Secrets of Ramlat al-Sab'atayn

Chapter 5

"I said buy me thread for my carpet..Not Buy Me a New Carpet!" Tasmiya said, hands to her hips.

"Your weaving skills are horrible so we just bought one for you",said Raysa, with a lie in her voice.

"I don't care, I just like to weave :|"

"Well, here's something you should care about, that wanted poster.Don't you see what it means?" Said Mariam.

"Ok wait, I was joking about the money----"

"NO, that's not it " Raysa and Mariam exclaimed together.Shocking Tasmiya with their synchronised shouts.

"The word Scorpion, does it not remind you about something?",said Raysa "Remember the people I saw"

"...

OHH, now I remember" Tasmiya clicked her fingers " The people that fell for my pathetic sand tornado"

"This is serious, what if it's them, what if the people Raysa saw are the "Scorpion Assassins""

"They were probably just Musafirs,and even if they were assassins, why would they be after us, geniuses"

"Tasmiya's right, why are we getting so worked up about it" Mariam sighed,"No one even knows we exist anyway"

Silence befell upon the girls.Each lost in their own thoughts.Each trying to convince themselves they were invisible to others' eyes.

*********************************************************

It was another bright day.Tasmiya stretched and jumped up from her mat and screamed "Wake up uglies!!"

And with good reason to.Her friends looked disastrous.

"You look horrible" ,said Raysa dryly when the first thing she saw was Maryam.

"And you don't look any better,idiot" , replied Maryam trying to go back to sleep.

"What happend to you two,it was such a peaceful night yesterday" Tasmia said , combing her hair. "Yet it looks like you guys have been building a fortress the whole time"

"I couldn't sleep,I was scared out of my mind" ,Raysa said as she lay there on the floor like a potato wedge.

"Me too,I kept looking outside as if someone was going to come and stab us",Maryam finally sat up.

"I can't believe you two...thinking that we are actually important enough to kill or atleast be known ",Tasmiya slowly stops combing her hair.

Silence becomes a common thing amongst them nowadays but they are saved when the horses start neighing.

"Okay okay,we're hungry too"

Breakfast was a mission, they had to ride all the way to the settlement before they met their grandfather but they never complained,it was their chance to get in a good race.

"Dammit,can she let me win for once atleast",Tasmiya whispered to a tired Maryam as they arrived.

They were about to walk in the herd of people when Raysa looked back and saw Tasmiya shuddering away.

"Seriously"

"Yes"

"Its not that bad"

"My heart says no"

"Well my stomach says we have to"

And with that,Raysa pushed Tasmiya right into the crowd until she dropped her friend two inches away camel droppings in the first open space she could find.

"See? Not that bad" , grinned Raysa evily.

"Woman...you shall not see the next sunrise", Tasmiya got up dusting herself with a hateful tone.

Raysa kept laughing until a figure dressed in darkness walked past her swiftly and whispered...

"Your as cruel as usual... Raysa"

Raysa choked on her laughter because of the shock.When she turned around to see who it was, the figure had already disappeared into the crowd.

It was then when Maryam had found them and brought them food. "I lost jiddu"

" Ah its okay.We'll be alright
Raysa whats with that face,did you just see a hot guy"

"No Tasmiya, that's not the face you make when see a hot guy,it looks like she saw a ghost"

"I don't know what I saw"

A roar of screams and shouts started to get closer to them.The girls were soon trapped in a stampede.It wasn't long enough since the crowd had disappeared... leaving behind a wounded old man on the ground.

"No Ashadans will be spared!!"

Their hearts froze,the only man that had cared about them was covered in flowing blood.

"NOOOOOOO!",Mariam ran to him , forgetting the fierce five men around her.

One of them was about to strike her down , but stopped his lance inches away from her face.Mariam turned white letting out gasps of air until the man spoke

"You're not from here are you little girl."

Tasmiya and Raysa came running upto Mariam and pulling her back further away from the lance.

"We are suppose to execute Ashadans only.Spare these pathetic children, they do not possess the seal on their wrists.It will be against The Order", said another one.

The man retracted his lance,and even though his face was covered,you could almost hear his grin."Ah yes, Brother.But are these not the 3 girls we were suppose to Assassinate "

"No they are not Brother!" This time a more slender-looking man spoke.He lowered his head as he regretted raising his voice."They are much too young to be them and should be outcasted by the Ashadans."

Raysa looked at him astounded.His head was lowered and his mouth was covered but his voice caught her attention.

The fat leader hissed,"Their lives will be spared but we will scar their minds!"

They rode off,burning the tents, trashing goods, sending off specs of sand into the air and most of all setting off the screams of the Ashada clan as they laughed,enjoying every moment.

The girl's first intent was to run to their grandfather.

"Run away...before they get to you.You must.. live and dis..cover who you are.My time has come...And I'm content with this life."

He was gone.

Speechless and regretful that they couldn't thank him for his efforts ...or that they couldn't save him,they couldn't stay either.People were dying all around them.It had become unbearable that they left for their horses leaving behind the proud and powerful clan's cries for help behind them and looked back as everything was in flames.