Qamar of the Horse dreams of a moonlit garden, a walled city that does not exist, a temple to a goddess he has never before seen, and the shadow of a mare on the horizon. Each morning when he wakes, it is to a fragrance so beautiful that he cannot describe it.
The night he sets off into the desert, alone and unprepared, it is only his friend Rasoul, a camel of the tribe of al Jamal min al Fidda, who can see the madness that drives him, and only Rasoul who will be able to help him overcome it.
Written for the WBA monthly writing prompt, which is why it cuts off where it does. The rest will be up in a couple of days.
With a great deal of thanks to Amit for the horse puns in Foreign Scary Words, as well as the tips for finding more of them.
Chapters (1)
A very interesting opener, and definitely enjoying your weaving of the Saddle Arabians against the camels of the desert. Really looking forward to more
Dang. This is exquisite thus far. Definitely looking forward to more of this fantastic world-building. Especially if you include a glossary detailing the puns in Foreign.
That is all.
3243242 She really likes that horse...
3243410
Well, it is a handsome horse.
Fascinating story, told with your usual skill - I really enjoy it that you go far off the beaten path with your work. Not to hurry you at all, ;) but are you publishing another piece of it soon?
If I'm allowed to nitpick - or not, of course - it would be interesting to see the Camel somehow compared more dramatically with the Horse. Obviously the Horse are smaller - you can't help but get a sense of it and a laugh when Rasoul goes through the 'eye of a needle' doorway. And it's clear that the Horse fear camels, but I never got a real sense of the two of those things intersecting significantly. Just a thought, anyway...
Wow.
Yes more of this please
I really like this piece! The title reminds me of a pony I used to have growing up, so that made me feel warm and fuzzy.