Before Dawn

Chapter 1(a)

Jarax was fed up. But he had been brought up as a man who should not complain. He glared at the camel that had insisted Jarax get off and continue his journey on foot, whiles the proud beast led the way to camp.  Sighing, he looked up to the sky and wondered why his dead wife's spirit had decided to reincarnate as his camel. 

Had it not been his cursing at his dead wife and his camel, he would not have tripped and nearly fallen. He straightened himself and sighed again to curse at whatever had tripped him. Realization hit him and he dropped the reins of his camel, falling on the hot red sand.

He clawed over the object and held hair so red as the sand, anyone would have missed it. He continued clawing, cursing as more sand slipped over the body. Frustrated he finally pulled out a hand and felt for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. He hurried over to his camel and removed a rope, tying it the halter of the camel and then wrapping it around the hand

"Choiy!" he called out to the camel to pull. The camel turned to look at him as though insulted his master will request he pull anything.Jarax gave an exasperated sigh and rushed over to his side sack and pulled a handful of fresh alfalfa from it and stuffed it in front of the camel. The animal looked at it, as though considering the bribe and then pulled the treat from his master's hand. "Now, Choiy!!" Jarax commanded with a stern look on his face. The camel looked at him again and grunted and then begun moving. Jarax glared at him and mumbled "Why couldn't you reincarnate into an ant or a dung beetle" he groaned and turned to focus on the body that was being pulled out. The camel made more grunting noises and Jarax rushed back to the body and pulled her hand to help. More of the body was pulled out and he rushed over, wrapped his hands over the chest and heaved. With a little bit more effort, he and the camel pulled out the body and they tumbled on the ground. He turned over the body. It was a girl, looking altogether too pale. He removed a water sack from his side and dribbled water over her dry parched lips. There was no reaction. He tried again, parting her lips to allow more of the water dribble down. She still did not respond.

The camel got interested and walked over to see what his master was preoccupied with. He was not pleased at all when his master ignored him and focused more on pouring water on the lifeless creature. Irked, he promptly bent down and munched on a mouthful of the red hair that spilled from her head. "Adda!" Jarax reprimanded him and knocked his head with a hard knock. This only annoyed the disgruntled camel even further and he yanked hard on her hair before letting go. This seemed to be enough trigger. The girl jerked up and coughed and spluttered out the water. Her eyes focused on Jarax for a second before falling on the water flask. She reached and grasped for the flask, missing her lips at her first attempt before they grasped at the flask head and then begun gulping down the water.