Akkadian
"Awk-ay-dee-Uhn"
He had kept a gentle walk as he drew closer to the mare, and he felt confident. This foreigner stuff wasn't that hard, he could learn their ways and never think of home again. There was no home left anyway, as the only family he knew lay dead and buried. He pointedly avoided wondering who his real family was; that thread of thinking never left him feeling any better and there wasn't anything he could do about it anyway. In fact, with the death of the king, there was no longer anyone he could ask. Unless Tippi was alive.. the king had said she was the one to find him at the water's edge. Perhaps she saw more than she told them. No, he must not think on it. It wouldn't change anything.
Akkadian's cock-sure confidence disintegrated the moment the mare's eyes met his. His heart stopped, time stopped, and his reality fell apart; he didn't comprehend anything she said. In her eyes he saw Jjalari more than he had in anyone else. But it was not real, he reminded himself, just the guilty conscience of a big brother who failed to do is sole duty. This wasn't Jjalari. Jjalari was ripped to shreds along with their mother -her mother- and lost in the sands. His throat closed up and he looked away, unable to endure her eyes any longer. He couldn't speak, couldn't think.
His ears flipped forward, following the sounds of her movement as she stepped up to him. He suddenly felt trapped and constricted, and remained locked tight in his stance, unable to move. Everything inside him screamed for him to bolt, run from this woman who hurt his heart so badly simply by looking the way she did. He slammed his eyes shut and dipped his head lower, his heart racing. She walked to his side, hovering her muzzle over his back, taking in his scent. He stiffened, and his body shuddered where she did not touch.
The intimate distance left him reeling as she stepped away. What was with the mares here and the lack of personal space? He retreated as well, released from her trance, forcing a safer distance between them. But he wanted out of here. Badly. He never should have come, he chided himself.
Jord, she says. I will not hurt you, she says.
But the damage has already been done; by his damned conscience. And he wanted away from here. Immediately. He couldn't breathe.
She turned her back to him, showing trust to a stranger. He prepared to bolt without a word, but he frowned at her instant trust and hesitated. And all too soon he lost his chance to run when her back was turned as she faced him again. Her eyes scoured every inch of him, suspicion now in her eyes; that little bit of trust gone instantly. Trapped again in her gaze, his body would not budge no matter his own demands of it.
Who are you, why are you here, she demands. She was close enough to smell, her own personal smell. He closed his eyes and took it in slowly, allowing himself this fantasy; the dream where his sister yet lived. He was losing his mind, and this was the evidence of it. But his imagination took him to a place so beautiful, a place he didn't want to leave. I said who are you, she demands again, emphasizing her point with a stomp. His eyes stayed closed, a small smile sneaking to the corner of his mouth. It was just how that feisty Jjalari would've done it too. He couldn't remain in this alternate reality, however.
Akkadian pulled away from her closeness, opening his eyes slowly and stepping back and back and back. He needed to be away from here. He desperately needed to clear his mind. So many tumultuous emotions were coursing through him and he couldn't think straight enough to sort them. I am sorry, I must leave, he stated gently, the pain within him causing his voice to be strained. His presence had upset her, and this meeting had upset him.
Please, do not come so close to me again, he requested quietly, but firmly. He couldn't allow that kind of nearness, it wasn't proper. She had only his memories to thank that he had not removed himself before now. Locked as he had been in the vise of wishing his sister was alive. He turned away without looking at her again, and began a steady pace back to reality, where he left his sanity.
Akkadian's cock-sure confidence disintegrated the moment the mare's eyes met his. His heart stopped, time stopped, and his reality fell apart; he didn't comprehend anything she said. In her eyes he saw Jjalari more than he had in anyone else. But it was not real, he reminded himself, just the guilty conscience of a big brother who failed to do is sole duty. This wasn't Jjalari. Jjalari was ripped to shreds along with their mother -her mother- and lost in the sands. His throat closed up and he looked away, unable to endure her eyes any longer. He couldn't speak, couldn't think.
His ears flipped forward, following the sounds of her movement as she stepped up to him. He suddenly felt trapped and constricted, and remained locked tight in his stance, unable to move. Everything inside him screamed for him to bolt, run from this woman who hurt his heart so badly simply by looking the way she did. He slammed his eyes shut and dipped his head lower, his heart racing. She walked to his side, hovering her muzzle over his back, taking in his scent. He stiffened, and his body shuddered where she did not touch.
The intimate distance left him reeling as she stepped away. What was with the mares here and the lack of personal space? He retreated as well, released from her trance, forcing a safer distance between them. But he wanted out of here. Badly. He never should have come, he chided himself.
Jord, she says. I will not hurt you, she says.
But the damage has already been done; by his damned conscience. And he wanted away from here. Immediately. He couldn't breathe.
She turned her back to him, showing trust to a stranger. He prepared to bolt without a word, but he frowned at her instant trust and hesitated. And all too soon he lost his chance to run when her back was turned as she faced him again. Her eyes scoured every inch of him, suspicion now in her eyes; that little bit of trust gone instantly. Trapped again in her gaze, his body would not budge no matter his own demands of it.
Who are you, why are you here, she demands. She was close enough to smell, her own personal smell. He closed his eyes and took it in slowly, allowing himself this fantasy; the dream where his sister yet lived. He was losing his mind, and this was the evidence of it. But his imagination took him to a place so beautiful, a place he didn't want to leave. I said who are you, she demands again, emphasizing her point with a stomp. His eyes stayed closed, a small smile sneaking to the corner of his mouth. It was just how that feisty Jjalari would've done it too. He couldn't remain in this alternate reality, however.
Akkadian pulled away from her closeness, opening his eyes slowly and stepping back and back and back. He needed to be away from here. He desperately needed to clear his mind. So many tumultuous emotions were coursing through him and he couldn't think straight enough to sort them. I am sorry, I must leave, he stated gently, the pain within him causing his voice to be strained. His presence had upset her, and this meeting had upset him.
Please, do not come so close to me again, he requested quietly, but firmly. He couldn't allow that kind of nearness, it wasn't proper. She had only his memories to thank that he had not removed himself before now. Locked as he had been in the vise of wishing his sister was alive. He turned away without looking at her again, and began a steady pace back to reality, where he left his sanity.