Remembrance
She has been clad in the finest silks, and anointed herself with jasmine, sweet almond, and the faintest hint of galbanum. Shadows of kohl darken her eyes, and golden ornaments hang at her wrists, ears, and neck; bells chime around her ankles. It is for you, her eyes say. Not for him.
“They say,” she whispers, “that the star-readers prophesy doom, the wise men mumble chants to the gods, and the sheikhan has called on your people.
“So if you are to leave with the black banners, then let not your last night with me pass unnoticed.
“Come with me.”
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March 15, 2005. Written for JunoMagic: spices, stars, and reading (however briefly mentioned).