Private Into The Unknown

[Aoede]

She could hear the hammering of hooves on sandstone behind her as her unsteady feet sank into sandy dunes with each hasty step she took. A horn sounded back in the City, countless bells ringing out to wake any and all it housed, they sounded as frantic as she felt. It was dark out, pitch black now that she was away from the City limits; that, and her decision to stray from the sandstone path, was likely the only thing keeping them from her. ​

​

It had been an arguably silly and impulsive decision to climb the wall of her shaded garden. Initially she had just hoped to see... something. Something more than the gilded cage she'd always known. She wanted to see the City, wanted to see what lay out there. But when she'd reached the rooftop of her Temple, which lay situated on the edge of the City, she found herself wholly incapable of stopping. Each step she took brought something new in the distance to look at, and before she knew it she was far from her room.​

​

Far from all she'd ever known.​

​

And she realized quite suddenly that she did not want to go back. Did not want to sit, tended to, eternally watched and treated like some precious flower whose petals might wilt if not perfectly positioned and cared for.​

​

When the first bell rang out, and with it the raised voices crying out in disbelief and rage, she knew that she couldn't. She's Gone! they cried, Somebody's Taken Her! they assumed. They moved to bar any and all exits but by that point she was gone, lost to the sandy wastes of the Amithosí Desert.​

​

She walked until exhaustion seeped into every fiber of her being. It was not a terribly long walk, in truth, for hers had been a sedentary life, and though she tried to actively run she was soon out of breath. It did not help that she was locked in the grips of a wholly unfamiliar wave of adrenaline.​

​

The hoofbeats faded as the Zaathri followed the sandstone road, and soon even the bells could no longer be heard. She found herself soon by a small body of water, a tiny oasis nestles between the dunes, and after sipping from its rather stagnant bounty she laid down in the coarse grasses and reeds and succumbed to a weariness like no other.​

​

Sleep... Maybe she'd wake to discover this had all been a most strange dream.​

​

Forrest Dinn ​

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest was sick of sand. He has spent so much time on this desert between the war and speaking to Darien he felt it would never wash off him. Yet here he was one more, riding his horse through the dunes of sand scouting for even more slaver camps.

Forrest saw slight salvation a ways ahead of them and he leaned over patting the horse on it's thick muscular neck. "Some reprieve right ahead girl. Think you got one more burst of energy to get a nice drink?" the horse whinnied in response and Forrest kicked his heels in clicking with his tongue as the animal broke into full speed toward the salvation of water.

Thudding hooves thundered hard as they approaches and Forrest pulled in the reigns to slow the animal to a trot and then a walk before coming to a stop near the water. Forrest took some time to remove the bridal from the horse and stow it in his saddle bags after dismounting before removing the saddle and patting the horse on the flank as it drank. "Rest easy girl, we can rest here for the night, you've done well" once the horse was tended too Forrest took off the soaking wet shirt wringing the sweat from it before hanging it with the remainder of the gear for the horse. He bent down taking a drink from the stagnant but clear water and his face puckered. He could do better than that.

Forrest sank to his knees sitting back and closing his eyes. He focused on the force pushing it outside of himself and converging with the heated but rapidly coolong air. He spread his arms wide as he brewed a storm that was mild and quiet. There was no need for intimidation or threat Forrest was alone and just wanted fresh water. As the rain began to fall, a light refreshing rain. Forrest opened his mouth and tilted his head back drinking in the fresh rain and basking in the feeling of his storm.

 

[Aoede]

She had not long fallen into her slumber when the sound of hooves in the sand reignited within her ears. Where she lay among the reeds, Aoede stirred and stretched softly. Hidden as she was, she peeked out from between the plants and watched as a creature approached with something atop it. It was not Zaathri, no the animal was larger, stranger. The thing on its back was not Shaal, either. Quite frankly, Aoede could not quite comprehend just what it was that she was looking at.​

​

Their features were similar to her own, the way their arms became hands with five digits, their hair though much shorter than hers was set only atop their head, and their feet were, well, feet, not cloven or hoofed. Aoede had never seen another being who resembled her. The natives had heralded her as a Goddess for it, was this individual also a Goddess..?​

​

Watching as the being approached the water, removing pieces from the animal who had previously carried it, she saw more as their shirt was removed. Okay, that was different too. Her brow crinkled as she scrunched up her face in confusion. Luckily they had yet to spot her; Aoede hoped it would remain that way. That they would drink of the spring and then hurry off. The being spoke with a strange tongue, and the Force began to swirl around her as she sought to better comprehend it. ​

​

All that she caught was the final part... For the night. For the night? Once the being fell asleep, if indeed it slept at all, she would have to find a way to sneak out. What if it had been sent by the City? No, she couldn't risk that. Who knew what would happen if they managed to drag her back there.​

​

Of course, all of this planning failed quite spectacularly when the storm suddenly appeared. It was like nothing she had ever observed before, the grumbling grey clouds overheard which poured water from the sky. She tumbled back in surprise as the rain fell over her, tangling herself amongst the reeds and large, prickly succulents who called the oasis home.​

​

"Gekni!" she gasped, holding a hand over her heart as it hammered in fright. So much for going unnoticed.​

​

Gekni | An exclamation of surprise, literally means: "God"/"Gods" though is used more colloquially as "Goodness".​

 

[Forrest Dinn]

The shout from the reeds out Forrest on instant alert. Almost without thinking the lightsabers at his belt jumped to his hand igniting instantly. He stood facing the sound with the horse just beind him. There was no chance he was letting his only way back to civilization be taken from him.

He reached out with the force sensing for anything out of the ordinary. There. Right where he faced was a presence it felt purely feminine but that meant nothing on this planet. Anything and anyone could fight and Forrest was the god of war. Any fight someone would bring would result in them finding out just what Forrest was all about.

He calmed his voice not knowing for sure what was to come but whatever it was he would be ready. "I know your there, if you mean me or my horse harm you've come along the wrong person, if you don't, come out, slowly, and let's talk."

 

[Aoede]

It had been foolish of her to allow her surprise to be so vocal.​

​

She held within her the ability to dampen sounds, or accentuate them, but she'd never really felt stress or strain like this before, she'd never been exposed to anything even remotely close to danger, and thus she had no idea how to control it under pressure. Evidently, this was something she'd need to remedy. Not right now though, right now she was more focused on keeping her life.​

​

The bright flash of red which appeared in the beings hands further caught her by surprise, and when the lights did not dwindle or disappear she found herself breathless. Eyes were wide, fixated upon the strips of energy, and the steady thrumming which emanated from them became rather dizzying. She raised her hands to settle over her ears before she focused through the Force and began to stifle the noise from the source.​

​

Even the stranger would notice that silence suddenly sang around their blades where previously there had been sound. Then and only then she removed her hands, and just in time to hear what was said. Again she relied upon the Force to relay some sort of understanding of what they were saying. Threats, and an urging for her to come forward from the reeds.​

​

"Khete rass ebi endt?" Her voice was quiet, but she managed to conjure up some strength all the same. She was no stranger to speaking with, well, strangers, most days were spent greeting individuals who had traveled far and wide to worship at her feet in hopes of securing great muse.​

​

Rising up from the ground, she took a small step toward him, bare feet sinking in to the sandy loam of the water's bank. Her eyes drifted from the beings face then to each of the red lights. They were like nothing she'd ever seen before, fiery yet without the untamed elegance of flames.

"Khete rass ebi?"​

​

Khete rass ebi endt? | Literally: Who are you with? - Similarly: Khete rass ebi? | Literally: Who are you?​

 

[Forrest Dinn]

When the familiar sound of his lightsabers halted Forrests eyes widened in surprise. Only one thing could have caused that, another force user. Forrest crouched taking a fighting stance and preparing for an attack to come.

The attack that was received however, was one he could never have prepared himself for. He reached deep into the force trying to unscramble the words she was saying. He wasn't familiar enough with the languages of the locals, being one of them only pantheon members who didn't surround himself with servants of guards. Forrest believed in doing things with himself, that was they only reason he was here scouting when any number of the army scouts could have gone themselves. Forrest didn't trust intelligence from anyone other than himself so he sought out to see it all with his own eyes.

The attack in question can't when the woman stood and took a step toward him. She was there most beautiful creature Forrest has ever laid eyes on. Every instinct in him reached toward the woman wanting to protect her and secret her away too be his forevermore. He picked his jaw up off the ground and focused on what was coming out of her mouth moreso than the curves that were showing through the thin layer of fabric she wore.

"I come from the Pantheon of Zaathru in search of slaver camps. We have an issue with those who hold others against their will and use them for labor. We seek a free and civilized Zaathru and seek to snuff out those who go against our will. As for who I am, I am Anhur, God of War, Steel and as you've seen, Storms. Who, my lady, are you. And please don't tell me a slaver, because destroying a beauty like yours would destroy me." the last part slipped out and even Forrest was taken aback by the words. This being stirred feelings in him he had never felt. Mostly because he hadn't been alive long enough to know what it was.

 

[Aoede]

The individual was strangely crouched as she stepped out of the reeds to face them. That changed quite abruptly, though she couldn't for the life of her figure out why that was. She hadn't done anything barring taking that one step, yet their eyes widened and their grip on the glowsticks seemed to slacken some. Even so, she got the feeling that they were still very much on-guard.​

​

She was ever a good read of people. It just so happened that the feelings they were feeling were, well... foreign to her. Far different from those she'd so often felt by the denizens of the City. Usually they came to her enraged, frustrated, depressed and mopey. But this one... Seemed to have life injected within it. There were small strands of rage flickering at the edge of what she could read of them, but it was largely muted now.​

​

As though it were a flame contained within a belljar.​

​

Her hands came together at her front, fingers linking in the way she'd always been told to stand. Her back was perfectly straight, head lifted, and she regarded them curiously especially once more of those foreign words escaped their lips. Once more she was reliant upon the Force, but so it seemed was this stranger just as reliant to understand her.​

​

One word among them stood out as inherently foreign, she had no word to compare it to. "Slave...er?" Her brows furrowed once more, but when the individual went on to explain that they were a God her eyes widened. ​

​

"Gekni?" Had she heard wrong? "Ebi rass Gekni?" Anhur, God of War, Steel, and... Her gaze turned skyward to where the droplets were still manifesting. "Storms..?" Nope, that one was foreign to her too. Did it mean the water leaking from the sky? That most definitely wasn't something she'd ever experienced before, she'd only ever drank water, or bathed with it... in a bath.​

​

One of her hands broke free from the other, and she settled her hand upon her upper sternum. "Aoede" she informed him, "Gekniir iy Isotho." A brief pause, then she added "Kreo."​

​

That step forward she had previously taken was now rescinded as she padded back into the reeds. ​

​

"Y py'osa voya adrass. Ebi pyva osia ranopse yra"​

​

Ebi rass Gekni? ~ You are a God?; literally: You Are God?

Gekniir iy Isotho ~ Goddess of the Soul; literally: Goddess of Soul Gekniir ~ Goddess | iy ~ of | Isotho ~ Soul

Kreo ~ Muse

Y py'osa voya adrass ~ I won't go back Y ~ I | Pyva ~ will | Osia ~ not | Voya ~ go | Adrass ~ back (to return)

Ebi pyva osia ranopse yra ~ You will not make me Ranopse ~ Make (to force) | Yra ~ Me

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrests eyes widened as she spoke the last words. Almost as if they themselves were sentient his lightsabers went out and slowly glided to his belt where they hooked once more. Forrest put his hands out in front of him and softened his voice. "Whoa, I'm not here to take you anywhere. Yes I'm a God, and clearly you are as well. The question now is, why don't we know you? Where is it you don't want to go?"

Forrest pushed out calming and friendly feelings through the force. If she was in fact one of them, then she had been here longer than most of them already, and the fact no one knew about her was cause for alarm in itself. What was going on here??

 

[Aoede]

Those bright red lights were soon gone, retracted back into the cylinders the being held, then they too were retreating to a place upon their belt. This stranger, this Anhur, could do things that she could then. As if to prove that point, or maybe just to mirror him, she extended out a hand and soon had a small rock from within the water levitating to her hand. In a way it was a strange offering, like an olive branch, and carefully it was sent his way. The rock in question was smooth and perfectly rounded. Definitely more of a pebble.​

​

It was fast reiterated that the being was a God, not a Goddess. A switch flipped in her head, and suddenly she understood that it was a he before her, not a them. Not some strange, foreign being she didn't understand. Anhur. The God of... What had he said? War?​

​

Oh, her people thrived on war.​

​

"Alat?" she inquired, when he spoke of others, "Khete dov 'Alat'? As for where she didn't want to go? "Adrass" she said once more, as though she hadn't just told him that she wouldn't be going back. Where though, that was the key question wasn't it? She glanced past him to the dunes she'd wandered over, and then gestured for him to follow.​

​

Up she walked, until they reached the top of the sandy incline, and there in the distance the bright white City lay. Unbeknownst to her it was a Nexus in the Force, it pulsed forth an ever present darkness which permeated into everything and anything that was within proximity. Everything, it would seem, but her.​

​

"Skurag iy Kreov. Y py'osa voya adrass. Y py'osa swis ashillo'mil tenncomet, Anhur iy morre. Y ilen arborte. Swiste... uh..." She wasn't entirely sure what word she should use. It took her a few moments to grasp at it, certainly it wasn't something she was overly familiar with the concept of. "Deyeste. Osia Skurag iy Kreov."​

​

Anywhere but back there.​

​

Alat ~ We | Khete dov 'alat'? ~ Who is 'we'? | Adrass ~ Back

Skurag iy Kreov ~ The City of the Muses | Y py'osa voya adrass ~ I won't go back

Y py'osa swis ashillo'mil tenncomet, Anhur iy morre ~ I won't be locked away again, Anhur of War

Y ilen arborte. Swiste deyeste. ~ I want to live. To be free. | Osia Skurag iy Kreov ~ Not (in) the City of the Muses

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest cocked his head as she asked who is we like a confused puppy trying to weigh what he was seeing. Then it dawned on him. "Ah, we as in the Pantheon of Zathruu. My mother and father, my brother and sisters and a few chosen others we have encountered along the way."

He followed her perplexed by her statements until he created the hill and saw the city. City of Muses she had said hmmm. He would need to report to his father about this. If they had been holding her against her will and she had finally escaped then this was right where they needed to be.

Forrest reached out taking her hand and turning her toward him. "Aoede, if they were holding you against your will, keeping you there when you didn't want to be, this is exactly the type of behavior that we are trying to destroy. I'm not here to take you back, I'm here to free you. The life you want, I'm here to help you grant it. Come back with me. Come back to our Pantheon and help me report to my father. I'll keep you safe, I swear it, and I will return and burn this city to the ground."

He looked at her expectantly waiting for a response but in the distance heard hoofbeats heading in their direction. Forrest turned face hard as he saw three Zaathri barreling toward them with purpose. Forrest released Aoede's hand and raising one of his into the air and pointing the other toward the coming attackers. Using the force her amplified his voice to a booming cadence.

"Slavers of the White City. I am Anhur, God of War and your actions have attracted my attention. Go home and warn your warriors, I am coming, and I bringing death in my wake. You have imprisoned a goddess and that I cannot abide, on of such beauty and strength should have been living among her people and I have come to liberate her, take her home to honor her in the way in which she should have been honored all along. Hear me now people of the White City. Anhur is coming, and I shall leave nothing in my wake."

With the last words echoing through the desert and into the city lightning shot from the clouds into Forrests fingers, through his body and out his outstretched palm. Faster than the eye could track it launched itself at the coming warriors, their screams of pain ringing out until they could make noise no more. Two fried husks lay on the desert floor as the lightning faded and Forrest came back to himself. He heard the thirds hoofbeats retreating into the distance back towards the city.

"As you can see, I can protect you. Will you come with me?" he said more soft and caring as he had ever spoken before. He held out his hand giving her the choice on what to do next.

 

[Aoede]

He spoke of the Pantheon again, and it took her a little while longer to understand what that word actually meant. More like them? More Gods, and Goddesses? It was good to know that she was not the only one, but then his earlier statement was correct wasn't it? They had not known of her existence anymore than she had known of theirs.​

​

When he threatened to level the City though her eyes widened, and her head shook. "Osia stri rass lect" she claimed, honing in on that part of his statement and not the other vows which had come with it. She may have wanted to leave, to find freedom away from them, but she did not want that freedom to come at the expense of those who were innocent, or merely lost.​

​

Anhur had made it clear, however, that they would not stand for enslavement. Had she been enslaved? Certainly, she had been locked away. If she had been, had others? Were those who came to tend to her forced? The more she thought about it, the deeper her frown became. "Deyeste rais, Gekni ir morre... Zartori."​

​

Fire. He wished to see them burn. ​

​

He promised to keep her free, and safe. When the thunderous hooves approached he put himself between her and the oncoming Zaathri and spoke to them with divine radiance. She had always been far more softly spoken, timid and quiet some might argue, but he? He held the room, she could already tell that much. Voice matched the volume of the thunderous hooves, and then some. A warning was given, to be relayed back to the City, and then two of the trio were struck down by lightning conjured from those swirling clouds above.​

​

Aoede could not help but jump in surprise when the crack of lightning sounded. When he turned to face her, her eyes were wide. Yes she had seen people killed before, there were ritual sacrifices quite often in the City of the Muses, but this felt... different. She found it difficult to tear her eyes from the burnt up husks, but when she did she saw Anhur with his hand offered out.​

​

"Ebi py'osa ashill yra irmil?" Her eyes scoured his for the truth. She'd never had to place her trust in someone before. She'd never had to make up her own mind, never been given choices. Everything had been firmly laid out for her, from when she woke, to what she wore or ate or did... Some days it felt like even her breathing was scrutinized.​

​

Only when he reaffirmed that he wouldn't keep her prisoner did her hand finally settle into his.​

​

Osia stri rass lect ~ Not all are bad | Deyeste rais, Gekni ir morre... Zartori. ~ Free them, God of War... Please.

Ebi py'osa ashill yra irmil? ~ You won't lock me away?

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest looks at her and shakes his head. "No, you have my word, the slaves will go free. The slavers, the ones controlling you and them will die. The slaves will come with us. Home."

Forrest smiled at her calmly as she asked about being locked away. "You have my word Aoede. If you come with me, I will protect you with my life, and you will never be locked away again. If anyone tries, they will have to go through me." he kept his hand outstretched letting her know the choice was completely hers to make and she would no longer be forced into anything she didn't want to do. Not while she was with him anyway.

 

[Aoede]

Knowing that he only sought to target those in charge certainly went a long way toward assuaging any concerns she had where the others were concerned. He spoke of home, and her gaze once again drifted over to the City in the distance. It didn't look so large from this vantage, but it did look much more decrepit than expected. She'd only ever seen a very small area of it, her room was right off the Temple where individuals came for her blessings.​

​

It wasn't until today that she'd seen much more, and then she'd been too busy running to take it all in. She'd thought it was vast and opulent, but now she wasn't so sure.​

​

Promises of protection slipped free once more, and after a few moments of consideration she nodded her head. Her eyes fixed down at the hand, no one save those who tended to her had touched her before, not that she could recall at least. In fact, it had been expressly forbidden. Her hand shook as she reached it out to settle within his, and she barely gripped him at all. Mostly her hand just lay there.​

​

From within the folds of her dress, soft squeaks resonated up and peering down she spotted Reed peeking his head out of one of her pockets. The Samara had no doubt been roused by all of the chaos. "Lo dov vippir, yrv tohil" she cooed, as she brought the creature into her free hand. Reed sniffed at the air, peeking this way and that. It had been quite some time since the little Samara had been free too. "Aik'ar sact ebi piny rhyter."​

​

With her hand still in Forrest's, she led the God of War back down to the oasis where his horse awaited and knelt before the spring. It wasn't just Reed who scurried forth to sip at the water, though, two more of the tiny creatures sprung forth from her pockets and joined their brother.​

​

"Reed, Rumo, Roth" she told the man, with great fondness directed toward the Samaras. Hopefully he didn't mind animals.​

​

Lo dov vippir, yrv tohil ~ It is okay, my love | Aik'ar sact ebi piny rhyter ~ Let's get you some water​

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest smiled as she laid her land in his. The moment she willing gave in to trusting him and her skin touched his fire blazed within him. What was this feeling, and why did this woman illicit it in such a way. Time to think evaporated once more as the little creature emerged from the folds of her dress. Forrest couldn't help but smile at the small, long eared little thing. He had never seen one before but he couldn't help but love it the moment he laid eyes on it. It seemed that would be a trend happening a lot while around Aoede.

He allowed her to lead him back to the oasis and as she knelt down he broke off to go back and tend to the horse. "Sorry girl, not the rest you wanted, but I promise, one more hard ride and you'll be done for awhile. I promise to keep you safe, I'll fill you with my life force to make the ride easier for you." he said patting the horses neck and scratching her between the ears. He was about to move to grab the saddle once more but when he turned back to Aoede more of the little critters had joined the first at the water. Forrest smiled at the serenity of the scene before him.

Forrest moved to the water himself, not close enough to scare the animals but closer than he had been. He knelt down and it his hand out to see if one would come to him as Aoede told him their names. He laughed "Beautiful names for such adorable creatures. What are they? Where did you find them?"

 

[Aoede]

As she knelt there by the water's bank, gently facilitating her trio of troublesome creature's need to drink, Aoede tried to put straight the strange amalgamation of thoughts which presently raced through her mind. Part of her still could not push away the fear that maybe this was all a ruse. She hadn't been able to sense falsities from Anhur, but if he was a fellow God then chances were he was far more powerful than she and capable of evading such. ​

​

He had killed and threatened the Zaathri who had found her here though. Surely that meant something?​

​

Her thoughts were interrupted when the man neared them. He was knelt now, one hand outstretched toward Roth. She was smaller than the other two, her ears slightly longer in proportion than theirs too, and once she was done sipping from the oasis she scampered closer to the man and sniffed at his hands.​

​

"Ir'ov beshma" Aoede explained, unable to keep the humour from her voice, "Neme beshma." As for what they were, and where she found them, Aoede shrugged very softly. "Y ud'osa krive... Ra corilof yra."​

​

One by one the creatures returned to her. Reed was first, as always, her needy little love scurried up her arm and nestled up by her neck. Then Rumo returned to one of her pockets... Roth, however, was still trying to get something to eat from Anhur.​

​

"Vim ousen, fosc'etten. she chuckled, plucking Roth from before Anhur, to set her into her pocket, "Alat pyva jale defrisero."​

​

Rising back up to her feet, Aoede approached the animal Anhur had been interacting with, still not entirely sure what it was, and almost immediately noticed just how fatigued it was. "Woni tohil" she cooed, as she settled a hand upon the animal's neck. Her eyes closed, and slowly but surely she set about revitalizing the animal as the Force swirled around her and into it. It took around a minute, during which time Aoede was wholly checked out, and then the creature whinnied happily and the girl's eyes opened once more.​

​

"Stri lepito tenncomet." Then she looked to Anhur for direction. "Everon koarce?"​

​

Ir'ov beshma ~ She's hungry | Neme beshma ~ Always hungry
Y ud'osa krive... Ra corilof yra ~ I don't know... They found me.
Vim ousen, fosc'etten ~ Come along, little one. (lit: one (who is) little) | Alat pyva jale defrisero ~ We will eat later.
Woni tohil ~ Poor love. | Stri lepito tenncomet ~ All better, again. | Everon koarce? ~ What now?

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest watched the little thing in amazement and laughed when Aoede told him just why it was so curious. "What do they eat?" he asked unable to keep the awe from his voice. When she said she didn't know and that they had found her Forrest smiled even wider. "The Force has a funny way of providing exactly what you need when you need it. In this case you needed companionship from the everlasting loneliness forces upon you. I can promise, when you come back with me, life will never be boring again. Between my siblings and my parents there is always some kind of drama persisting."

He laughed at the though as she picked up the small creature and moved toward his horse. It was her turn to look in awe at the creature and Forrest laughed as he went up and stood beside her. "We call this a horse. Magnetic animal bred to carry us long distances. She's my favorite, strong and agile and can run for miles before she tires. I'll be assisting her to make haste as we return. I'll teather the force within me to her so I can provide her with my life force as she tires. It's a long way home, and I don't want to see any harm come to her." it was his turned to be surprised as Aoede channeled the force and refreshed the animal before him. "Well, that will certainly help." he laughed.

He answered her as he worked when she asked what was next. "Next, you rest while I ready for our departure. Once the horse is ready I'll take you to my home, you can decide what you want to do from there. You're free now Aoede, I'm just here to get you somewhere safe to decide what to do with that freedom."

With practiced ease Forrest set about resaddeling the horse making sure it wasn't so tight it would hurt the animal but right enough to keep them upright. When he finished he turned filled his pack putting it into the saddle bag and mounted. He got Aoedes attention and offered his hand to help her into the saddle behind him. Carefully taking her arms he moved then around himself planning them against his stomach indicating to hold on to him so she didn't fall. It was in that moment he remembered his shirt was in his pack a bright pink color entered his cheeks. "Uh, I'm so sorry, with all the excitement I forgot I took off my shirt, I can retrieve it and it it on before we go if that makes you more comfortable."

 

[Aoede]

What did they eat? Aoede couldn't claim to know for sure, after all she'd been stuck with giving them only what she herself had on hand. She hummed in thought, gently stroking across the top of Reed's head. "Y ud'osa krive" she said, not for the first time where the little creatures were concerned. "Y alcir rais everon y casir."​

​

Her gaze fell upon Roth, and she smiled fondly. "Ir neme jalev ott hyocve havage, ür dilla baulc?" Aoede didn't know very much about animals at all, these were the only ones she'd ever interacted with.​

​

Well, until she met Horse.​

​

"Lo dov xalin ott Zaathri" she mused, as he began to explain what it was, what its purpose was. Ever one to try and expand what she knew, who she was, she softly scrunched up her nose in focus and then echoed "Hoor-suh." Even when she said it, she knew that she hadn't got a good grasp on it. "Fili ebi muo lo tenncomet?" she inquired. When he no doubt reiterated the creature's name, she tried again. "Hoorse... Horse."​

​

She looked at Anhur, her face awash with uncertainty. "Xalin asur?"​

​

Though he encouraged her to rest, and though her body was protesting from how much use she'd gotten out of it in the past few hours, Aoede did not in fact settle. Instead she stood by Horse, watching intently as he set the various pieces into position. Something for Horse's back, something in Horse's mouth, things which hung down from Horse's side, which Anhur soon was stepping into.​

​

It was all very intriguing.​

​

"Robi atiro, Horse" she said, totally unaware that she'd misgendered the poor thing. Free, that word drifted around in her mind, even as she took his hand once more and sat behind him on Horse. Her arms wrapped around him, after all she felt terribly off balance, but what he said next made her... confused.​

​

"Y ud'osa krive everon ebi falor" she said, "Everon dov 'comfor--tabuhl..?'" Whatever the word meant, it wasn't something she really understood. Either way she did not seem at all bothered by whether he wore a shirt or not. In her mind it didn't mean anything.​

​

Y ud'osa krive ~ I don't know | Y alcir rais everon y casir. ~ I gave them what I had
Ir neme jalev ott hyocve havage, ür dilla baulc? | She always eats the nuts first, so maybe those?
Lo dov xalin ott Zaathri ~ It is like the Zaathri
Fili ebi muo lo tenncomet? ~ Can you say it again? | Xalin asur? ~ Like that?
Robi atiro, Horse ~ Good boy, Horse
Y ud'osa krive everon ebi falor ~ I don't know what you mean? | Everon dov ~ What is

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest laughed and held up his hand to stop Aoede from immediately putting them little thing away. Rummaging through his pack he came out with a handful of nuts from the rations he had brought with him. Walking over here offered one to the curious long eared thing. Cupping Aoedes other hand palm up, with his underneath he poured the remaining nuts into it. "Put those on your pocket them. It could distract them from the bouncing during the ride."

Forrest clapped enthusiastically as Aoede worked out the word for herself. Forrest smiled like an idiot watching the adorable way she adjusted and adapted the word until it came out like he had said it. "Very good work. We will need to work out something off were going to be spending more time with each other. Maybe we can teach each other our different languages, instead of relying solely on the force. Well, I mean, if spending time with me turns out to be something you actually want when we get back to my home that is."

The fumbling over words annoyed Forrest to no end. What was wrong with him. He was always so confident and collected even in there faces of something he didn't know but interacting with this gorgeous woman was on as level of something he couldn't get a hold of. He needed to fix whatever wasn't working before he made a fool of himself.

He laughed as she answered him. Of course she wouldn't worry about a thing like modesty. She had been locked away alone for no one knew how long and here he was worried about a shirt. Well Forrest was proud of his body and the work her put into it, so maybe he should show off just a little bit. She may not recognize him doing it. As he spoke a response he tightened his core to the best of his ability and slowly moved her hands down his muscle to settle right over his belly button. [b["Don't worry about it, its a topic for another time. Here, you'll have a better grip here, just have on tightly, let me do the work, and if you need me to slow down if stop just let me know. We can always adjust where your sitting as well if that makes things better."[/B][/B] Once she had a right grip around him, he asked if she was ready. The moment she said she was, Forrest clicked his tongue once, tapped his heels into the animal and leaned over her neck as she slowly picked up speed toward home.

 

[Aoede]

Looking at his hand curiously, she halted in putting Roth away and instead held the little lady within the palm of her hand. As always, her nose was twitching and snuffling as she tried to track down food, and her little foot stomped down on Aoede once, twice, three times in the time it took for Anhur to unearth the nuts. When he did, the desert rodent's large, lopped ears began to lift in excitement, and quite unexpectedly she hopped from Aoede's hand toward the bringer of nuts.​

​

Those ears began to twirl like spinning-jenny seeds, until she settled down on his outstretched arm instead. Roth happily squirreled the nut away in her mouth, and seemed rather content to remain where she was for as long as Anhur would allow it.​

​

"Khosmisva" she 'grumbled' lightheartedly in response to Roth's betrayal. There was just the slightest twinge of genuine jealousy beneath the surface that she couldn't quite comprehend, though. Was she going to lose the trio now that she was away from the City? Would they move on to greener pastures now that they too weren't trapped? Her heart hammered against her chest, heavy like the hammer of a pistol. Thankfully Anhur provided ample distraction as he took her hand and set more nuts into her grasp.​

​

Her stomach growled, and without thinking she plucked one of the nuts from her palm and popped it into her mouth. When he explained that it was for the trio her cheeks burned brightly, and with a nod of understanding she popped the rest into her pocket. Afraid to miss out on more of the deliciousness, Roth hopped from Anhur's arm and into the pocket in question, channeling her inner Scrooge McDuck.​

​

His encouragement and praise kept the blush burning for far longer than they'd ever burned before. It certainly wasn't something she was used to, back in the City they had adopted more of a stick approach. No carrot in sight. It felt strange, left her stomach all twisted and fluttery, to receive positive reinforcement for once, and she couldn't quite tell if she liked it or not. Thankfully he was soon talking languages, and that had her smiling with an unfettered eagerness.​

​

"Uch zartori, y quero xalin asur..." At least, she thought she'd like it. She hummed softly before she next spoke. "Y ilen draminte lo stri... Arynul." A bold claim for one who didn't even know even a tiny bit of what could be learned. Still, now that she was out of her cage she wanted it all, every experience, every lesson. "Y ilen arborte, Anhur iy Morre."​

​

Hearing that he wanted to learn her tongue left her ponderous as he set about fixing Horse's... things. "Everon quero ebi xalin krivete sevina muote?" she inquired as she was brought up into the saddle behind him. Her hands were soon traveling down his torso as she was urged to get a better hold on him, and in the end she found herself simply wrapping her arms around him, the side of her cheek softly set against the spot between his shoulder blades.​

​

"Ebi rass tearm rown" she said softly, almost a whisper. It was cold in the desert now that the sun was gone and night had fallen, colder than she was used to. It didn't help that she was wearing rather sheer silks for the most part, with only her modesty more clearly covered. Shivering, she nestled down closer to him on instinct, and closed her eyes. She was tired, oh so very tired. "Gyn y naina?" she muttered into his back, as she fought back a yawn, "Y py'osa aiku voya, Yrv Gekni..."​

​

Khosmisva ~ Traitor
Uch zartori y quero xalin asur ~ Yes please, I Would like that
Y ilen draminte lo stri... Arynul ~ I want to learn it all... Everything
Y ilen arborte, Anhur iy morre ~ I want to live, Anhur of War.
Everon quero ebi xalin krivete sevina muote? ~ What would you like to know how to say?
Ebi rass tearm rown ~ You are very warm
Gyn y naina? ~ May I rest? | Y py'osa aiku voya, Yrv Gekni | I won't let go, My God

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest laughed out loud as the creature used its ears to flutter downward and onto him. He scratched between it's ears as it took the nut and he allowed it to stay with him for as long as it wanted. He laughed even harder when Aoede called her a traitor. "Don't worry little one, if I'm around, you can hang with me anytime, we'll just always make sure you end the day with your mother" he whispered loudly for Aoede to hear before she offered her pocket to the little beast and she dove in.

Forrest chuckled lightly as she told him her wishes. "Everything is quite the ambition, but hopefully now you'll have the time to explore whatever you want." He thought any her question. What did he want to learn. "The whole language my lady. Whatever makes it easier to talk with you, that's what I want."

Forrests eyes widened as she asked the question as he simultaneously felt the shiver. How dumb could he have been she had been living alone in a city all her life she probably couldn't regulate her body heat through the force. He slowed the horse to a slow walk and rummaged through his saddle bags pulling out his large and warm robe he carried with him. "Forgive me, you most be exhausted. If course you can sleep, but you can't do it while holding on behind me." letting go of the reigns and controlling the house with his knees he turned as far as he could behing putting his arm around her far side and spun her so she was facing him and sitting on his lap. He took the robe and draped it over her shoulders tucking it in tight. "Wrap your legs around my waist, use my shoulder as a pillow and this way I can hold you while you sleep. There is no way you'll fall if I'm holding on you." he said smiling at her widely.