Ejrahk/Merenaz Caliphate

[United Tribes of Ejrahk]

((hope you don't mind this oddball "negotiation," I just want something other than the 'nation a sends a formal diplomatic party to country b and they discuss trade agreements and war.' Seems like the people in bordering countries would be having interactions other than that ))

Two forms trudged across what seemed to be trackless sand. Two Ejrahk children sat their mounts, utterly lost and utterly afraid. They had been separated from their tribe during a terrible storm. The younger one, a boy, had been forced to cling to his horse when it panicked and fled. His sister had tried to catch up to him and stop him, but a combination of factors had led to her being able to do little except ride beside him until he could wrest control the large, muscular horse.

They'd become lost during the frantic flight, and were now miles inside of Merenaz Caliphate territory. Sebak and Urbis had little idea where they were, only that they couldn't be in Ejrahk territory any longer. Ejrahk rode plains, not desert. The fact they were far enough into the desert to lose their way was daunting enough, and the two struggled to make sense of their unfortunate situation. Sebak twist in her basic rope saddle, pulling a water skin from her saddlebags. At least they were provisioned, if poorly for such a climate. Even though she was no more than twelve, already her face bore the tattoos of her people. On her right Urbis gave off a sniffle. "We're lost, sister."

"I know that already, shut up. We can't be far into the desert, and this is your fault anyways. You were the one who begged to ride the mare early. And look what happened!" She took a deep drink, shoving the now tepid water back into the saddlebag. "We will find someone, out here."

"Where? We are in a land more trackless then our own. Look, our tracks vanish even as we ride!"

"I know that too, shut up or I will shut your tongue for good!" She sneered at him, and he cowered. That was the entire crux of the problem. Turned around and lost, the sands had swiftly consumed their tracks back towards home. "We will find someone. We have enough food and water for a day yet. Surely there must be a wandering tribe in this godless land."

Summary

The two lost Ejrahk children ride through the desert, ill provisioned and hopelessly lost. They search for any sign of a settlement or wandering caravan, looking for help.

[Merenaz Caliphate]

{{nah, I dont mind at all ;D}}

Eastern Desert,
30 miles east from Hiraak

The deserts of Aremia can be an unforgiving place to those who did not mastered it and it took the Aremians centuries to finally be able to tame the deserts and built a prosperous realms from these deserts and for those who have had little knowledge regarding this realm, they would not have survived for long.

Sameer has been working as a desert guide his entire life, practically, it runs down in the family, Sameer's father was a guide before him and his father before him as well. So, the profession as well as the knowledge trekking across the desert came naturally to him and currently he has been contracted to guide and escort a traveler, a rather charming lady by the name of Aisha across the desert and then all the way through to the edge of the desert.

"How far are we to the edge of the caliphate's borders?", Aisha asked, still dressed in the same kind of outfit as when she had left Ishtafar a few days ago but now draped herself in desert cloak to protect from the desert winds. Sameer looked over to the horizon, burly of a man with dark skin tone, probably from over exposure to the desert's heat, he outreached her height by twice. After a while he turns his attention back to Aisha, "Two days ride from here, but unfortunately, we are going to need to find a town nearby and rest there for the night"

She furrowed her eyebrows, unsure whether she would like to delay her journey anymore than necessary, she is after all in a mission, "what do you mean? I am in a hurry you know". Sameer responded to that statement with a sigh before pointing to the direction he was looking previously, "there's a desert storm coming this way and it's approaching us from the direction we need to go to, so unless we can..'flew' over the sandstorm, I would suggest we find shelter, there's a town not far from here...". But before Sameer could continue he spotted something in a distance.

"I saw someone in the horizon or rather...two of them", his eyes focused upon a direction in the desert.

"Bandits? Marauders?or just merchants?" she asked in return.

"Why don't we ask them ourselves, eh?". With that Sameer approach the two strangers in the distance with his steed followed closely by Aisha, whose one hand is already at the scabbard attached at her waist belt just to be safe.

"Peace be upon you, travelers, might I guess that you two are lost in this desert?", Sameer ask them as soon as they are within earshot distance to the two strangers, "...judging from your outfit, you're not from the caliphate I take it?". Indeed even Aisha finds these two outfits strange to her, perhaps they're from outside of the caliphate and as far as she knows, the caliphate has been locking its borders for decades now so how could these two had passed through the sentries? And true to the nature of an assassin, she eyed the two suspiciously in case their intents are hostile.

[United Tribes of Ejrahk]

Urbis saw two forms, mounted. Hope swelled within him, and he spurred his feet into the sides of the mare. "Sister, I see people! They can help us!" His horse surged forward to meet the two. Sebak cursed, riding after him. He was a stupid, stupid boy, and she was going to turn him to the priests as soon as they found their way back. Granted, she wasn't much older, but she was a woman and wiser. Hadn't he considered that these two may be demons? As during the storm, his lighter weight and more powerful mount kept a half-length ahead of her own. She was unable to catch the bridle, and to use other tactics would endanger them both. They halted six feet from the other party, eying them. Sebak was taunt with tension, trying to decide if they could take these two on in a fair fight.

They truly were a bizarre sight for the two. Their skin was darkened and already starting to toughen from constant exposure to the elements, but were far too light for dwelling in the desert. Their pants were treated buckskin, their dyed tunics rough wool. Urbis blurted out words, before his sister could stop him. His accent was thick, and almost hard to understand. "We are not caliphate! We are Ejrahk, there was a storm! A terrible storm, fiercer than a wolf and louder than the crack of a whip!"

Sebak glared again, and reached out to give Urbis a powerful crack across the shoulder. He winced, but didn't respond as she sat up straighter and spoke with the careful arrogance only a child could master. "We are Ejrahk. We do not become lost, there was a storm and my foolish brother ran."