Salam, hope you guys like and enjoy this chapter. Sorry for the mistakes. Picture of Badr on the side. Let me know what you guys think about this chapter in your COMMENTS and don't forget to VOTE!!!
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~*~*~Some are like the Moon, good looking, but only when they're away from you ~*~** Nizar Qabbani.
Half a moon sailed over the desert like a deserted ship ever since Raghad encountered her spouse Faris, and every night haunted dreams clawed at her brain. The disinclined bride did not desire to take part whenever her dearest mother chose heavenly gowns for her daughter or ordered gowns from her brothers to fetch them from Yemen or Saudi Arabia. Umm Badr implored her daughter now and then to wear the gowns, at first Raghad denied but when she witnessed the vanquished look in her mother's eyes she acceded.
Raghad did not smile nor did she eat well. It had been traumatic days since she uttered a word to her beloved father. Her knight Badr, Noof and Maha were the only ones who heard her voice a word or two. Every forenoon that approached brought her closer to her doomed fate, the mere thought felt as if needles, sharp needles were rammed straight in her heart.
Tomorrow was said to be the hapless day where she will belong to that man. Their fates were to knot, the unfortunate day of her nikah. Sheikh Mubarak had demanded for the nikah to take place as soon as possible to seal their agreement. However, the feast of their wedding was still unannounced and that declaration solely fall on Sheikh Faisal.
Raghad served breakfast for her blessed family with a shattered heart. She wiped her tears and sniffed then informed her mother that she will visit the creek along with Noof. Umm Badr agreed right away when she saw the tears in Raghad's eyes. She walked out of the tent, with her shawl wrapped securely around her head, instead of going to Noof, Raghad marched out of the tribe, unescorted.
Indeed the thought of escaping had sneaked in her brain innumerable times, but not only that thought was hazards also utterly vacuous. She could easily get lost in the sheets of sand dunes, or get attacked by monsters. So she impelled that thought in pit of her brain, if she were to run, Salem would be assassinated and the same could happen to her tribe. Raghad was well aware she had nothing on her hands but to accede to this outrageous treaty.
Raghad looked over her shoulder at her tribe, she was at a far distance. The woman was exceedingly petrified, her hand clutched the scarf and walked towards the mountain range. Wind twirled around her in an intense speed just to terrify her and prevent the woman from proceeding further. When the sun rose in the sky and stared at her in awe, she climbed the mountain. Only Allah knew what dreadful peril awaited her at the summit.
For a moment she stood there and eyed the hill. This was the very hill she along with her brothers came to play years ao. At last what seemed like a few prolonged hours Raghad reached the summit, the hill was high. She sat there and observed her tribe as big tears streamed down her beautiful eyes, and blood trickled down her wounded heart in the pit of her stomach.
Raghad commenced reciting Quran in a hushed voice for a prolonged while, stopped only when sun stared directly at her. She had no food to eat as she did not possess the appetite. So Raghad sat along with her despondency and anguish. Unaware the tribe turned the world upside down in order to find her. Noof had long gone informed Badr that Raghad had not come to see her.
Badr paced back and forth near one of the fence, desperately waiting for his men to find his sister by the creek. He ceased the instant his eyes saw his knights ride to where he stood. "As-salamu Alaykum," greeted one of his men the moment his horse halted.
"Wa alaykum as-Salam. What news do you bring?" Badr inquired, his brows knit together in exasperation as fear encased its poison on his form.
"We searched everywhere we could ya Badr it was all in vain. We did not find her highness," at this news he grew acutely agitated for his sister and his head began to ache. Promptly satan hurled ugly thoughts in his mind. He grit his teeth and clenched his sword that hung on his left side.
Khalid and few of other knights awaited for his orders to travel in the desert. He glanced at his brother, and Khalid stared back in his distraught eyes. Badr inhaled then gave a nod. Horses hit their hooves in the sand and galloped to where their owners wished them. Badr looked up as an eagle soared in the open, clear sky, his eagle. He recalled his grandfather's wise words that moment, that eagles were skilled at searching and tracking people and Badr had trained his eagle for that purpose from innumerable years.
"Khalifa," Badr roared for his cousin.
A moment later a young man stood in front of him with sombre eyes. "I want you to travel to Borkan tribe, find Sheikh Faris and apprise him to follow you," Kalifa gave a nod. "If he questions why, do not utter a word, if you do," Badr took a step closer to his cousin, his loyal brother, "He might slaughter you. Leave, now," He ordered.
Minutes transformed into excruciating hours, Badr was enraged and distressed at them same time. The tears in his mothers eyes had murdered his heart, as for Sheikh Faisal he handled the tribe and made certain the news did not linger out of his tribe. The mere thought of Faris coming here aggravated Badr. What will the man do? What will Faris think, that her tribe helped her escape. Badr ran his hand through his long hair, and resumed his pacing.
Evening approached like an uninvited fiend, he did not taste food, but excused himself to bow down to his Lord in prayer. There was still no news from Khalid or the men he had sent hours ago. Badr stood there in his glorious height, eyes fixed far away in the space. Suddenly there was a slight tug at his robe and Badr looked down. His beloved Maha looked up at him with teary eyes. Badr sighed, crouched to his knees so they were at an eye level.
"What is my princess doing here unescorted?" He questioned and brushed his thumbs on her cheeks.
"Where is Raghad. Why is our mother weeping?" Maha whispered and Badr clenched his jaw.
"Raghad will return soon, Maha do not fret. You must go inside and aid mother," he smiled at his sister who sniffed.
Maha nodded her head, "Will you tell me a tale at night, Badr?"
"Insha'Allah I will tell you a long tale, now you must_"he was cut off when thundering hooves stopped just few feet away from them. Badr rose to his feet and stood in front of his sister like a unyielding shield. He clenched his jaw tightly when Faris dismounted his horse and glared him straight in his eyes. Then his eyes trailed down at Maha who leaned her head from behind her brother and looked at Faris in wonderment.
"Maha, go inside I shall see you later," he murmured to his sister. The girl nodded then ran away. Badr prayed to have patience with this man as this matter was of great importance.
Faris took few steps forward in order to come face-to-face with Badr. "What is it? Why have you called for my presence" His voice was firm and eyes dead.
"Ya Faris your Khateeb( betrothed) has not returned home since this morning. I have sent men to search for her but evidently luck is not by our side," Al Rashideen knight placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I wanted to inform you," Badr explained solemnly.
"What do you mean?" Faris hissed with a muddled frown.
"Raghad departed the tribe in order to visit the creek and has not returned ever since then. No women was apprised of her actions. We fear she is lost in the desert it is almost dusk," Badr took a step forward. "I did not want you to ponder we helped her escape that is the prime reason of your presence here," he finished.
Here Faris unveiled the real power of his glare at Badr which made the brother immensely incensed. Both knights stood to their full heights, taller than the horse that stood near them. It was as if fire stood in front of lighting, just a roar from one was certain to cause holocaust.
"How can I believe you?" Faris growled.
"You know better than that ya Faris. You are not only bound by your marriage to my sister. Do not forget what this concordat means to me and to my tribe. I suggest you shall chew your words before you voice them or I will gladly drive you out of my tribe," Badr spat, glaring back at the brute of a man.
A sly smile spread on Faris's lips, "Try that sagr of knights and by Allah I will have your head in a blink of an eye," Faris's minacious voices quivered men to their cores but Badr stood before him and did not even bat his eyes.
"I shall accept your challenge but for some other day. I need to find my sister," Badr snarled.
Faris was beyond enraged, the vein on his throat throbbed with fury. He was weary the moment he dismounted Tufan, but once he found out that overindulged daughter of Sheikh Faisal had fled, his rage took over. How dare that insolent woman! She should be joyous like most woman in his tribe would have been to be his bride. By Allah he will not hit her, Allah forbid that, but Faris will teach her a lesson once he finds where that imbecile has hidden.
"Have you sent men to other tribes?" he interrogated as he grabbed Tufan's reins. The horse bowed it's head and moved a little when it's master mounted on top.
"Yes, but they have not returned either," Badr informed, his eyes at Tufan, the beast was indeed a true beauty.
"Very well, I shall go and search myself," were his last words as he began his journey to find his bride. Faris departed from the tribe forthwith. His sharp eyes scrutinized the desert once he was far from the tribe's boundaries. Where can she possibly run of to?
His hawk-like eyes roomed over the landscape, thoughts touched every corner. If he found that imprudent woman, Faris was certain he would teach her a lesson. In his thirty two summers such incautious and precipitous incidents have not crossed paths with him. A flight call seized his attention, Faris looked up at the eagle that soared nearby, he squinted his eyes when the fading sun light bit in them. Dusk was on him like a heavy cloak and he had no intentions of retreating without his bride.
He glared at the sun that descended behind the mountains. Mountains! With a maclious growl he rode towards the mountain range. "Ya Allah," Faris hissed and veered Tufan towards the smallest mountain.
Dirt flew behind in the air as Tufan's hooves left prints on the sand. Promptly Faris's eyes caught movements at the top of the nearest hill. He yanked the right rein and Tufan turned to that direction. The foolish woman could see him and flee that was the prime reason he decided to meet her from another direction. However, soon he halted and glared at the uneven rocks of the hill, before he could make his mind Tufan moved forward. After exceptional difficulty they reached the top of the hill, Faris jumped from Tufan and took few steps, what he witnessed sent cold shivers down his spine.
He watched as Raghad struggled to pry off the wolf that bared its fangs at her. Faris was perplexed to see when the woman grabbed stones and threw them at the monster, but the wolf dodged them effortlessly. The wolf growled ready to pounce at her. When the beast leaped in the air to attack, he acted remarkably fast. Faris unsheathed his sword, darted for it, then with a swift and elegant movement of his sword he sliced the animal in half.
The knight stared down as the wolf watched him with horror then closed its eyes. Blood dispersed around the rocks like a stream. Faris wiped the blood off his sword with it's brown fur, sheathed it then at last rotated around to face the woman he so desired to punish. However, the big tears in those big brown eyes had him tongue tide.
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Question :What was your favorite part in this chapter???
Pic of Badr on side, well that's the closest to his character I could find . Support Bite the Bullet with your votes so I can win the competition.