Redsand Canyon muqaddima

The lady had children? It came as a shock, but shouldn't have. Nazli had a mother, the fellahin had to come from somewhere. She wondered as Germanicus gave his explanation if her children would be raised to cultivate herbs and study the healing arts as well, but did not ask. She was soon invited along to be escorted to this tablinum and at once fell in to step in a heeled position by Germanicus, glad to have company (and forgetting for a moment she was a guest, as she took on this natural following position).

Her gaze shifted every so often to the mud upon the man's coat, with its familiar red clay color, as if she might begin to pull the chunks out of his fur the way she had for Makono on their arrival; but she held back this impulse, knowing it would not be welcome or appropriate. The longer they walked together the stronger the feeling became for Nazli, so that when they arrived and Germanicus directed her attention to the structure of stone, she seemed all too eager to fixate upon that instead.

It was a beautiful space. Wide open and unfamiliar, except there were herbs drying by the mouth of it, or arranged upon the flatbed of the plateau stones. Nazli could smell the familiar notes of medicinal things as soon as the wind shifted - and at once she pined for home, and wished she could have brought Tavina to see it.

Nazli brightened as she approached the entryway and peered inside to the inner sanctum, although her tail was low and her figure anxious, as she did not want to invade the space without a proper invitation; plus, she was not sure if the Lady Aquene was there working yet; it was still early, and as Germanicus had pointed out, she was a mother also.