Things Lost and Found (a Waglington and Mianite fanfiction)

Chapter 24

The song of the day is "Falling Into Place" by The Afters.

Remember the lady Wag hallucinated about while running through the Taint? Remember the beginning and end of Chapter 18 and his brothers' reaction? Well, Wag is about to remember...

Warning: Feelz ahead. ;-;

*James's POV*

~Flashback~

The sandstone houses and shops were piled on top of one another as if huddled together in fear of the vast expanse of desert beyond the town walls. The river flowing nearby should have tempted some buildings out of the civilization, but the only manmade structures outside the town were a few scarecrows in the fields following the curve of the river and a ramshackle pier with a few low fishing vessels lashed to its posts. Apparently raids from bandits had become quite common in the absence of authority the long war had caused. The townspeople trusted in their walls that had weathered wave after wave of attacks. They bustled about the narrow streets with their bundles, baskets, and water jars as if no danger existed.

I found the market utter mayhem after the quiet of the desert. Vendors sold everything from linens to spices, livestock to armor, each one clamoring louder than the last for their potential customers. How I had wound up pulling the short straw of restocking our supplies for the third town in a row was beyond me. I suspected a few someones had figured out a new bit of magic and were using it against me. I'd have to plot my revenge on my brothers later. For now, keeping our money safe from pickpockets and finding everything we needed for the road ahead were my top priorities.

I'd already gotten most of the supplies, but for the life of me, I could not find a vendor who sold water skins. Our old ones had all started to crack with age, and Phil's had finally given out on our way to this town. We'd need to replace the lot of them before we left for the sand dunes again.

I shifted the two full packs on my shoulder and continued inching my way through the market, dodging small, laughing children darting between the legs of their elders. One child was not watching where they were going and ran into me mid-step. I stumbled sideways and bumped into a woman wrapped in a blue tob (a Bedouin dress), causing her to spill the parcels she had been carrying across the dusty ground. She immediately bent to retrieve her purchases.

I quickly knelt to help the woman before the packages could be scattered further by the careless passersby. They soundly ignored her plight and occasionally kicked a parcel across the ground as they walked. "I am so terribly sorry. Are you alright, Miss?" I asked, looking up at her apologetically. I was met by a stunning creature with eyes the deep blue grey of a stormy sea. Her skin was uncommonly light for one living in the desert, and her long, curling hair under her headcloth was a shade darker than wrought gold with a few lighter strands running through it.

I was captivated for a moment as she continued gathering her goods. Then she looked up at me. Red crept up my neck as I realized I'd been caught staring, and I looked away to check if we'd retrieved everything. It looked like we had. I stood and held out a hand to help the lady up. She hesitantly rested her hand in mine and stood. Her sleeve fell back slightly, and I caught a glimpse of the bronze band around her right wrist. My heart fell. This beautiful woman was a slave. "Thank you, sir," She said with a light and cheery voice as she released my hand.

I was about to hand her her bundles and be on my way when we heard a horn blast echo from one of the guard towers. The bustling market fell shockingly silent as everyone waited for the following blast, which came as a rolling note. The people around me sprang back to life and started leaving the market in all directions. The vendors started pulling tarps over their wares, and the streets around us echoed with the sound of closing windows and doors. The woman before me grabbed my arm and said urgently, "A sandstorm's coming; we need to get inside."