The Moon Dancer

Chapter 8

Ruhya ran her hand along her body, feeling the cloth and gemstones of her new dance outfit. The high quality silk and carefully sown on gemstones reminded Ruhya of the dresses her mother used to wear. The image of the beautiful blue silk fluttering as her mother danced and the sound of clinking tossed coins filled Ruhya's mind.

"Ah, get it together! Stop thinking about that." Ruhya chided herself as she tapped her cheeks. She couldn't let herself be distracted right before a performance. She would never forgive herself if she stumbled in front of an entire party of people.

The soft beat of the drum brought Ruhya out of her thoughts. She quickly posed with her hands in the air and her leg propped out. The curtain separating her from the crowd slowly parted. Her blindfold prevented Ruhya from seeing how many people were at the party.

The drum once again began to beat and Ruhya moved her hips to the beat. Something was wrong, the drum sounded far away and Ruhya could barely hear the beat well enough to move to it. It was only Ruhya's familiarity with the dance that enabled her to dance well.

Trying to push past her confusion and growing frustration Ruhya moved her body and tried her best to dance smoothly. Finally the part of the dance, when she took off her blindfold and used her magic began.

Ruhya's blindfold fluttered to the ground and she opened her eyes. The distant drums continued to play but Ruhya stopped moving. A soft gasp escaped her mouth as she took in the dark room. Laying down in a pile of cushions was Judar with a large bottle of wine next to him.

Alone.

There was no one with him, no friends in sight. Even the musicians had been hidden away beneath a thick curtain.

A soft snore came from Judar as he moved deeper into the cushions. Ruhya stepped down from the raised stage she was on and slowly walked over to Judar. His face was flushed with a drunken glow and his hair was a mess.

Ruhya knelt down grabbed the bottle, it was mostly empty.  She placed the bottle to the side and studied Judar's sleeping face. Normally people were the most peaceful when they slept, but Judar's face did not show peace. His sleeping face showed all that he kept hidden from others. Familiar emotions showed on Judar's face, Ruhya had seen them staring back from the mirror.

Bitter loneliness, and insecurity.

A small flutter moved through Ruhya's heart. She had been afraid of this powerful magician, but now she saw what he really was: a lonely broken soul. Gently Ruhya stroked Judar's face.

"We're not so different, are we? Both held back by our own chains."

***

Judar groaned as he slowly woke up. His head was pounding and his eyes burned. Even though he had no blankets he felt warm, a strange sense of comfort washed over him.

He tried to turn over but a weight kept him down. Looking down he saw Moondancer cuddled up next to him with her arm and leg on top of him. A small dribble of drool escaped from her mouth. Judar blinked for a few seconds before reacting.

"Get the hell off me!" He shouted as he pushed Moondancer away. She fell off the big cushions with a heavy thud.

"Ow! That hurt!" Moondancer exclaimed as she held her slightly throbbing cheek.

"Get out!" Judar demanded as he pointed toward the door of the room.

"What?"

"OUT!"

Quickly Moondancer got up and scrambled to the door. Frightened by Judar's yelling she exited, leaving him alone in the room.

Judar grabbed his face with his hands, they felt cold against his exceptionally hot face. His grip tightened as he recalled the way Moondancer's body had felt pressed up against his. Judar's face became a deep shade of red as it grew hotter with the memory. A strange feeling bubbled in Judar's chest. It felt like his chest was going to burst.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Judar gasped. He fell back down among the cushions, their silk cool to his touch. Judar closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as surprising as it was waking up in Moondancer's arms, Judar couldn't help but wish for it to happen again.

***
Ruhya tightly clamped a hand over her eyes. In her hurry to leave the room, she had forgotten to grab her blindfold. She stretched her other arm out and felt along the walls, but struggled to keep her calm. She had no idea where she was, and there was no way for her to find her way back to her room.

"Hello? Is there anyone there?" Ruhya called out, her voice wavering slightly. The sun began to seep through her fingers, Ruhya scrunched her eyes tightly closed.

"Who are you? Are you okay?" A voice answered. Ruhya jumped slightly as a small hand patted her leg.

"Um, can you please help me? I seem to be lost." Ruhya asked, hoping whoever had appeared knew their way around the palace. She had her doubts though, it seemed that it was a child who answered her call.

"Of course I can help you! It's my duty to help anyone, especially ladies in need. At least, that's what Daddy told me." Replied the boy with a smile in his voice, "But first, are your eyes okay? You're holding them like they really hurt."

"They're fine, but do you have something I can put over them? That would be really helpful."

"Hmm, no, I don't. Oh, wait! Yeah, I have this!" The boy said. There was the sound of rustling cloth a few seconds later. Ruhya reached out her hand and grabbed onto a thick cloth, it was most likely the boy's robe sash. Ruhya quickly wrapped it around her eyes and secured it with a knot. It was incredibly heavy compared to her usual blindfolds, but it kept out the light and that was all that mattered.

"Thank you. My name is Ruhya, what's yours?"

"I'm Kouta and I am four years old, but I'm almost five. I like to collect stick, do you want to see my collection? I keep it hidden away in my super secret base." The boy said excitedly. Ruhya smiled as she imagined Kouta waving his arms around dramatically with every word. She couldn't see him, but she could tell he was a child filled with energy.

"Sure, but you'll have to guide me."

"Okay. Can I hold your hand? Mama says it's very important to ask permission before touching someone. My base isn't very far from here."

Ruhya nodded and stuck out her hand, Kouta grabbed it and gently began to pull her in an unknown direction.

~~
Sorry for the long wait on this chapter, but I didn't want to publish it yet because I felt this story is changing from what I had originally planned. I had to think about how I wanted to continue. Some action will be happening soon, and I have many scenes planned, I just need to think about the order and importance they will have.