Wild!

[Charm]

I'm Lyra, the 'leader' of a small 'wild tribe' of girls living in Africa. Depends on the weather that year on where we 'settle' for a month or so.

My twin is Maia, the younger by three hours, so I'm the boss! She's generally the boss as well, but acts as second in command. She'd be the one who's plan, I'd be the one who led battles.

We have two horses each, one for pleasure and one for carrying goods, leaders have three to signify importance.

I own:

Carm - Honey dun connemara cross arab, mostly arab to withstand the heat of African Deserts.
Bolero - lipizzana stallion shipped form spain and abandoned in Morocco (lol), Gia's sibling (Maia's horse)
Kira - black arabian filly, approcahing ridable.

So far it is:

Maia - Shorti, leader as well, practical can go crazy if one plan goes wrong, can fight, but doesn' see the point.
Lyra - leader - Maias twin - strong headed, bold, doesn't like to be bossed around, has lkast word in every argument.

***

I patted Carms neck, she sniffed at a few strands of grass and snorted, plainly not liking it. Maia rode up on Gia, glancing at Carm before speaking.
"There is not much grazing, we shall need to cross the desert before next moon rise," she said quietly. I nodded, patting Gias neck and running my fingers through her mane.
"Ok, do te others know?"
"Not yet, I shall hold a meeting?"
"Yes, as soon as you can."

[Pip]

I'm Maia, my horses are:
Gia - Lippizana mare with black mane and tail (Bolero's sister).
Mella - Strawberry roan arab mare with creamy mane and tail.
Io - Black arab stallion with naturally crimped mane and tail.
--------------------------------

I rang the large bell hanging in the centre of the encampment, and the sisters all rode over to meet Lyra and I. As they approached us, each one lowered thier head and murmered a hushed greeting. When all had assembled, I began the meeting.
"Sisters, this desert is too barran for us to stay longer than we must. By next moonrise we must leave. There is little nourishment here, for us or for our steeds. We must have the camp ready to travel by sunrise, so we can move out in the early hours."
The sisters nodded, patting the necks of their horses. Gia whickered, and Lyra and I rode towards our quarters, the sign that the others could leave.
Pulling the tent pegs from the ground, I placed them in a leather pouch. When the pouch was full, I placed it in Io's saddle-bag. He whinnied softly, and pranced around, he was still very young. Lyra was pulling down the tent, and rolling it up. She placed the rolled up bundle across Bolero's back and stroked him. For the remainder of the time, we collected up the last parts of our supplies and personal possesions, and bound them to our horses.
As soon as the first hot rays of the sun pierced the flat, sandy horizon, the sisters were ready. At the front, Lyra and I trotted, our horses basking in the moderate heat of sunrise. Following us were the warriors, girls with close cropped hair and heavy horse-leather garments, carrying flint spears and stone daggers. Behind the warriors came the rest of the tribe, the young ones, with only their first horse, and the old ones, too feeble for battle. Behind them, came the riderless horses, trained to follow and learn, before another horses died or was to weak to be ridden, when they would take over.

[Charm]

I had my cropped hair, the sign of the warriors, and my sharp features with peircing grey eyes. A quiver was strung over Carms shoulder, full with arrows and the bow thrown over my back. Around my waist was a belt, in which hung fdifferent items, a adgger, a medicine pouch, and a horn, used to call my horses, as well as some meat and a horn of water. I glanced at Maia who grinned and pushed Gia into a smooth canter. I clicked my tongue to comand Carm, who moved fluently up. There was a squeal from behind and a cry of alarm before the thundering of hooves, a horse, clearly scared, galloped past us, alarming Gia nd Carm who reared in surprise, and, landing with a snort, Carm reaed up again, spinning on her haunches. "Whoa," soothed her, stroking her neck. "Catch that horse!" I cried to the horse tamers, there were four of them, one who was also a smithy and made all our flints and arrows ect ect.
The horse tamers rode past, one grinning and the other urging her horse on, crouching low over her neck. The other two only tortted, looking solemn and talking in low voices to each other, Maia rolled her eyes as the younger of the four suddenly galloped off, her horse kicking up dust and rocks. Quickly me and Maia swerved of course and led everyone a slightly longer way to avoid any injuries. About two hours later, the horse tamers came back, each holding a rope which was attatched to the horses rope halter that every horse wore, that led to a limping horse.
"Where was it?" I commanded suddenly. Everyone looked at me and Maia, who slipped up beside Carm and Gia.
"Running, Lyra," said the eldest, the wisest.
"Keep it bound as we journey, we can't risk another mishap. " I glared at the horse, catching its eye as it was led away. Turning Carm with the guidance of her own mane we cantered swiftly on, having to make it to better grazing before sun fall.

[Pip]

"That horse was different." Lyra remarked.
"Yes," I agreed, "like it was possessed."
"Mmmmm..." Lyra said.
"It has happened before. We must keep an eye on it." I shook a short strand of dark hair out of my eyes and looked back at the limping bay, tossing its head and refusing to come with the tribe. I sighed. This horse was going to prove difficult to control. I looked down at my hands, and I saw the thin cross tattoed on my left wrist that denoted me as a horsewoman. It matched the one one Lyra's wrist. We could train this horses. It would become great, like us.
Lyra blew her bone horn. "We are approaching a river! Stop and refresh yourselves. We have crossed the desert, and reached the Nile! Here, we make camp." I nodded my agreement, and dismounted Gia, hurrying over to Io to unload the tent pegs from him, while Lyra fetched our tent from Bolero.

[Charm]

I unbuckled all buckles and untied all ropes, before finally leaving Bolero alone. Kira whickered, spalshing water around weith her muzzle. found a shallow plac in the river, and waded across with Carm for guidance. I unloaded what I had -put on Carm and allowed her to drink, called Kira over. I waded back over and loaded Kira with stuff, wading over with her again. I did this with each of my horses until finally all the stuff was over, then I mounted Bolero and trotted aorund everyone else, fishing out all the strong and finished builders to help. They all hurried to were we decided to set up our tent, and helped mantle it. I thanked them, giving them each a salmon cake. I went to the river with my spear, and rolled a huge rock into the middle. I leapt over and landed like a cat, crouching down with my spear. At the slightest movement of a fish, I plunged my spear in and out came a fish, speared through. I threw them into a basket of weaved reeds and called to Maia to have a go. She only had a dagger, as spears were no use to her. I hgave ehr my spear and pulled her over to the rock. She balanced herself, and crouched down as she ahd seen me doing. Quickly, I leapt back over to land and ran off to were the horses were, leaving Maia to fish as I'd always done.

[Pip]

I plunged the spear into the water. Another fish. Silver-sheened, like the moon, but bleeding through a hole in its stomach. Banging it hard on the head, it stopped flapping. I had killed something. I felt a tight knot rise in my stomach - and then disappear. I was a warrior. Though I did not like to throw spears, I was the most accomplished archer in our tribe, and the only one who could equal Lyra in a dagger-fight. After catching three more fish, I swam over to the shore, threw the fish on the spitting fire and went to ride around the area, seeing what was near us. No people, I hoped, but maybe cattle, which we would (of course) capture.

[Charm]

I was the best warrior in the tribe, I could fight with my hands as well as I could with my spear, I was the best at fighting with a spear and dagger, as well as my hands. I had trained Maia up, somehow, by attacking her every now and then, she still had a few scars.
I was washing in the lake, staring down at my reflection that stared back, cold grey eyes, closely cropped brown hair, with a few blondey streaks, and tattos down my face, small blue dots, one right in the centre of my forehead to say I was leader, and fww down either side of my cheekbone to show how many battles I had fought, and won.
I washed my face with a sigh,my tanned skin glistening with the drops before I reached for a woven towl, out of animal hide. I rubbed my face dry and stod up properly, to face a boy standing the other side. He stared at me, his eyes an unusual amber. I gasped, recognising them form somewhere. He held a spear loosely at his side, I had a dagger, my bow and three arrows. Quickly I glanced around, looking for soemone, but they were all setting up. I opened my mouth to call fr someone to help kill the boy, but I caught his eye. As a warrior, I should have ignored the confusion and pain in his eyes, but I didn't. I glanced down his body, reaching his leg and then I gasped. There was an arrow head stuck in one leg, it was clear through the trousers he was wearing as it had a huge tear, and the fabric had turned crimson with blood.
"Put the spear down, I'll help you," I murmered the words quietly, dropping my arrows and bow, but keeping the hidden dagger in my belt. The boy dropepd his spear, gasping with pain as it fell to the ground, it lsightly grazing his leg as it went past. Quickly I waded across, grabbed the spear and threw it to my side so he couldn't get it. Then I backed away to crouch on my side of the river.
"Maia!" I called loudly, not a shout, but not a say. She would here me, she always did. I rushed to the boy again, and picked him up before wading back to my side, my feet only just touching the bottom. I lay him on the bank, and rushed off to find Maia who came cantering up to meet me on Io. I patted Io, calling Bolero who came at a fast canter. I mounted and we cantered back to where the boy lay, Maia could see the concern in my eye. She slipped off Io's back and dropped to her knees to examine the boys wound. She nodded seriously, before grasping the arrow head and pulling hard, there was a scream of pain from the boy, but it was out.
"Your name is Tobias, and you are one of us now," before he could react, I took a burning iron rod and singed a mark, a cross, across his wrist, now he was one of us. He stared at my tattos, my short hair, and my belt, in which I had on at all times. My hair was lose, apart form one braid that stayed in all my life, to signify I was a Amazonian women, not a mans woman. But this boy had been saved, he had seen our camp, so could be killed, or live with us. I passed him a salmon cake, dried salmon with some juniper berries crushed and sweetening the flavour. He gobbled it down quickly, we all laughed and Maia handed him another one, which he ate just as quickly.
"Get him some porridge, sweetened with some milk of the mares," the cooks ran off, I got my dagger and aproached the boy, he shrank away, eyeing the dagger, but I reached out and grasped his long air, raising the dagger, I cut it swiftly off, and tucked it into my belt. I cut all his hair, so he looked like us. Because he had a spear, he was a warrior. So he would make himself useful. I handed him his spear, pointing towards the river.
"You ate some salmon, so you catch some fish," he quickly located the rock, and leapt over, landing on one leg, his good one. He crouched down, and after ten minutes he came back with three fish. I nodded approvingly, and sent him for some rest, saying the porrige was ready. He settled down in the medical tent, and allowed his leg to be bandaged and new clothes to be out on.
I glanced at Maia, who nodded and smiled before settign her equitment down, gettting a damp rag and cleaning it. I brought out my dagger, went to the river and dipped it in before wiping the blade with my sleeve.

[Pip]

Later on, I turned to Lyra as we ate that evening. "I have and idea. He can tame that wild horse we caught earlier. It will be his only horse, as he is not truly one of us. There are no Amazonian men. It is not done. But tonight, we must question him and give him his rightful marks." Lyra knew I was referring to the painful tattos that covered our Tribe. I had fewer facial tattoos than her, two dots, one on each cheek, and a larger one, like Lyra's in the centre of my forehead.
We made Tobias drunk, that supper. It was the only way we knew to dull the pain of the skin-staining needles and the branding irons. He told us his story. He was, like us, 16 years old. That meant 16 dots along his left leg. He had fought in 15 battles and won 11. That meant 11 dots across his cheeks. He was a warrior. That meant two thick lines branded across each knee. He was the son of a Leader. Three zigzags branded on his stomach.
Wer sent him and his tale to the smithy, the only other male in our tribe, a cripple and a wimp. He hated fighting and blood, and was reluctant to brand our people, and as he did so, Tobias became one of us. His neck-length hair meant he was not distinguishable from the warriors, and would fit in well with the tribe. His own weapons were strong, and did not need replacing with our own. We showed him to his horse, and slunk through the impending darkness to our tent, for tonight.

[Charm]

I lied back on my bed of dried grass, covered with animal hides and wool for warmth. I didn't feel liek changing, so stayed fully dressed, curled up in a ball on top of my covers. I could see Maias open eyes, peircing through the open air.
"What do you think he'll be like? He'll be brought up an Amazon, free, yet bound. He shall learn respect, and he's a good warrior." At the last few words, I ran one finger down my war tattoos, seven on one cheek and six on the other. Softly I sighed, for the tribe wasn't as good as it used to be. When mom led it.
"I don't know," came the soft reply. I turned my head towards her bed, she sighed. "He understands pain, and didn't attack when he saw you, maybe he's just broken."
"Broken? He didn't attack, because he'd been attacked, and he'd probably been brought up by that tribe who hates women, then tries to get them pregnant! He shall learn our ways."
"Why or you so confident about him?"
This made me stop, and think. "I don't know," I whispered, because, for once, I wasn't sure.

Then next morning, Tobias was down in the coral with the horses as I washed in the river. He came over, bowing and pressing three fingers to his forehead. A very posh way of saying hello to leaders, and the respected.
"No need to do that, we just bow our heads here," I said stiffly, continuing to wash. Tobias shrugged lightly. I looked up.
"So...?"
"Excuse me if I sound rude, but one girl said you had a horse for me." I nodded, lookign him up and down.
"Yes," I said quite simply. He looked puzzled at my answer. "He is wild, and shall be used to carry your lugage, you shall have to train him yourself." I stood up, looking him in the eye. "Find him yourselfm he is a paint stallion, we have many paints, see if you have been given the gift of horse speaking like all us. Go." Tobias walked off, his shoulders hunched over. I sighed, and dived into the river quite simply, to wash myself. I hurried to my tent wet and dripping nad strung my clothes out to try after getting changed. I walked to the coral, and saw Tobias sitting on the make shift fence, quite simply scanning the crowd of horses as they grazed. I picked out Kira, whistling her over. She came quite slowly, but trotted as I walked out of the throng and strode off towards the village of our tents, past Tobias. I could sense him wacthing me as Kira alked straight behind, her muzzle almost touching my back.
Once through the village, I monted Kira for the second time, whsipering commands to her. She cantered in an un even line, gathering up strength to throw in a small buck here and there. tobias saw as I passed the horses, turning Kira back to loop the village again. I could see he wasn't used to seeing horses being rode like it, and was surprised when Maia singled out Io for a ride with me and Kira. We breifly told the second in command here we were going, before we set off over the river, to do a huge loop round to look for any enemies, cattle or anything at all.

[Pip]

I noticed a spindly fence in the distance, and pointed to it, calling "Sister, there are others around."
"Be on your guard, they could be from Tobias's tribe." I nodded, and urged Io into a gallop, he reared and plunged forwards, snorting. In moments we were aside the fence, and we saw a singled out patch of land, with a young foal in the middle. Surrounding the foal, were pools of blood. Gashes across his underside and throat showed he had clearly been attacked. By who, or what? I wondered. Lyra hacked through the fence with her dagger, and dismounting from Io, I walked softly over to the foal, who whinnied shrilly, and quivered, using his dwindling strength to step backwards, away from me. I deftly picked him up, and layed him across Io's neck. Io snorted, trying to nuzzle the dying buckskin astride him.
"Back to camp." said Lyra.
"Yes, the healers will be able to help." Touching the now unconscious foal gently, I tried to brush the gunky blood from his bright coat.

[Charm]

"No," I sensed something wrong. Then, there it was. A male battle cry, a yell of delight mingled with a frightened scream off Maia. I spun Kira round not on the best of horses, but my touch on her mane made her move at a startlign speed. I leant abckwards, tugging her mane hard, she reared up in surprise, fornt legs thrashing at the air. I leant forwards over her shoulder, whipping out my dagger, only then I relaised that this man was weaponless, harmless. He eyed the dagger, and screamed as I rode Kira at a gallop towards him, my dagger held in my fist, which dropped as I went past, ramming straight through the mans back. I yanked it out and shuddered, wiping the blood onto my trouser before replacing it itno my belt.
"Let's go," I smiled at Maia, who went pale and looked as if she was abotu to faint.

[Lottie]

I'm Shaska and I mainly work in healing.
I look after:
- Iskra, a pretty blue roan arabian mare who is about 14hh
- Excalibur, a big light grey stallion whom I ride when we are fighting, he isn't scared of anything, and has the scars to prove it.

~~~~~~~
I carried neither weapon nor shield, yet at the sound of the battle cry I leapt into action, vaulting up to Excalibur who had been helping me set up my tent. He reared up in excitment and we plunged towards the noise, before stopping short as we realised the trouble had been taken care of.

No-one was sure of my background, I had been found by the tribe as a two year old in the middle of a desert, clutching the mane of a tiny newborn foal who was pitch black. That was Excalibur - we'd been together since the beginning. Since then his coat had lightened, as my skin had darkened, and I'd grown up as a member of the tribe with him. Now I was 18 and a respected healer amongst my adoptive family.

I calmed Excalibur down and trotted over to the Maia and Lyra.
'Does that mean we have to move on again?' I asked, quietly and politely.

[Charm]

"No," Maia glanced at me, frowning. "We are not moving," I told them both. "The grazing is to good to miss, and there is no sign of where this wanderer is from, one horse, one wanderer, no difference to our lives. Build a bridge and get over it." I clucked my tongue to Kira who immediatly launched into a powerul cnater back across to camp. She waded through the river and trotted to the horses. I dis-mounted and scratched her neck, picking a few strands of grass to offer her. She took them off my palm before walking to the rest of the horses, soon disapearign throguh the throng.

[Pip]

I lifted the foal from Io's neck, and placed him in front of Shaska. He opened wide brown eyes and whinnied feebly. Shaska inclined her head to me, and sedated the foal with a mixture of herbs, before bathing him in the river and tending to his sensitive injuries with a brown, bitty paste and horse-leather bandages. I nodded to her and left.
Reaching the grazing area, I clicked my tongue softly and Mella troted over, shaking her translucent mane from her eyes. I vaulted onto her back and cantered up to the river, then, squeezing with my legs, I urged her, willed her to jump it. She nearly cleared it, her hind legs splashing in the shallows on the far side. I slowed her to trot and we travelled over towards the East. I could see smoke, and smell horses. It was vital for us to know what was over there. Mella, sensing my urgency, broke into a canter. I did not hold her back, just concentrated on the low, dull thud as her horny hooves struck the grit of the sand. As we neared, I heard voices. Dark-skinned people approached me. Snatching my bow from by back and an arrow from my quiver, I struck one man down. Before I could dock another arrow, a man aimed the end of a black pole at me. Flames erupted from the end of the pole and a hard, metal pellet hit the ground in pront of me, sending up a singed cloud of sand, ripe with the acrid smell of - of what? Mella shiedand I realised I had smelt that smell before. Then it hit me. Firedust. Within a close proximity of heat, it exploded.
I leaped off Mella, slapping her flank, sending her back to Lyra and the others. She looked at me with worried eyes, and then set off at a gallop. I strung my bow, and hit down the man with the Firedust thing. Pulling out my dagger, I began a fight with the last man. He had only the black pole that the other man had shot with, and it seemed out of Firedust. I caught him off his guard, and plunged my dagger home. His heart ceased to beat. I had killed, yet again, and for the first time, I felt a rush of pride. Then I felt sick with myself. But the pride was still there. It was not until then, I noticed the horses.
Now my sickness took over. What had the men done to these animals? They had close-cropped manes and no tail! Lettering sprawled across their sides, and, worst of all, they had heavy saddles belted tightly around them, and a web of leather across their faces. I started on the firt of the three horses, cutting off its saddle and bridle, and noticing with disgus, a thick metal bar placed in its mouth, pulling back on its lips. Glancing under the horse to find out its gender, I was surprised. This was not a mare, yet it could not be a stallion either. I looked at the other horses - they were the same. Male, yet how could they be? The three horses were all arabian paints, slender and striking. I mounted the first one, and tried to control it using the aids of the Tribe. The aids did not work, so I leant forwards and placed my hands either side of his mouth. Urging him on, I directed him left, by putting pressure backwards on the left side of his mouth. I jumped him over the river, and lead the horses triamphantly to my sister.
"How many humans did you sedate to get these?" Lyra mocked.
"None." I replied. Lyra looked puzzled.
"They were unguarded?"
"No. I killed. Three times." Lyra looked disbelieving. She took my dagger from my belt and gasped at its bloodied tip. I showed her the two bent, bloodcaked arrows I had pulled from the hearts of the other men.
"You know what this means?" Lyra asked.
"No, what?"
"Another facial tatoo. You won a fight." Lyra bowed her head to honour my achievement and handed me a bottle of alchohol, before leading me to the smithy.

[Lottie]

I soothed the foal who was beginning to wake up. I stroked his face uneasily - I didn't like this place. It seemed perfect, but there was something about it, something I couldn't quite put my finger on...

I fed the foal some milk from one of the mares and fashioned a strong but soft plaited halter from horsehair. I slipped it over the young foal's head, before standing up and gently pulling on the rope. He stepped forwards.
'Good foaly' I murmered, before walking him to my tent, where there was a small makeshift corral where I could put ill or untrained horses that might run away. The foal stood there quietly, gazing at the horses that were standing loose among the tents or tied to the poles that held them up. I sat down in the entrance to my tent , watching him intently.