by Jones, Sarah
Was that a war?
She stood up immediately, thinking about what was happening. She ventured to look out of the tent, peering out of the doorway, and what she saw made her go into shock. There were seven men dressed in black, using sharp scimitars, and they held Joshua, Christopher, and Will as hostages.
Louise stared at the scene, not knowing what to do.
One of the men had the largest scimitar and pointed it directly at Christopher's neck as he shouted something, pushing the blade more and more into the archaeologist's neck. He closed his eyes and said something. His words provoked a fit of rage at the men, who mercilessly cut his face, running the scimitar slowly, blood dripping.
Louise felt her stomach churn as the man stepped aside, going to Joshua, who stared at him with hatred. A question was asked too, and when he denied it, in a second, the scimitar went through his stomach, causing him to fall on his knees before the man in black. She pressed her hands to her mouth, choking a cry of terror that rose up her throat.
Joshua was dead!
Tears began to fall down his face as the man continued his journey until he reached Will. He was crying, trying to cling to the bandit's robes, begging for mercy, but the blow to his belly was inevitable, and he fell silent immediately, his eyes bulging as a thin line of blood flowed from his mouth.
With her eyes closed, Louise went back to the bottom of the tent, where she knelt, burying her hands over her face. I did not want to see that scene anymore. And Christopher, what would happen to him? Would they let him live? Oh, my God, Joshua and Will...
The voices outside the tent grew louder, a native language that Louise did not know and that was toned in a way that frightened her. She crawled to the small opening in the doorway and peered out, realizing Christopher was no longer there and that now the men were gathering Will and Joshua's bodies, piling them to one side. That was when he noticed a movement on the right and found Christopher being tied to a large horse. Then she saw the three men galloping out, taking his fellow archaeologist away from the camp.
Louise then realized that she was alone, except for the presence of four of the men, who were scouring the camp, looking for something. She shrank back into the back of the tent and began to ask the heavens for some miracle, a light that would show some way out of sight. If she did not escape, she would be dead.
She took several breaths and formulated a plan. She could try to dig the sand and get out from under the tent at the back. After that, she would rush as hard as she could. It was her only chance.
She pushed the blankets away and began to pull the sand with her hands, pushing it to the side, forming a heap. The voices were closer, and she knew her tent was next, so she speeded up her work.
She saw the shadows coming to the front of his tent, and even without completing what she had planned, Louise pushed the body into the sand, placing half of her torso out. With much effort, she tried to slide out completely, but when she was almost there, she felt someone pulling her foot.
- Found it! The man shouted, pulling her back.
Louise screamed, struggling, trying to kick the man as she grabbed the sand, desperate to escape. Then another of the men appeared in front of her, her enormous feet standing before her eyes, which raised her face to meet the leader of the group. The turban scarf covered her face, but even through the thin black fabric, Louise could see that he was smiling.
- Allah hath bestowed upon us a stranger. Bending down, the man grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her easily, pulling her off the floor.
- Let go of me! She tried to kick him, but the man pressed her tightly, almost breaking her bones. Soon he began to drag her to the center of the camp, where the others were waiting for him. - Let me go, please! She shouted in Arabic, using the words she considered appropriate.
"Will she serve us, sir?" One of the men asked, his eyes falling on Louise's body.
- Yes, it has been given to us by Allah as a gift and now will be our slave. With a quick blow, he threw her on the floor, bringing her to her knees. The other men circled around her and unsheathed their scimitars, pointing at her. "You will serve us, foreigner. It's your chance to stay alive. Or do you prefer death? The tip of the scimitar touched the left side of Louise's chest, which closed her eyes and held her breath.
Did not answer. What should I say? Both options were horrible.
I will die. Oh, pardon me, Daddy. Forgive me for challenging you.
She narrowed her eyes trying to keep the tears from flowing down her face, but it was useless. He would die here in that wilderness, and never return home.
Louise thought she had her destiny traced, her death certain, when she suddenly saw one of the men in front of her fall to her knees at her feet, with a scimitar crossed in her belly. She opened her mouth to scream, but then the men dispersed, attacking a stranger in blue, who faced each of them skillfully, delivering quick blows, knocking them down with one less member.
The stranger wiped the blood from his sword on the cloak he wore and stared at the man he had left guarding Louise. Everyone was shocked. He had killed the three men with only a few strokes and no mercy.
"Release it." A deep, husky voice came from the stranger, who walked slowly toward the man and Louise.
"Fight to the death, infidel. A servant of Allah does not kill his brothers. The man kicked Louise to the side, giving a heavy blow to his chest, causing her to fall. Then he used his foot to sink his head into the sand, drowning her.
With a scream that rumbled through the desert, the man in blue advanced over the black, pushing his scimitar against him, the sound of the blades echoing loudly.
The young archaeologist managed to move, raising her head in time to see the men struggling bravely. The warrior in blue thrust his sword into the other's arm, which cried out in pain. Then came the end, when the scimitar was finally stuck in the chest of Louise's tormentor, just as he had threatened to do with her. The camp leader closed his eyes as the body fell limp in the sand.
The man in blue set his scimitar aside and walked around the bandit's body to Louise.
Disoriented and in a series of terrible pains, Louise tried to stand and run, but her legs failed and she fell again. She sobbed as she saw the man's hands gripping her shoulders, preventing her from running away.
- I beg, please, let me go! She cried, still trying to fight.
She thought she had been saved from death, but what a great mistake!
Louise's strength began to fade, and she fell against the sand, yielding to the man's strong hands.
I could not, Daddy. I did not make it.
She only noticed when the man lifted her and held her to her chest, carrying her away. He paused to retrieve the sword, then mounted on some tall animal, when at last her eyes closed.
***
Said squeezed the woman's body firmer against his, looking for a way not to hurt her any more. When the robber wounded her, he lost what was left of humanity, and when he saw his scimitar enter the attacker's heart, he felt the taste of victory.
He was lucky to find the woman alive. He had heard the shouting as he passed by the camp, and it did not take much effort to realize that the poor woman was in the hands of robbers and that her fate would be terrible.
I did not expect to find a scene like that. He was just returning from his exhausting journey to Omé, desirous of returning to his palace, to rest and to enjoy some comfort, when he followed his instinct and saved that woman.
She had different traits of the women of the area and wore clothes totally unsuitable for the desert. She wore a cotton dress that reached his feet, and the shoes she wears were closed, he threw them on the sand. Besides, what caught his attention was the skin so white and the rosy lips contrasting with the round face. She was beautiful.
Said felt something disturbing in his body, but he ignored it quickly, knowing he should not react like this.
He took the small reservoir of water and wet the woman's lips. Then he moistened the ba
ck of her neck trying to wake her. It did not help. She continued inert.
He took a deep breath and hit the dromedary's flanks, knowing he would have to hurry home.
The woman needed care, and he would offer her that.
Chapter Two
Louise awoke slowly. Her whole body was hard and she could barely open her eyes, so swollen they were. She leaned on something strong and solid that held her back. She tried to move, but the throbbing pain that hit her face and abdomen made her squeal.
"Do not move." A man's voice caught up with her, frightening her. Lady Louise forced herself to open her eyes, seeing through the eyelashes the figure of an imposing man, very close to her.
- Let me go. She tried to push him away, terrified to recognize him as the man who had killed the bad guys. He kidnapped her! She clenched his hands in fist and tried to slap him in the chest, but her movements were slow, and easily gripped her wrists. "Please do not hurt me," she said, almost on the verge of tears. All her dignity had given way to the fear of dying, and she definitely did not want that.
Said kept the woman's hands attached to his, preventing her from knocking them off the dromedary. He tightened the grip on her waist and looked into her eyes, searching for the reason for her fear. He was good at knowing the truth of the people, he knew how to correctly interpret the feelings and longings, something considered by his tribe to be a gift from Allah, but with that woman he could scarcely understand.
"I will not harm you," he assured her, making the animal stop so the woman could calm down. Slowly, he released her arms, paying attention to her movements, suspecting that she would try something. "You're wounded, and I'm taking care of you."
Louise shrank at the feel of the knot that formed in her stomach. Although the man wore the turban's scarf covering his face, she could see his blue eyes, contrasting with tanned skin, and his angular face. Shee was afraid.
She thought she might try to run away, because although he said he was helping her, Louise had seen enough to know that he should not trust any man in that wilderness, especially one who would kill others without mercy, traversing a sword in his bowels. But she was also aware that she would not have the strength to flee, not now that she felt like a thousand knives were stuck in her body.
"I need to get back to my camp. I have..." There is nothing there," interrupted the man, urging the animal back on its way. - Just death.
Louise's body shuddered, suddenly remembering how she had seen her friends being brutally killed. She bit her lip, trying to keep herself steady.
"To the city then," she said, reflecting that she should return home after all.
Said snorted, looking over the woman's head, feeling irritated by her lack of awareness.
"It would take us more than six days to get to town." You need to take care of your wounds. My house is a day away, "he said without looking at her." Are you taking me to your house?" She asked in a whisper.
"There will be women who will take care of you and give you comfort and rest," he said.
Louise closed her eyes and sighed. She had no other choice, and if she had to go to this man's house to stop feeling the terrible pain, she would risk it. It was either alone in the desert, at the mercy of robbers, thirst and hunger.
She tried again to move the body, because the position she was standing against the man's chest was very improper and uncomfortable. But his arms tightened around her waist and held her in place, his large hand massaging her hip, providing relief and strange pleasure.
- It's getting dark. I'll set up the camp a few yards away, "he informed her.
Said brought the dromedary down so that, with much effort, she could get down, holding the girl's body, listening to her moan with pain in the process.
- Can you stand? He asked when he saw her shudder.
She could barely move her head.
He then lifted her in his arms as he pulled one of the blankets he carried attached to the animal, and, after tossing it over a higher portion of sand, he lowered it to the ground, gently arranging it.
"I need you to stay here until I set up the tent." Said still helped her stretch her shoulders and lie down slowly.
"Thank you." Louise thanked him, looking up at the man standing so high above her.
He returned to the dromedary looking for the tools needed to start his work. Louise eventually let herself be carried away by the irresistible urge to close her eyes and rest, so that the pain would go away. She fell asleep after contemplating the orange sky, lost in the idea that she was trapped in a terrible nightmare and that as soon as she woke up, everything would be all right again.
***
Said used the back of her hand to measure the temperature of Louise's body and found herself caressing the beautiful woman's bruised face. He let his thumb go around the purple marks that made her eyes swollen and he felt his whole body quiver with hatred.
It must have been more cruel to finish the man's life, a slow and painful death, claiming reparation for each of the wounds that had remained on the stranger's face.
She was beautiful. Even with his face swollen and deformed by blows, it was apparent how much the woman was charming. Probably english. She had the aristocratic features so valued in society, and this provoked a certain sense of denial in Said. He pushed the emotion aside and concentrated on waking the woman.
- Foreigner, can you hear me? He cupped her face in his hands and drew close to his ear. She shifted, frowning. "You need to wake up and feed yourself." He pulled back the blanket of skin he had placed over her and rested her head on his chest.
Louise inhaled the scent that hit her face and sighed, satisfied with the haze of tranquility that invaded her. She refused to open her eyes because she was afraid she was still dreaming. She clung to the warmth, welcome as she was exposed to the cold air, and thought she could stay there all her life, until she heard the voice call her again.
"Just open your eyes."
Yes, she opened them quickly, finding the strange man very close to her, more than before, and glued to his chest, and it was likely that the heat he felt was coming from him.
Embarrassed, she pulled away subtly.
"I need water," she said, avoiding looking at him.
In seconds one of the horrible bags of fur was brought to her lips, and she sipped the water, now fresh, receiving each drop with pleasure.
"I'll help you sit down." Lean on my arms, "Said said as she set the water aside and began to bend Louise's body, making her sit down slowly. It took some time for her to do it, and when she did, she looked tired.
"I feel like I've been trampled by a dromedary," she commented, massaging her back as she looked around, noting… only a small tent and the burning fire.
Said went to the tent and came back carrying one more of the hideous bags of skin that Louise so much repudiated. He sat down beside her, his knees bent, and offered her the contents.
She accepted, though she was afraid of what she would find there, and to her chagrin she found that it was dates, fruit that had been her food since she had arrived in the desert. Her stomach rumbled so loudly and unashamedly that Louise did not mind thinking too much about what she was eating. Between small bites and sips of water, she was able to quench hunger, feeling, in the end, that she was beginning to cheat death.
- Something wrong? She asked as she handed the now empty bag to her and saw the man looking at her with interest.
He shook his head.
Louise looked at the bag and at the man, blushing then. She had eaten all the dates, and left nothing for him!
"Forgive me, I thought ..." she stammered nervously.
"I ate you while you slept," he interrupted.
- Ah. Louise looked away uneasily. - Thank you for helping me.
- I had no choice. They were going to kill you, "he answered, those incredible blue eyes still staring at her, more mysterious and intense, the effect of the night and the flames of the fire. Why even at night did he still wore the sc
arf covering his face? What did he hide? Louise was afraid to even imagine. "I had to see your bruises and make sure no bones were broken," he said, pointing to her body. - You will be fine. When we get to my house, we will apply a healing oil on your skin.
- Who were they? She managed to whisper.
- Desert thieves. They look for riches or anything that is advantageous to them. Sometimes slaves and women to serve them, "he said angrily.
Louise's skin froze as she remembered when the man said she would make her his slave.
"My friends," he murmured. "Christopher was taken. He must be alive, I must find him, "he said, shifting his position, his left shoulder throbbing.
Said stood and turned his back on her.
"I do not understand why you were not killed immediately, but I can assure you that he is not alive." Nobody gets alive in an attack like that. No one.
She noticed his body stiffen suddenly, shoulders swaying along with his breath.
- You do not understand. He is my friend, and I can not abandon him, " she insisted.
The man turned to her with a furious expression in his eyes.
"Do not be foolish, foreigner. You don’t know anything abouth death in the desert and how she spares no one. You are alive and that's enough!” She cried, irritated.
Lady Louise cringed, startled by the man's rage. He crossed his arms over his chest and lay back on the blanket, covering himself to his chin. He did not understand! She could not just leave Christopher like that. Unless ... Was the man right? Was he really dead?
Rest again. Tomorrow we will travel, as soon as the sun rises - Said informed and left to check the animal.
Louise did not question him. She was still in need of rest and suspected that the unstable mood of the man would not accept her protests. So she fell asleep again, under the clear sky and brightened by the stars.
***
A whole day on a dromedary, certainly, was something that Louise would put in the top positions on a list of unpleasant things to do, especially in that place surrounded by sand and a scorching sun. She also needed to add the uncomfortable and strange contact with the man's manly body, which still held in his chest, which Louise no longer rejected, admitting to herself that it was an extremely comfortable place.
