Oasis of the Three Moons
TALES OF A DESERT SLAVE CHAPTER 1
The Oasis was hidden by the high rocks which surrounded it and beyond that the dunes, there was only one way in and one way out so often it was overlooked but of course it was well known to the nomadic peoples of the Great Tahari and to the travelling merchant caravans.
The Oasis was a small one, but truly beautiful. Verdant fladah trees and tall date palms, the kanda shrub grew generously and the Tor light bush would shine bright yellow or a dazzling white shimmering in the sun, all of which encircled the water, The water was so deep, it would bubble up from under the ground in fact you could swim and without any danger from salt sharks for there were none, the water being sweet and crystal clear. Veminium flowers nodded all about, their purple petals opening to the morning sun, the sweet smell of them wafting on a sudden, unexpected breeze before the blazing sun reached its highest point and they enfolded once more.
The villagers in their simple mud built houses were contented dwellers for as a rule the Great Tahari could be very harsh. And here they grew a multitude of products such as sa-tarna, beans, berries, onions, melons, turnips, carrots, radishes, larma, tospits, katch, kort, apricots, melons, suls, and pomegranates. Due to the very warm climate, and the water they generally had two growing seasons so they had little need to import food. Kaiila and verr herds were kept in the oasis though not numerous, but enough for their needs. The nomadic peoples of the Tahari were the primary herders of kaiila and they ate little meat as they considered their animals too precious because of their hair, milk and trade value and they would encamp in their colorful tents all about the Oasis bringing much excitement to the village as they heard the bells of their animals, women and slaves approaching!
And it was here in this pleasant Oasis a little slave lived with her Master, she would keep his house whilst he was away and tend their small herd of verr whilsy he travelled with the caravans buying and trading the precious Tahari salt, sometimes he took her with him and she had seen for herself the splendors of the City of Light, Tor. But on this occasion he did not and she was perturbed and puzzled as all were within their oasis for they noticed the level of the water was ever decreasing, the bubbling up had ceased and the villagers were alarmed for this had never happened in anyones memory. As the water level dropped so the verdant growth all around slowly shrivelled in the hot, unforgiving sun and then followed the crops, the villagers fighting amongst themselves over the water. The slave girl rung her hands as she hid in her masters house, he had been gone so long and she would leave an oil lamp, a lamp of love, burning every night in the window opening where she slept. She watched the narrow path where the nomads now left as quickly as they came, time dragged on and still no sign of him. The villagers dug in the water hole as she did too but still no sign of the precious water. Over time the villagers left with the nomadic peoples and there she was, alone, she would never leave, she was His and always would be, but then nothing is certain in the life of a slave.
She managed to survive by saving the water from the night dew which she would collect after the cold nights on the few remaining broad leaves of the fladah trees and suck on pomegranates, living on what little supplies they had left. And it was was then, when she had almost given up and in such despair a Salt Trader travelling atop a huge tharlarion appeared on the narrow road in, she thought for an ehn that it was a mirage and she had finally succumbed and was on her way to the City of Dust for the beast was heavily laden with goods and precious water! Waving her arms and running to greet them she fell to her knees before the master as he offered a bota . She grabbed at it and quenched her thirst , the man watched and waited and then told her such news she did not wish to hear. Her owner and master was dead, bitten by an ost , and before he died he had told him where she was, on the Salt Traders route back, and so he took her, rescued the pathetic, sobbing slave, swung her up and lay her on the tharlarions broad back, for the slave was weak and exhausted, after covering her with a tent like shade he mounted too and they went on their way… and she to a new future…
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