The song of the day is "Falling Into Place" by The Afters.

Remember the lady Wag hallucinated about while running through the Taint? Remember the beginning and end of Chapter 18 and his brothers' reaction? Well, Wag is about to remember...

Warning: Feelz ahead. ;-;

*James's POV*

~Flashback~

The sandstone houses and shops were piled on top of one another as if huddled together in fear of the vast expanse of desert beyond the town walls. The river flowing nearby should have tempted some buildings out of the civilization, but the only manmade structures outside the town were a few scarecrows in the fields following the curve of the river and a ramshackle pier with a few low fishing vessels lashed to its posts. Apparently raids from bandits had become quite common in the absence of authority the long war had caused. The townspeople trusted in their walls that had weathered wave after wave of attacks. They bustled about the narrow streets with their bundles, baskets, and water jars as if no danger existed.

I found the market utter mayhem after the quiet of the desert. Vendors sold everything from linens to spices, livestock to armor, each one clamoring louder than the last for their potential customers. How I had wound up pulling the short straw of restocking our supplies for the third town in a row was beyond me. I suspected a few someones had figured out a new bit of magic and were using it against me. I'd have to plot my revenge on my brothers later. For now, keeping our money safe from pickpockets and finding everything we needed for the road ahead were my top priorities.

I'd already gotten most of the supplies, but for the life of me, I could not find a vendor who sold water skins. Our old ones had all started to crack with age, and Phil's had finally given out on our way to this town. We'd need to replace the lot of them before we left for the sand dunes again.

I shifted the two full packs on my shoulder and continued inching my way through the market, dodging small, laughing children darting between the legs of their elders. One child was not watching where they were going and ran into me mid-step. I stumbled sideways and bumped into a woman wrapped in a blue tob (a Bedouin dress), causing her to spill the parcels she had been carrying across the dusty ground. She immediately bent to retrieve her purchases.

I quickly knelt to help the woman before the packages could be scattered further by the careless passersby. They soundly ignored her plight and occasionally kicked a parcel across the ground as they walked. "I am so terribly sorry. Are you alright, Miss?" I asked, looking up at her apologetically. I was met by a stunning creature with eyes the deep blue grey of a stormy sea. Her skin was uncommonly light for one living in the desert, and her long, curling hair under her headcloth was a shade darker than wrought gold with a few lighter strands running through it.

I was captivated for a moment as she continued gathering her goods. Then she looked up at me. Red crept up my neck as I realized I'd been caught staring, and I looked away to check if we'd retrieved everything. It looked like we had. I stood and held out a hand to help the lady up. She hesitantly rested her hand in mine and stood. Her sleeve fell back slightly, and I caught a glimpse of the bronze band around her right wrist. My heart fell. This beautiful woman was a slave. "Thank you, sir," She said with a light and cheery voice as she released my hand.

I was about to hand her her bundles and be on my way when we heard a horn blast echo from one of the guard towers. The bustling market fell shockingly silent as everyone waited for the following blast, which came as a rolling note. The people around me sprang back to life and started leaving the market in all directions. The vendors started pulling tarps over their wares, and the streets around us echoed with the sound of closing windows and doors. The woman before me grabbed my arm and said urgently, "A sandstorm's coming; we need to get inside."

Oh. That's not good. My brothers and I had been nearly buried in one sandstorm while crossing the desert. That had been a short one, but it was a terrifying first experience. I followed the blue clad woman as she hurried me down a few alleys and narrow streets. The sky above us started to darken as the top of the dust cloud blocked out the sun. She looked around frantically and finally settled on an abandoned building with shuttered windows and an open door, pulling me inside as the wind started to howl. Thankfully the oak door—though loose—was still on its hinges. I slammed it shut behind us as the air outside clouded with fine sand.

I coughed as I backed away from the door, digging in my pocket for my handkerchief. I turned to offer it to the lady behind me, but she'd already wrapped a fold of her headcloth tightly over her mouth and nose; so I tied my handkerchief around the lower half of my own face to block out the grit that was blowing into the room between the slats of the door and window shutters. The room grew darker as the main body of the sandstorm descended on the town. The wind roared like a ravening beast, looking for any way into the abandoned house we'd sheltered in. I hoped my brothers were safe inside the inn we'd been staying at.

I coughed a few more times as I slid down the wall in the dark and set my packs on the ground beside me. "My name is Latreia, by the way." I could barely hear her soft voice over the storm.

I looked in the vague direction of where she was—it was now too dark to see—and answered, "My name is James. Sorry about earlier."

"It's fine." After some time sitting in the dark, Latreia asked, "What brings you this far into the desert?"

I recited the story my brothers and I had repeated so many times on our travels. "My parents were killed in the war." True. "Shortly after, wizards destroyed our hometown, and my brothers and I were forced to flee." We were chased out of town along with the other wizards who had been living there after all of the powerful mages left for the war. The town that shunned us was wiped out in a battle a year later. "We've been traveling ever since. We haven't found a place that's felt like home yet. What about you?" The second the question left my mouth I regretted it. How insensitive can I be? I mentally face-palmed.

I was about to take back my question when she answered it, much to my surprise. "My parents were merchants. Their caravan was attacked not far from here by bandits. I went unnoticed, trapped under a camel that fell during the fight. I was 6 at the time, and I was the only one alive long enough for the townspeople to find me. The town elder took me in as a slave with the intent to raise me and marry me off to a rich or influential husband with a taste for exotic women. Anyone who touches me will have to pay a bride price or face the consequences." I caught the subtle threat and chuckled; she wasn't very good at being threatening. In this culture, an unmarried woman and a man being alone together was more than frowned upon. I think Latreia just realized that's exactly what had happened with us.

"You have nothing to fear from me, my lady. I wouldn't dream of harming someone as beautiful as you. Besides, I'm all sweaty and horrible from the desert; I doubt I could tempt you to do anything you don't want to." She laughed at that.

We made small talk for a while, though I was careful not to say anything else insensitive or anything that might give away my identity as a wizard. I don't think I had had this long a talk with one mortal ever. The more we talked, the more it bothered me that she was essentially a prisoner. Even worse, she would be forced to marry against her will. My brothers and I did not approve of the trade, but we wanted to blow our cover and get killed even less. I had never seriously thought about getting involved until now. Keeping Latreia as property seemed as wrong as locking a tropical bird in an ornamental cage.

"Do you remember your home from before, or did your parents always travel?" I finally asked.

Latreia chuckled softly before answering, "The only thing I remember is chasing my friend through the red and orange leaves; they coated the ground in the fall."

"Do you ever wish you could go back?" I was wondering why she seemed so cheerful. In her position, I would have gone stir crazy ages ago.

"No."

That piqued my interest. "Really? Why?"

"Things happen for a reason. This isn't what I would have chosen, but I'm supposed to be here. I just don't know why yet. I'm not going to ruin what I have by focusing on what I don't." That was... a different way of looking at things. It was refreshing hearing such a unique take on life. "What about you? Would you change anything?"

"I wish the bloody war between Mianite and the wizards never started," I admitted with a sigh. The war brought up so much pain for so many people; I couldn't see it ending any time soon. "This whole thing was between Mianite and one wizard. They didn't need to drag the whole world into their mess."

"Even gods will have to answer for what they do," Latreia said in a distant voice, as if she were recalling something she'd heard a long time ago.

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"None of the gods made this world. They live in it, just like we do. There are things they can't change, rules they can't break. It stands to reason that someone higher than them made all of this and set those rules."

"We answer to the gods, and the gods answer to their higher up." I think I got her line of reasoning now. "So, which god do you serve?"

"None of them. I appeal to that higher power. He hasn't let me down yet." Conversation died off after that. I fell asleep at some point, lulled by the wind whipping around our building.

I squinted my eyes against a shaft of sunlight peering through one of the shutters and slowly woke up to hear familiar voices whispering nearby. I started to roll over and go back to sleep, but woke up fully when I heard the door creak open softly. I sat up quickly, pulling a dagger from my belt to fend off whoever had barged into my room.

I relaxed and put my dagger away when I saw Tom standing there with his hands raised defensively. Matt and Phil hovered in the doorway. I quickly remembered where I was when I saw Latreia leaning against the far wall, still asleep. I quietly rose and ushered my brothers back outside, closing the door behind us.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered to them as I brushed a fine coating of sand and grit from the storm off my clothes.

"We couldn't find you once the sandstorm let up. We were worried sick. We finally resorted to using a tracking spell." Phil whispered back.

"I am not a child!" I whisper yelled, furious that they had used the spell our father had used to find us when we got lost as kids. "I can take care of myself."

"We can see that, O great wizard. Quite the catch there," Matt said quietly with a smirk, nodding his head back towards the door. "Not sure what her master will think though."

I stood there caught between embarrassment and anger as red crept up my neck for the second time in less than a day. The others snickered at my reaction, until Tom stopped and asked, "Wait, you actually like her, don't you?"

I didn't know how to answer. Thankfully we heard Latreia stir inside the house, giving me a way out of this awkward conversation. I shooed the others away whispering, "I'll meet you back at the inn." Once they'd left, I re-entered the house to find Latreia stretching. "Good morning, Sunshine," I greeted her with a grin. "The sandstorm left in the night."

"Well, that's good to hear," She said standing and dusting herself off. I helped her collect her bundles again, and I picked up my packs before we both walked outside. Latreia glanced at the sky and frowned. "I was supposed to get these to the cook last night; he'll barely have enough time to prepare for the banquet now." She started walking briskly down the street in the direction of the wealthier part of town, wading through the miniature sand dunes that had formed overnight.

"Banquet?" I asked as I sprinted to catch up to her before matching her pace. "What's the occasion?"

"Someone important is visiting. No one will tell me who; so I'm guessing it's a potential suitor." She did not sound thrilled. That's the closest thing I'd heard to discontent since meeting her. We continued in silence through a narrow alley until we came upon one of the teeming thoroughfares that ran through the center of town. "I'm sorry, James, I really have to go. It would be best if my master never found out about any of this. He's a good man, but he can jump to conclusions, especially where... wizards are concerned."

I stopped in my tracks as Latreia rounded on me a few feet from the crowd. A nervous chuckle escaped my lips. "I really have no idea what you..."

"I overheard you and your brothers," She stared into my eyes as if looking for something, eventually smiling sadly and shaking her head. "Under different circumstances, maybe, but neither of us is truly free, are we?" She sighed and turned away. "Goodbye, James." She said before disappearing into the crowd.

When Latreia left, it felt like she took a piece of me with her. My chest felt tight and a once bright day now seemed dull and uninteresting. I began walking without a destination in mind. I needed to think.

I wandered through the city aimlessly without discerning the cause of my strange mood until my brothers found me. "James, you will never believe what Tom found in the library!" Matt said excitedly as he ran up to me. "We know where we're going, and we're so close! We could reach it by the end of the day!" He was practically bouncing in place, and his eyes were lit up. I normally would have laughed and shared in the excitement, but I couldn't muster more than a pained grin. What is wrong with me?

Phil and Tom walked up while Matt was still rambling on about the end of our search. "I thought you were going to join us at the inn? What happened?" Phil asked.

I tried to think up something to say, but a sudden commotion from the causeway demanded our attention. A few cries of surprise and the pounding of horse hooves drew closer. We quickly moved to the side of the street as a band of decorated horses rounded the corner and bore down on us. The lead rider carried a banner with crossed scimitars and a viper coiled around the blades. As the procession passed, I overheard whispers from two women standing next to us. "Isn't that the guy who calls himself the Sandlord?" One lady asked her friend.

"It certainly looks like it. How did he even get past the gate? He leads those outlaws."

"Yes, the bandits. I heard they've even set up shop at the old temple and chased out the priests there."

"He may have the rest of the desert subdued, but not us. Who does he think he is, riding in here like he owns the place?"

"Haven't you heard?" A third woman asked as she walked up. "There's talk of an alliance, if you get what I mean," she said, raising her eyebrows suggestively at her friends.

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. They're talking about marriage. Oh, Latreia... "James, are you okay?" Phil asked, putting ahand on my shoulder. I was still listening to the gossipers.

"I hope the rumors about how they treat their women aren't true."

That was the final straw. I shook off Phil's hand and passed him the two packs I'd been carrying. I dug the money pouch out of my pocket and tossed it to Matt. "I have to take care of something. Be ready to leave as soon as I'm back," I said with determination. "This time I will meet you at the inn. Matt, we still need water skins." I turned to leave.

"James, what's going on? Where are you going?" Tom called after me.

"To check on a friend," I yelled over my shoulder as I raced through the crowded streets after the procession. It wasn't hard to find the estate of Latreia's master. It was the biggest house in the city, almost more of a palace. I ignored the stunning architecture, and looked for a good place to vault over the perimeter wall. Finding a quiet spot in an alley, I made it into the grounds and carefully found my way to the kitchen entrance, hoping Latreia would still be helping there. I located her by following the sound of sobs coming from behind a row of rose bushes. I peeked over the bushes and found the blue-eyed beauty crying her eyes out with her head buried in her knees.

Seeing such a confident and optimistic lady reduced to tears broke my heart. I wanted to bring the light back to her eyes that had been there this morning. I didn't care if I got caught. I quickly hopped over the bush and gathered her shaking form into a hug. She jumped slightly, as if she were afraid I was someone else. "Hush, it's me, Latreia. I'm here." I gently rubbed her back as she cried on my shoulder.

"James..." she finally managed to say between sobs.

"Yes?"

Her breathing steadied, and she cleared her throat. She didn't move to break my hug though. "I don't think I can do this. The way he looked at me..." She shook her head and swallowed another sob. I hugged her a little more tightly as if I might protect her from the man that had terrified her after only one meeting. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

She started shaking, threatening to break down again. I needed to give her some hope; I couldn't stand seeing her like this. "Hey, listen. My brothers and I have found something. It'll take a day or two for us to reach it, but it should give us enough power to help. If you can hold out for a few days, I'll be able to get you away from here, if that's what you want. How long would it be before they arrange a wedding?" I asked her, leaning back from her and cupping her chin with my hand, trying to get her to look me in the eye.

"For something this big, at least a week for preparations. This would be a huge alliance for my master, and he'd want everything to be perfect." She said mechanically, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Master." I'm really starting to not like that word, I thought with distaste.

Latreia still wouldn't look at me. She didn't believe I'd really come back for her. I'd love to get her out of here now, but we'd be ridden down before we ever made it out of the desert. How can I convince her I'll return? Inspiration hit me. "Take this as a token of my promise," I said, turning to the rose bush next to us. I gently held one of the buds in my hand, and it grew and bloomed before our eyes. That was one of my mother's favorite tricks, I reminisced with a grin. I plucked the rose and handed it to Latreia who took it with wonder. "I may not be much of a wizard, but I keep my promises."

Now we know why Wag hated the Sandlord... *Drops keyboard and walks away*

I'll be back after I take my midterm. :P