Doubar fought the wind, shouting Sinbad's name again and again as he nearly hung over the railing, struggling to see where his little brother would resurface. The black sea met the cloud-filled midnight sky, blinding any search effort. The rain flew into their eyes, forcing Doubar and Rongar to close them, in defeat. The storm lasted nearly an hour and then a sudden calm settled. Both the sea and the Nomad grew silent, as the crew realized their Captain had not resurfaced.
Maeve and Firouz returned to the deck and were greeted with the news. They joined Doubar at the rail, calling over and over until they all lost their voices. They stared out into the sea for hours before admitting their loss. They would never find Sinbad alive.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sinbad had felt the Nomad lurch beneath him. When he had shifted his hands to secure his grip, the sea had taken that split second to toss him towards her yawning mouth. He had tried to grab the rail as he flew over it, but his reach came up short. He had managed one deep breath before the sea closed over him. Every wave had forced him to stay under but as his lungs began to scream, he had fought his way to the surface for another quick breath. He quickly had been pushed down again. At last he surfaced again and remained afloat for a time. He had scanned the water for his ship, but the darkness was so deep he may as well have been blind for he saw nothing. The waves and the wind had deafened him. His calm had begun to fade and panic sank in. He had only a few moments to panic though because another wave took him under. When he broke the surface yet again, the waves had carried him farther still and they hurled him up into the air and against a rock escarpment. The darkness around him had become complete and he surrendered to it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Two men walked along the beach. They dragged a large bundle behind them. The bundle obviously contained something very important and was heavy, but it was forgotten when they saw the man sprawled along the surfline ahead. They dropped the bundle and ran to where he lay, water lapping his navy-blue breeches. The man bled from an injury over his right eye and was battered, bruised, and bleeding from other injuries as well. One of the other men picked up a stick and poked the man. The two men smiled when he moaned and stirred slightly.
"The Master will reward us for this one," the smaller of the two, the one with the stick, said.
"Aye, if we take him back with us, maybe the Master will let us go into the village to work," the larger one said. They knelt beside the injured man as his sea-blue eyes opened and blinked into focus. The smaller man nodded, then they both helped the third man to his feet.
"Where am I?" he asked, then winced and touched a bruise on his jaw.
"That isn't important," the smaller man responded. "I am Benon and this is Tye. What's your name?" The man raised one hand to push his long golden-brown hair off his forehead. Confusion clouded his eyes as his fingers gently rubbed the wound over his eye.
"I..." he began. He racked his brain but found no hint as to who he may be.
"That's not a problem," Benon said. "We'll take you to someone who can help." They began to walk but the stranger took only one step before his knees buckled and he knelt in the sand. "You're a mess," Benon stated. He and Tye helped the man up again and this time they each took one of his arms and helped him to walk.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For three days, Doubar, Maeve, Rongar, Firouz, and the rest of the crew spent every moment of light searching for the Captain but to no avail. They were hopelessly lost because of the storm, but no one seemed to care. Their only thoughts centered on what would happen to them now. Doubar should've been acting as Captain but was inconsolable and offered no advice on what they should do. He gazed over the rail where he had last seen his little brother as if he could somehow turn back time and stop Sinbad's fall.
Firouz had tried to figure out where they were but this was yet another hopeless attempt. He wanted to help his friends but knew little about the inconstant sea. He had given up in the search efforts. To search now would be to look for his friend's dead body. Better to abandon Sinbad's body to the sea, his thankless mistress.
Rongar remained silent as usual but he tried to offer comfort to Doubar and Maeve who were obviously hard-hit by this tragedy. He searched the water beside them though he had also given up any hope of finding Sinbad. His despair he kept to himself.
Maeve could be comforted by no one. She paced the length of the Nomad, searching the sparkling water and whispering his name. Occasionally, she would stop to brush away a tear before anyone could see it. She wished she knew some magic spell that would take them all to wherever their Captain was. Whether he was alive or not, she wanted to find him... at least to say goodbye.
The entire crew was lost, physically and emotionally. No one would guide them as the sea rocked them gently. They had all sunk into a deep melancholy. Then Firouz, taking his eyes from the magnetscope, called out, "Land ho!" He went to where Doubar stood. "We'll have to sell our cargo somewhere..."
"Maybe someone here has seen him," Doubar said, hope entering his voice for the first time in three days. Firouz didn't have the heart to crush that hope so he simply walked away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By the time Benon and Tye had brought the stranger to the Master's keep, the man had lost consciousness again. The Master took one look at the man and sent three of his house servants in search of a healer. The Master only looked at the man's face for a moment, the bruises would have to heal before he could determine if he would be able to sell the man, but when the Master ran his hands over the tight muscles of the man's arms, back and chest, he knew he would get at least a few years of loyal servitude from this man. He took Benon and Tye aside while the healer examined the new slave.
"You will both be rewarded. You have done well," he said. The two men dropped to their knees.
"Praise Vork, our Master, our Leader, our Defender," they said, in unison.
"He looks to be either a sailor or a peasant so his disappearance will, no doubt, go unnoticed," the Master, Vork, said. "As a reward for your loyalty and your wonderful gift, you may go into the village with my regular runners and do the errands in town." Benon and Tye were excited to hear this, but didn't let it show.
"Thank you, Vork. Our loyalty will remain with you forever," they said, in unison again, like a chant. "Praise Vork, our Master, our, Leader, our Defender."
"Yes, of course," the Master said. "Dismissed." Benon and Tye jumped to their feet and ran to the door. The Master's attention returned to his newest acquisition. The healer had dressed his wounds and he was conscious again. "Who are you, stranger?" the Master asked, fiercely. "What's your name?"
The man thought for a moment. One hand ran absently through his thick hair. "I don't know," he admitted. "I can't remember anything." The Master smiled cruelly; this would be easier than he had thought.
"Oh, poor Azir. You don't remember falling from the rim of the rock basin?" The Master toyed with the man. "You hit your head, that must be why you can't remember. Do you remember me, Azir?" A note of concern entered the man's voice but did not touch his eyes. They remained cold and distant.
The man who would now be called Azir stared into the cold black eyes. As his eyes took in the Master's long flowing black hair, his thin pointy nose, his long twisted fingers, and the long red robe he wore, Azir thought this man should not be trusted. However, he knew of no good reason why, so he answered the man truthfully, unaware of what he was about to be pulled into. "I don't remember you or this place. All I remember is I woke up by the sea and those two men helped me up and the next thing I know I'm here," he explained. "It's all so jumbled."
"Azir, those two men are your friends, Benon and Tye and I am your Master." Azir swallowed hard when he heard the word Master. 'Who am I?' he thought.
"Master?" he questioned. "I don't understand."
"Why, Azir, you are one of my most loyal and trusted slaves," the Master lied. "You have been in my service for years. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll remember in time." The Master had no doubt that this 'little lie' would work. "Once you're at work in the rock basin again, the memories will return. I have no doubt you will soon be back to your old self."
Azir was still confused but he allowed the Master to lead him another room. "Rest for a while and then you can go with Benon and Tye to the rock basin and get back to work." The Master said this like he offered a precious gift by allowing Azir to work in the place called the rock basin. Azir didn't think he wanted to go there but decided a nap wouldn't hurt and maybe when he awoke he would remember something... anything. He laid down and shut his eyes and fell instantly asleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Benon and Tye along with two of the regular runners entered the main square of the village at the same time as Sinbad's crew. They met in a tavern. Benon and Tye stopped to get ale for the Master, while the other two ran to get provisions from a mystic in town. The crew stopped because Doubar wanted to ask if anyone had seen Sinbad. They approached a raven-haired serving wench who stood talking to Benon and Tye.
"Young miss?" Doubar said. "We were wondering if by chance you had seen a young man come through this village." Maeve, Firouz, and Rongar rolled their eyes, knowing even before the girl responded that Doubar had asked the wrong question.
"I have seen lots of men," the wench replied, moving one hand touch the back of Doubar's neck. "None quite as large and manly as you though." Doubar slid out of her reach and Maeve stepped in to try to clear up the confusion Doubar had caused.
"We're looking for... a friend of ours," Maeve said, uncertain how to explain that they were looking for someone they half-assumed was dead. "He has long golden brown hair and lovely eyes, as blue as the sea." Tears sprang to her eyes as an image of Sinbad came into her head. She could still see his dimpled grin and still hear his laughter. She finished her description quickly. "He's about this tall and wears blue breeches and a blue vest and a white shirt."
The four friends lowered their heads, each seeing a clear image of their friend who they prayed was alive but were being to believe more and more was not. They didn't notice the stunned look that passed between Benon and Tye as they realized the description fit the man they man they had found on the beach.
The wench glared at Maeve. "Never seen him. If I do, want me to give him a message that you're all looking for him?" Maeve had no chance to answer as Benon cut in.
"What do want with this man? He owe you money or something?"
"He's my brother," Doubar murmured.
"He's our Captain... and our friend," Firouz clarified. "He was thrown overboard during a storm a few nights ago."
"Captain?" Benon said, unease evident in his voice. "Kyla, we need to get that ale and leave. The Master will be angry if we don't get back soon." Kyla glared at him and Tye and left to get the ale. Benon and Tye waited nervously. The crew exchanged suspicious looks. These two were definitely hiding something and hopefully their secret would tell them where Sinbad was.
Kyla returned and handed two jugs to Tye. "You come again real soon," she said, as though quoting from a script. Benon and Tye nodded and left in a hustle.
"Well..." Maeve began.
"They know something," Firouz stated the obvious. "We should follow them and question them away from all these people."
"Aye," Doubar agreed. "Let's go."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The crew followed Benon and Tye until they reached the edge of a dense forest. Then they rushed upon the duo, intimidating them with their size, number, and sobriety, as Benon and Tye had already opened one of the jugs they'd been given. "You've seen the man we're looking for," Doubar said to Benon while holding him by the neck of his shirt. "Now tell us where he is."
Benon answered quick enough but his speech was slow and slurred. "We haven't seen him," he said. "We don't know nothing bout nothing."
Doubar had no intention of playing games with his little brother's life on the line. He lifted Benon into the air and let him squirm while he repeated, "Tell us where he is." Tye didn't like the way Doubar manhandled Benon so he punched Rongar and shoved Maeve and Firouz aside. Then he plucked his friend from Doubar's hands and the two ran at top speed.
The crew moved to give chase but Firouz stopped them. "Why should we chase them and tire ourselves? We can follow them a ways behind and I'll bet they lead us straight to Sinbad," he reasoned.
"Firouz is right," Maeve conceded. "We've also got a better chance of helping him if we haven't just chased these guys through the woods." Doubar and Rongar agreed and they all went off after Benon and Tye at a quick walk.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When the man who would be called Azir awoke, the Master handed him a change of clothes and told him to change. At first, Azir was glad just to get out of the ripped clothes he had been wearing, but when he put on the faded and patched gray shirt and breeches, he longed for the dirty white shirt and dull blue breeches. They seemed to suit him even though he couldn't have said why. The hideous gray outfit seemed even less to his tastes when he caught his reflection in a mirror. His golden-brown hair and bronzed flesh glistened despite the drab color. As he looked at the bruises on his forehead, cheek and jaw, he tried to imagine what he would look like without them. He decided that with his sparkling blue eyes he might actually be somewhat handsome once the bruises healed and the swelling went down. He was still looking at his reflection, when the Master returned.
"Azir," the Master began. "For the next few days, you will work in the fields. After that, you can return to the rock basin." Azir noticed the way the Master again worded this as though it was a privilege to work for him. Azir didn't know quite what to make of that, so he nodded in agreement and followed the Master to the fields.
Over a dozen men tended each of four fields. The Master stopped at the fourth field and told Azir to watch the other men and do exactly what they did. Azir decided that didn't sound too difficult. As the Master left to return to the palace-like structure they had just come from, Azir noticed how the men diverted their eyes from looking directly at the Master. They seemed terrified of the man. He was quite thin and older than any of the men working in the field. Azir couldn't see anything about the man that made him fear him... but eventually, he would.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The crew came to a break in the trees and when they looked out into the open meadow, the two men they had been following had vanished. Doubar pounded his fist into a tree in frustration. Firouz felt guilty for suggesting that they shouldn't follow closer. Maeve and Rongar gazed helplessly at their lifeless surroundings. It seemed nothing would go their way because now the sky had turned a deep violet as night drew in around them.
"Maybe we should back to the village and spend the night there," Firouz offered. "Maybe someone else knows something and they can tell us where Sinbad is and..." Doubar's ceaseless faith had begun to wear off on the inventor. 'Someone in this village has seen Sinbad besides those two, we just have to find out who' Firouz thought.
"That's a good idea," Maeve supported Firouz again. "We certainly aren't going to find out anything here." Rongar agreed and they all turned to Doubar.
"Alright, it's a good idea, Firouz," Doubar finally said. "Let's go and see if anyone has a few rooms they'll let us take for the night." Dejectedly, the crew turned and went back through the same path they had just walked.
They wound up at the same tavern they had left earlier. Kyla greeted them at the door. "Your man didn't show up here," she said. "Although, I did keep an eye out for him." She directed this comment to Doubar, cocking her head and smiling flirtatiously.
"Thanks," Doubar replied uneasily. "Right now though, we'd just like a place to stay for the night and a hot meal." Kyla looked dejected but recovered quickly. She seated them at a table and brought out all kinds of food and drink.
While they ate, they asked Kyla about the two men who had been in the tavern earlier. Kyla knew them well, and she answered ever question the crew had.
"They don't usually come to town," she began. "The Master has other servants who run errands in town for him. No one in town has ever seen the Master but, the slaves tell stories that would chill your blood. He has a system beneath him. Some of the slaves are more trusted and have privileges and things." She cringed and wrinkled her nose imagining the life of the less trusted slaves.
"Where does this Master live?" Firouz asked.
"Farther out than most of the villagers ever travel, Kyla answered. "The slaves run there and back and it takes them a full day. They sleep in the trees of the forest that surrounds the village. They're an odd group. Maybe because of the Master. Some of the villagers think he brainwashes them."
"If that's true, we need to hurry," Doubar responded. He wasn't about to let some power-hungry slave driver brainwash his little brother.
"You really think that Benon and Tye know where your friend is?" Kyla questioned.
"They acted very oddly this morning," Maeve answered. "Whether they know something or not, we have to at least find them and ask."
"Well, you must be prepared for a fight," Kyla cautioned. "It's said that the slaves are so deeply under Vork's control that they are a veritable army. If he is threatened, they will attack like a herd of wild animals... and they'll probably drool, too."
"We'll be prepared," Doubar said, "but how are we going to find him?"
"He has a home, nearly a palace, built of shimmering rock inlaid with crystal," Kyla said. "If you walk, it's probably four days from here."
"Well, we don't intend to run," Firouz reasoned, "so I guess it will take us four days to get there."
"He must be a very dear friend for you all to go to so much trouble to find him," Kyla said. There was a longing in her voice that didn't go unnoticed.
"Haven't you ever had a friend who you would do anything for?" Maeve queried.
"You don't make many true friends in my line of work," Kyla said.
"You now have six true friends," Maeve offered.
"Thanks," Kyla said, "but there's only four of you."
"And Dermott," Doubar explained, "and Sinbad when we find him." He held Kyla's smoky gaze and delighted in seeing a tiny light suddenly ignite behind her eyes. He knew that she was as lucky to meet them as they were to meet her. They would all help each other. She would help them to find Sinbad and they would be her first real friends.
When they had all had their fill, she led them to the only available room above the tavern. Maeve she led to another room where Kyla herself slept. They all slept restlessly, haunted by dreams of where Sinbad may be and terrors he may be enduring.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next morning, as the crew set out towards Vork's palace, Azir awoke to his first day at the rock basin. Benon and Tye walked with him, explaining the details of his new job. He had worked in the fields for three days, but it seemed much longer. His back ached and though he had slept fitfully, he was still exhausted.
At the rock basin, everyone had a job. There was one group that swung large picks and broke the enormous dark-gray rock into smaller pieces. Another group carried these pieces to a cart and a third group pulled the carts on the long journey back to the Master's keep. The Master had told Azir that he would be carrying the chunks of rock to the carts. Benon and Tye showed him the pile of rock and the cart he would have to fill, then they left to fill their own carts. Before they turned though, Benon offered a warning to Azir. "See that man over there." He gestured to a man who stood on a small pile of rock and watched the other working all around him. Azir nodded. "Don't make him mad. He's one of the Master's enforcers."
"I don't understand," Azir interjected.
"Trust me," Benon continued. "Just fill the cart as fast as you can and you won't have worry about him." Azir was less than satisfied with that answer but he got to work anyway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kyla packed a sack full of food and skins of water before the crew had even awakened. When they rose, they left the tavern and walked due east, straight into the forest. With Kyla as their guide, they moved at a quick pace. They didn't so much as slow down until the midday sun and their hunger begged them to stop for a short lunch break.
"At this pace, we could reach the fortress in three days," Kyla joyously announced.
"The fortress?" Firouz questioned.
"Wait 'til you see it," Kyla replied. "In town, Vork's palace is called the fortress. It's solid stone. Nothing's breaking that thing down."
"Then, how will we get in?" Doubar asked.
"We don't have to," Kyla explained. "We'll go to the rock basin and lure a few of the slaves away. We'll send them to find your friend with the message to go to the rim of the basin. We'll meet him there and run back to town like our pants are on fire."
"Sounds like an exceptional and very logical plan," Firouz said. The others nodded in agreement too busy eating to say anything more.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The heat of the midday sun was the least of Azir's worries. He stopped long enough to stare down at his ripped bleeding palms. He had only stopped for an instant but it was long enough to feel the sting of the enforcer's whip crack against his back. Azir winced and quickly moved to retrieve more of the sharp-edged rocks. The Master approached and watched his newest slave with a smile. As the bruises on his face had faded, a handsome young man had been revealed. The Master had already sent a messenger to Lady Valeska's palace. The stranger would prove more valuable than Vork had first thought. He knew Lady Valeska paid top-dollar for handsome men to fulfill her most exotic whim, and this young man would do nicely. Vork planned to take Azir to her tomorrow. The messenger wouldn't return until afternoon but Vork planned to meet him halfway and surprise Valeska with his prompt delivery.
As Vork watched, Azir stopped again to acknowledge the pain in his hands and received another lash from the enforcer's whip. Vork rushed in quickly, as an angel of mercy. His scarlet robes and his long black hair streamed out behind him. Azir saw him coming and dove at the pile before him, certain he was now in A LOT of trouble. Azir's jaw dropped when Vork walked straight to the enforcer and brought his hand down across the man's cheek.
"Pert, you fool!" Vork yelled. All eyes turned but as soon as the slaves realized that they had stopped, they quickly returned to work. "Lady Valeska doesn't want her purchase to be bruised... anymore than he already is." Vork turned to Azir. The color had drained from his face when he heard the word 'purchase'. He had just begun to accept that he was a slave, a possession, but now he had just been bought and sold like a loaf of bread... or a chicken or any other thing to be bought, devoured, and tossed aside. He was insulted and even more so when Vork grabbed him by the hand and hauled him back to the palace, the whole time mumbling "how are we going to make him presentable?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next morning, Azir woke early and put on the white shirt and navy breeches he had been wearing when he had been discovered on the beach. The Master entered with two of his enforcers. The enforcers put Azir in shackles and he was led out of the palace and through the woods along a trampled path to Lady Valeska's palace.
The group who searched for him also woke early. The sky was still a deep scarlet and the sun had yet to rise above the horizon. They were eager to reach the rock basin. Doubar, Maeve, Rongar, and Firouz wanted so much to find their friend and return to their ship, the Nomad. Kyla wanted to meet the person who was worthy of this search effort. The look in their eyes when they spoke of him told her he must be someone truly dear. She wished there was even one person in the world who would say her name with such devotion.
They set off in the half-light of dawn. They still had at least two days' journey ahead of them, but thoughts of a reunion with their Captain who they had been certain was dead only a few days ago kept their feet moving at a zealous pace.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Their Captain had no such thoughts to keep him going. His hands had been swathed in clean bandages, his palms being torn open from a single day working in the rock basin. The shackles he wore weighed him down and made him feel even more like the slave he now was. Benon and Tye had told him he was lucky to be sold to Lady Valeska. They said her slaves wore fine clothes and received many gifts and privileges. They had said over and over how envious they were and Azir couldn't help being a little curious. 'Why would anyone want to be someone's slave? No matter how well they were treated,' he wondered. That question would soon be answered.
Near midday, their path crossed with the messenger Vork had sent the day before. Valeska would love another strumpet in her service. Azir didn't hear this. No doubt, he would have missed no opportunity to make an escape had he known what he was being led to. Vork dismissed the messenger, saying he would be rewarded as soon as the Master returned.
The sun had dropped nearly to the horizon and turned the sky a lush purple when a white and gold palace appeared on the next hillcrest. Relief flooded Azir. He had long ago grown hungry and tired. Now, he was starved and exhausted. Vork introduced Azir and Valeska. She turned out to be much younger than Azir had assumed. She couldn't have been more than thirty and she looked almost pretty in the sunset. She had long blonde hair covered by an emerald-colored scarf that matched the gown she wore. She eyed the 'merchandise' carefully from a distance before approaching.
She lifted Azir's chin and tipped his head to each side. She delighted in feeling his strong jaw in her hand. She gazed into his eyes and could imagine drowning in the sea-blue pools. She ran her fingers through his thick golden-brown hair. Her fingers caught in the tangles the wind had knotted into his hair but she dismissed this as easily fixed. She gestured to three of her paramours. Lady Valeska kept both men and women, and now three women approached. Lady Valeska whispered orders to them and they led Azir from the main hall down twisting corridors and finally to a large chambers. They filled a tub and removed his clothes and led him to the steaming bath.
For a moment, Azir was embarrassed to be standing before these women without a stitch of clothing on, but only for a moment. When the three beautiful women began rubbing their soft hands over his body, he decided maybe he could live like this... and be happy. Maybe Benon and Tye knew something he had yet to discover - that being a 'slave' didn't have to be a bad thing.
The three harlots bathed him, then they combed his hair until it gleamed and dressed him tight black trousers and a black satin vest over a pale blue linen shirt. The three could scarcely look at him without drooling. Lady Valeska had made a wise purchase. She could rent him to noblewomen for top-dollar and make back her money in a fortnight. The concubines led him to an enormous dining hall where Vork had already settled with a petite blonde on his lap... whose jaw dropped when she saw the man who had less than an hour ago been covered in sweat and filth.
Vork didn't like the look on her face. He took her chin his hand and turned her face to plant a wet kiss on her lips. She didn't resist but neither did she enjoy it. Lady Valeska however enjoyed very much leading the handsome newcomer to a seat directly opposite her, where she could gaze into his lovely eyes throughout the meal. Lady Valeska trembled with anticipation as she dropped a ripe strawberry into his warm moist mouth. She grew even more anxious when he placed a round cherry into her mouth. Vork had set a high price for the young man, but Valeska knew he would prove to be worth it. She looked at the others, all dressed in the finest clothing in the most flattering colors. They didn't compare to Azir.
Vork and the blonde left dinner early, even before the others had finished feeding one another. Valeska dismissed the other paramours to spend time alone with her newest acquisition. Azir's kiss warmed her up and down her spine. She delighted in the smell of sandalwood that drifted off his skin. They both left the table hungry. They satisfied that hunger in Valeska's bedchamber.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
While Azir spent the next few days in the lap of luxury, his crew endured long days and empty nights. They traveled for two and a half days, arriving at their destination, the rock basin, just before midday. They beckoned to a man who worked apart from most of the others. He came reluctantly, but told them what they wanted to know... not what they wanted to hear. He said he may have seen the man they sought, but he had left with the Master a few days ago. The Master had returned, but not the slave. He said Valeska had wanted him and the Master had sold him to her.
Maeve turned and walked a few steps then stopped and stood with her back to the others. Doubar's head dropped to his chest. Disappointment settled over Firouz and Rongar. Kyla watched their reactions from a distance. She went to Doubar and wrapped one arm around him, saying, "I know where Lady Valeska's palace lies. I can take you there."
Doubar shook his head. "You've been gone for three days already," he reasoned. "It'll take you at least that long to get back. Surely, someone there will miss you."
"There's no one to miss me," Kyla replied. "The only people who know me there are men who wish they didn't know me... and wives who hope their husbands don't know me. I'll take you there." This time, Doubar nodded. The others came up behind them.
"Where can we find this Lady Valeska?" Maeve asked.
"She has a palace less than a day's journey from here," Kyla said.
"So close," Doubar whispered. Kyla took his hand and smiled in response. She loved his concern for his younger brother and had prayed each night that Allah would protect him while the two were apart. Somehow, she knew Doubar had said the same prayer.
"Can we get there before nightfall?" Firouz questioned anxiously.
"We can try," Kyla said. "Follow me. We'll need to move fast so stay close. If anyone gets behind, call out and we can slow up." She said this though she knew no one would ask her to slow up, then she began to lead them along the rim of the basin.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After traveling for only a few hours, the group spotted Lady Valeska's palace ahead. It was pure white, accented with gold around the windows and gold railings around the balconies. From a distance, it seemed peaceful, inside was another story.
Azir had awakened from a strange dream that morning. He saw himself only he couldn't have been more than fifteen and he was on a boat. He seemed to have a lot of authority as he barked orders to the crew and they jumped to carry out those orders. Then, he saw himself now. Only he was still on the boat and now he stood with four others at his side. One, a very large man, seemed to have a strange connection to him. He imagined that this man knew his thoughts. Two of the others were also men and they seemed to be friends but Azir couldn't remember having ever seen them before. They were familiar but unrecognizable. The fourth person was a woman. She had flaming hair and deep eyes and he wished he knew why she seemed familiar. He sure wouldn't mind if she stopped by the palace.
Azir had only been at Valeska's palace for three days but he had quickly discovered what his 'job' here was. Valeska had a lot of visitors who traveled great distances. They often stayed for at least one night in the palace. Azir and the others had the job of making sure that the guests were 'satisfied'. So far Azir didn't mind his job at all. He had awoken this morning, confused by his dream, beside a lovely woman. Eury, Sultana of Aden. She and Valeska had been friends for years and Valeska had given her one of her most prized possessions, Azir, while she was visiting. Eury enjoyed this gift immensely. On this day, she had dressed him in tight black pants and a black shirt, open to his navel, trimmed with a gold cord that set off the highlights in his hair.
Azir and Eury went to the dining hall to join Valeska and the other strumpets. They all sat around the table, some in another's lap. Eury sat close enough to Azir that she may as well have sat in his lap. Azir seemed not to mind at all. Valeska was pleased. She had assumed it would take some getting-used-to but if anything, Azir seemed to be a natural flirt. This suited Valeska and Eury perfectly because they both delighted in his advances. Eury and Azir stayed for only a short time before she led him back to the bedchambers.
"Stay right here," Eury said, directing Azir to the bed. "I'll just slip into something more 'comfortable'." Azir gave a sensual dimpled grin and leaned back against the pillows, his shirt falling open. Eury breathed deeply as she left.
Azir lay on the bed, unaware of the group climbing the terrace right outside the window. He did notice, however, when five people swung over the railing of the balcony and dropped their jaws when they saw him. The large man from Azir's dream approached, roaring, "What in the name of Allah do you think you are doing? Do you have any idea what we have gone through to try to find you and you've been... here the whole time?"
"I don't know who you think you are sneaking into someone's bedchambers like a bunch of thieves," Azir addressed them all, "but you'd better just go out the same way you came in."
"Sinbad..." Firouz began. Azir recognized this second man as well, but not the name he said.
"What did you call me?"
"Sinbad, what's going on?" the woman with the fiery hair and dark eyes from his dream asked.
"I don't know," Azir retorted, sharply. "You tell me."
"We came, uh, to find you and... take you back... to the Nomad, with us," Maeve stuttered. The whole situation was beginning to take a toll on her emotions. First, Sinbad was dead, then he wasn't and they went to where he should have been but he wasn't there and now he's standing in front of her dressed to kill and acting like he can't believe they came for him.
"I'm sure you're all a fun bunch," Azir said, "but I'm not whoever you think I am and I sure as rain won't leave with all of you. You're insane if you think otherwise. Look at yourselves. You dress like peasants and I... well, to be perfectly honest, I live like a god here. So, just slip out and leave me and the lovely Sultana Eury to ourselves." He offered a wink with this last comment.
"Have you lost your mind, little brother?" Doubar questioned fiercely. "We have traveled for days to get here and we are NOT leaving without you. End of story."
"Little brother?" Azir laughed. "What asylum have you been in?"
"I can't believe you," Kyla burst. "They have all been worried sick about you. We made a four days journey in three days to get here and THIS is the gratitude you show." She turned to the crew. "I think you all have misplaced your friendship if these are the kinds of 'friends' you keep."
Firouz gestured them all over into a huddle. "He doesn't remember us at all."
"Tell us something we don't know," Doubar said, his aggravation evident.
"He must have hit his head when he fell overboard," Firouz reasoned. "He won't remember us any better if we stand here and argue all day. Besides, what happens if this Sultana returns while we're here? Let's leave and rethink our plan and then come back when we have better prepared for what we're up against." The others nodded, discouraged but willing to try almost anything.
"I guess you're right," Firouz said, stupidly. "We must've mistaken you for someone else," he lied. "Uh, you're not the person we were looking for at all. Let's go." With that, they all climbed back down the terrace, leaving Azir standing dumbfounded when Eury returned.
"Were you talking to someone?" she asked. Azir turned to see the Sultana standing in a gauzy red gown. The sheer fabric twisted around her as the wind blew through the open door to the now empty balcony.
"No, no," Azir stammered, "just myself." He laughed at his own stupidity and rolled his eyes when she wrapped her arms around his neck and began nibbling on his earlobe. He responded by taking her in his arms and carrying her to the bed. She stripped his shirt off and marveled at the smooth bronzed muscle that laced his chest. She ran her hands over him while he planted tiny kisses on her neck. The people he had just talked to, though, were not forgotten. Neither was the fact that he knew they were the same people he had seen in his dream.
t.b.c.