Page 3
Which Features a Fiery Female
A s’ad looked up to see the owner of the voice stalking into his firelight. It was the girl from Nahr. Of course it was.
“May I help you?” he asked quite calmly, despite knowing how bad it looked. His heart responded to the perceived threat by pumping more blood to his limbs. His fingers twitched, and Khudha squeaked in response.
In spite of her anger, or perhaps because of it, As’ad was struck by the thought that he had never perceived such a wild and beautiful young woman. His wits were not addled to the point that he thought saying so would help him escape the situation. Alive.
“I knew there was something off about you.” The girl stood with both hands on her hips and leaned forward. “Those were your rats all along!”
As’ad’s brain threatened to panic, but years of practicing deceit as a means of survival kicked in. “Why do you say that?”
His refusal to react in a flustered manner frustrated his challenger.
“You were just baby-talking that rat!”
“So?”
“That proves you didn’t just catch them yesterday!”
If they had been any closer to town, As’ad would have been concerned that the girl’s increasing volume would attract attention. Determined to play it out, he continued to act as though nothing was amiss.
“I don’t see how.” He smiled at the rat in his hand and rubbed between her little ears. “It is true that I have become fond of rats“—he held up his hand when she tried to protest— “when they are not demolishing a village’s storehouses,” he appeased.
She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him. “Nobody is fond of rats.”
As’ad shrugged lightly. “Their loss. I have found them to be quite intelligent and affectionate.”
“Ha!” She brandished her finger at him again. “Intelligent, huh? Meaning you can train them.”
He scratched his cheek as though contemplating the idea. “Yes,” he mused. “ I suppose that is very likely possible. I have never kept any quite long enough to determine that.”
The girl’s frown became more contemplative and ever-so-slightly less hostile.
Taking that as a hopeful sign, As’ad went on the attack in his mildest, most reasonable tone. “It sounds like you have a theory. Some story that you’ve created in your mind about me. Would you care to share the thoughts that led you there?”
“Well, first off, you showed up awfully quick when the messengers were sent for you.”
As’ad purposefully turned his back to her, to demonstrate how little he was concerned by her presence and to put Khudha away. “I believe that came up the other day, didn’t it? I was able to arrive in a timely fashion because I was already heading this direction. I’m following a pattern, you may recall.”
He couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like the girl was grinding her teeth. He faced her again and leaned against the handcart before crossing his arms casually across his chest.
She sighed heavily through her nose. “Would you care to explain the odd behavior of the rats? They didn’t react normally. To anything!”
“How exactly are rats that have been formed by a curse or some other magic supposed to react? All our standards for normal are thrown out the window.” He scratched his ear, then very deliberately stifled a yawn.
“But what about the excrement?” What was this girl’s obsession with droppings? “None of the big crowd of rats left any—”
As’ad interrupted, “Again, magically produced or prompted creatures tend to follow different rules than the rest of us.”
“—but the Marzaries noticed rat leavings on their table at the party,” she finished as though he hadn’t spoken. “Which lends credence to my ‘theory’ that you are using trained rats in some capacity to pull a con.”
Fear stabbed at As’ad’s chest like a spear. Only the years and years of hiding his thoughts kept him from revealing the accuracy of her statement, even as a bead of sweat trickled down his spine. He hated to do it, but the threat pushed him to poke at what was likely a sore spot for her.
“I wonder that you’re here confronting me on your own. Did no one else think your questions were valid?” He pushed off the handcart and walked closer, still leaving plenty of space between them. “So far, I haven’t seen you produce any proof of your words. You may, of course, run back to Nahr with your little tale. But your presence here, alone, makes me think they don’t tend to listen to you, do they? Are you, perhaps, known for wild stories?”
The hurt that flickered across her face pinched at his heart. He had scored a direct hit and he knew it.
“Go home, miss,” he said quietly. “Your family will be missing you.”
Something else appeared in her expression for a split second. “Are you still heading to Jabal?”
“Yes. I’m working that direction.”
He was confused by the abrupt change in her line of questioning. Even more so when she nodded, sharply turned on her heel, and stalked off into the darkness back toward Nahr. Somewhat absently, he noted the large pack she wore on her back. He hadn’t initially noticed it in the dark and now wondered what her unstated goal was. Who brought that much luggage to confront a con man? A weapon would make sense, but he doubted she was carrying an entire rucksack of knives and slingshots.
Still unsettled from the confrontation, As’ad’s interactions with his beloved pets were stilted. They didn’t seem to notice, content with the treats and belly rubs. For some reason, the encounter lingered in his mind, and the little one-man tent felt rather crowded. Sleep eventually took him, but not before the guilt about his parting shot had been stuffed down more than once.
No longer in a hurry to put distance between himself and the site of his last con, As’ad took his time the next morning getting ready for the day. When he did begin walking down the road, he was plagued by an itchiness between his shoulder blades. Several times throughout the day, he looked behind to search for the source of his unease. Nothing was ever there.
The terrain was an interesting mash-up of desert and jungle. More substantial green plants began filling the view, while dry sand collected at their roots. When the wind came in from the north, it was hot and dry. If the breeze shifted to swirl in from the south, As’ad felt sticky. The contrast would normally keep him entertained as he experienced and observed these new sensations.
Instead, he remained jumpy throughout his midday rest and while passing a much smaller village that afternoon. On any other day, he might have gone in to purchase perishable food items, but the wariness he just couldn’t shake convinced him to skirt around the community instead.
Nothing unusual—or even interesting, really—happened that evening or the following day. The third afternoon after being mean to the girl, he did venture into a small community that lay not far from the road to purchase some fresh fruit. It broke up the monotony a wee bit, but he still hadn’t regained his equilibrium.
The fourth day finally felt like winter was approaching. The night’s coolness lingered longer than before. Sometime after lunch, a light rain began. More mist than anything, the fine droplets seem to hover in the air and cling to everything. As’ad stopped early that evening. His rats remained dry and warm under their oiled canvas, but he fared less comfortably. His fire that night was larger than usual. Although still some weeks away from the true mountains, the low foothills provided more, and different, plant life than he was used to. One side effect/benefit was the ease with which he could now collect firewood. He stashed as much as he could in the cart against the day that his path took him away from the abundance.
As’ad was putting out the remains of his fire when a shriek met his ear. Looking east in the direction he had come, he noticed flickers of light on the branches of a tall tree he had chosen not to camp beside. The shriek did not repeat but was replaced by worried and frantic vocalizations. He checked that his fire was no longer harmful and took off running.
The tree in question lay just beyond a rise. Unfamiliar with its type, As’ad believed it was something known as an evergreen. Instead of broad leaves, it possessed a myriad of skinny, dark-green needles. Unlike anything nearby, it stood out. As did the fire at its base and the female figure dancing around it.
As As’ad drew near, he recognized the girl who had given him so much grief this trip. In an instant, he absorbed the details of the scene and figured out what had happened. Her open pack was flung to the side, and a fire had been started in the dry space under the tree. Obviously the girl didn’t know any better. The dry debris had caught and sent flames racing up the trunk. As he hurried closer, the lowest branches also caught fire.
The girl exclaimed with surprise when he came into sight, then rushed to copy him as he began scooping some of the dryer sand and dirt mixture onto the out-of-control campfire. Unfortunately, they were too late. A loud popping crack sounded above their heads on the trunk. As’ad grabbed the girl and hustled her backwards, not taking his eyes off the fire. A section of the trunk ignited almost explosively, and he knew the whole tree was lost.
The girl stood where he left her as he hustled over to scoop up her things. He brought them back to where she stood hugging herself in the misty rain, staring with wide eyes at the catastrophe she had caused.
The tree now looked like a giant candle, and As’ad expected to be joined by others as they noticed. At this point, all he could do was watch to be sure that the flames didn’t spread beyond the solitary tree and be grateful for the cold rain that had been soaking the area for most of the day.
“You’ve never camped before, have you?” he asked, not unkindly.
A harsh half-laugh escaped her lips. “How can you tell?” she asked bitterly.
As’ad noticed her rubbing her arms and passed her the pack. “Here. Find something extra to put on.”
She finally looked at him with a grim smile. “I’m already wearing all my extra layers,” she confessed. “I didn’t realize it could get this cold so soon.”
He grunted. “What are you doing out here, anyway?”
When she didn’t answer immediately, he took his eyes off the inferno to look at her. She was biting her lip.
“I need to get to Jabal.”
He waited, sensing there was more.
“I don’t know the way, but you are going there, so I thought I could just follow you.”
A long, heavy sigh poured out of As’ad. “And how long did you think that plan through?”
“Clearly not long enough,” she responded with true contrition.
“Well, you can’t travel with me, and this evening proves you can’t travel on your own. When someone comes to investigate this fire, you can head back with them. I’m sure they can get you home safely.”
Her wordless noise of protest was audible over the crackling flames. “I can so travel on my own! I have been just fine for days.”
He let one incredulous arched eyebrow answer for him.
She huffed. “Fine. I could use a few lessons on how and where to make fire. Until now, I hadn’t been cold enough to try. But you can teach me.”
He turned away from her winning smile and started walking around the tree. She scrambled to catch up to him.
“I know you can teach me,” she insisted. “And then I won’t have to bother you anymore.”
“Supposing I do teach you how to operate fire, then what? Do you have a map?”
He continued his circuit around the tree, checking that none of the flames had spread beyond the dry patch under its limbs.
“I . . . could get a map, I’m sure, at the next village.”
“And can you read it?”
She didn’t say anything.
“Your silence is very reassuring.”
By then, they had completed the circle and returned to her pack. As’ad was confident that as long as they watched the fire, it wouldn’t cause any more damage to the surrounding countryside.
“Even if we ignore the fact that you have no sense of direction and don’t know where you’re going—”
“Hey!”
“There are other factors to consider. What if you encounter bandits? Wild animals? Ghouls? How are you going to handle them?”
She flapped her hand in the air. “Ghouls only haunt cemeteries,” she contended.
As’ad crossed his arms and stared her down, a thing that was harder to do as she was nearly his height.
After a moment, she relented. “Fine. You are correct. I need a more experienced companion. May I join you?”
Her wide grin invited him to say yes. He resisted the urge and resolutely turned toward the fire.
“These flames must be visible in the next village over. It won’t be long now.”
Help did not arrive that evening. As’ad and the girl watched the tree until it was nothing more than glowing coals. They stomped out the occasional burning patch of weeds or clump of grass but otherwise had little to do beyond watch. The girl was surprisingly silent during this time.
As the night progressed, As’ad became more and more concerned about being responsible for this gal. While the ghouls may not be the most realistic concern, bandits and wild animals were. She was also likely to die of exposure or getting lost and tripping into a canyon or something ridiculous. He simply could not in good conscience leave her to her own devices.
With that decision made, he reluctantly led her back to his own camp when it became clear that the fire was no longer a danger to the surrounding countryside. There he set her up in his tent after sharing some of his food. She tried to protest, but at that point, he had turned off his ears. His determination to ignore her finally made a dent, and she quietly crawled into the tent.
As she was scooting out of the rain, he couldn’t resist a final sally. “Don’t forget to guard your feet; this is palis country.”
The girl yipped and pulled her feet into the tent faster. Then she poked her head through the flap to scowl at him. “Those aren’t real!”
“How do you know?” he challenged mildly.
Her answering sigh was rather aggressive. “Creatures with barbed tongues that lick your feet until they can drain your blood? That no one has ever seen before?”
“If no one has ever seen them, then how can you be sure?”
“The absence of evidence should be enough.”
He shrugged with all the insouciance he could muster. “All I know is that I wear my shoes every night and I haven’t died in my sleep yet.”
Her nostrils flared as she refrained from saying anything more. Her face and rebuttal said that she didn’t believe him, but the way she very carefully tucked the tent flap in suggested she wasn’t as immune as she pretended.
As’ad chuckled quietly as he made a nest for himself under the handcart while listening to the industrious movements of his nocturnal pets above. His amusement distracted him briefly from the cold, invasive drips. If the rain didn’t stop soon, it was going to be a very long night.
In the morning, As’ad woke to clear blue skies and an annoyingly happy, and therefore loud, bevy of birds. While he waited for the girl to make an appearance, he retrieved his maps and stretched them out on the driest rock he could find. Everything steamed as the morning sun touched it; apparently yesterday’s foray into winter weather had been an aberration.
Still a little disappointed that the nearest community was filled with heavy sleepers, As’ad turned his attention to the next occupied space on the map. It looked like there was nothing substantial for days, unless they veered north. There was a village or town about a day and a half in that direction. Lamentably, the girl had already proven incapable of getting there herself without mishap. Which meant his plans now included a detour.