“I will take your eight silver qirsh for that trouble-making wretch you wanted.” grumbled the slave-merchant Heguir. He walked a pace before Sabit, each step careful. He held his hands folded in front of him, the long, ornate sleeves of his robe concealing the tight ropes binding his wrists. “That was the old woman’s offer, … Read more
The square-jawed warrior looked as Sabit. “I am Heguir’s bodyguard, not a seller of skins like him. If I left my post for your silver, I would be no better than he is. You look as though you’ve known the crucible of battle. You know the loyalty of which I speak.” Sabit nodded. “I do … Read more
The air was thick and hot inside the tent. Sabit watched the two figures facing each other across the woven blanket on the floor. A look of impatience masked her face “We will give you eight silver qirsh for the woman I described,” said Verdandi, taking a sip of wine from a clay cup. “Surely … Read more
As the first rays of dawn washed over her, Sabit drank deeply of the thick brown stuff in the bowl. It was warm and filling—tasting of shared cups of wine, honest sweat, and the savor of a lover’s kiss. Lost in reverie, Sabit dreamt. * Sabit upon a throne not her own. Around her, the … Read more
Twilight had begun to cover the land by the time Sabit finished her tale. The old man pondered, eyes closed, with lips pursed with thought. Sabit said, “By daylight, I am strong enough to face Kehnan and his armies. Wakefulness and action can drive the agony from my heart, elder. But even I must sleep … Read more
The old man led Sabit to a little shelter, not far from the shrine. His home was little more than a lean-to of branches and grass piled against a massive pile of boulders. Inside, he gave her tea and bowl after bowl of boiled quinoa. Before the sun was high overhead, Sabit had quenched her … Read more
Sabit looked at the three jars: the lead of the common folk, the silver of the trusted nobleman, the gold of the king allied to her cause. Her head throbbed from the smothering scent of incense. Her throat burned with thirst. In the pool of cool, placid water, she could see glimpses of Kehnan’s three … Read more
The old man led Sabit to the center of the shrine, his hand calm and reassuring on her elbow. A cozy, open space was filled with the rosy-hued light of dawn. Bowls and plates of copper, burnished mirror-bright, covered the walls and ceiling, catching the dawn and gathering it to a bright, warm glow. A … Read more
“I have come for wisdom,” Sabit said, her voice a quiet rasp. Looking up, she saw a man standing over her. His broad face and plump belly made him seem nearly as wide as he was tall. He wore only a loincloth, but much of his body was covered by his flowing beard and long … Read more
Sabit burned—her throat with thirst, her lungs with effort, her limbs with fatigue, her soul with determination, her heart with hatred. Hauling herself out of the ravine, Sabit looked up at the shrine, at least twenty paces in front of her. The tidy stone steps and carved wooden pillars were still shadowed in the rosy … Read more