"Hold the reins! Tack him down! You've got to be prepared to challenge him and meet him in fury of your own or you'll never be able to ride him properly!" Anran chided with a gleam of amusement in his eyes. He watched prospective buyers attempt to tame his latest addition, a young stallion he affectionately dubbed Tempest. He was stubborn as a foal and was never properly broke at the fact that nearly every trainer than attempted to do so was promptly flung from his back. Galewind neighed triumphantly when his prospective rider was flung to the ground. It was practically a haughty laugh.
No doubt, Anran wasn't the only one getting a kick out of it, as the man picked himself up from the ground and dusted himself off. But not before trying to salvage what remained of his dignity by not limping out of the riding enclosure. Tempest danced around the pen and bucked his head haughtily as the other men around him roared in laughter. Finally, after a few minutes, two brave stable hands climbed over the fence and proceeded to water the white stallion down and brush him and give him his feed.
"That's good stock you've got there, Lord Haidan," one of the men beside him said, extending his arm and clasping wrists. Anran shook with him for a moment before spreading his lips in a wide smile of his own. "You always bring some of the finest bred horses I've seen in decades! And that Tempest, Hakeshna's Eyes, he's quite a firebrand! I don't think you'll ever sell him though."
"Thank you very much, Master Ballu," Anran said, smiling despite the closing statement. Master Ballu was right in many ways. Tempest would likely never sell. Most men rich enough to buy a horse with such a temper were likely to turn away after the first throw. Still... "Maybe I won't ever sell him. But he sure knows how to draw a crowd. And bask in it as well!" Anran had the good humor to laugh as he watched the horse playfully flick his tail at one of the stablehands and the boy gave a yelp.
"He certainly does, indeed!' Ballu laughed. "I hope you'll sell us some of your mares for the Colosseum soon. We can always use good show horses and, a few brood mares certainly wouldn't hurt."
"I can think of a few that would like the spotlight. And.." he cut his eyes to Tempest, "would actually let people ride them. As always, it is a pleasure to speak with you again. We should make time for a drink soon. I will see the passel of horseflesh sent at my earliest convenience!"
Ballu waved him off vanished into the sea of passersby within the vast market area. Despite the smile he once had, it gradually faded as Anran thought over the offer he'd just made to Ballu, one of the Coordinators for the Colosseum, in charge of coming up with special events or certain matches that would bring a good crowd to the arena. Anran sold a few pieces of good horseflesh to him over the years, and he always guaranteed that the animals were treated well and decently. It was strange, Anran mused, how most of the beasts collected for the arena, were ofttimes treated better than the men and women who fought to the death for their entertainment.
But slaves were lesser even than beasts and it was an lesson Anran had learned very early on in the ten years he had been in the Colosseum. Funny, how that time seemed to be so long ago, though it couldn't have been more than three years – four at the most. But he'd been lucky. His master had granted him freedom, for he'd been young then. He did not want to recall the years that led up to his enslavement...though the truth was it that though he'd been born a slave, he'd only had to shed the blood of his friends, his comrades, for a smaller amount of time than most. He had been trained as a house servant, but after a falling out with his mistress over a minor disagreement, she sold him to the nearest gladiatorial slaver that could get their hands on him.
He trained half of his life in weapons of killing, learning to move, to minimize distractions, and while he wasn't the best fighter, he knew how to survive. And that was what made him an asset. But there was a kindness to his master that he couldn't have known, who treated the young Anran like a son, teaching him to read, to write, to ride, and to him to live, not simply to survive. When he died, and decreed him free, his own man, to do whatever he wished with his life and his fortune, it had been the single greatest act of selflessness he was sure to ever know.
And a luxury most of the fighters in the Colosseum would only dream of.
"Fushar!" one of the stable hands suddenly called out from behind him. Anran abruptly about-faced and stared in wide-eyed astonishment as Tempest fought against his handlers and suddenly kicked the young Fushar with his legs, breaking off the planking sides of the enclosure. At the first opportunity of freedom, Tempest bolted from the pen and darted straight for the unsuspecting crowd.
"Come back here you bloody beast!" Anran heard someone with his voice cry out. He didn't even realize he'd sprung into action before he already did. The horse was coming in his direction and when he was close enough, he leapt forward, grabbing onto Tempest's mane as he dragged alongside the animal. The beast was moving too fast for Anran to swing himself up as he normally would and the horse went ploughing through the crowd at top speed.
Men cried out, and a few of them were ready. They swung out ropes, twirling them high over their heads and launched the lassos, hoping to tangle it around Tempest's neck and at least slow the powerful animal to a standstill.
Something slipped and he lost his grip and he suddenly fell, tumbling into the mud. The wind was clearly knocked out of Anran, and he saw white for several moments before he felt his lungs fill with air and he opened his eyes, and felt along his arms and legs and body to see that he was still alive and in relatively good shape despite the throw. At least the mud had cushioned his fall...or what he thought was mud.
"Ew! Kaadir poo-doo," the voices of small children resounded across from him.
OOC: I read this a few times and I hope I didn't get any of the details wrong lol
Just PM me laughing if I did 8D
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Jobs were hard to come by, especially for Harmanaija Nef'tahft. The mark on her face, half hidden beneath her unruly nest of hair, was ghastly. The skin bubbled and was discolored where the brand had been set, and was over her left eye of all places, so that any man that would look upon her would have to see the brand of shame. Not that she was looking for a love life. She just needed to get by, to survive from day to day. No longer being a wife and being cared for by a husband (something she was so used to from most of her life), she found finding means to support oneself was particularly difficult- especially if you did not have a pretty face- and were one of the shamed. So she resided to taking odd jobs where she could, just to make ends meet. And if to be able to live on her own meant shoveling shit to stay out of sleeping in it, then that's what she would do.
It was one of her off days when she usually worked cooking at the arena, so she picked up a day shift at the stables. The work here was tough and exhausting, but it paid. And she needed the money. She was always late on rent, and barely had money left in the end to feed herself. But at least working in a place like this she could admire the animals- since admiring people was just not something she did. After all, people hated her. So she just ignored them. It seemed to work out just find for her.
She had been admiring the horses as she worked, sneaking a peak up from time to time as the wild, white horse was bucking and making quite a scene. That made her smile. The horse ought to be free- but such was the life of an Essyrn. Be you animal or beast, there was a place for you- whether you wanted to be placed there or not.
Finishing sweeping out a stall, she moved to get a shovel and cart and began to wheel it out around the corral, mindful of the horse and crowd gathering. She blended in well enough to be ignored, with a dirty dress and messy hair, all in dull colors. So no one paid much attention to her- she was shoveling shit now anyways and hefted the metal end of the shovel into a steaming warm pile of it before hefting it into the cart. It jostled slightly beneath the weight of it while the flies followed and began to buzz around her head, and she paused a moment to wipe her brow and swat them away.
It was shitty work, but somebody had to do it. Moving along, the cart wobbled over a few loose rocks on the gritty, sandy grounds and she noticed another pile, went to work cleaning it up when something else caught her eye. Near the crowd of men was probably the biggest pile of shit she had seen in all of her life. Figures it was near the audience. She would have preferred to avoid that section at the moment until the crowd left. But if someone were to step in it.. She'd rather not get her pay cut for her boss getting upset over something so petty that she herself could not have helped.
Sighing, she grabbed the cart again and began to pull it forward, paying more attention tot he cart than destination, so she hadn't realized the horse had gone crazy, that was, until everyone was scrambling to get out of the way. One man knocked into her, causing her to nearly fall into her cart. BY HAKESHNA'S NAME- thank the goddess she caught herself! Least she be covered in....
Splat.
Cringing at the noise, her violet eyes followed the trail of giggles from the children and noticed, with a frown, a man who had landed in the ludicrously over sized pile of shit. And though it would seem humorous to most, she had been purposely thrown into shit piles more than once, and found it no laughing matter. Abandoning the cart, since she was only but a few feet away anyway, she moved over to the gentlemen and offered a hand- though at the angle she came at him, the light behind her was blinding, and her hair fell over most of her face, (a gesture that was by now, second nature to her- as the mark always made her feel ashamed and embarrassed- andi t was better to try to go around hiding it than to have others stare).
"Here, let me help you up," she told him softly, waiting for him to take her gloved hand.
Kaadir were predatory, but they were not obligate carnivores. For centuries the Essyrni had been domesticating, training, and using the beasts, and though most had mild dispositions, there were still certain instincts and habits they needed to be broken of before Eta felt comfortable selling one of hers.
One of the most important ones? They needed to be able to exist and work alongside horses and other beasts of burden without any accidents.
At two years old, Sunshine was not the youngest of her family's Kaadir, but he had just come into maturity and was almost fully trained. He had a few obnoxious habits Eta was still working to break him of, but he was a good Kaadir, for the most part. He didn't nip or bite, and he had taken well to socialization. Now it was just about upkeep and reinforcement, which was why she took him daily into the chaos of the market, so he could acclimate to all the sound and movement.
It was also why she brought him around the stables, which she had been doing with him from the time he'd been but a hatchling. The lesson she was hoping to solidify in that little brain of his? Horses are friends, not food.
So there she was, reins in hand as she lead the Kaadir around the stable yard. Sunshine, who was over a head taller than her, strutted along beside her as children and adults alike came up to admire him. He was a pretty beast with his bright golden scales, and no doubt he knew it.
But pretty or not, raising Kaadir was not always glamorous.
And when Eta caught sight of his tail lifting, she grimaced and shooed a small child away from his backside. "Er, kiddo, you'll want to move. Now. Right now."
Everyone moved. That was one way to clear a crowd. Kaadir weren't like horses; their excrement stank.
"Thanks, Sunshine. Truly," Eta muttered as she tugged the Kaadir along when he was done, glancing around the area for an attendant. Oh, thank Hakeshna, there was a woman over there cleaning up shit. She should probably let her know about the mess before--
A commotion broke out, the snap of breaking wood making Eta turn to look, heart in her throat as a horse broke free of his pen. She grabbed Sunshine's reins tighter and pulled him clear, watching as his head snapped around and his eyes sharpened, pupils dilating as he watched the prey animal with its fast, erratic motions. But he behaved, just watching, and Eta turned to watch herself as a man grabbed the horse, was dragged alongside it, and then...
Oh no.
Into the shit he went.
Mortified, Eta sank her face into her free hand and repressed the urge to gag. She'd wound up in that position several times before, and the sight of him there made her remember. It was not a fun experience!
"Note to self, don't feed you before we go walking," she said with a sigh and, out of some sense of obligation, she headed over to the downed man, reaching him about the same time as the shit-shoveler.
Yeah, Eta would just hang back and let the girl help him up. She had gloves!
"Er...sorry about that," she said, face a little flushed. "That's my fault. I was gonna fetch someone--you, actually--" That directed at the women. "But then, you know...horses."
Sunshine blew air out his nostrils and Eta shot him a glower. Reptiles couldn't really make facial expressions, but he still looked quite pleased.
The sound of children's cringes and laughter could have been embarrassment enough on it's own. Anran, thankfully, was never overly fond of kids and so their nerve to laugh did nothing to lighten their image in his eyes. They were snot-nosed, uppity, and overall pains in the horse's ass... Too bad the only horse's ass here right now was him.
Even Tempest, who fought against his bindings for a few seconds as the men who captured him sought to keep him under control, turned around, observing his master for a few seconds before snorting in what was no doubt a horse's laugh. Everyone around him seemed to notice it too and soon were turning from a mere chuckle to an outright guffaw and he felt his face positively set to flame.
The only thing he could feel grateful for in that moment was the fact that at least he fell on his back in the mountain of kaadir waste and his hair had been safely tucked away underneath a wrapped cloth. "Hakeshna, that's foul," he grumbled, holding his arms up and registering a hand beside him in order to help him up. He gratefully took her hand, noting her hair covering her face and pulled himself to his feet, stumbling away from the pile of shit.
His face was flushed, so when he whirled around in rage at the woman who owned said Kaadir, it wasn't readily seen. He just stared at her wide-eyed. "Goddess what a mess! What the hell have you been feeding that Kaadir?!" he said and took the turban from his head, slamming it to the ground and discarding his outer robe that had largely been stained. "Don't you know how rude it is to just leave the waste of your animals lying around!"
Hakeshna, what a temper... And foul personality this man possessed! She wasn't even on the receiving end of his tongue, but she already found she didn't like him.
"Um, excuse me, but Kaadir's are animals- this is what they do." She should know, she was the one shoveling it all day. "Besides, it's what I get paid to do. Now please step aside, sir, so I can remove it." And she'd shovel him into the pile if he kept up that temper! She was tired and hot and had no time for this. The other attendant had left because he was 'ill'. Oh, how she could have throttled Jesmin for leaving her to work on this alone all day! But she needed the money... Hakeshna how she needed the money and more.
The nerve of another trying to intrude on his tantrum made Andran suddenly turn on her. His head reeled snapped in her direction and when he saw her face something in him stilled, viewing the 'A' imprinted onto her eye, and the burnt skin around the branding. His anger seemed secondary, for the brevity of the moment.
His face burned and he looked back at the Kaadir's owner and was surprised at the sensation he was feeling. Was he actually feeling ashamed? "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get...explosive. And I didn't mean to make a scene. And to you Kaadir Herder, I apologize as well." And with that Anran bowed deeply.
Normally, she'd be grateful the man actually listened but the second she saw his expression when he noticed her face, she inwardly blanched while her stomach chilled. Gritting her teeth, she barely comprehended what was going on as she stepped passed the two conversing to get even closer to the Kaadir poop.
"Yes, well, I've got some work to do so if you'll please.." and she kept her gaze lowered and diverted of his, hoping her hair was once again hiding most of the mark. Hakeshna's name! Why could it not be later in the day? Or sometime earlier- when there could be more shadows to help blend her in. But as it were, she had to move about uncomfortably now before the two once what she was was already seen. And well, she had a job to do- not a proud one, but she was still thankful for it and now she wanted nothing more than to hide herself back into her job.
Hakeshna, what a fool! The man, evident by his clothing (and the fact he could even afford horses, reminded her of his status- but also that of the woman's. And in reality, she was intruding,a nd had been rude. Had the man called her out on it...
She grit her teeth, not wanting to think of the consequences as she moved to grab her shovel from the cart.
What an unexpected shift! Eta blinked as the man went from enraged to humbled, and glanced curiously at the woman as she stepped around them. What had that been all about? But Eta hadn't yet seen her mark; she had been too focused on the man yelling at her to get a good look at the woman's face.
Turning again to the man, she shrugged. "I've fallen in enough shit to know it's not exactly conducive to a cheery mood," she said. "No hard feelings. But look, if you want me to replace your stuff, I will. Seeing as you apologized for the tantrum and everything."
She looked again at the woman and stepped a bit further away, tugging Sunshine along with her. She didn't want to be in range when she started shoveling!
While the two conversed, Harmanaija set to work, shoveling one large goop of shit at a time. And man was it foul. The poor man... it took every ounce of her being to keep herself composed- but even she wanted to gag. Stealing a glance to the kaadir, she tucked back a smile and went back to work. The poor herder- to think,s he had suffered a fate the same as he....
She just hoped this man was wise enough to pardon himself to go get bathed. The Niafi River, thankfully, was not so far. In fact, she could see the line of palm trees that followed the fertile river for miles, all the while hefting away at the shit and piling it onto her cart.
Once the work was done, she took a moment to wipe the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand before grabbing onto the cart and moving on towards the next pile of waste-
though she didn't get very far when the cart got stuck on something, and the most unfortunate thing occurred, for not only did poor Harmanaija find herself losing her grip on the cart and falling clean onto her face, but the cart- being about as shitty as the shit residing in it's bed, took a turn for the worst- and over it went, shit spilling everywhere.
And it seemed that those children, the ones so conveniently still around from earlier, turned around to spot the stable attendant on the ground and laughed gleefully at her plight. And all Harmanaija could do we sulk and sigh a she pushed her nose from the sands and turned to observe the mountain sized pile of shit beside her. Thank the Gods she had missed falling into that.
Today, it seemed, was just destined to be a shitty day.
Because when that cart suddenly broke and spilled crap all over the place...
Well, as it turned out, what Eta had thought was a "safe distance" was not so safe at all.
For somehow, by some cosmic joke, a moist piece of crap went launching through the air--and struck Eta right in the ass, ruining her kilt as it splattered messily and making it look like she'd had a rather unfortunate accident herself.
For a second, Eta just stood there, staring straight ahead at the merchant that had gone diving into a pile. She stared at him in stone cold silence, her shoulder stiff and her jaw set. Then finally she let out a slow, resigned sigh, her shoulders slouching and eyes closing.
"I deserved that, didn't I?"
Anran always knew the Goddess had a cruel sense of humor. And Eta wasn't the only one who got covered in a sudden flailing spray of fecal matter. Anran blessed his own experience in worse things having happened in his life - even still, it took a considerable amount of effort not to retch and he was face yet again with an onslaught of laughing chilldren. This time they weren't so luckt however and he exploded and threw his tunic off his head and chased them with it. "Get out of here! You bratty little shits!" he howled and threw his tunic on the ground
"Don't worry," he said, flashing a haf-amused glare at Eta. "It can always be worse. Hey, don't just stand there looking like a dolt. Grab a shovel!" Anran had been humbled enough in his life, and enough to know that once in a while everyone needed help. Despite the smell and the heat of the stables, at least being half disrobed had helped in that regard and he was easily working up a sweat as he started to help the "A" scarred woman in shoveling the Kaadir mountain back onto another, hopefully sturdier, cart. "You're buying me new clothes," he said a bit harshly to Eta, but kept his temper more or less in check. "Just so that you're aware. And this woman too! It was your Kaadir after all!"
Eta wasn't the only one staring. What was going on? What was this man doing!? Why was he shoveling!?
"Oh, no! Please! You do not have to do that!" Harmanaija insisted, trying to reach for the shovel to halt him, but flinched back, fearing he'd start shoveling her or shit onto her by mistake. Cringing, she stood watching, hesitant, and not sure how to handle this. By his action alone, and his statement, she could be fired! Even if he was helping.
"Please.. I can do this myself. It is my job," she told him, finally becoming brave enough to reach out and rest a hand upon the handle of his shovel. "And really.. this woman owes me nothing. It was an accident." And then to drive her point home, she added, "And we all make mistakes."
Hakeshna knew this might be one of them!
"So if you please... I do appreciate the help, but my boss would be very angry for it. This is not your responsibility. I was the one who was not careful. So it is I who should offer you both to wash your clothes."
But oh, by Hakeshna's name! Did she really just say all that?
OOC: I think I read that correctly that he was telling Eta to buy himself and Harmanaija clothes or something :| if not I'll edit
"Well then all the better reason for us to clean it up as quick as we can, now isn't it?" Anran said, flashing a momentary grin before he shoveled a large pile onto the cart. He cut his eyes to the Kaadir owner. "Well, ain't ya gonna lend a hand?"
Eta glared at the man, her hands curling into fists as he once again gave her that attitude! She had offered, before the second shitsplosion, to replace his clothing as a courtesy since he had apologized, and now here he was acting mean and entitled again! And bossing her around! After throwing yet another baby-tantrum at a group of children!
And now suddenly the broken cart was her fault, too?
"Oh yes. Hakeshna forbid my animal shit. Perhaps I should train him to hold it and use the public facilities like people," she said, expression deadpan and unamused. She made no move to grab the shovel. If she was going to start shoveling, she was going to do it on her terms, not because this ill-tempered man was trying to insult her into it! How dare he call her a dolt!
Ignoring the woman's protests, she grabbed a shovel, leveled the man with a foul look, and then smiled pleasantly at the woman. "Tell you what. You wash my clothes, I help you shovel this up." She shot another glower at the man, and then looked back to the woman. "Which, by the way, I am doing because I want to, and not because some bully over there is bitching. It's my job back home, anyway. Shoveling kaadir crap like a princess. And then--"
She froze, because she looked at the woman then--actually looked at her--and saw part of the bubbling scar on her face. Her hair was still covering most of it, but...
She bit back a wince. "And then I'll buy you new clothes," she continued without looking at the man. "Since you have been very polite and kind about this whole matter."
"What? I... You want to buy me clothes?" Clearly she must've heard this woman incorrectly. But she found herself gaping too long when the pair of them began to help her, even if they were being grumpy towards each other. She had no idea what to make of this, and found herself cautiously returning to her work, but with three people on it, the shit was shoveled in no time and Harmanaija was glad for it, as she took this moment to wipe the sweat from her brow.
"I think that's the last of it. Thank you. The both of you." But even with the work done, she did not know what to make of either of them. Most wouldn't have given her the time.of.day.
What Eta perceived as 'attitude' Anran likely though he projected only an eager working attitude. And by the time they were done with the laborious task - Anran having done most of the work compared to the two women - he was dripping heavy beads of sweat and he wiped his brow with the back of his hand. He likely wouldn't smell very good after this.
"There's no need to thank me," Anran said resolutely. "That was more work than I have done in a long time. I guess I ought to consider it a lesson in humility." And he cut his eyes to the Kaadir owner. Looking back to Harmanaija, he stuck his hand out to shake, after cleaning it on the side of his trousers. "Anran Haidan."
"Anran?" Though Harmanaija had reserves about shaking his hand with her soiled gloves, it was his name that struck her. "The merchant prince once slave?"
Then she realized her manners, and how rude it was to say such a thing.
"I.. that is to say, I didn't mean it in offense.."
and there he was, still keeping his hand out for her to shake as she cringed. She removed her glove, not wanting to soil him anymore than was necessary, before giving him a meek hand shake then turning away and slicking back some of her hair. He wasn't the only one here stinky and sweaty.
At her realization of his identity, a part of himself he wouldn't have relinquished to anybody, Anran's eyes stopped smiling. He stiffened, visibly, almost retracting his hand before she shook it tentatively. "Ah...yes," he said, his own voice lacking the confidence he normally possessed. "I am that Anran. But that was indeed a long time ago. Still, a little hard work goes a long way and I'm sure your boss didn't even notice you had an extra hand to help you."
But unfortunately, as Harmanaija peered around- her boss already did. With a sigh she thought, 'Well so much for that.' But she turned to the others and bowed her head before them.
"Thank you both for helping me. But I should return to my work. If you'd like me to clean your clothing, then I shall do so at the end of my shift." Unfortunately she couldn't do it now, or she'd suffer a serious flogging. Or worse.
And to Eta now she turned and gave the woman a small but warm grin.
"Your kaadir is very beautiful. I bet you spent a lot of time training her," she commented, hoping to lessen the tension of their lousy situation.
Oooooh. Awkward. Eta glanced up at the sky, pretending not to notice, and bit back the urge to let out a low whistle. Thank Hakeshna she wasn't the only one about with lacking social skills.
"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that," she said in a stage whisper as she wedged her shovel into the pile loaded on the cart. Even though she found Anran rather prickly, she wasn't about to try to shame him. A freed slave was no longer a slave.
At the comment about her kaadir, Eta couldn't help but snort, finally looking at the woman instead of pretending not to hear their conversation. "Oh, Sunshine? Heh. He's a he, actually," she said with the hint of a smirk. She pat Sunshine's scaly muzzle. He butted her hand in response and blew air out his nostrils, enjoying the attention.
"Lucky for you, he doesn't understand enough to take offense. And he is beautiful. Isn't that right, Sunshine? Aren't you a pretty boy? Yes, you are! Yes, you--!"
She stopped, turned back to the woman, and cleared her throat, expression going stoic again. "Ahem. Right. I'll...I'll let you get back to your work." She gave a stiff bow, and paused. "Speaking of, when was your shift done, did you say?"
Harmanaija blushed at her ignorance.
"Oh, he. Yes, yes he is." She said, smiling sheepishly as the kaadir owner went on to coo at her animal. Swiping a lock of dark hair from her face, she gave a nod at the question when it was presented to her.
"I work until sundown." Which, judging by the hour of the sun now- was a long ways off... and there was a lot of shit steaming in the heat of the afternoon that needed her attention. "If you wish, I could... I.. I Mean I could ask for an early leave to tend to this now and work through the night." And she dropped her gaze humbly. She at least hoped her employer would understand. Though she wasn't sure she'd still have her job after all was said and done.
Anran's eyes turned as hard as flint as he watched a squat balding man across the stables staring at all three of them and crossing his arms in front of his chest. He was portly and with a splotched badly sunburned face. "Well, if he doesn't understand, I'm sure I can give him a piece of my mind to make him do so. It wasn't your fault after all," he said, glaring at the man.
Harmanaija gasped when she saw who Anran was glaring at.
"Oh, no! I don't want any trouble! Not for you! Not for him! I..." And here she grit her teeth, staring shamefully into the sandy grasses. "I'm just lucky to be employed." He had no idea how luck it took her to even be allowed to just apply for this job. The man only hired her because the last three men all stole from him. And now he was looking for number four...
"Please..." she said, raising her gaze to his, imploring him to turn the other cheek. Let his anger be directed elsewhere.
Eta looked from Anran to the woman, and her expression softened. She looked so panicked at the suggestion!
"Don't get fired on our account. That's ludicrous," she said, and shot Anran a warning look, a 'don't make a scene' look. "Finish your shift. Besides, it's not that important." She gave a little shrug. "I was only agreeing to that so you'd feel better about accepting the help, but really...I work with kaadir. I've cleaned shit all my life."
Sunshine was starting to grow antsy from standing in one place so long, tossing his head and making grunting sounds. Eta stroked his neck to soothe him, but shared his sentiments--she really, really wanted to change clothes, ugh.
"Tell you what. This whole thing was, I suppose, sort of my fault." She shot Anran a sheepish look; it was true, if she'd been quicker to get her kaadir's waste cleaned, he wouldn't have fallen in it, and the cart wouldn't have broken. "How about you finish your work, you--" She pointed to Anran. "--clean yourself, and I treat everyone to a stiff drink sometime tonight, because Hakeshna knows, we all need it. Does that work?"
What she wouldn't do for a drink right now.
"Are you sure you can both wait?" She inquired, wringing her hands nervously as she peered around.
Anran cut his eyes between the pair of them and then back to the portly owner that began to stare at all of them intently. "Ah," he sighed, stepping back. "I suppose there are worse things than a smelly old shirt. I'm not sure I even want it back."
He shrugged and plucked it from the ground before moving back to the stable hands that had managed to get the wild horse under control. "Russaf, go find a hole to put that in and keep the exchange," he said, slipping the boy a coin and he ran off with it, though not without making a face.
"I will go make due on that promise, and it was a smelly pleasure to make either of your acquaintances," Anran said with an awkward laugh and bowed before heading back to the nearest bathhouse.
THE LLAMA'S LEMONS
It was an... odd place to be, that was for sure, but one of the best known places around these parts to get a drink. Though Harmanaija never frequented these sorts of establishments, it did not mean she had never heard of them. And oh, Hakeshna, the day had been a long and trying one! After all of the shit was shoveled and done with, she made her own way to a bath house, scrubbing herself down thoroughly before going home and slipping into a simple dress. Then fussing over her hair more than she ought to have, she just let it settle back over her face, ensuring the mark was as covered as she could get it before making her way over to and then into the LLama's Lemon.
A famous lemon drink mixed with a foreign liquor was all the rage here, and is what gave this unique place it's name. The Llama sculptures adorning the inside explained the other half, as Harmanaija timidly stepped into the place and peeked around, hoping to find any signs of either Anran or Miss Eta.
"i thought I was the only one that was going to show up," Anran said as he spotted Harmanaija enter into the tavern proper. There was lively conversation and a music playing out by the small stage. Men drank and laughed, downing the house specialy, "Bomba Llama", or so the firewhiskey and lemon drink was called. Anran didn't sample any for himself, but then again, he too had only just arrived.
"Come I've got a table over here," he said, smiling and heading back to the table. "Don't worry, nobody will pay much attention to you here. The beer is good, and they're focused more on getting to the next one. You look nice, by the way." Anran smiled and helped her into her seat.
For himself he'd ordered a beer, a plate of fried potato slices, but he'd yet to touch any of it. He hadn't seen Eta yet, but he supposed a bite to eat wouldn't hurt. He was imply dress, in a loose, embroidered tunic and cotton trousers and he'd gotten out of those smelly clothes long ago. Still...he wondered if he still stunk. Hakeshna, he hoped not!
Harmanaija gasped at the voice and whirled around.
"Mister Haiden!" A hand went to her chest. "You scared me!"
When he mentioned a table, she gave a brief nod, dark turquoise hair moving just slightly to reveal more of the 'A' scarred onto her face, which, she grew more self conscious of the moment Anran brought it up. She dropped her gaze, but at his compliment, her cheeks lightly flushed as she peered up curiously at him and was rigid when he helped her into her seat. It had been ages since anyone had treated her that way, or rather, had not passed such easy judgement due to her mark. Most presumed the worst, as her husband had. But at times, she felt proud for her mark- but after all she had been through....
She almost wished she had never been such a fool. But at least now she was free.
After being quiet for a while after such comments, she peered over at Anran a moment and gave a nod.
"I've never been here. Are there any good drinks at this place?" She wasn't quite found of most alcohols. Wines and beers were never her thing, but she did hear good things about certain mixed drinks they served here. Whatever that was.
But the place was thriving, the noise almost unbearable as everyone around them seemed to be having a good time. The laughter startled her the most as she peered over her shoulder at a nearby table, mostly full of men who were enjoying themselves while exchanging stories. This made Harmanaija frown as she turned around.
"You know I really am sorry what happened today. I.. I know it's been said enough but, I suppose it was just embarrassing for us all." And idly, she rubbed at the bruises on her arm. she was lucky that was all she received and hadn't gotten fired. But she had a hunch that employer liked to watch her suffer, or pretend she was any other woman but a marked one.
"I'm prepared to pay for your bath if necessary."
She knew the bath houses were expensive.
Anran put his hands up, shaking them off. "Not at all! Please. I...I have more than enough, er, resources to take care of such a small matter. Really, it is just a tunic, and a coat, and a three-hour bath with proper bathing oils and salts. Kaadir...mess is a lot harder to get out than I anticipated, but I hope I got everything."
Then suddenly he blushed and his eyes grew wide. "Why? Did I not get everything, do I smell really bad still?" he asked in earnest.
Harmanaija's eyes went wide.
"No, I don't think so. Though I'm not the best person to ask. I work with ... That all day. If anything, I'm sure I still reek a little of the stables," she admitted with a blush and dropped gaze. "Working in that sort of.. profession isn't the most luxurious of jobs but," she said with a sigh. "It pays the bills."
Eta was late, and she wanted to kick herself for it. But she had work to finish up, for her dalliance at the stables had cost her some time. That, and a few unexpected things had come up that needed to be dealt with--one kaadir had stepped on a nail, and that was never fun to handle. By the time she finished, she was exhausted, but she still needed to get cleaned up before she could go anywhere public, and that had taken an extra hour. Kaadir shit was not fun to clean off clothes, not to mention the muck she'd gotten all over her.
She'd rushed out the door with her thick hair still wet, and dabbed on some perfume to be double sure she didn't smell like a hard day's work. And then she was off, bustling down the road and hoping she wouldn't be that one idiot that showed up after everyone had already left. Or maybe they hadn't come at all. Or maybe they thought she'd stood them up. Ughhh!
Entering the Llama's Lemons (a name that made her snicker in her head like a 12-year-old boy), Eta looked around awkwardly, feeling a little lame. She wasn't too late--five or ten minutes, maybe?--but she was already deciding on a back-up plan if no one showed. If no one showed, she'd stay anyway so she didn't look like too big of a loser.
But then she heard familiar voices, and caught sight of the two already at a table.
Relief washed through her, and her expression brightened. Thank Hakeshna she hadn't mucked this up entirely.
Heading over to the table, Eta gave a little wave. She looked a little different with her hair worn down and out of its loose ponytail, and dressed in a vibrant-colored, and nearly sheer, robe. It was clear from the fabric that she came from money, though she wore no jewellery but the kaadir-claw necklace and several pairs of earrings. "Hey, sorry I'm so late," she said. "Had a little trouble back home."
And then, standing back and looking them both over, her lips quirked into a small smile. Her eyes lingered longer than they should have on the woman, though--particularly, her scar--but she looked away when she realized that was rude. "You both clean up nice. Mind if I...?"
She motioned to a seat next to Harmanaija.
Harmanaija found her own self staring at Eta, though for completely different reasons. The woman was not ugly by any means, but she hadn't considered to think of her aesthetics until she showed up, well groomed and dressed. And it made her feel more self conscious. Eta was a beautiful woman, so when the woman finally asked about having a seat, Harmanaija suddenly dropped her gaze, cheeks turning pink as she nodded.
"Y-yes, by all means!" she said a bit more enthusiastically than intended. "We were just talking about shit." She said, and gave a helpless shrug. "So, you really haven't missed much." And she moved her hand to lightly rake through her hair, exposing more of the mark on her face before her dark hair sifted through her fingers and recovered it again.
But what suddenly caught her nose was something else. Not something repulsive but sweet. It was perfume,a nd it made Harmanaija realize she was dealing with two people of money. By Hakeshna's name, how did she end up here?
Anran laughed sheepishly. "Well, the removal of shit to be more precise. But enough unpleasant talk," he said and grinned ear to ear. "I believe you promised cold beer, Eta."
"I'm so thirsty I could drink twenty beers," Harmanaija sighed but then realizing what she said, she gestured with a wave of both of her hands. "Not that you have to buy them all! I've brought my own money to purchase my own drinks. Not that I could drink that much but... It was just a figure of speech." Ugh. She felt so out of place, perhaps twenty beers would do her a world of good.
"If you could drink twenty beers, I think I would pay just to see it," Eta said, lips quirking and eyes crinkling with amusement. She waved a hand, attracting a veiled young man.
Many of the servers here were slaves; it didn't even occur to Eta how awkward that might be for Anran.
"In fact, I reckon by the time you'd downed twenty drinks, I'd be too drunk myself to even care about the bill. Ah, a round of cold beer for my friends, and anything else they'd like tonight. I'll be paying," she said, addressing the slave with that last part. With a bow, he scurried off to fetch their drinks, and Eta returned her attention to her new companions.
"I hope neither of you have anything important to tend to in the morning?"
"Important? Unless you count shoveling animal dung important, then no, I can't say that I have." With a sigh, she tried to shake off the thought. No need to dampen the mood because she had an unglorified life. "What about you two? Do you have any interesting plans for the week?"
Eta snorted at that and waved a hand. "Sounds a lot like what my morning will be," she said. Raising kaadir was not as glamorous as some might think. "And my week, for that matter. Ah, I'm not sure how interesting this is to people not in the business, but I'm meeting with a prospective buyer who was interested in Sunshine. And sometime in the next few days, we're expecting eggs. Sunshine's mama got knocked up again, and it's any day now!"
"Oh, eggs?" Harmanaija perked up. "How many can a kaadir lay?"
"That depends!" Eta said, brightening at Harmanaija's interest. She sat up straighter and leaned an elbow on the table so she could look at her. "Sometimes only one or two, but I've had kaadir lay up to five! That poor thing was so bloated by the end, it couldn't have been comfortable! The babies are so adorable, though..."
"Oh, I don't think I've ever seen any when they are young! Do your kaadir lay eggs often?"
"Every breeding season!" Eta said, puffed up with pride now. "We have several males and females--generally, we keep a ratio of one male to every five females--and we get a lot of young every year, and they go fast! Some people buy them up when they're still babies because they want to raise them themselves. The guardsmen do that, and a lot of performers who use them ceremonially or in reenactments, because they have very specific training needs and it's best to start them when they're tiny. So that takes care of a large chunk of the babies. The rest, we raise and train for standard uses and sell them when they're ready, because not everyone wants to train a kaadir--I don't blame them!--and would rather get one that's already well-behaved and potty trained and--"
She froze, suddenly aware that she was rambling. Flushing a little, she cleared her throat, and right on cue, a slave arrived with their ale.
Eta scooped hers up and took a swig. "Eheh. Sorry. I, ah...I guess I get a little excited about kaadir."
"Oh! Don't apologize! It's wonderful how much you adore your profession. Was it easy to decide to that for a living?" she inquired, raising her drink to her lips, which had been other wise neglected and sipping at it.
"You could say that," Eta said with a smile. "I was born into it and took over for my father, but I would have done it anyway, given the choice." Then she bit her lip, suddenly finding herself at an awkward place. She...didn't think it would be polite to ask those same questions of Harmanaija. So instead, she took another long sip.
"How's the drink?"
"Oh, it's very good. Then again, most alcoholic drinks are," she replied and turned to Anran. "What about you? Do you own any kaadir, Lord Haidan?"