Thief

Chapter 13

---Nadir's POV---

Wind churned the sand violently, tugging at my clothes and hair as if desperately wanting to rip whatever meager belongings I had. It howled in my ears and chilled my spine while Tahir nickered in protest, ears swiveling back and forth.

I couldn't blame the poor horse from getting ornery ; having to constantly blink against the razor-sharp particles of sand as it rasped against your exposed limbs was starting to get more painful than annoying.

Even the scarf I had pulled up my face wasn't enough to prevent the sand from making my exposed cheekbones feel raw to the touch. The air was hot and dry in this blasted sand storm and if I had known it was on its way, I would've set up camp earlier or rushed to the nearest settlements to wait it out.

Instead, I had been overwhelmed by the sudden storm and now I could barely see where Tahir was going. I relied purely on his instincts to guide us to safety soon. He was already providing me with some shelter, as I had leaned low over his neck to seek some refuge from the biting and scorching hot sand.

A sound in the distance made me look up and Tahir neighed eagerly, hooves digging in the sand and picking up speed. Ahead, lanterns were rattling against the gate, the guard beside it waving his own hand-held lantern to draw my attention.

"Salam alaykum." I greeted tiredly (Peace be upon you.), guiding Tahir through the gates as the man nodded and swung his lantern towards the tower before the gates were slowly lowered. "Wa alaykum as-salam. Though, nothing peaceful comes of this storm." (And peace be upon you as well.)

The man was armed to the teeth, holding the lantern up proudly as he guided me further into the small village. "You were lucky our lookouts spotted you when you passed. Our scholars have predicted heavy rainfall and during a storm like this, flashfloods can surprise anyone in the blink of an eye."

I nodded, dismounting and guiding Tahir towards the stables, happy that the nearby buildings provided some meager protection against the burning sand. The guard pointed towards the stables near the inn. "We want no troubles here Sir, so I pray you be on your best behavior during your stay."

The guard didn't wait for my affirmative response and quickly rushed back to the tower, no doubt waiting to guide anymore lost travelers to the city. I shrugged it off and handed Tahir over to the stable boy, providing the lad with an extra coin as he stared up in awe at the massive stallion.

He pocketed the trinket eagerly and I could tell that even without the added incentive to care for Tahir, the boy was already more than eager to get close and personal with the horse. All the way down to the stallion's stable, the teen was smiling giddily, talking to Tahir with a soft voice and grinning whenever the soft natured stallion nickered and tossed his head as if in agreement.

I watched for a moment longer to see the teen picking up a brush, which usually wasn't mandatory for the stable boys. He calmly started scrubbing every inch of Tahir's fur and I knew that when I left here, my horse would be in pristine health, shimmering fur and all.

A weight settled on my shoulders as I turned away and headed for the inn, buying myself a simple meal and drink before settling into the mass of costumers. Women in shawls and shimmering trinkets dangling from their wrists, wagging their tongue over the newest town gossip were seated in the far corner of the establishment, a few families with their children occupying the middle of the room while the side tables and comfortable couches were mostly used by men sharing a water pipe under hushed conversations.

My shoulders slumped as I focused on the meal, making myself as uninteresting as possible to avoid attention. It was much easier to listen into conversations if you seemed out of sorts, apparently not paying any attention to your surroundings.