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// Chapter 12-A -The Long Journey 
// Story: Eight days under the Zebrican sun 
// by The Cheeser 
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Crumbling Post was on yet another journey to sell wares made by her tribe. She had been sent with a few other zebra as guards. "You could never know what you might encounter in the deserts," she thought to herself. They were traveling near the deserts on a path her tribe had been using for decades, until Zakra Ulm, a younger tribal zebra had seen something. The rest of the guards quickly went to see what it was, until they called Crumbling Post over. She pulled her cart off the path and reached what the guards were now talking about. Laying on the ground was a… Zebra? His coat wasn't black and white though. Instead, it was a warm orange all around.

"Is he… it, dead?" one of the zebra questioned, looking at the supposed Zebra whose eyes were open and bright red.

Zakra Ulm responded "If I've seen death, then this is it. We should bury the body in respect for the traveler"

A slender zebra joined the conversation "But what if they were a robber? If that were the case then we should burn the body" he added

Finally, a stout, but very strong zebra called Shekam Al-Afta interrupted "We don't know if he is dead or alive. If he responds to us prodding with a reed then we should take him. If not we should bury him" The rest of the zebras nodded in agreement.

Grabbing a reed they had in their cart, they prodded his foreleg. However, much to Shekam's dismay the zebra did not respond. After about a minute, the slender zebra said "Okay, he is obviously dead. Can we bury him now?" But then, a quiet, but still audible groan escaped the mouth of the zebra laying on the desert floor.

Triumphantly Shekam said "He is alive! Grab him and put him into the cart."

He looked over to Crumbling Post and said "We need the medicine"

Crumbling Post proceeded to go to her cart. Grabbing a jug of medicine she was going to sell at the market as dehydration medicine. Instead, she had to use the expensive medicine on a stranger. Though she did not mind. After all, if she were collapsed in the desert, would she not want help?

After finding the jug, she heard a thud as Shekam accidentally let go of the zebra, who hit the deck of the cart hard. He didn't make much noise, however, she could see his short breaths and knew he had some life in him.

Taking the jug over to him, she pulled out the cork "Drink up, you need it" she said in a caring voice, before putting the jug onto his mouth so he could drink.

She always knew that one of the most important things in medicine was care. If there was no love involved in caring for the patient, he or she would stay ill for much longer. She learned this when her mother taught her medicine. There was one man she hated and the other she loved as her brother. The ladder got better within weeks of his illness, while the other was sick for months until her mother suspected the truth and started caring for him herself.

All of a sudden, breaking her out of her train of thought, he coughed up some liquid. She had totally forgotten about him. Pulling back the jug, she re-corked it before putting it away.

Mumbling to herself so the traveler wouldn't hear "I cannot believe I forgot he was there" she said, criticizing herself.

Trotting onward toward the nearest market, her group continued to care for the mysterious orange zebra. After the day of traveling the zebra was able to sit up, but still wasn't able to talk. While the guards rested during the day, she would care for the traveler, whom they had come to call Zachariah.

After traveling throughout the night, she decided to feed Zachariah something. Taking out various herbs and spices known for soothing the stomach, she ground them up. After making a vegetable soup for her and the guards, she took a bowl and scooped out some broth. Mixing the herbs with the hot broth, she made a bitter, yet soothing medicine. Taking it over to Zachariah, she had him eat small spoon fulls until the large bowl of medicine was gone. She laid him back down and rested herself.