Sand Chapter 7
Murder and mayhem....
Assiasin's POV
I dug my heels into the ground when no one volunteered to let the Prince ride with them, but did not otherwise object. I stared silently ahead as we rode, alert but about half of it was for show. I wanted him to think that I was busy so that he wouldn't talk, because if he did then I would feel obligated to reply.
He sat riding happily behind me. Looking around occasionally but otherwise not really moving. He was trying to give me space and I appreciated that. The little incident in the hotel had made me remember the possible consequences of our little hobby. Ugh, I cringed internally considering the ways the many was that I could go missing if anyone knew.
Suddenly I heard a noise ahead of me. I pulled Adonis to a rather abrupt halt and he snorted in disapproval. I glanced at the men who were pulling their mounts to similarly abrupt halts with the same results. As Tulli's horse, Raleigh, shook it's head I signaled him to move to the top of the dune that towered in front of us and have a look, all with the flick of my hand.
Tulli dismounted his still-fuming mount and ran, half-crouched to the base of the towering dune. He glanced back once at me and, after my nod of approval, made his way up. When he neared the top he fell into a crawling position and proceeded to the very top, slowing every few feet. There he stopped and peered cautiously over the edge. He stayed in this position for several minutes, though it felt like hours. Down below, I felt exposed, as if we were waiting for an ambush. None came and Tulli made his way back down.
When he had finally made it back to the bottom of the hill he came directly to me. Out of breath he panted the words, "Nine of them... just over the dune... looks like they've set up camp." I nodded and he made his way back to his horse.
Behind me, the Prince said, "What are we going to do?"
It didn't take thinking. I got off my horse and he followed. No one else moved as I grabbed his arm and pulled him to Gabriel's horse. I looked at the guard meaningfully and he nodded, then proceeded to pull the prince up onto his horse. I could only see his face from the cheekbones up but he looked confused. I went back to my horse and felt his excitement by the way he moved while I climbed back into the saddle. He sifted from foot to foot and his movements were jumpy as I turned him towards the lower side of the dune and kicked him into a run. His steps were silent as we strode over the shifting sand.
_______________
Prince's POV:
His fur shone like silk as he moved, but when he disappeared over the other side of the lowest dune, and her with him, I began to feel unsettled. 'What was she doing?' I asked myself. When I could come up with no answers I asked my question to the bronze haired guard in front of me.
"Where is she going?"
He shrugged, "Nowhere far." But there was a smile in his voice. He knew more than he was telling me. I didn't like being treated like a normal person, like I should be kept in the dark, and he sensed my anger. Sighing, he said, "She's... clearing the path." Still there was a laugh in his voice.
I realized what he was saying and was more frustrated, not at him but at the arrogant assassin who felt the need to kill. But there was something else, a feeling I did not recognize. I waited patiently for what felt like hours, watching the spot she had vanished over. "How long should this take?" trying not to let him detect anything more than professional courteously from my voice.
"She should be coming over that dune," he replied pointing towards a completely different direction, "right about....... now." As if in a movie, she appeared over the top of the dune as he spoke the last word.
She was smiling, I could tell even though the mask covered her beautiful face. She carried a few canteens of water that, for some reason, I don't think the men in that valley voluntarily gave to her. I was reluctant to return to her horse, not knowing if she wanted me to but, as she tossed the water bottles to some of her men and one to me, she motioned me forwards. I gladly obeyed.
________________
Assasin's POV:
For some reason that I couldn't understand I felt the same desire that I had earlier this morning. I motioned the men to go ahead and they complied, knowing that I could catch up with them in seconds and thinking that I was going to collect more of the supplies from the bodies in the shadow of the mountainous dune. I, instead went to a drywash area where, at some point long ago, there may have been a river. I pulled him off the horse as soon as my foot touched the ground and touched his mask gently. He removed it and his perfect face looked confused.
"Where are they going?" He asked, puzzled by the events of the last fifteen minutes.
I smiled, "ahead while we get some water and shade. I can't have the prince passing out on me, now can I?" He seemed even more puzzled at my tone so I rolled my eyes and kissed him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
He didn't respond at first, but then I could feel his face relax and his arms circle my waist, securing me to him. As the kiss intensified, he pushed me backward, toward the old river's wall and then pinned me to it, his body pressing mine. He turned his head to kiss my neck and I thought I could literally feel myself burning to death. I had spent my whole life in the blistering sun but nothing compared to this. I pulled his face back to my own.
I dug my heels into the ground when no one volunteered to let the Prince ride with them, but did not otherwise object. I stared silently ahead as we rode, alert but about half of it was for show. I wanted him to think that I was busy so that he wouldn't talk, because if he did then I would feel obligated to reply.
He sat riding happily behind me. Looking around occasionally but otherwise not really moving. He was trying to give me space and I appreciated that. The little incident in the hotel had made me remember the possible consequences of our little hobby. Ugh, I cringed internally considering the ways the many was that I could go missing if anyone knew.
Suddenly I heard a noise ahead of me. I pulled Adonis to a rather abrupt halt and he snorted in disapproval. I glanced at the men who were pulling their mounts to similarly abrupt halts with the same results. As Tulli's horse, Raleigh, shook it's head I signaled him to move to the top of the dune that towered in front of us and have a look, all with the flick of my hand.
Tulli dismounted his still-fuming mount and ran, half-crouched to the base of the towering dune. He glanced back once at me and, after my nod of approval, made his way up. When he neared the top he fell into a crawling position and proceeded to the very top, slowing every few feet. There he stopped and peered cautiously over the edge. He stayed in this position for several minutes, though it felt like hours. Down below, I felt exposed, as if we were waiting for an ambush. None came and Tulli made his way back down.
When he had finally made it back to the bottom of the hill he came directly to me. Out of breath he panted the words, "Nine of them... just over the dune... looks like they've set up camp." I nodded and he made his way back to his horse.
Behind me, the Prince said, "What are we going to do?"
It didn't take thinking. I got off my horse and he followed. No one else moved as I grabbed his arm and pulled him to Gabriel's horse. I looked at the guard meaningfully and he nodded, then proceeded to pull the prince up onto his horse. I could only see his face from the cheekbones up but he looked confused. I went back to my horse and felt his excitement by the way he moved while I climbed back into the saddle. He sifted from foot to foot and his movements were jumpy as I turned him towards the lower side of the dune and kicked him into a run. His steps were silent as we strode over the shifting sand.
_______________
Prince's POV:
His fur shone like silk as he moved, but when he disappeared over the other side of the lowest dune, and her with him, I began to feel unsettled. 'What was she doing?' I asked myself. When I could come up with no answers I asked my question to the bronze haired guard in front of me.
"Where is she going?"
He shrugged, "Nowhere far." But there was a smile in his voice. He knew more than he was telling me. I didn't like being treated like a normal person, like I should be kept in the dark, and he sensed my anger. Sighing, he said, "She's... clearing the path." Still there was a laugh in his voice.
I realized what he was saying and was more frustrated, not at him but at the arrogant assassin who felt the need to kill. But there was something else, a feeling I did not recognize. I waited patiently for what felt like hours, watching the spot she had vanished over. "How long should this take?" trying not to let him detect anything more than professional courteously from my voice.
"She should be coming over that dune," he replied pointing towards a completely different direction, "right about....... now." As if in a movie, she appeared over the top of the dune as he spoke the last word.
She was smiling, I could tell even though the mask covered her beautiful face. She carried a few canteens of water that, for some reason, I don't think the men in that valley voluntarily gave to her. I was reluctant to return to her horse, not knowing if she wanted me to but, as she tossed the water bottles to some of her men and one to me, she motioned me forwards. I gladly obeyed.
________________
Assasin's POV:
For some reason that I couldn't understand I felt the same desire that I had earlier this morning. I motioned the men to go ahead and they complied, knowing that I could catch up with them in seconds and thinking that I was going to collect more of the supplies from the bodies in the shadow of the mountainous dune. I, instead went to a drywash area where, at some point long ago, there may have been a river. I pulled him off the horse as soon as my foot touched the ground and touched his mask gently. He removed it and his perfect face looked confused.
"Where are they going?" He asked, puzzled by the events of the last fifteen minutes.
I smiled, "ahead while we get some water and shade. I can't have the prince passing out on me, now can I?" He seemed even more puzzled at my tone so I rolled my eyes and kissed him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
He didn't respond at first, but then I could feel his face relax and his arms circle my waist, securing me to him. As the kiss intensified, he pushed me backward, toward the old river's wall and then pinned me to it, his body pressing mine. He turned his head to kiss my neck and I thought I could literally feel myself burning to death. I had spent my whole life in the blistering sun but nothing compared to this. I pulled his face back to my own.
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