“You are Sabit,” the gaudy man muttered. “You are the strong spearwoman. You come from the south.” Sabit lowered her spear point, level to the man’s chest. “You’ve no right to that name. I never it gave it to you. You do not know me.” The man giggled—a blood-curdling sound of wickedness. “You never gave … Read more
Allamu led Sabit on a circuitous route through the camp, keeping them both out of sight of the few wakeful sentries. The boulders near the center were massive, flanking a shaded clearing. A half-dozen men and women dozed in the clearing, their lips and noses marked by the same strange rash of an angry green … Read more
The camp huddled among a field of scattered boulders. The tents, of several different styles, were arrayed in a rough circle around an open area. Sabit saw little movement—not that she expected any, as the afternoon heat was still intense. Sabit move casually from shade to shade, careful not to disturb any of the sandy-robed … Read more
The sun loomed high overhead. The shadows had wasted away to thin slivers of cool respite. Sabit tracked her quarry to a rough trail of hard-packed earth, which she followed, dashing from boulder to boulder, relishing the cool shade. A large boulder ahead offered a shadow broad enough to stretch out in, even at midday. … Read more
Sabit found walking through the night in the vast, open badlands to her liking. The air was cold, but the walking kept her warm. She slept the next day in the shade of a knot of large boulders. Sabit hoped to catch up to the caravan before dawn the next night, but she had only … Read more
A day’s walk along the river—with more attentive step—brought Sabit to a crossroads. Several eastbound travelers filled their skins, amphorae, and jars with as much water as the containers would hold. Westbound travelers tarried in the cool waters, drinking as much as their bellies would hold. A caravan of well-provisioned eastbound merchants—their wagons laden with … Read more
The river was chill, but not cold. The current was swift, but not torrential. Sabit made her way quickly toward the bank. Finding purchase on a boulder half-submerged, Sabit’s eye caught something out of place, reflecting the sunlight from beneath the murky water’s surface. Swimming closer, she grasped a necklace of finely-wrought silver chains as … Read more
Sabit’s reverie nearly ended her life. The warrior’s foot was poised to step upon a sleeping bear cub when the mother’s roar shook Sabit from her thoughts. Instinct lowered her iron-tipped spear to face the mother’s charge, the butt set firm against a root. The hillside was steep. The mother bear charged up through underbrush … Read more
The first tale of Sabit the Wayfarer, Blossom of Ruin, starts on Tuesday. Blurb: Sabit lives by her wits and her spear. When a cutpurse makes off with a bauble, what will Sabit risk to regain what is hers? What bitter, uncanny fruit will bloom from her thirst for vengeance, or justice? This story will … Read more