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Untamed, Unbroken, Unbound [Rhi-Rhi]

Started by DragonSong, February 01, 2016, 03:12:50 PM

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DragonSong

She glanced up at him, again surprised by his apparent astuteness. "Yes, I suppose it is," she admitted slowly, shoulders tensing a bit as she eyes him warily.

She was half convinced this was where the situation would change drastically.

Rhindeer

Qismat cleared his throat, noting the way her demeanor changed. Waiting for the other shoe to drop, no doubt. He knew he would be, in her position.

"Well, several things can happen here, but it depends on you," he said, trying to pick his words carefully. "I bought you, but I have no intention of owning you, you understand? My goal is your safety. I could let you go now, but I'm afraid that if I do, you'll wind up in the same position. You're an obvious foreigner and that makes you an easy target, not to mention you're familiar. I hate to say it, but a merchant prince saved you today, and people will remember your face. My saving you will have made you desirable--because what I did today just isn't done. If I wanted you so badly as to publicly intervene in the middle of a match, well, there must be something to it, see? There must be a reason."

He frowned, realizing he was rambling, and let out a low sigh. Cut to the chase, Qismat!

"What I'm trying to say is that I think, for now, it would be best for you to stay here until this passes. But what I'd really like is to find a way to get you home--if you have a home. Of course, if you have nowhere to go and would like to stay here, you're free to do so. But what I want to stress either way is that you're not my slave nor are you my prisoner, Lani."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

DragonSong

She blinked at him, jaw dropping open slightly. Then she shook her head and snapped her mouth closed, a tiny bit of the wariness leaving her eyes.

"I...understand," she said slowly, nodding. "I suppose- yeah, you're right. It's probably best if I stay here, at least for a while."

She didn't address the idea of going home. Her tribe had made it pretty clear that wasn't an option.

Putting that thought from her mind, Lani flicked her eyes up to meet his. "I understand I'm not a slave here-" at least for now- "but I'm...not used to being- well, useless. I'd...feel better if I was given some sort of task, sir."

For some reason, the deferential title came remarkably easy addressing him, when previous masters had been unable to get so much as a bowed head from her without serious effort. With a little jolt of surprise, she realized she was actually starting to respect him, at least a little.

Rhindeer

"Ah, ah!" Qismat raised both hands, grimacing at the title--even while inwardly amazed that she'd even called him that at all. "That's...really not necessary. Just Qismat will do."

He'd never been able to get used to that, get used to being called "sir" and "lord" and whatever else people came up with. It was...uncomfortable. Perhaps because at the heart of it, despite his riches, he still felt like the street rat that had clawed and scraped his way through life. He'd spent so much of his youth actively fearing the "sirs" and "lords" of Essyrn that being called that was just...awkward. He put up with a fair amount of it; he did have appearances to keep up, so he grinned and bore it when his employees referred to him with honorifics.

But Lani wasn't employed by him.

Yet?

He sat back in his seat, eyes flicking over her as if assessing her.

"What kind of task would you like?" he asked, head cocked. "What are your skills? Fighting, obviously, so if you liked you could always be a guard, I suppose. But you must have other talents, too."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

DragonSong

Lani paused. Her skills? Gods, it had been so long since she'd done anything but fight...

"I'm good with horses," she said slowly. "I'm not sure if that's useful, but I can't really think of anything else I'm...particularly skilled at."

Rhindeer

"Actually, that's very useful!" Qismat said, brightening at her words.

"How good are you? Ah, see, the thing is...well, it may not come as that much of a surprise when I say I'm a bit of a soft touch," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I own number of horses and kaadir, so there's always work to be done there, but I may have purchased a particular horse a while back, too. A horse they say can never be ridden. He's skittish, see. Aggressive. The trader said he's a plains pony, but he was captured too old. He could never tame the wild out of him. They were going to slaughter him for meat since they couldn't make a proper horse of him, so..."

He gave a helpless little shrug. "He lives a good life on my property now, and I don't mind not riding him when I have others that do the job. But it would be nice if he didn't try to kill everyone who entered his pen, you know?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

DragonSong

She perked up at that. A plains horse?

The first real smile she'd shown him flashed across her face and stayed there for longer than a few seconds. "I'm good," Lani said bluntly, matter-of-fact instead of bragging. "I'm really good. Even for a Duhjari woman."

Rhindeer

"Duhjari?" Qismat repeated, eyebrows lifting with interest. "The horse lords of the plains? You're  Duhjari?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

DragonSong

Lani blinked at him. "Yes," she said, as though it should be perfectly obvious. Expression going blank, she added evenly, "Well, at least I was. Once."

Rhindeer

"Ah," Qismat said, frowning as he looked at her, his meal forgotten. He had a hunch as to what her cryptic words meant--that the reason she was no longer Duhjari and the reason she was a slave were connected in some way.

He took another sip of wine. "I won't press you for the details. My ears are always open if you do ever want to talk about it, but I'll understand if you don't."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

DragonSong

She was quiet for a long moment, then muttered, "I...appreciate the offer. But it's not important, not anymore."

Her voice was flat and emotionless; it had always been easier for her to think about that particular moment in her past as though it had happened to someone else, and by now she'd gotten to the point where it was almost like she was telling a story, not reliving a memory.

Shaking her head, Lani took another hit of food and said after a moment, "When would you like me to start then, sir- Qismat?"

Rhindeer

"So eager!" Qismat said with a grin, happy to move onto brighter subjects; sadness wasn't a good look on her, and he could imagine that she'd had enough of that in her life.

"I like that. But I was thinking you could start, oh...hmm..." A servant caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, and he nodded to her, sending her scurrying back off into the kitchen. He turned his eyes back to Lani.

"Soon. But not yet. I've sent for a healer, and he should be here tomorrow morning. He would have been here sooner, but he had an emergency to tend to, I'm afraid. I won't be letting you anywhere near that horse until you're in tip-top shape. We'll see how you're feeling later tomorrow and go from there? Either way, you should get some rest. I don't imagine you've gotten much of that."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

DragonSong

Lani snapped her eyes up to him, a little surprised. "I don't need a healer," she protested automatically, the instinct ingrained in her long before she was sent to the pits- needing a healer was a weakness, she could let her body mend itself.

Dropping her gaze, she added, softer, "I...wouldn't mind some rest. But if the horse is as bad as you say, I'd like to look at him sooner rather than later."

Rhindeer

"Oh, well, if you really don't need one, then it'll be a quick visit indeed!" Qismat said, keeping his voice light. No, she was definitely getting seen by that healer; she'd been mauled by a lion! Qismat, for one, had seen what even a cat's scratch could do if untreated. He shuddered to think of what a lion's claws could do.

"Just a quick looking over, that's all. Besides," he said, making a point of glancing at the window, the city darkening outside it, "it's too late to cancel now. Don't worry. Yasri--ah, that's the horse--has been like this all his life, so another day won't hurt things. Oh! Would you look at that!"

Several servants stepped into the room, some carrying plates laden with desserts while others swept in to clear their away dishes. Soon the desserts were laid out on the table: sweet rice pudding with nuts and coconut flakes, baklava, candied dates, and cheese pastries drizzled with honey. Again, more food than what he would normally eat--but he was sort of trying to impress Lani. Ahem.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

DragonSong

Opening her mouth to make another protest, Lani suddenly found her jaw dropping as yet more food was arrayed before them. She blinked, utterly stunned, and looked between the collection of sugary magnificence and Qismat several times before she found her voice.

"Do you always eat like this?" she sort of squeaked out, unsure if she was amazed or appalled by the idea.

Rhindeer

"Hakeshna, no!" Qismat barked a laugh and pat his belly. "If I did, I think I'd have to roll everywhere I went! Oh, no, I only feast like this on special occasions."

And as the servants once again left them in peace, he lifted his wine glass in a toast. "I figure your freedom is a special enough occasion, no?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

DragonSong

For some reason, hearing it said like that brought the idea home for her in a way that it hadn't quite done yet. Freedom.

She stared at him for a long moment in silence, then slowly lifted her own glass to return the toast, nodding. She didn't say anything as she took a sip, but for just a moment the sharp edge in her eyes softened.

"Then I suppose once again I should thank you for the food," Lani murmured, placing her drink back on the table.

Rhindeer

"And once more, your thanks are appreciated!" Qismat said, noting the softness in her eyes--and relaxing a little more himself. They'd made progress here, and quite a lot of it, all things considered!

He finished off his wine and set the glass back down. "But enough thanks. Try some dessert. The baklava is my personal favorite," he said as he picked up a sticky square of it and motioned for her to dig in.

He swallowed down a small bite of it. "After we're done here, I'll show you to your room. I'm afraid it's rather plain now, but we can refurnish it however you like. Just tell me what you want, and I'll make it happen."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

DragonSong

Taking a bite of the dessert herself, Lani shook her head at him. She had to wait a moment to chew and swallow- dear gods that was good!- before she could answer him. "That's alright. I'm sure it's fine the way it is."

Even before her life as a slave, she'd been used to living sparsely. Nomads couldn't afford to keep many "things".

Rhindeer

"Fine? Oh, no, it's quite barren, actually. I've never gotten around to really doing anything with it, so it has a bed and a wardrobe, but I'm afraid not much else," Qismat said, frowning.

"And if you're going to be here a while, I'd at least like you to live in a place that feels like yours rather than...well, than a glorified closet."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

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