you two'll get along great."

She tilted her head, as he followed aside her on their trek out of the horrible hot sand lands, and kept unusually close to him. "I thought you were offering only one day in my company" she jested, wondering how he'd take that, "I'm too tough to handle a lifetime of 'servitude' with...or...call it what you will" Boo laughed, swishing her head to flick her ponytail to the opposite side of her face. Having been so casual with the desert and its blazing heat, she stretched out a wing in full over his head and shoulders, providing him a sun shade.

"Well, it depends." Knave said, also in flirtatious jest. "And I'm not too sure about being too tough to handle, you're alright to me." Knave re adjusted the ribbon holding his own improvised pony-tail, suddenly feeling a cool sensation. Nabooru had stretched a wing over him to block the sun. What kindness was this? "Th-thanks..." Knave stuttered. Hardly anyone ever re-payed his kindnesses.

"Thought you could use a shade" she smiled, "Even though you could use a tan as well, mr pale as a poe." As they carried on in cadence, Nabooru took in his looks more. "You know, I think I like you..." she added, quite suddenly. Well, this /was/ coming from a mare who always spoke her mind in the moment, "I've never met anyone so humble. Be glad you've found yourself in accompaniment who, although tempted, doesn't want to take advantage of servitude or submissive nature."

Knave blushed lightly at the pale comment, though slightly confused as to what a poe was. He was about to speak, when she blurted out that she liked him. He turned redder than a tomato, and coughed slightly. Yeah, she was definitely forward. "Well...I kind of like you too." Knave had to be honest with her, if she was being honest with him. He wondered how this would turn out. "And I'm very thankful... so what's a poe?"

"Pray you never meet one. They're awful creatures, devious spirits if anything. Like...ghosts" she replied, looking both thoughtful and very small amount of fearful even. "There's a...very large gaggle of poe sisters...not a pleasant bunch..." she added, shaking it off as they neared the edge of the desert. "Kind of?" Nabooru laughed, "You're just too cute."

--------------------------------------------------------

Ritalin lay upon a knoll, triumphant and gloating grin on his face. He had finally rid himself of Knave, the ugly son. Oh yes, Knave took after his father when it came to looks, but his demeanor and perception of beauty were filthy. But he was gone now, sent off into the desert to die, and Ritalin's lineage would be kept safe from such filth. He yawned as he rose, deciding to head back to the plains, when he caught a gleam of white in the distance, coming from the desert. Impossible! How had the piece of trash survived? Ritalin squinted for a better look, and saw something so horrific he came close to vomiting all over himself. He was walking and chatting with a Wind. Ritalin snorted, and took off at a breakneck speed towards his son and his filthy companion.

Nabooru, stopped speaking mid-sentence, "Oh look here" she grinned, at the stallion thundering up upon them like some pure white sandstorm. Her pony tail came to rest on her shoulder as the sun-tanned wind unveiled her wings just to piss the approachee off more. "Well hellooooo there stranger" she purred in a coy and sarcastic tone, "I found something of yours in /my/ sand lands" she mused.

Ritalin skidded to a halt, purposely sending a barrage of sand at his son, before spitting on the ground in front of the mare. "Don't talk to me filth, I could obviously infer that. Why is it that you winged freaks always get in my way?" He approached his son, causing Knave to back up and away from Nabooru. "Come, we're getting away from here. Perhaps I'll try drowning you next."

Angry at his father for the way he had treated Nabooru, Knave stomped in protest at his father. "No, you're going. I'm staying here." Knave got close to Nabooru again, glaring at his father. "She actually cares about me."

"Uh uh uh, finders keepers" smirked the mare to the pure white stick in the mud. She rolled her eyes at the insults and dint dare question any of his after comments, even though she longed to do so. Snidely she backed in front of Knave, and gave a curt nod and a snort and the 'caring' comment. "You bet the spirits I do, you dirty prat" she spat back like a spitfire, "I'm here to tell /you/ the same thing. He's staying with me. AND---" she added, straighting to her full high, "You can shove it if you don't like it! Trying to kill your own kin! Shameful! I hope a skinwalker gets you!"

Ritalin grinned now, maliciously this time around. "Oh, how quaint. Little lovers standing up for each other. " He paced back and forth in front of the two, grin getting wider as the skinwalker comment. "Oh, trying to intimidate me? How cute of you." He reared back his head and laughed, before becoming completely serious again. "I've gone toe to toe with an insane horse before, little piece of trash. Much stronger and much more ruthless than a Skinwalker. Now give me my son, or I'll rip off your wings."

"This /trash/ is a desert sage. And I don't take smack from the likes of you" she answered, voice heavy with a hard to place accent when sounding so serious. Nabooru shuffled her wings in a taunting way and stuck out her tongue at him. "Oh honestly big boy. Like you have say over what your handsome grown son does. I'm glad I came across him, someone needs to be a voice of reason." She turned her muzzle to Knave and knicked playfully at his hair, "Your old man is exactly how you said, eh?"

"Unfortunatley, yes." Knave mumbled, suddenly embarassed again. Nabboru;s confidence was so new to him. Sure, his father was confident, but his was arrogcance. Nabooru had every right to be out-going and confident. "But he's serious about the wing-ripping, it's an obsession of his..."

Ritalin rattled off another laugh at the title Nabooru had given herself. "Sage, huh? I'm not too fond of sage, too spicy." He chuckled and whipped his hair out of his face. "Trying to play cute and sassy now? It's not going to work. Now give me what's mine." He stopped his pacing, and began pawing the ground. "Or I'm going to have to 'fix you."

"That was part of what you sent him out there for? To find some homeless guru shaman two-legger or whatnot" Nabooru smirked, determined to stay ontop of this all, "Well he found said desert sage, just not exactly the little lie you fabricated to rid of him white-loaf." Boo tucked her wings back at Knave's warning, but stood firm. "No" she replied, "He is his own being and can decide for himself his path." Her nostrils flared, "In my book, savage, you forfitted him by sending him out to die in my homelands."

"What, closing your precious wings now? Good, their stench must have been choking the boy." Ritalin sneerred at Knave, before turning his gaze back to the mare. "Yes, that's what I sent him to find. And do you know the name of that Sage? Snipe." Ritlain giggled, continuing his discourse. "Own being? If I hadn't saved him from his drugged up mother he wouldn't be alive. His life belongs to me." He chose to ignore the savage comment. "Well, your book is filth."

Nabooru rolled her eyes, ignoring the hating on her wings. "Whatever you say, you grumpy old gelding" she replied, "But none the less, I dont recall parenting coming with a life debt. You're just all strung up in knots because your plan failed and now your strapping boy is tied up with someone you dont appreciate the likes of." She shifted her hips, rough black hooves keeping their spot as she poked Knaves cheek with her nose, "Think we should leave windbag to blow over that his daughter-in-law isnt some pretty little one-time show-hoe?"

"Could we? He can't breathe too well thanks to a throat injury he took while facing off with that cat-horse guy, so if we run as fast as we can, we'll be able to get away from him." Knave chuckled at her 'little one-time show-hoe' statement and nodded his head. "I guess this means we're official, right?"

Ritalin huffed, tired of the useless confrontation. His threats had been empty - he wouldnt really rip her wings off; she wasn't worth fixing. He knew he couldn't get her to yield, and he didn't really care about possesing Knave any longer. Mated to a Wind was worse than death anyway. "Go on your way then, he's dead to me now anyways."

Nabooru was careful not to flaunt what she considered a verbal victory as she kept hip to hip with Knave and started away on his suggestion. She tilted her head at the 'official' thing, then laughed, "Oh, well yes then" FINALLY blush hit her at that, "Well what makes you happy, makes me happy, what makes him..." she looked over her shoulder at the stallion they were retreating from, "Unhappy, makes me happier."

"Haha, amen to that. He's such a loon, I swear. He's always talking about that loony cat horse, but he's even more loony I think. Sometimes I pity him though, he's been crushed by a lot. But I guess that's what happens when you have such a messed up view of the world." Knave stopped his musings, then suddenly ran ahead of Nabbooru. "Can't catch me!" He called jovially, tossing his blonde locks over his shoulder. He was finally free of his tryant father!

The mare stopped in her tracks and batted eyelashes, "You're gonna wear a pretty thing like me out, tiger." Deep down she was glad she stood up for him. Knave seemed to have that 'rebel glow' about him, that she'd recognise in a heartbeat. She took off after him, the stallion much more agile on his hooves than she, most obviously. When she did manage to get close, she nipped for his wavy tail; coming up dry with only one of his ribbons in her mouth. "Drat" she murmered with a mouthfull of black silk.

Knave slowed himself down to a slow canter, turning his head to his mate. "Well, Iif you insist." He trotted back to her and beganwalkingin stride with her. "You can keep that ribbon if you'd like, I've got plenty more. So now that we're free of my father, can we go home? Dealing with him makes me tired."

Again she tilted her head, her mouth still with the ribbon in it, so her words were ever so slightly muffled. "Home? My home, your home---my home away from home?" she questioned playfully, "Why don't we just make our own home! The desert might be a bit much for you youngblood. There are nice places along the mountain lining the desert that would feel nice to both of us."

Knave chuckled and pulled the ribbon out of her mouth with his own teeth. "A new home sounds great. I'm compleltey lost when it comes to this area though, so I think you would need to guide us." He laughed and stopped. "But hold on a minute, let me tie this into your tail." He began without her approval, and was done in a manner of moments. There was now a small bow-know tied around the base of Nabooru's tail. "There, now everyone will know you're mine."

The mare kneaded the ground, ducking her head down for the first time in her life; blush on her cheeks. "So very sweet of you" she thanked him, eyeing it on her behind, "I was gonna say its the other way around, but I kinda like it 50/50. First time for everything I suppose." Nabooru laughed, gave him a wink and nuzzled up against him. She led him off in a particular direction where the mountainside met the desert range, for she knew of a couple of charming exotic looking caves around there; ones that would surely keep them booth cool and homey, not to mention she'd still have her view of her homelands.

Knave blushed as Nabooru nuzzled into him, glad to finally be shown genuine affection. "I suppose so,sorry about claiming you like that. Father was a very...possesive person. I hope it hasn't rubbed off on me any."

"Pfft no" Nabooru laughed, that accent flairing again, "I think its like an engagement bangle, just...minus the stones. Although great spirits know I have enough of them stones." They'd reached a cave, that ironically Requiem was already busy swaying from the enterance of, pipping cutely, "Oh I heard the whole thing" he mused before Nabooru could speak, "You two are hitched, yes? I suppose I'll be nicer to the lad." "Engagement...bangle? I've heard of engagement rings, but not engagement bangles... they sound exotic though...like you." He jumped a bit at his hair being nipped, but smile afterwords. "I guess this means I have to be nice to the bat too, right?" He sat as well, watching the sun gracefully fall off the horizon. "I do, it's nice. Very romantic view..."

She looked at her hooves slyly, "Rings wont fit. Those are for two leggers." With a laugh, she added, "Oh no, you can pick on Req all you'd like. Bat-brat can handle it." Nabooru craned her neck over his to rest, "Good, cause you're stuck here. With me. And all" she yawned through the words, relaxing her luckily still in tact wings so that they looked like a dead birds. She sighed happily, "I usually wander in the night, but I think i'll be happy, just staying right here."

"Mm." Knave grunted, laying his head on Nabooru's neck and yawning. "I'm pretty sleepy myself. Let's call it a night, yeah?" He smiled and buried himself deeper into her neck, taking in a large amount of air through his nostrils, getting the scent of her hair. "Your hair smells nice" He mumjbled, half asleep. "Good night."

Nabooru could have purred herself to sleep. She returned his smile, and she too drifted off after yawning out an endeared, "Good night Knave" as well.