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[No it was great ^^]
A dull pain gnaws on my hide with each stretch of my limbs. Scabs prickling as new skin unfolds beneath the old. It is dreadfully itchy, but I mind myself, knowing better than to scratch that desire. As if sensing my discomfort, Surema moves her nose to my healing wounds. The touch adds a new flare of hurt and need to rake it off. Resisting the initial thought to rebuke her with teeth, I smile tenderly, but shuffle away from her velvet nose. It felt like sandpaper.
Traveling and itching has made me irritable I guess.
I glance away, tail flicking dismissively, as if its movements could easily shake from me these feelings as it does dust and debris. When I turn back I find Surema's blue gaze darkening, her lips retreating, her mind...twisting. Tentatively I extend my nose to her. I hold my breath, not wanting to add my warm exhale to her already sweltering hide. There's a buzz of restrained movement rippling like an electric current beneath her pale hairs before her eyelashes curl up in turn with her smile. I return the graceful tilt of the lips. She will be okay then.
She has always been hard on herself, hard on others, and in some ways, hard on me. I reflect back to the times of our younger youths, still wet babes blundering around, untrained wings letting us strengthen our legs across the wilds. She had been weaker at first, but even then she led me when I could not see. I had been so afraid then and she had been so brave. I would always follow her.
I wish she would see the same strength within her that I see every day.
We pause. We're both tired and I want to mention rest, but I know Surema is anxious to be somewhere. It doesn't matter where, just somewhere. We enjoy our own company and we're not the biggest fans of rules and restrictions, perhaps being too feral too young made us a bit rebellious, but we still feel a yearning for civilization. Despite everything, I do enjoy playing a game or two with others. I can't play such games with Surema, she knows all the rules and all the tricks, same as me.
When we turn and see the stranger then, my heart melts instantly with relief. Finally I want to shout, but instead I walk forward, my legs feeling like a newborn filly again as happiness and weariness flood them. My eyes brighten, and I reach out with a soft voice to this fellow. Surema is not far behind, but her pace is scattered and nervous. She fears him. We've been looking for so long and now that we're here we've quite forgotten what to do with it, with him. Surema is harsher than she means to be, her body pushing into mine, a silent scream to turn back! I hold my ground, returning the pressure faintly. No.
She doesn't dare glance back at me and risk taking her eyes off the stallion (would she have been nicer with a mare I wonder absently), but I know annoyance flickers across her gaze. It's an expression worn for me. I bite my lip to keep from laughing or squeaking, she's grown quite heavy on my shoulders. Honestly, I protest with a shift of my wings, feathers grazing her back side in an admonishing way. She stiffens, affronted by my touch, but she stands up straight. Though, I notice with an inner grin, she does not move. That's okay though, I like knowing she's there, that she's strong.
All of this, this silent conversation and tumulus war, it looks merely like impatient fillies squirming in the heat.
He speaks then and we are both immediately attentive. I'm delighted by his prose, though Surema seems exasperated. We haven't talked to anyone else in some time and then when we do, he is cryptic. I purse my lips, giggling under my breath. Surema catches it and angles a single ear towards me. Why, I even catch a shifting of her eye towards me. How unguarded Surema! I shake my head as though disappointed, but it's so over done she'd know it's jest. Her sides heave in a quiet sigh of irritation. Oh my she is so easy to rile up tonight. Not able to resist provoking her, I flash a grin her way and she swats her tail in response, unamused with a strange stallion to content with. I'll get it later I'm sure, and resist the urge to giggle again.
"Oh my a riddle!" I exclaim then, shifting my attention back to the fellow. I wonder if he knew it ever left him? I'm sure, I was not nearly as subtle with my last accounts. "What does it mean though?" I wonder aloud, head tilting up in serious thought.
Beside me Surema snorts loudly, unimpressed apparently. "He is no more than a nomad himself. And he wants to know our names." Oh of course my little nightingale understood. She is quite musical and intelligent, my lovely Surema. She use to sing very often, but not lately... I pout at her sour mood, my lower lip pushing out from beneath my upper. I didn't miss the disappointment in her voice though. She feels failed - we're not somewhere after all. Not if we've come across a meager nomad. I feel a little depressed myself.
In a slightly less cheery tone I respond to him because I know Surema won't. "I'm Olema, and that's Surema. We were hoping to find a place to stay for a while, we've been walking for some time." Surema says nothing. I think she's lost herself to her mind again.
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