Golden Storms | #Wattys2020

29. S N A K E

"Has he...?"

"I'm afraid he has"

A smirk replace Taimur's grimace.

"How very interesting" He murmured, "this may work after all"

T H E T R I O
رَجَب
H I J A A Z

"I absolutely refuse!"

The shrill voice reverberated around the small clearing, causing nearby birds to take flight. They spread their brown wings and soared over the trees, the heavy sunbeams of Arabia casting their feathers a transparent coppery gold.

The voice belonged to a certain golden-eyed traveller, who was currently standing with her feet planted firmly on the ground, hands balled into fists. Though most of her features were covered, it was an easy guess as to how they were arranged – she was no short of furious.

Her companions stared at her. One looked mildly amused. The other was not quite so impressed. A muscle ticked in his jaw.

"Well, I am quiet overwhelmed with fatigue" Hudayfa shrugged his shoulders, turning his back on the fiery woman.

Falaq's jaw dropped. How dare he! The man slept with one eye open – he did not know fatigue!

"Surely you do not agree with him?" She rounded on Nuh. The amused Right Hand threw up his hands and backed away, trying not to smile.

Falaq wanted to scream.

The two assassins had formulated the wonderful idea that since she was adept with weaponry and combat, she should hunt for them tonight. As ironic as it seemed, the truth was Falaq had never hunted an animal before – they didn't need to in Taghrid where there were butchers and meat traders. The idea of shooting an innocent creature made her stomach churn – they were far purer than humans, she had no quarrel with birds and hooved animals! Besides, it was a man's job in Islam, she countered desperately.

The sun was well on its way to setting, and she was running out of time. Hudayfa was being infuriatingly patient with her tantrum, and for the first time an outburst did not move him. He seemed to have understood nonchalance countered everything.

Taking in a deep breath, Falaq prepared herself. She would simply disappear into the trees for a few hours and then return empty handed. She didn't find any prey – who could dispute that? She'd never claimed to be a huntress.

"Your bow" she snapped at Nuh, who was still smirking. He handed it to her, and she snatched it out of his hands before turning her heels and stomping away.

Hudayfa watched Falaq disappear into the trees, a small smile touching his lips.

Well into the trees, Falaq finally came to a stop. It was dark all around, with sunlight filtering softly through the leaves. The air was cooler here, cleansed by the many leaves. She found the forest calming. Glancing around, she removed the veil from her face, inhaling freely. A soft breeze tickled her exposed cheeks, and she almost smiled. It reminded her of the forests around Taghrid, where her brothers and she used to ride. Her heart felt heavy thinking about them. She had never been away from them for so long. She felt guilty for being so preoccupied with the two assassins who meant far little to her than her oldest companions. How was Ustadh, she wondered. Had he made it back to the Army with Houssam? At the very least she would be happy to see him. And Ishtar?