Anon's adventures release candidate


                                            >"Grandpa, will you sing for us?" Gulzar asks Aziz, nuzzling the old stallion.

                                            >"Of course, my dear filly." He smiles looking at Gulzar, but it feels like he's looking through her. A look of somebody who sees the distant past, sees his dear filly who is still lanky and clumsy; or maybe even her mother still being a filly.

                                            >Aziz raises his head up, muscles of his neck move as he begins to sing. A strange archaic song, you barely get a one third of the words. Something about the flowers in someone's garden that bloom only once. But you are knowledgeable enough in horse arts to tell that it's beautiful. While singing, Aziz himself seems more powerful, healthier, almost younger.

                                            >Others stand still and quiet, listening. Haakim leaves other grown up males and snugs up to his mother. Gulzar gives him a quick disappointed look, but then relaxes again, mellowed by the song, and hugs him with her neck. Both the mother and the son look at the old stallion with a look full of reverence.

                                            >"What a singer." Alqua whispers to Amira, "His joints may fail him, but the voice is still like it was when I first heard him singing many decades ago. As the saying goes, stallion's voice changes only once. And thank Goddess when it does like his did."

                                            >"I know this song is ancient, many must've sung it, but I  cannot imagine it sung by anyone else but grandpa." Amira whispers back, lowering her head.

                                            >Nevertheless, as the song goes, you think you hear hoarseness in Aziz's voice. Something compels you to take a bowl of sorbet from the nearby table, and when the song ends you leave your spot near Amira, take a few steps and offer the bowl to the ancient singer, with a low bow.

                                            >Aziz looks at you, surprised. But then look of his eyes changes to a grateful one; the old stud lowers his head and drinks from the offered bowl.

                                            >You hear whispers around. A murmur of general appreciation . When the bowl gets empty, you return it back where it was and again take your place near Amira.

                                            >She gives your shoulder a slight bump with her nose; a gesture which mares use to endorse a foal who did something right, as you have observed several times.

                                            >Having had a drink, Aziz livens up.


                                            >"Hey, youngsters!" He calls other studs around, "Will you help me a bit?Our blessed ladies would appreciate some more!"

                                            >After a bit of murmur and confusion a bunch of stallions step forward. Ahmed casts a glance at Amira, she nods. Ahmed goes too. Gulzar nips Haakim, he seems surprised and unsure, but hurries to join others nevertheless, not daring to question his mother.

                                            >Males form a circle, rump to rump.

                                            >"Let's try this one. Do you know?" Aziz sings a verse and stops looking at others.

                                            >"Yes, sire Aziz." Ahmed answers first. Some grown up stallions, those from the Palace, follow with dignified nods. Quite a few youngsters exchange looks of relief. Others, on the contrary, seem a bit flabbergasted.

                                            >"Good, thank Goddess the new generation has some culture to it." The old stallion smirks.

                                            >The choir starts the song, this time it's about how stallions are good friends and comrades, cheerful and ever enthusiastic to brighten the lives of the hardworking stronger sex.


                                            >The part of the group who are in the know, leads. The rest accompany, often singing only the endings of the words for emphasis.

                                            >Mares stomp in rhythm with the song, cheering.

                                            >Now that everyone are here, in one area, you notice the strange demographic peculiarities.

                                            >Not counting the young adults, amongst grown up mares it seems there is huge skew towards Amira's coevals. Older generations almost entirely seem represented by females around Alqua's age. There barely are any intermediaries.

                                            >"Noble brother?"

                                            >You scratch your jaw. What possibly could have happened, that seemingly erased an entire generation? And the fact that Amira is the Matriarch instead of her mother… And, by the way, where the fuck is their father?--

                                            >"Anonymous?"

                                            >You look up and realize Aziz talks to you.

                                            "Uh... Yes, err... sire Aziz?"

                                            >To be safe you simply copy Ahmed in a way of addressing elderly people of your own gender.

                                            >"You came from distant lands, without a doubt," Aziz continues.

                                            >"The lands that have their own songs, perhaps. Forgive this old stallion's curiosity, but would you mind to join us and sing something? You probably miss the voices of your homeland."

                                            >For a moment you're feeling dumbfounded. You don't hear malice in Aziz's voice, nothing in his mimics indicating it as well.


                                            >He must be genuine in his suggestion. You standing out being a sole primate among equines coupled with your recent deed may have prompted the old stallion to think about you.

                                            >Amira, standing nearby, has her ear and an eye on you. She judges your reaction. You have a feeling if she would read a genuine distress in your face, she would have stepped in.

                                            >But she is silent.

                                            >You smile.

                                            "I would be honored."

                                            >You bow and take a few steps forward.

                                            >It makes sense, after all. Every stallion did something, demonstrated he is good at some kind of activity. Ajmal showed how kind and good with foals he is, Ahmed demonstrated how cultured he is...

                                            >That's a showing of the Matriarch's harem. You can't let Amira down!

                                            "Hmmm, let me think for a moment..."

                                            >You tap your chin.

                                            >What kind of song can you possibly sing in your language, so it would be melodic enough when sung acapella?

                                            >Probably something retro?

                                            >Hmmm, once upon a time you’ve heard one particular song and thought it to be pretty funny. Now it would be actually hilarious. How was it...

                                            "There's song in the air"

                                            "But a fair senorita..."

                                            >You sing them "A Donkey Serenade."

                                            >That's a decent, lively song. You are no Mario Lanza or Alan Jones, of course, but you used to sing for fun quite often, so you manage to do a decent job. In your own opinion anyway.

                                            >The crowd around stands still. The facial expressions ranging from confusion, to fascination. You yourself feel strange at the sound of your own language. Although you think in it, aloud it now sounds almost alien -- so much you got used to the horse noises.

                                            >You finish the song and bow like an opera singer.

                                            >"A peculiar piece," Aziz comments. "My lady once told me the poetry is almost untranslatable between different tongues, but would you mind to sum up what is it about?"

                                            >Oh, shit. Although, an expected question. How would you explain the humor of an idea that a human sings to a mule to your present audience?

                                            "Erm... The singer is in love and sings to a... well... his love interest, but she doesn't consider him. Whilst the other... hmmm... female likes both the song and the singer and is sad he wouldn't sing something like that to her. The singer's longing for other only makes her sadder."


                                            >That’s not exactly what happens in the song, but OK.

                                            >Although Aziz raises his eyebrow, he didn't elaborate. You wonder if stallions at all should sing unprompted to their mares before marriage. The crowd murmurs. Maybe this song sounds frivolous as fuck to them? Oh well...

                                            >"That's... quite poetic, " Alqua comments.

                                            >"Indeed," Aziz echoes, "Thank you very much, noble brother."

                                            >"The pleasure is all mine, sire."

                                            >You hurry back to hide behind Amira. She lightly smacks you with her tail, but says nothing.

                                            >The male choir meanwhile performs a couple of songs more then takes a break.

                                            >Mares applaud with loud stomping then get busy praising their stallions and  herding them to their side.

                                            >Alqua goes to Aziz and nuzzles him with affection.

                                            >"Thank you, my love." She says, takes a loaded skewer in her mouth and holds it for her beloved one. Aziz bows and begins to eat slowly.

                                            >People form bands around, to talk and further have fun. Amira retreats to her blanket. You three follow.

                                            >"Beautiful, cultured event." Ahmed comments, "I must say I enjoyed immensely."

                                            >"I am actually surprised you knew that one grandpa offered, it's a local song." Amira smiles.

                                            >"The thing is, I taught a couple of stallions how to dance properly and they taught me it in exchange." Ahmed explains, flustered.

                                            >"Oh and here I've been wondering why it seemed that general level of choreography have improved from previous event!" Amira laughs.  Ahmed bows.

                                            >"You, Anon, did well too," she continues. "I didn't take you for a musical sort. Your language sounds very strange, but I guess there is something oddly melodic about it when you sing."

                                            >"Thank you, lady Amira."

                                            > "Although your repertoire..." She sighs.

                                            >"I apologize. I'll try to sing more courteous songs."

                                            >"No, that's alright, as long as you're singing the less courteous ones to me."

                                            To be continued…

                                            Story so far:

                                            https://ponepaste.org/92

                                            Authors note: Please, give some feedback, anons. What did you like and what didn’t about the family reunion sequence?