A/N: So I decided to work my way through 50 prompts on Tumblr, and I'm randomly matching them up with series and OTPs.
This one, In the Storm, immediately reminded me of Soraya's fear of storms, and so this was born.
(I don't own the Farsala Trilogy - I only get to play in it)
Enjoy!
In the dessert, the storms came almost every night. They were the quiet rains that rejuvenated the desserts, and the Suuds moved, harvesting their plants, and using the hot summer sun to dry the supplies. Soraya liked it that way. Her control had improved, but she hadn't tested it against the violent thunderstorms on the other side of the mountains. And she liked it that way. So it was with a great deal of apprehension that she prepared for the journey to meet her mother returning with Merdas. She grimaced at the thought of showing off her new powers to her mother by influencing a storm to drown them.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Abab's face thrust into her tent. "Ready to go Jackal-girl? You wait any longer and you'll fall off the cliff face because you will try it in the dark."
Soraya stuck her tongue out at him. Of any of her friends, he should know how difficult this trip was for her. She didn't even know when she would return.
Abab pushed his way into the tent and plucked her bag from her slack fingers. "That's why crazy jackal girls get escorts. Let's go.
There was one thing to be said for travelling with Abab. His constant chatter distracted her from her fears. Though she wouldn't let him know that. Instead, she told him he could walk faster if he stopped making as much noise as a jackal deprived of its dinner.
At least he had the good sense to stay quiet and focus on climbing when they reached the cliff. At the top, they stopped for a drink. Soraya scanned the sky, thinking of the old sailor's rhyme for predicting weather by watching the sunrise. She frowned at the horizon, as if it was the trees fault the sun wasn't up yet.
Abab splashed some of the water in her face. She gasped, and shoved at him playfully. "Splashing that around may attract the rain you know."
Abab sprinkled some of the water over her head. "Look it's starting! You're a miracle worker, Soraya – there's not even a cloud in the sky!"
"It's not funny." Now he had gone too far. She shoved the water skein into his chest. "I'm at the top now. You can go back." She snatched up her bag and stomped into the forest.
A few moments later, Abab was matching her pace. "This is why Jackal-girl gets an escort. She'd forget her head if I didn't watch her." Soraya ignored him. Abab grabbed her wrist so she was forced to turn and face him.
"I'm staying with you. At least for a couple nights."
Soraya was speechless. She thought he was just there to keep her from falling off the cliff face.
"Thanks."
They travelled toward Setesafon. They went by foot and used the time to adjust from nights to days. The weather stayed quiet, and Soraya was grateful for that.
Several days in, her luck broke.
They had taken a nap after lunch. The sky had been clear, but Soraya woke to thunderheads. She curled herself over her knees and watched as the clouds rolled closer. She clenched down on her shilshadu sensing, checking it regularly for even the slightest slip in her control.
As the first raindrops hit the leaves over her head, the blanket from her satchel was draped over her shoulders. Abab settled down beside her, one arm still draped over her. "Looks like we'll be getting wet today."
Soraya grimaced, memories of the last thunderstorm filling her head.
The raindrops came faster, and the thunder rumbled. Soraya opened one edge of the blanket, and Abab shifted so that he was covered too.
They sat in silence as the rain came down. Slowly, Soraya relaxed. She leaned her head against Abab's shoulder and stopped checking herself every other moment. As the thunder finally rolled into the distance, the soft pitter patter of rain drops lulled her to sleep.
She woke to the sun poking into their coverage under the trees. Drops of water sparkled, reflecting the weak light all around them.
Abab smiled at her as she shifted under their shared blanket. He held his finger to his lips, then pushed back a tree limb. Soraya gasped at the most spectacular and vibrant rainbow she had ever seen in her life. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
"It's a sign," Abab's voice was soft in her ear. "You can do this. You're stronger than the storms. And more beautiful than that rainbow."
His lips met hers then, quick and gentle. Soraya barely had time to react before Abab was up and chattering about how wet their blanket was, and how difficult it would be to start a fire that night.
Just as they were about to step onto the road, Soraya caught Abab's hand, and turned him to face her so she could return his kiss. Then she strode out into the sunshine, knowing that she would never have to fear storms – natural or man-made – again.