Desert Siren

Six

The world was completely silent. No wind, no sand striking fabric, nothing. Jayza could only heard the sound of her own breathing. She slowly opened her eyes, surprised to be staring at the wall of a tent. Tentatively feeling underneath her, she was further surprised to find she was elevated, sleeping in some sort of bed made of netting overlaid with a thin bedroll or mattress. A thick fleece pad lay under her head and another, thicker one covered her. The inside of the tent, if that was what it was, was lit with a warm glow and she was unable to determine if it was day or night. She gingerly stretched, her body still paying for her ordeal with the Kimsan, then rolled over.

"Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

The sound of the General's voice brought her back to reality with a crash. Bolting upright, she clutched the pad to her chest and glanced wildly around the tent, horrified at where she found herself.

"It's okay, little one." General Enyo placed the quill in his hand down and rose from the small table he had been sitting at. Stepping in front of it, he hooked his foot around a small stool and dragged it over, sitting down so he was eye-level with Jayza. "You're safe. You've slept almost an entire day away."

"Why am I here?" She had a pretty good idea where she was, although the tent was far more luxurious than what she had seen so far. Her voice trembled slightly as she became worried about the General's intentions. Again. "And where exactly is here?"

"This is my tent." The General's voice was warm and friendly. He clasped his hands between his knees, smiling softly as he answered her question. "And you're here because there was no place else to put you."

"The wagon. Why not put me back in the wagon?" Her voice was rising. She didn't want to be here. Sands, she would rather be anywhere else than here.

"Because the covering has been destroyed. On all of them. You would be completely exposed if I shackled you in it again."

"I don't want to be here." Anger began to replace her fear. "I told you I won't become your lover."

"You have no choice." General Enyo sighed, running one hand through his hair. "There literally is no place else to put you. At least, no place that's safe enough where I don't have to stand watch. As for the lover part, when you're ready. Not before."

"You'll die waiting," she said flatly.

"Possibly, but I doubt it." The General smiled broadly. Jayza huffed, annoyed with his constant certainty she would eventually succumb. Hiding her irritation, she gazed around the interior of her new accommodations.

The tent was circular and far larger than the ones she had seen so far. Besides the bed she currently sat in, it contained the small table and chair the General had just vacated, the stool he presently sat on, and several large pillows set around a low table. In one corner she could see a small trunk, currently open, and two more, one locked. A small stand stood alongside the bed, his armor now hanging from it and his cloak draped over the top. At the bottom of the bed sat a slightly larger chest, blankets and clothing piled haphazardly on top. Rugs lay scattered over the floor, hiding the ground beneath. A small brazier occupied the center, providing warmth and light. And on the far side, the barrel sat, another small stool set alongside. She looked back at the General questioningly, continuing to clutch the coverlet.

"My diplomatic tent," he said, answering her unspoken question. "I rarely use it, usually only to entertain dignitaries. But the Kimsan destroyed many of the men's tents, so I gave them my campaign one."

Jayza jerked, ashamed that she had not considered the men. "Did they survive?" She hung her head, afraid to hear the answer.

"Four dead. Along with two warhorses and one draft horse." The General's voice had gone flat. Jayza sensed he was hiding his grief, not wanting to appear weak over the loss of some of his men.