Heart of A Lion

Shooting Straight

" Move your cheek away from the string and breath out with the release." Shasa spoke in Zanaes, and Amara knew she was being watched by more than just her. Once she was allowed to practice the bow more she found that her talent was greater than she thought, those long night of aiming for a thin crack had developed her into a great archer that the tribe thrilled to watch. At first it had bothered her but she came to realize that they respected her for it whereas no one in the civilized kingdoms would have. Amara had learned their tongue and their culture accepting both as her own.

The arrow left her bow with a hiss and hit the string of feathers that hung in the tree sending pieces floating in down in the air. Her family patted her on the back and walked  back onto the trail to join the others that had continued without them.The tribe had been moving toward the ancient city for a week and she knew that anticipated reaching it by the morn. She had stayed with them for three weeks and learned that they enjoyed the work of moving and traveling as well as they enjoyed hunting and feasts.

"Amara you may want to move now the Rhazaki will be upset if you are far behind again." Shasa pulled her forward and it took Amara a moment to pick up her bow. They had agreed to speak only in Zanaes as it would prepare her for the city and though she tried not to think about it, marriage.

The last time she had arrived at camp after sun had set her mother had been worried and Rhazaki was upset because of it. Her horse stood waiting and she pulled her self up without any help. She was becoming stronger and healthier as the sun and work made her feel filled with life. Her skin had had burned at first but slowly turned into a peachier color compared to the pale that it had been before. Her hair grew paler and her body seemed to mature under the Zanaes diet of rich foods that were fresh and eaten without precaution to manners or bite size.

By the time the tribe reached the next camping ground the sky looked as is it would rain and Rhazaki insisted they keep riding through the night to beat the rain. The tribe didn't argue and kept  going only stopping to relief themselves or gather berries or root, meat that they had smoked over wood was passed amoung the children who chewed and rode at the same time. The rain started when they were so close to the heart city that she could see the tall trees on the horizon and the smoke in the air.

It trailed down their cheeks and into their eyes, the paint on their bodies trailed down and soon the puddles that they splashed through painted their bodies fresh. Their horses became muddy dolls and the wagons were loaded with precious belongings while they rode on. The children laughed and shouted while they played in the drizzling water. Amara could not help but run through all the puddles that laid before her, enjoying the cooling sensation against her hot skin as it ran down her face, skin, arms and breasts. Her bow was tucked on her back and she felt the hot coat of Titus beneath her as he bundled his muscles to jump and run. The dark sky sending lightning down and she pushed her heels to send him flying to the head of the column. The Zanaes led behind her urging both horses and feet faster as they rushed forward to the ancient city with new eagerness as their shouts could be heard over the roaring thunder and hooves pounding against the soaked ground.

They broke into a fierce pace and rode hard through the rainstorm with Amara side by side with the Rhazaki and her mother, the Zanaes riding behind them their swords and bows raised abouve their heads the thrill of the rain and the city raising in front of them with each hoof beat against the ground with only the slow and children riding behind them in the back at their regular pace.

 All of the tribe was excited to be home and Amara was glad to see a resting place after so much traveling.

The tall trees that surrounded her were so tall Amara swore they grew into the sky weaving thier uppermost brances into the roof of clouds. She ran her hand against one and swore she could feel the life thrumming in it with all the life that they held. Hundreds of years existed in these trees, she saw people walking forward but could not figure out where they were coming from until she realized that the houses were grown out of the trees, part of the trees with grass flowing around them and the flowers sprouting from the roofs and doors steps and birds sitting on the window sills that were mere holes in the flowing wood. They curved up the trees far up and she could see bridges connecting the trees that people walked across with large baskets. The farther they rode forward more building rose from the ground made of strange stone that was a deep black and caught the light shooting back specks of deep purple, these bulidings rose high and large with carvings of beasts carved into the fronts and large horse and dragons adorning the tops like giant gaurdians watching them on their march.

The tribe dismounted in front of a large pavilion that held a open canopy and a fire pit that looked like he held a fire only seconds before. Most of the tribe seperated in seperate directions to their homes or to the communal houses were guests would sleep, others only leaving to find a drink and some food.

She turned to her mother who was rubbing down her horse and followed by example. Under the open the rain had stopped falling on her and she took a  moment to realize she was filthy and unkept now. Her hair was muddy and trailing out of her briads while her scant clothes and her were plastered with it as well. Rhazaki Great Bear as they called him strode to the house with his small warrior circle and Amara and her mothers trailing behind. They went straight to the large dragon house that she had seen before, the huge oak doors creaking as they were pulled open and two servants brought them to a room filled with naked dancing girls, musicians plucking sweet notes and smoke from incense burning in the air as two men enjoyed their dinner. Rhazaki instantly clasped them into a embrace and spoke something about getting a drink before the servants scampered out of the room and all of them sat at the low table to eat the fruit, seasoned meats and hot vegatables that steamed in front of them.

The men were vastly different in every way possible, one was short and fat with a belly covered by his long beard and covered in tattoos that looked like jumping fish and dancing tigers. His face was round and red but he looked genuinely happy and honest. The other was tall, muscled and brooding with his facial hair moderatly short for the Zanaes, and his arms were covered in a scrolling design that looked like a wind knotted around itself and roots grasping for life amoungst all of that. It was a intricate design that rode up to his shoulders and beneath his vest that covered his massive chest leaving her eyes trailing to his eyes that held deep thought and danger. They were a deep purple brown that looked like they had speckles of green as well. He ate and listened as Rhazaki Great Bear and her mother told stories of the journey, and she was able to enjoy most of her meal without having to speak until the large man they introduced as Rhazaki Ture asked her how she came to be with the tribe.

'I come from the Civilized lands, I was banished and sold to slavery but Rhazaki Great Bear's wife is my mother and has given me freedom. I am honored to ride with the Zanaes and look forward to my stay in the ancient city."

 She bowed her head back to eat and he wished her happy stay in the city with a large smile.

' You let me know if you need anything or would even like a tour, we have many things for a stranger to see. Your mother tells me you speak the rough tongue as well as the civililzed one, that will make your stay easier."

 He went to say something else before he was interrupted by the brooding host that had not been introduced to her yet with a slammed fist and a deadly stare.

"NO! She is not even one of us and yet we welcome her to see the sacred city she can not respect as we do. She has not even been married and we treat her like she is one of us, because she can speak what they call the rough tongue- it's our tongue damn it. This is wrong. I do not support this as she does not expect us and our life. LOOK AT HER! She looks uncivilized not us!" He had pushed his bowl forward and stood up after shouting in the Zanaes tongue and started to leave the room in a rush before she stood and put a hand on his chest to still him.

" I am not one of you and no, I am not bound to another as I should be. But neither are many of the other women amoung your people. I am no acception you have not seen, I have strove you respect your people and accpet their culture you may do the same for me while I am here, or how else will I look like any of you or understand your ways like I am trying." She spoke in Zanaes and hoped to make a point as she turned and left out the door before him and ran to where her horse was tied up and swung herself on with her beating against her back she rode her horse hard only looking back to see her mother and Great Bear yelling with the brooding man only watching as she rode away in the rain, just to escape the world and all the anger and grieve that was coming out in pouring tears.