TyuHaira -wild riders

-Half crouched over the withers of her horse, Shlea tossed her head
back and smiled. Brown cloth fell from her face revealing amber eyes and braided hair that fell past her waist. Veiled faces gasped and richly clothed sheikhs couldn't believe their eyes to see the abomination before them. Answers were given to all those who had their doubts about how such a tiny prince could be that good of a rider. A couple grooms smiled, not surprised that the covered rider who could ride the wildest horses, and have grace from the roughest falls was a woman. Her nimble body flinging herself onto a horse contrasted with the image of an awkward adolescent boy, just figuring out how to use his height and new angles.1

Mothers in laws bringing young wives to be to see the success they would be marrying into, conveyed their horror through their eyes. Heads shook and the women looked shocked by this break in tradition and were horror stricken that a mother might raise her daughter this way. The youngest of the girls there lit up to see Shlea, they hid half moon smiles beneath their newly adorned veils. The brides of sheikhs in the race might have felt some longing for freedom, if most of them hadn't numbed themselves so they didn't have to think of the freedom they once had and would never have again. The eleven year old girls had just put on the veil and watching this free rider, their hearts longed tear off the veil, and felt the wind messing up their carefully curled and braided hair.2

Shlea threw the cloths to the side, kicking her horse forward to the starting place beside the young sheikhs full of sneers and arrogance who planned to leave her in the dust. She smiled for the girls who saw her as a vision of what they could have had. The call for the start of the race was given and horses and riders leapt forward in a flurry of movement and spraying dust. In one quick movement nimble fingers broke the ties holding her thick hair chained and soft hair tumbled out to fall around her face, framing her narrow back with dark waves. The light beige tunic she wore made her hair look shinier than it was and accentuated the natural curls that flowed to her hips. No one saw her move but they all saw her blow a light kiss to her audience and then shoot forward. Ebony feet pounded in the dust a beautiful momentum that carried her into the same strides as the horses ahead of her. 3

Within seconds she was gracefully balanced above the shoulders of her Raza, running alongside everyone else, matching them for every step. Her body moved in sync with the gait of the powerful being beneath she.4

The favorite, Kas, a tall Arabian pure blood owned by the Raha, a powerful sheikh's horse running beside Raza, his nostrils flaring born to run as he was. Black strands of hair whipped her sun kissed face as she balanced on the back of her galloping mare, and leaned forward to ask Raza for speed. The man riding Kas hit the horse’s rump with his whip, urging him forward, to beat the demon girl’s horse. Long legs opened giant strides swallowing up the dusty racetrack. They would race to the end of the city gates through the main street blocked off for this event. Kas's rider turned him sharply into an alleyway and they galloped at breakneck speed to turn around tents and the cooking pits. Behind her Shlea heard the racing hoof beats of the other horses pushed on by their riders who despite wanting to win wouldn't push them farther than they could go.5

She tossed her head back, enjoying the feel as long strands of hair
whipped back across her neck and hit her back. The sun hit her throat and warmed her skin adding to her infectious happiness. The riders slowly fell back as Raza tossed her own head shaking her black mane and whinnying her own feelings. Elegant legs stretched out and left other horses behind and hoof prints marked the sand, imprinting their story into the desert floor. Shlea was everything her birthright asked of her but racing through the desert air feeling the wind against her body was what set her free.6

The Bedouins were good horse people even though they believed in imprisoning their women so they could never smile in public without checking to make sure a husband or brotherwasn't near to admonish them for losing honor. Shlea's head pounded trying to fathom as she never could, how they could ask their women to pretend to be weak in villages or cities even though in the desert where harsh winds and no water made the lifestyle near impossible, the women worked side by side with the men veil off, surrounded by family. The women would long outlast the men- they who had to shoulder all the burdens were born to be endure and they raised their daughters to be survivors.7

A red scarf flickered from around a tent as the city gates loomed in the distance less than a mile away. Her knees squeezed and in mid gallop, Raza turned for an opening amidst tents to canter a hundred feet before stopping before a tiny figure wrapped from head to toe by white cloth, only showing her eyes. The tiny figure handed up a bag with a water canteen and took Shlea's offered hand and sprung up behind Shlea. Amber eyes shown between the break in the cloth and tightened stomach muscles held her from falling forward as Shlea touched Raza slightly and they leapt forward.8

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"Namisz, what if someone sees you? You should duck as we run by all
the people- Kisry is going to be furious as it is that I brought you."
Namis'z legs held on to Raza's stomach and wrapped an arm around her
friend’s waist as they swerved around tent cloths flying in the wind.
Her wrappings were dust stained and flapping in the wind rushing past
them. Her other arm held the bag and a silver scimitar with flying
birds engraved in the blade.10

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"Shlea Athtar, want me to push you off your horse? I'll go win this
race and leave you behind if you don't just stop talking. I'm still
stronger than you, remember. Being twelve to your eleven means I'm
older so you should also listen to me. I said I'd come didn't I, I'm
not scared. No one is going to care if they see me- I'm a savage
captive remember? What good am I to them? Kisry would only care if
Scyleia knows since I'm really her captive. Not that it matters- I'll
get in trouble if we get caught, not you." The two girls were back on
the main road again, and just seconds after Kas and the other horses
who was barely a horse length behind. The gates loomed closer and
hundreds of people awaited the winner. Kas pulled ahead galloping head long for city gates as his rider pushed him further forward.12

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Falling back to a fast canter, Shlea raced standing up slightly on her horse’s bare back and grabbed for her bond's hand holding her steady "How long have you been with my people Namis'z? you aren't Jazmin anymore, you are one of us. You and I are in this together- Lieyra loyalty is forever to
death. If you go down, I'm going with you. You are Tyuhaira as much as I am- it runs in your veins and is alive in your eyes. And now its time to run!14

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Softly so only them three could hear it, with the passion of her people and the spirit of a girl born to ride, Shlea whispered strongly,"Aisheali Raza, Aisheali Raza."16

(AyShehlee Rassa)17

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Raza shot forward eating up the dirt with her hooves and spitting it
back up- dust clouds billowed out behind them. Raza gave everything
she had and raced forward. Her body moved , muscles shifting underneath silky dust coated skin. On the bare back of a midnight colored horse , two girls soared. Feet pounding their legacy in the desert ground, Raza matched Kas step by step , and stride by stride.19

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She dipped her head and her feet flew furiously, carrying her feet
ahead of Kas through the open city gates. Kas's rider tried to hit
Shlea with her crop but she lay flat on Raza's neck so the crop
caught the edge of Namis'z head covering, and the wind reached up with
dusty fingers and peeled it away from her face as it fell to her shoulders. Namisz grabbed it and turned her head away but a few crowd members caught a glimpse of her face. A man with a dark beard standing tall with a mans stance saw the sister who was captured years ago. She didn't recognize the confident man standing on the sideline who had grown from the awkward little boy who couldn't run without falling in their childish games. Namisz raised the scimitar overhead and cheered. Shlea felt sharp air go past her face as an arrow buried itself in the dust. A rider that had fallen back early in the race, sat on his horse with a bow pointed at the girls.21

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"Eali." Raza leapt forward swerving and twisting. Shlea having slid to the side with her foot supported by the belly band on Raza. Namisz lay flat on Raza's back. Arrows dove into the dirt ahead of them piercing the dust clouds rising up in the air. Shlea looked back and saw riders from the dirt chasing them each with a bow and arrow in their hands. Shlea looked nervously at the wooden bridge swaying over the river-strong enough to carry one horse and rider not eight or nine.23

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"When I say it, ask her to jump. Kick her!" Shlea whispered to Namisz as they came up to the ravine. She leaned down and grabbed a handful of dust and tossed it back to add to the dust kicked up by Raza's hooves. The water was strong and deep and those who fell in had to abandon everyone else just to get out but the ravine was fifteen feet at most.25

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"Are you crazy? Jump the ravine? Why are we leading them to camp?"27

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Namisz gave her a strange look- not understanding where the girl's mind was leading to but a hundred feet away she pulled her friend onto the horses back again and Shlea pulled out her bow and arrow to gain them time, and began shooting with deadly aim into the clouds of dust.Raza's pace was slowed to a canter to measure for the jump but that gave the riders time to appear through the clouds scimitars held above and turbans billowing in the wind29

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"Now!"31

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"Shazhar Raza" and Namisz squeezed her flanks, Raza stretched her legs and feet away Shlea held on to Namisz and they leapt. Soaring through the air the two girls held on and Shlea shot one arrow that found its mark as a gurgled cry pierced the air behind them. Feet raised and muscles exerting the air flew as the girls did- Raza's feet touched down the other side of the canyon and the ground whizzed by as she bolted for home, knowing where they were going. Shlea looked back and saw the riders carefully pick their way across the bridge and she urged Raza on. Midnight feet flew as they thundered into camp.33

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"We have to warn them- too many will be lost if we don't- the camp
would be attacked without warning." Within seconds of dismounting into camp, Namisz raced off to go tell the cavalry. Shlea and Raza cantered to the tents of the Queens and Shlea called out for them to come out.The older peace queen squinted at the light as she stepped out of the tent and stood with her arms folded over her blue tunic.35

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"It would be good for you to tell me why you are calling both Queens out before Scyleia comes out . She won't be happy. " In her early thirties, Hippaloyta bore the scars of the wars that had convinced her that their people needed their 'SiaHaira' to be a peace queen also. Ferocious in battle she was fiercely loyal of every girl in the tribe but was more focused on camping in places where they could get away if neighboring tribes came after them.37

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"Bedouins are coming here. They saw me uncovered. It was all my fault, I shouldn't have gone to race, I was showing off. Raza jumped the ravine as they were crossing it – minutes ago." Shlea conveyed words tumbling out of her mouth after another. She chose to leave out about NamiszRa's covering falling.39

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"We should run, we have time, get everyone out of here. Then nobody
will die and we can fight another-" the Siahaira had her hand up for
quiet. She pursed her lips and rubbed her forehead as the nimble
eighteen year old war queen came out , her arms were crossed and she did not look happy. She shot an icy glare at Shlea and a questioning look at Hippaloyta.41

"What did you do, Shlea?" she asked with a smile even though she could probably guess that she had been racing in some nearby camp or village. She respected the girl’s spirit and skill with horses even though she wasn't a runner like Scyleia. Hippaloyta knew Scyleia had probably overhead part of their conversation earlier and knew she would be calculating what would need to be done to ready the tribe. 42

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"Never mind, I don't want to know. The Bedouins are coming here?" Shlea nodded. "Now?! We are going to stay and fight- people will pack up and the youngest and the eldest can flee but the rest of us will hold our ground and defend the camp. Go tell the warriors to be ready to defend the tribe!" the young runner she told took off her body slicing the air, her legs reaching out to swallow up more ground.44

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"We could get everyone except for warriors out- the elders, the
youngest girls, the captives- get them out safe- they can't fight…"46

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Scyleia shook her head 'no', and Hippaloyta echoed her words because even if she understood the young girls reasons for wanting them to flee they had to make the right decision for the tribe. 'They would get as many out as they good but only no one would get far- they would send away the youngest girls- the girls who had horses they could ride out. They would fight'. Shlea sighed wishing they could just listen to reason- but she couldn't question the orders of the SiaHaira or TaraHaira- that wouldn't be right.48

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Shlea raced back to her tent and gave Raza water and let her stand for a few seconds. She saddled her horse and grabbed arrows for the saddle bag. She tied two knives to her belt and grabbed her shield. The crescent shaped copper metal could tell the story of her life by looking at the designs – hawk taking off for when she got Raza and became a Kefhla –scout rider – black horse rearing with a figure on her back for being the best rider in the tribe. Beautiful intricate designs , overlapping and crisscrossing but never clouding up the meanings of any of the lines or shapes. Namisz came in to get the
leather bands she wore around her neck and wrists to protect her neck
from arrows and her wrists from chafing. The Tahea, (double sided axe) strapped to her back , one look at Shlea's face and she shook her head.50

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" I'm not bowing out of this battle, not if we are fighting it because someone saw me and knows who I am". She wouldn't listen to Shlea ask her to run with girls, lead them to safety. Her mind was set, she had to take responsibility for this- even if she might be a target.52

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"Namisz, honor killings. They will stop at nothing to kill you if it's a relative of yours who thinks you have betrayed their honor by being one of us. They won't ask questions."54

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"No. My answer won't change." NamiszRa walked out of the tent without
looking back.56


Shlea followed with her weapons and mounted Raza to go stand with the
Keflhla 'eyes of the free riders'. The Keflhla stood, horses standing
in place, reins tossing with the horses heads. The archers steered the horses with their knees, prepared to start shooting.57

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The riders rode together to meet the coming Bedouins. The men were
turbaned and only their eyes showed, full of hatred. Raising scimitars into the air they charged headlong into the Keflhla who held and then unleashed themselves on the Bedouins.59

Arrows were released, piercing flesh and taking riders out of their
saddles. Men fell to the ground at the mercy of trampling feet and
fierce women warriors to whom their lives mean nothing. Shlea looked
for a glimpse of Namisz but didn't see her and Raza surged forward
into the battle before she could call for her.60


Tyuhaira javelins flew through the air pinning fighters robes to the
ground as they were knocked out of the saddle. Horses turning at the
touches of a leg carry fierce black haired women to their enemies
sides. The air rings with battle sounds- axes ring as they hit
scimitars with a clang. The battle is a landslide for the women
warriors. A thousand sisters standing together , riding together
united in a way- the sheikhs used to fighting each other , divided and
alone- could never dream of. The archers with long braids shot volley
after volley into the depleting ranks of Bedouin fighters. The copper
tang of blood stung Shlea's nose as she smelled the bloodletting of
the battle- a smell that was hard to get used to because it meant
sisters gone to race against her before the setting sun would never run past her again .61

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The sheikhs were being pushed back by the Tyuhaira. The Kefhla chased
them with axe blows and arrows hitting their targets. The Sheikhs
began to turn back, their number depleted from 500 to 150. The
turbaned warriors had fallen under the women's blows. Shlea saw one
fighter move forward as his people went backwards. Out of the corner
of her eye as she pulled back her bow string and let fly she saw
NamiszRa go forward to meet him. A scimitar cut Namiszra from her
horse. She turned her horse and ducked the scimitar coming for her head and moved through the battle to get to her friend. She saw the turban fly away from the man's face and reveal a man who was standing at the race earlier. The Tyuhaira didn't see the one fighter breaking their ranks- they were chasing down the desert warriors.63

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As Shlea got to her friend, Namisz had fallen- horse reared over her
body, slicing the air with grey hooves. Her chest was bleeding from a
scimitar slice. 65

The horse moved to the side standing between the tall rider and her mistress. Shlea bent down to NamisZra, to see that her friend was still breathing and her heart was still beating. She lifted her onto Raza's back. Shlea shot arrow after arrow even though the desert warriors were fleeing. A young man came toward her on foot- he was the man who brought NamisZra down. He showed no remorse in his face. She growled at him with tears falling down her face, staining her face with grief and pain. He held up his scimitar to finish the killing but Shlea's fierce look stopped him. 66

"I am her brother," he says mangling her peoples tongue. She just shook her hea,d causing the icy tears blinding her eyes to fall faster onto the blood soaked earth. 67

"You lost any claim to her the minute you tried to hurt her. Your honor killings are wrong. She loved you, and I loved her, other wise your body would be lying on this earth, your blood spilling for every drop you spilled of hers- someone whose breath was worth more than your life or death. Try to take her from me and I will kill you despite what her wishes are." She pulled back her bow and aimed for his forehead, preparing for his steps forward but one of the fighters fleeing grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away. He fought it, not wanting to run from a battle but his friend yanked him onto the horse and spurred his horse to a gallop, running from the chasing people behind him. 68

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Shlea bent to NamisZra body , and felt for her pulse but it had fallen. Shallow breaths brought her chest up and down and soft words spoke louder to Shlea than any battle cries. 70

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"Lieyera, you are my soul bond forever. I love you" and Namiszra's eyes closed. Shlea shook her head and willed it to be a nightmare and nothing else but when she opened her eyes again Namiszra's body was still lying warm on Raza's back. She led Raza over half a mile on foo,t back to the temple of the Goddess. She watched the priestesses take her friends body from her- holding tight till she absolutely had to let go. Her face was red with tears that made lines through the dust on her cheeks. 72

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"Bury her with honor. I'll be back to remember her," she shrugged off arms trying to hug her and reach out. Tears flew as Shlea ran , and tore out of the temple. She leapt on Raza and kicked her , asking her to bolt away. 74

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"Raza Eali , don't turn back. I'm getting out of here." She bent her face in Raza's mane trying to wipe away the tears staining her cheeks with sorrow, and silence the cries longing to erupt from her chest. Horse and rider ran, into the desert, pounding their story into the sand- each grain a testimony that they had been there. Dark fell on the desert and still they ran- Shlea cried and didn't look back , knowing her heart would break when she had to return. 76