Bisha Massey sat waiting to find out if he had qualified for further training in majic at the most prestigious majic school on Ardu, the Adikha Yunavarasiti. If he hadn't Bisha was going to have to try to study further here. While this wouldn't be a problem for most students of majic Bisha wasn't interested in being an artificer, someone who created majical objects. Bisha was more interested in the ins, outs and the whyfors of majic. In other words why majic worked the way it did. The only place in the world that he would be able to further his education in that was the Adikha Yunavarasiti.
He had come from nothing. An urchin on the streets of Khunduz, the capitol of the Royal Kingdom of Ashfanabad. His earliest schooling had been at one of the local school in one of the poorest parts of Khunduz. About twenty years ago the current Pasha had come to rule. He'd had a passion for education and making sure his people got one. So he had opened the orphanages and associated schools all over his country. This was the only reason that Bisha had gotten not just the level of education he'd received but any kind of learning at all.
From his earliest lessons it had been obvious that Bisha's mind worked in a unique way. Bisha wasn't sure how old he was. He thought he was about twenty-one but didn't know for sure. He had been found as a toddler in one of the poorest parts of the Alfagir district. No one was actually sure how old he'd been when he was found so they had used the date he was found as his birthday. Bisha didn't even know what his birth name was. He hadn't even been been able to tell anyone what his name was when he was found. So he had been given a new name to go with his new birthday being the day he was found.
All Bisha remembered about his life before he had been found was vague memories of a smiling face. The feeling of comfort from loving arms. The sound of quiet singing. Bisha wasn't sure how or why he had ended up where he had been found. He did sometimes in the dark of the night have nightmares about being lost and unable to find someone or something precious. He wasn't sure if it was an item or a person that he looked for. But he knew that he needed to find it and couldn't. The loss hunted the back of his mind while awake and his dreams while he slept. Some day Bisha hope to find whatever it was that he had lost. Nowadays he usually figured that what he had lost was his mother, but because he'd been so young when he'd been found Bisha couldn't really say either way.
Either way he had become one of the Abna Albasha or Pasha's children. Which is what all of the students who had studied at the schools for the poor were called, whether they had families or not. When he had qualified for advanced training at the Ileri Okul, or as other lands called it high school. He and his teachers had been so proud. His teachers discovery that he had a talent for majic meant he had qualified for schooling at the Aljamieat Almalakia, the Royal University here in Khunduz. Since he was at best an indifferent artificer it was decided that he should try to qualify for the Alkadharam Yunavarasiti. Which is how he'd come to be sitting outside of the dean's office, waiting. It was not common to be sent out of country for an education. It wasn't unheard of but it wasn't common. There were few things that the various universities in and around Khunduz didn't teach. But sometimes the best teachers for something were found in other lands. But when it was, all efforts would be made for the student to go where the best teachers were.
Bisha reached into one of the pockets of his robes for Khomal, his pet zukar plunar. Khomal was a small, hand-sized animal with a flap of skin that ran between his front and back legs. This allowed him to glide through the air almost like flight. Khomal had black eyes that seemed almost to big for his head and grey fur with white stripes down both sides that ran the length of it's body. Khomal was the only reminder of where he'd grown up that Bisha had. All that he had brought with him had been clothes and some books. Unlike most of his classmates he had no memento's of his family anywhere in his rooms. While Bisha had made friends while in school before he'd entered the university, none of them had been particularly close. His only reminder of his life before starting here was Khomal. Bisha had never really had a home. Not the way most people meant the word at least. While he had always felt loved and appreciated in the orphanage it wasn't really a home.
Bisha was sitting in on a bench that was permanently attached to the wall in the hall outside the teachers meeting room. He was more than a little nervous sitting here. Bisha was always at least a bit nervous when he had to talk to his instructors outside of the classroom. Bisha had always been nervous around authority figures. No matter how much he liked the person if they had authority over him he was nervous. Bisha didn't know why, only that he was. The nervousness was almost constant with him, and he had no idea why. Maybe he would figure out what the cause was someday, but until he did there was nothing he could do about it, so he'd muddle along like always.
Bisha had been sent an invitation to work on a project at the Adikha Yunavarsiti if his grades were good enough and his teachers agreed. He really wanted to work with the majes on this project so he hoped they'd say yes. His instructors knew about the invitation and were deciding if he could do so, that was what the meeting was about. Working on majic was the only time his nervousness with authority figures was eased. Maybe because he was concentrating so hard on the majic that he forgot to be nervous? Maybe if he was on a more equal footing with those around him than he would feel more secure.
Bisha had enjoyed his time here and would miss quite a few of the other students here. It was nice to have people around him that didn't look confused when he spoke about how he saw the world. To Bisha everything around him was majical, even the most mundane and prosaic objects had majic. Although to be honest even his friends got confused at times when he said things like that, but at least they had a clue what he was talking about. Very few of his growing circle of friends could actually keep up with him on the theoretical stuff he thought about. Even his little friend Khomal had found friends here. A couple of the staff that cleaned the rooms had made friends with the small animal. And one of the librarians had gone so far as to make Khomal a little box to sleep in while Bisha was studying. But he really wanted to finish his schooling quickly so he could come back home. Well back to Khunduz at least, he'd only learned to feel at home when he'd started his advanced schooling here.
Bisha really wanted to come back here and help his people to the best of his ability. His goal was to teach theoretical majic to others. Maybe someday have a whole theoretical majic department. While Kishnagar was made up of many different races, there just weren't that many that had cherry red skin and horns. For some reason that combination made the other races nervous. Bisha was going to get tired of being one of the only Ashfani around. Not many of the Ashfani lived any place but the Royal Kingdom of Ashfanabad. Sure they visited other lands, usually for trade. But very few ever stayed in those other lands. Bisha had heard that there seemed to be an almost visceral reaction to how the Ashfani looked here in Alkadharam. It puzzled Bisha, Kishnagar was a country made up of all of the races on Ardu, all because of a treaty. But he'd heard that some Kishnagari, especially those outside of Alkadharam could be a bit standoffish with both the Ashfani and the Oristani.
Bisha decided to drop those thoughts. There was nothing he could do about it and continuing to think about it would only stress him out. so he made a concerted effort to think about getting into his new school. If everything went well then he'd be able to go to the best majical school on Ardu. Then he'd come back here and help others in Ashfanabad that had no aptitude for being an artificer. That way no one else would have to leave Ashfanabad to learn this kind of majic. After all who knew what heights majic could reach. At least learning was as important to the Kishnagari as it was to the Ashfani, his own people. It wasn't much but it was something. Bisha could feel at home in school once he settled in, he enjoyed learning. Enjoyed how majic made him feel. When he mastered a new spell and felt the power flow through him. It was, well majical. No pun intended.
Someday, Bisha thought to himself while he gently petted Khomal. Someday I'll be able to help everyone on Ardu. Especially the Ashfani who saved me and gave my life meaning. And the fact that he was going to do majic to do so made Bisha feel happy. There was almost a glow around Bisha as he thought how majic made him feel. A glow that vanished when the door he sat next to opened. Bisha hurriedly put Khomal back in the pocket he'd taken him from. Rising to his feet and spinning turning to face whoever had opened the door.
"You may enter now Bisha," his primary instructor said while motioning Bisha to proceed him into the room. "We have come to a decision and I hope it will please you," the gentle voice that spoke belonged to another one of Bisha's teachers. Bisha swallowed hard as he hurried to follow into the room he had waited outside of. All of his nervousness about authority figures came rushing back. It was a very subdued young man that followed into the room. All he could do now was pray.
Memories
Bisha wasn't sure how he'd gotten back to his room. He was so happy that he was totally overwhelmed. He was going to Adikha Yunavarsiti to continue his studies in majic. Reaching into his pocket, Bisha took Khomal out from where the zukar plunar stayed when he was outside of his rooms. Khomal climbed onto his shoulder and glided from there to his little nest that hung on Bisha's wall over his dresser. From there Khomal chittered happily as if he understood the reason for Bisha's happiness. Bisha laughed at Khomal's playfulness. His instructors had told him that in addition to going to Alkhadraham for studying he was also going to be working on a very important project while there. When he was finally done with his studies he would be a wizard. Technically he was a wizard now, anyone who could control majic was. But the opportunity to learn at the greatest school of majic was one that no true student of the art could pass up. No one would have passed up on a chance like this one.
Bisha knew he was currently a pretty good wizard even if he had no aptitude for artifice. But all of his instructors said that he could be better. And that more teaching was available, if he wanted it. Wanted it? Who wouldn't have wanted more teaching in a subject they loved. Bisha was one of those who thought that learning was the greatest thing on Ardu. He wasn't sure what the project was exactly but he would find out when he got there and he could hardly wait
His teachers had reassured Bisha that he wouldn't have to travel to Adikha Yunavarasiti by himself. This had relieved Bisha to no end. He'd never traveled anywhere out side of Khunduz by himself, and he was more than a little daunted by the thought. Fortunately Bisha was going to have an escort to get him safely to his new school. He was going to be traveling with a trade caravan to Alkhadharam. From there he was being personally escorted by someone assigned by the Alkhadraham adventurers guild.
That night Bisha had a hard time sleeping. He was so excited about his new opportunity that he just couldn't relax enough for sleep. While he lay on his bed in the dark room his mind started to wander over his past. How everything that had lead up to this chance. From his education in Khunduz and how he had been among the first students helped when the Pasha had opened the schools for everyone, including the orphans. To everything he had learned and everyone he'd met since coming here.
Bisha's earliest memories were of being hungry and cold. He had no clue about who his parents were. Nor about what had happened to them. Had they abandoned him for some reason? Had they died? Had someone made them leave him? Bisha had no clue. Nor had he any idea of how to find out. Maybe there was a spell that would let him find out. But other than that he was clueless about how to find out anything about himself and his history. sometimes he wondered if his parents were missing him as much as he sometimes missed them. Not them as individuals, he had no actual memories of them after all. No, Bisha missed the concept of parents and what they meant. He had seen other students in school, especially when he'd first started, that lived with their parents. Some were loving, others weren't. In his dreams Bisha's parents loved him and had been separated from him but never stopped looking. Once upon a time he'd even day dreamed about being found by loving parents that were proud of him.
Once again his mind trod the well worn path into his past. The orphanage had told him that he'd been three or four when he'd been found found roaming the streets of Khunduz alone. He'd hadn't been able to tell his rescuers his name or anything else. All Bisha knew was that for the first time in his short life he had plenty of wholesome food and a safe warm, dry place to sleep. It was heaven to the starveling toddler that he had been once upon a time. To say that he almost worshiped his rescuers wasn't an understatement. He would do almost anything for those who had helped him so much, especially the avanesi, dorm mother. The first person that Bisha could remember showing him love. Even though the avanesi had taken care of at least ten other children while Bisha was in her direct care. He never felt like she didn't have time or love for him. Even when he'd gotten older Bisha could go to the avanesi and get help or a hug when he needed it.
When Bisha had been old enough to start his schooling he'd really started to shine. He had mastered the basics, reading, writing and mathematics at an astonishing rate. Bisha had discovered education and he loved it. His idea of a great time was to read a book or to study some new topic. Bisha was never happier than when he was learning something new or adding some new fact to a subject he already knew. To his mind even fiction and poetry had something to teach especially if he'd already read whatever it was at least once. Unlike many people Bisha enjoyed rereading things. No matter how many times he reread something there was always something new to learn.
While he had been at the orphanage Bisha's teachers had covered many topics. Not just the usual topics but at least little bit about what most of the trades were and how they did whatever it was they did. The older students had taught him how to survive on the streets when someone was the smallest one around. Not all of the students had come to the orphanage as young as he was after all. And even in the orphanage not all of the larger and/or older children were kind and gentle to those smaller or weaker. And since Bisha was usually both he had gotten very good at what some would call street fighting. On more than one occasion Bisha had gotten beaten by other students or worse by kids on the street. So, he had learned to run away and if he couldn't run he had learned to fight, sorta.
It wasn't until Bisha had started learning his majic that the bullies really started to leave him alone. He'd always had some protection by some of the other children that wouldn't put up with bullies. But he couldn't always be with them since they had different classes and free times than he did. Bisha had already learned slight of hand from one of the more criminally inclined students as well as pick pocketing clandestinely. So when Bisha had been able to add real majic to the mix it had been a game changer. Bisha had always been small and weak even before he'd learned majic. And he wasn't any bigger or stronger in comparison to others even now. But majic had given him resources that he'd never had before. Suddenly even if Bisha was the weakest one around he had other useful skills. Even if Bisha refused to use majic to steal or break any other laws. But at least he was useful for entertainment.
Bisha hadn't had a lot of friends when he'd been in the orphanage. The schools that he had attended had taught students from both orphanages as well as the poor that had resided in that part of town. The other residents of the orphanage and students at the schools he had attended before heading to university had both seen him as entertaining but not very useful otherwise. Now Bisha was skilled enough in majic that he was going to the most prestigious school of majic on Ardu. People wanted to be his friend not because they felt sorry for him or he was strong but because they liked him for himself. Bisha didn't want the mean people to be his friend. Bisha was finally among those who were his peers in truth and it was heady stuff. He only hoped that he would find more true friends at the Adikha Yunavarasiti. The people at his current university had gone a long way to helping teach Bisha how to make friends. For the first time in his life Bisha wasn't the outsider in the group. He was no different than any other student. For the first time in his life Bisha was surrounded by others that wanted to learn as much as he did.
Bisha was happy, truly happy, for the first time in his life. There were no shadows around him of people who didn't really like him. For a long time Bisha hadn't known how to tell if people liked him or were only trying to use him and his majic. While helping those around oneself if you could was generally how people conducted themselves, Bisha had learned that far to often the poorest were often out for themselves. This was often the case no matter how altruistic the society, those at the very bottom had to struggle so much for so little that it could skew their outlook and make them selfish. After all it was hard to help others when you needed every scrap you found just to survive. So here in university was the first time that he'd been truly free to make real friends. And now he was going to leave them for yet another school. No matter how happy he was to go, Bisha knew that he would miss his new friends as well.
New Friend
For the first leg of his journey Bisha had taken a trade caravan to Alkadharam. Once he got there he was told to go to the Adventurers guild to meet his new guards for his journey to Adikha Yunavarasiti. The journey across Kishnagar was going to be a long one no matter which path was taken. He also learned that because the yunavarasiti was in such a remote area he would be well advised to keep his guards from his journey there if he wanted to leave the grounds for any reason. No guards would be provided by the yunavarasiti for any expeditions of any kind except school trips. Unlike most schools of any kind, there was no town surrounding Adikha Yunavarasiti mainly because the high majical field that surrounded it made people uncomfortable. Apparently having inanimate objects start to move around, animals start to talk or having your children born with odd modifications meant that the Adikha Yunavarasiti was unique in its isolation.
Fortunately for Bisha his instructors were well aware of this fact and were hiring people that could stay with him for an extended amount of time. Bisha hoped that his guards would be people that he could get alone with. He'd had enough of people pretending to like him because of what he could do. Bisha had gotten a belly's worth of that kind of thing before he's ever left Khunduz for Alkadharam six weeks ago. It had been refreshing to be someplace that his scholarship wasn't seen as strange or unusual. Back home he'd been the only one who loved learning so much, not even the other students in his previous university loved learning the way he did. They always had other stuff going on that he just didn't enjoy the way he did scholarship and learning for its own sake. Bisha had finished his basic schooling far younger than average, mainly due to his love of education. The usual age was eighteen to twenty for advanced training not the sixteen that he'd been. A much younger age than was usually sent for advanced schooling. As far as Bisha knew he was one of the youngest of the Abna Albasha or Pasha's children ever to get advanced schooling.
So here he was, waiting yet again. This time it was in the common room of the adventurer's guild in Alkadharam. To Bisha the room looked more like a tavern than the entry to any guild. Not that Bisha had been in many taverns in his life. But it definitely resembled how one would look from the descriptions in some of the books he'd read or stories he'd heard. To Bisha's eyes it didn't look anything like what he'd imagined a serious guild hall should be. He was waiting for the first of his guards to come in. Bisha had only been told that she had arrived the day before. She had never been to Kishnagar before, but was well qualified to help him on his journey.
Twenty tables were placed around the room, each large enough to hold up to eight people comfortably. Most of them held only three with a couple of them seating seven people. The different tables were each placed so that it was possible to talk quietly and not be overheard. The staff worked efficiently around the quietly talking group, serving food and drink to some of them. Others seemed to either be waiting for someone or filing out paperwork. Bisha knew that the people that he would also fill out similar paperwork with those that the university hired for him as well. It consisted of who was responsible for what in the party. The standard contract for this kind of work.
The only way to know that you weren't in an inn or tavern was that there was no bar to be found anywhere in the room. In place of where the bar would be was a freestanding raised desk where people checked in. Bisha had gone there himself when he first arrived and been handed off to a guild member. The guild member was apparently stationed there to assist adventurers find someone to fill-in a blank in their group. Or, more commonly, to help individuals that need help like he did find people who wanted work. Bisha hadn't even known that there were people who wanted to go on adventures. From everything he'd ever read, adventures sounded dangerous and full of uncomfortable happenings. Bisha knew that he hadn't seen much of the world. In fact he was aware that he had lived a very sheltered and protected life. And if the gods were kind, he would go back to that life once he got to the Adikha Yunavarasiti.
Bisha didn't know what he had expected when he was told to come downstairs and meet the first member of his new party to arrive but it had not been who and/or what had walked in. At first he'd thought that the very tall and severe looking female Oristani was there for another reason. She was completely clad in black which as far as Bisha knew didn't happen. Usually the Oristani dressed in as many colors as they could or at least every Oristani he'd ever seen back in Khunduz had. Bisha had been told that frequently the colors would clashed horribly and the more they clashed the more the Oristani liked them. Not that Bisha had had a lot of experience with the Oristani that bordered the Ashfanabad lands. They just didn't leave their lands all that often, preferring to stay in their own lands following the herds.
Before coming to Alkhadharam Bisha had never left Khunduz so there wasn't a whole lot for him to compare. Add to that the fact that the Oristani often thought that the lands of their neighbors were their own lands too. Generally the border incursions were usually to find grazing when they were on their way from one part of their territory to another. The needs of their herds were always dictated by the herds they nurtured and followed. No one wanted to make a fuss cause the Oristani were also known to be viscous fighters that would suddenly show up in huge numbers and wipe-out whole armies when ever their right to go on through was challenged. All of the countries that surrounded the Oristani lands had long ago decided that it was easier, and less costly in lives and such, to just let the Oristani pass through.
Even more surprising than the color of the Oristani's clothes was the Ashfan Hound that walked at her side. While it was possible for an Ashfan Hound to be found away from Ashfanabad, it wasn't common. Generally the hounds were found living wild in other lands and only in Ashfanabad were they domesticated. Or at least as domesticated as an independent barely tamed animal could be. It wasn't an easy thing to domesticate one if they didn't like and respect you they would leave and either return to the wild or find someone they did like. So finding one walking at the side of the black clad Oristani female was a shock. The hound wore no collar so Bisha knew that it hadn't been trained by an Ashfani. The hounds that were trained by his people were always kept collared. It was so they could be told from the wild ones. Those in the wild were all the more dangerous because the only way to tell if one is wild or tame was whether they had a collar on.
Bisha waited while the Guild Facilitator, the one who introduced guild members to prospective employers, brought the tall Oristani over to where he waited. The Oristani female towered over him even after they had both sat down. This was becoming more and more uncomfortable to Bisha as it progressed and they had only said hello. They hadn't even gotten through the introductions yet and Bisha was already starting to feel overwhelmed. Just then the Ashfan Hound touched him with his nose and then gave him a small, quick lick on the back of his hand. Bisha looked down and felt a bit better, less overwhelmed by the black clad female that sat across from him. Bisha looked back up to the towering female seated across from him and saw a quick twitch of her lip at the hounds action. The gentleness of the hound and it's mistresses reaction started to put Bisha at ease.
"Bisha," the Facilitator said gesturing to him. "This is Nahla. She is the first of your guards."
Bisha looked again at the tall, olive skinned female that sat across the table from him. There was something about her being dressed all in black that Bisha thought he should remember but currently it escaped him. Like him, the adventurer before him also wore a type of turban. Unlike his, hers wasn't because of horns but because in the desert it was wise to avoid to much sun reaching the skin. There was a large spear that leaned against the table between them on her right hand. The hound sat at her left, tongue lolling out the right side of its mouth like a smile. Bisha really wished he could remember what it was about the clothing and the spear. The memory tickled the back of his mind before slipping away again. Bisha resolved to figure out what it was he had forgotten but not right now. Right now he had to concentrate on the imposing Oristani before him.
Nahla was covered in the many folds of her robes and turban. Faintly there was a soft jingle from the many coins that were part and parcel of every Oristani females attire. Even to Bisha's thinking, the tall Oristani across from him looked greener than usual. Not that he had a lot of experience with the Oristani mind you. A drape of fabric covered all of the Oristani's face except her eyes. Since she was a female, Bisha knew that she would have tusks that grew down from her upper jaw. Oristani males had tusks that grew upwards from the bottom jaw. Not that Bisha had ever seen Oristani tusks with his own eyes, but how they grew was common knowledge. As far as Bisha knew the tusks weren't overly large but they were defiantly visible.
From her first words Bisha thought that he'd be able to at least get along with the imposing female in front of him. The Ashfan Hound was the biggest reason that Bisha felt even remotely comfortable with the first of those that would go with him to his new school. An Ashfan Hound wouldn't tolerate someone who was cruel to them. If this Nahla hadn't been good to her animals the hound would have left long ago. There was absolutely no way to force a hound to stay if it wanted to go. This gave Bisha hope that this Nahla was as nice to people as she was to her animals. And that just maybe she'd be nice to him too. It was a place to start.
Nahla the shaman
Bisha didn't ask any questions until the Facilitator had left them. In Ashfanabad it was considered bad manners to ask personal questions around others. So until the two of them were alone at the table he wouldn't ask her about herself nor would he tell her about himself. While he was listening to the Facilitator tell Nahla the basics of his journey to the Adikha Yunavarasiti Bisha observed the imposing Oristani before him. He already knew that she was tall. She had towered over the Facilitator when he'd lead her to Bisha's table. She had stared at him the whole time the Facilitator was talking. So much so that Bisha was starting to wonder if she ever blinked. It was very hard to gauge emotion when all he could see of her face was her eyes.
The fact that Nahla didn't seem to blink was really starting to freak Bisha out. How long could someone go without blinking. Bisha had never heard that the Oristani didn't blink. And he was fairly certain that something like that would have been mentioned when he'd learned about the Oristani in school. Add to that her all black clothing and Nahla was one of the most frightening people he'd ever seen. The only reason he didn't just run away from her was the Ashfan Hound at her side. The hounds were well known for not tolerating people who were cruel or mean to those around them. There were many stories of Ashfan Hounds leaving anyone that was cruel to others. Sometimes they would kill or maim the cruel or ill-tempered but usually they just left for another person.
Once the Facilitator left the two of them could start to actually get to know each other. With any luck they would like each other. But even if they merely tolerated each other it would be better than how the other children in the orphanage had made him feel. He'd not had very many friends until he'd gone for advanced education back in Khunduz. Sure some people had said they were his friends but a niggling doubt had always made him wonder if it was true. Very few had managed to get to convince Bisha that they meant it when they called him friend. All of them had been at the university back in Khunduz. Bisha truly hoped that the frightening Oristani across the table from him would be one of them.
"You go to Adikha Yunavarasiti to work?" Nahla asked as she uncovered her face.
The harsh voice of the black clad Oristani startled Bisha so much that it took him a second to answer her. Bisha knew that the Oristani only removed their face covering when in doors. Keeping the covering on when in someone else's home was a grievous insult in fact. Nahla was even more imposing without her face covering. Now he could see her tusks poking out over her bottom lip. Her face was a harsh play of angular lines and she looked like she could chew metal and spit nails. If she had looked any more frightening he wouldn't have be able to speak.
"Sort of. I'm going for advanced studies and to work on a new experiment at the yunavarasiti," he answered.
Bisha saw the confused look on Nahla's face at the word experiment. He wasn't sure if it was the word itself or the context that she didn't understand. Bisha suspected that it was the context but it was hard to tell for sure since he knew for certain that Kishnagari was at least a second but was more likely to be her third or fourth language. Did she know Ashfani? would it be easier if he spoke that? Bisha wasn't sure and now wasn't the time to find out. Later, when he knew more about her, he would find out. Until then he would continue to use Kishnagari to talk to her. It was commonly used as a trade language after all. And he would probably be able to expand his descriptions later if he needed to. It wasn't like she was going to be working on the experiment with him after all. She was going to guide and guard him and hopefully be a friend.
Their conversation started out slow but as time passed they both relaxed and opened up a bit. Bisha learned that Nahla was a Shaman and that was why she wore all black. He wasn't at all surprised that Nahla had a Temee with her after all, as far as he knew all Oristani had a Temee. What was surprising was that the Adventurer's Guild was able to convince Nahla that her Temee didn't belong inside the guild house with her. To the best of Bisha's knowledge the Oristani took their Temee with them everywhere they went. That was what every thing he'd learned or read had said at home. he had thought that maybe Shaman were different but he'd learned otherwise from Nahla.
"What is you Temee's name if it's not wrong to find out?" Bisha asked hesitantly. Bisha knew that the Oristani had some odd ideas about what was and wasn't proper to inquire about.
"Her name is Usha," Nahla replied. A very confused look on her face. "Temee must have a name. Why wouldn't it be okay to ask. It's a given." The last was said quietly almost to herself. Nahla clearly didn't understand why Bisha had to ask if it was okay to ask Usha's name. It was obvious that something was being lost in translation but Bisha didn't quite know just what.
"Is yours in the stable? I mean, I can't believe they would let a Temee stay in your room but I might be wrong," Bisha continued. He looked at Nahla with a hopeful look on his face. He really didn't want Nahla to take his question the wrong way. she was scary enough when she was being friendly he definitely didn't want to see her annoyed. Bisha figured that if Nahla was truly annoyed with him she might just break him to feel better. There was no way he was going to risk that.
"They wouldn't let me bring Usha into the guild house," Nahla looked a bit embarrassed and confused at the admission. "I don't understand why. Usha is a very well behaved Temee and would never make a mess inside. But they said no animals inside. Then they said Ryah could be inside," Nahla pet the Ashfan hounds head when she said her name. Not really understanding the difference. Not because Nahla was stupid but because it had never considered that Usha and Ryah couldn't go everywhere with her. Bisha knew that in her homelands Nahla would have her Temee, Usha with her at all times, they would even sleep in the same tent. And it was obvious to Bisha that Ryah, the Ashfan hound was just as close to Nahla as her Temee was.
It was clear that Nahla didn't understand why the Temee wasn't allowed into the guild house when the Ashfan Hound was allowed in. Bisha knew why the Temee was excluded, people didn't bring their horses into their houses after all. But that wasn't how the Oristani thought, they did bring their Temee into their tents. To them their Temee was a member of the family. Not letting their Temee in was like saying their child couldn't come in. It just didn't happen, ever. Actually Bisha wouldn't be surprised to learn that Nahla had slept in the stable with her Temee, Usha. And low and behold that was exactly what Nahla had tried. Apparently they hadn't allowed her to. They did give her the option of letting her hound stay with her Temee. According to Nahla however Ryah had refused to leave Nahla especially when she slept, Bisha wasn't surprised at all.
From her conversation Bisha figured out that Usha and Ryah were as important to Nahla as her own clan was. This went along with everything that Bisha had learned about the Oristani. It was obvious that to Nahla Usha, the Temee, and Ryah, the Ashfan Hound, were as much people to her as he was. That Ryah had decided for herself to stay with Nahla instead of with the Temee and that Nahla had gone with Ryah's decision just hammered home how the Oristani felt about the animals that lived and worked with them. It was completely different from how he had been brought up. So much so that Bisha wondered if the animals that traveled with Nahla were special in some way. Or was that all animals were special like Usha and Ryah and he'd just never noticed.
