"Shiek" - читать интересную книгу автора (Connie Mason)

CHAPTER 1




Beautiful as the sun and stars, Zara sat slim and tall atop her sleek racing camel, the distinctive blue robes of her people billowing about her supple form. As resilient as the stark brown Rif mountains, Zara was a proud example of the wild desert warriors known as the Blue Men. She possessed the heart of a lion, the soul of a staunch Berber freedom fighter, and the soft, rounded body of a woman.

Flanked by her father, Youssef, the cadi of their tribe, and her betrothed, Sayed, the chieftain's lieutenant, Zara fixed her bright green eyes intently on the caravan's progress as it slowly snaked through the winding trail below them. Against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, the caravan traveled toward the imperial city of Meknes.

"There it is, Father," Zara noted excitedly. "It has to be the caravan carrying the pirate's tribute to the sultan, just as our spy told us."

Youssef, a darkly handsome man still in his prime at forty, smiled indulgently at his daughter's impatience. It was ever thus with his impetuous daughter. Zara, his golden-haired beauty, had ridden at his side since attaining the age of thirteen, and now, at twenty, she was as fierce and eager for battle as any of his seasoned warriors.

"Caution, daughter," Youssef warned. "Our success has always depended upon our being more cunning than our enemy. We must not act rashly."

"Heed the cadi, Zara," Sayed advised. "If our spy was right about the rich cargo, the rewards will be worth the wait. The pirate's plunder will provide our people with the means to continue our fight."

Zara quelled her eagerness with difficulty. Even her camel sensed her enthusiasm as he shifted restlessly beneath her. Zara pulled back on the reins, keeping her rapt gaze upon the caravan's progress.

"Nothing seems amiss, Father," Zara said as she glanced behind her at her tribesmen. Garbed in blue robes that had stained their skins the same hue as their robes, the Blue Men were armed to the teeth and eager for battle. "The men but await your signal."

Youssef and Sayed exchanged silent nods. Then Youssef raised his scimitar and brought it slashing downward. The signal sent the band of fierce warriors racing down the mountainside toward the hapless caravan, brandishing scimitars and lances, their bloodcurdling cries a frightening forecast of doom.



"They come," Captain Hasdai said with relish.

"Mount!" Jamal ordered as he leapt upon Kacem's back. One hundred of the sultan's fiercest warriors reacted instantly to Jamal's order, eager to engage the Berber menace in battle.

No stranger to hand-to-hand combat, Jamal waited until the Blue Men were nearly upon the caravan to signal the attack. Had he given the signal a second earlier, the Berbers would have had time to retreat. The sultan's orders had been specific. He wanted Youssef dead and the Berber forces destroyed.

Kacem charged down the hillside toward the caravan, as eager for battle as his master.





Adrenalin surged through Zara. A heady rush of blood pumped through her veins. The scent of victory filled her nostrils. Actual fighting rarely occurred during an attack. Camel drivers were notorious cowards, unwilling to fight to protect the sultan's goods. The few soldiers sent along for protection usually broke ranks and ran when they saw the fierce Blue Men, mounted upon their racing camels and wielding their scimitars. Zara noted with satisfaction that this caravan appeared even less protected than most. Only six soldiers trailed behind the camels.

Racing neck and neck with Youssef and Sayed, Zara was confused when suddenly Youssef brought his animal to a skidding halt.

"Wait, daughter!" Youssef cried, scenting the danger that Zara failed to see. His warning came too late. By the time Youssef issued his warning, Jamal and his army were already upon them. They were vastly outnumbered; there was no escape for Youssef.

Youssef's first concern was for his beloved child. Though she had ridden with him countless times in the past, Youssef knew this was no simple taking of a caravan. This was an ambush. Deaths would occur, and he feared for Zara's life. "Ride, Zara, ride quickly!"

The unexpected resistance stunned Zara. Her father, Sayed and the Blue Men were already engaged in fierce battle with the sultan's soldiers. She heard her father's warning but did not heed it. How could she when her loved ones were fighting for their lives? Suddenly she saw a white-robed man on a midnight black stallion riding toward her father. Youssef's back was toward the man; he was unaware of his danger. Zara acted without thinking; her father's life was in peril and she had to save him.

Reacting instinctively, she rode her camel directly in the path of her father's enemy, thwarting the attack and allowing Youssef precious time to escape. Youssef's face convulsed in horror when he saw Zara riding into the middle of the fray. Fearing for his daughter's life, Youssef gave the signal for retreat. Though a call for retreat was rare, the Blue Men broke ranks, melting away into the surrounding mountains.