[AW] Holiday {relic contest}

[Damascus]

Wonderment; it was a great understatement for the awe that flickered within the warrior's starry eyes, and while it was the kind of enchantment common among children and fools, it was one harmlessly borne not of stupidity but of innocence. Damascus who had longingly gazed from behind iron bars at a single palm frond for most of his life was fascinated easily - and that, as you can imagine, was also an understatement. As an actual fish (as in not a rock like the first 'fish' he had seen) slithered into view 'neath the water's diaphanous mirror, the stallions jaw slowly eased open as his lungs were wrenched to a halt. Just one sudden movement, he thought, and the fish will be gone. It was not a sudden inhale nor an involuntary flick of his ears that triggered the animal's disappearance, but a spear.  Primarily Damascus had no idea what kind of ammunition had been launched his way, so had simply heaved his over-grown bodice backwards with a spooked grunt. The stag's gaze was torn from the dream-like depths of the oasis with brute force, a heavy hoof sounding a brilliant WHOOSH among the sand as is sprayed and splashed upon the near-by plant life. Dohv had bounded to the cover of that very foliage, holding a starchy green leaf over his head with his paws.  "its a trap!" the jerboa would soon squeak through their bond, causing the black brute to open his wings ever-so-slightly. Indecision was taking hold once more - was he safer on the ground or in the air? Was there even that much of a threat? With a bewildered grimace, unsure if he even wanted to look, Damascus cast his sights upon the bloody cloud erupting from the submerged spear's tip.  It seemed niether he nor his jerboa was the intended quarry. A ruffle of foliage later and she had emerged. At a glance the woman reminded him not of a fellow equine but a beast, especially given those damn-near devilish eyes which soon would remind him of fiery venus; A truly fierce woman if ever he saw one, and a brilliant shot too. Damascus was certainly impressed, and would likely be just as fascinated in her as he had been the fish were he not terrified she was plotting to turn her spear on him. Accented, purring words were spoken, and while it had taken him a short while to process them he soon returned them with a smile. She spoke truth. "Shot you very good" he spoke simply, taking a few moments to find the fight words in his own tongue before he could speak them in common. "You be the warrior?" Damascus would come to ask her, wondering if her skills were warrior-based or for survival.  "I Damascus" a round of applause to avdotya for that striking entrance  @Avdotya

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