as often as
@Akhtar called her, belen would come. today she had snuck away from clearing the
mazoi's dens to visit the priest's rooms again. and this time it was with a small duck.
"i have brought you a meal, holy one," belen greeted, letting the bird slip to the floor as she bowed low before the man she served.
Belen was..something. The Saluki knew she served many besides him, but she was seemingly kind. Enough, at least, it didn’t trip his (painfully unaware) senses.
Today, though, worry curdled in his gut like he had eaten bad meat, and he had taken to aggressively deep cleaning both himself and his quarters, despite not being in them long in the slightest. But he had just returned to his quarters, still dripping wet, when Belen appeared to him as though she had been the goddesses he had been trying to channel.
I thank you, Belen. I need a good meal.
He said, plucking the meal from the ground and giving the Fellahin a strained smile to show his gratitude.
she followed to where the priest settled and began to lap the water from his fur in long strokes of her tongue. "you are tense, holy one," belen observed. her gestures continued and would until he pulled away or until he was dry. belen eventually leant back to look at him. "are your troubled?" her voice was light, inviting him to turn away her questioning if he chose.
Akhtar settled to eat his meal as Belen came to dry his fur. The priest settled into a trance like state at the grooming and the motion of his own jaw, lulled into the sense of security the gesture was giving off.
He slid back to reality when Belen’s voice called him back, bid him away from his worries in his head.
It is nothing to worry yourself over Belen. I have simply had a long day.
He replied, plucking a feather from the duck to settle between his own paws for safekeeping. It would add another splash of color to his room.
akhtar did not wish to speak with her. belen accepted this though it stung her somewhat. she fell into a warm silence. "a great black bird visited pharaoh, a messenger from the priestess qiao. she will soon be returning." she wondered what the hem made of the fact that he would have a counterpart in his rituals. she had not met the noblewoman. a fellahin without the rank of one was all she knew of qiao.
The priestess Pharoah had told him about was going to be returning soon, Belen told him, and Akhtar nodded slowly.
It will be good for Akashingo to have two holy ones.
Certainly it would help his anxiety, as well as how often he worked his throat to soreness with his rituals. He stripped a bit of meat from the bird.
Have you met her? If so, what do you think of her?
Akhtar asked, peering over at his current companion. He was fishing for information, he knew, but the more he knew about this Qiao, the better for him to not offend her on sight.
belen did not think she agreed. why would akashingo need two priests? she did not yet understand the weight of what akhtar would be asked. "i do not know her. i only know she is not a wolf." she waited to clear the remains of his meal.