263. Ayla

263. Ayla
From Myrthana, Ayla and her companions passed through the Kingdom of Kumeral on their way to Drara. Despite Ayla’s fears, Galian nor the Orcs pursued them. It didn’t take long to learn why. The Orcs had invaded Davalon and Auxaria, waging war on the two kingdoms. Time was running out, and they had yet to find Uzriel. 
They travelled fast, stopping only for rest and to send a letter to Vran, Hewe’s father, letting him know of their arrival. Two weeks later, they entered the Great Desert. 
Dunes and dunes of sand stretched out like the Endless Sea, and the sun burned hotter than in any other kingdom. If not for Ayla’s Wind, they would have probably perished there before Vran found them. 
Vran, once a skilled mercenary, was now a traveling merchant, his caravan or goods traversing the Great Desert from one end to the other, and vice versa. The old merchant knew Drara like the back of his palm and was more than happy to take his son and his friends to the Great City of Drara, Ishtar, where Sheikh Faair lived. 
If not for Hewe, they would have walked aimlessly through the desert until they would have perished from thirst, and if by some chance they had found an oasis, they would have been attacked by whatever nomad clan was controlling the oasis at that time. There were also the sand snakes, big as swampskars, that hid under the sand, and waited patiently for man or animal to walk above them. The sand snakes attacked fast, taking their prey by surprise. With a mouth that opened like the beak of a birk, and four rows of pointy teeth, they were one of the deadliest predators on the continent. 
After two days of traveling under the scorching sun, they finally reached Lago, a small city built around a big oasis. Lago was an important part of life in the desert since it was a place of encounter and restock for many merchants, since it was close to the only port Drara had. It was a small port, not like the one from Kumeral, but many ships that brought goods from the Southern Islands stopped on Drara first. 
It was in Lago that Vran waited for his son and his friends. His small caravan spread out the tents next to the city. It was there that Hewe found Vran, drinking tea under the shade of the tents. 
“Hewe! My boy!” Vran gave his son a long hug before he kissed Hewe’s cheeks. “Let me take a good look at you,” the old merchant said, as he took a step back. People working for Vran gathered to welcome the travelers. “This is my boy,” he said proudly. “He went from playing on my knee with knives to becoming a Paladin.” 
Hewe looked uncomfortable as he wasn’t used to the attention. 
Vran turned his attention to Hewe’s companions. He gave everyone a hug and kissed their cheeks—except Rhobart’s, who was towering over the merchant, who couldn’t be taller than 5’5’’—and then says, “Hewe’s friends are my friends! Come! Come! Let’s have tea together and share stories.” 
Men took away the horses to give them water and feed them while Hewe and the others sat on pillows under the shades and enjoyed candied fruits, cakes, and cold drinks, brought by women with veils covering their heads and faces. Only their eyes were visible. 
Vran shared many stories, especially about Hewe. It warmed Ayla’s heart to see how much Vran loved his son. 
After dinner, Vran took out a pipe, filled it with tobacco, and started smoking. 
“It will take us a week to reach the Great City,” Vran let Rhobart know. “Strangers are rarely allowed entrance, but I have connections there. The difficult part is to obtain an audience with the Sheikh. Since the Orcs decided to invade us, he has retreated deep inside his palace and refuses to see anyone.”
Rhobart scratched his beard. “I am sure he won’t refuse to see me.” 
“Perhaps,” said Vran. “Enough talking. Who wants to play chess with me?” His gaze went to his son. “Hewe, how about you show your old man if you still remember how to play?” 
Hewe moved flawlessly in the air, as he said something to his father, which made the merchant laugh. 
“Keep dreaming, boy. You will never best me at chess.” 
Vran disappeared inside his tent only to return seconds later with an old chessboard made from wood. He put it between Hewe and him and started arranging the pieces on the board. 
The game stretched out for hours. Day turned into night. Magic lamps hanging in front of tents illuminated the small caravan. 
Some of the Paladins decided to stretch out their stiff limbs since the heat was gone. 
Ayla watched with fascination as the game progressed. Both men were good, and it wasn’t clear who was going to win. It was Hewe’s turn when the voice of an angry man disturbed the peace, “You saw my daughter’s face without a veil!” 
Vran’s expression turned serious in a moment. “We’d better see what’s going on.”
A crowd was gathered close to where the tents ended. In the middle of it were Eude and Hudde with Marianna standing in front of them, protectively, glaring at a man who looked like he wanted to kill the twins. Next to him was a young woman who was crying in the arms of an older woman.
“Strangers can’t see the faces of our women,” the man gritted his teeth. “Those who don’t respect our laws must face the consequences.”

I will update after 1st of June.