Reunion With A Friend

Alone in a crowd, that was not something new to Islana but choosing to hide among the many was very different than wanting to be a part of something and still, in reality, being left alone. There was a definite sense of just how much these people revered her, and while it was to be expected, it was also another thing to get used to.

As the walk continued through the heat and the sun, her mind drifted to the decision to veer the Horde either towards Fang or Desdem. Fang could possibly lead them towards the Odonine (and Shalia and Koshnem) quicker but she did not know that would be necessarily the case. The truce meant that it would be through friendly territory. The redhead had been through Fang before so it wasn’t completely unfamiliar. However, did make sense to lead a desert army through the mountains in what would be wintertime?

Desdem on the other hand would be more a reasonable route giving less change in the environment quickly. She had not been to Desdem before and really knew little about it other than it was a village near the border. It was difficult to tell if the people there would be hostile, friendly, or neutral. More questions about the place would have to be asked of her advisors before she made her final decision.

The sudden change in the people around her, a commotion of sorts, brought the redhead back to the here and now. Seeing the spears and arrows on the ready, the young woman made her way forward, past some taller people, till her gaze caught sight of what lay in the distance.

A smile crossed her lips, and with a loud, commanding tone that Islana wouldn’t have thought herself capable of only a few months ago, yelled. “Faw!” Raising her hand above her head in a fist, the sign for stop. The word echoed throughout the Horde.

Turning around, as suspected, Sister Loctus’ guards and priests were now standing behind her. A nod was made towards the creature standing out among the dunes and Islana judged the looked on their faces. They had no idea what she was doing or why which was perhaps for the best. “I guess none of you have seen a Sk’elep before? It’s alright, he’s a sadiq.”

Before Amastan or Agizul had a chance to protest, the young woman started moving forward toward the large animal, keeping her hand raised. When the Sk’elep saw her moving forward, so did it. The two met somewhere in the middle. In the background, there was a dead silence of shock and confusion.

Kaithak who was currently on Islana’s shoulder tilted his head to the side, as Islana petted the Sk’elep. “Hello, friend. It seems like such a long time since we’ve seen each other.” Greeting the Jackal like creature. “We are headed for war, to try to save Ozainae and all of Arcadia. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Would you like to join us?”

Knowing now this was a spirit did not mean Islana knew what of that the Sk’elep understood but she could try. It was really just an offer, but having a Sk’elep by her side during the war would be an amazing boost to all of this, not to mention having missed the animal.

Faw - Halt
Sadiq - Friend