Empire of Sand

We reached Amber by nightfall. Unlike Cryth, Amber was considerably smaller and more somber. The shop keepers closed their doors at sunset, and the ladies wore more clothes. The men still found their ways to the tap houses, but even the raucous seemed more subdued. William stopped at Flannigan’s Inn on the edge of town and tied his horse (whom he’d called Lenora) to the posts outside. I waited on horseback, unsure what to do. I needed to save what little coin I had for the trip ahead. The entry fee to the Trials was two silver pieces, and I needed to refresh my supplies. I couldn’t afford to rent a room for the evening.

William paused at the doors, his eyes looking at me askance. I wondered if this man had ever had a hungry day in his life. What was his past? What was it he was running away from? I valued my privacy as much as anyone else, but the mystery surrounding the gentleman with the sword was like a frustrating puzzle I couldn’t solve.

“Aren’t you coming?”

I shifted uncomfortably in Birdie’s saddle. I cared little for what others thought about me. In Pharaoh’s Peak, most of us were of equal standing with heavy burdens and light coin purses. We rejoiced when there was meat on our plates and desired little more than the necessities.

“I think Birdie and I will find another place,” I hedged, feeling insecure. William stared at me for another moment before the question left his eyes and understanding seeped in. He cleared his throat and approached me quietly, taking great care to appear nonchalant.

“You’re right,” he said, dragging his hands through his hair. “How silly of me. Of course, they will not have anything available, not this time of the year. You can tell I’m not used to traveling these roads,” he added with a chuckle.

I smiled weakly.

“I understand now why you were forced to camp in the woods. I don’t think we’ll find anywhere to stay the evenings. I hope you don’t mind showing me how to camp?”

I wondered if my heart burst. Would it make a sound? I’d hardly known this man for a day, and already he’d extended me more kindness than people I’d known my whole life. William was no fool. He’d understood that I could not pay for lodging and was too proud to allow him to do it. Being a gentleman, he would not secure a room for himself and leave me to camp alone.

“I don’t mind,” I mumbled.

He smiled that charming grin and untied Lenora, climbing back into his saddle. I could tell by the way he moved, he ached from the ride. I wasn’t familiar with Amber, but I knew that along the Eastern border of the town there was a nice little lake with a few caves. If bears or wolves did not occupy them, the caves would provide excellent shelter.

“I know a place,” I told him as we trotted down the main road of the sleepy little town. Traders and shop owners trickled in and out of the few shops that remained open for the evening, and dusk had yielded to the stars.

But first I’ll need to stop for some supplies. We won’t find another town until Tristan.”

“Very well. Since you were kind enough to lend me your expertise, allow me to contribute to the supplies. As a gentleman, I can’t allow you to finance our shared trip.”

I glanced over at him, and he winked at me, and I rolled my eyes and smiled.

“Very well.”

_#_

Nocturnal insects harmonized in the shrubbery surrounding our camping spot. While Birdie and William’s horse took their respite under an overgrown copse of trees (we had fed them first), William and I hovered near the crackling fire, eating the meal he’d bought from town. I wondered idly how much coin he’d carried with him. He was very confident or very foolish to traipse around this side of the Emperor’s territories without a personal guard and a pure-bred horse laden down with coin. Perhaps he’d led a sheltered, privileged life, ignorant of the dangers that awaited us.

“So, why are you out here alone?” I asked him.

He stared off into the darkened landscape in silence, fingers interlaced over his bent knees. The fire danced under the moonlight, casting his features in a warm, golden glow. He was handsome—not the disgusting, entitled kind, but the distracting sort of handsome. I shook my head.

“I’m searching for my cousin,” he replied.

“Go on.”

“He’s gone missing. I’ve spoken to locals here and there who reported seeing him traveling this way alone. He is . . . important to the family. It is vital that I recover him and ensure he returns home to assume his duties.”

I nodded, tossing a small twig into the fire. There were others like me who could manipulate fire instead of sand. I’d lost count of the nights I lay awake in my bed back home, wishing I’d inherited a greater power than sand splitting.

“What happens if you don’t find him?” I asked the night.

William sighed and reclined back onto the dirt, propping his body on his elbows.

“I suppose someone else would be required to assume the—his responsibility.”

“You know, you may as well carry a sign,” I told him.

He shot me a questioning look.

“Your horse screams nobility. Or comfort, at least. Your garb, too. I haven’t seen material that fine in my lifetime. These roads are crawling with thieves, especially during the trade weeks. You’re liable to be cut down if you aren’t careful.”

His lips twitched in amusement.

“Lady Ash, I apologize for causing you distress about my welfare. Am I to assume you’ll rescue me should they set upon us?”

I smiled reluctantly.

“I’m not a lady, and of course I’ll save you, if I must.”

I tossed a small pebble at him, hitting him in the right rib. He flinched playfully and laughed, a melodious sound that floated on the night air like a ship’s sails.

“Good because you owe me a rescue.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it.