Page 71 of A Thousand Nights Before Dawn
Namir studied her face. He sighed. “If that is what you wish.”
“It is.” There was a moment of silence before she found her voice again. “I should go to the river and wash off.”
Namir stepped away. “I will find Ramses and wait for you by thenecropolis.”
Zahra watched as he disappeared into the trees, trying to erase the image of the fallensibylfrom her mind.
16
The Ionian Village
Namir ambled a few feet behind Zahra, his hood on his head, and sighed. “Why could we not take the horses all the way?”
“Trust me. We will be better received if we approach on foot.” Zahra was thankful the two were already dressed in more common clothing, though she had asked them both to leave their weapons behind. Ramses had insisted on keeping a dagger, which he kept hidden under his clothes.
She glanced at Namir. Much of the day had passed by without them saying much to the other. Though Namir had not acted rudely toward her, he was obviously distracted by his thoughts, and she worried what he might be thinking.
She pushed her worries aside and announced, “We are here.”
The beautiful colors of the setting sun shone through the settlement, which was alive with excited chatter and beautiful singing.
Namir’s stance straightened once he saw the humble mud-brick homes. “This is it?”
Zahra winced at his disappointed remark. “What were you expecting?”
“It is so…compact.” He glanced at her. “It looks lovely, of course. I am sure they are great.”
Zahra nodded. The Pharaohs had provided pieces of land for her people to build their homes on in exchange for agricultural goods. However, the need for housing was greater than what was given, and many Ionians turned to indentured servitude when the settlement ran out of space on these lands. Eventually, the villages were able to expand a little and house more, but by then many had already grown used to their lives as workers on farms or servants to the wealthy of Aur.
Namir lowered his hood as they entered the center of the village. The smell of delicious food wafted toward them from a long table, which contained a variety of foods and treats. A line had formed by it, and many Ionians were happily munching away as they spoke with family and friends around a bonfire. Mostly women served the food, with the men bringing more from the houses.
Zahra spotted a familiar face and grinned. “Heba!”
An older woman’s head shot up from the serving line. She smiled and handed her task of serving bread over to another before making her way to Zahra. Her green eyes crinkled as she ran toward Zahra with open arms. “Ochara, you made it!”
Zahra hugged Heba’s slender frame, and Heba’s curly white hair tickled her arm.
“I thought you would be at thepr-aa,” Heba said in Ionic.
Zahra pulled away, replying in her native tongue. “I would rather be with all of you.” She turned to Namir and Ramses. Namir stood awkwardly, while Ramses took the scene in with anintrigued smile. “This is Namir and Ramses. They are friends of mine.”
Namir inclined his head toward Heba. “It is good to meet you, Heba.”
Heba grinned, her accent thick as she spoke in Auran. “Oh, welcome!” She moved forward and grabbed Namir’s face. His eyes went wide as she pulled him down and kissed both of his cheeks. He stood there, stunned and confused, as she repeated the process with Ramses.
Zahra patted Namir’s arm, lowering her voice. “You are doing great.”
Heba clapped her hands and turned to the crowd, speaking in Ionic. “Everyone, Zahra is here!”
Voices in Ionic called out all at once. Zahra grinned at the familiar faces, greeting them with kisses and speaking excitedly in Ionic. A child of about six years of age stumbled in front of Zahra, waving her arms and jumping up and down. Her small dress was simple and brown, and her bare feet were covered in dirt. Her curly hair bounced as she spoke. “Zahra! Zahra! Zahra! Do you remember me?”
Zahra grinned, leaned down, and scooped the child up. She made a show of grunting as she stood up. “Why, Eboni, you have grown so tall!”
“I have.” Eboni beamed. “I came of age a few days ago, and I learned my true name.”
Namir’s brow raised, and Eboni’s mother, Amina, looked up from her place serving bread.
Eboni cupped her hands around Zahra’s ear, whispering loudly, “My true name is Agnes.”
