“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
