Pony scrolls: Sadle Arabia closed r.p

[augercorn]

oingo coughed and wheezed before crying out

"we weeeere only, ... huugh here. ...others ... path to oasis city' COUGH COUGH COUGH

mirage then let go of him and picked up his knife inspecting it before slipping it into her hijab

suddenly

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" it was sherma and he was MAD he walked up to the both of them

"DO YOU WANT TO BE CRIPPLED! here you are disobeying a doctors orders! follow me to the wagon right now!"

Sherma stared them both down with intense eyes

[RainbowDaringDash]

"Sherma, we were going to use our bows but we dont have them on us" Sky says, preparing to bail

[augercorn]

Sherma looked at sky and his voice cracked!

he took a minute and recovered ashamed at what happend. mirage clearly held in a little giggle.

"sky, mirage. i'm only watching out for you. what would of happened if one of them got you in one of your wounds? or if your bodey wasn't ready yet.?"

Sherma lead them around the border of the town.

[RainbowDaringDash]

"Well, i like to think that if a wound gets hit, then just ignore it"

[augercorn]

sherma continued to lead them

and once again in a voice of anger shouted "AND THEN WHAT! THE WOUND NEVER HEALS AND YOU CAN NEVER FIGHT AT 100% for the rest of your life! so the one way you thought you could support your family is gone so now you have to spend the rest of your life going thru the dessert as a caravaneer!"

he said while lifting up his robe showing a long scar from his ankle to his calf

he looked at sky disapointed but then they heard augercorn shout from across the way

"HI SKY WE GOT LOTS OF MONEY!" he shouted hooked up to the wagon ready to carry them. sweet was in the back counting all the gold coins augercorn had won.

"just get in the back and get some rest." sherma said hiding sadness.

mirage placed her hand in sky's not sure what to say.

[RainbowDaringDash]

"Sherma, if you ever need help ou know you can ask us. And fighting has nothing to do with helping a family for most. For people like me and Mirage, Fighting is how we stay alive, its something that we have to do as their is always something that wants to just kill us off" Sky says, trying to ease his mind. "And you know i have my own injurys, but the trick is that even if they get permanatly injured, you just adopt to it, let it actually help you, then use your own injury as your new weapon

[augercorn]

sherma listened to what sky said.

he made an expression that told he realy took in what he said. but then he sighed. and said

"lets just get to where we need to go."

they reached the wagon and sweet was still counting. augercorn was playing with a scorpion.

"hey sherma can we keep it!"

"no"

"aww but i named him toaaasty!"

sherma picked up the scorpion by the tail and threw it

sweet put the money away done counting and handed both sky and mirage there bows. "we had them packed for you." she said

mirage took her bow and got in the back setting up a comfortable area for her and sky

[RainbowDaringDash]

Sky smiled as he grabbed his bow, glad to have it back. As he got his quiver he put it on, knowing that right now, he needed it. As he got in with Mirage, he looked at Sherma. "Hey, sherma, come on in with us, auger knows where to go"

[augercorn]

augercorn nodded and shouted "to the west were the cowboys grow and the buffalo gals roam!

he scooped up sweet and she said "well um yeah acually."

and he began to trott in down the road.

sherma looked to sky his face blank and he relucently climbed into the back of the wagon.

augercorn could be heard making up lyrics to a song and sweet giggling.

mirage took out a small canteen of water and took a sip offering it to sherma who shook his hand refusing.

clearly uncomfortable he stared at sky

[RainbowDaringDash]

"What happened with you?" He asks, wanting to se if he can help

[augercorn]

sherma took a deep breath, his expresion said he was thinking about explaining everything to sky but then he closed his mouth.

"you are entitled to your privacy, i am entitled to mine."

mirage spoke up "sherma whats going on. i know your just trying to take care of us but we struck a nerve back there or something. were sorry but ... what happened."

[RainbowDaringDash]

"If you want us to be able to help you, we need to know the whole story and, believe it or not, everything i keep from all of you is for your safety, just like you watching out for us like you always have since we met you"

[augercorn]

sherma looked to sky his eyes holding back anger, and ... something else

he rudely replyed "and what i don't tell you protects those i care about. including you!'

mirage took her burka off letting her long hair flow.

"its not like you were a crusader or some ....." sherma's face gave it away his eyes wide in shock

"....."

"....."

"and i can't wait to go to oakland! but i'm in monatana and theres no one here!" auger's song echoed thru the wagon.

"you were a crusader .... for the pharoh." mirage said in shock

she looked to sky. "do you know what were talking about?"

[RainbowDaringDash]

"Im not used to the legends and military stuff about this place, but i have heard of the Pharoh's wars" Sky says to him, then relising something, which also made him wonder. So far, no matter what, Sherma had been their, and this made Sky now decide to keep a closer eye on him

[augercorn]

sherma raised his hands to the sky and shouted

"ALLAHA AKABAR! fine fine fine allow me to come clean. ... you know me and my sisters were orphans at a young age. I had to take care of them. ... but no one would hire a young boy, for a job that can support someone." he sighed and gave a sad look to the both of them

mirage interupted "sky you know that there are two factions, the rebels and the empire. ... but why do you think the empire has such a large army. its the nearby nation, the pharaoh. a line of brutal kings who claim to be gods. they are cruel and rule there lands with an iron fist taking what they want and destroying the rest, ruling there people as slaves. some years ago the current pharaoh came to power, he started a crusade and recuited a large army to attack and capture saddle arrabia."

the was a short pause.

"they took me in trained me, and payed me what i needed. i sent the money to my sisters back here, and they had no clue. for 4 years i was a crusader. and could of made it to the top ranks if not for an injury in my leg. ... once the muscles were damaged they kicked me out. ... after that i was able to apply my skills with the caravans. and the rest of what i told you is absoultly true."

mirage looked at him still shocked. and said "I knew something was slightly off about your story. .. so your 4 years older than you claimed. also i thought it was strange how even thought both sky and augerclaimed you were cabable you never used your blade around me, it was so i wouldn't see your style'

sherma nodded "i never told anyone this."

[RainbowDaringDash]

"Because you were afraid she would recognise your technique" Sky said, finishing off the group. He knew that something had been off about Sherma, and now that it was out he hopped it would be better, though one thing still did bother him. "How come then did you leave your family behind? Something else has to have happened other then being 'thrown out' of the military.You would not leave them behind to fend for themselves as you tried to find somewhere better to go"

[augercorn]

sherma looked at sky offended, he then jumped out of the wagon and walked along it. trying to calm down but then he jumped back in pointing a finger at sky

"I DID WAHT I HAD TOO! would you hire a dumb little boy for a grown's man paycheck! AHH WOULD YOU! and do you think i would take my sisters ... anyone for that matter to the war ravenged land of the pharaoh! a land where the only free men are bandits who destroy everything! i wouldn't take augercorn there! ... if i had the choice. no i set them up in a home and sent them my money.

mirage did nothing knowing sherma wouldn't hurt him

"calm down were just puzzlling togather what happened.

sherma did calm down and said

"a crusader is only of value if they can run long disances and ride. i got the wound on my leg when i was jousting and my opponent's elephant gored me. i ... ignored the injury and got back on my own elephant continung the raid. a few days later due to constant movment and fighting the muscles were destroyed. so they discharged me. ... my leader captan water wind always was kind to us. besides that i had earned the grace of the pharaoh himself, they wouldn't kill me like to others who leave the army."

he looked to sky "i have no alleigence to them. i joined them to take for money and that is all. the fact that i never did anything to hurt you is testament to that. ... YOU SEE THIS IS WHY I DIDNT TELL YOU! because it was hard enough to gain your trust as is!" he said pointing to sky again.

[RainbowDaringDash]

"YOU STILL HAVE MY TRUST SHERMA, I TRUST YOU A LOT MORE THEN I DO A LOT OF PEOPLE" Sky yells at him, tired of sherma yelling at him. "INSTEAD OF GOIGN WITH THE CARAVANS, WHY DIDNT YOU GO HOME TO THEM? WHY DID YOU COME OUT HERE TO A WAR RAVAGED AREA? i understand joinign the army for money for them, but once you left you should have gone back, not LEFT THEM WITHOUT YOU"

[augercorn]

sherma sat down exhausted and shrugged to sky saying in a calm, but a little confused

"you have seen me, my injury prevents me from using my streanght to 100% and of course i cant ride a war elphant ... steering its all in the ankles ... but when i was discharged. i had enough to pay for school for my little sister. and that was it. i need more. to keep our home and to give as drowry for my older sister."

sherma paused in relection

"it seems no matter what i do in life i'm bound to fail ... i was able to hide the scar and eventually i regained full range of movment. but i simply couldn't support them or myself off of what we had left. ... so i joined a caravan. it was good pay and very easy compared to crusading. the pharaoh himself said i was destined to die in the dessert alone filled with regret .. and i think he is right. once my sister married my friend sayeed. i continued to work in the hopes of being able to earn enough to live comfortably like you just sugested. ... but ...."

[RainbowDaringDash]

"But instead we are keeping you with us? And is money really the big issue here?" He asks, knowing that it was a easy resource to get.

[augercorn]

sherma shrugged.

"war and rebelion has kept this land and its econmy is constant flux. money is not hard to get, but property and saftey. .... very hard. it took a small fortune for sayeed and my sister to get there home in the capital half of which was my earning during caravining and crusading. and now that the rebels are in full attack houses and land that are safe will only become more rare valuable."

"let me ask you this sky. if you think i should of given up my working life retired with my family at age 25, why havent you and augercorn done so? found some nice place in the caribean. go swim everyday and live comfortably?"

mirage remained silent holding on to a question.

[RainbowDaringDash]

"Auger is just, well auger, he needs to move around constantly plus, its just what he enjoys. Me, most of the time i dont have a choice..... I didnt want to learn how to fight how i do, sure, i wanted to learn archery and i did, but i never wanted to learn how to do what i do. I am only twenty, but over the past thirtteen years iv been targeted for assassination, i have been attacked and i have been on the run. If i ever tried to settle down before i solved all of this, i would only make the ones i care about be in danger. Thats why i fight, thats why i dont stay in one place and enjoy my life"

[augercorn]

sherma looked at sky. his eyes understanding

"we are both children of war. fathered by the hate of those far more powerfull than us."

mirage finaly spoke up "the pharaoh ... you've met him?"

sherma nodded

"i have never heard of anyone who has laid eyes on him. even the heads of the house os scorpions have never even goten close.

sherma rolled his eyes slightly "he thinks wants ponies to think he's a god, so he limitis how much mow much anyone can see and perceive of him. he does have ... some kind of power. but i assure you he is no god."

[RainbowDaringDash]

"Well, all i know is that once we deal with all of this, i plan to do something non of you will want to come along for" Sky said, getting a stupid idea

[augercorn]

Mirage and Sherma both looked at each other then to sky.

Mirage said “sky even if you can defeat the pharaoh, its not just that! That and land has been thru abuse and terror ever since the it was created! Unless you also know economics and government … there’s nothing you ... anyone can do,”

Sherma chimed in “the pharaoh sees his crusaders and top warriors only. Only a handful of ponies have ever laid eyes on him. If he want to he can disappear and be halfway around the world within moments. … he once disappeared into Paris prance, he then had the ponies who got him there assinatated … then he had the assasins killed … and then he had them killed. And then he had those assains killed. Point is no one gets close to the pharaoh unless he wants you too. … and he’s the size of augercorn maybe a bit taller and has some strange powerful fighting style.”

Sweet wheat hopped into the back of the wagon and said “I’m sorry am I interrupting something.”