Golden Storms | #Wattys2020

32. B A N D I T S

They rode at a rhythmic gate, with the assassin stopping every so often to check the trail. Falaq wondered if they'd made a mistake - would a group of bandits really be able to take Nuh? It seemed unlikely. Images of the fight at the Governor's Residence flashed in her mind. How the Right Hand had moved. So fast, so effortlessly, cold power emanating off him.

No, it felt wrong. Perhaps he'd gone willingly, a strategic move. Falaq smirked under her veil. She could imagine Nuh waiting in a bored sort of fashion for Hud, surrounded by lesser beings.

"He's close" Hudayfa said, snapping her out of her reverie. He'd pulled Balqis to a halt, and Falaq ended up beside him by the time she stopped Batal. The horses snorted and stamped their hooves nervously. They could sense what humans could not, and Falaq patted Batal's neck reassuringly, peering into the trees.

She could see nothing, it was too dark.

"We go on foot from here" Hudayfa decided, and Falaq tried not to look surprised at his use of "we". He wanted her around after all...or perhaps decided it was not worth the argument.

They tied their horses to nearby trees. Hudayfa picked out several glinting pieces of weaponry, allocating them in various places around his gear. Falaq watched enviously. She deserved at least one of those blades to defend herself!

But the prince had something else in mind.

He tossed her the bow, and she only just caught it, shocked.

"I can have this?" She breathed, marvelling at the fine wood of Hudayfa's bow. Nuh's had been similar, but the dark almost black wood of Hud's had his appeal.

"You can shoot" Hudayfa shrugged, tightening his gloves.

Falaq smiled, properly smiled, under her veil. He could not see it, but the small twinkle in his eye when he glanced at her told her he knew he'd made her happy. She eagerly picked up the arrows and slung them over her back.

The two followed the trail on foot after that. It was more difficult, because the trees became closer knit and the gnarled rooted disrupted the trail. Falaq wondered how Hudayfa was able to discern the prints at all, but followed interestedly nonetheless, trying to learn.

Soon the darkness was disrupted with a camp fire, some fifty yards away. It was tiny in their line of sight, but it was close enough that Falaq and Hud could make out shapes around it.

"Is it them?" Falaq whispered, hand tightening on the bow.

"I do not know" Hudayfa murmured, peering at the clearing as hard as he could, "but I will find out" he looked down at her, his expression hard, "you stay here"

"But-" began Falaq in protest, and he continued speaking.

"-I need you to watch my back" he explained, "if these are bandits, they have watchmen. If they ambush me, you will need to shoot"

Falaq nodded, "like Nuh?"

Hudayfa offered her a rare ghost of a smile, "yes"

She felt like a child under his gaze, but for once it did not bother her. She might be well trained, but this was the real world. She still had a lot to learn, and in all bizarreness Hudayfa was teaching her in how twisted ways.