Desert Siren

Twenty-Five

The end of the storm caught her unawares, causing her to lay her quill down suddenly and stare at the opening. One minute the wind was shrieking like all the daemons had escaped from Hell and the next there was absolutely no noise whatsoever. Tavan was busy skinning the other two rabbits and didn't notice until Jayza rose and made her way to the cave's entrance. Nudging Samson, she grimaced at the latest pile he had left and stepped to the other side. Quickly untying the upper and lower corner, she peeled it pack and stuck her head outside.

"Jayza, no!" Tavan screamed, suddenly noticing the howling winds were gone. When Jayza pulled the rug back, bright sunlight flooded the interior and he jumped to his feet, running to the entrance and hauling her back inside. He left the rug unhooked, having seen the storm had ended as suddenly as it had begun. The bright sun reflected off the massive snow mounds, causing a glare he knew could damage their eyes if they weren't careful.

"The storm's over," she said unnecessarily, blinking furiously. "But what happened? All I can see right now is white light."

"Close your eyes, little one, and lay down. I'll get something that will help. It's good thing you didn't look too long. What's happening will go away in a little bit." Tavan led her back to the bedroll, then stepped away once she was on her back. Her eyes were burning and tearing and behind the lids, everything was white with only a sharp diamond in the center. When Tavan laid something cool over her eyes, she sighed softly.

"Leave that there until the white fades. Hopefully, it'll be quick."

"What happened? I noticed the wind dropped and wanted to see if it was still snowing. But the glare was like trying to look into the sun."

"Pretty much what it is. The snow reflects the sun. That reflection is just like looking directly into it. It can cause serious problems and if you look too long, you could be almost blind for days."

"Is the storm definitely over?" Another day had passed, marking two full days they had been stuck in the cave. Tavan had refused to let Jayza go out earlier to get more wood and feed Samson. Instead, he told her if the storm continued, they would all go the following morning. Jayza had reluctantly agreed, remaining quiet in order to rest her throat. It felt much better, although she couldn't speak for long yet, and when Tavan declared he would skin the two rabbits, she had pulled out her quill and ink, cleaned the flat rock, and began writing.

"It appears to be. The quick view I got showed bright sunshine. I think you're right. The storm ended as suddenly as it began."

"So, two Witches," she whispered. The snow Tavan had placed in the binding was melting, running down the sides of her face, and the diamond in the center of her lids had disappeared as the white began to recede. She continued to lay still, her worry over the realization she was being hunted by more than one witch causing her stomach to tighten in fear. She was absolutely certain they were after her which meant what she knew was much more important than she had been led to believe. She desperately wanted to recreate it so she could study it in detail but doing so would be the biggest mistake she made. She could easily picture it in her head but her other thoughts and the outside world had a nasty habit of vying for her attention, and she had found it was always easier to recreate what she had been shown if she needed to look it over again.

"At least. But it makes me wonder. Why? What's so important that they would leave the Ruby Desert and come all this way just to make sure we don't make it back to Culan?" Tavan had moved away and Jayza assumed he had returned to the rabbits. She remained silent, pondering how to answer. She considered lying and saying they were after him or something the loot they had taken from Kif Aljar. But she wasn't sure she would be able to do it convincingly. And opening her mouth might make him seriously think about why the Emperor had requested she be bought to him instead of being sent straight to Thagim. She certainly had been. And what she had concluded scared her as much as the idea she was being hunted by witches. Instead, she remained silent, letting Tavan draw his own conclusions.