A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

[faeythe]

The sun seemed to taunt Tryst from all directions. From above, its relentless rays both burned the skin and blinded the eyes as its merciless rays cast out over the white sands on the horizon. From below, that same sand reflected back nearly intolerable heat even through the leather of her kidskin boots.

To further complicate her plight, Tryst was out of water… And a rough tumble down the side of an impressively tall dune had rendered her lame on her left leg.

This is fantastic… absolutely positively marvelous… really. Quite. What the hell am I even DOING here Tryst pondered for well over the hundredth time. In all honesty she knew exactly what she was doing in the middle of the desert during high summer with no water and a gaping wound in her leg. She was running away, what else would she be doing. At least she could rest assured no fool in their bloody right mind would have followed her out here.

For hours she marched or rather staggered on, pausing only occasionally to retie the belt she had used as a tourniquet on her bad leg.

I could die out here. Really, actually, physically die, she realized sometime well before sunset. It was precisely as she was making this assessment of the situation when a glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon…

Was it? Could it be… she strained her eyes, squinting into the intolerable brightness.

Yes. A being… and not so far away really, when one considered the scope of the desert. She took a deep breath and committed to it. She burst into the closest thing to a run her tired broken body could muster.

“Please! Help! Please!” She cried as she approached the figure amid the dunes. The damsel in distress routine never failed, and she knew it.

[HoudiniDerek]

The mare trotted uncertainly into the first row of dunes gesturing methodically from the desert. There was a stench of death and decay beyond those sandy hills and she was skittish at the idea of entering. Of course, the individual upon her had not caused her harm yet, but she was still wary. A slight nudge and she moved forward again...into the shimmering waves of the desert floor, stepping cautiously and carefully.


Guang sat astride the horse and urged her forward. "Breeze," he said, "We need to make it a little farther today while the trakcs are still fresh." He nudged her again and the mare slowly began walking foward.


*****************

Guang sat the mare at the top of a dune and scanned the horizons for any sign of the prey being tracked. Guang had lost the trail early on and had continued on instinct. There was little hope of finding the prey before darkness, but Guang was methodical. He was about to turn away and head back towards civilization when he heard the screaming.

He reared the mare around and saw a lady struggling towards him...one leg apparently injured badly. He pulled out his sword and slid off the mare who backed off uncertainly. Guang stepped forward.

"Stop right there." Guang's sword came up and his voice was menacing. "I have been looking for you, Tryst."

[faeythe]

Tryst froze. Panic welled up inside her, her heart beat shifting from a dull thud to an incessant knocking that she feared would cut off her breath entirely. Still, as she turned slowly to face the man on the dunes her face remained as calm as the still desert air around her.

“So, you’ve come to get me have you?” She laughed blithely as if she hadn’t a care in the world. She knew there was no hope of getting an arrow shot off with this bum leg. One of the first things she’d learned about hunting was that aim was all in the stance. Right now she was lucky she could even stand let alone properly position herself for a long distance shot. Instead she opted to reach for the twin serrated hunting knives hung from either hip.

“I don’t know who you are, or what you think I did that you think is worth following me across this bloody desert for, but I seriously doubt that it was worth it. First of all, whatever it was I didn't do it! And I won’t go down so easy as you think,” Tryst called out to the blood red back-drop of the sun setting behind the man. She sounded surer than she actually was. She was well aware she was a relatively easy target in her current condition. The run across the sands had left her winded. She was dehydrated, exhausted and more badly injured than she cared to admit.

“So come and get me then, what are you waiting for,” she taunted.

Fool! Blasted fool! Will you never learn, she scolded herself even as the words exited her lips. Here she was harassing when she should’ve been begging for mercy. Typical. She scowled up at the dunes as annoyed with herself as she was with the situation.

[HoudiniDerek]

Guang watched the little tirade with something close to mirth in his eyes. In truth, it was rather boring to listen too, but it was different than other missions he had been assigned and people he had met along the way. As she had raved, he had watched her closely and had seen that her leg was bady wounded. She was probably only going on true grit right now, which was something most people did not have in the Dermun.

Guang drew back and sheathed his sword. "I think you misunderstand me, Tryst. I have not come to kill you, although I would hate to let you live after such a wonderful sacrifice speech." His eyes twinkled and he called over the horse. From a saddlebag he drew a canteen and tossed it over.

"You probably need to be wetting down a mite," he said, closing the saddlebag and climbing up into the saddle. He drew a knife and leaned down over the horse's neck. "I would give you something to defend yourself, but you seem pretty handy." He chuckled.

Suddenly, the horse shot forward and the knife swiped down, severing a lock of hair on the end of it. Guang reeled around and faced her again. "Thank you kindly. I have no need nor want to kill you. What you did back in that village, while not necessarily becomng of a lady, was courageous...and I have no ill will towards you."

Guang tucked the hair in his pocket and sheathed the knife. He pointed to a row of sandblasted trees. "Walk that way and rest with the water. Tonight, walk due west of them. If you walk all night...even in your condition, you should be out of the desert by morning. Take some advice from an old fool. Retire. Next time you might not be so lucky."

With that, Guang turned and rode away from the gully and trees...back the way he had come, leaving the lady standing there with his canteen.

[faeythe]

Tryst marveled as the man rode off, her expression one of utter bemusement.

“Could’ve at least given me a ride,” she called out to the retreating figure though she was quite sure he was well out of earshot. For all her complaints she was more than grateful for the water. She drank it in large draughts, thinking that water had never tasted so good before. Of course, what she could really do with was a nice strong glass of ale. Beggars, however, can't be choosers.

So, with a series of malcontent grumbles she began trudging towards the little tree-lined alcove, dragging her bad leg behind her and cursing it as she went. She briefly wondered if this wasn’t some kind of elaborate trap and there weren’t a half dozen armed men set to ambush her in that little gully he’d directed her to. Unfortunately she would have to take her chances with that. The man was right, after all, she needed a place to rest until nightfall and this clearly wasn’t it.

It seemed like an eternity before she reached the trees. When she did it was all she could do to make it into their shade before collapsing. Thankfully there were no assassins hiding in the shadows, and she felt at least marginally safe lying down to wait out the rest of daylight. She would’ve felt even safer if the fire-pit dug out just at the edge of the tree line didn’t look so as if it had been in use so recently.

[HoudiniDerek]

Guang rode to the small hut on the outskirts of Tamasha. He dismounted and tied his horse to the rail. His mare was tired, but they would be leaving right after this bit of business. Guang walked to the door and knocked three times very deliberately.


"Who goes there?" called a gruff voice from the other side.

"Look out the window, you fool, and see for yourself," Guang hissed. The door swung open and a sniveling young dwarf stood there, shaking from head to toe.

"Sorry, sir. We's not expectin' ya' back tonight." The dwarf waited until Guang was inside and scuttled back over to the stove where he was cooking from the looks of it or doing wash from the smell of it. Guang's eyes traveled to the table in the middle of the room where a stout man sat drinking ale.

"Guang, yer quick. You's was only gone a week...you said it might take three." He slammed the mug down and wiped his face. He pulled a sack from his waist and emptied the gold on the table. Guang's quick eye evaluated it and he nodded. The man dumped it back in the sack.

"I will take that now," Guang said. He held out his hand and the man threw it nicely onto his palm. Guang pocketed it and pulled out the braid he had knicked from Tryst. He had wrapped it around a stone and he threw it to the table.

"Wot's this?" he growled. His eyes narrowed and his hands began to flex. Guang looked at him with disinterest and he began to calm down.

"That is all that was left of her. I felt no need to pack up the bones that the buzzards left. My horse would have died and you would not have your satisfaction. Your wound to the leg killed her...that and the Dermun...she was a fool."

"Good. Join me for a drink." He lifted his glass and drank deeply, sloshing most of it on his shirt.

"Another time." He nodded and headed outside. He got the mare and rode off towards Tamasha.


**************************

It was dawn the next day when he rode into Ishlet...the small village he had told Tryst to run too. He had gone to town the night before and traded horses, getting a strong mustang for the long and twisty ride. Now, he was back within sight of the desert and needful of rest.

He stabled his horse and got some food at the only inn in town, listening for news of a hurt woman. He paid for his meal and walked outside to stretch. He did not see her. Well, he would get some supplies and rest today. If she was not here by tonight or tomorrow, he would go look for her...if she was still alive....