Bab 585: A Reminder
Contrary to everything that Aurora had expected, the first week of the trip went smoothly.
After the initial trek out of Valiant and a night under the stars, Metehan confided in the group that he was transporting dignitaries southward.
No one was very surprised; most had heard the cantankerous complaints of a certain fairy during the night.
So when Reyan and the three elves were revealed, they were welcomed into the group as most esteemed guests. While Aurora and Devrim were not introduced as ambassadors themselves, the Dunesmen naturally treated the two of them with the same respect.
Despite Reyan's complaining, which lessened considerably when he was allowed to see and fly in the open countryside, the travel was pleasant.
If not for the direness of their mission, Aurora would have been inclined to want to vacation at any of the little towns they passed on their way.
Knowing that Metehan was in a hurry, the Dunespeople quickly traded with the villagers for their goods. They kept their haggling brief, which expedited the flow of both goods and money.
Devrim was especially interested in this process. He had only ever been either an orphan with no money living in the mercy of others or an Emperor consort who could want for nothing.
As such he had a concept of how much wars cost but no idea the price of a bolt of cloth went for on the open market. Devrim felt like he was getting a whole other level of education.
"Your people are very adept," Devrim commented to Councilman Metehan as they rode along. "How do they know how far to push someone to get the best price?"
Metehan smiled. "It's a game of bluffs. You lose a customer once and you learn that you don't want to do it again. You give too good of a price, and you will go out of business. Hunger and pride are very good motivators, and in the right measure, they make for a very good salesman."
"Sounds a bit like politics. Having to read people and get them to make just the right amount of concessions to make both parties satisfied." Devrim laughed and tapped his temple.
Metehan winked at the Emperor. "Just so."
"No wonder your transition to the Council was so seamless. You were practically born for the role!" Devrim felt that he finally understood more about the mysterious Dunesman.
Although he had fought by the man's side on the way to the final confrontation with Cafer, the Councilman had not spoken much. These kinds of conversations during the caravan were enlightening to say the least.
For her part, Aurora was enjoying Hadya's company immensely. The woman reminded her of a certain motherly fairy and it was very rare for a lady other than Brinn or Nanny to speak so candidly. While Hadya treated the Empress with utmost respect, there was a nurturing quality to the Duneswoman that made the two get along very well.
Hadya was one of the reasons that the Empress had decided not to split from the caravan and take her troops on a faster route southward. Time was important, but it was not the only factor.
The second reason was far more logical. The desert was vast and hot and the people of the dunes were ever moving. The group would need to stop and restock on supplies before making the final push to the other side of the waste lands.
They would also need to hire a guide to help them navigate. The dunes were all very similar and it was easy to get turned around in the blazing heat. The ever changing landscape due to sandstorms and other shifts made navigation even more tricky. So the perfect guide was crucial.
But before they could hire the right Dunesman, they needed to find Orhan and his tribe. Metehan could get them close based on his knowledge of their patterns and then send a signal for the group to be found, but that might take an extra day or more for them to meet up with those they sought.
The caravan had more recent knowledge of their clansmen. They would be able to locate the group almost as precisely as if their tents were set in stone.
So in going more slowly now, the Empress and her group were saving time wandering fruitlessly in the desert.
Which meant that Aurora got extra time with her new friend. All in all it was a favorable option. The only problem was, the more she got to know Hadya, the more Aurora felt like she was lying by not revealing herself.
The woman had still not asked her her name, simply calling her 'my lady' or some similar title whenever the occasion arose.
As the group was coming free of the forest and entering the arid land connected to the desert, Aurora finally could stand it no longer. She needed to come clean.
Hadya was in the middle of explaining how she wove baskets to sell using the sturdy reeds from oases. "You can make the basket round, of course, but I have noticed the square ones hold more things and feel a little more sturdy. You seem like a smart one, my lady. I can show--"
Aurora leaded toward her on the cart bench. "I have something to tell you," she whispered.
The bouncing of the cart brought the two ladies' faces extra close. While the Empress kept her face covered except for at meals, only Hadya's hair and neck were covered by her wrap.
Her spiderweb of well-earned wrinkles became visible as she smiled. "Don't tell me you are actually a basket weaver, my lady. It would ruin my whole image of you in my mind and I would be quite embarrassed for telling you what you already know."
"No, that's not it," Aurora shifted slightly to give the cart driver her space. "I'm the Empress."
"Empress of what?" Hadya's smile grew wider. She didn't immediately dismiss Aurora's claim nor did she grow embarrassed. That had to be a good sign.
"The Empress. Aurora. That's me." The fiery-haired woman wasn't sure what else to say. Thankfully it was enough.
"Oh, that Empress. That does explain a lot." Hadya nodded.
"It does?" Aurora figured that it would give the woman more questions than answers.
The older woman nodded as she nudged the reins to avoid a crack in the ground before pulling back her wagon into line with the rest.
"Metehan is usually a little less attentive when it comes to women other than his wife. I thought maybe he was giving me special notice because we were about to be related. But then I realized it was you he was checking on and not me. That made me a bit nervous. Even with your head scarf, it is clear you are quite beautiful."
"Is that why you have been keeping me so close?" Aurora felt a pang in her heart. Hadya had been so kind. Had she been watching over her because of Metehan?
"Fates, not at all. I was pretty sure you had no design on the Dunesman. Your eyes are only for the man on the horse over there." Hadya motioned toward a grey-eyed man who also had not been revealing his face.
Aurora smiled. She had been trying to avoid talking to Devrim too much. They had even stayed in separate tents, Devrim with Gandr, Alvar and Reyan and Aurora with Brinn. But the attraction was there, and there was no hiding it.
"I do hope that is your husband, because if not, that is a royal secret I would rather not be privy to." The Duneswoman pursed her lips.
"My conscience is clear on that front and yours can be as well." Aurora assured her. "In fact--"
The landscape opened up to where the grass became sparse and the cracks in the land became more prominent. Hadya furrowed her brow in concentration. "Forgive me, but I'll need to focus." She motioned to the ground. "Those cracks and my wheels don't get along."
Aurora nodded and fell silent to let the woman concentrate. She noticed that most of the caravan had quieted except for the odd call of warning to watch for hidden spots in the dirt.
Ahead of them Aurora saw a depression in the dry soil. It appeared small at first, but as they neared, the Empress realized just how massive the hole was.
It was as if a village had been swallowed whole by the ground. That's when Aurora realized what she was seeing.
Devrim came to her side on his horse. His eyes were narrowed.
"The Southern Fort," he confirmed.
"When you said it was gone, this was not what I pictured." The devastation was truly terrifying. Aurora was glad no humans had been inside when the fort met its end. None would have survived.
In the two years since it happened, another fort had been rebuilt farther east where the ground was more solid. Otherwise the group could have stopped and rested for the night.
Instead they would pass the grim reminder of what happened when magic was used incorrectly and head steadily on…
…into the desert.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone