An Accounting of The Prince's Adventures
Welcome.
Sit down, my friend, and allow me to conjure a mirage for you...
The prince and his faithful, mute servant stumbled through the brush, the twigs scratching their skin, the overhead sun sapping the life energy from them. The land was unforgiving and the humidity sheathed their bodies in oily sweat. Little relief could be found in the shade, and when they found the creek bed, their hearts leapt with joy. 'Surely this will lead us to water!' the prince cried, and they followed the winding, rocky bed until they encountered the first pool.
They cupped their hands and heaped the water onto their faces and arms and backs and soaked their clothes. Their fatigue temporarily washed away and their spirits lifted, they continued down the rocky creekbed from small watering hole to watering hole until at last they came upon a rocky bank that spanned the width of the creek and served as one edge of the largest, deepest body of water they had yet come upon.
At this discovery, their hearts truly lifted and the prince immediately stripped himself and bounded from boulder to boulder to the edge of the swimming hole. Here the water was dark blue and deep, unlike the shallow pools they had frolicked in. The prince leapt from the largest rock into the water, crying out as the cool water swallowed him up and pulled him under. When his head popped back out, he threw back his hair from his face and looked to his servant, who gingerly, self-consciously stepped from his own clothes and eased into the water, unsure whether to believe if it were real or another mirage brought by the heat and travel.
'Come in, my friend!' He encouraged to his friend, who could not swim. 'Walk out to me, and where it gets too deep, I will hold you above the water!' His servant did as he was beckoned, tenderly stepping from rock to rock as the water rose up to his chest and then further. Just as his master had promised, when the water threatened to rise up to cover his mouth and nose, the prince swam beside him and, laughing, swept his servant's legs up at the knees and carried him. 'Now, straighten your body and relax. I have you.' The mute did as he was told, and soon was spread eagle, staring into the blue sky. The prince twisted his body, guiding his servant across the surface of the water, and the motion cooled his sunkissed skin.
After playing in the cool waters they lay naked, drying on large rocks, sunning themselves as the lizards that darted into the undergrowth at their approach had done. 'This truly must be a blessing from God,' the Prince said, but a sound caught his servant's ear, and drew his gaze across the creek to the far bank, where a winding trail rose past a section of the bank shaded by a large, sprawling oak and disappeared into a cave set back into the cliffside. An armadillo, its banded armor gleaming in the sunlight was moving down from the cliffside and disappeared into the thick riverbank grass. He lay back against the rock, where the fatigue caught up with him, and quickly found himself in sleep's embrace.
The prince awoke to find himself surrounded by four exquisistely-dressed strangers. He cried in alarm at being surprised, which awoke his servant and the two sprang back from the strangers, crouching low. The servant eased in front of his master, ready to defend him. The prince could not help but admire the details of the strangers' dress; regal headdresses and armbands that might be armor-like in function were they not so beautiful. Ornate and delicate jelery accented their bodies, which were clothed sparsely to accomodate the season.
The strangers were just as caught off guard by the suddenness and agility of the two naked men, and stepped back, lifting their hands respectfully. And then the strangest of things happened: one of the strangers spoke, and the prince and the mute servant could understand them!
'Please, we did not mean to scare you,' one, a tall, dark-eyed man said. Dark hair that matched his eyes spilled from his head past his shoulders. The prince could not help but associate the man with a jaguar, for some strange reason. 'It is hot here in the sun and we wanted to see if you would like some tea or maybe a confection if you are hungry.'
The prince eyed the man warily, still astonished that he could speak the prince's own language. They had traveled far and long on this adventure, putting much distance between them and the borders of their home.
A tall, slender woman stepped forward. Brilliant green eyes flared against a pale face. A necklace of silver interlinked floral pieces hung from her neck. She steadied a fragile rice-paper parasol in the crook of her arm and held the two men's clothing, folded, in the palms of her hands. 'Please forgive us; we mean no disrespect, nor do we wish you to feel vulnerable.' She placed the clothing on the ground before the prince's servant and stepped back.
Past the small group, beneath the oak, he spied two more like-dressed people, both with radiant manes of red. The woman held a child swadled in a cloth to her chest; it was obvious that the little one was the child of the two redheaded, for his hair was even more fiery than theirs. The prince, sensing good intention from these folk, relaxed slightly.
'We have a place over in the shade, past the oak. Please, we would be honored if you joined us.' The dark-haired man gestured towards the opposite bank. Beyond the tree, one could make out a small open-aired structure accented with oranges, reds, and purples.
The prince’s servant looked at him for guidance. There was hesitation in the mute’s eyes that begged caution. ‘My friend, I do not feel that these people mean us any harm. In any case, they have us outnumbered,’ the prince looked to the dark-haired man, ‘and I have been told that when one is outnumbered and in the face of hospitality, it is typically prudent to accept their offer.’ He reached his arm out to the dark-haired man, and the two clasped each other’s forearms. ‘We thank you for your gracious offer, and we will be happy to join you at your camp.’
The dark-haired man smiled a smile that could pierce the heavens and banish even the most stubborn of demons, then laughed a throaty laugh and clapped the prince on the shoulder affectionately. ‘Camp? Ha-ha! My friend, this is but our riverside sanctuary! Our camp…our empire…is elsewhere and I would ask that you and your friend come visit it. No! In fact,’ and he looked around at his troupe, ‘we /insist/ that you come home with us and spend this night with us!’
The prince could not help but smile. There was something infectious in their demeanors, for now all of his party were smiling at the prince and his servant. ‘Certainly you have traveled long and far this day, and you must be road-weary. Come with us. Tonight you, our respected, revered friends, will be guests of Ish, and we will lavish you in nothing but the finest comfort and banish the fatigue that rests within your souls!’
The prince smiled and clapped the other man on his shoulder. ‘So be it then!’
And at that, the entire entourage retreated to the riverside sanctuary, and the prince and his mute servant were entreated to but a taste of things to come.
Sit down, my friend, and allow me to conjure a mirage for you...
The prince and his faithful, mute servant stumbled through the brush, the twigs scratching their skin, the overhead sun sapping the life energy from them. The land was unforgiving and the humidity sheathed their bodies in oily sweat. Little relief could be found in the shade, and when they found the creek bed, their hearts leapt with joy. 'Surely this will lead us to water!' the prince cried, and they followed the winding, rocky bed until they encountered the first pool.
They cupped their hands and heaped the water onto their faces and arms and backs and soaked their clothes. Their fatigue temporarily washed away and their spirits lifted, they continued down the rocky creekbed from small watering hole to watering hole until at last they came upon a rocky bank that spanned the width of the creek and served as one edge of the largest, deepest body of water they had yet come upon.
At this discovery, their hearts truly lifted and the prince immediately stripped himself and bounded from boulder to boulder to the edge of the swimming hole. Here the water was dark blue and deep, unlike the shallow pools they had frolicked in. The prince leapt from the largest rock into the water, crying out as the cool water swallowed him up and pulled him under. When his head popped back out, he threw back his hair from his face and looked to his servant, who gingerly, self-consciously stepped from his own clothes and eased into the water, unsure whether to believe if it were real or another mirage brought by the heat and travel.
'Come in, my friend!' He encouraged to his friend, who could not swim. 'Walk out to me, and where it gets too deep, I will hold you above the water!' His servant did as he was beckoned, tenderly stepping from rock to rock as the water rose up to his chest and then further. Just as his master had promised, when the water threatened to rise up to cover his mouth and nose, the prince swam beside him and, laughing, swept his servant's legs up at the knees and carried him. 'Now, straighten your body and relax. I have you.' The mute did as he was told, and soon was spread eagle, staring into the blue sky. The prince twisted his body, guiding his servant across the surface of the water, and the motion cooled his sunkissed skin.
After playing in the cool waters they lay naked, drying on large rocks, sunning themselves as the lizards that darted into the undergrowth at their approach had done. 'This truly must be a blessing from God,' the Prince said, but a sound caught his servant's ear, and drew his gaze across the creek to the far bank, where a winding trail rose past a section of the bank shaded by a large, sprawling oak and disappeared into a cave set back into the cliffside. An armadillo, its banded armor gleaming in the sunlight was moving down from the cliffside and disappeared into the thick riverbank grass. He lay back against the rock, where the fatigue caught up with him, and quickly found himself in sleep's embrace.
The prince awoke to find himself surrounded by four exquisistely-dressed strangers. He cried in alarm at being surprised, which awoke his servant and the two sprang back from the strangers, crouching low. The servant eased in front of his master, ready to defend him. The prince could not help but admire the details of the strangers' dress; regal headdresses and armbands that might be armor-like in function were they not so beautiful. Ornate and delicate jelery accented their bodies, which were clothed sparsely to accomodate the season.
The strangers were just as caught off guard by the suddenness and agility of the two naked men, and stepped back, lifting their hands respectfully. And then the strangest of things happened: one of the strangers spoke, and the prince and the mute servant could understand them!
'Please, we did not mean to scare you,' one, a tall, dark-eyed man said. Dark hair that matched his eyes spilled from his head past his shoulders. The prince could not help but associate the man with a jaguar, for some strange reason. 'It is hot here in the sun and we wanted to see if you would like some tea or maybe a confection if you are hungry.'
The prince eyed the man warily, still astonished that he could speak the prince's own language. They had traveled far and long on this adventure, putting much distance between them and the borders of their home.
A tall, slender woman stepped forward. Brilliant green eyes flared against a pale face. A necklace of silver interlinked floral pieces hung from her neck. She steadied a fragile rice-paper parasol in the crook of her arm and held the two men's clothing, folded, in the palms of her hands. 'Please forgive us; we mean no disrespect, nor do we wish you to feel vulnerable.' She placed the clothing on the ground before the prince's servant and stepped back.
Past the small group, beneath the oak, he spied two more like-dressed people, both with radiant manes of red. The woman held a child swadled in a cloth to her chest; it was obvious that the little one was the child of the two redheaded, for his hair was even more fiery than theirs. The prince, sensing good intention from these folk, relaxed slightly.
'We have a place over in the shade, past the oak. Please, we would be honored if you joined us.' The dark-haired man gestured towards the opposite bank. Beyond the tree, one could make out a small open-aired structure accented with oranges, reds, and purples.
The prince’s servant looked at him for guidance. There was hesitation in the mute’s eyes that begged caution. ‘My friend, I do not feel that these people mean us any harm. In any case, they have us outnumbered,’ the prince looked to the dark-haired man, ‘and I have been told that when one is outnumbered and in the face of hospitality, it is typically prudent to accept their offer.’ He reached his arm out to the dark-haired man, and the two clasped each other’s forearms. ‘We thank you for your gracious offer, and we will be happy to join you at your camp.’
The dark-haired man smiled a smile that could pierce the heavens and banish even the most stubborn of demons, then laughed a throaty laugh and clapped the prince on the shoulder affectionately. ‘Camp? Ha-ha! My friend, this is but our riverside sanctuary! Our camp…our empire…is elsewhere and I would ask that you and your friend come visit it. No! In fact,’ and he looked around at his troupe, ‘we /insist/ that you come home with us and spend this night with us!’
The prince could not help but smile. There was something infectious in their demeanors, for now all of his party were smiling at the prince and his servant. ‘Certainly you have traveled long and far this day, and you must be road-weary. Come with us. Tonight you, our respected, revered friends, will be guests of Ish, and we will lavish you in nothing but the finest comfort and banish the fatigue that rests within your souls!’
The prince smiled and clapped the other man on his shoulder. ‘So be it then!’
And at that, the entire entourage retreated to the riverside sanctuary, and the prince and his mute servant were entreated to but a taste of things to come.