Sands of Sanctuary
an excerpt

"Can we stop please?" she asked.
They'd been riding for hours now. Several. Many. She wasn't sure HOW many, but it was quite some time. They'd reached the forest and were still going. The sun was nearly setting. "Please?" she begged.
"Shh!" he told her.
At least the animal had slowed to a walk over the last hour and Kay sat back to look at the ground, figuring out how hard it might be to fall off the moving animal without hurting herself.
"I'm tired of being shushed," Kay told him and let go of the blanket, then let go of him, shoving off the side. She hit the ground and ducked into a roll – and still hurt her shoulder. But it could have been worse. Getting to her feet, she scowled at the man's back.
Pulling the animal to a stop and turning it, he looked down at her – a high and mighty expression on his face. "Whot ayre yoh duink? Iht's dohngeroos hore!"
The animal looked tired, though and Kay was tired, and very irritated, "Did you just call me a whore?" she demanded, and unexpectedly dropped to her knees as her legs gave out. "Owowow!" she wheezed, rubbing her thighs which were quickly cramping up.
Apparently, the man was shocked, for he sat back in the saddle, staring down at her for a long moment before dismounting and walking towards her, "Yoh ayrenaet yused toh ryedink, ayre yoh?"
Lifting her head, she scowled at him as she concentrated closely to what he said, "No," she stated and shook her head, assuming he was talking about the beast since he'd glanced back at it as he spoke.
"Soh! Yoh deu unturstond!' he exclaimed, speaking too quickly for her to pick out what he'd said.
"Aiee!" Kay couldn't help but whine, lifting her hands to clutch her hair, "Talk. Slower." she ordered, speaking slowly as well.
"Whot? Taalk Slaa'weer?" he repeated, then stopped as he mouthed the words again. "Tolk sloo'er," he said again, this time in his pronunciation. Understanding dawned on his features then. "Aye, Sur," he said, "Ah caen doh thaet."
He said his words nearly one at a time and Kay listened closely to pick out what he was saying before finally nodding. "Good," she replied, "Can. We. Rest?" she lifted a hand, "I'm. Tired. That," she pointed at the animal, "Tired."
'And I can has good grammar.'
Looking from her to the animal, whatever the heck it was, the man finally turned back to her. "Taird," he repeated. It almost sounded like he'd called her a "Tard" and she nearly bristled.
However, he nodded, offering down his hand to help her back to her feet.
After frowning at him, she finally took his hand and let him pull her up. Thankfully, he didn't grab the back of her pants, just supported her as he led the way off the path. She staggered through the underbrush, wincing as it climbed up under her pants, scratching her legs. The man's boots, which were thigh high, seemed rather practical now, not just very gay-looking.
Finally, he stopped in a clearing some distance from the road, then turned to her, slapping the reigns of the beast thing into her hand. Without a word, he turned away and headed back along their path, carefully fluffing the underbrush and dusting the leaves.
Kay stared. "Oh," she murmured, "That's what covering your tracks looks like."
Returning to her, he took the reigns back and pulled the creatures head up from where it had dropped to nudge through the leaves. Taking it to a tree that was near another half-rotted tree, the man tied up his mount and began pulling the packs off the beast, tossing them to the ground at her feet.
Kay stood there, dumbfounded, legs feeling rubbery. "What do you want me to do with this?" she asked as he turned to look at her.
He sighed gustily and knelt, opening his bags and began pulling out things that looked like a sewn up bladder, a roll of cloth... Then he held the bladder up to her.
After a moment, she took it, realizing it was full of liquid and had a plug in one end. He stared at her, then made a drinking motion.
"...you want me to what?" Kay asked slowly. "From this?"
He gave a strained smile and nodded, gesturing at the bladder again. "Dronk," he urged her.
Pressing her lips together, Kay looked at the bladder again. 'Am I being squeamish or is it just because I grew up in a city?' she had to ask herself, then swallowed. 'I am pretty thirsty... Oh...heck... No choice...' Taking the plug out, she slowly sank to the ground and carefully took a drink – spilling water on herself anyway. Choking and sputtering, she lowered the skin and scowled at him as he laughed at her. "Oh, shut up," she snapped, capping the thing and throwing it at him.
Catching it, he unplugged it again and took a drink, successfully not getting himself soaked.
Sighing, Kay folded her arms and pouted, "Show off."
The man shook his head and capped the skin once again, setting it aside, "Terran," he said, tapping his chest.
"Kay," she returned, figuring he'd just introduced himself.
"Kai," he repeated, using his own pronunciation.
"No... Kay – AY," she tried to emphasize but he stared at her.
"Kai," he tried again.
"Oh fine," she muttered, "Say it your way. Terran," she stated, making an effort to mispronounce his name.
He laughed.