Sabah was beginning to catch onto the games of the pack around her. The sides others took, the various transactions that constituted power. She was lucky in her regard.
She was a Jodai who didn’t need to play the Pharaoh’s games. She didn’t need to play anyone’s games but her own, and even then, she had none to play. The sun settled over her as she rested atop a rock outside her quarters, one leg held over the skull she had pilfered. Her eyes watched the horizon, watched the distant figure of the kestrel, watched her surroundings.
It was a bit boring. She wanted her own games to play, but Sabah had never played the games of those above her. She was a solider. But she wanted to be more, perhaps. She wasn’t cut out for leadership, but a cushy position as a noble? It sounded like her. It sounded bountiful. But Ramesses would probably never chose her for such a thing. She was just a Jodai.
Just Sabah.
Just Nephele.
Just her, and the bird.
it was rare for satsu to ever be alone.
yet this happened now; with tamar off with her chosen, she moved to where crowfeather lay and tended to him, feeding him once more with small morsels that had been pre-arranged. to these she added some of the medicinal herbs and quickly enough, he slept.
it was then, with no eyes upon her, satsu moved from the palace.
she moved like a fellahin among the shadows of the hall, creeping to the arched entry, and then found freedom with a gasp.
a path led in a winding fashion towards the steppe, and it was this that she now followed. the feeling of being alone was something satsu had taken for granted when she had grown in to her status - and now she craved it, craved this.
it would not last long, though. the jodai slept somewhere out here, having made a barracks of the hillside. overhead winged a sharp-winged bird that satsu had never seen before, and in following it she found sabah.
a smile slipped across her features as she watched the odd little bird grip awkwardly at one of the prickled plants that bordered the kingdom, rising overhead of sabah's little room.
Her pale eyes found the distant approach of the queen, her eyes on the kestrel attempting to get used to his new surroundings. Sabah shifted on her seat, accidentally knocking the skull under her arm around a bit as she did. She bit out a soft curse, nosing it back into place. The Jodai gave a little woof of greeting to Satsu, rising from her position to meet her with a little smile and a wave of her tail.
I see you’ve spotted my new friend.
Her eyes found the bird, and sharpened in warning.
He is called Anichneftís. Scout.
eyes up, watching the bird.
an-ichi-nef...
mouthing the name, trying to make sense of it; it was not in a language that she knew but that was alright. it was not her bird. a beautiful little companion, however. satsu was briefly enthralled.
approaching sabah now, satsu was waving her own tail. she felt light and gleeful, having finally tasted a kind of freedom that she had been lacking with the rise of akashingo.
you do not sleep with the fellahin,
she notices, and then laughs softly to herself, girlish. i suppose that is right. you are the jodai! i should hope it is to your liking. i can send someone to help fix it up, if you would like?
she thinks of tamar, who is hopefully still busy with her very important and time-sensitive mission, and the queen ascendant reddens.
all is well? pharaoh speaks highly of the triumphs in the vale.
Sabah shrugged her shoulders, coming into a respectful range of the young Queen with a dip of her scarred brow.
I am of more use to you and Pharoah himself here, near the borders. Think of me as an…hm…early detection system.
She flashed a little smile.
Its quite alright in there, my Queen, no need to worry. I am thinking of taking some pigment to it once spring comes around again, get in the decorating spirit.
That and she preferred the quiet of the outside of the palace to the tittering and watchful eyes inside.
All went well. The Saints are truly extinct, from my hearing.
She went quiet for a moment, before humming.
They should not retake the vale. I left one of their own just outside it’s borders. It is tainted ground.
satsu smiled at the thought of decorations in the spring. to think that they had a future now, where before she could barely imagine forming anything in this space alongside ramesses, showed her once again that much had changed.
yes, so i have been told,
she remarks in regard to the saints, their downfall, and the likelihood of nyra being dead. perhaps the ascendant should have been more cautious in her optimism; without a body they could not be perfectly certain, but so far as she knew, they were safe.
the saints were dead, long live akashingo.
i am glad that you came out of it unscathed - is that also how this one came to be?
she motioned to the bird, watching it again.
The young woman gave a throaty noise, twisting her head to the side to show the tears in her ear.
Not so unscathed, my lady. The bird got one up on me after I killed his master. But we came to say…an agreement.
Blue eyes trailed the hawk, fierce and cold, as the kestrel pressed his wings closer to himself.
I am keeping an eye on the wounds, though, washing them everyday. They will be fine.
sabah was mighty indeed. to have gone to war and come out of it with a few scratches alone was a great feat, but to have survived with loot such as this bird as her new companion was something else altogether.
it was a good thing she was made the jodai. satsu could think of no-one better suited for it.
she looked upon the woman's torn ear and grimaced slightly, though the look did not remain for long. a smile graced her features instead as sabah discussed the bird.
very good. if you need anything at all, do come to the palace and take from our stores.
it was only a request but there was a strength behind satsu's words too, as she was so accustomed to ordering the fellahin about by now, sometimes it was difficult to turn that off.
do you have a name for your new friend?