Maliha
Chapter 4: Der Surjaz

The shrill ringing in her ears jolted Maliha from her deep slumber, forcing the thin blankets that covered what was left of her torn clothes to the side. The quick movements caused her world to tilt on its axis as the ground climbed into her vision. Her eyes rolled and then she was thudding to the ground, her body burning as bile gushed through her lips.

The internal alarm in her head vibrated through her body and had her world rocking. Her brain felt as if it would have exploded within, the pounding in her head causing whimpers to escape from her lips. White light blinded her as her brain splintered at the edges, the pain like nothing she had felt before.

Her body shook even as fire lit her soul alight. She was struggling to breathe, her throat dry as a burning ball of fire began to ascend across the sky. Sweat beaded along her skin as she tried to rise form her curled position, panting and wheezing as she felt her insides churning and boiling. Her face felt swollen as if she had run head first into a wall and she wasn’t sure if it was from the piercing that hung from her nose and was locked around her neck and draped across her ear. Or if it was from all her exposure to the harsh elements of nature. She could taste blood in her mouth, but she had no idea where it came from.

“Daz,” the soft voice travelling into the light wind was barely noticeable until a cold mug of water was shoved into her hand. Maliha jerked back, the hand catching her by surprise.

Dark glossy brown orbs stared at her as the female shoved the cool liquid against Maliha’s dry lips.

“Shera” she motioned towards the cup and then moved Maliha’s hand to clasp the cup, she held it at the bottom for support until Maliha’s hands stopped shaking enough for her to grasp the cup.

“Wataaa” she stammered, her brows knotting as she struggled to speak in the common tongue.

“Water” croaked Maliha in acknowledgment of the females attempt to speak. The cool liquid sliding down her throat in one large gulp. The woman’s eyes sparked with pride and then she was grabbing the cup and shuffling further back into what Maliha assumed was her tent.

Her eyes roved over the walls of her temporary prison, the furnishings were plain and minimal, but it was warm as well, as if this female had taken her time to decorate the room with what meagre possessions she had.

The woman came back into her sight with a second cup “Slowly” she stammered, putting the cup in Maliha’s hand and retreating back into her corner.

The woman before her had beautiful cocoa skin, it was rich and flawless except for the two scars she had slashed across her cheeks. The skin puckered and folded over bringing attention to her high cheek bones. The scars were jagged and looked as if they had been done maliciously. Her eyes were deep pools of coal, dark and glossy as they stared back at Maliha’s pale green.

Maliha had always thought her skin dark, among her adopted tribe, her skin had seemed as dark as night compared to their milky tones. Even among the Feri tribe she had been darker than them but here, here she seemed to be too light. Though not everyone was as dark as Xiuri or even Abazz, but they were all much darker than her. Nahi’s skin had been bronze, a shining glow to her skin and Abazz had been the colour of tar, a deep rich black that shone with radiance and health.

The woman sat back in the corner of her mallet, staring at Maliha in concentration. Her lips pursed as she took in the hesitant moves of Maliha’s body. The world was rolling, spinning and twisting as she tried to keep her body from dispelling what was left in her stomach.

Sipping on the water she winced at the taste and frowned deeply when she saw the small yellow and green flecks in her drink. She shot the female across from her a distrusting look all the while gulping back more. The liquid tickled down her throat and helped ease the throbbing behind her eyes.

“Xiuri,” The woman spoke in a soft and nervous tone, her fingers pointing to her chest as she introduced herself. Then her hand extended out as she motioned for Maliha to speak. Her words were soft, tentative as she extended an olive branch though she made no encouragement for Maliha to come any closer.

She was like a wounded animal, one that skirted away from people because it had felt the back of a hand or boot one too many times.

Her throat burned and so she gulped down the rest of the weird flavoured water, Xiuri visibly relaxing as Maliha set down the empty cup.

“Maliha” she croaked, pointing to her chest and nodding her head slowly as if to encourage Xiuri to move towards her.

At her slight sign of encouragement, Xiuri shuffled forwards a few steps, her movements slow as if she were preparing herself to run at any sight of trouble. Maliha sat as still as her burning body would allow her, her head throbbing with the concentration it required for her to not sway as she sat.

Xiuri reluctantly took a seat, her black hair coiling around her shoulders in tight fluffs as if they were cotton, light and silky to the touch. Maliha’s hand climbed to her hair, earning a sharp squawk from Xiuri as she shuffled back. Maliha’s hand automatically halted at the females cowering form, tears gathering in Xiuri’s and eyes as they glazed over. Her body shook with raw fear.

“I mean no harm” murmured Maliha, her hands slowly moving from her hair until they were in front of her, palms wide as she tried to make herself look as unthreatening as possible.

Xiuri eyed her dubiously, dark eyes narrowing as thick globs of her soul’s pain glided down her scarred cheeks.

“No harm” Maliha repeated, her lip wobbling as her sight became blurry.

It felt like forever but slowly Xiuri’s body began to shift, her form unfolding as she stopped cowering, shuffling forwards a few paces.

“No harm” sighed Xiuri, a watery smile lining her lips as her head bobbed. She wiped at her face and nose, sniffling back her silent tears.

They sat there for a moment, the silence charged as thoughts of Xiuri’s suffering filled Maliha’s mind and weighed on her heart. She wanted to hug the woman, show her love and caring but she knew that she couldn’t unless she wanted to see Xiuri cowering at her feet.

The sun climbed higher in the sky and began to fall again. Maliha’s body felt heavy, her limbs weak as the need for food churned her stomach but at the same time she acknowledged that she couldn’t eat.

Xiuri’s snickering had Maliha’s head rising in befuddlement, her thoughts on her bodies pain disintegrating at the joyful look on Xiuri’s face. Pink tinged Maliha’s cheeks as she stroked at the jagged strands of her hair in embarrassment. The short and uneven strands fell about her head hazardously, the cut blunt and unbecoming to anyone. She had no doubt that Xiuri was laughing at her appearance, she looked like skinny malnourished man.

Whatever glimmers of beauty she may have had all disappearing by the forced cut and her gaunt features, perhaps that was the tribe’s intention when they cut a female’s hair. If she had unevenly cut and short hair perhaps it served as a deterrent to any suitors. She wasn’t sure, their culture was different than any she had seen.

Regardless, Xiuri had different plans, she headed over to her part of the tent. She rummaged through her belongings until her tongue clicked against her teeth and then she was lifting the silver utensil in her hand.

She headed back over to where Maliha sat, showing her the scissors and conveying her intention to try and fix Maliha’s hair. Xiuri lightly gripped Maliha’s hair in her rough hands, stroking the damaged wavy locks with hesitant fingers. Then the sounds of clipping began, chunks of hair falling around Maliha’s shoulders and legs as more of what had once been her pride and glory disappeared under the hands of this tribe.

Her eyes slid shut at the soft massages of her scalp. It had been a while since she had bodily contact with another person and even long since she had been intimate. Though there was no sexual tension between them it was nice just to be touched by someone. Her last gentle touches had been with the Feri tribe some moons ago.

A deep sigh filled the air as all her thoughts fell away and the residual pain disappeared, she wasn’t sure if it was Xiuri’s gentle hands or the herbs she had put in her water. Either way Maliha’s felt relaxed and content.

Maliha’s eyes popped open as Xiuri’s hands faltered, the scissors dropping into Maliha’s lap. Her calming feelings were drowned out by the thick rolling tension that filled the room, as Nahi and Abazz stepped into their tent.

“Drezir, Drosar” mumbled Xiuri as she scampered to her feet, her head bowing as she clasped her hands in front of her. Maliha bowed her head in respect but didn’t climb to her feet, her body was too languid to move from its spot.

The atmosphere was charged as Maliha stared at the female before her. Xiuri’s composure completely shifting as her eyes cast down to the ground, sweat glistening across her body.

“Xiuri, I would like you to take Maliha under your wing. Show her how we tend to the fields and what areas are out of bounds for her”

“Yes Drosar” she croaked, her hands fidgeting as she plucked at the skin.

Soft bronze skin stroked along her deep cocoa hands, “And Xiuri, do I need to remind you of our names?” Nahi murmured lightly, a smile along her face a she patted the woman’s hand before heading out of the tent. Abazz giving a slight nod as he left with her.

Xiuri stood there for a minute, her hand clenching and Unclenching around the spot that Nahi had lightly touched her. Her eyes shuttered, short black lashes shadowing across her deep skin.

Then her lashes flickered open and she met Maliha’s gaze with a hard stare. “Come” Xiuri motioned towards the door.

Maliha reluctantly climbed to her feet, rearranging her slightly shredded clothes to hide what she could of her body but there had been no point.

Children ran around in nothing but small pieces of colourful material covering their private parts, women walked by with stomachs and legs in displayed. Sheer materials falling in pleats around their bodies, some even wore it tops, nothing but beaded necklaces with that curved around their breast and bounced with each step to cover them.

All with skin the colour of the richest earth, some of their skin matched the orange red sand that grazed their lands whilst others were as dark as the night given to them by the god Najrati. Skin colours of copper, bronze and gold, ebony and the deep brown bark of the trees that graced their lands.

These were a people of many.

As Maliha stepped further out of the tent, more and more of the Der Surjaz land revealed itself to her. The sun winking as if Savuriya the goddess of all was smiling at her and in an essence, she was because this land was her creation. It was the most beautiful land she had seen, no other tribe land compared to the Der Surjaz’, making it clear that Savuriya and her wandering son Pathiyiko had chosen this tribe.

Their land was bountiful with fruits and life that alluded all the tribes Maliha had travelled among. None had beauty such as the rolling green hill tops and the golden sun rays that glistened along the water.

A deep luscious river ran a few metres away from the main house, the water surrounded by long willowy grass that swayed in the breeze. Behind the house acres and acres of wild land, hills and mountains travelled for miles around. Her sight filled with bright greens, blues and yellows. The Der Surjaz were a people of colour.

Following Xiuri down the path, Maliha took in the tribe’s land in wonderment. The path they walked on was dry dust and mud but the place they were heading to was surrounded by short strands of grass. They walked through the hundreds and hundreds of tents, skirting around the sizzling fire pits as everyone began a mid-afternoon meal.

To the left of the tents, there were a few wooden buildings, the wood stacked up like a pyramid of sticks and mud. Some seemed to housed animals and others she wasn’t quite sure of. They looked as if they were places for people to relieve themselves but surely it couldn’t be so, no tribe was as advanced as to have a system of sewage.

The more she saw the more she became aware that this tribe was like no other tribe she had travelled through. They were beyond their years, though most lived in simple dwellings, what set them apart was their agriculture. They had fields and fields of golden wheat that glistened like sharp shards of fire.

The need for air lost its importance as her lips hung wide, the movement tugging at the jewellery that hung across her face.

“This is all yours” she sputtered, her feet stumbling along the dirt pathway and narrowly missing a running child.

Xiuri’s dark skin glimmered with the suns love as she turned to face Maliha, pride in her voice as she said, “This is all ours.”