Alam and Tajar simply gaped. The woman seemed in no hurry to break the silence. Eventually Tajar regain his senses enough to find words.

"Forgive me for sounding rude, and I'm certainly not complaining, but what are you doing here?"

She smiled and Alam's heart expanded with the radiance of it.

"I am looking for you," she said simply.

"Well you have succeeded," said Tajar, becoming more animated. He had put his roguish grin on. "And why, may I ask, are you looking for us?"

"I have a proposition for you," she said simply.

Alam and Tajar exchanged excited glances. Alam swallowed and found his voice.

"What kind of proposition?" he asked.

She laughed.

"One that I am hoping will be mutually beneficial."

Tajar turned to Alam and winked. "She does not like to give straight answers does she?"

Flirting? He's flirting?!?

How could Tajar even think about trying to charm such a woman? She was clearly too good for a couple of young hunters from the Clan who hadn't washed in two days. Alam was suddenly aware of his own smelliness. He slammed his arms close to his torso to prevent any more body odor from escaping.

"And what are the details of your proposition?" Tajar smoothly put his bow down and took a small step closer to her. Alam realised that he was still holding his axe in a threatening way and dropped it.

"You are traveling north on a quest of some urgency," she said. "You do not yet realise the danger you are in. I have gifts that can protect you and help you to reach your destination alive. You are warriors of skill and promise but you are no match for that which threatens you."

It was as if cold water was splashed on Alam. His thoughts shook clear of her allure.

"What do you know of our journey?" he asked suspiciously.

"No specifics. I see things from time to time. Ripples in fate. You, I have seen only recently. I know you head to the town in the north, and that your quest has importance beyond your own lives, but I can not see if you will succeed."

"What do you mean 'importance beyond your own lives?'" asked Tajar with a frown.

"Very few men or women have lives that change more than the small circle they live in. But occasionally there is someone who has a chance to do otherwise," she replied.

"And we have that chance?" asked Alam.

"Not a very good one I am afraid. Probably none without my gifts," she smiled.

"So you say we will die without these gifts of yours?"

"Everyone dies. But without my help I think it will be within weeks, if not days."

"And what are these gifts?" asked Alam.

She raised her hands. They had been empty before. Now, in one was a bow, and in the other was an axe. Where they had come from Alam could not guess. Both weapons were of strange design. They were beautiful, like ornamental weapons, but of a style they had not seen before.

"Weapons? We already have weapons," said Alam as he feigned disinterest.

"No. You have toys. Farm tools. Useful for chopping firewood and catching rodents. These are weapons that kings would envy. They are tools for the forging of legends."

She tossed the bow to Tajar and the axe to Alam. Alam caught it and examined it. It had a feeling of age to it, yet its weight was good, it was perfectly balanced and its blade was sharp enough to shave with.

"And what do you want in exchange for these weapons?" asked Alam, tearing his eyes away from it.

"I have a problem with the dargu," the woman explained. "The are becoming more and more of a nuisance. Someday in the future they will be a big enough problem that I will have to do something about them. What I ask is that when that day comes you will help to get rid of them."

"How many of them are there?" asked Tajar.

"Many."

"But there are only two of us."

"But look how big and brave you are," she smiled. Alam could not tell if she was mocking them or not.

"This makes no sense," he said. "We are traveling, going away from the mountains, not towards them. There is no way we could help you. There will be no way for you to find us, let alone for us to do anything about it. It would be best if you simply move away from them."

"This is how my request is made possible," said the woman. She held out the palm of her hand. Upon it were two broad rings of silver, set with small blue jewels. "Wear these rings," she continued, "they will bring you to me when the time is right."

The two men took the rings from her and examined them.

"I do not trust magic," Alam said.

"They will not harm you," she replied. "They are merely a tool." An aura of calm radiated from her. Alam and Tajar felt reassured.

"I am not sure if they will even fit. Try them on to see if their size is correct," she said. It was a command covered in honey. The shadow of doubt in Alam's mind was pushed aside. He and Tajar placed the rings on their fingers. For an instant they seemed much too large but then both rings quickly shrank so that they were snug on their fingers. It happened so fast that both Alam and Tajar were shocked and started tearing at the rings.

"Hey!" shouted Tajar. "They won't come off!"

"What have you done to us?" growled Alam.

"They won't come off?" she asked in mock concern. "I think this means we have a deal."

"No it doesn't," spat Alam as he took a step towards her.

"Think for a second," she said calmly. "You wear the rings and can not seem to take them off, so you are bound to reply to my request. Therefore you might as well take the gifts and thus prolong your lives. Your only other options are to chop off your fingers, or attack me. I do not think you have the resolve to carry out the first option, and I know you do not have the power to do the second." Doubts flooded into Alam. After a moment of silence she continued confidently.

"We have a deal then. Farewell until next we meet."

Without waiting for the two men to respond she turned to the river and walked away from the firelight.

"Wait!" Tajar called out after her.

"What now?" she asked with a hint of impatience.

"What is your name?"

She turned back and walked slowly towards Tajar. Alam was again aware of her physical perfection; of her brilliant blue eyes; of the firelight glimmering off her figure-hugging dress. A coquettish smile played on her lips.

"But we have only just met," she said softly to Tajar. "I do not give my name out to strangers."

"Then what shall we call you?" Tajar asked.

"What would you like to call me?"

Wife.

"Something that is pleasing to you," said Tajar. His flirting smile was back.

She laughed. Silver chimes and music.

"Farewell until next time." She turned away from them again and walked into the darkness. Alam and Tajar stood still and watched her swaying hips vanish into the night. They heard the splash of her entering the river and then all trace of her was gone.

Tajar let out a large sigh. "This has been the best night of my life."

Alam laughed. Suddenly Tajar's face fell.

"Oh no! Why didn't we think to escort her to wherever she's going? Do you think she'll be safe by herself?" asked Tajar.

"Yes. I think so. She probably doesn't need to fear anything out here."

Tajar pondered this for a moment and then nodded his head.

"I think you are right. But why then did she ask for our help? Why didn't she approach someone like Serik? There is no-one that knows the dargu better than him."

"Maybe because Serik is too far away. Or maybe because he is already married."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"It means that you are easier to snare. I saw the way you were looking at her," teased Alam.

"Me? You should have seen the way your eyes were sticking out and your jaw was hanging down around your knees. There's a pool of drool underneath you!"

"At least I wasn't trying to charm her," defended Alam.

"So what? Women love me! It's not my fault that they find me irresistible."

Alam laughed. "You are a sadly deluded man. But if your delusion makes you happy then keep thinking it. I'm going to sleep. You keep watch like you were supposed to."

"Gladly."

Alam sat down and lifted the axe into the light of the fire. He had no way of telling its age but it certainly looked old. The snake skin binding on the haft was worn and faded, but still perfectly functional. The deeply engraved serpentine design on the side of the blade showed signs of black corrosion, yet the edge of the blade itself was immaculately shiny, as if it had been polished and sharpened countless times but the owner had been unable to polish inside the engraved designs. The overall effect was a weapon that looked both beautiful and intimidating. He held it in one hand to find its balance point. Perfect yet again. It had weight enough to give it momentum but not so much as to make it difficult to swing. It was an ideal balance of form and function.

'Wife'. Why did I even think that? Am I really so shallow that I abandon Shaleh the moment another woman comes along?

But I'll never see Shaleh again. She is to be married to another.

He turned his back to the fire and pulled the blanket over his shoulder. As sleep took him he dreamed of a woman in a blue glittering dress. She came close to him, temptingly close, but never allowed him to touch her. She was perfection itself. But in his dream her pupils were wrong. They were slit like a cat's. Or a snake's.