Gold to Dust

Chapter One

One

   The euphoric sensation of a chilled breeze brushing over her skin made Ellegra want to scream out in sheer relief. She probably would have cried right then and there if not for the fact that every inch of her was completely dry. She was too exhausted to even think about throwing her arms into the air and pulling the muscles of her face into a smile. Her tongue scratched along the inside of her throat, about as dry as the desert they'd just crossed over. The sand beneath her feet that had seemed like an unbearable nuisance days ago now felt like heaven. The way it coddled and cushioned her feet made her knees quake and threaten to buckle under her. The moon shimmered along the surface of the blowing sand, throwing glittering grains in front of her and against the backs of her legs, and for the moment she didn't care about it. Nothing bothered her anymore. Nothing could take her attention away from the beautiful city below her.

   The flicker of fires glowing inside the iron sconces burned idly in the night. Homes and markethouses were almost entirely bathed in light burning from the torches hung on walls and the lamplights standing tall in the streets. Several figures walked up and down the near-empty unpaved roads, heading this way and that, oblivious of the two foreigners standing above them on the sand dune.

   So captivated by the beauty of civilization and the sight of actual people for the first time in weeks, Ellegra had forgotten about the younger girl staggering behind her, and jumped with a start at the sound of Tamshie's body thudding to the ground, spraying sand against her legs and once again bringing back the resentment for the tiny grains. Glancing down at her feet Ellegra gently nudged the toe of her worn boot into the girl's thin shoulder, eliciting no other response than a groan. She sighed and stared back down at the city of Shuvask, still amazed at how the sight seemed so different from the one she was so used to—sand roads instead of paved, stone houses instead of wooden ones, a large oasis and well with a pump instead of a statue. The Mastran's palace was nowhere in sight, yet somehow the feel of the city was plenty refined and polished to almost perfection.

   Tamshie let out a light snore, and the sound of it made Ellegra's stomach tighten and her throat constrict. Almost done, she told herself and urged her muscles to move into action. Turning her back to the torches and floating shadows of homes, Ellegra wrapped her kerchief around her face and bent down to help Tamshie to her feet. The girl immediately let out a howl of pain. Every inch of her was covered with red splotches except for the dry flakes of her chapped lips. Rubbing the sunburns on her arms, she heaved herself to her feet and began stumbling down the hill. Exhaustion was the heaviest thing in her body, tipping her over and carrying her nearly a quarter way down the dune before Ellegra caught her. She felt around the inside of the money purse tied to her waistband and fished out three senzis, clutching them in her hands. "I'll go down there and find somewhere to sleep," she started. Tamshie merely nodded, eyes both empty and exhausted. "I'll take you to the back entrance if they have one. If not you'll have to do your best to blend in as a man."

   This snagged her attention. "Why?" she asked.

   "Mastran Nazad had it declared a law that women are not allowed outside at night after the murder of his daughter Arina." Tamshie nodded, but it was clear she didn't agree. "He did this to protect the women of his kingdom. They've been targeted for centuries." Ellegra thought back to her father, an image that made her cringe. To most, especially the young girls, the declaration felt like a restricting law of discrimination. To others, however, this was a victory. Their ancestors suffered a lot at the hands of men. To have a Mastran who finally listened to them and acknowledged the dangers they faced was something they'd never had before.

   Tamshie again nodded, the fog in her eyes seeming to dissipate and her retention fade. "The matter of being invisible isn't as hard as you might think," she said. A slight pang of pity moved through Ellegra. "However, I think it will be a little conspicuous if you walk in demanding a room considering we should look like men."