Shadow Seer [18+]

~ Forty ~

** Happy Holidays for this coming week, however you celebrate or even if you don't!**

***

As the scorching sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the vast desert landscape, Amir and Sanaa rode through the shifting sands. 

The nomad caravan they had called home for a few days was now a distant memory, a dust cloud on the ever stretching horizon. Sanaa wiped the sweat from her forehead, her fingers leaving streaks of wayward sand on her skin. The air was thick with companionable silence, broken only by the soft crunch of sand beneath their horse's hooves. Amir stole a glance down at her, his body shifting with the movement that she looked up at him. She smiled up at him, letting him know she was okay. Amir had been as loving with her as was normal for them now, but since their intimacy two nights ago, they'd not gone any further. Sanaa had loved their night together and she also knew she was done with waiting. She wanted nothing more than to be with him, for now and always and with the curse over his head, it didnt look as though always would be possible. So, she would be with Amir in all the ways a woman wanted to be with the man she loved, despite his past deeds and despite the curse that doomed their love forever.

They'd slept side by side the last two nights but there had not been an opportunity with one night bringing a mild sandstorm and the other, they were just too exhausted. Their provisions were getting sparse and Sanaa began to wonder if they would make it in time before it ran out completely. 

As the day wore on, the desert unfurled its secrets around them, revealing an endless expanse of dunes and distant mirages. Still, the couple pressed forward, leaving only hoof prints in the golden sea of sand. The sun sank lower, casting an orange glow across the landscape, painting everything in warm hues. When Amir sat up straighter in the saddle, she looked up at him,

"What is it?"

"We should make camp," he said looking at the darkening sky. "I don't want you caught in the coming winds?"

"A storm?"

"Not like last night but the residue of it," he explained before dismounting and holding out his arms to help her down. Slowly, her limbs a little achy, Sanaa jumped into his arms, her arms wrapped around his neck as he placed a small kiss to her nose.

"We need to get the horse covered and get the tent up before the wind gets too strong."

"C-can you do that?" she asked rather stupidly but Amir only smiled.

"I can do anything."

Amir set about getting them ready for the approaching storm with Sanaa looking on unhelpfully. When she offered to help previous nights, Amir had declined saying it would be faster on his own and so she waited for him to be done. She looked at the surrounding desert, wondering how far she was from home. She had been in the palace for a decade and now she was further north than she had ever been which brought her closer to Agmantia. Sanaa tried not to think of her family often because it only brought her pain but now that the possibility of looking for them was so close, she coudn't help but think of them.

Closing her eyes against the ache in her chest at being so alone in the world, Sanaa watched the sand pick up into little eddies around her. She marvelled at Amir's skill as she would never have known there was going to be any change in the weather. He'd chosen a spot between two sand dunes, the only shelter the desert offered for miles and set about getting them safe for the night. With practiced efficiency, Sanaa watched Amir pitch their tent, a small but sturdy oasis of fabric against the vast emptiness of the world. The desert winds enveloped them like a shroud, and the air crackling with the pending wind. Amir kissed her cheek and told her to get settled while he watered and secured their horse for the night. Sanaa had wiped herself down and undressed into a shift to sleep in, when Amir finally joined her. They exchanged furtive glances, the realisation finally sinking in that they were truly alone. No palace guards, no Ghassan, no city, no nomads. They were alone. Together, at last. As the wind howled around them, Amir readied himself, peeling his clothing away to wipe away the sand and grit from the day. When he was comfortably undressed, he settled into the bedroll furs behind her and pulled her into his arms to buckle down for the night. Sanaa felt safe and loved in his arms and as she fell asleep with Amir's warm breath on her neck, she prayed she would have nights like this with him for the rest of her life, no matter the curse on him.