Desert Shadows, Chapter Two
Hasibah was floating in a cool darkness. She smiled. It smelled of flowers. Flowers that were a rare treat, appearing as if by magic after the spring rains. There was no sand, no glaring sun, no disapproving djinn. It was paradise.
“Come now, lady, wake up and open your eyes for me,” gentle hands eased her up and placed a second pillow behind her shoulders. Hasibah struggled to stay within the darkness. She did not want to face reality. The voice chuckled and the hands shook her shoulder, “I know you’re awake. Open your eyes and have some water.”
She shook her head, stubbornly keeping her eyes shut. Maybe the voice would get tired of speaking to her if she ignored it. Maybe then she could drift back into the darkness. Cold exploded on her forehead and Hasibah yelped in surprise, her eyes opening in shock.
The voice belonged to an older man who leaned back in a chair beside her bed as he put the damp cloth back into a bowl on the table. Bed? Hasibah looked around wildly. Stone walls, soft bed with cool sheets, a vase of flowers beside the bed -- where was she? She tried to struggle out of the blankets.
“Easy, lady,” the man spoke softly, “We’re your friends here. There ain’t no djinn to be taking you away.”
Hasibah froze, “No djinn?” Was it possible? Her people were everywhere, knew everything!
“She speaks,” he chuckled, offering her a mug from the table, “And no, no djinn. Them magic-wielding bastards don’t come out this far into the desert. Besides, we have a bit of magic of our own to keep ‘em from finding us,” he winked then pushed the mug into her hands, “Go on, drink. Healer says the desert damned near got you.”
The water tasted like bliss as it cooled her throat. Hasibah drank greedily until there was barely a drop left and the bottom of the mug. She blinked in surprise and flushed. One never finished water offered by another, It was rude in a land where water was precious.
“You’ve been around them djinn for a bit if you’re worried about finishing that water,” he leaned back, studying her, “but details like that are for Himself to hear. me, I’ll settle with just knowing your name.”
“Hasibah.”
“Well, Hasibah, I’m Thorin,” he offered her his hand. Hasibah found her own taken and engulfed in a hearty shake, “Now, you know me, you know you’re safe here from the djinn, and the healer says you need rest. There’s water in the pitcher on the table and wash room through that door. I’ll be back in a bit with some food. All right?”
Hasibah nodded with a timid smile. When the door shut behind Thorin, she lay there, listening. No sound made it through the thick stone walls. She counted her breaths. At five hundred, she would make her move. These people obviously hated the djinn and thought she was running from them. Well, she was, but not how they believed. She could not, would not, allow herself to think what they would do if they found out she was a djinn!
Four hundred and ninety-eight. Four hundred and ninety-nine. Five hundred. Hasibah slowly pushed back the covers and swung her feet to the floor. She still felt weak, but not weak enough to consider staying. She had to get out and away. She could not afford to trust Thorin’s offered kindness.
She made it to the door and tried the knob. It turned and she carefully pulled it open. Hasibah murmured a prayer under her breath as she looked down the corridor. Empty! The stone was cool and rough against her bare feet as she started out. Every sound seemed to ring through the corridor, every breath, every scuff of her foot.
“And then, they found a woman in the sands!”
Hasibah pressed herself against the wall and froze. Voices! She turned and fled back to the closest door, her hands scrabbling at the knob. She pushed the door open and slipped inside, trying to be as quiet as possible. she shut the door and leaned back against it, eyes closed as she listened for the voices.
“And there she is.”
Hasibah ‘s eyes opened in shock. Thorin was seated in front of a large desk, amusement lighting his weathered features. She glanced at the man behind the desk. He did not look amused at all.
“I see the healer underestimated your weakness, lady,” he said, his voice flat, “In that case, please, come join us.”
Hasibah swallowed and moved to the chair beside Thorin. Dear Gods, what had she gotten herself into? Thorin caught her eye and winked, “Don’t worry, lady, Nazim only looks like he’ll eat your liver. He’s actually very nice.”
“Shut up, Thorin,” Nazim sighed and shook his head. He leaned forward and studied Hasibah for a moment. His gaze was intense, unyielding. She found that she could not look away. He smiled a bit and turned to Thorin, “Very well. She is now your problem. Two weeks to make her decision, just like everyone else.”
“What decision,” Hasibah managed to ask.
“Join us or not,” Nazim shrugged as he stood and looked down at her, “We seek to get out from djinn rule. If you join us, you’ll help us. If you chose not to, we’ll leave you right where we found you.”
“Come now, lady, wake up and open your eyes for me,” gentle hands eased her up and placed a second pillow behind her shoulders. Hasibah struggled to stay within the darkness. She did not want to face reality. The voice chuckled and the hands shook her shoulder, “I know you’re awake. Open your eyes and have some water.”
She shook her head, stubbornly keeping her eyes shut. Maybe the voice would get tired of speaking to her if she ignored it. Maybe then she could drift back into the darkness. Cold exploded on her forehead and Hasibah yelped in surprise, her eyes opening in shock.
The voice belonged to an older man who leaned back in a chair beside her bed as he put the damp cloth back into a bowl on the table. Bed? Hasibah looked around wildly. Stone walls, soft bed with cool sheets, a vase of flowers beside the bed -- where was she? She tried to struggle out of the blankets.
“Easy, lady,” the man spoke softly, “We’re your friends here. There ain’t no djinn to be taking you away.”
Hasibah froze, “No djinn?” Was it possible? Her people were everywhere, knew everything!
“She speaks,” he chuckled, offering her a mug from the table, “And no, no djinn. Them magic-wielding bastards don’t come out this far into the desert. Besides, we have a bit of magic of our own to keep ‘em from finding us,” he winked then pushed the mug into her hands, “Go on, drink. Healer says the desert damned near got you.”
The water tasted like bliss as it cooled her throat. Hasibah drank greedily until there was barely a drop left and the bottom of the mug. She blinked in surprise and flushed. One never finished water offered by another, It was rude in a land where water was precious.
“You’ve been around them djinn for a bit if you’re worried about finishing that water,” he leaned back, studying her, “but details like that are for Himself to hear. me, I’ll settle with just knowing your name.”
“Hasibah.”
“Well, Hasibah, I’m Thorin,” he offered her his hand. Hasibah found her own taken and engulfed in a hearty shake, “Now, you know me, you know you’re safe here from the djinn, and the healer says you need rest. There’s water in the pitcher on the table and wash room through that door. I’ll be back in a bit with some food. All right?”
Hasibah nodded with a timid smile. When the door shut behind Thorin, she lay there, listening. No sound made it through the thick stone walls. She counted her breaths. At five hundred, she would make her move. These people obviously hated the djinn and thought she was running from them. Well, she was, but not how they believed. She could not, would not, allow herself to think what they would do if they found out she was a djinn!
Four hundred and ninety-eight. Four hundred and ninety-nine. Five hundred. Hasibah slowly pushed back the covers and swung her feet to the floor. She still felt weak, but not weak enough to consider staying. She had to get out and away. She could not afford to trust Thorin’s offered kindness.
She made it to the door and tried the knob. It turned and she carefully pulled it open. Hasibah murmured a prayer under her breath as she looked down the corridor. Empty! The stone was cool and rough against her bare feet as she started out. Every sound seemed to ring through the corridor, every breath, every scuff of her foot.
“And then, they found a woman in the sands!”
Hasibah pressed herself against the wall and froze. Voices! She turned and fled back to the closest door, her hands scrabbling at the knob. She pushed the door open and slipped inside, trying to be as quiet as possible. she shut the door and leaned back against it, eyes closed as she listened for the voices.
“And there she is.”
Hasibah ‘s eyes opened in shock. Thorin was seated in front of a large desk, amusement lighting his weathered features. She glanced at the man behind the desk. He did not look amused at all.
“I see the healer underestimated your weakness, lady,” he said, his voice flat, “In that case, please, come join us.”
Hasibah swallowed and moved to the chair beside Thorin. Dear Gods, what had she gotten herself into? Thorin caught her eye and winked, “Don’t worry, lady, Nazim only looks like he’ll eat your liver. He’s actually very nice.”
“Shut up, Thorin,” Nazim sighed and shook his head. He leaned forward and studied Hasibah for a moment. His gaze was intense, unyielding. She found that she could not look away. He smiled a bit and turned to Thorin, “Very well. She is now your problem. Two weeks to make her decision, just like everyone else.”
“What decision,” Hasibah managed to ask.
“Join us or not,” Nazim shrugged as he stood and looked down at her, “We seek to get out from djinn rule. If you join us, you’ll help us. If you chose not to, we’ll leave you right where we found you.”
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