Qamar of the Horse dreams of a moonlit garden, a walled city that does not exist, a temple to a goddess he has never before seen, and the shadow of a mare on the horizon. Each morning when he wakes, it is to a fragrance so beautiful that he cannot describe it.

The night he sets off into the desert, alone and unprepared, it is only his friend Rasoul, a camel of the tribe of al Jamal min al Fidda, who can see the madness that drives him, and only Rasoul who will be able to help him overcome it.

Written for the WBA monthly writing prompt, which is why it cuts off where it does. The rest will be up in a couple of days.

With a great deal of thanks to Amit for the horse puns in Foreign Scary Words, as well as the tips for finding more of them.