Desert Siren

Twenty-One

It took just under two days to reach the pass. The river that meandered out of Sim Hanji, and the fields that bordered it, had been left behind shortly after leaving the city, replaced by the grey dust and hard-pan they had traveled through prior to their arrival. The mountains grew closer, seemingly marching towards them, and by the time they reached the foothills, Jayza had to look over her shoulder to see the flat desert they would soon leave behind. The temperature was still scorching, and they traveled early in the day and again after the sun had moved lower in the sky. The land was still barren and dry, so water was rationed, and their food was limited to the animals they caught and the fruits Tavan had requisitioned in Sim Hanji. By the time they reached the pass, Jayza had begun to dream about the tub that had been left behind, wondering if she would ever be able to bathe again.

Tavan had insisted she stay in his diplomatic tent every night, claiming that without a slave wagon, there was nowhere else to put her. She had requested he allow her to sleep on the floor, cushioned by the rugs and blankets, but he had refused, saying once she was imprisoned by the Emperor, her bed would be nothing more than a wood slab, so she might as well enjoy the comforts provided while she could. He did, however, leave her alone for several hours each night, walking her back after Last Meal and leaving her to her writing as he made the rounds, talking and sitting with his men. Both nights, Jayza was already asleep when he returned, curled on her side with her face to the tent wall. He would slide into bed, laying on his back and staring at the ceiling, wrapping an arm protectively around her when she rolled over and curled against his side. When he woke her in the morning, he was already dressed and in the process of securing the few items he had bought in when the tent was set up the night before. Almost everything remained in one of the wagons, making the interior seem much larger and emptier than it had been. The only furniture he had his men remove was the bed and the table and chair, which Jayza used, rapidly filling the pages of her parchment.

Jayza had remained quiet for most of the first day, her thoughts turned inward. Tavan seemed content to do the same, only speaking when one of his men trotted up and exchanged a few words with him. On the second day, Jayza asked a few questions about the mountains and the pass. Tavan readily answered but Jayza could see he wasn't in the mood to talk, and she would fall silent once her question had been answered. She had no idea how to draw him out and was worried that any attempt to do so would result in him lashing out at her. Having that occur would have been bad enough inside the tent but in front of his men could prove disastrous. Instead, she replayed her last day with Tavan over and over, trying to keep her fear of what was coming at bay. Tavan seemed not to notice, his eyes straight ahead and his arm holding her loosely.

"We're camping here?" she asked when he called a halt the second day. It was only mid-afternoon, and she was certain he would at least march for a few more hours. She looked around, not seeing anything special about the site he had chosen. The landscape had been getting gradually hillier, but it was still desert. While rocks protruded more often than not, it was still dry and dusty and there was almost no vegetation. When her eyes followed the road ahead, she could see it began rising and the walls of the mountains moved in closer, but other than that, it didn't look much different than where they were now.

"Yes," he replied absently. "It will take more than a day to traverse the pass and there are only a few places suitable to camp. We would be hard pressed to reach the first tonight and I prefer not to venture through the pass in the dark." His answer was brusque and Jayza could see he was done with answering questions. She gnawed the inside of her lip, a worried frown knitting her brows. If she could see something was wrong, so could his men. And that could pose serious problems for him.

Tavan set Jayza down then dismounted. Dispatching several of his men north and south to hunt for both food and water, he then climbed into the furnished wagon. Pushing the loot aside, he made a space in front of the chest and began opening the drawers, pulling different things out. Gathering them up in his arms, he jumped off the wagon and moved to where his men were setting up his tent. Jayza trailed, curious as to what he held but hesitant to ask. The closeness she had felt during the first part of the journey and in Sim Hanji was disappearing, slowly being replaced with the conviction that distancing herself from him now would make their parting easier to bear. Not that it had so far, but they still had days of travel to go.