The Kingdom

It made sense to me. It shouldn't have, but it did. I found myself wanting to help her in some way, but to her I was the enemy.

I looked around the desert environment, at a loss as to what to do. It was hot and the sun was at full strength. Immediately I thought of the newly uncovered skin unused to the rays of the sun.

I went to my saddlebag and opened it, taking out my one and only change of clothing, which also happened to be my favorite shirt. It didn't matter.

Unmercifully I ripped it up and retied the pieces of it together in a different fashion. Satisfied I approached the nest of boulders. The girl immediately drew back from me, but I pressed forward and backed her up against a boulder. Without saying anything by way of explanation, I reached out with the torn up shirt and began to wrap the makeshift turban around her head in the way that I'd seen Robanic tribesmen do.

She held still until I was done and perhaps the look in her eyes was a little less hostile. "What's your name?" I asked.

"Mayrin."

"Well Mayrin, we'll be moving out in a little bit. It's probably best for you to ride double on my horse for a while so we don't tire the other one out too much. It's cooler here in the boulders than out in the open, so stay here and I'll be back when it's time to leave."

I turned to go, but stopped as she husked out emotionally, "You didn't want me to come along with you and your friend. Why are you being nice?"

I had to think about it for a moment and when I spoke it was as if I was experiencing the reality of the truth that she was hearing as it registered for the first time within my own consciousness, "I was like you once. Alone, afraid and without any hope of things ever getting better. Things did get better and I……"

"You what?" she asked.

I looked back to her and finished my thought, "I hope things get better for you too."

I watched her nod and then look down as if in contemplation of something. I left her to be alone and went to check up on the old mare. Kuri was there, already tending to his even worse looking mount. I didn't say anything, but I kept my back to him.

"That was thoughtful of you to do," came Kuri's voice from over my shoulder.

I grunted in reply.

"Do you think I should have left her back there?"