Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A gaggle of some eight children scurried over to Faris. It was a mixture of boys and girls ages five to fifteen, and the smaller ones latched on to Faris' legs, nearly toppling him.

"Gently, my spring flowers, gently!" Faris scolded them as he swayed back and forth. "What is the matter?"

"Could I mind the corral for you, Father?" the oldest boy pleaded with him. "Or perhaps just for an hour?"

Faris gestured to Ben. "Not today, my boy. An important customer has come to bless us with his coin."

The children stared at Ben as if he was made of gold. The oldest boy stepped forward and bowed his head to Ben. "We thank you for your patronage, sir. How might we serve you this fine day?"

Ben smiled at the eager young man. "Your finest wagon and qasi. And see if your fine mother won't pack us a delicious snack for a trip to the ghasl."

"Right away, sir!" the boy replied. He gestured to two of his younger brothers and the trio leapt into the nearest corral to wrangle up the request.

Faris beamed at his young sons as they gathered one of the camel-like creatures and led them to the far side of the corral where wagons stood near the wood fence. "Fine lads. They will be running the business better than me before long."

The younger children tugged on their father's sleeves. "Can we help?"

Faris grinned down at them. "Of course. You must tell your mother to prepare a basket of her best treats."

"I'll go tell her!" one of the girls shouted as she darted down the street. The others were of the same opinion and rushed after her.

Some of them crashed into my legs as they scurried past, and I was nearly spun in a circle by their tailwind. I ended up falling against Ben who looped an arm around my waist to steady me.

Faris' eyebrows shot up as he looked between the two of us. "And who is this fine woman you have brought with you, my friend? With such beauty, one cannot help but wonder if an angel has joined us."

I snorted. "I would classify myself more as a nymph than an angel."

Ben grinned down at me. "This is my fiancé Millie Lucas."

I cast a side glare at him. "You're going to keep that story up the entire time we're here, aren't you?"

"As long as I can," he confirmed before he turned his attention to Faris. "Have the sands been kind of late to travelers to the mouth of the river?"

Faris' good humor fell away and he knitted his eyebrows together. "Why do you wish to go there?"

"A sightseeing tour, mostly," Ben told him as he folded his arms over his chest. "But if we need more, would that be a problem?"

The local pursed his lips. "There is much trouble in these lands, my friend. You should not go looking for it, especially there. The ladies will not be pleased to see any visitors, but men especially are rarely welcome."

Ben nodded at me. "That's why I'm bringing my fiancé with me, but should we have other things to fear?"

Faris half-turned to the gateway where so many wagons drifted in and out. "I have not seen them myself, but others speak of strange shadows in the sands. They crawl out of the dunes and have scared many horses and upset many wagons."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Is it some sort of animal?"

He shook his head. "Some people say they are the spirits of those lost in the Fiery Storm come to bring down the Thaqiba so we might join them in their unrest."

"Are there any particular spots where these shadows have been seen?" Ben asked him.

Faris grimly nodded. "The ruins of Matlae."

The name brought the area around us to a standstill. Anyone within earshot froze and whipped their attention in our direction. Dark, frightened looks passed over their faces and they scurried away.

Faris sighed and shook his head. "Even the mention of the name has everyone scared."

Ben crossed his arms over his chest and furrowed his brow. "Then we'll be sure to avoid the area as much as possible, but if memory serves the road to the mouth of the river travels past those ruins."

Faris nodded. "Indeed, it does. The city itself once sat near those sacred ghasl, but no more. Even many of the ruins have been swallowed by the centuries of sand storms."

Faris' oldest son returned and bowed low to all of us. "Honorable customer, the wagon is ready and waiting."

"Papa!" came a shout down the road, and the youngest siblings hurried toward us with a

Ben smiled and reached into his coin purse where he drew out several large silver coins. He handed them to each of the smaller children and those who had helped with the wagon. Their faces lit up, though some looked doubtfully at their father.

The oldest boy held out his coin to his parent. "Is this not more than we should accept?"

Faris smiled and shook his head. "Never refuse a kind offer, my son, or you will insult our venerable guest."

"Who has plenty of coins left for their trip," Ben assured him as he tucked the jingling coin purse away.

I accepted the basket from one of the adorable girls who shyly smiled at me. "Thank you," I whispered. She could only nod.

"May your trip be as uneventful as the sea is deep," Faris told us as he walked us over to the wagon sled. He watched us climb aboard the box with a tense smile, and he set one hand on the box and caught our eyes. "And may you not discover the secret of the shadows."

Ben grinned as he took up the reins. "You know me better than that, Faris."

Faris stepped back and a dark cloud settled on his brow. "That is why I fear for you, my friend."

Ben subdued his teasing mood a little and bowed his head. "We'll mind the shadows and be back before dinner."

Ben cracked the reins and the strange creature trotted forward. Its wide hooves meant it didn't sink into the sand as we left the hard-packed surface of the city and ventured out into the desert that surrounded the metropolis. The arid area wasn't completely devoid of sights, however, as many oases dotted the landscape. There was, of course, a strip of green that ran alongside our right and some half a mile off. I could only guess that the strip represented the fabled and much-needed Masdar River.

The shadows of the trees that crowded about those sandy white shores reminded me of our conversation with Faris. After a few minutes of blissful silence, I had to ask the question that nagged my thoughts. "There's a lot of trouble around here lately, isn't there?" I commented to my companion.

Ben stared ahead and nodded. "And all at the same time. I wouldn't wonder if they aren't related somehow."

I crossed my arms over my chest and furrowed my brow. "So if we solved one problem we might solve them all."

"Unfortunately," he concurred.

I lifted an eyebrow at him. "Why is that unfortunate? Wouldn't it make things easier?"

"Anyone capable of creating this much trouble is bound to be a formidable opponent. Were we to discover their identity we may find ourselves in even more trouble."

My shoulders sagged a little and I hung my head. "Why do you always have to make so much sense. . ."

Ben's twinkling eyes caught mine. "It's difficult to fool the keen perception of the Dragon Thief."

I snorted and looked him over. "You know, I haven't seen too much thieving from you since we met. Do you do that only on holidays or did I come during a dry spell?"

"The dry spell which is most certainly caused by your presence," he countered.

My mouth dropped open. "Me? What do I have to do with you not thieving?"

He cast a wicked look at me. "How can one thief with such a beautiful woman distracting him?"

I snorted. "You mean the famed Dragon Thief can be distracted by a pair of batting eyes and some makeup."

Ben set the reins in his lap and turned to me. He grasped my chin gently between his fingers and lifted my eyes so I stared into his smiling face. "Simple baubles and dried powder have no allure for me. Your lips, however-" He leaned forward and captured them in a gentle but firm kiss.

When he pulled away I was all red cheeks and fluster. My mouth flapped open to speak, but nothing came out until after I cleared the frog in my throat. "T-that's a sneaky way to get a kiss."

He grinned as he leaned back. "Do I not have the right as your fiancé?"

I snorted and gave him a slight push against his chest. "You better put up or shut up about that."

His eyes widened a little. "Do you mean-"

It was at that moment the camel creature reared up.