He had anticipated trekking to the oasis in silence, and that they would exchange pleasantries and chat once the mare had a chance to drink her fill and relax in the shade. Thus, her question took him by surprise, and as they strolled he turned his head sideways to look down at her with a quizzical expression. It was then he realized he had not paid attention while she had introduced herself.
He answered her question with another question. What did you say your name was?
They crested the last dune to the oasis while Orhan paused to let her respond. Sand slipped beneath his hooves as he led the way down the incline and toward the foliage-choked shore. Im not entirely sure I have a story to tell. My name is Orhan, and I have been here since the day I was born.
Once within the shade of the palms, he felt the ache of his earlier failure begin to melt away. Slaking his thirst helped even more, and when he turned to look back at his companion with water dripping from his chin, his expression had softened. Im sure your story is more interesting than mine. What brought you here, for instance?
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