Lion Head Mesa (ap) pomegranate

she had spent so long in the caverns.

sunlight had begun to hurt her eyes. as ramesses' voice carried overhead, tamar tried not to look around for arsenio.

he would be somewhere near the dais as the royal woman was anointed.

she suddenly felt sick, and drew a quick breath.

Of course he knew of Tamar, but as he was often busy entertaining the pharaoh or doing this and that, he hadn't had the pleasure of having a real conversation with the beautiful servant to the queen. 

So when he saw her in the crowd and noticed how unhappy she appeared, he trotted over to her side. It is quite an event, he commented. But he waited for her to either speak or dismiss him before saying anything else.

tamar knew that there were two courts.
she served the queen, she and mouseberry. the rest of the fellahin served the pharaoh.
and so she did not know how to feel when sayf approached her. jawahir's face came to her mind. surely they were all upon the same footing. at least sayf seemed delighted in his choice.
he was not traded to the mazoi.
"it is very fancy. the queen worked hard to make the day beautiful."

Separated by the throng of strangers, Reyes tried to step around bodies as they gathered to talk and celebrate. He wanted to find Teya, and for an instant he thought he had; someone small and sharp and burnished, at a glance, drew his eye. 

He was careful as he passed through the hall; he saw Ruenna of the Redhawks, speaking with a dark stranger; surprised to see anyone of the caldera here, Reyes thought suddenly of Towhee.

Teya, why did we come- he had begun to say to the back of someone's head, only to pause as someone drifted near, and again Reyes was on a swivel, concerned and overwhelmed. He hadn't yet realized he spoke with a fellahin, not the woman he cared for.

We all did, he answered. Everyone had pitched in to bring together the queen's vision. He had planned to continue talking but then a voice interrupted them. It was someone he didn't know, likely from one of the visiting packs.

Sayf turned and dipped his head respectfully. Teya? he asked. Neither of us is named that. He took a step towards the man. I'm Sayf, he continued. He looked to Tamar next, assuming she would want to introduce herself.

of course, tamar wanted to say.

and then there was a red wolf among them.

the brilliance of his coat brought to mind arsenio, but where he was like a sunspot, this man resembled blood.

she swallowed, dipping her head. "i am tamar. we are fellahin to the pharaoh and the queen."

she breathed. "have you come to be entertained?"

Immediately one of the strangers turned to Reyes, catching his attention for the sharp quality of their face and the distincting gray marks there.

They made a swift correction that made Reyes frown; but he looked to the other — fake Teya — in time for Tamar to explain herself, her role, and all.

Have you come to be entertained? She had said. What exactly did that mean? They had plenty of meat and berry to go around.

Isn't that why we're all here, lass? He answered, oblivious. A moment later he was looking over Tamar's head, around Sayf, and then back over his shoulder, to see if Teya was near — but he couldn't see her anywhere at all.

Sayf let a soft chuckle dance from his within his chest. We are fellahin, he reiterated. That means that we provide the entertainment for all of the mesa's guests.

He took a step towards the mahogany wolf. I'm sure your friend is fine, he added with a friendly smile. She is safe within the mesa. Another step closer. We could take care of you for a while, if you'd like. The fellahin dipped his head. Whatever you want is yours.

the man was not ugly, but he was not arsenio.

sayf offered both of them to the wedding guest. she wanted to cut her eyes toward him in shock and refusal.

but was this not the role she had given herself? and the queen — it seemed only mouseberry would be kept from this service. 

tamar was resigned. perhaps sayf might show her how to enjoy it.

"let us bathe you in the wellspring." she did not know why she said it. tamar was silent thereafter.

One of the sharp-bodied strangers moved towards Reyes, and he scowled, moving back before they could get too close. The last thing he wanted was to be handled - especially by a stranger - given that he'd lose his cool. The only wolf he was comfortable with in that way was Teya, who could reach for him at any point and be reciprocated.

The other offered something called the wellspring. Immediately Reyes glared at Tamar, and for a moment she was a young red wolf with pleading eyes; Sayf became a haggard old man folded up on the floor. It was all in his head — this flash of recollection. Come and gone again.

No. I — there was something tragic about the golden girl. Reyes couldn't look at her any longer, or her companion, and turned towards the crowd to seek out Teya for the comfort she represented for him and his troubled mind. He saw berries first, and after sucking in a shaking breath he grabbed for them.

This is all I need. This and... The woman I came with. He chewed quickly, grabbed for more, and chewed these too. They burst with familiar flavor across his tongue. Still, Reyes couldn't look to them.

Teya. Have you seen her?

It seemed the man didn't want anything from them except more berries and to know the location of the woman he came with. There was something off about Reyes, but the fellahin couldn't tell what, nor was it his place to figure it out. He had offered their guest entertainment, and he had declined. Sayf was done here, as far as he was concerned.

Like I said before, sir, we have not seen anyone by that name. If I do see her, I will tell her you're looking for her. With a respectful bow, he turned to leave, unless stopped.

tamar had nothing to add.

relieved that she would not be the plaything of the rough brecheliant man, she bowed before him. he was indeed striking. but she admired his devotion to this woman.

"we will be near if you have need of us." the maidservant turned to follow sayf.