Of Stardust and Wishes (A Wish Rewrite)

Chapter 2 - The Color of Royalty

Asha could feel the warmth of the sun against her back. Her eyes peeled open, she was still in the boat. She looked down and groaned. She had fallen asleep slumped over the scroll. And while her map was still fine, the ink well had fallen over and stained her skirt. Yemma was going to kill her. She reached up and massaged the headache that was starting at her temples, well that was no matter. Maybe it was still early enough to sneak in without anyone-

"I'M LATE!"

Her shout startled Valentino awake. He stumbled around the rough sway of the boat as Asha lunged for the mooring rope.The sun -the real one that was - blazed bright and big in the sky. It was well into the morning and she was going to miss the tournament. The girl gripped the oars tight and began her frantic paddle to shore. The sea was her friend in this endeavor, the steady waves gave her strokes more power and all but pushed her home. After her hasty docking job, she slid the scrolls back into the now dry leather satchel and tucked Valentino under her arm. She sprinted to the hole in the wall, throwing the goat through first then jumping up to slither through herself. Covered in sand, silt, and salt she clawed her way back onto the beach. She knew that she must of looked a sight, but that was the last thing she was worried about. She stumbled her way up the sandy incline and hit a dead run once her feet touched stone again.

She flew through the now crowded streets. Different voices and tongues all chattering in their inane ways until she came through and brought conversation to a halt. She left shouts and gasps in her wake, pushing past meandering couples, jumping baskets, and on one occasion knocking over several wicker cages full of chickens. In a burst of feathers and general cacophony, she shouted back a quick, "SORRY!" before barreling her way toward her house. She ran until the tightly packed buildings started to grow apart, slowed to a jog when she hit packed dirt and wobbled to an exhausted walk once the thatch roof came into sight. She put a hand to her side, bent over, and heaved, "Ow...that...that was a lot," she panted. She glanced back to see Valentino stutter to a halt before landing heavy on his haunches, "Oh...you too....huh?" The girl straightened up, sucking in her breath as she did. Oh, how she hurt! She walked back toward the fatigued animal and picked him up, "Come on," she groaned at his weight, "We've only got...a couple...steps...to...go!"

She kicked open the door then dropped the goat like stone before she fell through the entry way.

"ASHA!" Her mother yelped, as she rushed to attend to her daughter, "Asha! Habibti, what happened?!"

The girl attempted to give her mother a smile, but it came across more as a flinch, "Practicing Yemma. Just lost track of time." She rolled over and started to pick herself up, "I'm ok...just lost my balance is all."

Her mother's eyes implored ceiling, "Ah Tomás, our daughter is practicing right up to the end. What are we to do with her?"

"He'd find a kindred spirit Sakina," the raspy voice of Sabino rose from the spindly stool he often inhabited. His gnarled hands folded against the old table, "Passionate but lazy...eh mijita?"

"Not lazy Baba!" Asha complained as she finally gained her footing.

"Your DRESS!" her mother gasped. The woman's eyes scoured it from top to bottom. Asha didn't know what she found the most egregious, the ink stain, the scorched hem, or the sand-laden front. She tensed for a lecture, only to have her mother sigh, "At least enter the house correctly Asha."

The girl let out the breath she had been holding, "Oh, yes...that's right."

"Sakina-" her grandfather started, but Asha waved away his defense. She went back outside, faced away from the house, scrapped her feet against the front steps, then re-entered walking backwards three steps. She turned back to look at her mother, "Will that do, Yemma?"