"I must go and finish gathering supplies. You wait here with the horse, and I will bring back something for us to eat."
"Why must I wait here? I can't come with you?"
Malik raised an eyebrow. "Were you not just professing how sore you were, and now you wish to walk?"
Naji colored a little, and as if in reminder, the ache in his legs burned, forcing him to suppress a groan.
He lowered himself to sit in the straw. "Yeah. I'll wait here."
Malik gave him a faintly smug look, shaking his head, before turning and walking out of the stables. Naji watched him go until he was out of sight, and turned to glance at the horse, who was watching him quietly.
"Don't you dare kick me."
* * * *
Malik was not very surprised upon his return to see Naji poking through bags in the stable, glaring at his horse and muttering threats to it as though he believed it was conspiring to do him bodily harm.
"--I'm no fool, I've seen horses from the cities before, and enough of them have tried to run me down in the past that I know your kind is no good, I don't see why I'm such an offense that they--"
"Do you always ramble to animals as though they were people? If you do, I have a few birds that I wouldn't mind you conveying some messages to for me."
The other jumped, startled, and caught his hand in the sack he was going through in his hast to yank it out. He pulled it free and stumbled, glaring at Malik.
"You frightened me!"
"Yes, I see that. I hope very much for your sake that you were not rummaging in my bags as well."
Naji panicked and shook his head. "No, no! I left them alone, I swear!" He kicked his feet at the ground. "Your horse would've likely bitten my hand off if I tried."
"You have no reason to be so afraid of him," Malik reasoned, moving there himself and carefully arranging the parcels in his arms. "In addition, you should not be going through anything else here either. I doubt any of it will be of use or value to you."
"I...I wasn't stealing anything! I was just...curious..."
A Long Time in Coming- Favorable Chance Encounters 13/?
"Why must I wait here? I can't come with you?"
Malik raised an eyebrow. "Were you not just professing how sore you were, and now you wish to walk?"
Naji colored a little, and as if in reminder, the ache in his legs burned, forcing him to suppress a groan.
He lowered himself to sit in the straw. "Yeah. I'll wait here."
Malik gave him a faintly smug look, shaking his head, before turning and walking out of the stables. Naji watched him go until he was out of sight, and turned to glance at the horse, who was watching him quietly.
"Don't you dare kick me."
* * * *
Malik was not very surprised upon his return to see Naji poking through bags in the stable, glaring at his horse and muttering threats to it as though he believed it was conspiring to do him bodily harm.
"--I'm no fool, I've seen horses from the cities before, and enough of them have tried to run me down in the past that I know your kind is no good, I don't see why I'm such an offense that they--"
"Do you always ramble to animals as though they were people? If you do, I have a few birds that I wouldn't mind you conveying some messages to for me."
The other jumped, startled, and caught his hand in the sack he was going through in his hast to yank it out. He pulled it free and stumbled, glaring at Malik.
"You frightened me!"
"Yes, I see that. I hope very much for your sake that you were not rummaging in my bags as well."
Naji panicked and shook his head. "No, no! I left them alone, I swear!" He kicked his feet at the ground. "Your horse would've likely bitten my hand off if I tried."
"You have no reason to be so afraid of him," Malik reasoned, moving there himself and carefully arranging the parcels in his arms. "In addition, you should not be going through anything else here either. I doubt any of it will be of use or value to you."
"I...I wasn't stealing anything! I was just...curious..."
Malik gave him a look and he wisely looked away.