Tales of the Jewel

Raya had been surprised to receive an offer not only to go to lunch with Qasim, but to actually go to his home! While she knew Qasim was far more accepting of her kind, it was still a big nono among the Dahabi for a Ra'Shari to go to their home. Still, she wasn't going to deny the invite! With the day being hot she had dressed for the weather, wearing a thin red and yellow dress showing an awful lot of skin.

So she made it to the estate! And...wasn't let in. First she was told she wasn't welcome, to which she produced the note. Next, she was told it was forged! Raya managed to keep her calm, and passed the note to prove it wasn't forged. Finally she was told she'd stolen it from someone else.

Exasperated, she finally said "fine, call Sidi Qasim and he will tell you!" and crossed her arms in a huff. One guard eventually did go to fetch the man, while the other stayed where Raya was eying her warily.

Qasim's estate was a little less than half an hour outside the city walls on foot. He would have arranged for a camel to transport her to the estate from the gates but it seemed some wires were crossed.

The front gate was mostly shaded by trees from the almost jungle like vegetation that thrived on the banks of the Great river.. as she waited for him to come she would hear a shout "you did WHAT!?" And a few moments later hurried footsteps as Qasim and the guard that was sent to fetch him both appeared. The guard had the look of an employee who had recieved a fairly thorough dressing down.

Qasim for hit part was wearing a bright red robe fringed in silver that was suitably thin for the weather as well, though not quite sheer. His long jet black hair was tied with silver cord though he was otherwise unadorned. He wore an apologetic smile on his lips as he greeted Raya

"Lleala Raya! Thank you so much for joining me! I'm so sorry about the confusion. My guards can be a bit.....overzealous but thats no excuse for poor conduct."

He gave her a once over with appreciative eyes "and my you've dressed to impress though I think it would be difficult to find clothes that don't look amazing on you." He offered stepping to the side and motioning for her to enter

"Welcome to my home." They said with a smile

There was a bit of a smug 'told you so' look on Rayas face briefly before she settled into a normal smile.

"Sidi Qasim, I am sorry for causing a scene. Your guards are very how you say, focused on duties and not very trusting of Ra'Shari. I understand" she nodded "your home is beautiful, I have seen it from afar but never gotten too close."

She looked down at her outfit then back at the man with a grin.

"Thank you, the weather is very summer so I wanted to be bright. Sidi also looks nice."

She entered, looking around the garden as she walked towards the house.

"You live here alone? It is so big."

Qasim waved a hand in dismissal at her apology "You have done nothing wrong Raya, you responded to my invitation and were harassed at the gates. My heartfelt apology for that." He said bowing to her

He looked down at his robe and back to her smiling "Well thank you. I wanted to find something comfortable but also suitable for guests."

He walked with her through the entryway and garden the paving tiles warm underfoot but not hot due to the ample shade the trees provide "I have a servant that stay on the estate as well but other than that yes no family or anyone like that with me." He says as he opens a door into a main room glazed tiles underfoot and decorated with colorful patterns the room adorned with tapestries and art, paintings and sculptures from different civilizations and an open archway into the courtyard the home was built around.

"But I make do by having lovely company." He said grinning to her "would you like the tour or perhaps you are hungry from your journey and wish to eat first?" He asked raising one questioning eyebrow.

Raya frowned.

"Such a big home and you just share it with a servant. Ra'Shari are always close together, but you could also fit most of our Caravans on this estate. Is it not lonely?"

She looked at him at the question, a curious expression on her face now as she considered how to answer.

"I am thinking it would take a long time to tour the whole property, garden included? I would like to see it though, but I can wait until after eating if you want. You invited me after all, I do not want to keep you waiting for your food."

Qasim shrugged again "I do not spend so much time here between running the shop, meetings in the city, and the time I spend travelling, this is mostly a place for when I wish to get away from it all." He says motioning vaguely toward the city "I do not consider it lonely," a wistful expression touches his face "though I do wish one day to share it with someone a family maybe." Gone as suddenly as it appeared "but no i do not really get lonely here and if I did I have many friends to share time with such as yourself." He smiled

"It is not so big as you might think, doesn't take more than ten or fifteen minutes." He chuckled motioning her to follow "come I show you the interesting places.

He walked through the archway to the courtyard the stones a colorful array on the ground and the place surrounded on all sides with walls and archways but the top open to the sky and sun beating down a balcony at the second level went around the courtyard vines and flowers covering the railing and hanging around giving the area (and most of the house) a fresh floral scent. Two lounge chairs sat in a shaded area. A statue of a woman stood in the middle of the courtyard beautifully made from white marble and seemed to have the features of a yodotai and was dressed in the traditional toga, she reached to the sky.

"the heart of the home, I don't tend to use this area much during the days as it can get rather hot but it is nice to relax on cooler days and at night it is a wonderful place to eat dinner or relax and read by lamp light."

"Perhaps it is me just not understanding. If I am lonely, I just open my caravan door and I am not alone anymore. I am with my people. If it is late at night there is nobody you can just open your door to. Does that make sense?" Raya frowned "I do not mean to make your home sound worse. Your home is wonderful. I would just be lonely."

Raya stopped in the courtyard, putting her hand to her face to protect from the sun as she looked up and around the courtyard.

"I like this. This feels nice. The uh...the balcony? Is good, you could see the moon and the stars, would be a nice place to sit and eat food at night. I am thinking I would spend all my time at home around here."

With a smile she moved to catch up with Qasim.

Qasim chuckled "Yes the balcony is quite nice, I do wind up spending much of my time here or up there." He says pointing to the balcony.

He also waved his hand somewhat dismissively "Do not worry Raya you have not offended. Some people like having others around all the time. I grew up in a big family, I know what it's like to always have other people around. I don't mind this so much it's a place that is secure and a place I can relax fully knowing not everyone, or more important anyone, could be watching." He did indeed seem more relaxed here, his smile more genuine, his eyes a bit happier.

He walked through the entrance on the left and opened thick, dark wooden doors. It opened into a large room the flooring here simple glazed bricks but a massive colorful rug covered the floor, a mesmerizing work of colors and shapes in the fashion of the ivindi, the walls were lined with shelves full of books and another lounge chair was there along with a large sturdy looking desk. Tapestries hung from the wall without bookshelves depicting historical moments, one a battle, the other a scene of worship. This room ostensibly had no but it was two stories tall and towards the top there seemed to be openings allowing in light so the room had a dusk like feel to it.

"Here we have my study, not sure if you are a big reader Llaela Raya but if you are there are many books and scrolls from around the world in here, some quite old. I actually Inherited a large chunk of this library from my grandfather." He Commented allowing her to enter if she liked or continue walking if it was of little interest.

"It does look secure, especially with two guards who do not accept even hand written notes from yourself" Raya said with a small laugh, following the man in and again pausing to look around.

"Stories are shared in words, I do not think I read that often at all. I know how to read, but it is not the Ra'Shari way to put things onto paper. It is handed down in story from parent to child over generations. I understand that other peoples keep theirs on paper, but I prefer the Ra'Shari way. Is sidi Qasims history in the books? I could read if his ancestors were like him?" she grinned in his direciton.

Qasim smiled back watching the beautiful young woman walk among the study. Such a bright point of light in the dusky room her red and yellow clothing giving off the feeling of fire. The contrast amused him, fire the one thing you never want around books strolling into the room casually. Qasim felt stirrings of inspiration strike him watching her, he studied her for a moment committing the sight to memory before shaking his head

"Sorry, you ask me a question. I was a bit lost in thought." He smiled apologetically "but my history? Yes well I would my legend is still being written." He would say with a grin.

"But as my ancestors, well I think you would have liked my grandfather. He was a bit like me, lots of interest in travel and other cultures. That's why he say so many books from all these different places. I believe I have some journals somewhere but would rather share him with you in your people's way of story."