I remember a day that the hot sun had beaten down on the herd. My father had returned from traveling with master Bayek to switch out to a camel that I later learned was named Wander. Master Bayek and Wander left not a lot longer after that to look for the missing members for our herd. On this day I was feeling full of myself after I had just played a game of catch me if you can with Mut Herti. Stupidly I challenged my father to a race across the dunes where we lived. Honestly I should have known better as my father was well known for his speed.
The race was going to be from where the herd was grazing at the Trundholm lake to the south east of Siwa to the Khonsu Lake in the north west of Siwa. My mother was not too keen on the idea of this race as I would be about a mile away from where the herd was on top of the fact that a sandstorm was on the way. From what the camels were whispering about. We had chosen the spot that we were grazing for the day so it was not as hot as it was out on the dunes. The only reason I think she let me race my father is because she made him promise to not get very far ahead of me in this race.
My father knew better than to induce the wrath of my mother as we got ready to race. The herd was watching now as me and my father pranced at the base of a doum palm that was once considered sacred by the very first Egyptians as a seed of the tree would be placed in the tomb of the pharaoh. Us horses and camels had no use for the tree but the fruit from them helps keep us cool in the hot heat of the day. In anticipation I was pawing at the sand with my small white hoofs. I was only a few months old so I was more than willing to stretch and test my new found strength. As I was thinking the sound of whinnying and hoofs pounding on the sand caught my eye. The race had started as I shook my head to clear it before seeing my dad with a strong lead on me. Breaking into a gallop I started to surge forward. I was eager to catch up with my father Thunder. My Father had slowed slightly to pace himself, something that a young horse like me would not understand. As I was going as fast as I could go to catch up to him. My 3 month old legs lengthen as I poured every once of speed and energy in trying to overtake my father's pace. I was almost right next to my dad at this point in the race we were just coming to the edge of town as it was the quickest way to get to Khonsu Lake. As I started to pass my father he said calmly. "Hey kiddo it would be wise to save your energy towards the end of the race." Frowning I slowed to his pace and asked why I should save my energy until towards the end of the race.
My father looked at me as he said. "Look at it this way my son by giving it everything you got early should something happen and you have wasted your strength at the start you would be at the mercy of whatever comes your way. Listen to me, my son and I will tell you what my father told me. In order for you to serve our master and survive in this land you need to always be prepared for anything." I let out a nicker of discontent as we trotted into the town of Siwa. Having never been here I was nervous as all I wanted to do was run out back to the herd but doing so means I would have lost the race with my father and had gotten him in trouble with mom. As I was getting ready to reply to my father a loud crash sound behind me as the Siwa guards were yelling at a guy that had broken a few pots at a market stall for a reason that is still unknown to me. However I was starting to get nervous thanks to the scene behind us before finally taking off again in a dead run. As my heart was in a full blown panic I faintly heard my dad try to calm me down. Thanks to my panic I accidentally ended up crashing into several market stalls before falling in a tangle of ropes. Whinnying in panic I tried to get up only to fall back down. The sound of hoofs coming closer made me want to run even more before a voice pulled me out of my panic telling me to stay still. Looking up I see my father staring down at me in worry. At this point we were only about a mile away from Khonsu lake. I had not realized in my panic how close I was to winning the race against my proud father. But right now the look my father is giving me is a look of disappointment. Seeing that look on my father's face made a new found strength to try and get up again struggling at first before shaking to try to get the rope off. One rope was still on me as I looked at my father in shame as someone came to cut the last rope off. Thunder snorted as he looked over at me before he said scolding. "In a town like this you need to learn to control your fears, you will never be able to survive for long." Looking down at my hooves I nod sadly before looking up after hearing him chuckle to find him looking at me with a slight smile before he says. "But you seem to have found your inner strength inside of yourself for that I am proud to have been here to see. Now how about we finish our race if you are up for it." At the sound of his praise my heart leapt in joy as I smiled back and nodded in enthused at him as I said. "Let's do this dad, I am ready to finish this race." As we got side by side to finish this race I felt my heart soar. The second a bird flew over we both surged from our spots next to each other in a full on gallop as we were kinda safe to run without much difficulty. As we ran my father started to pull ahead slightly as he was pressing me into a faster pace as I did not want to yield the race to my dad. As we came down to the wire of the race I was starting to understand what my father told me earlier about pacing myself. My body was aching from the earlier incident and was screaming at me to slow down. However, I won't yield. Originally I wanted to prove I was better than my father but now I want to prove to myself that I could do it. Like before when I was a little stuck in the rope my inner strength and will gave me the extra energy I nodded as I put on a burst speed as my father sped up his pace as well as we reached Khonsu Lake. As we slowed down together my father nudged me as we turned to head back to the herd. We had tied in my first race but I know there will be others races but whether they are for life or death that remains to be seen.