Ballad of the Desert

Chapter 1 (Part 1)

As the day drew to an end, the sky began to darken and that was when she made her move. Hunching her back, she crept besides the tall tents to brace herself next to a camel not yet unpacked. She checked over its humps for any signs of the men and, seeing none, smiled to herself giddily before preparing to reach a hand in to see what she can delve. All of a sudden a shout came behind her.

"Thief!"

Reacting instantly, she somersaulted and grappling the man's neck with her legs, she twisted her body and slammed him onto the desert floor. Lifting her left hand, she chopped it onto the side of his neck. He was old cold instantly. But the damage had been done. 

Others have been made aware of her presence and she had to kick two men back before vaulting over the camel infront to extricate herself. Initially unaware of another presence behind her, Brother Wolf took care of him by leaping onto him and tearing into the sleeve of the man's raised arms.

"Brother Wolf, let's go!"

As she was almost sure she would get away a voice, loud and clear, stopped her in her tracks.

"Would my arrow flee faster or would you?"

She slowly turned around to face the young man in white, whom everyone calls Ninth Master, holding onto an impressive antique bow with an arrow nocked steadily onto the string. The men injured by her limped behind him.

The man in purple hollered, "Girl, you really are bold! Not even the bandits of this desert plain would dare to spark any ideas of robbing us once they've seen our insignia. They would flee as far as possible to avoid us!"

She followed his raised finger to glance at an unfamiliar wolf head imprint on each and every one of their cargo. Brother Wolf snarled lowly as if warning her and raised his hunches to stand in front of her protectively.

The man in purple cried, "Be careful of the wolf!" The arrow on Ninth Master's bow pointed from her to Brother Wolf.

With a gasp, she stumbled in front of her brother.

"This has...nothing to do...with him. I was one...the one who wanted to steal from you," she stuttered, unaccustomed to speaking to another human being again. It has been three years since she'd last spoken to another of her kind.

A moment of tense silence filled the air as she made eye contact with the young man. Walking slowly over to them, she raised both her hands.

"Which hand of mine do you want to chop off?"

The young man looked on at her intensely without saying a word. It made her more uncomfortable.

"Don't all thieves who get caught get their hands chopped off?"

The young man's eyes creased again and he asked leisurely, "Well then, miss, what did you want to steal?"

"I...I want a set of female clothing."

"Only that?"

"And...and some salt."

A man dressed in grey besides Ninth Master sneered. "Madam, we have a hundred and one ways to make you speak the truth. You'd better-"

"Second brother, give her the dress given to us by Old Fan," the Ninth Master interrupted him. "As for salt, leave one day's worth of provisions. Give the rest to this miss."

"Ninth Master..." the man hesitated.

"Listen to the Master!" The man in purple reprimanded sharply. With a bow to the sitting man, he left to do as he ordered.

"You really going to give me clothing?" she asked suspiciously.

"We're a group of men. We have no need and shouldn't have any female clothing. When we passed by the edge desert, coincidentally a friend of mine gifted me with a Lolan dress. I hope you will like it." He smiled gently, nodding at her.