Ambushing the ambushers

Standing among the dead, covered in the gore and detriment that my blade Tempest caused as it cleaved and tore through these, my enemies, I can but wonder that I still breathe. For how much longer is an entirely different matter, for some of this is mine.

A vision, or should I say a warning is why I am here. I saw a scene similar to what my eyes see now, but the difference was profound. My bride, my love, Spring, lay dead on the sand, and I lay over her. I also had died, both of us victims of a cleverly designed ambush. Gnolls I understand, but that they were working along Human brigands was something of a surprise. But organizing and controlling both is an Efreet. A most dangerous and powerful entity.

We shouldn't still have an Efreet concerned with us, but there is definitely one involved. There must be something else going on, something that I can't yet see. Spring and I haven't involved ourselves in anything except exploring our lives together for some time now. We have left behind all societal positions and have no concerns except to please each other. We are not wealthy, but we also shall never want for any necessities. We are content in just being together.

Leaving her, now that was hard. Has it been just a single day? It seems so much longer. Damn, but I'm hooked. And loving it...

But I see the truth of the vision now, for we would have indeed been taken by surprise and the numbers arrayed against us would have fulfilled the scene my vision had shown me. I was able to instead take them by surprise and in small numbers, many of them while they lay sleeping. But I have removed all but the Efreet thought it was hurt before it fled.

This was a job that required stealth and no mercy. I love my wife, but Spring isn't that stealthy, at least not enough for this, and her compassion, something I can and do appreciate and cherish, but in this situation, it would be badly out of place. Indeed it would result in my hesitating to remove these vermin as quietly and quickly as I had to and instead of being swarmed under. There were two score of Gnolls ans yet another of the Brigands.

I do not enjoy killing and don't want to. But if it is her life at stake, the very World itself will run red. I don't want to be so damned good at taking the lives of others, but the world is not a world of fairy tales, but a brutal, merciless place and I will use my terrible skills in any way I can to provide a small oasis of peace and comfort for those I love. Whether in the end, I can live with myself, if she can still love me after being so stained, this I do not know. I don't really understand how she can stand to have my hands touch her, so much blood they have shed. No, I do not understand it all, but am grateful that I am still allowed to. But if the price of keeping her safe is in the end, to lose her, well, I will willingly pay the horrible toll.

If it comes back now, I do not know if I will have the strength to fight it and its magics. But I can but do the best I can. And for the moment, I can only be relieved that Spring and I hadn't continued on as we had planned, as that would mean that she would be dead, that I had failed to protect her. I might yet, but I've at the least given her more time than she would otherwise not have had.

Oh... No! Get up! I must have collapsed. But the Efreet didn't return either.

Spring. My Love. If I don't make it back to you, please forgive me my weakness. As long as you continue living...

Again? How long have I lain here? Looking at all the vultures and the state of the bodies, perhaps a day. No wonder I am so parched. Thankfully I still have some water, and I remember seeing some back in the hidden camp.

Now to get up...

Thank the Gods I found those potions. Now to make it back to my wife. She must be concerned.

I see the Oasis, Wait, what is that? It's time once again to be cautious and quiet.

So the Efreet found her, but I see her. She is unharmed but unaware of the terrible danger she is in. But I have an idea. My blood-soaked and disheveled state will work for me I think. Now to backtrack just a bit and set this up.

Tossing Tempest aside I kick sand over it. The performance starts.

A staggering, stumbling, lowly murmuring figure comes slowly into Ufdul's vision and the Efreet turns to study this apparition. The man lives. But barely. A cruel smile curves his lips and it glides across the sands to block the man's path.

I stumble as if in surprise, stop my staggering forward momentum and sway as blinking and croak out, almost to low to be heard. “You, ghost, move! I killed you already...”

The Efreet laughs and says in a deep bass “Not quite. I admit your blade stung, but you seemed to have lost it, Pity. Killing you now will be too easy.”

I reply as in consternation, “What? My blade is here. Right here in my hand. Feel it's sting again!” And I wave my empty right hand back and forth as if he was attacking the towering being with my sword.

The Efreet laughs louder, perhaps too loud as the sound may carry to Spring, and I desperately want to keep her away from the Efreet's attentions. But just as importantly, the Efreet now discounts the waving hand as no danger, as the magical blade isn't being held in it.

Now I have the chance I wanted. Taking another step closer, I draw my arm back as if in preparation to make a mighty sideways swing. 

The amused Efreet puts his head back at what he believes to be a sun-addled blood-loss weakened and basically harmless victim and laughs. 

And so he doesn't see the sword Tempest materialize in my hand at my mental summons and has no chance whatsoever to avoid the swing that cuts cleanly though his throat.

Ufdul's eyes open wide in disbelief and shock. Just in time to see the blade, streaming frosty ice crystals through the desert air as it plunges deeply into his chest, puncturing his heart.

But while he is dying, he has time to strike out once and with a fearsome blow strikes the too close and too still, so unlike my usual highly mobile form of combat,  and the blow caves in several ribs on my right side. Both of us fall. The Efreet is dead, and I? I may yet join him...

o0o

How long, indeed...

Well, a few days we’ve had. Or, rather, I’ve had. Kiril had a vision during the second night and woke me long enough to say he was leaving and to wait for his return before moving on.

Easy for him to say! This watering hole has many visitors in the early evening and morning hours – and not any of them have been human – yet.

I wish he’d enlightened me of his vision, but, to be fair, I was sleepy and probably would not have interpreted it properly anyway. Still, it’s been three full-days and three full-nights he’s been gone. I might have been able to track him on the first day, but now, with the winds blowing the sand, there isn’t much hope I’d find him before becoming totally lost in this non-road marked desert.

How long he expects me to wait is becoming a dilemma. I have food, and (as I eye the clear, fresh water bubbling from the underground spring) drinking water.

I have our tent, set up in the cluster of palms growing around the watering hole. I have my weapons, close at hand, so I can protect my oasis if I need to. But it isn’t the same without Kiril.

Even practising my art is becoming tedious. Although, one must keep in shape, physically as well as mentally.

I have completed the tumbling exercises Kiril taught me early in our friendship, and have watched the sunrise (the exertions of exercise must be done before the bright orb lifts into the clear-blue sky – it is much too hot even a half-hour past sunrise.)

I’ve filled the water jugs, and have finished two full-hours of conjuring practise, memorising the spells thoroughly. Nothing left to do now except bronze my skin. I’ll slather on some of that lotion Connie prepared, it actually stops the sun from making my skin resemble dried leather, instead keeping it soft and supple as the sun bakes colour in. I hope we catch up to her soon – I’m not out, but am running low.

A bath in the pond will wash it off later.

I suppose I’ll climb the trees and gather some of the dates hanging there. At least it is pleasant that we chose a grove of mature, and producing, palms.

I believe I’ll mix up some rice, dates and a bit of hyena meat with some of those spices we picked up back in Katapesh; truly an epicurean delight!

The horizon, in all directions, shows no sign of Kiril. How long does he expect me to wait? How long indeed…

o0o

The Sands of Time...

“It’s been a long time. We’ve been riding forever in this blasted heat. Sand has infested everything.” I wriggle in my seat, the saddle not providing the comfort level I was hoping.

“Kiril?” I call to my husband. “Can we stop for a few minutes? I need to shake some of the last storm’s grains from my garments.”

Of course, he agrees, the most placid of husbands. The only time we have words is when he is protecting me. Not that I don’t want his protection; I value that very much, but he does have a way of reading danger into every encounter. Not that we’ve met anyone since we parted company with Connie and that new fellow, I’ve already forgotten his name – was an interesting shape-shifter, at any rate. Al. His name is Al.

We were following two leads towards gathering information to collect a treasure that we have already sold and it is missing. Two leads – two directions. Connie convinced us we should split up to find the artefact before it fell into the wrong hands. We were first sent to the city, but encountered much danger along the way.

Now, a month of searching and all we’ve come across are cacti, oasis’ and a few coconut groves. Not a sign of our prey, although occasionally we can hear their yips that carry far across the sands.

I slide off the camel, barely hitting the ground before beginning to wriggle out of my garments – other ladies would be appalled at what I found comfortable and acceptable to wear in public. (Well, we weren’t really in public so I had taken liberties.)

I dropped the dingy cloak that reflected much of the sun’s heat when we were forced to travel by daylight. Normally we travelled in the cool of the night, but we’d gotten a vision – or a wishful dream, and were plodding toward the gleam that caught my attention three nights ago.

My tunic slid along my body down my hips to the ground and I stood, the sun’s heat reflecting off my tawny skin. I picked up one of the garments and began brushing my skin to rid it of the offending sand grains.

I felt the shadow of Kiril when it came between the sun’s rays and my body. A wicked grin on his face, belying the innocence of his words. “Can I help you?”

I laughed and tossed him the robe, “Yes. Find me a pond to bathe in!”

He made the pretence of searching high and low. “Sorry, m’lady. It appears we are fresh out of bathing facilities right now. However, we do have a very talented towel-boy.” His eye-brows waggled as his hands strayed to the hem of his tunic, drawing it upward. “Very talented,” he promised, tossing his garment aside and wrapping his arms about my waist, pulling our heated bodies together. “Very talented,” he whispered as his lips claimed mine.

Standing on my tip-toes I returned his ardour, shamelessly pressing against his bare skin, willing to endure the grit of sand still rubbing places it ought not to be found…

Thankfully, our camels did not mind us rutting beside them, they just sank to their knees and rested, offering us shade, if not actual coolness.

In the aftermath of our lovemaking, we lay spread eagle, accepting the faint breeze cooling the glistening perspiration from our skin, panting, the result of our exertions, the vultures already circling, landing a ways off, waiting for us to succumb to whatever death was offered.

“Shall we make camp here tonight?” my sleepy eyes gazed upon my husband’s perfect body. “We could use a few days rest, surely we will catch up with Connie soon enough.” I rolled into his arms, climbing astride, my legs on either side of him, “We’ve barely had any time to relax in the past month.”

I think my persuasion worked, although we did press on for a few hours in the twilight until we came to Aik’al’ Ruben, a small oasis that welcomed us in blissful unaccompanied peace for three days before we filled our water containers and continued on our journey. Where?

The vision first, then the actual claim of location…

o0o