I grunted, my panting making matters all too apparent as Celestial slowed to a bouncing trot. My sweet dapple grey Arabian had faired much better then I during this frantic flight. We had just exited the rich lushes harbor ports of Morocco about three hours prior to our journey into the northern half of Africa. Now my mount had led us to a small oasis, her sharp hearing, eagle eyesight and supreme nostrils had saved us once again. Celestial came to an abrupt stop, or so it seemed nearest to the tiny pool of water. I tilted and ended up crashing to the sands, with much grace and status, rolling to hoist myself into a sitting position I glanced to the horse. Celestial raised her face from the pond, droplets of water dripping from her velvet soft black muzzle, her soul deep eyes twinkled with mirth, her ears swiveled curiously as she nickered deep within her chest.
"Ah shut it!" I managed to croak, "You try riding a horse for 100 miles with zero water or food, you'd be a little trippy too." I grumbled as I unceremoniously crawled over to the water plunging my entire head into it. Celestial blew air from her lips, shaking her mane while chuckling at me once again, she began to drink as I brought my head out of the crisp cool water. The water felt stupidly refreshing as it trickled down my neck and back, cleansing me of miles of sweat and dusty sands.
I removed my thigh high lace-ups, the only thing that had helped my legs from chaffing was my equally high socks. My boots were not a stiletto heel either, they had a shorter block heel which I found way more comfortable then those ridiculous fashion driven stick things back in North America. So much had changed in nearly seventy five years, I remember the numerous stories that my grandmother use to tell me when my mother took me to the countryside to visit her horse farm, as a young girl in the early 2070's. Luckily my family had managed to protect that land from the government and crazy rouge groups. My family's farm was protected by the state of Kentucky and that wasn't about to change simply because the damn government wanted to make it a building site for a new group of architects.
I stripped off my spaghetti strap, thigh cut-off gauze dress. It wasn't much I know, it was considered mere lingerie several years ago, but now wearing lingerie items in public was the recent fashion trend, very risque pieces that left nothing to the imagination. Strangely enough, the piece that I was wearing had been the style that my mother had dressed herself in while I grew up, it was simple and nomadic in many ways... an old trend, outdated to say the least. And on a farm of about 80 acres, there's typically not anyone around to judge or spy on those who would where outdated clothes, such as myself. Grandmother Lulu had continued to wear t-shirts and jeans while she was alive, saying that it was the way of the cowgirl as she tended to her horses and the land. I again knelt by the little pond, cupping my hands I brought the water up to drink. Celestial had had her fill and was now standing beneath the single palm tree that shaded the pond. I filled the lamb's skin that I had bought after getting off of the ship in Morocco, then I drenched my dress in the cool water, knowing that it would dry sooner then was needed to make it to the beaches of Alexandria. Putting it back on I then went to my saddle pack that was strapped to the back of my saddle and got the heavy blanket that was originally my bedding, draping it about Celestial's neck I again mounted. My boots felt squishy on my feet as I settled them into the stirrups. I knew that we would make it to the beach by nightfall if nothing bad came our way.
"We'll make it Celestial, don't you worry." I murmured encouragingly to my horse, she tossed her head in reply. With a soft tap of my heels we set off at a steady canter.
