---Nadir's POV---

Wind churned the sand violently, tugging at my clothes and hair as if desperately wanting to rip whatever meager belongings I had. It howled in my ears and chilled my spine while Tahir nickered in protest, ears swiveling back and forth.

I couldn't blame the poor horse from getting ornery ; having to constantly blink against the razor-sharp particles of sand as it rasped against your exposed limbs was starting to get more painful than annoying.

Even the scarf I had pulled up my face wasn't enough to prevent the sand from making my exposed cheekbones feel raw to the touch. The air was hot and dry in this blasted sand storm and if I had known it was on its way, I would've set up camp earlier or rushed to the nearest settlements to wait it out.

Instead, I had been overwhelmed by the sudden storm and now I could barely see where Tahir was going. I relied purely on his instincts to guide us to safety soon. He was already providing me with some shelter, as I had leaned low over his neck to seek some refuge from the biting and scorching hot sand.

A sound in the distance made me look up and Tahir neighed eagerly, hooves digging in the sand and picking up speed. Ahead, lanterns were rattling against the gate, the guard beside it waving his own hand-held lantern to draw my attention.

"Salam alaykum." I greeted tiredly (Peace be upon you.), guiding Tahir through the gates as the man nodded and swung his lantern towards the tower before the gates were slowly lowered. "Wa alaykum as-salam. Though, nothing peaceful comes of this storm." (And peace be upon you as well.)

The man was armed to the teeth, holding the lantern up proudly as he guided me further into the small village. "You were lucky our lookouts spotted you when you passed. Our scholars have predicted heavy rainfall and during a storm like this, flashfloods can surprise anyone in the blink of an eye."

I nodded, dismounting and guiding Tahir towards the stables, happy that the nearby buildings provided some meager protection against the burning sand. The guard pointed towards the stables near the inn. "We want no troubles here Sir, so I pray you be on your best behavior during your stay."

The guard didn't wait for my affirmative response and quickly rushed back to the tower, no doubt waiting to guide anymore lost travelers to the city. I shrugged it off and handed Tahir over to the stable boy, providing the lad with an extra coin as he stared up in awe at the massive stallion.

He pocketed the trinket eagerly and I could tell that even without the added incentive to care for Tahir, the boy was already more than eager to get close and personal with the horse. All the way down to the stallion's stable, the teen was smiling giddily, talking to Tahir with a soft voice and grinning whenever the soft natured stallion nickered and tossed his head as if in agreement.

I watched for a moment longer to see the teen picking up a brush, which usually wasn't mandatory for the stable boys. He calmly started scrubbing every inch of Tahir's fur and I knew that when I left here, my horse would be in pristine health, shimmering fur and all.

A weight settled on my shoulders as I turned away and headed for the inn, buying myself a simple meal and drink before settling into the mass of costumers. Women in shawls and shimmering trinkets dangling from their wrists, wagging their tongue over the newest town gossip were seated in the far corner of the establishment, a few families with their children occupying the middle of the room while the side tables and comfortable couches were mostly used by men sharing a water pipe under hushed conversations.

My shoulders slumped as I focused on the meal, making myself as uninteresting as possible to avoid attention. It was much easier to listen into conversations if you seemed out of sorts, apparently not paying any attention to your surroundings.

It also allowed me a moment to actually think of my next course of action. No doubt Carson and his men would be in hot pursuit, probably stumbling to relocate me after losing my tracks in the sandstorm.

But, there were only so many ways I could go to without perishing in the desert, so they'd stumble onto this town just as I did. The chatter grew in volume as more food and drinks spilled out of the kitchen, soothing tempers momentarily when silence ensued when the costumers enjoyed the splendid meal.

Outside, we could all still hear the wind howling, picking up intensity as sand tapped steadily against the windows, piling up in the corners. The hostess was actually ignoring the impossibility of her task by brushing the floors to keep them pristine, scooping up the sand and depositing it into a bucket by the backdoor, probably to toss out later.

Each time the doors opened and new arrivals poured in, the poor woman eyed the sand that trickled from their clothing with steady frustration, making me bite my cheek to prevent from laughing at her misfortune.

She vaguely reminded me of what few memories I had from my mother, how she had pulled me out by the ear when I had rushed in our hose covered in dirt, mere minutes after she had finished cleaning the floor.

One time she had even lost her temper and gave my backside a good spanking with the carpet beater after I had lost my temper over a game with my cousin and had proceeded to fight in the living room with the lad. Both of us had knocked over a vase that had been handed down from mother to daughter for years and had ended up with two sobbing kids standing in the corner and hands rubbing over their sore butt cheeks.

My mood plummeted as my smile dropped quickly. Gods, I missed my parents and often wished to see them again. A phantom ache burned through my wrists as I thought back to the last time I saw them alive...

I knew that now I was free to go and visit them but, my former masters had gleefully informed me that slavers had went back to the small town to massacre anyone they couldn't use.

Including my parents. My poor, soft natured mother who had cried as hard as I did after my spanking, who had rocked me in her arms, weeping and begging for forgiveness. My stern yet gentle father, who had told me to worship the ground my lover walked on and to always treat people with tender kindness.

Gone.

My stomach protested sharply as my meal threatened to surge up from the nauseating memories. Instead I closed my eyes and sighed, leaning back in my seat, appearing to doze off on the spot. It's true that I was wary from the journey, but I would be a fool to fall asleep in a room with strangers.

"Oh my, it's getting late! I must return home this instant and prepare a meal before my husband get's back! He's already showed a mean temper because he'd been outwitted by a shaykhah." She laughed slightly as footsteps rushed past my table followed by a few sighs from the women left behind.

"Honestly, I don't see why she tried to please her husband after the bruises on her face." A soft-spoken voice sounded, followed by hushing from the rest of the table. "You want word to come back to him?" An elderly woman hissed as I opened my eyes and looked down at my meal, cracking my neck slightly.

"Of course not, I'm just..." A sigh followed. "I don't understand why her husband is so angry with her. Shouldn't he take his frustrations out on Daliah, even if he's her apprentice?"

My heart froze before it pounded in my chest, the blood in my ears nearly deafening as I strained to listen to the women in the corner as they huddled together while tearing pieces of small falafel balls, dipping them into the sauce before munching on the delicacy.

"Use your brains, child. A man, standing below a woman in ranking, especially a high-strung egocentric male like Abas?" The older woman snorted, flicking the ball in her mouth before chewing. "He already tried and failed to demote Daliah, as she's being supported by the sheik's family as well. Her power is immense and supersedes his by a mile. It'd be the same as a desert rat challenging a viper..."

The rest at the table stared in awe at the woman, who held her head high and preened at the attention she was bathed in. "Honestly, I'm thinking of dropping a few hints to Daliah at the next dinner I'm hosting. She needs to know her apprentice is misbehaving and talking behind her back."

A few of the women cackled in laughter, a young female pulling her shawls closer to her face in doubt as she squirmed out of her seat with a whispered apology. "I'm sorry but I don't want to meddle in their affairs. The lord knows what I'll do if Abas stands at my door enraged because I talked behind his back about his personal affairs. If you'll excuse me..."

The old woman nodded but huffed undignified. "What is he going to do, have me killed? That would be a blessing at my age, child." She smirked once again and ordered herself another plate of food. "I might as well have my fun as long as these old bones last."

"W-when are you going to host Daliah at your house?"

She grinned, turning her attention to the woman beside her as my gaze on the table remained unnoticed. "Next week, I'm writing the invitation tonight and will hand it over in person tomorrow. It helps that I'm on good footing with the second removed cousin of the sheik as well..."

I left the women to their excited babbling as I went to the bar to purchase myself a room for the remaining two weeks.

Guess I'll have to stay a little longer in town and perhaps see if I can get myself an invitation.