Ｔｈｒｅｅ.
"Horses are not meant for such conditions," I spoke softly to the Northerner as we rode besides the
sand hills of my so familiar desert. "Camels are better suited for this condition." It had only been a
few hours of riding, but i could already tell the weariness of the creature beneath me. Within in my village,
we raised Camel's, and occasionally a horse for it's hide and meat. Horses were useless when it came to the
deserts sandy hills of hell.
"You have no idea of the power of the Northern Horses..." droned the cloaked man. The air wasn't cool
outside, nor had the sun risen yet. It began puzzling me as to why he was wearing the cloak at all. My mind
shifted to questions as to what he could be hiding underneath his cloak. An extra appendage? A hideous scar?
What could possibly be under it?
"Are you even listening to me? the man grumbled, as he turned in his saddle to face me. Still, there
was nothing much to see, besides the tip of his pale nose.
"I'm sorry," I shook my head, "What was it you were saying?"
Scoffing, he let out a low growl. "I can't believe I have found myself married to a wandering eyed idiot."
"Wandering eye - well if maybe you took off that cloak of yours, there would be no wandering eyes."
"Not a chance, love,"his words were laced with sarcasm, which vexed me so. "There will be no removing of clothing tonight."
I could feel my face heat up. Quickly I turned away, hoping he wouldn't see my blushing face. It was here did
I remember that is was still dark out, and he couldn't possibly see my reddening face, when I could barely see
the sand dunes in front of me. Taking in a deep, I straightened in my saddle. Turning back to the man, I braved
for one more question.
"When can we stop to rest?"
"We aren't," he said promptly.
"What?" I was shocked. We weren't resting, after all the hours that had gone by. I needed to rest here soon.
"Please, maybe just for a few minutes?"
"We have to keep moving. If we stop we will not make it by dawn."
"Make it where? The North?! There is no way that in one night, two people can make it up there... can we?!"
"Of course we can't stupid girl. I am not taking you to the North. Not stopping your tedious questions." he growled.
I wasn't going to the North. That quickly put me more at ease. But if I wasn't going to the North, where in the hell
was I going to? Maybe some other village in the desert? But I had not heard of any other village among our sandy
dunes. For granted, I didn't hear much outside my village. Only the few rumors of the North, and some about the East
Coastlines. Both impossible to reach in one night, or so one of the traders had mentioned to my father.
We rode on a few more hours. It was beginning to dawn, and my legs and lower back ached. I sat hunched over in
my saddle, trying my best to cradle myself. The pain was dull, but throbbing. I could feel the tears springing to my
eyes. Whimpering lightly, I sat like this for what felt like an eternity, hoping that sometime soon we would stop.
Seconds, minutes, I don't know how much time went by when I felt the stinging sand collide with my face. Closing
my eyes, I let out a low groan. I turned from my side, to my back, but not without an immense amount of pain shooting
up from my left leg. Doing my best to sit up, I realized I had some sort of creature upon me. Its smooth brown mane
now dispersed among the sand. Two wooden twigs, with feathers at the end stuck out from its neck. My horse had been
shot down. Wide eyed and terrified, I quickly sunk back down into the ground.
The shouts of men began ringing out above me. Two, four, twenty? I didn't know how many there were. One in particular,
was the deep voiced man that I was stuck with. Closing my eyes, I waited for my death. There had to be too many
screaming men to overcome. I was going to die, right here among the sands of my home. As the sun peeked over the
edge of the dunes, I could see the shadows moving through my lids. A darker shadow approached, and I knew... knew
that it was after me. This shadow was going to finish me. As his hands touch my arms, I began punching the air,
screaming, hoping to scare whatever this shadow was.
"Ow! What the hell?!" the deep voice came out, which immediately relaxed me.
Opening my eyes, I saw my husband above me. I let out a sigh of relief, before twitching again.
"The horse... What happened?!" I was so confused by what had just occurred.
"We were ambushed," He growled as he began taking off his cloak, revealing me himself for the first time.
His hair was fine, red and curly. It brushed off the side of his face, barely hiding his brilliant green eyes. He was
broad, and had defined muscles on his arms. Strange markings as well, rippled all over his muscles. A few scratches
and cuts were here and there, but there was one major bruise upon his cheek. It was bright red, and already turning
a grotesque purple.
"I am going to lift the horse, you need to pull yourself out from under," Gripping the underside of the horse,
he readied himself.
Nodding softly, I braised myself. As soon as he lifted, I began shifting out of the way. With every move, came a
jolt of sharp pain, causing me to wince and groan. Soon, it was over. I laid on the ground, in immense pain.
"It isn't broken," my husband said softly as he lightly touched my leg.
"How would you know?!" I shrieked.
"Cause I know! Trust me on this, I have seen many broken bones before!"
Shrinking away from him, I just shook him off. "Whatever..."
Sighing, softly, the man grabbed my body and lifted me up.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
"I am getting us out of here before anymore of them come back." Nodding over to the bodies that
laid sprawled out on the sand, I gasped.
There were five of them. Two very thin men, with dark complexion like me, and the other with much
fairer skin tone. All of them had the same markings up and down their arms. It was similar to my
husbands... How strange.
My husband lifted me up onto his horse, before getting on himself. Kicking the flanks of the horse, we jolted off.
"What did those guys want?" I said some time later.
"All will be explained when we get back..."
"Back where? Where are you taking me?"
"Enough questions. I don't want any more talking for the rest of the trip," he snapped.
"Fine... but at least answer one question." I said gruffly.
"What?"
"What is your name?" My voice was soft, and half embarrassed. I was married to a stranger.
"Salem. My name is Salem."
{{ wow that took forever to get up. literally smacking myself. XD hope you enjoyed.
now we know this handsome devils name. ^o^
"Horses are not meant for such conditions," I spoke softly to the Northerner as we rode besides the
sand hills of my so familiar desert. "Camels are better suited for this condition." It had only been a
few hours of riding, but i could already tell the weariness of the creature beneath me. Within in my village,
we raised Camel's, and occasionally a horse for it's hide and meat. Horses were useless when it came to the
deserts sandy hills of hell.
"You have no idea of the power of the Northern Horses..." droned the cloaked man. The air wasn't cool
outside, nor had the sun risen yet. It began puzzling me as to why he was wearing the cloak at all. My mind
shifted to questions as to what he could be hiding underneath his cloak. An extra appendage? A hideous scar?
What could possibly be under it?
"Are you even listening to me? the man grumbled, as he turned in his saddle to face me. Still, there
was nothing much to see, besides the tip of his pale nose.
"I'm sorry," I shook my head, "What was it you were saying?"
Scoffing, he let out a low growl. "I can't believe I have found myself married to a wandering eyed idiot."
"Wandering eye - well if maybe you took off that cloak of yours, there would be no wandering eyes."
"Not a chance, love,"his words were laced with sarcasm, which vexed me so. "There will be no removing of clothing tonight."
I could feel my face heat up. Quickly I turned away, hoping he wouldn't see my blushing face. It was here did
I remember that is was still dark out, and he couldn't possibly see my reddening face, when I could barely see
the sand dunes in front of me. Taking in a deep, I straightened in my saddle. Turning back to the man, I braved
for one more question.
"When can we stop to rest?"
"We aren't," he said promptly.
"What?" I was shocked. We weren't resting, after all the hours that had gone by. I needed to rest here soon.
"Please, maybe just for a few minutes?"
"We have to keep moving. If we stop we will not make it by dawn."
"Make it where? The North?! There is no way that in one night, two people can make it up there... can we?!"
"Of course we can't stupid girl. I am not taking you to the North. Not stopping your tedious questions." he growled.
I wasn't going to the North. That quickly put me more at ease. But if I wasn't going to the North, where in the hell
was I going to? Maybe some other village in the desert? But I had not heard of any other village among our sandy
dunes. For granted, I didn't hear much outside my village. Only the few rumors of the North, and some about the East
Coastlines. Both impossible to reach in one night, or so one of the traders had mentioned to my father.
We rode on a few more hours. It was beginning to dawn, and my legs and lower back ached. I sat hunched over in
my saddle, trying my best to cradle myself. The pain was dull, but throbbing. I could feel the tears springing to my
eyes. Whimpering lightly, I sat like this for what felt like an eternity, hoping that sometime soon we would stop.
Seconds, minutes, I don't know how much time went by when I felt the stinging sand collide with my face. Closing
my eyes, I let out a low groan. I turned from my side, to my back, but not without an immense amount of pain shooting
up from my left leg. Doing my best to sit up, I realized I had some sort of creature upon me. Its smooth brown mane
now dispersed among the sand. Two wooden twigs, with feathers at the end stuck out from its neck. My horse had been
shot down. Wide eyed and terrified, I quickly sunk back down into the ground.
The shouts of men began ringing out above me. Two, four, twenty? I didn't know how many there were. One in particular,
was the deep voiced man that I was stuck with. Closing my eyes, I waited for my death. There had to be too many
screaming men to overcome. I was going to die, right here among the sands of my home. As the sun peeked over the
edge of the dunes, I could see the shadows moving through my lids. A darker shadow approached, and I knew... knew
that it was after me. This shadow was going to finish me. As his hands touch my arms, I began punching the air,
screaming, hoping to scare whatever this shadow was.
"Ow! What the hell?!" the deep voice came out, which immediately relaxed me.
Opening my eyes, I saw my husband above me. I let out a sigh of relief, before twitching again.
"The horse... What happened?!" I was so confused by what had just occurred.
"We were ambushed," He growled as he began taking off his cloak, revealing me himself for the first time.
His hair was fine, red and curly. It brushed off the side of his face, barely hiding his brilliant green eyes. He was
broad, and had defined muscles on his arms. Strange markings as well, rippled all over his muscles. A few scratches
and cuts were here and there, but there was one major bruise upon his cheek. It was bright red, and already turning
a grotesque purple.
"I am going to lift the horse, you need to pull yourself out from under," Gripping the underside of the horse,
he readied himself.
Nodding softly, I braised myself. As soon as he lifted, I began shifting out of the way. With every move, came a
jolt of sharp pain, causing me to wince and groan. Soon, it was over. I laid on the ground, in immense pain.
"It isn't broken," my husband said softly as he lightly touched my leg.
"How would you know?!" I shrieked.
"Cause I know! Trust me on this, I have seen many broken bones before!"
Shrinking away from him, I just shook him off. "Whatever..."
Sighing, softly, the man grabbed my body and lifted me up.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
"I am getting us out of here before anymore of them come back." Nodding over to the bodies that
laid sprawled out on the sand, I gasped.
There were five of them. Two very thin men, with dark complexion like me, and the other with much
fairer skin tone. All of them had the same markings up and down their arms. It was similar to my
husbands... How strange.
My husband lifted me up onto his horse, before getting on himself. Kicking the flanks of the horse, we jolted off.
"What did those guys want?" I said some time later.
"All will be explained when we get back..."
"Back where? Where are you taking me?"
"Enough questions. I don't want any more talking for the rest of the trip," he snapped.
"Fine... but at least answer one question." I said gruffly.
"What?"
"What is your name?" My voice was soft, and half embarrassed. I was married to a stranger.
"Salem. My name is Salem."
{{ wow that took forever to get up. literally smacking myself. XD hope you enjoyed.
now we know this handsome devils name. ^o^
