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tamingthemuseTitle: Untitled
Fandom: Original
Prompt: Cairo
Warnings: none
Rating: G
Summary: Jacky and Mata’ka’ala begin their trip to Egypt
They didn’t leave the relative safety of the Assyrian Empire under the cover of darkness like thieves in the night, but they fled during the early morning, the cool dew of the night still clinging to the grass underfoot.
They didn’t ride at first, walking on foot, quickly eating the food that Mata’ka’ala had snagged on their way out. As they ate, Jacky could feel the eyes of the guards of the walls on them still. He hunched his shoulders and kept his eyes forward, trying to ignore how his hands shook as he held his bread to his lips.
Mata’ka’ala seemed to have no problem with their situation. Of course, he had said that he had expected Kuzi-Teshub to follow them. He had been prepared for this outcome.
Fleeing for their lives once more.
Once they had descended down the hill far enough that the city walls were no longer visible to them and finished their food, Mata’ka’ala lifted him onto the back of the horse. He took up position behind him and wrapped his arms tightly around him. Pulling their cloaks tight, Mata’ka’ala put a buffer between them and the wind before urging the horse forward.
There was no racing to escape, and there was nobody right on their heels in their moment of escape. There was nothing to explain the pounding of his heart, nor the fear rushing through his blood. He clutched tightly at the fabric of his cloak and groaned when he felt the cold press of rain on his face.
They rode in silence for several hours, merely surviving the rain and wind and the steady decent of the hill. They passed farmers and herders and other travelers, but never slowed nor stopped for any of them. Mata’ka’ala pressed doggedly on, ever away from the city and out of the empire.
Finally, the rain let up and Jacky emerged from his cloak to rummage around in their bags for more food. His hands shook with cold and his stomach clenched with both hunger and nerves. Once he had a length of jerky, he held out a bit to Mata’ka’ala who accepted it without a word.
“We go west?” Jacky finally said over the rush of the wind.
“Yes.”
Twisting his lips at the short answer, he bit off a bite of meat and chewed carefully least it take his teeth with it. Once he swallowed, he tried again.
“Toward Hattusa?”
“No.”
Jacky nodded. “That’s from which Kuzi-Teshub would be coming. We would be hunted there.” Mata’ka’ala didn’t say a word and Jacky frowned. “ But we’re still going west?”
Mata’ka’ala seemed to realize that Jacky wasn’t going to shut up, and Jacky could feel the muscles in his arms flex around his waist. “For a while. Then we will go south. We’ll stay in Assyria until we cross the border into Egypt.”
Egypt.
Oh. Jacky felt his stomach drop at the thought that he was going to Egypt. Ancient Egypt. Where the pharaohs and Nile lived. He was going to see the pyramids in all their painted glory and see the things people of his time could only dream of.
”Will we go to Cairo?”
Mata’ka’ala was silent for a long moment as their horse slowly made its way down the slope of the mountain. Jacky shivered as the cold wind bit through his cloak and tugged the fabric closer.
Mata’ka’ala readjusted his hold on the leather straps and cleared his throat. “I think not. When Kuzi-Teshub follows us; that will be where he will search for us. We should avoid the large cities and the royal court.”
If he weren’t so cold, Jacky would have wrinkled his nose. So much for the grandeur of Egypt. They were probably headed for a small town that had more sheep than humans and more mud than buildings. He sighed and leaned back heavily against Mata’ka’ala’s sturdy chest.
Before they got to Egypt, they had to cross the Assyrian Empire, mountains, forests, and winter all.
Fandom: Original
Prompt: Cairo
Warnings: none
Rating: G
Summary: Jacky and Mata’ka’ala begin their trip to Egypt
They didn’t leave the relative safety of the Assyrian Empire under the cover of darkness like thieves in the night, but they fled during the early morning, the cool dew of the night still clinging to the grass underfoot.
They didn’t ride at first, walking on foot, quickly eating the food that Mata’ka’ala had snagged on their way out. As they ate, Jacky could feel the eyes of the guards of the walls on them still. He hunched his shoulders and kept his eyes forward, trying to ignore how his hands shook as he held his bread to his lips.
Mata’ka’ala seemed to have no problem with their situation. Of course, he had said that he had expected Kuzi-Teshub to follow them. He had been prepared for this outcome.
Fleeing for their lives once more.
Once they had descended down the hill far enough that the city walls were no longer visible to them and finished their food, Mata’ka’ala lifted him onto the back of the horse. He took up position behind him and wrapped his arms tightly around him. Pulling their cloaks tight, Mata’ka’ala put a buffer between them and the wind before urging the horse forward.
There was no racing to escape, and there was nobody right on their heels in their moment of escape. There was nothing to explain the pounding of his heart, nor the fear rushing through his blood. He clutched tightly at the fabric of his cloak and groaned when he felt the cold press of rain on his face.
They rode in silence for several hours, merely surviving the rain and wind and the steady decent of the hill. They passed farmers and herders and other travelers, but never slowed nor stopped for any of them. Mata’ka’ala pressed doggedly on, ever away from the city and out of the empire.
Finally, the rain let up and Jacky emerged from his cloak to rummage around in their bags for more food. His hands shook with cold and his stomach clenched with both hunger and nerves. Once he had a length of jerky, he held out a bit to Mata’ka’ala who accepted it without a word.
“We go west?” Jacky finally said over the rush of the wind.
“Yes.”
Twisting his lips at the short answer, he bit off a bite of meat and chewed carefully least it take his teeth with it. Once he swallowed, he tried again.
“Toward Hattusa?”
“No.”
Jacky nodded. “That’s from which Kuzi-Teshub would be coming. We would be hunted there.” Mata’ka’ala didn’t say a word and Jacky frowned. “ But we’re still going west?”
Mata’ka’ala seemed to realize that Jacky wasn’t going to shut up, and Jacky could feel the muscles in his arms flex around his waist. “For a while. Then we will go south. We’ll stay in Assyria until we cross the border into Egypt.”
Egypt.
Oh. Jacky felt his stomach drop at the thought that he was going to Egypt. Ancient Egypt. Where the pharaohs and Nile lived. He was going to see the pyramids in all their painted glory and see the things people of his time could only dream of.
”Will we go to Cairo?”
Mata’ka’ala was silent for a long moment as their horse slowly made its way down the slope of the mountain. Jacky shivered as the cold wind bit through his cloak and tugged the fabric closer.
Mata’ka’ala readjusted his hold on the leather straps and cleared his throat. “I think not. When Kuzi-Teshub follows us; that will be where he will search for us. We should avoid the large cities and the royal court.”
If he weren’t so cold, Jacky would have wrinkled his nose. So much for the grandeur of Egypt. They were probably headed for a small town that had more sheep than humans and more mud than buildings. He sighed and leaned back heavily against Mata’ka’ala’s sturdy chest.
Before they got to Egypt, they had to cross the Assyrian Empire, mountains, forests, and winter all.
