Day 1, Late Evening, Caravan of Entertainment (Desert) - Cool Nights

[Aydi al-Qais]

That smile would remain with Aydi as he made his way back to his sleeping namesake. It was time for the dog to leave his postcoital reverie and go hunting for clues and rumours.

/exit

[Raya]

Sora seemed to think a bit before nodding enthusiastically, "Yes! I love that story! I have it in one of the books in my library."

It had been a bit since she had read that one, but she remembered it well enough. Perhaps a fault of having so many books to read.

"You have your own library?" Raya shook her head "amazing. I'm not sure we have what could be called a library between all the caravans. We share stories by word of mouth, transporting lots of books across the desert all the time would be a lot of work."

They reached a small looking caravan which didn't look spacious.

"No luxuries here either sayyeda, hope you're comfortable in close quarters!"

She held open the door to let the princess go in first. Inside was a single bed, and a few shelves with plates and other cutlery. There was a bit of seating space in what looked like a main living area but it was very much small

"Would you like anything to drink? I have some water or I think there is something alcoholic."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Water, please!"

Sora chirped happily, the little caravan wagon small indeed, but seeming cozy and exotic to her sensibilities.

"And it is one of the luxuries my father allows me in exchange for following his rules normally; I've books from as far off as the Ivory Kingdoms and the Empire of Rokugan, as well as many children's stories and scrolls on gardening and such."

She took a seat on a cushion amongst all the others, tucking her legs to one side.

[Raya]

"I wish I could remember more of the Ivory kingdoms. I was young when I saw them" Raya sighed softly as she poured some water into a glass and brought it over to Soraya "It was a really impressive place though I think. Not quite the same as the Jewel but in a different way."

She sat down close to Soraya, smiling.

"But that is another time yet? For now you want to hear how a Ra'shari tells a story!"

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Yes please," Soraya said very politely after taking the glass, sipping the water before holding the cup in her lap with both hands, looking at Raya with sparkling eyes.

[Raya]

"I will do my best. I hope you enjoy it!"

Raya took a moment to drink some of her water before she spoke

"When Fazli was a young boy, he loved the ocean. He would go down every day and watch the water lap at the shore. He saw the fishes jumping, and he would tell his dad 'papa, papa, one day I will fish the most incredible fish! He grew up to be a fisherman, but he never caught that incredible fish, until one day."

Raya moved to sit on the bed, making rowing motions.

"It was a stormy day, but still Fazli went out on his rowboat. He needed to fish, to look after his father and himself. Still, the weather was too stormy, and he was preparing to give up when suddenly his line tugged. A catch, and a big catch! Fazli was excited, he tugged and he tugged and he tugged!"

Raya mimicked tugging up and back on an imaginary rod. Straining, and fighting. lurching forward as if she almost went over and then pulling back.

"Finally, the catch came onto the ship. Except it was no fish. No, it was a woman with fierce red hair, and eyes as blue as the ocean she had been pulled up from. where she should have legs though, instead she had a tail like a fish, as blue as her eyes. Fazli was stunned by her beauty. A catch like no other she was. When she looked up into his eyes, Fazli knew he was in love. He knew though that he could not take this woman back to shore, so he did the only right thing."

She made a lifting and dropping motion.

"Fazli dropped his most incredible catch back into the ocean. The woman, she jumped up out of the river, jumping and diving in thanks, before she swam back to the boat. 'For your kindness, you will be rewarded fair fisherman. Your catches, they will be amazing. This I swear to you'. As she swam away though, Fazli called out. 'Wait!' he shouted. 'Will I see you again?' The woman, she smiled and said simply 'we will meet again', before she dived back under the waves."

Raya sat back down on the bed, and made a slumping motion. Acting out the actions of man who had lost the one he loved.

"Fazli fished the same waters for forty years. He caught the most amazing catches, but he did not want them. He gave the fish to those who needed food, and refused to profit from his fish. They were gifts from the red haired woman of the sea, and Fazli could not profit from them. They were not the incredible catch he wanted. However, it seemed the red haired woman would not return."

Raya turned back to Soraya.

"Fazli became an old man. He never married. The people, they say he was only married to the ocean, and they were almost right. Fazli went out for his one last fishing trip. He had lived his life, and knew he had no other journeys for him. He sighed, wishing as he cast his line one last time, to see her beautiful face once more."

Raya pretended to cast a line once more. She stood like that silently for a while, her shoulders sinking as if she was giving up. Then suddenly she lurched forward towards Soraya.

"Suddenly, a tug! A large catch, strong enough to pull Fazli overboard. He fell into the water, sinking, not having the strength to swim up again. Then he stopped sinking. Arms had wrapped round him. 'You accepted my gift, and used it to help others. You lived a life of kindness, Fazli the fisherman, and now you will be rewarded.'"

Raya fell to her knees, in front of Soraya.

"It was the woman of the ocean. She kissed Fazli, and he grew gills in his neck. His feet, they turned to a tail, and his body reversed its aging until he was a young man. He and his woman of the ocean, they swam off into the horizon, to spend the rest of their life together."

Raya remained close to Soraya, before sitting back and saying "that is the story of The fisherman and the mermaid, the fisherman and the sea princess. My grandfather insisted the story was real, and that he knew someone that was granddaughter of a man that was Fazlis nephew. Who knows? I think it is romantic though. What does Sayyeda think?"

[Soraya al-Menjari]

Soraya listened with rapt attention, reacting to the story with nods and other body language. When Raya was finished, Sora let out a happy sigh, "It is a romantic story indeed; Someone pining their life away to see a beautiful woman one last time."

Having had Raya leaning close to her a moment ago, Soraya leaned forward with a slightly cheeky grin, "Is there someone somewhere whose heart is perhaps pining for Miss Raya, some kind soul you with repay by taking them into your world of caravans and color if they prove worthy?"

[Raya]

Raya looked thoughtful at the question.

"Are there people pining for Raya? I would like to think people think of me so, but I don't know. Certainly I have not found any that I pine for yet, but I cannot say I have looked either. It is hard to find one who your heart beats for when you are forever on the move Sayyeda. In a week or two when the Caravan moves away I could never return here. Best to live in the moment then look too far ahead, yes? And the moment now is spent with you" she winked "so it is a very lovely moment."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

That got the young noblewoman to blush a little, the wink and the compliment.

"But, but... you're so beautiful and charming! I would imagine you would leave a trail of broken hearts behind you as the caravan travels, people pining for you. ...though perhaps I read too many stories..."

[Raya]

Raya laughed, reaching forward to place a hand on Soraya's cheek.

"Sayyeda is as sweet as she is lovely. Do not lose that caring charm, it is wonderful. Perhaps there are some that have loved and pined for me, but if they have they had never told me. I am just me, I go with the music. I sing, I dance, I smile and I laugh. This is me, I am not a complex person."