Prelude to Eternity - Chapter 9 (part two)

Cahra smiled. "So, you chose your own name too. When you were ten. I read the book with the Xicanti City in it when I was ten too. My father read it to me. He used to read me stories every Saturday night, without fail. He's a trader, so he doesn't get home lots. But he was always home on Saturdays, so we read together then

." The young thief nodded. "I know," he said softly. "Me an' my brother used to come an' sit on that ledge down there to listen. It was the high point of our week. Bein' a thief's fun, but hearin' stories is funner. Especially interesting ones, like what your father read. You're lucky to have a Dad, ya know, especially one who's as nice to you as yours is."

Cahra was evidently surprised by this. "You mean, all those years, my interesting thing was sitting just outside my window, and I never even knew it?" She stomped her foot, which looked quite strange as she was still in a sitting position. "You should have said something! Why didn't you?"

"Thieves don't generally introduce themselves to the class they steal from. I never stole anything from your house, though. You know, a sort of a 'Thanks for lettin' us listen to your stories, we won't steal your stuff because of it' kinda thing." Xicanti shrugged. "I was very dirty then, too, even though I didn't realize it until just recently."

Cahra looked at him closer. "You're still awfully dirty," she commented, proving to Xicanti that his illusion was still holding up. "But I wouldn't have minded. I guess thieves can't take as many baths as the rest of us people."

Xicanti grinned at her. "You got that right!" he replied. "I've taken maybe two baths in my entire life. It's easy to get all dirty once you've been digging around in the slums for fifteen years!"

Cahra shuddered. "It must be terrible down there," she commented. "I don't think I'd like it at all."

"You'd probably hate it. But I've never really known anything different, so it's never bothered me too much." Xicanti was doing his best not to lie to her, but was having a little trouble with it. Not really knowing what he could say next, he looked around the room. The shelves held everything from books to stones and bits of what looked like bone. Xicanti's eye was caught by an object shaped somewhat like the Taun-Tauns he'd seen on the holo, yet longer and down on all four of it's legs. "What's that?" he asked curiously, pointing up at the object.

Cahra looked at him strangely. "That's a horse," she replied. "Haven't you ever seen one before?" Xicanti shook his head. "That's odd. I have three real ones, then that little model one my father brought for me from Corellia. That's where they were developed, you know. Some gene people there messed around with Taun-Tauns and ducks and stuff and ended up with horses. They're wonderful creatures. Very friendly, and always ready to listen to you." She paused, as if thinking. "Do you want to see them?"

Xicanti looked over at her, startled. He hadn't expected the creatures to actually exist. "Of course," he responded. "Anything that looks like that is worth seeing in person!"

"They are," Cahra agreed, getting up. "Follow me. They're down quite a few levels, by the yard. You'll have to be quiet in the house, in case any of the 'droids with better programming see you. They won't care that you aren't here to steal anything; they'll want to incriminate you right away. 'Droids can be like that sometimes." She walked over to the door, motioning for Xicanti to follow her. He did so.

I hope this ain't just some trick to get me into a place where these 'droids can catch me an' lock me up, Xicanti thought. I don't think it's too likely, though. The best place for that would've been her room. She could 'ave claimed I was a rapist in there, at least.

It didn't take very long to get down to the yard. Cahra's room was located in what appeared to be the west wing of the estate, which opened directly onto the yard below. "Very nice," he murmured to himself as they walked through the halls and out into the yard.

"Here we are!" Cahra announced, stopping in front of a large building across the yard from the main house. "The three beasties are in this one." She pulled open the door and stepped in.

Despite the late hour, the building, (Cahra called it a 'stable'), was fully lit. Lamps adorned the walls of the place in even distances from each other, each casting a wondrous circle of light from the crux of its brilliant bulb. Xicanti absorbed this detail into his mind without a second thought, then ignored it in favor of the horses. These creatures were positioned at the other end of the stable; Cahra was heading towards them.

The three horse-things were standing calmly, munching away on some straw-like substance. They were beautiful, each of them. Never had the young thief seen such brilliant colors as were found upon these most extraordinary creatures. He could not help but catch his breath as he looked at them.

Seeing the look on his face, Cahra smiled. "Didn't I tell you they were wonderful?"

Xicanti nodded. "I wouldn't have expected them to be so... like this!" he exclaimed, drawing closer to them. The first, a lovely black mare, looked out from her stall at him with soft brown eyes. Her look reassuring him, Xicanti moved slowly closer, stopping only when he was right beside the mare's shoulder. Carefully, so as not to startle the beautiful creature, he put out his hand for her to examine, palm up. She reached her nose forward, lipping at it as she tested to see if there was anything tasty on it. Once she realized that Xicanti had not brought any treats for her, she shoved her head right under his hand, evidently expecting a pat.

Cahra smiled. "She loves to be petted," she told him. "She's a lot like a dog in that respect." The girl pulled up a stool to stand on and positioned herself beside him. "Her name's Starbright. She's a good old mare, even though her last owners beat her and starved her. She gets neither of those here. Just a lot of brushing and treats."

Xicanti continued to stroke Starfire's large, black head. "What do you call the other two?" he asked, his curiosity peeked.

"The red roan's called Firelight, because of his color. You know, since red's for fire. The buckskin's Gardariki. He's my personal horse." She gave Starbright a final pat, then hopped off the stool and moved along to Firelight. Xicanti followed.

"Be careful around him," Cahra cautioned. "He likes to bite sometimes. He can be friendly and nice, but other times he likes to be as mean and cruel and downright evil as he can manage!"

Xicanti looked at the calm stallion. "He certainly doesn't look evil!" he commented with a smile.

Cahra smiled too. "It's an act of his. He enjoys being a brat more than anything else. It's a special hobby of his." She reached over the top of the stall to give Firestar a pat. The stallion stood calmly until her hand was nearly at his neck. When it was but a hair's breadth away, he skipped back and shot his teeth out, intending to bite it. Cahra drew her hand back so quickly that Xicanti could hardly even follow it with his eyes. "See?" asked the girl. Xicanti nodded as they moved on.

"And now we're at Gardariki," Cahra announced proudly. "He's a wonderful horse, and my personal favorite to ride. I call him Spice as a nickname." The aforementioned Spice stuck his nose over the top of his stall as his mistress approached. :Hello!: he announced cheerfully. :Very pleased to meet you! Are you a friend of Cahra's? Yes? Thought so. It's odd of you to come and visit in the middle of the night, though. Oh well, you're a thief, so I can excuse it. If you were anyone else though, like, oh say, a Skywalker, I'd tell you it wasn't acceptable.:

Xicanti's throat tightened. :You read my mind,: he accused the horse.

Spice gave an odd horse-smile as Cahra rubbed his nose. :Why, so I did!: he thought, as though it amazed him. :It was really your own fault, you know. You should keep your thoughts better guarded. Get Mara to teach you to do that next time she trains you. And don't listen to any of her bull, either!: The horse sent him a mental image of a young man with black hair and golden skin grinning. Xicanti grinned back. That must be what he would look like if her were a human, the young thief decided. He went to stand beside Cahra, rubbing Spice's head as he went. "He seems to be very affectionate," Xicanti commented as he rubbed the beautiful head.

Cahra nodded. "Spice's the nicest of my horses," she replied. "If you give him even the slightest bit of kind attention, he's yours for life and beyond. He's always been like that, ever since he was just a foal. That's a young horse, by the way. Foals are the ones that are still under a year, yearlings are the ones who are a year old, colts and fillies are the horses under four, and mares and stallions are the horses over four. Oh, and geldings are the males who've been fixed."

"What's Spice?"

Cahra leaned over to kiss Spice's nose. "He's a stallion now. My Gardariki just turned four a few nights ago." She looked back to Xicanti. "Most horses are just counted a year older on the first of each year. It's like a communal birthday. I always go by his real birth date, though. It's more personal. I'm not too sure of what the dates are for the other two, though, so I go by the January 1st thing for them."

Now that he had been introduced to all the horses, Xicanti took a look around the stable. It was filled with interesting objects. If this place belonged to anyone else, I'd rob it blind! Xicanti thought to himself. All this stuff's too good to pass up. I bet it'd sell for a lot, to the right fence, too. One item in particular caught his eye. It was made of stitched leather, and looked as though it would fit over something's back. "What's that?" he asked the girl.

Cahra looked over at it. "That?" she asked. "Why, that's a saddle! Spice's saddle, more specifically. It goes on his back while he's being ridden. The others have them too."

Xicanti then proceeded to go around the stable, asking questions about the other objects within it. Cahra knew a surprising amount about them, and gave him demonstrations with such things as the curry comb and hoof pick. The time sped by, and so Xicanti was startled to glance up at the clock and discover he had been with the girl for four hours. "The time's gone by fast," he commented. "I'd better go soon. I won't get any sleep tonight if I don't, and I hate being tired in the mornings." He glanced over at her. "Thanks for teaching me about the horses, though."

Cahra shrugged. "It was nothing." She turned to him and grinned. "If you'll come back some other time and teach me how to be a thief."

Xicanti grinned back. "You got yourself a deal!" he announced. "Just say when you want me to come, and I'll come!"

The two spent the next few minutes making plans for his return. They decided that Xicanti would climb in the bedroom window at ten, then leave at two in the morning, thus giving them a visit of four hours and a goodly amount of time to sleep. Xicanti left the house with a newfound sense of ...something. Contentment? Peace? He didn't really know what to call it, but he was sure he liked it. :Cora?: he asked as he went back into the Palace. :Are you still awake?:

:I was until you stuck yourself into my mind and woke me up,: came the grumpy reply. :But I guess that's okay. For you, I can make an exception.:

Xicanti mentally grinned. :I just wanted to thank you,: he told the panther. :I really did enjoy going to visit Cahra, just like you thought I would.:

The young thief got the impression that Cora was smiling as she replied simply, :I knew I'd be right!: