Miniature Virgin Rainbow

I had been riding drag. Was a place I had found myself a lot. Years ago it was because I had drawn the drag .. the short straw ... now I suppose it was simply because I was comfortable there. Comfortable is actually not the word I should use .. perhaps .. habit ... is a better word. In my own way I enjoyed it. It was a hard .. sweaty .. dirty thankless task ... and I was good at it.

I road forward .. the gray/brown coating of dust that shrouded me and the kaiila turned us into one anonymous beast. It sifted over everything .. into my eyes .. down the back of my neck. Mixed with the sweat it took a layer of skin off beneath the leather. As I neared the first wagons Silken blew by me in a blur of red hair and red fur. She was headed to speak to Ba'atar. I was not close enough to hear their conversation but by the way she left I would guess it did not go the way she wanted it to. She did not bother to speak to me.

huh

I rode loose in the saddle .. my body turning into an extension of the kaiila as if I were sleeping. Perhaps I was .. that sort of awake sleep that helps get one through the toughest parts of the day. Hooking my knee around the saddle horn I leaned against my thigh .. drinking now and then in my attempts to wash the grit out of my teeth .. chewing on dust every time I closed my mouth.

Cana checked on me to see if I was sleeping or awake .. then the artist .. Seveya walked up closer to me. The kaleidoscope of color was the first thing that drew my attention to her. A plethora of colored ribbons were threaded through her braids and caught breaths of air occasionally to come alive and flutter.

She told me she had enjoyed my challenge with Lei .. stacking stones. I chuckled and told her I liked Lei .. she was smart. I could tell by her gait she had been walking .. I twisted in the saddle with a protest of leather so I could watch her a little closer .. asking if she rode. She told me she did .. she also told me that Kai had an attitude. Well that was probably the nicest thing anyone had said about Kai .. and I told her so with a dry chuckle.

She offered me the bota of water she was carrying and I told her I had enough .. and that she should keep herself hydrated. It was vital. I asked her if she had ever ridden towards the back .. the drag ... she told me it was where she always had been until recently when the Ubar had directed her father to move his wagons forward. Someone who knew then .. that was interesting. She said her father's health was holding. Which meant .. for now ... because people do not make statements like that unless there is this unasked question about how long that might be.

I told her she added color. And she did. My day had been shades of browns and grays .. so she not only added color ... she added a lot of color. Her features lit up with a smile .. she should smile more often ... and she said "It is my passion." So I asked her .."It is your passion .. or you have a passion for it?" And I asked her that because the two are very different for me.

Cana gave me one of those looks .. like I was supposed to know better about something .. what that was I have no clue. I was too tired .. too dirty ... too sweaty and too sore to be baiting any unsuspecting unringed virgins. Unringed virgins were not my style anyway. It was an actually legitimate and benign question about her artistic tendencies.

Along with the look came the drums .. announcing the end of the day. There was much to do to bring the wagons into their places. Good defensive positions that allowed us to be safe as well as creating the lanes between that made movement throughout the great wagon city easy and efficient.

I took that moment to remove myself from the artist. Perhaps I was not supposed to be speaking to her. Perhaps the word "passion" was not something I should have said to an unringed girl. I was too tired to figure it out.. and there was still too much to do before we lost the remaining light.