7.Visitors aboard the ship of the desert (I):
Narrator's POV:
"It's alright, Osama," said Samra. "I'll see to this. Please take care of the other visitors."
"Yes, Anisa," replied Osama. "Good day, everyone."
"Please have a seat," she offered, gesturing at the sand-coloured armchairs.
"Ah, well... ahem," began Duo, but Trowa cut him off.
"I presume you're Samra Winner," he said.
"Yes, I am."
"We were sent by your sister Iria," continued Trowa.
"Iria sent you? Is she well?" asked Samra.
"Yes," replied Duo. "Actually... we want to know where Quatre is."
Samra caught her breath. It was as she had expected, but were they really sincere? She didn't want Quatre to be hurt again.
"You're his comrades, aren't you?" she finally whispered.
"How do you know that?" asked Heero in his monotone.
"My brother had a photograph of you when he came here after the war was over. I don't know exactly what happened, but I do know that you have rejected his friendship after everything was over. Forgive me, but I must speak plainly. I bear you no ill-will and neither does Quatre. He just wanted to be with you again, you, who have faced happy and bitter times together.
We all make wrong decisions, and it's never too late to put them right. Now I will ask you one question: did you come back for the sake of my brother's friendship, or do you want something from him and then you'll disappear again? If it's the second reason, I'll do my best to give you what you want, but please stay away from Quatre. If it's the first, I'm more than happy to take you to him. Please understand this."
The smiled at her earnestness, even Heero felt comfortable with her. It must have been something running in the Winner family.
"What you said is quite true," said Wu Fei, breaking the silence. "But let us assure you that we want his friendship back as much as he does. We have learned our lesson, for Quatre had been missed too."
"I am Heero Yuy," said Heero, extending his hand. "These are Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton and Wu Fei Chang."
Samra met his hand halfway. "I am honoured to meet you. Samra Raberba Winner, sister number 29. Quatre is staying at a Maganac's base not far from here. Sorry for the inconvenience, but we are going to travel across the desert to the base. Don't worry, it won't be too hot, for winter is almost here."
"It's okay with us," Trowa assured her.
"We start tomorrow morning. It'll take us a day and a half for us reach the base. Meanwhile, you can stay here at the guest house. Osama can be a bit on the go, but he is a good host and has never failed me till now."
"Samra..." began Duo, but she cut him off.
"Do not worry, Duo. I assure you Quatre will be very glad to see you. Trust me."
"I do," he replied, smiling.
Next morning...
"Yes, Osama, I'll be going with our visitors to the base. Take care of the house while I'm gone. You can contact me there if I'm needed."
"I understand, Anisa. Give my greetings to the Maganacs and Master Quatre," replied Osama.
"Thank you, and don't call me miss," she said with mocking annoyance, coming into the room where the pilots were having breakfast.
"Are you ready?" she asked them.
"Sure," piped up Duo, jumping from his chair.
"Then come with me."
They went out of the house to a nearby smaller stall. As they entered, they were greeted by the sight of two large sand-coloured camels. Samra slung the bags over their backs and taking the reins, coaxed them outside.
"What are those?" asked Duo in astonishment.
She smiled at his stunned expression. "These two she-camels, Zahra and Yamama, will be our travel companions for the next 36 hours. Down, girls," she added to the camels. The animals complied, going on their knees.
"Okay, get on," she stated.
"What?" Wu Fei exclaimed before he could stop himself.
"Each two of you will get on a camel's back. You'll be comfortable," said Samra.
"That's not the point," said Wu Fei. "This means you're not going to ride?"
"What's wrong with that?" she asked.
"Never!" cried Wu Fei. "Injustice! I ride, and a weakling onna walk – impossible!" Duo winced; he could sense the beginning of a full-forced Wu Fei rant. However, he had reckoned without Samra.
"Listen to me, Mr. Chang," she said pleasantly. "You are strangers in this land, and thus are my guests for three days as in our Arabian custom. These camels are my current home, and you will share them with me. Someone has to lead the camels, as you can't control them while you are riding them. Do not worry about me; I am accustomed to this and the distance is nothing at all. Now, we're wasting time; please, ride."
To their amazement, Wu Fei nodded and approached Zahra. After some argument, Heero and Wu Fei got on one camel while Trowa and Duo got on the other. Samra made sure that all their bags were securely fastened and tied Yamama's rein to a hook on the back of Zahara's saddle. She then adjusted the cover partly protecting her head. (Think of the one Quatre wore while walking in the desert to get his Sandrock – I think it was episode 46).
"Hold on while they get up," she advised. "They'll raise their hind legs first. Ready? Hiyya (Come on)."
The camels got up in a rather wobbly manner, for those who are not familiar with camels. Taking the rein firmly in her hand, Samra guided the brutes towards the wide expanse of sand. They thus began their journey across the desert, towards their lost comrade.
To be continued...
Author's note: This chapter turned out to be too long so I divided it into two parts. Please review if you have time. Thank you for being patient with me.
Narrator's POV:
"It's alright, Osama," said Samra. "I'll see to this. Please take care of the other visitors."
"Yes, Anisa," replied Osama. "Good day, everyone."
"Please have a seat," she offered, gesturing at the sand-coloured armchairs.
"Ah, well... ahem," began Duo, but Trowa cut him off.
"I presume you're Samra Winner," he said.
"Yes, I am."
"We were sent by your sister Iria," continued Trowa.
"Iria sent you? Is she well?" asked Samra.
"Yes," replied Duo. "Actually... we want to know where Quatre is."
Samra caught her breath. It was as she had expected, but were they really sincere? She didn't want Quatre to be hurt again.
"You're his comrades, aren't you?" she finally whispered.
"How do you know that?" asked Heero in his monotone.
"My brother had a photograph of you when he came here after the war was over. I don't know exactly what happened, but I do know that you have rejected his friendship after everything was over. Forgive me, but I must speak plainly. I bear you no ill-will and neither does Quatre. He just wanted to be with you again, you, who have faced happy and bitter times together.
We all make wrong decisions, and it's never too late to put them right. Now I will ask you one question: did you come back for the sake of my brother's friendship, or do you want something from him and then you'll disappear again? If it's the second reason, I'll do my best to give you what you want, but please stay away from Quatre. If it's the first, I'm more than happy to take you to him. Please understand this."
The smiled at her earnestness, even Heero felt comfortable with her. It must have been something running in the Winner family.
"What you said is quite true," said Wu Fei, breaking the silence. "But let us assure you that we want his friendship back as much as he does. We have learned our lesson, for Quatre had been missed too."
"I am Heero Yuy," said Heero, extending his hand. "These are Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton and Wu Fei Chang."
Samra met his hand halfway. "I am honoured to meet you. Samra Raberba Winner, sister number 29. Quatre is staying at a Maganac's base not far from here. Sorry for the inconvenience, but we are going to travel across the desert to the base. Don't worry, it won't be too hot, for winter is almost here."
"It's okay with us," Trowa assured her.
"We start tomorrow morning. It'll take us a day and a half for us reach the base. Meanwhile, you can stay here at the guest house. Osama can be a bit on the go, but he is a good host and has never failed me till now."
"Samra..." began Duo, but she cut him off.
"Do not worry, Duo. I assure you Quatre will be very glad to see you. Trust me."
"I do," he replied, smiling.
Next morning...
"Yes, Osama, I'll be going with our visitors to the base. Take care of the house while I'm gone. You can contact me there if I'm needed."
"I understand, Anisa. Give my greetings to the Maganacs and Master Quatre," replied Osama.
"Thank you, and don't call me miss," she said with mocking annoyance, coming into the room where the pilots were having breakfast.
"Are you ready?" she asked them.
"Sure," piped up Duo, jumping from his chair.
"Then come with me."
They went out of the house to a nearby smaller stall. As they entered, they were greeted by the sight of two large sand-coloured camels. Samra slung the bags over their backs and taking the reins, coaxed them outside.
"What are those?" asked Duo in astonishment.
She smiled at his stunned expression. "These two she-camels, Zahra and Yamama, will be our travel companions for the next 36 hours. Down, girls," she added to the camels. The animals complied, going on their knees.
"Okay, get on," she stated.
"What?" Wu Fei exclaimed before he could stop himself.
"Each two of you will get on a camel's back. You'll be comfortable," said Samra.
"That's not the point," said Wu Fei. "This means you're not going to ride?"
"What's wrong with that?" she asked.
"Never!" cried Wu Fei. "Injustice! I ride, and a weakling onna walk – impossible!" Duo winced; he could sense the beginning of a full-forced Wu Fei rant. However, he had reckoned without Samra.
"Listen to me, Mr. Chang," she said pleasantly. "You are strangers in this land, and thus are my guests for three days as in our Arabian custom. These camels are my current home, and you will share them with me. Someone has to lead the camels, as you can't control them while you are riding them. Do not worry about me; I am accustomed to this and the distance is nothing at all. Now, we're wasting time; please, ride."
To their amazement, Wu Fei nodded and approached Zahra. After some argument, Heero and Wu Fei got on one camel while Trowa and Duo got on the other. Samra made sure that all their bags were securely fastened and tied Yamama's rein to a hook on the back of Zahara's saddle. She then adjusted the cover partly protecting her head. (Think of the one Quatre wore while walking in the desert to get his Sandrock – I think it was episode 46).
"Hold on while they get up," she advised. "They'll raise their hind legs first. Ready? Hiyya (Come on)."
The camels got up in a rather wobbly manner, for those who are not familiar with camels. Taking the rein firmly in her hand, Samra guided the brutes towards the wide expanse of sand. They thus began their journey across the desert, towards their lost comrade.
To be continued...
Author's note: This chapter turned out to be too long so I divided it into two parts. Please review if you have time. Thank you for being patient with me.