Chapter IV
As it turned out Geshri did not have to worry about Jahandri waking up. She woke up five minutes after Ithrán left. Even though Jahandri was awake that did not mean that Ithrán's powers would not affect her. He could find her almost anywhere unless she had something to protect her, which she did. The stone would protect her from Ithrán finding her with his magic but he could still find her without it.
There was not a choice anymore; Jahandri had to run away from Marí. There was not enough time to explain any of this to her and Jahandri had to get away. Her life was in danger if she stayed in Tset Zhan. Geshri could not go with her because Ithrán would be able to find her instantly and she could not abandon the people who prayed to her everyday. Jahandri would have to travel by herself to Q'Rhaz to marry Derique. At least Ithrán did not know where Jahandri's prince lived.
After Geshri told her what Ithrán was going to do if he found her Jahandri reluctantly agreed to run away from Marí and marry Derique. Geshri did not want to send her daughter alone to marry the prince but she had no choice.
That night Jahandri slept in the temple. The next morning she started out of the city. Geshri arranged to have a horse and bags packed with proper clothing waiting about a mile outside of Tset Zhan. When Jahandri got to the place where the horse was she also found her mother there waiting to say goodbye. Jahandri finally began her journey after one last embrace and warning from her mother, "Do not lose that stone, it is all I can send to protect you."
As Jahandri rode into the mountains she thought about how long she would have to travel to get to Q'Rhaz. Geshri had said that all she needed to do was follow the Motrija Road all the way north. Jahandri road nearly through the night and most of the next day and she was exhausted by the next afternoon. She road along until she found what she thought was an abandoned barn.
After she had taken care of her horse that she had named Draana after the goddess of the moon she climbed up to the loft. The horse was black with a white mane and tail. She also had white flecks all throughout his coat. Being a gift from Geshri, Draana was not a normal horse. Jahandri found this out about thirty minutes into her journey. Jahandri was not the best at riding horses and Draana had taken notice. Every few minutes Jahandri would move to try and get herself comfortable on the horse. Finally after about a half-hour Draana became irritated so she spoke up and said something about it. Jahandri almost jumped off the horse until Draana calming explained that like most things in her life her new horse was not normal. Draana also explained that she would behave and not throw off Jahandri if she promised that no one else would touch her, "I do not like humans" she had stated. Jahandri agreed to keep Draana away from all the humans that she possibly could.
That night when Jahandri was finally getting ready to go to sleep she thought about what had happened: a talking horse, a goddess mother, a prince for a fiancé, running away from not one but two masters, "Well, at least I won't get bored," she smiled. She fell onto the old, dry hay causing a dust cloud to erupt around her. Sneezing, she grabbed the blanket her mother had packed on Draana and covered herself with its softness. She quickly tumbled off into sleep.
Jahandri was awoken the next morning by a sharp poke into her stomach. A girl, not much older than she, with dark hair and dark, wide eyes stood over her. The girl had light brown skin and was wearing a ragged brown dress. Her hair was pulled back into a long and mangled braid tied at the end with a leather thong. A pitchfork was in the girl's hand and was aimed straight at Jahandri.
"Who are ya n' why are ya in my barn?"
"I thought that it was abandoned and I just needed somewhere to stay. I didn't know it was anyone's, I apologize."
"Well git outta my barn!"
"Yes, I will, just let me gather my things and I'll be gone and out of your way," Jahandri hurried down the ladder followed quickly by the girl. The girl watched as Jahandri quickly packed up Draana. Realizing that she had forgotten her blanket, Jahandri scampered back up the ladder and grabbed it. When she got back down the ladder she saw the girl about to stroke Draana along the back, "No, don't touch-" but Jahandri was too late. The girl had already made contact with the horse and Draana had reared up over her head. She then ran around the barn acting like a maniac. When Draana came running at the girl Jahandri quickly grabbed her reins and pulled her away from the helpless girl who, with a scream had collapsed onto the floor and crawled into a corner.
Jahandri quickly apologized to the horse and the scolded her for her attempt to kill the girl. She then pulled the horse toward a stall at the other end of the barn. When Jahandri was sure that the horse was inside and would not be moving anytime soon she hurried over to see if the girl was all right.
She was crouched in a corner with her hands over her face, "I'm sorry, but I didn't think yir horse would go wild like that."
"No, you didn't. It would have served you right if I hadn't pulled her away. Where do you get off touching other people's belongings like that? If I hadn't of gotten down here in time you would have died."
"I know n' I owe ya fir that," she stood up, "What kin I do ta repay ya?"
"It's all right, I don't need anything and I really need to get going. I have a long journey ahead of me."
"But ma'am... I kin come with ya! I kin help ya with stuff. 'Sides, ya don't wanna be alone on these roads at night."
Jahandri really would like the company, but she knew that it would not be the best idea to have someone she just met, someone her mother did not even know about along with her on the journey, "I don't know..."
"Come on ma'am. I don't have any thing ta do n' ya'll need someone ta pertect ya on the roads."
"I can protect myself, thank you very much!" At this the girl snorted, "Think what you want. I will, however, let you come along with me, just for the company and not for protection. Just don't go anywhere near my horse ever again."
"Yes ma'am."
"And don't call me 'ma'am'. My name is Jahandri. What is yours?"
"Klaudya."
"Well Klaudya, let's get going. We have a long way to go."
"Where are we going?"
"Q'Rhaz."
So they started out on their journey. Jahandri road atop Draana and Klaudya walked alongside her. Draana never uttered a word when Klaudya was nearby, she still held resentment for the human girl who had tried to stroke her.
As it turned out Geshri did not have to worry about Jahandri waking up. She woke up five minutes after Ithrán left. Even though Jahandri was awake that did not mean that Ithrán's powers would not affect her. He could find her almost anywhere unless she had something to protect her, which she did. The stone would protect her from Ithrán finding her with his magic but he could still find her without it.
There was not a choice anymore; Jahandri had to run away from Marí. There was not enough time to explain any of this to her and Jahandri had to get away. Her life was in danger if she stayed in Tset Zhan. Geshri could not go with her because Ithrán would be able to find her instantly and she could not abandon the people who prayed to her everyday. Jahandri would have to travel by herself to Q'Rhaz to marry Derique. At least Ithrán did not know where Jahandri's prince lived.
After Geshri told her what Ithrán was going to do if he found her Jahandri reluctantly agreed to run away from Marí and marry Derique. Geshri did not want to send her daughter alone to marry the prince but she had no choice.
That night Jahandri slept in the temple. The next morning she started out of the city. Geshri arranged to have a horse and bags packed with proper clothing waiting about a mile outside of Tset Zhan. When Jahandri got to the place where the horse was she also found her mother there waiting to say goodbye. Jahandri finally began her journey after one last embrace and warning from her mother, "Do not lose that stone, it is all I can send to protect you."
As Jahandri rode into the mountains she thought about how long she would have to travel to get to Q'Rhaz. Geshri had said that all she needed to do was follow the Motrija Road all the way north. Jahandri road nearly through the night and most of the next day and she was exhausted by the next afternoon. She road along until she found what she thought was an abandoned barn.
After she had taken care of her horse that she had named Draana after the goddess of the moon she climbed up to the loft. The horse was black with a white mane and tail. She also had white flecks all throughout his coat. Being a gift from Geshri, Draana was not a normal horse. Jahandri found this out about thirty minutes into her journey. Jahandri was not the best at riding horses and Draana had taken notice. Every few minutes Jahandri would move to try and get herself comfortable on the horse. Finally after about a half-hour Draana became irritated so she spoke up and said something about it. Jahandri almost jumped off the horse until Draana calming explained that like most things in her life her new horse was not normal. Draana also explained that she would behave and not throw off Jahandri if she promised that no one else would touch her, "I do not like humans" she had stated. Jahandri agreed to keep Draana away from all the humans that she possibly could.
That night when Jahandri was finally getting ready to go to sleep she thought about what had happened: a talking horse, a goddess mother, a prince for a fiancé, running away from not one but two masters, "Well, at least I won't get bored," she smiled. She fell onto the old, dry hay causing a dust cloud to erupt around her. Sneezing, she grabbed the blanket her mother had packed on Draana and covered herself with its softness. She quickly tumbled off into sleep.
Jahandri was awoken the next morning by a sharp poke into her stomach. A girl, not much older than she, with dark hair and dark, wide eyes stood over her. The girl had light brown skin and was wearing a ragged brown dress. Her hair was pulled back into a long and mangled braid tied at the end with a leather thong. A pitchfork was in the girl's hand and was aimed straight at Jahandri.
"Who are ya n' why are ya in my barn?"
"I thought that it was abandoned and I just needed somewhere to stay. I didn't know it was anyone's, I apologize."
"Well git outta my barn!"
"Yes, I will, just let me gather my things and I'll be gone and out of your way," Jahandri hurried down the ladder followed quickly by the girl. The girl watched as Jahandri quickly packed up Draana. Realizing that she had forgotten her blanket, Jahandri scampered back up the ladder and grabbed it. When she got back down the ladder she saw the girl about to stroke Draana along the back, "No, don't touch-" but Jahandri was too late. The girl had already made contact with the horse and Draana had reared up over her head. She then ran around the barn acting like a maniac. When Draana came running at the girl Jahandri quickly grabbed her reins and pulled her away from the helpless girl who, with a scream had collapsed onto the floor and crawled into a corner.
Jahandri quickly apologized to the horse and the scolded her for her attempt to kill the girl. She then pulled the horse toward a stall at the other end of the barn. When Jahandri was sure that the horse was inside and would not be moving anytime soon she hurried over to see if the girl was all right.
She was crouched in a corner with her hands over her face, "I'm sorry, but I didn't think yir horse would go wild like that."
"No, you didn't. It would have served you right if I hadn't pulled her away. Where do you get off touching other people's belongings like that? If I hadn't of gotten down here in time you would have died."
"I know n' I owe ya fir that," she stood up, "What kin I do ta repay ya?"
"It's all right, I don't need anything and I really need to get going. I have a long journey ahead of me."
"But ma'am... I kin come with ya! I kin help ya with stuff. 'Sides, ya don't wanna be alone on these roads at night."
Jahandri really would like the company, but she knew that it would not be the best idea to have someone she just met, someone her mother did not even know about along with her on the journey, "I don't know..."
"Come on ma'am. I don't have any thing ta do n' ya'll need someone ta pertect ya on the roads."
"I can protect myself, thank you very much!" At this the girl snorted, "Think what you want. I will, however, let you come along with me, just for the company and not for protection. Just don't go anywhere near my horse ever again."
"Yes ma'am."
"And don't call me 'ma'am'. My name is Jahandri. What is yours?"
"Klaudya."
"Well Klaudya, let's get going. We have a long way to go."
"Where are we going?"
"Q'Rhaz."
So they started out on their journey. Jahandri road atop Draana and Klaudya walked alongside her. Draana never uttered a word when Klaudya was nearby, she still held resentment for the human girl who had tried to stroke her.