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Ancient Friends [WolfXSong]

Wolf

Wolf

Super-Earth
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
[CONTINUED FROM PM]

Ix huffed and raised an eyebrow as she flaunted herself before him. They were good friends but she sure loved to mess with him. The wolf-boy looked downward and away out of decency. "I don't know how much your father would approve of that, Miss Sabah" he called, watching her as she waded through the water. "You ought to be more conservative with your garb" he added. "Even though this is a private portion of the river"

He turned and shooed the servants away, a little flustered and suddenly quite conscious of her privacy. "Go on then, be on your ways, I'll assure that she returns safely" he barked. Ix sat down then on the silt of the Nile's banks and alternated between scanning the river for onlookers and then trying to keep an eye on her while still respecting her privacy. "Be careful!" he called to her. "Don't go too far out where the current is stronger"
 
She sighed. Sabah always knew how to bring her back. She was in rare form today. She moved to the robe and pulled it on and sat down. Her eyes shone with tears. Something was bothering her big time. She only went to such extremes to catch his attention when something big and changing was happening in her life.

She sighed and looked at him and bit her lip. Her tears didnt fall though. Royalty did not cry for risk of smudging their make up. "They plan on marrying me off soon. Father is sick and wishes to see me married. I am sorry Ix, I didnt mean to make you feel uncomfortable." She hung her head and bit her lip.
 
Ix watched as she waded back to the shore and handed her her robe and looked away as she donned it and plopped down in the sand. He didn't know what had come over her. She usually teased him but rarely like this she'd only gone so far as to get naked in front of him a few times before. Otherwise their relationship had been pretty simple. She would tease him, he wouldn't react, and occasionally he would tease her too. She always asked him silly questions, and sometimes really serious ones too. He felt as though she trusted him, and he liked her a lot.

A short sniff from her caught his attention as he was about to begin preparing for them to head back to her home. He looked down at her and saw a few tears drip from her cheek. Her words came as a bit of a surprise to him. They hit him a little hard, eliciting odd feelings that he hadn't come to expect. Of course, he knew that she'd be married soon. She was certainly of the age and she was from a very powerful family. He took a moment to surpress whatever odd emotions he had felt flare up and then sat down next to her. He squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "Miss Sabah, you must have known this would happen soon." he said, using his sleeve to dry her face. "Don't worry about me. You didn't upset me or anything." Ix sighed and looked at the blaring image of the sun dancing along the surface of the water. "Your father is a good man, and I'm sure he will find a gentle man to be your husband. He would not marry you to someone with an ill temper."
 
"I know. I know." She shut her eyes and chuckled and shook her head and swallowed and looked at him with a weak smile. "It is just that, I didn't expect it would happen this soon. I just dont feel like a woman. I feel like a child still. I want to swim down the Nile like I used to. The way we used to." She shut her eyes and then looked down. She stood up and began to head home. "I just dont want to be not loved. I want to feel love." She sighed adn shook her head.

She looked at Ix and held his hand in friendship the way she did when she was little and really frightened. "I am sorry Ix. I promise I will be better." She sighed and nodded. "Race you back to the palace." She took off running back to her normal. Or acting like she was. She was so angry and hurt but not at Ix. He was her rock.
 
Ix's strong hand closed around hers. "I know, I still kinda feel like a kid too, but all of a sudden I'm in charge of making sure you're safe and I get my own pay and everything. I've still got a year or two but soon they'll be trying to marry me off too" he sighed. "There are people who love you though, Miss" he assured her as he stood. She challenged him to a race and took off, kicking sand about all over the place. He scooped up her sandals and shook his head. She'd take a lot of taming before she was prim and proper enough to be married, anyway. Still, he couldn't quite smile the way he was before she'd shared her news.

Sabah was of course no match for Ix's inhuman speed, but he remained just a few strides behind her, hoping to let her win, or at least tease her by stealing the victory a few paces before they reached her home. Besides, he still wasn't totally in control of his lupine side, and he often couldn't isolate traits. That is, sometimes he'd try to just utilize his night vision and end up with a super strong sense of smell to go with it, or he'd try to put on a monstrous burst of speed and end up with hairy forearms and an arched back. It was a little embarrassing, but he was training a lot more often with his father and getting better every day.
 
She smiled adn soon was at the palace. She frowned as he ran ahead. She chuckled and shook her head as she ran up behind him panting. She sat down and sighed and looekd at the way she had ran and then looked back at him and grinned. "So your going to get married to? But we will stay together right? I mean." She shook her head and knew she was acting like a child. "Never mind." She bit her lip adn began to walk away and rubbed her forehead.

She sighed walking to her room and sat on her lounging chair and leaned back and smiled and looked at him. "So what shall we do? When we get old? Will I have to get another bodyguard or will you stay my bodyguard." She asked. She couldnt shake the thought and the question from her head. She was desperate to know the answer.
 
Ix followed her through the winding passages of the palace to her room and sat in the entryway, leaning on the doorframe. "Yes, of course I'll be married too. Most likely to one of the dumb girls in my tribe" he laughed. "Ah but she'll be pretty enough I'm sure, and a wife is a wife. I guess it won't be so bad...huh?" he shrugged. He watched as she laid out on her large chair and fixed those mischievous amber eyes on his own.

"Yeah, well I guess that's up to your family. I've been raised to protect you, and I've been with you for quite a few years now. I hope I still get to be your personal guard for a long time more. I like keeping you safe" he admitted. "Although you never make it all too easy"
 
"I like you keeping me safe." She chuckled and looked down. She bit her lip and frowned soflty. "I am sorry I dont make it easy." She moved up and over to a statue of a cat and stroked his hand over its head and smiled. She moved around to the doorway and sighed kneeling and inhaled the scent on teh breeze. It was a beautiful day.

"I hope you get to be my personal guard." She smiled adn nodded.
 
Ix nodded. "I'd like that." They sat in silence, just enjoying the fragrant, temperate day. After a while a servant found them and told Ix that his father was looking for him, and that it would be okay to leave Sabah for a while because she was safe and in the palace now. Ix trusted this particular servant so he crossed to Sabah and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't fret too much about what we talked about okay?" he said. "Everything will work out fine. It's always been my job to keep you safe, so I will" he assured her. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, I'll be down in the palace hall when you're ready to start your day"

With that Ix followed the servant down through the palace and met up with his father. Ix's dad was a large man, with lean, sinewy arms. His hair was black and grey and flowed down his back in a tight braid. His eyes were the same stone grey as Ix's and his skin even a bit darker than his son's complexion. Ix smiled and fell into step with his dad. "Did you practice today?" his father asked. Ix nodded. "Yeah, a little bit. Is that why you've called on me, father?"

Seth, Ix's dad lead him out of the palace and down into lowtown, where the servants lived. It was shady in lowtown, but most of the families were close-knit. "Yes, if you are to remain that girl's protector, then you must be able to go full soon. At least by the end of this month."

Ix nodded, waving at some of his tribe as they passed by in the narrow street. "I know dad." he sighed. Ix really wanted to be able to transform fully. He'd gotten close once but then it had rebounded and he had been shocked out of his abilities for the next three days. It was around this age that most boys of his tribe who possessed the Gift learned to change fully.
 
Sabah looked up and smiled and leaned her head against his arm. When he left she turned adn stood up. She bit her lip and breathed a prayer of his safety as he left, like she always did. With a smile she moved over to a bowl that held her incense and lit it and moved to the balcony and watched the sun set on her lovely home. She smiled and walked back and opened a box. Like always, there was that lovely cube of honey comb. Sticking it into her mouth, she moved to her bed adn sat on it and watched the sun go down. She prayed to anyone that would listen for her happiness in teh future.

She leaned back and soon fell asleep after finishing the sweet honey comb.

In the morning she woke up and rubbed her eyes. With a yawn, she got up and dressed in a new dress and brushed her hair adn got ready for the day. She moved down and grabbed some fruit from a tray and yawned looking around at the hall waiting and raised an eyebrow.
 
The night held an exhaustive training regiment for Ix, and although he hadn't gotten any closer to going full, by the end of the night his isolations were looking way better. In the morning his body protested waking with aches and a couple of bruises and cuts from sparring. He shook the grog off and looked out the window. It was already the time that Sabah usually woke up! He said he'd be waiting for her!

Ix rolled clumsily out of bed and splashed water on his face, dressing hastily in a neatly cut white linen tunic and a simple white shendyt. He paid his unruly dark hair little attention as he ran through the front of his house. "Why didn't you wake me?!" he shouted as his mother and two younger siblings, not waiting to hear an answer as he grabbed a handful of dates and rushed out of the house.

"We thought you were dead!" his little sister shouted after him down the street.

Ix made it to the palace in record time, stuffing the remainder of the dates in his mouth and swallowing his makeshift breakfast as he skidded into the main palace hall and slid to a stop beside Sabah. "My apologies, Miss Sabah" he muttered, bowing a little. "I had a most exhaustive night last night" he explained. "Did I keep you waiting too long?"
 
"Its ok." She looked at him and the bruises and frowned. He had been training. She smiled adn then shook her head. "No not long, I was just about to get some breakfast and wondered if you would join me." She lied but he needed rest. She would maybe fake being sick and let him go home early. She moved down and sat at the table. She smiled at the plate of dried meats and fruit. She grabbed some more fruit and began to eat looking at his bruises and cuts. She had no idea what he did, but wanted to ask, but she wouldnt.

She smiled and threw a strawberry at him. 'Eat. eat something." She giggled and looked at him and winked.
 
Ix nodded and followed her to a table. He was grateful for the moment of rest. He always got an upset stomach when he had to wake up too fast. When she tossed the strawberry he lunged and snapped it out of the air, a primeval look of ferocity flashing across his face as Sabah caught a rare glimpse of the spirit of the wolf. He took a bow. "Ta-da" he said, laughing as he swallowed the berry, stem and all. "You eat your breakfast, I am going to meet with some of the advisers and see if anything new is afoot today" he said, flashing her a smile and darting out of the room. He rubbed a particularly painful bruise on his forearm and made a face, then set off for the room where many of the advisers met.

The wolf-boy returned a bit later, no more informed than before. "Looks like the day is up to you" he reported back to Sabah. "So what will it be, Miss?"
 
She laughed adn clapped her hands. She loved it whenever he showed her his powers. She smiled and then leaned back and waited for him eating some more fruit and drinking water.

"I dont know. I planned yesterday." She shrugged and yawned and leaned forward. She sighed adn got up and followed him and smiled and looked at him. "I was thinking of maybe resting, I dont feel too well." She sighed adn moved to the great lounging room and laid down and shut her eyes and yawned smiling.
 
Ix leaned against the wall and watched her. "Oh really?" he asked. "You seemed just fine when just a few minutes ago. Do you think we should call the priests?" For the most part he was teasing her. He knew she wasn't really feeling ill. She was a fine liar, but he had simply spent too long around her not to catch at least some of her fibs. Indeed, the first time the two of them had been brought together was when they were just infants. Ix was always taught to be accustomed to protecting her, even over himself. Even now, or rather, especially now, he felt as though he would gladly give his life in protection of Sabah. It was his duty as well as his desire.
 
She smiled and shook her head. "Fine. But I would really perfer to stay in. It is extremely hot outside and I feel I would much rather relax and maybe play a game or something in my personal hall." She got up and smiled and walked down the way movign to a room that was her lounging area. She moved to some big pillows and leaned back and looked at a table full of games and looked up at him.
 
Ix followed her, staying a few paces behind her and watching her meander through the halls of the palace. The structure was truly impressive, boasting high, vaulted ceilings inlaid with hieroglyphics that told the story of the sun-king, Sabahs father. He watched as she made herself a good roost. The wolf-boy helped by moving some of the furniture around, admittedly showing off for her a little as he isolated the strength of the wolf to push the stone chairs around. "What do you want to play Miss Sabah?" he asked.

He remembered when they used to play some of these very games. It wasn't very long ago. Sabah was right, they were still so young. Or so it felt, to Ix.
 
Her eyes looked over him. She smiled wider and looked down at the many options of games. Suddenly her eyes fell on a game she always won. "I do not know." She smiled and then moved over a complex board game with pegs and holes that consisted of chance and skill. She smiled adn then looked at Ix. "How about I beat your sorry butt at this?" She giggled using a taunt that was as old as their friendship. She sighed adn stretched out. "Royalty goes first." She began to roll.
 
Ix narrowed his eyes. "Miss Sabah, I'm not sure it's quite appropriate for me to..." he huffed "Ah well, okay let's play it" he acquiesced. Ix sat cross-legged across from her as she eagerly set up the board. It was a fun game, surely but Sabah was better at it than he was. On top of that, he had terrible luck with things like this. However, he supposed so long as she was happy playing it, things were okay.

Ix ran his fingers back through his jet black locks and watched her enthusiastically cast the dice. She was already off to a pretty good start. He picked up a die and held it up to his eye. "Are your suuure these aren't loaded?" he teased while she considered her move. He scooped the dice up and rolled them for his turn. To his dismay his roll was most unfortunate. Now, where was he to put his piece? He chose rather randomly and then let her go. Although they played fiercely, she won by a pretty comfortable margin, as she usually did. He laughed and laid back on the rough sandstone floor. "You win Miss Sabah" he said sitting back up and checking the room a bit before settling his back against one of the chairs.
 
She giggled and sat back and laughed clapping her hands. She smiled and put the board away. She smiled and then brought out one of the first playing card decks. She smiled adn held out the deck and grinned. "Lets play a game you have a chance at winning." She giggled and looked at him. She smiled and bit her lip and recieved her hand and began to look it over humming.
 
Ix snatched the cards from her. "A game I can beat you at. You must mean wrestling!" he laughed and glanced at his cards. He really preferred military strategy games but noble girls didn't play those, just the boys.
 
"There is a game you want to teach me. You want to teach me it." She smiled and she knew it. There was a game in her cabinet that never was taught to her. She wanted to learn but whenever her father brought it out, it was around his friends. She pulled her knees to her chest and looked at him and grinned.

"Now who is being inappropriate." She giggled adn looked at him and laughed.
 
Ix raised an eyebrow indignantly "I was not being inappropriate" he said quickly, a little embarrassed. "I just meant...I would win in a physical contest" he explained. "That's all." The wolf-boy glanced at his cards. "Miss Sabah, I don't wish to play anymore. If it's alright, why don't you take a walk to pass the time? Or maybe you could take a cool bath." he suggested.
 
She nodded and put the cards away. Standing up she looked at him, wondering what it was that she had done. She sighed and looked outside and smiled. "I think I will take a walk." She smiled and turned and walked out to her gardens that she claimed but had not upkept anything. Outside she had a large minagere of pets. She smiled and hummed walking along the grass. Sweat began to roll down her forehead though and she frowned thinking she had done something yet again by teasing Ix.
 
Ix hurried out of the palace a minute or two after her and held a large branch out over her to shield her from the sun. "You'll get faint and sweaty if you just walk around in this beating heat." he said. "I feel as though Amon-Ra heard what I said yesterday on the boat and is presently glaring down at me. I do hope I haven't done anything wrong." he muttered a quick prayer under his breath and glanced up at the sun a moment before it became to bright. When he looked away he saw small rings of multi-colored light flashing before his eyes.

Sabah seemed a little off-put as she walked. He hoped it wasn't anything he had done. Ix thought back to when he had refused to continue playing with her. Well, that could have upset her. I hope she knows it wasn't personal or anything! he thought to himself. However, he couldn't exactly bring it up now out of the blue. He sighed. Why had he said it like that? Ix busied himself by ensuring that the branch shielded her effectively and by looking out over the balcony of the terrace on which Sabah's garden was nestled. He scanned the streets and rooftops. He was distracted momentarily by the sound of a scuffle by one of the service entrances to the palace, but it turned out to be a few servants trying to turn away a beggar. Nothing all too dangerous.
 
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