Redsand Canyon muqaddima

somewhere between the common area & married housing. you ever see tourists in your local area taking photos of things you think are stupid? cue nazli.

By the time Nazli felt compelled to search out breakfast for when Makono returned, the rain had stopped and the clouds hung fat and dark overhead. She had boldly left behind the visitor's quarters and found herself walking a clear path towards the common areas shared by all; these she remembered from the first visit.

She crept beneath a stand of trees at the earliest convenience. The grove was mighty compared to little Nazli, and tall, and even with the advancing autumn there were leaves of bronze and red upon them, the likes of which she had never seen before. Did they have such things in Akashingo? She wouldn't know. Quietly, the girl picked some of the larger and more vibrant leaves and laid them flat, to take back with her eventually.

germanicus was caked in red mud from the downpour which had occurred at the sparring pit. he was headed toward the pool alongside the tablinum for a wash, but his shrewd eyes caught nazli nearby.

she seemed out of sorts. the filthied imperator drifted close but not so near.

"have you explored the forest yet, lady nazli? there are several things inside which you might enjoy." he had not missed the quiet grace with which she collected the leaves.

There were two purely red leaves, one transitional leaf turning gold, and a last with yellow like the brightest dawn.

These she had arranged in a line with great care, and by then realized how delicate they were, especially the dry ones, and could not think of how best to transport them. As Germanicus appeared there came a small gust of wind which trembled the piles, shifting them together.

Nazli was hurried as she placed them back in order.

He spoke of the forest. She was addled as she arranged things.

Um, no. I.. forest? This isn't -- you have more of this, here? She motioned up to the tall standing grove and looked to be in awe, unabashedly struck by the concept that there could be more than dust and grass despite standing among it.

his presence had sent the leaves all out of order. the imperator stepped back as the young palace-wolf arranged them once more. 

"east, beyond the sparring arena." he would not offer to accompany her. it was not dislike of the girl, it was awareness of her rank in akashingo and the whispers that might persuade.

the imperator's wife had only just left, and now he walked alone with a young pleasure-servant.

very few knew the ways of akashingo. arsenio and tamar were no longer part of this place. it was him alone. and yet he could not abide it.

"it is often patrolled. you will be safe there alone."

She could venture to the arena to see how the training went, if it persisted, then go east as he explained to the forest and visit the trees there. It sounded as if he did not intend to join her. That was disheartening, given that Nazli was accustomed to following others around and rarely had any time to herself. She was certainly out of practice being her own person (if she had ever, even once, had that chance); so when the girl realized all of this, she looked a little forlorn.

Perhaps I will take the crown prince there, later. Nazli wondered if that would make Makono happy.

For now... If it pleases you, she was not used to asking for things, and did not want to overstep, or to say the wrong thing, or make wild insinuations somehow - ... could you direct me to Lady Aquene? I am uncertain of where I should find her.

She knew of the housing, of course. That Mereo divided itself up the way Akashingo did. However, there was also a utilitarian space for each job: the sparring pits for the soldiers, the punishment ground next to the oasis for those that did wrong (she presumed), so there must have been other spaces for those with less physical jobs.

germanicus wondered why the statement of aloneness seemed to sadden nazli. surely each second of her day in akashingo was filled with tasks? would she not welcome the respite?

but then he was reminded of their conversation during the journey. and how suited and embracive of her role this girl was.

if it pleases you. he hated that, ramesses' demands for subservience brought into his world. "lady aquene lives in the married-housing with her children. but her work is done in the tablinum. i am going there now."

he stood aside and invited nazli forward before stepping off opposite the direction of the forest. the red mud had dried to something like clay upon his figure and he was uncomfortable. "there." a small structure of stone, surrounded by growing, cultivated herbs upon the walls beside the edge of the office, and some upon the ground. 

it was hung with strings of green and inside were neat beds for patients. a pool of water fed against its back.

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.

it did not seem the woman was present. germanicus was not certain it was appropriate for his unskilled self to tour nazli through the stores himself and so he did not approach. 

instead he splashed with a man's loud strides into the water and began to roughly clean himself, pulling darksilver fur out in his efforts. "she is often there is the early mornings and in the evenings. when the children began to congregate at the arena, the plebians move to their tasks."

his voice would carry to where nazli stood. germanicus did not expect her to do more than look around at what was to be seen. he delved back into his bathing, scraping the red clay from his paws until it churned the water to a muddied ochre mess.

Her reverence (because what else could that look express but awe) was broken when Germanicus moved to the oasis. She knew of the oasis because that was where Makono had wished to go upon their arrival, and she had not realized how close it was to this place with the medicines; and if she felt stupid for that, she gave no indication. The man was washing the mud from himself. Dutifully, Nazli moved to the edge as if she might be called on to assist.

Germanicus explained the timekeeping of the place. That answered one of her other unspoken questions - thinking the children of the lady-sesh would follow in her steps was incorrect, evidently. All who lived in Mereo were trained as a soldier first! It should not have seemed so odd; but it was different from her own experience, which made it so.

Should I.. wait here, for her? Nazli eyed the doorway, but was as always, hyper-vigilant if the man were to order her to service, and the way her ears tracked the sounds of the water or the movements of his rugged body in the spring were clue enough of that. Perhaps Germanicus had another use for her - but she had to remind herself, you are a guest, Nazli, a guest!

Waiting here or in the woods, those were her current options. Both felt... wasteful of her time, which unearthed some anxiety within the girl.

he shook his head. "acquaint yourself with mereo while you wait to meet her, lady nazli. there is enough here to do and to learn." he looked at her now, at the quaint color of her pelt and the hue of her eyes.

was there more she wished to know than servitude?

he hoped that her extended stay here might tempt the girl otherwise. 

at last he was finished and strode a few paces away to shake his pelt. he did not want to shower her in water. "there is a small flock of pheasants which nests in the forest. their eggs will be a welcome resource in the spring. you might report back to me if you should see them on your walkabout."

He had some quick ideas to fill her time, which she took immediately as orders and felt her spine stiffen with her usual prideful bearing as she eagerly moved to do the job given, as fast as she could. Only it was a brief straightening of her posture and then again, she reminded herself to relax, and to wait, and to take her time with these things - they would be here a month and it was not her duty now to work herself to the bone.

Yes, of course, if I see them. Nazli promised, as if this job was of great importance. She would keep in mind that these birds were about; in her mind she saw running birds from the mesa, and would no doubt be stunned upon sighting her first pheasant bird, which was lower and fatter.

It felt as though she was being dismissed. Nazli was adequate at reading the people of Akashingo, and struggled now with Germanicus who was more stern, and somehow also more forgiving; but he appeared busy, or at least had other places to be given that he was the master of this place. She gave him an obedient little nod, and looked towards the tablinum again, wistful.

he saw the look in her eyes. "if lady aquene has not summoned you in some days' time, i will arrage an introduction. the role is recent to her. the workload must be balanced."

but he did not think that posting nazli outside her place of herbs would be necessary. "i want this to be a time of respite for you. i am aware of how hard a single fellahin works inside akashingo. while you are here, seek things that you want to do."

that too was an order, though a softer one. he regarded her and then gave a sharp tight nod, moving off in his usual abrupt way.

The man turned to go, having arranged with her through his command that Aquene could be found later, and that Nazli should not dally here long. She was perplexed.

A wet trail dithered across the sand, already evaporating as Germanicus departed.

Nazli looked to the oasis, and wondered if perhaps it should be cleaned; unsure of herself.

What she... wanted?

The wind howled lowly through the empty canyon.