Ma'in, the Imperial city-state along the coast of the Arabian Sea
Lo'gan double-checked the alley in both directions before quietly signaling Harabi across the square. Nodding slightly, the Dawasir stepped onto the oil lamp lit street with both horses in tow. Once they had left the beach, they had been extra careful in traversing the city, aware of not only the oddity of their outfits but also the strong presence of the royal guard on the streets. Luckily they were in a district famous for its nocturnal happenings and Harabi was able to steal coverings from a clothesline that hid their stolen garb. Having removed the fancy trappings off the horses before leaving the beach, all that Mari, Lo'gan and Harabi had to do now was safely get to Miznih's house without being noticed – or rather said, without anyone noticing Mari.
That required some planning. Eventually, they opted to slump her over a saddle like a drunk and cover her up as best they could with her robe and pray that no one stopped them. It seemed to work well so far, and swaying slightly, Harabi ambled down the streets among the late night revelers moving back and forth from whorehouses to gambling tents, quietly following Lo'gan through back alleys and tent clusters. But with the kind of day they were having, at least one close call was inevitable.
Rounding the last corner before Miznih's street, Lo'gan came face to face with three royal guards questioning pedestrians about them. Caught in an uncharacteristic moment of panic, Lo'gan hunched over and turned around, hoping to halt Harabi before he turned the corner as well, but unfortunately, one of the guards called to him and he had no choice but to respond. Clutching the Khanjar that was sheathed at his side and under his robe, Lo'gan hobbled to the three turbaned men, hoping he could at least hold them back long enough for Harabi and Mari o get away. It was unnecessary however, as Harabi burst onto the square and started singing.
All eyes, including Lo'gan's turned to see what the commotion was. In his best drunken posture, Harabi stumbled onto the street corner, waving a bottle he had just snatched from a passed out drunk on the street, screeching loudly out of tune about lost loves. Almost everyone, including two of the guards chuckled and taking advantage of the distraction, Lo'gan snuck away into an alley, confident that Harabi could easily slip out of the spotlight like the pro that he was. Cutting through a few private courtyards, Lo'gan backtracked to where Harabi had come from and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Mari on the ground, huddled between their two horses and watching Harabi's performance from behind a fence.
Sneaking up on her quietly, Lo'gan clasped a hand over her mouth before throwing back his hood to reveal who he was. Watching Mari's beautiful eyes blink in recognition, Lo'gan slowly removed his hand from her mouth and looked around once again before asking a question.
"Are you alright?"
Mari understood his question perfectly and nodded a frantic yes. Taking her by the arm, Lo'gan got to his feet and gathered the horse reins from her hands.
"Good, then follow me."
Mari pulled at the hood covering her head and nodded again. To Lo'gan's great satisfaction, she clutched his free hand and squeezed up along his side. Together, they walked around the crowd that had gathered to watch Harabi challenge another inebriated man to a fight without so much as a glance from the guards. Lo'gan moved quickly, working hard to remember the path to Miznih's store. Fortunately, it was bannered in bright fabrics, so spotting it was fairly easy once they were on the right block. Going around the back of the two story structure to the secret door that led to the underground entrance, Lo'gan clutched Mari and knocked like he had seen Harabi do the night before. Tucked into his side, Mari watched and waited with anticipation. She had no idea of where she was going, but she trusted that Lo'gan would take her someplace safe. Feeling her hand tighten around his, Lo'gan looked back to her and offered a reassuring smile, but Mari didn't see it, since her gaze was firmly glued to the girl that had just emerged from the door in a haze of incense and music in a shocking yellow dress.
"Lo'gan! I figured you had to be chained to a dungeon by now! Where the hell is Hara……hey!!"
Grumbling at the amount of people inside the secret brothel, Lo'gan pulled Miznih outside into the archway and closed the door behind her. The shopkeeper/madam, however, didn't even notice, as her gaze traveled up and down Mari's form. Mari had grown accustomed to keeping her gaze down in front of people to keep them from noticing her, but the girl in yellow was impossible to ignore and she had inadvertently let herself exposed.
"He's right behind us, now we need……girl, are you listening??"
Lo'gan sighed in contempt as the awed Miznih gaped at Mari. Embarrassed beyond words, Mari looked down to her satin covered feet and tucked in a little tighter to Lo'gan. Frustrated that she was neither listening, nor helping and making Mari uncomfortable to boot, Lo'gan growled and eventually stepped in front of Mari to completely obscure her from Miznih's curiosity. Instead of feeling threatened, the shopkeeper/madam, broke into a wide grin.
"Gods!! Was that the girl you kept rambling about?? I can't believe you found her!"
Frustrated, Lo'gan took Miznih by the arm again and tried to make her look at him.
"Look, we need help. Are you……"
Miznih wrenched her arm free and gave Lo'gan a look of utter annoyance. Mari out of sight, she had no choice but to focus on the Jabir.
"Yeah, yeah. Just wait a minute, I'll get my……oh my baby!!"
Lo'gan rolled his eyes at the unnaturally high-pitched screech and knowingly moved to the side as Miznih whizzed by him in a blur of yellow and landed in Harabi's arms. Startled by the frenzied action, Mari turned with surprise and stared at the reunion between the two. She wouldn't have guessed it, but the girl and their traveling companion were obviously…….uhh, friendly. Blushing at the frenetic kiss they shared, Mari clutched at Lo'gan, who hands on hips, was beyond irritated.
"Can we secure our horses first?"
Harabi tried to break free from Miznih's attack and managing only to twist his hurt shoulder, mumbled an agreement. Grinning widely into her lover's face, Miznih jumped back and turned to Lo'gan again.
"Fine, I'll get my servant to take your horses, but I warned the two of you. You're lucky you're still alive. As a matter of fact, why are you wearing guard uniforms?"
Taking his cue, Harabi took the finger Miznih was wagging at him and gave it a solemn kiss.
"I'll explain later, honey, and Lo'gan's right, we need cover for a few hours."
Miznih's smile grew to match Harabi's and throwing Lo'gan and Mari a meaningful glance, added.
"Fine then. There are still some empty rooms upstairs. Umm, maybe she should come with me."
Lo'gan's grip on Mari's hand tightened and he immediately cut in before any more suggestions of that sort were made.
"She's staying with me."
Miznih smiled at Lo'gan's automatic response with a raised eyebrow and shrugged nonchalantly.
"As you wish."
Looking from Lo'gan's frown to Miznih and Harabi's mischievous smiles, Mari tried to gather what was going on, but was quickly ushered to the side by Lo'gan who was talking to the servant that had come to greet them. Feeling more than a little useless, she watched as Miznih and Harabi happily disappeared into the party. Laughter and music poured out the second the door was opened and wondering just what kind of gathering it was, Mari nestled into her hooded cloak even tighter, not willing to be gawked at by the dozens of people inside.
Before she knew it, Lo'gan was done giving instructions for the care of their horses and walked to her once again. Not really looking up to meet his eyes, Mari braced herself for the inevitable task of going into the boisterous crowd of people inside.
Lo'gan was not sure about being there, but he did his best to walk her through the noisy sitting room full of women and their customers without even pausing once. Staring at her feet, Mari walked mutely alongside him, hoping no one would really notice her, but in her peripheral vision, Mari could see dancing girls and men reaching for them. It hadn't occurred to her until now, but she was pretty sure she was in an establishment that catered to men. She had heard Valeria speak of them and grateful that she did not end up in a place like this, like so many of the other girls in her convoy had, Mari clung to Lo'gan for safety as they weaved through the noisy crowd.
Before long, they were out of the large room and heading up a flight of narrow stairs. Those stairs led to a series of rooms down a long, dim corridor on the second floor. Finally away from the crowd, Mari breathed easier, but Lo'gan was still tense with anxiety. Grumbling under his breath about Harabi disappearing, he stopped at the room he knew was Miznih's and pondered his next move. With his hand about to knock on the door, he reconsidered his strategy. The plan was to rest for a few hours and leave before sunrise when it was darkest, but he somehow doubted that would happen now. Still debating whether or not he should let the Dawasir have his fun, Lo'gan stood outside the door thinking until a sudden twitch alerted him to the fact that Mari was fidgeting in his grasp. He turned to look at what was wrong, but before he could ask, he heard it.
He watched Mari turn a complete shade of red and feeling his own skin itch in sudden ill ease, Lo'gan tightened his jaw and decided that maybe it was best not to interrupt Harabi and Miznih at that moment. At a loss of what to do, Lo'gan was only a second away from hitting the streets of Ma'in again, when he recognized the door to the room he had used that very same morning to dress in his phony sheik robes. Relieved, Lo'gan quickly ushered Mari down the hallway to escape the groans and moans that could be heard from practically every door they passed. Leaning slightly into the door to make sure it was empty before he opened it, Lo'gan lifted the cross latch and walked into the darkness with Mari closely behind.
The room was just as he left it and walking to the table, Lo'gan lit the brass oil lamp that served as its light source. Overall the room was comfortable, nowhere near the elegance on display in the palace, but neat and clean nevertheless. Once inside, Mari cautiously threw back her hood and took a tentative look around; a table, some pillows, and a bed. Blinking at the richly decorated bed that sat like a throne at the center of the room, Mari swallowed tightly, suddenly understanding that they were going to spend the night there.
The feeling of safety that she had felt all day long with Lo'gan faltered briefly and taking a step back into the door, Mari wondered if she had misjudged him. They were in a whorehouse after all and she was definitely not dressed any less modestly than any of the other women there. Scared to look up to meet Lo'gan's gaze, Mari wondered if it was such a bad deal. He had saved her from slavery after all and despite everything, he didn't seem very dangerous. Perhaps she could, just out of gratitude. Valeria always said business was business and she had nothing but that left to give. Still thinking over her situation, Mari jumped when Lo'gan's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Mari?"
Lo'gan watched Mari jump back into the wall and wondered if he had done the right thing. She was breathing heavily, almost panting and her hands were shaking. It dawned on him that she was scared, maybe even terrified and if he had been smarter about everything, he would have let Miznih take care of her better. Trying not to startle her any further, he asked again, his voice gentler than before.
"Mari?"
Mari looked up slowly to meet his eyes and Lo'gan sighed. He had been right. She was terrified of him. Not knowing how to even broach the subject, Lo'gan searched for a way to tell her, let her know that he meant her no harm, but he didn't know how to begin. Lo'gan was typically not very talkative, but communicating with someone who didn't even speak his language, was something altogether different. Walking slowly to the window and parting the heavy curtain to allow for some air to enter the room, Lo'gan leaned against the sill and casually extended his hand to her. Mari stared at it for a long second and Lo'gan hoped all that they had shared earlier was not lost. Remembering their earlier `conversation', he ventured a word in hopes that she would trust him again.
"Werrfreee."
Like he had expected, Mari smiled faintly and after a long evaluative look, she tentatively stepped forward to take his hand. He pulled at her gently and not breathing at all, Mari walked into his arms and gingerly allowed herself to be held. Not taking his eyes off of her face, Lo'gan brushed auburn hair off her forehead and smiled. The tender move worked magic and wondering why she felt insecure in the first place, Mari smiled back. For a moment, the two just looked at each other, feeling the heat of their bodies and trying to decipher the intentions in the eyes of the other. After a while, Mari looked down from the intensity in Lo'gan's gaze and feeling a pull in his groin at the proximity of Mari's plump lips, Lo'gan pulled away too. Clearing his throat, he spoke out in a carefully level voice.
"We're just staying here for a little while……if, if you want, I could get you some food."
Mari blinked at Lo'gan with a slight frown. Lo'gan knew that meant she was thinking and searching his memory for the Bedouin words she had told him earlier, opted for simplicity.
"Umm, water and mutton."
Mari's eyebrows went up and he knew she had understood. She nodded an affirmative and to Lo'gan's surprise even spoke.
"Good. Water, good."
Breathing a little easier; Lo'gan smiled and turned her so that she was against the sill. Pressing her down so that she could sit, he grinned and made motions for her to stay. Taking a few cautious steps back, he continued in the same tone.
"Okay then, I'll be right back……with water. Yes?"
Mari smiled back nervously and repeated.
"Yes."
With a final chuckle, Lo'gan backed into the door and let himself out, leaving Mari at the window to contemplate her next move. The first thing she did was take off her slippers. They were made of an exquisitely soft fabric, but offered little in the way of support. After the long walk to escape the palace, her feet ached and she was desperate to wiggle her toes freely. Thinking of the sand that still covered her, Mari moved to take off her anabbayah cloak next. Pulling at the bow that Lo'gan had tied at her throat, Mari shrugged the garment off with a sudden desperation and let it fall to the ground. But then she remembered.
Taking a contemplative look down the tattered remnants of what was once a fine concubine's outfit, Mari decided that she could no longer wear it. Looking around to see if there was anything she could wear, Mari walked over to the table where there was an assortment of garments folded neatly into squares. Pushing aside the nagging feeling that she shouldn't be touching what was not hers aside, Mari thumbed through the pile of what appeared to be dresses and robes that in actuality were no less decent than what she was already wearing. Upset that she had yet to find one that at least covered her down to her knees, Mari failed to notice that Lo'gan had already returned and was watching her from the door.
His eyes roamed her slender figure, mentally tracing the hennaed designs in her pale skin. They wound down her bare back and around her arms and legs in rivulets of animals, stars and paisley symbols. They disappeared under her many gold bracelets and necklaces, and continued down to her very fingertips. He could even make them out under the sheer green silk of her clothes. Not clothes really, more like scarves draped across her chest and hanging off her hips. Hips that curved out of the split fabric of her skirts to reveal even more designs. Transfixed by the lovely creature before him, Lo'gan stood glued in place, oblivious to the fact that he was encroaching on her privacy and that his look revealed exactly how he wanted all the dreams he had had of her to end.
Taking the last robe, which was slightly transparent, but at least long enough to reach the floor, Mari decided it would have to do. Turning to go lock the door in order to change, she skidded to a stop and shrieked when she saw Lo'gan already there. Pulling the gauzy teal green robe she was holding up to her chest, she breathed out the only thing she could.
"Lo'gan!"
Hearing his name fall so desperately out of her lips, snapped Lo'gan right out of the trance he was in. With one hand still on the door latch, he stammered out an apology and turned to leave, but the sudden move jerked the tray he was holding in his other hand and it wobbled precariously as it threatened to crash down to the floor. Luckily, his reflexes were quick and Lo'gan somehow managed to right the tray on time before it hit the ground. It was, however, too little to save the pitcher of water, who continued its fall and tipped over, drenching Lo'gan's feet. The Jabir warrior cursed out in response and instead of being concerned, Mari smiled. Still clutching her robe to her chest, she stepped forward and righted the porcelain pitcher off the floor before the water was completely lost into the floorboards. Eyes wide and embarrassed, Lo'gan searched Mari's face for anger.
"I'm sorry, Mari."
Mari straightened out immediately at the sound of her name and quietly stepped back. Lo'gan stared at her, half crouched, balancing a tray of food and at a complete loss. Mari however, just looked down with her characteristic flush of color and moved to place the pitcher on the table. She had been scared of finding Lo'gan there, but it was an accident. She had walked in on Danea half her life and it was largely inevitable when you shared a room. Signaling to the tray Lo'gan was still holding, Mari motioned to the table. She was hungry, having eaten practically nothing all day and the fruit that he had brought in looked extremely appealing.
Following her instruction, Lo'gan clenched his teeth in anger with himself and stiffly put the tray down. Mari was still watching his every move carefully and he did not know what else to do. Thinking it wouldn't hurt to apologize one more time, he muttered another `I'm really sorry' and went to walk out. Surprisingly, it was Mari's hand on his shoulder that stopped him. She was still clutching the robe to her chest with one hand, trying to conceal herself as much as possible, but she did not look like she wanted him to leave.
"Lo'gan sit."
Lo'gan looked up into Mari's eyes. He stared at the green depths for a moment, not trusting himself very much longer, but what he saw was sufficient. She was not mad at him and despite the pull he felt in his body, he wanted to stay with her, even if it was just to eat. Miznih's was not the type of place he wanted her in, but it was safe for the time being and he needed to keep close by in case of trouble. He would just have to keep himself in check and that was something he could do. Looking down at the door latch in his fingers, he quietly moved to place it down again and turned to face his companion.
"Okay, I'm hungry anyway."
Mari took in the more relaxed posture and smiled. He would stay with her. The thought was remarkably comforting and despite the awkwardness, she would be safe. That she was sure of. Backing away a little, she realized she still had a painful grip on the robe in her hands and held it up, recalling what Battam had called a women's garment that day in the market so many months ago.
"Anabbayah."
Lo'gan frowned a little as he walked over to the water filled tray and picked out some dates. It wasn't exactly an anabbayah she was holding up, more like a sinful little piece of mesh, but it was close enough. Understanding what she meant to say anyway, Lo'gan pointed to the darkest corner of the room and made a show of turning around to face the wall.
"Go ahead, I'm right here."
Mari smiled slightly, amazed that they could still communicate despite knowing only a handful of words and scurried over to the corner of the room. Watching Lo'gan take one of the garments she chose not to wear and dry the fruit he had been carrying while whistling, she moved to rid herself of her hated costume. In actuality, there was little left of it, but it was difficult to take off by herself, nevertheless. It was made for someone else to undo the clasps, but desperate to rid herself of it completely, Mari yanked and ripped at the thin fabric until it lay in a heap on the floor. Lo'gan heard the ripping and the jangling of her bracelets, but did not move an inch from where he stood. Already his body was tight with longing and he did not need to add to his imagination of how Mari would look naked under him, so he stood in place, hoping the robe she chose was not as translucent as it had first looked.
Mari on her part, kept up the struggle with her outfit until she was left clothed in nothing but jewelry, the odd symbols etched into her skin, and the bluing bruises she earned while falling down the chute in the palace. Finally grabbing the teal robe she had picked out, she eased her arms into the wide sleeves and crossing it tightly over her chest, tied a double knot in its sash to hold it in place. Upset that she could still see the pale of her skin through the fabric, but too hungry to really dwell on it, Mari stepped forward and approached Lo'gan tentatively. Lo'gan felt her proximity and closed his eyes briefly before turning around, preparing himself mentally for what was sure to be the longest night of his life.
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