The Sand Queen, Part 2

.....The path led over a large sand dune. in the distance on the other side of the dune we saw an old brick well. Our weak shaking body's barely holding our weight as we tripped through the fine yellow sand. Our hopes raised at the thought of water, lifting our feet a little faster. When we finally stood before the well, the path in the sand disappeared. I lowed the old cracked vase that was tied to collect the water, using the last of my strength to heave it back to the surface. We drank deeply, drops of water splashing down our chins and chests. We drew more water to bath our wounds and clean sore skin. We tore our palace clothes, too lavish and heavy for the heat of the Santinadi. And washed the scraps of fabric to be used as bandages, not to stop the bleeding but to stop the sand from sticking to the thick gluey blood. Night began to fall around us and soon the temperature would drop to freezing. We made ourselves a furrow in the sand to sleep in next to the well, hoping it would shield us against any sandy winds. There was no way to make fire and nothing to eat, so we drank more water and lay close to keep warm. Having been relived of our thirst we could think a little more clearly. Vilina wondered what had happened to the Sand Demon that had led us to the well, i was more interested it what it wanted from us and how we had been saved from the destruction of Balliast. We where exhausted and soon drifted into a thick sickly sleep. At first i slept soundly, but in my dreaming i heard someone call my name "Madina.........Madina" came the voice of the sand. And then i saw him, a face i had known all my life in my dreams. Young as i was, tall and dark like the men of the east. His dark curly hair long around his neck. Brown eyes bronzed like the sun, and his lovely red lips whispering my name "Madina, wake up now" his voice was creamier than i remembered. "Madina i am here with you, it is time to wake up now." His face blurred from view, i did not want him to leave, the draw of my heart woke me, my dry eyes blinking in the darkness of the night. I looked about me, Vilina was still asleep, and it was to cold to move away from her. I looked to the well, just a black shadow in all the darkness, there was no moon tonight. But then the shadow moved, something stood upright and walked towards us. My heart stopped in fear. I smelt him before i saw him. His sent of salt and dry earth with a strong tone of cardamon and star anise, it was very enticing. Then he came close enough for me to see. He was the man from my dreams. He held his hand out stretched to receive mine. It was as if i had lost all control of my body, i lifted myself to greet him, and pulled him in tight as if i had known him all my life. Well i had dreamed of him all my life, he had grown in my dreams as i did and now he was here with me, unnaturally warm in my embrace. "Madina" came his voice. "Do you know me, Madina?" "YES!" i exclaimed. "Do you trust me?" "I do" came my answer. He held my hand with his right hand and reached down to Vilina with his left. "Hold your breath." Came his voice. Just as i closed my mouth the world rushed away from me and i felt my body slip as if i myself had become grains of sand. We moved with the wind at such a speed that my eyes could see nothing but more sand. We seamed to move like this for hours, soon i lost myself in each grain of sand as it past my vision. Until i felt as if i was sand, and had always been sand, i began to forget everything, giving in to the light recklessness of the dry yellow sand around me................................