Chapter I – Intrigued
It had been a while since I had seen the man in white. He certainly didn't occupy my every waking thought, but suffice it to say that each day I spent at least a few moments thinking about him, though often it was more than just a few. Don't misunderstand; I was not romantically attracted to him. He was a mystery, an enigma. He was a distraction from my boredom. And my patience paid off.
I was walking through the streets of Damascus, in an area where the lines between the richer and poorer district blurred. It was an interesting area. You could walk down a street that had all the signs of a more prosperous quarter of the city, and then turn to an alley, take a dozen steps and find yourself surrounded by poverty and suffering, not to mention danger. My father didn't like the idea of me wandering the poor areas of the city. I can't tell whether it was for my safety or for his reputation. It didn't matter. He found out very quickly how much I valued his opinion on the matter, and after a few unsuccessful tries to restrict my movements he stopped trying and let the matter be.
He did have a point. The area wasn't safe for much anyone, let alone a relatively attractive young woman, ostensibly defenseless. Sure enough I didn't come dressed in fineries, but enough adorning to be a possible target. It was very daring, or as my father would have it, vain and foolish. But there I was once again, braving the poor streets of Damascus, daring someone to try and mug me. And there he was. It was a very out-of-the-way blind alley. He was talking to a man, wearing a similar robe. Their voices were low and I strained to hear the words.
"… King, after all. Not that easy," the other man was saying.
"It is of no consequence… I've managed-"
"Please, young lady!" Out of the blue a beggar threw himself at me. "Give me just a few coins, so I can, can… feed my family!" I pushed him away and looked for the man in white, but he was gone, as was his friend. I panicked, afraid that I'd lost his trail. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of white and frantically chased after it. I emerged into an open square, but saw no immediate sign of him. But after a closer look I saw him making his way through the crowd. His movements were amazingly fluid, flowing like water through a crowd of rocks. I managed to snap myself out of my reverie and began following him, but some distance away. At first keeping up was easier, but when we began running into more crowd I was slowed and it became harder. Without warning a merchant peddling his wares ambushed and held me up. I tried to push him away, but he was very persistent. When I finally managed to extricate myself the man in white was gone once again and I had to run after him. I managed to see him turn a corner and I ran after him, even if it would cost me being exposed. I dashed down one street after another, all the time just barely keeping up with him. Finally he turned down a street I knew led to a dead end, but when I got there he was nowhere to be seen. Under the gaze of the midday sun he had disappeared. I looked over every nook and cranny in the alley, and there weren't many, but there was no sign of him. Frustrated, I yelled defiantly and punched the wall. I immediately regretted it as pain coursed through my hand. I was striding briskly out of the alley when a scraping sound attracted my attention. I turned around, but the alley remained empty. I was just turning away when a rock fell down. I looked up, but saw nothing. Defeated, I returned home. To my father and my dull life.
Days later, I remained frustrated. Frustrated because he had eluded me so easily and because he had eluded me so mysteriously. I spent my time walking the corridors of my father's little palace. I crafted elaborate scenarios of political intrigue and plot. Was he a spy, sent by some hostile army to measure our defenses? Or was he some foreign prince, making his way through the social ladder? I found the latter a much duller choice. Social climbers were dull. Spies were not. Despite that, I was still bored out of my skull.
One evening I was sitting on a balcony, one of the lower ones of the house. I'd been once again wandering around the poor quarter, though I saw neither hide nor hair of the man in white. I reclined on my seat, and closed my eyes. I lay there, enjoying the warm evening air and listening to the gradually quieting hum of life from the streets below. Then I opened my eyes and watched the clouds lazily drift across the reddening evening sky. It was very peaceful. I got up and leaned on the balcony railing, watching he people flit by below me. And once again I saw him.
He was once again moving effortlessly through the crowd. He once again turned to an empty alley, which was virtually right across from my balcony. My hands gripped the railing in anticipation. Soon I would have his secret. I watched in awe as he climbed atop a stack of crates and leapt onto a wooden beam that bridged the alley's opposite walls. He then climbed atop that and slowly but surely proceeded onto the roof. His movements were so catlike. He stopped at the corner of the building and watched the street below, his back turned to me.
If I wanted to catch up with him I needed to be quick. I flung myself over the railing and jumped down to the wall of our enclosed garden. I lost my balance and slipped, but I managed to grab the top of the wall, saving myself from a painful fall. I lowered myself to the ground and ran for the nearest ladder. I climbed up and peeked to see where my quarry was. He was already on the next roof, so I climbed up and started after him. I crossed the same wooden beam he'd used, but it was a lot harder than it looked. By the time I was across he'd already gotten much farther, so I started running. Thankfully we were now on a large building, meaning no more wooden beams to cross.
It wasn't long until I had to slow down, as the man in white wasn't running, only walking. Everything seemed to be going well until he jumped over a gap between buildings without difficulty. I stopped in my tracks and stared in slack-jawed amazement. How had he managed that? Impossible, wasn't it? I spent some time considering trying. He could do it, why couldn't I? Was it the wind? Was he a magician? By the time I was even nearing a decision he was long gone and I decided to return home.
Under the next day's midday sun I sat cross-legged by the ledge where the man in white had eluded me earlier. If I was to catch him, I needed to keep up with him. And that would take some practice.
AN: Ok, this was my first story here. There's another whole chapter and an epilogue in store for those interested. The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll get this finished. I'll finish this soon anyway, but motivation can always be increased.