Talking to the Moon ✔

-Chapter: Nineteen-

The sun had climbed down from the apex and that was the sign that we needed to get moving. We had taken turn taking small naps and the little rest had indeed freshened up the mood.

However, the encounter with the woman had made Asad quiet. I had tried to grab his attention but it was all in vain. He did not budge from his thoughts.

Travelling in a land like ours meant that we were directly under the sky with no shelter from trees, as they were very fewer trees and most of them had dried out. It also meant that we had to keep the filthy and annoying hood on all the time to protect ourselves from the heat, dirt and prying eyes.

Aqib Suleiman led our little group, as his rookies remained behind us. I did not know why and every time I looked at them, they would give me a friendly smile and look away.

"What is wrong with the Monarch?" My brother suddenly blurted out as he kicked his horse lightly to move faster so that he could ride beside Aqib Suleiman.

The man, on the other hand, laughed at my brother's question. I nudged Ra'ad with my hip and he moved close behind them so that I could listen to them talking.

"You took your time." Aqib Suleiman said after he was done laughing. Asad stared at him confused.

"I was expecting you to ask the question the moment you got some time alone with me. But you took your time. It was something that I was not expecting."

He glanced at me and I stared at him back.

"Look," he sighed, "even if I want to say something. I cannot. It is simply hard to explain. You'll have to see it to believe it. I bet you both have heard stories about the Monarch. I can tell you that this is something completely different, so try not to judge him beforehand until you hear the entire story."

The problem was that I could not help but judge. I knew Aqib was right and I needed to know the entire story. But what could justify the Monarch killing his own men? The men that had taken an oath to protect the very same ruler.

"But I do not understand," Asad shook his head, "How can Ayah help the Monarch?"

Aqib looked at me for a whole second and then looked away.

"I have no idea." He said. "I was against this whole thing. What can this girl do that no else has?"

I felt a hint of anger in me that surprised me. Maybe it was due to the fact that I felt insulted even though I knew that he did not mean it that way. But didn't I think the same thing while leaving? What could I do that no one else has? It made sense why he opposed the idea.

"Probably Ayah will surprise us. She does that." Asad looked at me and smiled. I felt elated that he still thought that I could probably come up with something.

"One more hour and we will be arriving at the town." Aqib looked at the sky and then took out his pocket watch.

"How about a race? I am bored." Asad said looking at Aqib then me. I grinned.

"Are you sure you can handle that, boy?" Aqib played along looking at me and smiling at my enthusiasm.

"Ayah gets the upper hand, though. She has Ra'ad."

Aqib shook his head, "Just because she has a good horse does not make her a good rider."

I simply grinned at both of them. I did not care if I won or not. I could do with a race.

"Let's bet on it." Asad announced with a smile and held the rein of his horse tightly. I moved Ra'ad to the other side of Aqib and he looked at me and grinned. A childish delight on his face that made him look years younger.

"On my count - one, two, three and go!" He yelled.

I kicked Ra'ad slightly, knowing well that he only needed a reason to take off. I wanted to squeal in delight as my surrounding became blurry and the hot wind hit my face. My hood fell and I closed my eyes trusting my horse as he galloped. It almost felt like flying and I imagined myself soaring in the sky. It felt intoxicating. I could feel the adrenaline pumping in my veins, I could feel my lungs expanding and I could feel my heart thumping against my ribs. The feeling was completely euphoric.

I leant towards the horse's neck and felt his neck with my hand. I could feel the strong muscles contracting beneath the skin.

You are spectacular, I told the horse.

I looked sideways to see Asad grinning at me. His hood had fallen too, his hair was completely windswept too and his breathing was ragged. I realised I was panting too but I could not wipe out the grin on my face.

Aqib Suleiman was in front of us, looking behind and smirking at us. He won.

"He did it to win. We did it for fun." Asad winked at me.

Yes, I updated. The chapter is very rough. I have been writing whenever I took breaks in between my studies. A lot will change in the chapter when I edit it because my study brain is not the most creative!