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Like Khanh, Nia was also starting to wonder if she was entirely sane, traipsing off in the middle of the night with her robber down into the seedier areas of Cairo. No matter that she frequented this area quite often; she didn’t usually do it with a man who’d broken into her very bedroom and stolen from her. Did the young woman have a death wish? Not quite, but neither was she very reliable when it came to decisions on what was dangerous and what was not. She tended to get herself in hazardous situations quite often, but she always came out of them unscathed in the end. Was she blessed? Perhaps. Or maybe she was just lucky. It was bound to catch up with her eventually.
But until it did, she had no plans to halt her reckless behavior. Sure, she might end up in the bad parts of town more often than not, but she usually got a good story out of it, at the very least. She hoped tonight would be no different. ‘Panya’ didn’t seem like he was going to hurt her, not since his initial threat, but she knew people’s demeanors could change in a heartbeat. Perhaps she ought to have brought a knife or something, just in case.
I’ll have to remember that next time. As if there was going to be a next time with this kind of situation. Though with Nia… one could never tell.
It wasn’t much longer before they arrived at the tavern her hulking companion had named, Nia preceding him in the door. The look on her earlier suitor’s face was absolutely priceless when he saw them arrive together, and she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She couldn’t blame him—she’d likely have a variation of that exact same look. It was gratifying to see his reaction to his foolish actions reaching fruition. She was willing to bet he had never expected she’d be back along.
“Abasi,” she greeted the man warmly as she and Khanh approached the shocked man. Offering him a charming smile, she brushed her lips across his stunned cheek, wide eyes staring at her in disbelief. “You know, it’s bad luck to give someone a gift and then send another man to steal it. Luckily for you, I’m quite a forgiving woman.” Reaching up, she lightly stroked her knuckles across his face. “The gods on the other hand? Who knows? Hopefully they shall be as forgiving as I am, yes?”
Looking back at ‘Panya,’ she pulled a face before looking again at Abasi. “I did quite like that necklace, though. It was a shame to watch it leave in someone else’s hands.” Cocking an eyebrow at him, she tilted her head. “Perhaps you might make it up to me, though? Just for the inconvenience of coming all the way out here, I’m sure you understand…”
“M-make it up to you? How?” the man drunkenly stammered, still looking between her and Khanh with patent disbelief. Was he dreaming? Moving in a little closer, Nia’s look was full of coquettish mischief as her hand reached up to stroke down the front of his chest. He stood stock still as her fingertips traced over his skin, his breath noticeably altering. “Well, something else just as pretty would be a nice start, do you think? You said you’re a traveler, aren’t you? I’m sure you’ve other things that you can offer as recompense. You were quite rude, after all.” Her hand drifted lower and lower, brushing just over his pubic bone before slowly scooting over to rest on his hip. “I think we can come to some sort of arrangement, don’t you?”
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Like Khanh, Nia was also starting to wonder if she was entirely sane, traipsing off in the middle of the night with her robber down into the seedier areas of Cairo. No matter that she frequented this area quite often; she didn’t usually do it with a man who’d broken into her very bedroom and stolen from her. Did the young woman have a death wish? Not quite, but neither was she very reliable when it came to decisions on what was dangerous and what was not. She tended to get herself in hazardous situations quite often, but she always came out of them unscathed in the end. Was she blessed? Perhaps. Or maybe she was just lucky. It was bound to catch up with her eventually.
But until it did, she had no plans to halt her reckless behavior. Sure, she might end up in the bad parts of town more often than not, but she usually got a good story out of it, at the very least. She hoped tonight would be no different. ‘Panya’ didn’t seem like he was going to hurt her, not since his initial threat, but she knew people’s demeanors could change in a heartbeat. Perhaps she ought to have brought a knife or something, just in case.
I’ll have to remember that next time. As if there was going to be a next time with this kind of situation. Though with Nia… one could never tell.
It wasn’t much longer before they arrived at the tavern her hulking companion had named, Nia preceding him in the door. The look on her earlier suitor’s face was absolutely priceless when he saw them arrive together, and she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She couldn’t blame him—she’d likely have a variation of that exact same look. It was gratifying to see his reaction to his foolish actions reaching fruition. She was willing to bet he had never expected she’d be back along.
“Abasi,” she greeted the man warmly as she and Khanh approached the shocked man. Offering him a charming smile, she brushed her lips across his stunned cheek, wide eyes staring at her in disbelief. “You know, it’s bad luck to give someone a gift and then send another man to steal it. Luckily for you, I’m quite a forgiving woman.” Reaching up, she lightly stroked her knuckles across his face. “The gods on the other hand? Who knows? Hopefully they shall be as forgiving as I am, yes?”
Looking back at ‘Panya,’ she pulled a face before looking again at Abasi. “I did quite like that necklace, though. It was a shame to watch it leave in someone else’s hands.” Cocking an eyebrow at him, she tilted her head. “Perhaps you might make it up to me, though? Just for the inconvenience of coming all the way out here, I’m sure you understand…”
“M-make it up to you? How?” the man drunkenly stammered, still looking between her and Khanh with patent disbelief. Was he dreaming? Moving in a little closer, Nia’s look was full of coquettish mischief as her hand reached up to stroke down the front of his chest. He stood stock still as her fingertips traced over his skin, his breath noticeably altering. “Well, something else just as pretty would be a nice start, do you think? You said you’re a traveler, aren’t you? I’m sure you’ve other things that you can offer as recompense. You were quite rude, after all.” Her hand drifted lower and lower, brushing just over his pubic bone before slowly scooting over to rest on his hip. “I think we can come to some sort of arrangement, don’t you?”
Like Khanh, Nia was also starting to wonder if she was entirely sane, traipsing off in the middle of the night with her robber down into the seedier areas of Cairo. No matter that she frequented this area quite often; she didn’t usually do it with a man who’d broken into her very bedroom and stolen from her. Did the young woman have a death wish? Not quite, but neither was she very reliable when it came to decisions on what was dangerous and what was not. She tended to get herself in hazardous situations quite often, but she always came out of them unscathed in the end. Was she blessed? Perhaps. Or maybe she was just lucky. It was bound to catch up with her eventually.
But until it did, she had no plans to halt her reckless behavior. Sure, she might end up in the bad parts of town more often than not, but she usually got a good story out of it, at the very least. She hoped tonight would be no different. ‘Panya’ didn’t seem like he was going to hurt her, not since his initial threat, but she knew people’s demeanors could change in a heartbeat. Perhaps she ought to have brought a knife or something, just in case.
I’ll have to remember that next time. As if there was going to be a next time with this kind of situation. Though with Nia… one could never tell.
It wasn’t much longer before they arrived at the tavern her hulking companion had named, Nia preceding him in the door. The look on her earlier suitor’s face was absolutely priceless when he saw them arrive together, and she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She couldn’t blame him—she’d likely have a variation of that exact same look. It was gratifying to see his reaction to his foolish actions reaching fruition. She was willing to bet he had never expected she’d be back along.
“Abasi,” she greeted the man warmly as she and Khanh approached the shocked man. Offering him a charming smile, she brushed her lips across his stunned cheek, wide eyes staring at her in disbelief. “You know, it’s bad luck to give someone a gift and then send another man to steal it. Luckily for you, I’m quite a forgiving woman.” Reaching up, she lightly stroked her knuckles across his face. “The gods on the other hand? Who knows? Hopefully they shall be as forgiving as I am, yes?”
Looking back at ‘Panya,’ she pulled a face before looking again at Abasi. “I did quite like that necklace, though. It was a shame to watch it leave in someone else’s hands.” Cocking an eyebrow at him, she tilted her head. “Perhaps you might make it up to me, though? Just for the inconvenience of coming all the way out here, I’m sure you understand…”
“M-make it up to you? How?” the man drunkenly stammered, still looking between her and Khanh with patent disbelief. Was he dreaming? Moving in a little closer, Nia’s look was full of coquettish mischief as her hand reached up to stroke down the front of his chest. He stood stock still as her fingertips traced over his skin, his breath noticeably altering. “Well, something else just as pretty would be a nice start, do you think? You said you’re a traveler, aren’t you? I’m sure you’ve other things that you can offer as recompense. You were quite rude, after all.” Her hand drifted lower and lower, brushing just over his pubic bone before slowly scooting over to rest on his hip. “I think we can come to some sort of arrangement, don’t you?”
Khanh turned when she laughed and swiveled to follow her movements as she stepped around him and down to Abasi. He watched as she kissed Abasi’s cheek, stroked it, and then scolded him in the gentlest of ways. Like they were amazing friends, which he knew not to be the case. She’d said as much. Khanh’s mouth curved upward and his eyes crinkled at Abasi, who was flustered beyond reason by Nia’s attentions and her scolding.
Like Khanh, Abasi didn’t appear to quite know what to do with her. Because she was of a noble house, she got away with a lot more than a poor woman would. He was also interested to see how far she’d take this and if she’d really gut this man for everything he was worth. Khanh would make extra sure this idiot kept up his end of the deal on the horse. Whatever else they could score was a bonus. She glanced back at him and he resisted a bigger smile at the face she pulled.
While Abasi was distracted with Nia’s hand going in all the places it shouldn’t, Khanh was walking back out of the tavern and over to the small stable to see which of these horses belonged to this buffoon. With the stable boys asleep, and groggy when he woke them, he couldn’t get out of them which of the nags belonged to the rich man. That meant Khanh was back inside again, walking up to Nia and Abasi.
“So what arrangements have you made?” he asked, crossing his arms, and then added, “I do think you’re intending to keep our arrangement, right Abasi?” He clapped the smaller man hard enough on the back that Abasi collided with Nia, stumbled a little past her, and fell flat on his face. Khanh gave Nia a look. “Was he still talking or did you make him embarrass himself in this room?” Well. More embarrassed. There wasn’t much worse than getting bested by a girl with other people to witness the shame of your own incompetence.
The room around them was mostly empty and still busy being emptied out. The predawn hours were swiftly turning into actual morning and people were exhausted. Not Khanh. He was still wired and ready enough for anything. His whole life was at night.
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Khanh turned when she laughed and swiveled to follow her movements as she stepped around him and down to Abasi. He watched as she kissed Abasi’s cheek, stroked it, and then scolded him in the gentlest of ways. Like they were amazing friends, which he knew not to be the case. She’d said as much. Khanh’s mouth curved upward and his eyes crinkled at Abasi, who was flustered beyond reason by Nia’s attentions and her scolding.
Like Khanh, Abasi didn’t appear to quite know what to do with her. Because she was of a noble house, she got away with a lot more than a poor woman would. He was also interested to see how far she’d take this and if she’d really gut this man for everything he was worth. Khanh would make extra sure this idiot kept up his end of the deal on the horse. Whatever else they could score was a bonus. She glanced back at him and he resisted a bigger smile at the face she pulled.
While Abasi was distracted with Nia’s hand going in all the places it shouldn’t, Khanh was walking back out of the tavern and over to the small stable to see which of these horses belonged to this buffoon. With the stable boys asleep, and groggy when he woke them, he couldn’t get out of them which of the nags belonged to the rich man. That meant Khanh was back inside again, walking up to Nia and Abasi.
“So what arrangements have you made?” he asked, crossing his arms, and then added, “I do think you’re intending to keep our arrangement, right Abasi?” He clapped the smaller man hard enough on the back that Abasi collided with Nia, stumbled a little past her, and fell flat on his face. Khanh gave Nia a look. “Was he still talking or did you make him embarrass himself in this room?” Well. More embarrassed. There wasn’t much worse than getting bested by a girl with other people to witness the shame of your own incompetence.
The room around them was mostly empty and still busy being emptied out. The predawn hours were swiftly turning into actual morning and people were exhausted. Not Khanh. He was still wired and ready enough for anything. His whole life was at night.
Khanh turned when she laughed and swiveled to follow her movements as she stepped around him and down to Abasi. He watched as she kissed Abasi’s cheek, stroked it, and then scolded him in the gentlest of ways. Like they were amazing friends, which he knew not to be the case. She’d said as much. Khanh’s mouth curved upward and his eyes crinkled at Abasi, who was flustered beyond reason by Nia’s attentions and her scolding.
Like Khanh, Abasi didn’t appear to quite know what to do with her. Because she was of a noble house, she got away with a lot more than a poor woman would. He was also interested to see how far she’d take this and if she’d really gut this man for everything he was worth. Khanh would make extra sure this idiot kept up his end of the deal on the horse. Whatever else they could score was a bonus. She glanced back at him and he resisted a bigger smile at the face she pulled.
While Abasi was distracted with Nia’s hand going in all the places it shouldn’t, Khanh was walking back out of the tavern and over to the small stable to see which of these horses belonged to this buffoon. With the stable boys asleep, and groggy when he woke them, he couldn’t get out of them which of the nags belonged to the rich man. That meant Khanh was back inside again, walking up to Nia and Abasi.
“So what arrangements have you made?” he asked, crossing his arms, and then added, “I do think you’re intending to keep our arrangement, right Abasi?” He clapped the smaller man hard enough on the back that Abasi collided with Nia, stumbled a little past her, and fell flat on his face. Khanh gave Nia a look. “Was he still talking or did you make him embarrass himself in this room?” Well. More embarrassed. There wasn’t much worse than getting bested by a girl with other people to witness the shame of your own incompetence.
The room around them was mostly empty and still busy being emptied out. The predawn hours were swiftly turning into actual morning and people were exhausted. Not Khanh. He was still wired and ready enough for anything. His whole life was at night.
“W-what kind of arrangement?” was Abasi’s extremely clever response, Nia biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. It was so easy to toy with drunk men with no confidence; the stakes almost didn’t seem fair.
“Well…” Her hand continued in its idle trail, sliding briefly over the quickly growing bulge between his legs. Eyelashes fluttered innocently, watching the man’s gaze go hazy as he stared at her. “What else do you have, hm? Jewels? Spices? Perhaps some silks or satins?” Leaning in, she briefly pressed her lips to his, fingers clutching hard at his hip. She pulled back enough to whisper in his ear, “I’ll come back in an hour and make it worth your while.”
His eyes lit up at that, the tantalizing promise of her soft skin and warm mouth making his blood run hot. The merchant’s arm slid around her waist to hold her closer, pressing another sloppy kiss to her lips. She kept her distaste from her expression, offering a smile instead and reaching up to gently pat his cheek. “So? What do you say?”
“You wait here.” Releasing Nia, Abasi stumbled back to his room. After only a minute or two, he returned, hands laden with a variety of spices, a couple rings, and a set of bangled bracelets, which he slid onto her fingers and wrists. The young noble woman flashed him a pretty smile, looking down to admire her new spoils before accepting the little package of spices he’d brought, as well. The necklace had been prettier, but oh well. At least she was coming out of this with more than she’d had before.
“An hour, right?” he repeated hopefully, Nia clasping his face between her hands and stealing another kiss before he could say any more.
“An hour,” she promised with a wink, a promise she had no intention of keeping. As intoxicated as he was, she doubted he’d even still be awake in an hour.
Nia looked up as Khanh returned, her mirth barely hidden in the sparkle of her eye. She held out her hands for his inspection before tucking the spices into his grasp. She had little use for them. It wasn’t like she did any of the cooking.
“Why, yes, of course, I mean to honor it,” Abasi said when the large man addressed him, oblivious to the stares and snickers of those that still remained. When Khanh slapped him on the back and knocked him over, the drunk merchant took that in stride too, merely blinking in disorientation and glancing up at his two companions. He held out his hand for the necklace, confident that he was the victor in all of this. Still on the floor, he pointed back toward the stable. “Bay mare in the last stall. She’s all yours.”
“You’re too kind, Abasi,” Nia said, leaning down to kiss his forehead and lightly stroke his hair. “I’ll see you again soon, love.”
She led the way out of the door before she burst out laughing, turning back to look at Khanh. “That was more fun than it had any right to be,” she told him with an unabashed grin, grabbing his arm and sliding a couple of the bangles onto his wrist. “All I had to do was tell him I’d be back in an hour. Can you believe that?” She shook her head with another laugh. “He actually fell for it! And they say men are smarter than women. Ha!”
Unperturbed, she grabbed Khanh’s arm again as if they were on nothing more than a casual evening stroll. “Come on, Panya, let’s go see your horse.”
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“W-what kind of arrangement?” was Abasi’s extremely clever response, Nia biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. It was so easy to toy with drunk men with no confidence; the stakes almost didn’t seem fair.
“Well…” Her hand continued in its idle trail, sliding briefly over the quickly growing bulge between his legs. Eyelashes fluttered innocently, watching the man’s gaze go hazy as he stared at her. “What else do you have, hm? Jewels? Spices? Perhaps some silks or satins?” Leaning in, she briefly pressed her lips to his, fingers clutching hard at his hip. She pulled back enough to whisper in his ear, “I’ll come back in an hour and make it worth your while.”
His eyes lit up at that, the tantalizing promise of her soft skin and warm mouth making his blood run hot. The merchant’s arm slid around her waist to hold her closer, pressing another sloppy kiss to her lips. She kept her distaste from her expression, offering a smile instead and reaching up to gently pat his cheek. “So? What do you say?”
“You wait here.” Releasing Nia, Abasi stumbled back to his room. After only a minute or two, he returned, hands laden with a variety of spices, a couple rings, and a set of bangled bracelets, which he slid onto her fingers and wrists. The young noble woman flashed him a pretty smile, looking down to admire her new spoils before accepting the little package of spices he’d brought, as well. The necklace had been prettier, but oh well. At least she was coming out of this with more than she’d had before.
“An hour, right?” he repeated hopefully, Nia clasping his face between her hands and stealing another kiss before he could say any more.
“An hour,” she promised with a wink, a promise she had no intention of keeping. As intoxicated as he was, she doubted he’d even still be awake in an hour.
Nia looked up as Khanh returned, her mirth barely hidden in the sparkle of her eye. She held out her hands for his inspection before tucking the spices into his grasp. She had little use for them. It wasn’t like she did any of the cooking.
“Why, yes, of course, I mean to honor it,” Abasi said when the large man addressed him, oblivious to the stares and snickers of those that still remained. When Khanh slapped him on the back and knocked him over, the drunk merchant took that in stride too, merely blinking in disorientation and glancing up at his two companions. He held out his hand for the necklace, confident that he was the victor in all of this. Still on the floor, he pointed back toward the stable. “Bay mare in the last stall. She’s all yours.”
“You’re too kind, Abasi,” Nia said, leaning down to kiss his forehead and lightly stroke his hair. “I’ll see you again soon, love.”
She led the way out of the door before she burst out laughing, turning back to look at Khanh. “That was more fun than it had any right to be,” she told him with an unabashed grin, grabbing his arm and sliding a couple of the bangles onto his wrist. “All I had to do was tell him I’d be back in an hour. Can you believe that?” She shook her head with another laugh. “He actually fell for it! And they say men are smarter than women. Ha!”
Unperturbed, she grabbed Khanh’s arm again as if they were on nothing more than a casual evening stroll. “Come on, Panya, let’s go see your horse.”
“W-what kind of arrangement?” was Abasi’s extremely clever response, Nia biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. It was so easy to toy with drunk men with no confidence; the stakes almost didn’t seem fair.
“Well…” Her hand continued in its idle trail, sliding briefly over the quickly growing bulge between his legs. Eyelashes fluttered innocently, watching the man’s gaze go hazy as he stared at her. “What else do you have, hm? Jewels? Spices? Perhaps some silks or satins?” Leaning in, she briefly pressed her lips to his, fingers clutching hard at his hip. She pulled back enough to whisper in his ear, “I’ll come back in an hour and make it worth your while.”
His eyes lit up at that, the tantalizing promise of her soft skin and warm mouth making his blood run hot. The merchant’s arm slid around her waist to hold her closer, pressing another sloppy kiss to her lips. She kept her distaste from her expression, offering a smile instead and reaching up to gently pat his cheek. “So? What do you say?”
“You wait here.” Releasing Nia, Abasi stumbled back to his room. After only a minute or two, he returned, hands laden with a variety of spices, a couple rings, and a set of bangled bracelets, which he slid onto her fingers and wrists. The young noble woman flashed him a pretty smile, looking down to admire her new spoils before accepting the little package of spices he’d brought, as well. The necklace had been prettier, but oh well. At least she was coming out of this with more than she’d had before.
“An hour, right?” he repeated hopefully, Nia clasping his face between her hands and stealing another kiss before he could say any more.
“An hour,” she promised with a wink, a promise she had no intention of keeping. As intoxicated as he was, she doubted he’d even still be awake in an hour.
Nia looked up as Khanh returned, her mirth barely hidden in the sparkle of her eye. She held out her hands for his inspection before tucking the spices into his grasp. She had little use for them. It wasn’t like she did any of the cooking.
“Why, yes, of course, I mean to honor it,” Abasi said when the large man addressed him, oblivious to the stares and snickers of those that still remained. When Khanh slapped him on the back and knocked him over, the drunk merchant took that in stride too, merely blinking in disorientation and glancing up at his two companions. He held out his hand for the necklace, confident that he was the victor in all of this. Still on the floor, he pointed back toward the stable. “Bay mare in the last stall. She’s all yours.”
“You’re too kind, Abasi,” Nia said, leaning down to kiss his forehead and lightly stroke his hair. “I’ll see you again soon, love.”
She led the way out of the door before she burst out laughing, turning back to look at Khanh. “That was more fun than it had any right to be,” she told him with an unabashed grin, grabbing his arm and sliding a couple of the bangles onto his wrist. “All I had to do was tell him I’d be back in an hour. Can you believe that?” She shook her head with another laugh. “He actually fell for it! And they say men are smarter than women. Ha!”
Unperturbed, she grabbed Khanh’s arm again as if they were on nothing more than a casual evening stroll. “Come on, Panya, let’s go see your horse.”
Walking back in the door, he didn’t expect the generous gift of a pouch of spices to be pressed into his hand. More welcome than gold during meal times, spices were an incredible thing to receive as a surprise. Next time he had a meal, he’d be sure to think of her and for as long as he had what he suspected to be salt. Opening it up, he grinned, elated to be right. While Nia and Abasi continued to speak for a moment, Khanh tipped out two granules of salt into his palm and then sprinkled those on his tongue.
The effect was immediate and he pulled a face that was both happy and a little pinched. Thank the gods for the salt. And Nia. He thought of her just as she waved her slender wrist across his vision and brought up her now gold bedecked fingers in his face.
Catching her fingertips, he surveyed what she had acquired and smiled. “I like.” Letting her hand go, he slid one of the rings off as he did and plopped it in the pouch at his hip, giving her a grin and keeping his hip angled away from her if she tried to reach for it. He didn’t care if she knew he’d taken it. She just wasn’t getting it back. Mainly because this was fun.
“Bay mare in the last stall. She’s all yours.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Khanh said blandly, giving a mock bow to the inebriated nobleman. He was pleased with how well and easy this night was going. All he had to do was scale a wall. Now he’d acquired a pretty new friend and made quite the fool of this idiot man. On a scale of awful to wonderful, this night was starting to creep up toward fantastic. Waiting until Nia finished teasing the poor man, Khanh followed her back out into the night and toward the stables.
She burst out laughing, prompting another smile from him. “That was more fun than it had any right to be!”
“No,” he corrected, not fighting her as she slid her bangles onto his wrist. Pulling his arm away for a second, he shook it just enough to get the bangles to clink together. They probably weren’t worth a whole lot but anything was better than nothing. “It’s as fun as it should be. Stealing’s great. Gifts are nice too.”
“All I had to do was tell him I’d be back in an hour. Can you believe that? He actually fell for it! And they say men are smarter than women. Ha!”
He wasn’t entirely sure he loved the track that this conversation threatened to go but he definitely didn’t mind when she took his arm again. What he wouldn’t do was fall under the same spell as Abasi. She’d amply proved that such gestures were quite meaningless. That made her suggestion that they go see his new horse a welcome topic change.
It was too dark to see much of anything at all in the stable. Luckily, the horse right across from the bay was white. That made taking his one easy. The mare’s bridle hung on the stall and Khanh slipped it on, placed her blanket onto her back, and led her out into the open air. Again, he couldn’t see much of her, except to run his hand along her side. She felt healthy enough, at least. He’d check teeth and hooves later.
“Up you get,” he said to Nia and took her by her waist, settling her onto his new horse’s back. Swinging up behind her, he reached around her to get the reins and gave his new mount a few good nudges into her hindquarters. She didn’t want to go overly fast, apparently because all she did was take a few steps and then stop. Khanh kicked her again and got the same result.
“Stubborn,” he mused to himself and told Nia to grab the horse’s mane. “She’s about to go fast,” he said and that was about all the warning he gave. Grinding his heels into the horse, he popped her hindquarter as hard as he was able. That offended the mare so much that she leaped forward, taking off into the night.
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Walking back in the door, he didn’t expect the generous gift of a pouch of spices to be pressed into his hand. More welcome than gold during meal times, spices were an incredible thing to receive as a surprise. Next time he had a meal, he’d be sure to think of her and for as long as he had what he suspected to be salt. Opening it up, he grinned, elated to be right. While Nia and Abasi continued to speak for a moment, Khanh tipped out two granules of salt into his palm and then sprinkled those on his tongue.
The effect was immediate and he pulled a face that was both happy and a little pinched. Thank the gods for the salt. And Nia. He thought of her just as she waved her slender wrist across his vision and brought up her now gold bedecked fingers in his face.
Catching her fingertips, he surveyed what she had acquired and smiled. “I like.” Letting her hand go, he slid one of the rings off as he did and plopped it in the pouch at his hip, giving her a grin and keeping his hip angled away from her if she tried to reach for it. He didn’t care if she knew he’d taken it. She just wasn’t getting it back. Mainly because this was fun.
“Bay mare in the last stall. She’s all yours.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Khanh said blandly, giving a mock bow to the inebriated nobleman. He was pleased with how well and easy this night was going. All he had to do was scale a wall. Now he’d acquired a pretty new friend and made quite the fool of this idiot man. On a scale of awful to wonderful, this night was starting to creep up toward fantastic. Waiting until Nia finished teasing the poor man, Khanh followed her back out into the night and toward the stables.
She burst out laughing, prompting another smile from him. “That was more fun than it had any right to be!”
“No,” he corrected, not fighting her as she slid her bangles onto his wrist. Pulling his arm away for a second, he shook it just enough to get the bangles to clink together. They probably weren’t worth a whole lot but anything was better than nothing. “It’s as fun as it should be. Stealing’s great. Gifts are nice too.”
“All I had to do was tell him I’d be back in an hour. Can you believe that? He actually fell for it! And they say men are smarter than women. Ha!”
He wasn’t entirely sure he loved the track that this conversation threatened to go but he definitely didn’t mind when she took his arm again. What he wouldn’t do was fall under the same spell as Abasi. She’d amply proved that such gestures were quite meaningless. That made her suggestion that they go see his new horse a welcome topic change.
It was too dark to see much of anything at all in the stable. Luckily, the horse right across from the bay was white. That made taking his one easy. The mare’s bridle hung on the stall and Khanh slipped it on, placed her blanket onto her back, and led her out into the open air. Again, he couldn’t see much of her, except to run his hand along her side. She felt healthy enough, at least. He’d check teeth and hooves later.
“Up you get,” he said to Nia and took her by her waist, settling her onto his new horse’s back. Swinging up behind her, he reached around her to get the reins and gave his new mount a few good nudges into her hindquarters. She didn’t want to go overly fast, apparently because all she did was take a few steps and then stop. Khanh kicked her again and got the same result.
“Stubborn,” he mused to himself and told Nia to grab the horse’s mane. “She’s about to go fast,” he said and that was about all the warning he gave. Grinding his heels into the horse, he popped her hindquarter as hard as he was able. That offended the mare so much that she leaped forward, taking off into the night.
Walking back in the door, he didn’t expect the generous gift of a pouch of spices to be pressed into his hand. More welcome than gold during meal times, spices were an incredible thing to receive as a surprise. Next time he had a meal, he’d be sure to think of her and for as long as he had what he suspected to be salt. Opening it up, he grinned, elated to be right. While Nia and Abasi continued to speak for a moment, Khanh tipped out two granules of salt into his palm and then sprinkled those on his tongue.
The effect was immediate and he pulled a face that was both happy and a little pinched. Thank the gods for the salt. And Nia. He thought of her just as she waved her slender wrist across his vision and brought up her now gold bedecked fingers in his face.
Catching her fingertips, he surveyed what she had acquired and smiled. “I like.” Letting her hand go, he slid one of the rings off as he did and plopped it in the pouch at his hip, giving her a grin and keeping his hip angled away from her if she tried to reach for it. He didn’t care if she knew he’d taken it. She just wasn’t getting it back. Mainly because this was fun.
“Bay mare in the last stall. She’s all yours.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Khanh said blandly, giving a mock bow to the inebriated nobleman. He was pleased with how well and easy this night was going. All he had to do was scale a wall. Now he’d acquired a pretty new friend and made quite the fool of this idiot man. On a scale of awful to wonderful, this night was starting to creep up toward fantastic. Waiting until Nia finished teasing the poor man, Khanh followed her back out into the night and toward the stables.
She burst out laughing, prompting another smile from him. “That was more fun than it had any right to be!”
“No,” he corrected, not fighting her as she slid her bangles onto his wrist. Pulling his arm away for a second, he shook it just enough to get the bangles to clink together. They probably weren’t worth a whole lot but anything was better than nothing. “It’s as fun as it should be. Stealing’s great. Gifts are nice too.”
“All I had to do was tell him I’d be back in an hour. Can you believe that? He actually fell for it! And they say men are smarter than women. Ha!”
He wasn’t entirely sure he loved the track that this conversation threatened to go but he definitely didn’t mind when she took his arm again. What he wouldn’t do was fall under the same spell as Abasi. She’d amply proved that such gestures were quite meaningless. That made her suggestion that they go see his new horse a welcome topic change.
It was too dark to see much of anything at all in the stable. Luckily, the horse right across from the bay was white. That made taking his one easy. The mare’s bridle hung on the stall and Khanh slipped it on, placed her blanket onto her back, and led her out into the open air. Again, he couldn’t see much of her, except to run his hand along her side. She felt healthy enough, at least. He’d check teeth and hooves later.
“Up you get,” he said to Nia and took her by her waist, settling her onto his new horse’s back. Swinging up behind her, he reached around her to get the reins and gave his new mount a few good nudges into her hindquarters. She didn’t want to go overly fast, apparently because all she did was take a few steps and then stop. Khanh kicked her again and got the same result.
“Stubborn,” he mused to himself and told Nia to grab the horse’s mane. “She’s about to go fast,” he said and that was about all the warning he gave. Grinding his heels into the horse, he popped her hindquarter as hard as he was able. That offended the mare so much that she leaped forward, taking off into the night.
A playful glare was Nia’s response when Khanh stole the ring right off her finger, half-heartedly moving to snatch it back before he tugged his hip away. Noting the location of the pouch, she kept it tucked in the back of her mind until they went outside and started walking toward the stables. One arm tucked in his, she used the cover of darkness to hide her other arm’s intentions, reaching casually for the pouch on his hip. Slipping her fingers under the opening flap, she feigned like she had tripped, gasping and clutching onto him to ‘regain her balance.’ Sliding the ring out of the pouch in the same breath, she offered a self-deprecating smile.
“You would think with as much time as I spend in the dark, I wouldn’t be so clumsy in it,” she said with a soft laugh, sliding the ring back onto her finger as she released her grip on Khanh. She had no idea if he’d noticed her heavy-handed attempt at pickpocketing, but even if he had, she didn’t really care. She was still riding the high of getting away with swindling her last ‘victim.’ Even if Khanh stole the ring right back, it wasn’t like she lost anything. At this point, she was just having fun.
When her companion led the mare from her stall, Nia gasped in delight, stepping back to make room for the magnificent beast. The stable was dark, yes, but her eyes were quickly adjusting; even in the scant light, it was easy to tell that Abasi had not lied about the quality of his horse. A tentative hand reached out to stroke the silken fur of her black mane, giggling at the curious snort directed her way.
Before she knew it or could say anything for or against it, Nia was being lifted onto the creature’s back, carefully arranging her legs and the fabric of her kalasiris so she could situate herself comfortably across the horse’s withers. Leaning down, she stroked her hand along the animal’s neck with a soft and soothing murmur, reveling at the feel of powerful muscles beneath her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ridden a horse—perhaps not since she was a child. She just hoped she wouldn’t tumble off.
Heeding Khanh’s warning, Nia tangled her fingers in the horse’s mane and tightened her thighs to keep herself on the creature’s back. Nothing could have prepared her for the sudden burst of speed, however; her gasp was nearly a shriek when the mare suddenly took off. Wide-eyed with pulse racing, she held on as tight as she could, grateful for the grip of Khanh’s arm around her waist. Without it, she was certain she would have fallen.
Delighted laughter streamed behind them as the mare raced off into the night, the woman’s hair whipping back from her face and getting tangled in the wind. But she couldn’t care less. This was what she imagined freedom must be like—a fast horse between her thighs, the fresh night air rushing past her, and a strong man at her back, while the sights and sounds of the city quickly disappeared behind them. At this pace, she felt like they could chase the sunrise and beat it to the horizon, and some crazy part of her even wanted to try.
“Where are we going?” she finally managed to ask, the wind almost whipping away her words. Truth be told, at this point, the answer didn’t really matter. She’d already let him lead her off into a seedy gaming den… would the next destination be any worse? Or perhaps they weren’t actually going anywhere; perhaps they really were chasing the sunrise, after all. Either way, she was happy, happier than she’d been in months, and she couldn’t help but laugh again at the strange turns her life seemed to take. Who would have thought she’d be riding off to gods know where in the middle of the night with the man who’d robbed her barely an hour before, laughing her head off as hooves beat up the dust around them?
Strange as her life was, all she knew is she wouldn’t want it any other way.
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A playful glare was Nia’s response when Khanh stole the ring right off her finger, half-heartedly moving to snatch it back before he tugged his hip away. Noting the location of the pouch, she kept it tucked in the back of her mind until they went outside and started walking toward the stables. One arm tucked in his, she used the cover of darkness to hide her other arm’s intentions, reaching casually for the pouch on his hip. Slipping her fingers under the opening flap, she feigned like she had tripped, gasping and clutching onto him to ‘regain her balance.’ Sliding the ring out of the pouch in the same breath, she offered a self-deprecating smile.
“You would think with as much time as I spend in the dark, I wouldn’t be so clumsy in it,” she said with a soft laugh, sliding the ring back onto her finger as she released her grip on Khanh. She had no idea if he’d noticed her heavy-handed attempt at pickpocketing, but even if he had, she didn’t really care. She was still riding the high of getting away with swindling her last ‘victim.’ Even if Khanh stole the ring right back, it wasn’t like she lost anything. At this point, she was just having fun.
When her companion led the mare from her stall, Nia gasped in delight, stepping back to make room for the magnificent beast. The stable was dark, yes, but her eyes were quickly adjusting; even in the scant light, it was easy to tell that Abasi had not lied about the quality of his horse. A tentative hand reached out to stroke the silken fur of her black mane, giggling at the curious snort directed her way.
Before she knew it or could say anything for or against it, Nia was being lifted onto the creature’s back, carefully arranging her legs and the fabric of her kalasiris so she could situate herself comfortably across the horse’s withers. Leaning down, she stroked her hand along the animal’s neck with a soft and soothing murmur, reveling at the feel of powerful muscles beneath her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ridden a horse—perhaps not since she was a child. She just hoped she wouldn’t tumble off.
Heeding Khanh’s warning, Nia tangled her fingers in the horse’s mane and tightened her thighs to keep herself on the creature’s back. Nothing could have prepared her for the sudden burst of speed, however; her gasp was nearly a shriek when the mare suddenly took off. Wide-eyed with pulse racing, she held on as tight as she could, grateful for the grip of Khanh’s arm around her waist. Without it, she was certain she would have fallen.
Delighted laughter streamed behind them as the mare raced off into the night, the woman’s hair whipping back from her face and getting tangled in the wind. But she couldn’t care less. This was what she imagined freedom must be like—a fast horse between her thighs, the fresh night air rushing past her, and a strong man at her back, while the sights and sounds of the city quickly disappeared behind them. At this pace, she felt like they could chase the sunrise and beat it to the horizon, and some crazy part of her even wanted to try.
“Where are we going?” she finally managed to ask, the wind almost whipping away her words. Truth be told, at this point, the answer didn’t really matter. She’d already let him lead her off into a seedy gaming den… would the next destination be any worse? Or perhaps they weren’t actually going anywhere; perhaps they really were chasing the sunrise, after all. Either way, she was happy, happier than she’d been in months, and she couldn’t help but laugh again at the strange turns her life seemed to take. Who would have thought she’d be riding off to gods know where in the middle of the night with the man who’d robbed her barely an hour before, laughing her head off as hooves beat up the dust around them?
Strange as her life was, all she knew is she wouldn’t want it any other way.
A playful glare was Nia’s response when Khanh stole the ring right off her finger, half-heartedly moving to snatch it back before he tugged his hip away. Noting the location of the pouch, she kept it tucked in the back of her mind until they went outside and started walking toward the stables. One arm tucked in his, she used the cover of darkness to hide her other arm’s intentions, reaching casually for the pouch on his hip. Slipping her fingers under the opening flap, she feigned like she had tripped, gasping and clutching onto him to ‘regain her balance.’ Sliding the ring out of the pouch in the same breath, she offered a self-deprecating smile.
“You would think with as much time as I spend in the dark, I wouldn’t be so clumsy in it,” she said with a soft laugh, sliding the ring back onto her finger as she released her grip on Khanh. She had no idea if he’d noticed her heavy-handed attempt at pickpocketing, but even if he had, she didn’t really care. She was still riding the high of getting away with swindling her last ‘victim.’ Even if Khanh stole the ring right back, it wasn’t like she lost anything. At this point, she was just having fun.
When her companion led the mare from her stall, Nia gasped in delight, stepping back to make room for the magnificent beast. The stable was dark, yes, but her eyes were quickly adjusting; even in the scant light, it was easy to tell that Abasi had not lied about the quality of his horse. A tentative hand reached out to stroke the silken fur of her black mane, giggling at the curious snort directed her way.
Before she knew it or could say anything for or against it, Nia was being lifted onto the creature’s back, carefully arranging her legs and the fabric of her kalasiris so she could situate herself comfortably across the horse’s withers. Leaning down, she stroked her hand along the animal’s neck with a soft and soothing murmur, reveling at the feel of powerful muscles beneath her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ridden a horse—perhaps not since she was a child. She just hoped she wouldn’t tumble off.
Heeding Khanh’s warning, Nia tangled her fingers in the horse’s mane and tightened her thighs to keep herself on the creature’s back. Nothing could have prepared her for the sudden burst of speed, however; her gasp was nearly a shriek when the mare suddenly took off. Wide-eyed with pulse racing, she held on as tight as she could, grateful for the grip of Khanh’s arm around her waist. Without it, she was certain she would have fallen.
Delighted laughter streamed behind them as the mare raced off into the night, the woman’s hair whipping back from her face and getting tangled in the wind. But she couldn’t care less. This was what she imagined freedom must be like—a fast horse between her thighs, the fresh night air rushing past her, and a strong man at her back, while the sights and sounds of the city quickly disappeared behind them. At this pace, she felt like they could chase the sunrise and beat it to the horizon, and some crazy part of her even wanted to try.
“Where are we going?” she finally managed to ask, the wind almost whipping away her words. Truth be told, at this point, the answer didn’t really matter. She’d already let him lead her off into a seedy gaming den… would the next destination be any worse? Or perhaps they weren’t actually going anywhere; perhaps they really were chasing the sunrise, after all. Either way, she was happy, happier than she’d been in months, and she couldn’t help but laugh again at the strange turns her life seemed to take. Who would have thought she’d be riding off to gods know where in the middle of the night with the man who’d robbed her barely an hour before, laughing her head off as hooves beat up the dust around them?
Strange as her life was, all she knew is she wouldn’t want it any other way.
He’d be a terrible thief if he hadn’t noticed her successful attempt at taking the ring back. First, there was literally nothing to trip on. Secondly, he’d felt the unmistakable graze of her knuckles against his hip through the leather pouch while she felt around for the ring. The further pull of the bag, though slight, was enough to tell him that she’d taken the ring back. A grin crossed his features in the darkness as she clung to him and made quite the show of lamenting how clumsy she was.
She could keep the ring. For now. He had no sentimental attachment to it and if, at the end of the night with them stealing it back and forth, she ended up with it, so be it. Shai ordained it. Khanh was quite the believer in Fate. Since meeting Nia, his night had been nothing but good things happening. Perhaps they were meant to meet and he was meant to get this horse.
This was a magnificent beast, to be sure, and with the mare’s powerful gallop and smooth gait, even with two people on her back, Khanh felt almost sorry to have to trade her. Awe-inspiring though this horse might be, he still could not keep her. Horses were expensive to maintain. Likely to fall ill, needing more water than he could feasibly supply, not to mention her grain intake - no, he could not and would not keep her. She was going to market as soon as the sun rose and well before Abasi came to his senses and came looking for her.
Speaking of looking for ‘her’, he looked down at Nia. Another beautiful thing he didn’t want caught with after midmorning. She was small, in comparison to himself. Her body fit neatly along his forearm and her back to his chest kept his front warm, despite the chill in the night air. The horse’s gait, though smooth, didn’t seem to agree with her and he was fairly certain that if he didn’t keep her tucked into him, that she’d fall off, if left to her own devices.
“Ride first,” he said around her hair as it streamed over his face. “And then I’m taking you home.” He was familiar with her family’s reputation but it wasn’t really fear, per say, as much as he didn’t want to become known to them. Or her parents, at least. Nia was proving that she was a wild spirit and he very much doubted that she courted much peace within the house.
They were galloping through the edges of the city before bursting out onto the flat, rocky plains of their surroundings. This was the edge of the desert. There was nothing but silver earth for miles and miles, broken only by the occasional scrubby brush or overlarge rock.
The horse found her will to run. She tossed her head and took off even faster, hooves pounding the hard, sandy ground. They weren’t anywhere near dunes and so were in no danger of her sinking up to her knees. Even if she did, though, she was a horse of this region; with slender legs and small hooves, she was made to navigate this sort of terrain easily enough. A thing she proved as she took them flying across the desert, fast enough for the ground to blur and slide away beneath them.
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He’d be a terrible thief if he hadn’t noticed her successful attempt at taking the ring back. First, there was literally nothing to trip on. Secondly, he’d felt the unmistakable graze of her knuckles against his hip through the leather pouch while she felt around for the ring. The further pull of the bag, though slight, was enough to tell him that she’d taken the ring back. A grin crossed his features in the darkness as she clung to him and made quite the show of lamenting how clumsy she was.
She could keep the ring. For now. He had no sentimental attachment to it and if, at the end of the night with them stealing it back and forth, she ended up with it, so be it. Shai ordained it. Khanh was quite the believer in Fate. Since meeting Nia, his night had been nothing but good things happening. Perhaps they were meant to meet and he was meant to get this horse.
This was a magnificent beast, to be sure, and with the mare’s powerful gallop and smooth gait, even with two people on her back, Khanh felt almost sorry to have to trade her. Awe-inspiring though this horse might be, he still could not keep her. Horses were expensive to maintain. Likely to fall ill, needing more water than he could feasibly supply, not to mention her grain intake - no, he could not and would not keep her. She was going to market as soon as the sun rose and well before Abasi came to his senses and came looking for her.
Speaking of looking for ‘her’, he looked down at Nia. Another beautiful thing he didn’t want caught with after midmorning. She was small, in comparison to himself. Her body fit neatly along his forearm and her back to his chest kept his front warm, despite the chill in the night air. The horse’s gait, though smooth, didn’t seem to agree with her and he was fairly certain that if he didn’t keep her tucked into him, that she’d fall off, if left to her own devices.
“Ride first,” he said around her hair as it streamed over his face. “And then I’m taking you home.” He was familiar with her family’s reputation but it wasn’t really fear, per say, as much as he didn’t want to become known to them. Or her parents, at least. Nia was proving that she was a wild spirit and he very much doubted that she courted much peace within the house.
They were galloping through the edges of the city before bursting out onto the flat, rocky plains of their surroundings. This was the edge of the desert. There was nothing but silver earth for miles and miles, broken only by the occasional scrubby brush or overlarge rock.
The horse found her will to run. She tossed her head and took off even faster, hooves pounding the hard, sandy ground. They weren’t anywhere near dunes and so were in no danger of her sinking up to her knees. Even if she did, though, she was a horse of this region; with slender legs and small hooves, she was made to navigate this sort of terrain easily enough. A thing she proved as she took them flying across the desert, fast enough for the ground to blur and slide away beneath them.
He’d be a terrible thief if he hadn’t noticed her successful attempt at taking the ring back. First, there was literally nothing to trip on. Secondly, he’d felt the unmistakable graze of her knuckles against his hip through the leather pouch while she felt around for the ring. The further pull of the bag, though slight, was enough to tell him that she’d taken the ring back. A grin crossed his features in the darkness as she clung to him and made quite the show of lamenting how clumsy she was.
She could keep the ring. For now. He had no sentimental attachment to it and if, at the end of the night with them stealing it back and forth, she ended up with it, so be it. Shai ordained it. Khanh was quite the believer in Fate. Since meeting Nia, his night had been nothing but good things happening. Perhaps they were meant to meet and he was meant to get this horse.
This was a magnificent beast, to be sure, and with the mare’s powerful gallop and smooth gait, even with two people on her back, Khanh felt almost sorry to have to trade her. Awe-inspiring though this horse might be, he still could not keep her. Horses were expensive to maintain. Likely to fall ill, needing more water than he could feasibly supply, not to mention her grain intake - no, he could not and would not keep her. She was going to market as soon as the sun rose and well before Abasi came to his senses and came looking for her.
Speaking of looking for ‘her’, he looked down at Nia. Another beautiful thing he didn’t want caught with after midmorning. She was small, in comparison to himself. Her body fit neatly along his forearm and her back to his chest kept his front warm, despite the chill in the night air. The horse’s gait, though smooth, didn’t seem to agree with her and he was fairly certain that if he didn’t keep her tucked into him, that she’d fall off, if left to her own devices.
“Ride first,” he said around her hair as it streamed over his face. “And then I’m taking you home.” He was familiar with her family’s reputation but it wasn’t really fear, per say, as much as he didn’t want to become known to them. Or her parents, at least. Nia was proving that she was a wild spirit and he very much doubted that she courted much peace within the house.
They were galloping through the edges of the city before bursting out onto the flat, rocky plains of their surroundings. This was the edge of the desert. There was nothing but silver earth for miles and miles, broken only by the occasional scrubby brush or overlarge rock.
The horse found her will to run. She tossed her head and took off even faster, hooves pounding the hard, sandy ground. They weren’t anywhere near dunes and so were in no danger of her sinking up to her knees. Even if she did, though, she was a horse of this region; with slender legs and small hooves, she was made to navigate this sort of terrain easily enough. A thing she proved as she took them flying across the desert, fast enough for the ground to blur and slide away beneath them.
Ride first. And then I’m taking you home.
She made a face at his words, biting her lip on a sigh. Home. Nia didn’t want to go home. She was enjoying her time with her new friend, probably more than any sane person should have. But out here in the desert, practically gliding through the air at speeds she could never have imagined, it was hard not to enjoy herself. It was as she’d thought before—freedom. Pure freedom without anything to weigh her down or hold her back. She wished it could last forever.
Sand flew by underneath them as the mare ran and ran, the young woman unsure of how much ground they were covering. The further they got from the city, the better, as far as she was concerned, for then it would take them that much longer to get back. She was in no rush to get back to the crowded saraaya when she could be out here with no other company but Panya and the beautiful creature beneath them.
Finally, the horse’s pace started to slow as Thebes faded from sight, the tapestry of stars that painted the sky overhead slowly lightening and fading away as the weak early morning rays of the sun took their place instead. The young noblewoman’s face softened as she faced the horizon, a smile tilting her lips at the violet, magenta, and golden hues illuminating the dawn. It wasn’t often that Nia got to watch the sunrise and truly appreciate it—normally she only saw it after a late-night bender and was doing her best to block its light from her vision.
Her lips parted on an appreciative sigh, absently rubbing the side of the mare’s neck whilst her awestruck gaze lingered on the sky. It was even more beautiful out here in the desert without any buildings to obstruct her view and only the occasional bit of foliage to interrupt the display at all. Even if the previous hours hadn’t been as fun as they were, the entire night would have been worth it just for this alone.
“Have you ever seen anything so lovely?” she asked softly, her voice hushed and almost reverent, as if she would disrupt the tranquil scene with her voice alone. She’d watched the sun set over the Nile surely hundreds of times, but somehow even that beautiful dusk just couldn’t compare to this glorious dawn. “Are you sure we have to return at all?”
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Ride first. And then I’m taking you home.
She made a face at his words, biting her lip on a sigh. Home. Nia didn’t want to go home. She was enjoying her time with her new friend, probably more than any sane person should have. But out here in the desert, practically gliding through the air at speeds she could never have imagined, it was hard not to enjoy herself. It was as she’d thought before—freedom. Pure freedom without anything to weigh her down or hold her back. She wished it could last forever.
Sand flew by underneath them as the mare ran and ran, the young woman unsure of how much ground they were covering. The further they got from the city, the better, as far as she was concerned, for then it would take them that much longer to get back. She was in no rush to get back to the crowded saraaya when she could be out here with no other company but Panya and the beautiful creature beneath them.
Finally, the horse’s pace started to slow as Thebes faded from sight, the tapestry of stars that painted the sky overhead slowly lightening and fading away as the weak early morning rays of the sun took their place instead. The young noblewoman’s face softened as she faced the horizon, a smile tilting her lips at the violet, magenta, and golden hues illuminating the dawn. It wasn’t often that Nia got to watch the sunrise and truly appreciate it—normally she only saw it after a late-night bender and was doing her best to block its light from her vision.
Her lips parted on an appreciative sigh, absently rubbing the side of the mare’s neck whilst her awestruck gaze lingered on the sky. It was even more beautiful out here in the desert without any buildings to obstruct her view and only the occasional bit of foliage to interrupt the display at all. Even if the previous hours hadn’t been as fun as they were, the entire night would have been worth it just for this alone.
“Have you ever seen anything so lovely?” she asked softly, her voice hushed and almost reverent, as if she would disrupt the tranquil scene with her voice alone. She’d watched the sun set over the Nile surely hundreds of times, but somehow even that beautiful dusk just couldn’t compare to this glorious dawn. “Are you sure we have to return at all?”
Ride first. And then I’m taking you home.
She made a face at his words, biting her lip on a sigh. Home. Nia didn’t want to go home. She was enjoying her time with her new friend, probably more than any sane person should have. But out here in the desert, practically gliding through the air at speeds she could never have imagined, it was hard not to enjoy herself. It was as she’d thought before—freedom. Pure freedom without anything to weigh her down or hold her back. She wished it could last forever.
Sand flew by underneath them as the mare ran and ran, the young woman unsure of how much ground they were covering. The further they got from the city, the better, as far as she was concerned, for then it would take them that much longer to get back. She was in no rush to get back to the crowded saraaya when she could be out here with no other company but Panya and the beautiful creature beneath them.
Finally, the horse’s pace started to slow as Thebes faded from sight, the tapestry of stars that painted the sky overhead slowly lightening and fading away as the weak early morning rays of the sun took their place instead. The young noblewoman’s face softened as she faced the horizon, a smile tilting her lips at the violet, magenta, and golden hues illuminating the dawn. It wasn’t often that Nia got to watch the sunrise and truly appreciate it—normally she only saw it after a late-night bender and was doing her best to block its light from her vision.
Her lips parted on an appreciative sigh, absently rubbing the side of the mare’s neck whilst her awestruck gaze lingered on the sky. It was even more beautiful out here in the desert without any buildings to obstruct her view and only the occasional bit of foliage to interrupt the display at all. Even if the previous hours hadn’t been as fun as they were, the entire night would have been worth it just for this alone.
“Have you ever seen anything so lovely?” she asked softly, her voice hushed and almost reverent, as if she would disrupt the tranquil scene with her voice alone. She’d watched the sun set over the Nile surely hundreds of times, but somehow even that beautiful dusk just couldn’t compare to this glorious dawn. “Are you sure we have to return at all?”
The horse was incredibly fast and ran as long as he wanted her to. Any time she even thought about slowing, he ground his heels into her flanks to spur her on, wanting to see her endurance level. She was a superb animal, but that was about all he knew. He was not a horse dealer and didn’t ride horses terribly often. Still, he knew enough to know that he could command top price for this beast.
Finally, when he could feel her flagging despite his urging her to continue, he allowed the horse to drop from a gallop to a canter to a trot, and finally to a walk. The horse’s sides heaved against their legs. Her fur was slick with sweat and foam had formed around the bit that she chewed at. Khanh decided that it was time to dismount her and let her have a bit of a rest.
Nia was looking around, observing the sunrise. “Have you ever seen anything so lovely?”
He glanced toward the horizon, giving it a long look. The view was spectacular with a gray haze chasing the dark blue of night across the sky. The soft purple reminded him a bit of the watery silk fabric he’d seen once in a market place, with its ripples of purple and soft pink, both hinting at a radiance of yellow sun just beneath the horizon. Then he looked back at Nia and grinned.
“If I say you, will you slap me? Or will I get points for being charming?” Grinning at whatever response she gave, he finally pulled the horse to a halt and let them sit there for a long moment before sliding off and lifting his hands to help Nia off of the beast as well.
“Are you *sure* we have to return at all?” she asked and he shrugged as he set her down on the desert ground.
“Priests return to the temple, merchants return to the shop’,” he quoted with a grin. “And so must we. At some point.” He turned his attention to the horse, who was glowering at him like he was the source of all of her horsey woes. Which, at the moment, he was. “Why do you not want to go home?” he asked after a little while. “Your bed looked pretty comfortable. I think you’d miss it if you stayed out here.”
A large bird flew above them, toward a rocky outcropping not far from where they were. That told Khanh that water was there and he took the horse by the reins and began walking. There was no need to tell her or ask her to keep up. If she didn’t, it was a long way back to town and there was nowhere else to go except with him, since he had their only ride.
“We can’t go back until the horse rests, anyway,” Khanh said. “So you have time to escape whatever it is you’re running from.”
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The horse was incredibly fast and ran as long as he wanted her to. Any time she even thought about slowing, he ground his heels into her flanks to spur her on, wanting to see her endurance level. She was a superb animal, but that was about all he knew. He was not a horse dealer and didn’t ride horses terribly often. Still, he knew enough to know that he could command top price for this beast.
Finally, when he could feel her flagging despite his urging her to continue, he allowed the horse to drop from a gallop to a canter to a trot, and finally to a walk. The horse’s sides heaved against their legs. Her fur was slick with sweat and foam had formed around the bit that she chewed at. Khanh decided that it was time to dismount her and let her have a bit of a rest.
Nia was looking around, observing the sunrise. “Have you ever seen anything so lovely?”
He glanced toward the horizon, giving it a long look. The view was spectacular with a gray haze chasing the dark blue of night across the sky. The soft purple reminded him a bit of the watery silk fabric he’d seen once in a market place, with its ripples of purple and soft pink, both hinting at a radiance of yellow sun just beneath the horizon. Then he looked back at Nia and grinned.
“If I say you, will you slap me? Or will I get points for being charming?” Grinning at whatever response she gave, he finally pulled the horse to a halt and let them sit there for a long moment before sliding off and lifting his hands to help Nia off of the beast as well.
“Are you *sure* we have to return at all?” she asked and he shrugged as he set her down on the desert ground.
“Priests return to the temple, merchants return to the shop’,” he quoted with a grin. “And so must we. At some point.” He turned his attention to the horse, who was glowering at him like he was the source of all of her horsey woes. Which, at the moment, he was. “Why do you not want to go home?” he asked after a little while. “Your bed looked pretty comfortable. I think you’d miss it if you stayed out here.”
A large bird flew above them, toward a rocky outcropping not far from where they were. That told Khanh that water was there and he took the horse by the reins and began walking. There was no need to tell her or ask her to keep up. If she didn’t, it was a long way back to town and there was nowhere else to go except with him, since he had their only ride.
“We can’t go back until the horse rests, anyway,” Khanh said. “So you have time to escape whatever it is you’re running from.”
The horse was incredibly fast and ran as long as he wanted her to. Any time she even thought about slowing, he ground his heels into her flanks to spur her on, wanting to see her endurance level. She was a superb animal, but that was about all he knew. He was not a horse dealer and didn’t ride horses terribly often. Still, he knew enough to know that he could command top price for this beast.
Finally, when he could feel her flagging despite his urging her to continue, he allowed the horse to drop from a gallop to a canter to a trot, and finally to a walk. The horse’s sides heaved against their legs. Her fur was slick with sweat and foam had formed around the bit that she chewed at. Khanh decided that it was time to dismount her and let her have a bit of a rest.
Nia was looking around, observing the sunrise. “Have you ever seen anything so lovely?”
He glanced toward the horizon, giving it a long look. The view was spectacular with a gray haze chasing the dark blue of night across the sky. The soft purple reminded him a bit of the watery silk fabric he’d seen once in a market place, with its ripples of purple and soft pink, both hinting at a radiance of yellow sun just beneath the horizon. Then he looked back at Nia and grinned.
“If I say you, will you slap me? Or will I get points for being charming?” Grinning at whatever response she gave, he finally pulled the horse to a halt and let them sit there for a long moment before sliding off and lifting his hands to help Nia off of the beast as well.
“Are you *sure* we have to return at all?” she asked and he shrugged as he set her down on the desert ground.
“Priests return to the temple, merchants return to the shop’,” he quoted with a grin. “And so must we. At some point.” He turned his attention to the horse, who was glowering at him like he was the source of all of her horsey woes. Which, at the moment, he was. “Why do you not want to go home?” he asked after a little while. “Your bed looked pretty comfortable. I think you’d miss it if you stayed out here.”
A large bird flew above them, toward a rocky outcropping not far from where they were. That told Khanh that water was there and he took the horse by the reins and began walking. There was no need to tell her or ask her to keep up. If she didn’t, it was a long way back to town and there was nowhere else to go except with him, since he had their only ride.
“We can’t go back until the horse rests, anyway,” Khanh said. “So you have time to escape whatever it is you’re running from.”
If I say you, will you slap me? Or will I get points for being charming?
Nia smiled in spite of herself, holding tight to his shoulders as he lifted her from the mare’s back. “You might have gotten points for it if you’d just said it instead of offering me options,” she retorted, briefly poking her tongue out in his direction. “But I won’t slap you, either. Mostly because I think you could probably crush me with your little finger.”
She shifted somewhat uncomfortably at his line of questioning, lifting slim shoulders in a shrug. “The bed’s comfortable enough,” she muttered, watching her feet instead of him. “But it’s not the bed I don’t want to go back to.” Following along behind him and the horse, she bit her lip as she thought of an answer that might satisfy him, but wouldn’t go any deeper into the heart of the matter. She was having such a nice night; she wasn’t keen on the thought of ruining it.
“Overbearing mother, oblivious father, the same old story girls like me tell time and time again,” she finally answered, her tone flippant and dismissive, even if it was clear this was a subject she didn’t want to dwell on. “I’m sure you’ve been able to tell by now that I’m not exactly like most other noblewomen my age. Let’s just say my family isn’t entirely pleased by that.”
Eager to let the subject drop, she hastened her step so that she could keep up with the much longer strides of her large companion. “What about you, huh? In my experience, men who lead the sort of lifestyle you do, are usually running from something, too.” She lifted a brow in Khanh’s direction, crossing her arms over her chest while they walked. “Most people with happy and normal lives don’t go crawling into others’ windows at night to trade necklaces for horses.”
Before she could say much else, they were past the rocks and approaching a small oasis that had the mare practically straining at the bit to reach it. Nia was right there with her, nearly running in her haste to get there. The ride over the desert sands had left her throat parched and sore, and a few swallows of water sounded sweeter than all the riches of the world combined.
Dropping to her knees at the side of the water, Nia dipped her hands in and splashed her face before making a cup between her palms and greedily swallowing several handfuls in succession. By the time Khanh would have caught up with her, she was leaning back on her heels with a sated look on her face, gazing up at him with a lazy smile. “I was thirsty before that ride,” she said with a laugh. “I think my throat nearly shriveled up during it.”
Rearranging her legs, she slipped her sandals off and tucked them to the side to dip her toes in the water. She was half tempted to just jump in and submerge herself to rid her skin of all the dust and sand, but she wasn’t particularly fond of the thought of wet clothes on the way back. This would just have to do for now.
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If I say you, will you slap me? Or will I get points for being charming?
Nia smiled in spite of herself, holding tight to his shoulders as he lifted her from the mare’s back. “You might have gotten points for it if you’d just said it instead of offering me options,” she retorted, briefly poking her tongue out in his direction. “But I won’t slap you, either. Mostly because I think you could probably crush me with your little finger.”
She shifted somewhat uncomfortably at his line of questioning, lifting slim shoulders in a shrug. “The bed’s comfortable enough,” she muttered, watching her feet instead of him. “But it’s not the bed I don’t want to go back to.” Following along behind him and the horse, she bit her lip as she thought of an answer that might satisfy him, but wouldn’t go any deeper into the heart of the matter. She was having such a nice night; she wasn’t keen on the thought of ruining it.
“Overbearing mother, oblivious father, the same old story girls like me tell time and time again,” she finally answered, her tone flippant and dismissive, even if it was clear this was a subject she didn’t want to dwell on. “I’m sure you’ve been able to tell by now that I’m not exactly like most other noblewomen my age. Let’s just say my family isn’t entirely pleased by that.”
Eager to let the subject drop, she hastened her step so that she could keep up with the much longer strides of her large companion. “What about you, huh? In my experience, men who lead the sort of lifestyle you do, are usually running from something, too.” She lifted a brow in Khanh’s direction, crossing her arms over her chest while they walked. “Most people with happy and normal lives don’t go crawling into others’ windows at night to trade necklaces for horses.”
Before she could say much else, they were past the rocks and approaching a small oasis that had the mare practically straining at the bit to reach it. Nia was right there with her, nearly running in her haste to get there. The ride over the desert sands had left her throat parched and sore, and a few swallows of water sounded sweeter than all the riches of the world combined.
Dropping to her knees at the side of the water, Nia dipped her hands in and splashed her face before making a cup between her palms and greedily swallowing several handfuls in succession. By the time Khanh would have caught up with her, she was leaning back on her heels with a sated look on her face, gazing up at him with a lazy smile. “I was thirsty before that ride,” she said with a laugh. “I think my throat nearly shriveled up during it.”
Rearranging her legs, she slipped her sandals off and tucked them to the side to dip her toes in the water. She was half tempted to just jump in and submerge herself to rid her skin of all the dust and sand, but she wasn’t particularly fond of the thought of wet clothes on the way back. This would just have to do for now.
If I say you, will you slap me? Or will I get points for being charming?
Nia smiled in spite of herself, holding tight to his shoulders as he lifted her from the mare’s back. “You might have gotten points for it if you’d just said it instead of offering me options,” she retorted, briefly poking her tongue out in his direction. “But I won’t slap you, either. Mostly because I think you could probably crush me with your little finger.”
She shifted somewhat uncomfortably at his line of questioning, lifting slim shoulders in a shrug. “The bed’s comfortable enough,” she muttered, watching her feet instead of him. “But it’s not the bed I don’t want to go back to.” Following along behind him and the horse, she bit her lip as she thought of an answer that might satisfy him, but wouldn’t go any deeper into the heart of the matter. She was having such a nice night; she wasn’t keen on the thought of ruining it.
“Overbearing mother, oblivious father, the same old story girls like me tell time and time again,” she finally answered, her tone flippant and dismissive, even if it was clear this was a subject she didn’t want to dwell on. “I’m sure you’ve been able to tell by now that I’m not exactly like most other noblewomen my age. Let’s just say my family isn’t entirely pleased by that.”
Eager to let the subject drop, she hastened her step so that she could keep up with the much longer strides of her large companion. “What about you, huh? In my experience, men who lead the sort of lifestyle you do, are usually running from something, too.” She lifted a brow in Khanh’s direction, crossing her arms over her chest while they walked. “Most people with happy and normal lives don’t go crawling into others’ windows at night to trade necklaces for horses.”
Before she could say much else, they were past the rocks and approaching a small oasis that had the mare practically straining at the bit to reach it. Nia was right there with her, nearly running in her haste to get there. The ride over the desert sands had left her throat parched and sore, and a few swallows of water sounded sweeter than all the riches of the world combined.
Dropping to her knees at the side of the water, Nia dipped her hands in and splashed her face before making a cup between her palms and greedily swallowing several handfuls in succession. By the time Khanh would have caught up with her, she was leaning back on her heels with a sated look on her face, gazing up at him with a lazy smile. “I was thirsty before that ride,” she said with a laugh. “I think my throat nearly shriveled up during it.”
Rearranging her legs, she slipped her sandals off and tucked them to the side to dip her toes in the water. She was half tempted to just jump in and submerge herself to rid her skin of all the dust and sand, but she wasn’t particularly fond of the thought of wet clothes on the way back. This would just have to do for now.
She’d answered his question about why she didn’t want to go back pretty much how he’d guessed she might. A troubled family life wasn’t hard to guess at. He shrugged, not thinking anything at all about it beyond what she’d told him. Fair enough. Her happiness or not, he still had to take her back and definitely would be. She hadn’t ever been in the plan and while he had the ability to back up his rough talk up in her room, he wasn’t in the habit of making people disappear. Not on his own, at least. Usually he left them where they lay. Thankfully for his eternal state, he didn’t kill many people.
His strides across the desert were long and quick. The horse, instead of plodding along in a weary, hang-head fashion, had her head perked up and her ears forward. Air rushed out of her flared nostrils, proving that there was definitely water here somewhere. Horses and camels could be counted upon to find it, like guiding lights. She needed it most, but his throat scratched too and his tongue felt as dry as the grainy sand they walked on.
“What about you, huh? In my experience, men who lead the sort of lifestyle you do, are usually running from something, too.” She asked as she fell into step with him.
He smiled and kept looking ahead to the rocky outcropping they were swiftly approaching. “So many questions,” he mused. His tone was light and dismissive but he thought of dead horses and scarlet red sand. Jerking his thoughts elsewhere, he focused on the clean, pure sand they walked on.
“Most people with happy and normal lives don’t go crawling into others’ windows at night to trade necklaces for horses.”
“I don’t seem happy?” he teased. He wasn’t even going to joke about the normal part. That was a bit obvious at this point that he was no tradesman, no merchant’s son out for a good time. He was just a common thief that happened to have a friend with a lot of vision. “I am nothing special,” he added. “Just me. Panya.”
He knew perfectly well that this answer was not satisfying and it wasn’t meant to be. Luckily for him, her attention abruptly went elsewhere. They passed into the rocky outcropping, under a natural archway made of slanting stone between two rough rock walls. This curled in a circular fashion like this had once been a seabed, to reveal a small dip in the otherwise barren landscape. Inside the dip was a small oasis of water and vibrant green plants. A small palm had even managed to grow and they were far from the only ones here.
A small herd of wild goats drank deeply of the water and totally ignored their presence, beyond a few lifting their heads here and there to watch them. Once the goats decided the humans and horse were no threat, they continued to drink and made no move to run. His mare tossed her head, trying her level best to get him to let go of her reins, which he eventually did. She took off for the water, slurping loudly once she was able to reach it.
He walked along placidly behind them all, even Nia, who’d crashed to her knees at the water’s edge and was taking huge gulps. Smiling, he walked up beside her, looking down. Droplets of water dripped from her chin, in rivulets down her arms. His eyes went down her arms and back up, to her shoulders, along her neck, back to her face.
“I was thirsty before that ride,” she laughed. “I think my throat nearly shriveled up during it.”
“That would be an incredible shame,” he agreed and knelt down beside her, using his hand as a cup at first, but then deciding that he didn’t care about dignity and put his lips right to the water’s surface. He might have resembled the horse on her other side who was doing the exact same thing, though, to be fair to Khanh, he wasn’t making the same slurping mouth noises. He did have a touch more dignity than that.
He lifted away from the water just as she dipped her feet in and he decided to do the same. Taking off his sandals, he put them on his other side and put his feet in as well. There was no fear of a crocodile in this oasis. It was too far from other bodies of water for one to have traveled into it. The worst they’d have to worry about were snakes but he didn’t see any of those either and they were probably scared away by all the animals. The goats were a good indication that this body of water was safe enough.
“Don’t suppose you’d want to swim?” he flashed her a grin.
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She’d answered his question about why she didn’t want to go back pretty much how he’d guessed she might. A troubled family life wasn’t hard to guess at. He shrugged, not thinking anything at all about it beyond what she’d told him. Fair enough. Her happiness or not, he still had to take her back and definitely would be. She hadn’t ever been in the plan and while he had the ability to back up his rough talk up in her room, he wasn’t in the habit of making people disappear. Not on his own, at least. Usually he left them where they lay. Thankfully for his eternal state, he didn’t kill many people.
His strides across the desert were long and quick. The horse, instead of plodding along in a weary, hang-head fashion, had her head perked up and her ears forward. Air rushed out of her flared nostrils, proving that there was definitely water here somewhere. Horses and camels could be counted upon to find it, like guiding lights. She needed it most, but his throat scratched too and his tongue felt as dry as the grainy sand they walked on.
“What about you, huh? In my experience, men who lead the sort of lifestyle you do, are usually running from something, too.” She asked as she fell into step with him.
He smiled and kept looking ahead to the rocky outcropping they were swiftly approaching. “So many questions,” he mused. His tone was light and dismissive but he thought of dead horses and scarlet red sand. Jerking his thoughts elsewhere, he focused on the clean, pure sand they walked on.
“Most people with happy and normal lives don’t go crawling into others’ windows at night to trade necklaces for horses.”
“I don’t seem happy?” he teased. He wasn’t even going to joke about the normal part. That was a bit obvious at this point that he was no tradesman, no merchant’s son out for a good time. He was just a common thief that happened to have a friend with a lot of vision. “I am nothing special,” he added. “Just me. Panya.”
He knew perfectly well that this answer was not satisfying and it wasn’t meant to be. Luckily for him, her attention abruptly went elsewhere. They passed into the rocky outcropping, under a natural archway made of slanting stone between two rough rock walls. This curled in a circular fashion like this had once been a seabed, to reveal a small dip in the otherwise barren landscape. Inside the dip was a small oasis of water and vibrant green plants. A small palm had even managed to grow and they were far from the only ones here.
A small herd of wild goats drank deeply of the water and totally ignored their presence, beyond a few lifting their heads here and there to watch them. Once the goats decided the humans and horse were no threat, they continued to drink and made no move to run. His mare tossed her head, trying her level best to get him to let go of her reins, which he eventually did. She took off for the water, slurping loudly once she was able to reach it.
He walked along placidly behind them all, even Nia, who’d crashed to her knees at the water’s edge and was taking huge gulps. Smiling, he walked up beside her, looking down. Droplets of water dripped from her chin, in rivulets down her arms. His eyes went down her arms and back up, to her shoulders, along her neck, back to her face.
“I was thirsty before that ride,” she laughed. “I think my throat nearly shriveled up during it.”
“That would be an incredible shame,” he agreed and knelt down beside her, using his hand as a cup at first, but then deciding that he didn’t care about dignity and put his lips right to the water’s surface. He might have resembled the horse on her other side who was doing the exact same thing, though, to be fair to Khanh, he wasn’t making the same slurping mouth noises. He did have a touch more dignity than that.
He lifted away from the water just as she dipped her feet in and he decided to do the same. Taking off his sandals, he put them on his other side and put his feet in as well. There was no fear of a crocodile in this oasis. It was too far from other bodies of water for one to have traveled into it. The worst they’d have to worry about were snakes but he didn’t see any of those either and they were probably scared away by all the animals. The goats were a good indication that this body of water was safe enough.
“Don’t suppose you’d want to swim?” he flashed her a grin.
She’d answered his question about why she didn’t want to go back pretty much how he’d guessed she might. A troubled family life wasn’t hard to guess at. He shrugged, not thinking anything at all about it beyond what she’d told him. Fair enough. Her happiness or not, he still had to take her back and definitely would be. She hadn’t ever been in the plan and while he had the ability to back up his rough talk up in her room, he wasn’t in the habit of making people disappear. Not on his own, at least. Usually he left them where they lay. Thankfully for his eternal state, he didn’t kill many people.
His strides across the desert were long and quick. The horse, instead of plodding along in a weary, hang-head fashion, had her head perked up and her ears forward. Air rushed out of her flared nostrils, proving that there was definitely water here somewhere. Horses and camels could be counted upon to find it, like guiding lights. She needed it most, but his throat scratched too and his tongue felt as dry as the grainy sand they walked on.
“What about you, huh? In my experience, men who lead the sort of lifestyle you do, are usually running from something, too.” She asked as she fell into step with him.
He smiled and kept looking ahead to the rocky outcropping they were swiftly approaching. “So many questions,” he mused. His tone was light and dismissive but he thought of dead horses and scarlet red sand. Jerking his thoughts elsewhere, he focused on the clean, pure sand they walked on.
“Most people with happy and normal lives don’t go crawling into others’ windows at night to trade necklaces for horses.”
“I don’t seem happy?” he teased. He wasn’t even going to joke about the normal part. That was a bit obvious at this point that he was no tradesman, no merchant’s son out for a good time. He was just a common thief that happened to have a friend with a lot of vision. “I am nothing special,” he added. “Just me. Panya.”
He knew perfectly well that this answer was not satisfying and it wasn’t meant to be. Luckily for him, her attention abruptly went elsewhere. They passed into the rocky outcropping, under a natural archway made of slanting stone between two rough rock walls. This curled in a circular fashion like this had once been a seabed, to reveal a small dip in the otherwise barren landscape. Inside the dip was a small oasis of water and vibrant green plants. A small palm had even managed to grow and they were far from the only ones here.
A small herd of wild goats drank deeply of the water and totally ignored their presence, beyond a few lifting their heads here and there to watch them. Once the goats decided the humans and horse were no threat, they continued to drink and made no move to run. His mare tossed her head, trying her level best to get him to let go of her reins, which he eventually did. She took off for the water, slurping loudly once she was able to reach it.
He walked along placidly behind them all, even Nia, who’d crashed to her knees at the water’s edge and was taking huge gulps. Smiling, he walked up beside her, looking down. Droplets of water dripped from her chin, in rivulets down her arms. His eyes went down her arms and back up, to her shoulders, along her neck, back to her face.
“I was thirsty before that ride,” she laughed. “I think my throat nearly shriveled up during it.”
“That would be an incredible shame,” he agreed and knelt down beside her, using his hand as a cup at first, but then deciding that he didn’t care about dignity and put his lips right to the water’s surface. He might have resembled the horse on her other side who was doing the exact same thing, though, to be fair to Khanh, he wasn’t making the same slurping mouth noises. He did have a touch more dignity than that.
He lifted away from the water just as she dipped her feet in and he decided to do the same. Taking off his sandals, he put them on his other side and put his feet in as well. There was no fear of a crocodile in this oasis. It was too far from other bodies of water for one to have traveled into it. The worst they’d have to worry about were snakes but he didn’t see any of those either and they were probably scared away by all the animals. The goats were a good indication that this body of water was safe enough.
“Don’t suppose you’d want to swim?” he flashed her a grin.
The young woman’s gaze was lazy and indolent as Khanh sank to his knees beside her, a slow smile curving her lips at the sight of him drinking the water like the horse on his other side. That’s one way of doing it, she thought with a chuckle, her smile broadening while he settled himself next to her. As undignified as it was, it only served to endear him to her that much more—she preferred those who lived their lives without shame instead of conforming to pointless social rules that only existed to keep people in line. Why did they need to be kept in line? Why couldn’t they just… live?
“A swim, you say?” Nia repeated, giving a great show of tapping her chin as if she was considering the offer. “Is this just your not so clever way of trying to see me naked, hm?” Dark eyes sparkled with mirth as she tilted a brow in his direction, though truly, such a feat was not so hard to accomplish. The noblewoman would walk around every day in nothing but her own skin if it wasn’t for those same social rules she’d been bemoaning before. If she’d been born a commoner, such a display wouldn’t have even been looked at twice.
If only.
Her eyes flickered toward the unperturbed goats on the other side of the water, wondering if their splashing would scare the animals away. It was such a tranquil scene with the gentle ripples in the water, the sun painting the sky, and the fauna so peacefully clustered together that she was almost loath to disturb it.
Almost. Nia loved to swim.
Face alight with mischief, she looked back toward Khanh. “Well, Panya, what do you say we make it a little more interesting? How about a wager?” Already, she was undoing the ties of her kalasiris, the gauzy linen fluttering and falling in the easy morning breeze. It was only a matter of seconds before it was removed entirely, revealing beautifully bronzed, unblemished skin and a lushly curved body that made it all too clear why her attentions were so highly sought after. There was no denying the girl’s beauty, and it was a trait she took great pride in, even if it wasn’t one she could control.
She nodded from one end of the pool to the next. “First one to make it across gets to claim the prize of their choice.” Offering a hooded smile, she looked up at him. “If I win, I want to know your real name. If you win, which, you know, doubtful, but you would get to pick your reward. What do you say?” Her hooded smile turned to a grin, winking and nudging him with her elbow. “Unless you’re scared I’ll beat you, of course.”
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The young woman’s gaze was lazy and indolent as Khanh sank to his knees beside her, a slow smile curving her lips at the sight of him drinking the water like the horse on his other side. That’s one way of doing it, she thought with a chuckle, her smile broadening while he settled himself next to her. As undignified as it was, it only served to endear him to her that much more—she preferred those who lived their lives without shame instead of conforming to pointless social rules that only existed to keep people in line. Why did they need to be kept in line? Why couldn’t they just… live?
“A swim, you say?” Nia repeated, giving a great show of tapping her chin as if she was considering the offer. “Is this just your not so clever way of trying to see me naked, hm?” Dark eyes sparkled with mirth as she tilted a brow in his direction, though truly, such a feat was not so hard to accomplish. The noblewoman would walk around every day in nothing but her own skin if it wasn’t for those same social rules she’d been bemoaning before. If she’d been born a commoner, such a display wouldn’t have even been looked at twice.
If only.
Her eyes flickered toward the unperturbed goats on the other side of the water, wondering if their splashing would scare the animals away. It was such a tranquil scene with the gentle ripples in the water, the sun painting the sky, and the fauna so peacefully clustered together that she was almost loath to disturb it.
Almost. Nia loved to swim.
Face alight with mischief, she looked back toward Khanh. “Well, Panya, what do you say we make it a little more interesting? How about a wager?” Already, she was undoing the ties of her kalasiris, the gauzy linen fluttering and falling in the easy morning breeze. It was only a matter of seconds before it was removed entirely, revealing beautifully bronzed, unblemished skin and a lushly curved body that made it all too clear why her attentions were so highly sought after. There was no denying the girl’s beauty, and it was a trait she took great pride in, even if it wasn’t one she could control.
She nodded from one end of the pool to the next. “First one to make it across gets to claim the prize of their choice.” Offering a hooded smile, she looked up at him. “If I win, I want to know your real name. If you win, which, you know, doubtful, but you would get to pick your reward. What do you say?” Her hooded smile turned to a grin, winking and nudging him with her elbow. “Unless you’re scared I’ll beat you, of course.”
The young woman’s gaze was lazy and indolent as Khanh sank to his knees beside her, a slow smile curving her lips at the sight of him drinking the water like the horse on his other side. That’s one way of doing it, she thought with a chuckle, her smile broadening while he settled himself next to her. As undignified as it was, it only served to endear him to her that much more—she preferred those who lived their lives without shame instead of conforming to pointless social rules that only existed to keep people in line. Why did they need to be kept in line? Why couldn’t they just… live?
“A swim, you say?” Nia repeated, giving a great show of tapping her chin as if she was considering the offer. “Is this just your not so clever way of trying to see me naked, hm?” Dark eyes sparkled with mirth as she tilted a brow in his direction, though truly, such a feat was not so hard to accomplish. The noblewoman would walk around every day in nothing but her own skin if it wasn’t for those same social rules she’d been bemoaning before. If she’d been born a commoner, such a display wouldn’t have even been looked at twice.
If only.
Her eyes flickered toward the unperturbed goats on the other side of the water, wondering if their splashing would scare the animals away. It was such a tranquil scene with the gentle ripples in the water, the sun painting the sky, and the fauna so peacefully clustered together that she was almost loath to disturb it.
Almost. Nia loved to swim.
Face alight with mischief, she looked back toward Khanh. “Well, Panya, what do you say we make it a little more interesting? How about a wager?” Already, she was undoing the ties of her kalasiris, the gauzy linen fluttering and falling in the easy morning breeze. It was only a matter of seconds before it was removed entirely, revealing beautifully bronzed, unblemished skin and a lushly curved body that made it all too clear why her attentions were so highly sought after. There was no denying the girl’s beauty, and it was a trait she took great pride in, even if it wasn’t one she could control.
She nodded from one end of the pool to the next. “First one to make it across gets to claim the prize of their choice.” Offering a hooded smile, she looked up at him. “If I win, I want to know your real name. If you win, which, you know, doubtful, but you would get to pick your reward. What do you say?” Her hooded smile turned to a grin, winking and nudging him with her elbow. “Unless you’re scared I’ll beat you, of course.”
The water was cool against his feet, but not anything near what could be called ‘cold’. With the sun beating down mercilessly, there wasn’t anything on this sphere that was cold. He was half sure that the desert went on and on, forever, with its terrain changing very little. Perhaps rocky flats here, undulating dunes of sand there, but always barren and hostile, with pockets of little oasis glades, like the one they sat in. Though he’d been to other parts of the world, he had never crossed over the desert from this direction and he was half right. The desert went on for 700,000 km, though he had no way of knowing that number. For the two people sitting here at the water’s edge, that might as well be the entire world. They’d never, ever cross it and would die in the attempt.
At his offer to swim, his companion had the most delicious reaction; one even better than he’d hoped. He watched her tap her chin as she thought about it and then she asked the question that made him grin without a hint of guilt behind it. “Is this just your not so clever way of trying to see me naked, hm?”
“I won’t pretend it’s clever,” he said. She didn’t appear at all offended and looked to find it amusing instead. He followed her gaze to the goats and then she swung her eyes back to his, with a smile he trusted would lead them into all sorts of divine trouble.
“Well, Panya, what do you say we make it a little more interesting? How about a wager?”
“A wager?” he sat forward, interested even more now than he had been before. Though, his attention was pulled from her face to her hands unknotting her kalasiris. Fabric fell away and his grin only grew because if this wasn’t a clear enough invitation to understand, then he didn’t deserve a second one.
Nodding to the pool, she said “First one to make it across gets to claim the prize of their choice. If I win, I want to know your real name. If you win, which, you know, doubtful, but you would get to pick your reward. What do you say?”
He bit his lower lip, thinking it over. It wasn’t like his name was any huge, grand secret, but he knew for a fact that Nahash would not be impressed that he gave it out at the first batting of eyelashes that crossed his path. That Nia was naked and undeniably beautiful would also not hold water in the excuses. That meant it was just best that Nahash not know about it at all. Problem solved. And he could win this little ‘race’. He was much larger than her and his swimming abilities, while not on par with a fish, were still likely to be better than hers, just from strength alone. With powerful strokes, he could propel himself through the water faster than she could.
Nia nudged him and smirked. “Unless you’re scared I’ll beat you, of course.”
“Of course,” he teased, stripping off his own clothes and sliding into the water. “I’m terrified. If I win, which I will, I want what you promised Abasi, only for real. No empty threats.” If he remembered right, she’d promised to bed the poor rich man who’d lost that bet. Or, he hoped that was her promise, at least.
Putting a hand back against the shore, he waited for her to get into the water. “Are you ready? Go!” He didn’t actually wait to see if she was ready. He simply launched into the water. It wasn’t quite as deep as he’d have liked it to be, but it was deep enough to swim in and that was the important thing.
Goats scattered at their splashing, some running in clusters and some running solo. He didn’t pay them any mind as he swam, thinking only of moving his arms and legs in the most efficient way possible to ensure victory. He was banking on Nia not being a fantastic swimmer. One could dream.
The horse looked on after them unimpressed.
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The water was cool against his feet, but not anything near what could be called ‘cold’. With the sun beating down mercilessly, there wasn’t anything on this sphere that was cold. He was half sure that the desert went on and on, forever, with its terrain changing very little. Perhaps rocky flats here, undulating dunes of sand there, but always barren and hostile, with pockets of little oasis glades, like the one they sat in. Though he’d been to other parts of the world, he had never crossed over the desert from this direction and he was half right. The desert went on for 700,000 km, though he had no way of knowing that number. For the two people sitting here at the water’s edge, that might as well be the entire world. They’d never, ever cross it and would die in the attempt.
At his offer to swim, his companion had the most delicious reaction; one even better than he’d hoped. He watched her tap her chin as she thought about it and then she asked the question that made him grin without a hint of guilt behind it. “Is this just your not so clever way of trying to see me naked, hm?”
“I won’t pretend it’s clever,” he said. She didn’t appear at all offended and looked to find it amusing instead. He followed her gaze to the goats and then she swung her eyes back to his, with a smile he trusted would lead them into all sorts of divine trouble.
“Well, Panya, what do you say we make it a little more interesting? How about a wager?”
“A wager?” he sat forward, interested even more now than he had been before. Though, his attention was pulled from her face to her hands unknotting her kalasiris. Fabric fell away and his grin only grew because if this wasn’t a clear enough invitation to understand, then he didn’t deserve a second one.
Nodding to the pool, she said “First one to make it across gets to claim the prize of their choice. If I win, I want to know your real name. If you win, which, you know, doubtful, but you would get to pick your reward. What do you say?”
He bit his lower lip, thinking it over. It wasn’t like his name was any huge, grand secret, but he knew for a fact that Nahash would not be impressed that he gave it out at the first batting of eyelashes that crossed his path. That Nia was naked and undeniably beautiful would also not hold water in the excuses. That meant it was just best that Nahash not know about it at all. Problem solved. And he could win this little ‘race’. He was much larger than her and his swimming abilities, while not on par with a fish, were still likely to be better than hers, just from strength alone. With powerful strokes, he could propel himself through the water faster than she could.
Nia nudged him and smirked. “Unless you’re scared I’ll beat you, of course.”
“Of course,” he teased, stripping off his own clothes and sliding into the water. “I’m terrified. If I win, which I will, I want what you promised Abasi, only for real. No empty threats.” If he remembered right, she’d promised to bed the poor rich man who’d lost that bet. Or, he hoped that was her promise, at least.
Putting a hand back against the shore, he waited for her to get into the water. “Are you ready? Go!” He didn’t actually wait to see if she was ready. He simply launched into the water. It wasn’t quite as deep as he’d have liked it to be, but it was deep enough to swim in and that was the important thing.
Goats scattered at their splashing, some running in clusters and some running solo. He didn’t pay them any mind as he swam, thinking only of moving his arms and legs in the most efficient way possible to ensure victory. He was banking on Nia not being a fantastic swimmer. One could dream.
The horse looked on after them unimpressed.
The water was cool against his feet, but not anything near what could be called ‘cold’. With the sun beating down mercilessly, there wasn’t anything on this sphere that was cold. He was half sure that the desert went on and on, forever, with its terrain changing very little. Perhaps rocky flats here, undulating dunes of sand there, but always barren and hostile, with pockets of little oasis glades, like the one they sat in. Though he’d been to other parts of the world, he had never crossed over the desert from this direction and he was half right. The desert went on for 700,000 km, though he had no way of knowing that number. For the two people sitting here at the water’s edge, that might as well be the entire world. They’d never, ever cross it and would die in the attempt.
At his offer to swim, his companion had the most delicious reaction; one even better than he’d hoped. He watched her tap her chin as she thought about it and then she asked the question that made him grin without a hint of guilt behind it. “Is this just your not so clever way of trying to see me naked, hm?”
“I won’t pretend it’s clever,” he said. She didn’t appear at all offended and looked to find it amusing instead. He followed her gaze to the goats and then she swung her eyes back to his, with a smile he trusted would lead them into all sorts of divine trouble.
“Well, Panya, what do you say we make it a little more interesting? How about a wager?”
“A wager?” he sat forward, interested even more now than he had been before. Though, his attention was pulled from her face to her hands unknotting her kalasiris. Fabric fell away and his grin only grew because if this wasn’t a clear enough invitation to understand, then he didn’t deserve a second one.
Nodding to the pool, she said “First one to make it across gets to claim the prize of their choice. If I win, I want to know your real name. If you win, which, you know, doubtful, but you would get to pick your reward. What do you say?”
He bit his lower lip, thinking it over. It wasn’t like his name was any huge, grand secret, but he knew for a fact that Nahash would not be impressed that he gave it out at the first batting of eyelashes that crossed his path. That Nia was naked and undeniably beautiful would also not hold water in the excuses. That meant it was just best that Nahash not know about it at all. Problem solved. And he could win this little ‘race’. He was much larger than her and his swimming abilities, while not on par with a fish, were still likely to be better than hers, just from strength alone. With powerful strokes, he could propel himself through the water faster than she could.
Nia nudged him and smirked. “Unless you’re scared I’ll beat you, of course.”
“Of course,” he teased, stripping off his own clothes and sliding into the water. “I’m terrified. If I win, which I will, I want what you promised Abasi, only for real. No empty threats.” If he remembered right, she’d promised to bed the poor rich man who’d lost that bet. Or, he hoped that was her promise, at least.
Putting a hand back against the shore, he waited for her to get into the water. “Are you ready? Go!” He didn’t actually wait to see if she was ready. He simply launched into the water. It wasn’t quite as deep as he’d have liked it to be, but it was deep enough to swim in and that was the important thing.
Goats scattered at their splashing, some running in clusters and some running solo. He didn’t pay them any mind as he swam, thinking only of moving his arms and legs in the most efficient way possible to ensure victory. He was banking on Nia not being a fantastic swimmer. One could dream.
The horse looked on after them unimpressed.
Nia should not have been surprised at the stake he sought to claim, but her eyebrows raised into her forehead nonetheless. Every interaction she’d had with him that night had proved he was a very straightforward man with little shame, but the unbalanced nature of their prizes made her wish she’d asked for a little more than just his name. What was a name compared to what he wanted?
“Quite bold, aren’t you?” was her mild retort, her own eyes watching in appreciation while he shed his clothing. She tried to sound offended, but it was feeble, at best. It was hard to find offense at the suggestion from a man so perfect to her tastes. “I should think most women would slap you silly for such a proposal.” A dark gaze lingered on the muscles of his backside, biting her lip on a grin. “I guess you’re lucky I’m not most women, huh?”
She slid into the water after him, her movements smooth and lithe as a gazelle. Sleek as the grass roamer, little did her competition know, Nia also swam like a fish. She had this competition as much as won, and she knew it. Panya would soon be Panya no longer.
The young noblewoman sprang into action at his abrupt signal, gliding through the water like she was born to it. She paid no attention to the goats fleeing the oasis, arms pumping and pulling her through the cool liquid faster with each stroke while her legs fluttered behind her to keep up. At first, she managed to keep pace with her competitor with a fair amount of ease, grinning triumphantly in his direction. She was willing to bet he hadn’t actually expected her to hold her own.
About halfway across, however, it became clear that she was flagging. He had the advantage in strength and height alike—longer arms could pull a longer body faster than she could hope to match. Damn it all, she thought to herself with a grimace, exerting her muscles to work harder and pull her back up to speed. Reassessing her options, she glanced over at the beefy leg kicking at the water close to her face. A mischievous grin tugged at her lips while she did her best to close that last bit of distance between them.
He’s a thief, isn’t he? So, who says I can’t cheat?
Reaching out, she snared his ankle, tugging back at it to break his momentum. “I’m a sore loser, sorry!” she laughed and called out in semi-apology, grasping onto his leg and using it to pull herself up. Instead of seizing the gap it likely would have caused, she instead propelled herself forward and hopped on his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and doing her very best to briefly pull him under the water with her.
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Nia should not have been surprised at the stake he sought to claim, but her eyebrows raised into her forehead nonetheless. Every interaction she’d had with him that night had proved he was a very straightforward man with little shame, but the unbalanced nature of their prizes made her wish she’d asked for a little more than just his name. What was a name compared to what he wanted?
“Quite bold, aren’t you?” was her mild retort, her own eyes watching in appreciation while he shed his clothing. She tried to sound offended, but it was feeble, at best. It was hard to find offense at the suggestion from a man so perfect to her tastes. “I should think most women would slap you silly for such a proposal.” A dark gaze lingered on the muscles of his backside, biting her lip on a grin. “I guess you’re lucky I’m not most women, huh?”
She slid into the water after him, her movements smooth and lithe as a gazelle. Sleek as the grass roamer, little did her competition know, Nia also swam like a fish. She had this competition as much as won, and she knew it. Panya would soon be Panya no longer.
The young noblewoman sprang into action at his abrupt signal, gliding through the water like she was born to it. She paid no attention to the goats fleeing the oasis, arms pumping and pulling her through the cool liquid faster with each stroke while her legs fluttered behind her to keep up. At first, she managed to keep pace with her competitor with a fair amount of ease, grinning triumphantly in his direction. She was willing to bet he hadn’t actually expected her to hold her own.
About halfway across, however, it became clear that she was flagging. He had the advantage in strength and height alike—longer arms could pull a longer body faster than she could hope to match. Damn it all, she thought to herself with a grimace, exerting her muscles to work harder and pull her back up to speed. Reassessing her options, she glanced over at the beefy leg kicking at the water close to her face. A mischievous grin tugged at her lips while she did her best to close that last bit of distance between them.
He’s a thief, isn’t he? So, who says I can’t cheat?
Reaching out, she snared his ankle, tugging back at it to break his momentum. “I’m a sore loser, sorry!” she laughed and called out in semi-apology, grasping onto his leg and using it to pull herself up. Instead of seizing the gap it likely would have caused, she instead propelled herself forward and hopped on his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and doing her very best to briefly pull him under the water with her.
Nia should not have been surprised at the stake he sought to claim, but her eyebrows raised into her forehead nonetheless. Every interaction she’d had with him that night had proved he was a very straightforward man with little shame, but the unbalanced nature of their prizes made her wish she’d asked for a little more than just his name. What was a name compared to what he wanted?
“Quite bold, aren’t you?” was her mild retort, her own eyes watching in appreciation while he shed his clothing. She tried to sound offended, but it was feeble, at best. It was hard to find offense at the suggestion from a man so perfect to her tastes. “I should think most women would slap you silly for such a proposal.” A dark gaze lingered on the muscles of his backside, biting her lip on a grin. “I guess you’re lucky I’m not most women, huh?”
She slid into the water after him, her movements smooth and lithe as a gazelle. Sleek as the grass roamer, little did her competition know, Nia also swam like a fish. She had this competition as much as won, and she knew it. Panya would soon be Panya no longer.
The young noblewoman sprang into action at his abrupt signal, gliding through the water like she was born to it. She paid no attention to the goats fleeing the oasis, arms pumping and pulling her through the cool liquid faster with each stroke while her legs fluttered behind her to keep up. At first, she managed to keep pace with her competitor with a fair amount of ease, grinning triumphantly in his direction. She was willing to bet he hadn’t actually expected her to hold her own.
About halfway across, however, it became clear that she was flagging. He had the advantage in strength and height alike—longer arms could pull a longer body faster than she could hope to match. Damn it all, she thought to herself with a grimace, exerting her muscles to work harder and pull her back up to speed. Reassessing her options, she glanced over at the beefy leg kicking at the water close to her face. A mischievous grin tugged at her lips while she did her best to close that last bit of distance between them.
He’s a thief, isn’t he? So, who says I can’t cheat?
Reaching out, she snared his ankle, tugging back at it to break his momentum. “I’m a sore loser, sorry!” she laughed and called out in semi-apology, grasping onto his leg and using it to pull herself up. Instead of seizing the gap it likely would have caused, she instead propelled herself forward and hopped on his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and doing her very best to briefly pull him under the water with her.
With victory assured, he took his time. The fable about the hare and the tortoise had not yet been invented and even if it had, Khanh wouldn’t have thought of it. He would never have considered himself as arrogant as the hare, and yet, he was acting in much the same way; not trying too hard, self assured through biological fact that he could win this race with no effort on his part. The simple fact was, he was more athletically inclined than his opponent and, though he was a thief and used to cons and whatever else, it never entered his head that she would cheat to win.
The currents pushing against his body told him exactly where she was at - more than half way down his body, nearer to his feet than not. That was fine. So long as he could reach the embankment first, he was good and he didn’t care if he won by the length of a finger, or by a mile. This race was almost serene. He was more aware of the scent of decaying leaves on the sides of the oasis, the loud clacking of goat hooves, the splashing murmur of water at his ears, than he was of where Nia was at that exact moment.
Her hand gripped his ankle and he found himself pulled backwards as she used his momentary slower pace to haul herself forward. He saw her shimmering, naked body out of the corner of his eye and his mouth opened as he frowned. “Cheater!” his body naturally swung downward and for a second, he was treading water, kicking to keep himself afloat but her arms slid around his shoulders and her legs around his middle, pulling them both towards the bottom. He sucked a last lucky breath of air into his lungs before his whole person was submerged with her.
The spring was a lot deeper than he’d originally thought, because even with both of them under the water, his feet weren’t touching the bottom. Who knew how far into the earth it went? The water’s surface was fairly warm but the further down they sank, the colder the water became and he wondered if there was any possibility of getting sucked into the darkness and never being seen alive again. Rather than find out if that was the case or not, he used his arms and legs to kick powerfully upwards, dredging the two of them up from the depths to break back into the blazing sunshine.
For a few seconds he was blinded and he used one hand to wick water from his face, but the race was lost. Wherever Nia had gone, he was not able to catch her before she reached the side of the spring. Given enough pond, he could overtake her but they didn’t have that kind of room. She’d chosen her moment well and she reached the edge of the embankment first.
“Cheater,” he said as he sliced through the water and met her on the other side. Slicking his hair away from his face, he looked her over and shook his head slowly, a smile attempting to tug the edges of his lips up, but he fought the impulse. Shaking a finger at her, he tutted. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you to play fair?”
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With victory assured, he took his time. The fable about the hare and the tortoise had not yet been invented and even if it had, Khanh wouldn’t have thought of it. He would never have considered himself as arrogant as the hare, and yet, he was acting in much the same way; not trying too hard, self assured through biological fact that he could win this race with no effort on his part. The simple fact was, he was more athletically inclined than his opponent and, though he was a thief and used to cons and whatever else, it never entered his head that she would cheat to win.
The currents pushing against his body told him exactly where she was at - more than half way down his body, nearer to his feet than not. That was fine. So long as he could reach the embankment first, he was good and he didn’t care if he won by the length of a finger, or by a mile. This race was almost serene. He was more aware of the scent of decaying leaves on the sides of the oasis, the loud clacking of goat hooves, the splashing murmur of water at his ears, than he was of where Nia was at that exact moment.
Her hand gripped his ankle and he found himself pulled backwards as she used his momentary slower pace to haul herself forward. He saw her shimmering, naked body out of the corner of his eye and his mouth opened as he frowned. “Cheater!” his body naturally swung downward and for a second, he was treading water, kicking to keep himself afloat but her arms slid around his shoulders and her legs around his middle, pulling them both towards the bottom. He sucked a last lucky breath of air into his lungs before his whole person was submerged with her.
The spring was a lot deeper than he’d originally thought, because even with both of them under the water, his feet weren’t touching the bottom. Who knew how far into the earth it went? The water’s surface was fairly warm but the further down they sank, the colder the water became and he wondered if there was any possibility of getting sucked into the darkness and never being seen alive again. Rather than find out if that was the case or not, he used his arms and legs to kick powerfully upwards, dredging the two of them up from the depths to break back into the blazing sunshine.
For a few seconds he was blinded and he used one hand to wick water from his face, but the race was lost. Wherever Nia had gone, he was not able to catch her before she reached the side of the spring. Given enough pond, he could overtake her but they didn’t have that kind of room. She’d chosen her moment well and she reached the edge of the embankment first.
“Cheater,” he said as he sliced through the water and met her on the other side. Slicking his hair away from his face, he looked her over and shook his head slowly, a smile attempting to tug the edges of his lips up, but he fought the impulse. Shaking a finger at her, he tutted. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you to play fair?”
With victory assured, he took his time. The fable about the hare and the tortoise had not yet been invented and even if it had, Khanh wouldn’t have thought of it. He would never have considered himself as arrogant as the hare, and yet, he was acting in much the same way; not trying too hard, self assured through biological fact that he could win this race with no effort on his part. The simple fact was, he was more athletically inclined than his opponent and, though he was a thief and used to cons and whatever else, it never entered his head that she would cheat to win.
The currents pushing against his body told him exactly where she was at - more than half way down his body, nearer to his feet than not. That was fine. So long as he could reach the embankment first, he was good and he didn’t care if he won by the length of a finger, or by a mile. This race was almost serene. He was more aware of the scent of decaying leaves on the sides of the oasis, the loud clacking of goat hooves, the splashing murmur of water at his ears, than he was of where Nia was at that exact moment.
Her hand gripped his ankle and he found himself pulled backwards as she used his momentary slower pace to haul herself forward. He saw her shimmering, naked body out of the corner of his eye and his mouth opened as he frowned. “Cheater!” his body naturally swung downward and for a second, he was treading water, kicking to keep himself afloat but her arms slid around his shoulders and her legs around his middle, pulling them both towards the bottom. He sucked a last lucky breath of air into his lungs before his whole person was submerged with her.
The spring was a lot deeper than he’d originally thought, because even with both of them under the water, his feet weren’t touching the bottom. Who knew how far into the earth it went? The water’s surface was fairly warm but the further down they sank, the colder the water became and he wondered if there was any possibility of getting sucked into the darkness and never being seen alive again. Rather than find out if that was the case or not, he used his arms and legs to kick powerfully upwards, dredging the two of them up from the depths to break back into the blazing sunshine.
For a few seconds he was blinded and he used one hand to wick water from his face, but the race was lost. Wherever Nia had gone, he was not able to catch her before she reached the side of the spring. Given enough pond, he could overtake her but they didn’t have that kind of room. She’d chosen her moment well and she reached the edge of the embankment first.
“Cheater,” he said as he sliced through the water and met her on the other side. Slicking his hair away from his face, he looked her over and shook his head slowly, a smile attempting to tug the edges of his lips up, but he fought the impulse. Shaking a finger at her, he tutted. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you to play fair?”
Victory was all but assured when she felt Khanh go down with her, helpless to stop the triumphant grin that spread over her features. Releasing him when they were both submerged, a sneaky tongue poked out of Nia’s mouth, wiggling her fingers in farewell as she sped away. The look of shock on his face was utterly delicious, her own face smug when she broke the surface. Clearly, he’d underestimated her, and she doubted it was a mistake he’d make twice.
But she’d relish it while she could.
Paddling over to the far bank, she hauled herself up and sat with her legs crossed while she waited for him to catch up. The smile that rested on her lips was one of bemused self-satisfaction, laughing outright when he called her a cheater. Her shrug was unperturbed, resting back on her elbows while half-lidded eyes followed his progress. Cheater or not, she had won, and there was more than a small part of her that was thrilled to see the overly-assured man brought down a notch or two.
“My mother taught me to play to win,” she replied, innocently fluttering her lashes at him when he came up beside her. She grabbed the tutting finger and lowered it from her face, tucking it in her grasp and turning to face him more fully. “You did break into my room tonight and steal a necklace I quite happened to like, after all. I feel I’m entitled to at least this small victory.”
Scooting in a little closer, she let the fingers of her free hand trail down the length of his jaw, a smirk curling the corner of her mouth. The ball of her thumb brushed lightly over his bottom lip, her gaze following the caress of her finger before flicking back up to meet his eyes.
“Now, I believe you owe me a name,” she said after a brief pause, leaning in to press her own lips just below his jaw. “Cheater or not, I still won.” Pulling back, she offered an ‘innocent’ grin that promised all manner of mischief. Sliding into his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck, the rising sun making quick work of the water that clung to their bodies. Even this early in the morning and this late in the year, the Egyptian heat was relentless, and she knew she wouldn’t be drenched for long. At least not from the spring.
“But… since I did cheat… I’m willing to compromise,” she murmured in his ear before gently turning his face toward hers. Her mouth lowered briefly to his, teasing tongue flicking at the opening between his lips before nipping lightly at the lower one. “Name first, though,” she insisted in a husky voice, the fingers of one hand caressing through his hair while the other rested against his neck. Winking, she added, “And then we’ll see.”
This character is currently a work in progress.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Victory was all but assured when she felt Khanh go down with her, helpless to stop the triumphant grin that spread over her features. Releasing him when they were both submerged, a sneaky tongue poked out of Nia’s mouth, wiggling her fingers in farewell as she sped away. The look of shock on his face was utterly delicious, her own face smug when she broke the surface. Clearly, he’d underestimated her, and she doubted it was a mistake he’d make twice.
But she’d relish it while she could.
Paddling over to the far bank, she hauled herself up and sat with her legs crossed while she waited for him to catch up. The smile that rested on her lips was one of bemused self-satisfaction, laughing outright when he called her a cheater. Her shrug was unperturbed, resting back on her elbows while half-lidded eyes followed his progress. Cheater or not, she had won, and there was more than a small part of her that was thrilled to see the overly-assured man brought down a notch or two.
“My mother taught me to play to win,” she replied, innocently fluttering her lashes at him when he came up beside her. She grabbed the tutting finger and lowered it from her face, tucking it in her grasp and turning to face him more fully. “You did break into my room tonight and steal a necklace I quite happened to like, after all. I feel I’m entitled to at least this small victory.”
Scooting in a little closer, she let the fingers of her free hand trail down the length of his jaw, a smirk curling the corner of her mouth. The ball of her thumb brushed lightly over his bottom lip, her gaze following the caress of her finger before flicking back up to meet his eyes.
“Now, I believe you owe me a name,” she said after a brief pause, leaning in to press her own lips just below his jaw. “Cheater or not, I still won.” Pulling back, she offered an ‘innocent’ grin that promised all manner of mischief. Sliding into his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck, the rising sun making quick work of the water that clung to their bodies. Even this early in the morning and this late in the year, the Egyptian heat was relentless, and she knew she wouldn’t be drenched for long. At least not from the spring.
“But… since I did cheat… I’m willing to compromise,” she murmured in his ear before gently turning his face toward hers. Her mouth lowered briefly to his, teasing tongue flicking at the opening between his lips before nipping lightly at the lower one. “Name first, though,” she insisted in a husky voice, the fingers of one hand caressing through his hair while the other rested against his neck. Winking, she added, “And then we’ll see.”
Victory was all but assured when she felt Khanh go down with her, helpless to stop the triumphant grin that spread over her features. Releasing him when they were both submerged, a sneaky tongue poked out of Nia’s mouth, wiggling her fingers in farewell as she sped away. The look of shock on his face was utterly delicious, her own face smug when she broke the surface. Clearly, he’d underestimated her, and she doubted it was a mistake he’d make twice.
But she’d relish it while she could.
Paddling over to the far bank, she hauled herself up and sat with her legs crossed while she waited for him to catch up. The smile that rested on her lips was one of bemused self-satisfaction, laughing outright when he called her a cheater. Her shrug was unperturbed, resting back on her elbows while half-lidded eyes followed his progress. Cheater or not, she had won, and there was more than a small part of her that was thrilled to see the overly-assured man brought down a notch or two.
“My mother taught me to play to win,” she replied, innocently fluttering her lashes at him when he came up beside her. She grabbed the tutting finger and lowered it from her face, tucking it in her grasp and turning to face him more fully. “You did break into my room tonight and steal a necklace I quite happened to like, after all. I feel I’m entitled to at least this small victory.”
Scooting in a little closer, she let the fingers of her free hand trail down the length of his jaw, a smirk curling the corner of her mouth. The ball of her thumb brushed lightly over his bottom lip, her gaze following the caress of her finger before flicking back up to meet his eyes.
“Now, I believe you owe me a name,” she said after a brief pause, leaning in to press her own lips just below his jaw. “Cheater or not, I still won.” Pulling back, she offered an ‘innocent’ grin that promised all manner of mischief. Sliding into his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck, the rising sun making quick work of the water that clung to their bodies. Even this early in the morning and this late in the year, the Egyptian heat was relentless, and she knew she wouldn’t be drenched for long. At least not from the spring.
“But… since I did cheat… I’m willing to compromise,” she murmured in his ear before gently turning his face toward hers. Her mouth lowered briefly to his, teasing tongue flicking at the opening between his lips before nipping lightly at the lower one. “Name first, though,” she insisted in a husky voice, the fingers of one hand caressing through his hair while the other rested against his neck. Winking, she added, “And then we’ll see.”