Maliha

The next morning, Maliha woke with a deep-rooted conviction to stick by the vow she made to herself last night.

She made her morning ablutions and groomed her hair with a little bit of the special oil that Saralec gave her, to make up for the previous night she had missed. Her body went through the motions all the while her mind ticked away at all that she had seen the previous day. It had been a taxing past few days and Maliha was growing tired.

As beautiful as the land was, and as kind as it’s people could be, the Der Surjaz customs gave Maliha pause. There was so much about this tribe that she wanted to learn but at the same time the more she learnt, the more she discovered things about this tribe that did not sit well with her ideas of morality. Nor did it help that the trial of Tanzim had made it very apparent to Maliha that though she was accepted she was not completely welcomed by ally especially if she were to go by Ujarak’s attitude and behaviour.

They did not see Maliha for who she truly was, but she wouldn’t sit around sulking and mentally berating this tribe’s downfalls. No, she would actively involve herself and slowly but surely, create the change she wished to see in this tribe.

Nodding to herself with conviction, she gathered up a thin shawl and then headed out of her room and down the corridor. She lightly knocked on Enzo’s room, when he responded with a sulky grunt of acknowledgment, Maliha reminded him not to miss breakfast before she retreated outside.

The morning air was slightly colder than usual, marking the changing of seasons but it was still warm compared to most other tribal lands. Maliha wrapped her shawl a little tighter around her shoulders to ward off the chill as she made her way to the fire pit for breakfast.

As she approached, Maliha noted that the atmosphere was a lot lighter than it had been the night before but also, a good chunk of the usual members that ate at this fire, were missing. She gathered up her skirt and then swung her leg over the sofa before crouching down into her seat, slowly looking around the fire to spot all the missing faces.

The sun was steadily rising in the sky, showing Maliha that it was a few minutes past the usual time for them to eat.

“Where is everyone?” She wondered aloud, noting that most of the absent tribeswomen and men were warriors.

“They are leaving for the Nushtar mountains.” Responded Nahi, her bleary and red rimmed eyes lingering over Maliha’s confused frame.

“Is Ujarak leaving with them as well?”

“Daz.” Grunted Nahi, picking at her food in a sign that Maliha’s inquisition was making her feel awkward.

Maliha’s lips pinched tightly together as she absorbed Nahi’s words, they were leaving already, and it seemed that he was also amongst them.

Maliha noted what Nahi’s body language was conveying - that she didn’t want to discuss the topic further- and then she completely ignored it.

“Does Enzo know?”

Nahi’s head snapped up at the barely suppressed anger that carried in Maliha’s tone. Her eyes widening at the visible lines of anger that creased Maliha’s skin.

“I don’t believe that he ha-”

“I assumed he hadn’t.” Spat Maliha, interjecting through Nahi’s words before the woman could even finish her sentence.

Maliha’s anger manifested into something unbridled and uncontrollable, travelling throughout her being as her blood bubbled.

“How could he?” She growled but she knew the answer to her own question.

He could because he was Ujarak, a man who seemed to be unfeeling and selfish. He cared only how the past few days events affected him and not how they had affected anyone else. Nor did he consider how his leaving would affect Enzo, especially as the boy did not know.

“Selfish serpentine.” She Spat before shoving to her feet.

Many tribe members heads raised up to watch Maliha’s angered form, but she paid no mind to their inquisitive stares.

“If it is not too much to ask, can you please go and fetch Enzo whilst I speak to your lovely, lovely brother.” Sarcasm heavily laced into her words.

“Maliha, mayhap now is not the best time.”

Abazz’ warning only seemed to frustrate Maliha her further. The man had remained silent although the exchange between women but now he decisive to speak up and to do what? Warn Maliha away. Well no. She would not listen to him.

“Perchance, you can tell me when a better time would be, Abazz?” She hummed, her voice climbing in octave.

“Would it be when Ujarak has mounted his horse, or do you think a better time will be when he’s galloping out of the village and I will have to project my voice just, so he can hear me?”

Abazz’ mouth gaped open wide at the short and snappish words of Maliha, his brows climbing skywards at the noticeable change of colour to her sheets.

“Maliha, I think-”

“I don’t care to hear what you think, Abazz.” She barked, shutting the male up before he could give her any poor excuses.

“I will speak to Ujarak now, on behalf of Enzo as it seems no one else cares to.” Her head nodded haughtily as she gathered up the length of her skirt and climbed over the sofa.

“Good day.” She shouted over her shoulder as she bounced off to the straw structures where the animals were housed, and likely where Ujarak’s would be preparing to leave.

As she blended around the corner of a shed her blood boiled at the sight they all made. Ujarak stood by one of his horses, loading up a small sack of belongings.

“You coward.” She howled, picking up a rock and dashing it at Ujarak’s head.

Her aim was a little off and instead it bounced off his shoulder blade. The rock served its purpose at gaining Ujarak’s attention.

“Maliha?”

“You are a gutless swine.” She growled, throwing another rock at him, this time nicking him on his shoulder.

“What is wrong with you woman?” He howled as one of the rocks hit his lip and split it open, blood trailing down his chin.

“Stop that.” He thundered, his arm waving away the rocks that Maliha kept pelting at him.

“T’la.” He commanded but she ignored him, assailing rock after rock at his approaching form.

She attempted to lob her final rock at him, but he managed to snatch her wrist before it could leave her grasp. Squeezing her wrist tightly, he forced her hand open and the rock to fell to the floor.

“What the hell is wrong you woman?” He huffed incredulously.

“You.” She screamed. “You are what’s wrong with me.”

“Wha-”

“It is bad enough that yesterday you treated me like some sort of pest, nothing more than a nuisance, but to think that you would leave without saying goodbye!”

Her face was red as her chest rose up and down at the exertion of trying to yank her arms from his grip. Ujarak looked at her with confusion, his hand pulling her body firmly to his chest.

“Maliha?” He grumbled. “Are you angry because I am leaving without saying goodbye to you.”

There was a soft look in his eyes that had Maliha mesmerised for the split second it took her to register his words.

“No, you idiot.” She gritted while breaking her arm out of his grip.

Surprise lined his face at her abusive words, but she didn’t stop to register any of his emotions.

“I am beyond livid that you would think to leave without first letting Enzo know, and making sure provisions have been made for him.” Her finger pounded into the hard pectoral to emphasise her disdain.

“Wait, hold on just one moment.”

“I will do no such thing!” She blustered, her arms across her chest.

“How dare you call yourself Enzo’s guardian but continuously fail to provide for him.”

Enzo didn’t deserve the way he was treated by Ujarak and his uncaring ways. The man was a brutish and unloving sort.

“Maliha,” he warned but she continued on.

“To think, I believed you were a better man than this, but you had to prove me wrong. What an uncaring, unfeeling, selfish, gutless-”

“Enough.” He thundered. “That is enough!”

Her eyes narrowed at the same his arms bunched up across his chest and his jaw ticked with suppressed emotions.

“I will not stand here and take the abuse of some woman who does not yet belong in this tribe.”

His words were meant to hurt her and Maliha acknowledged that they somewhat did hurt but they also gave her the gumption she needed to put Ujarak in his place.

“And I thank all that is holy that I do not yet belong to this tribe, especially if their leader is a man such as yourself.”

An exasperated sigh tumbled from his lips and his pinched his nose in frustration. Knowing full and well that Maliha had just begun warming up.

“Whether you like it or not, the way you have treated Enzo is unacceptable and you know it. So why don’t you get off your high horse and admit that you are wrong.” Her voice softening towards the end of her rant.

The silence between them remained charged, neither of them bending their wills until eventually Ujarak caved.

Clearing his throat, Ujarak met Maliha’s heated flare with one of apology.

“I admit I was wrong. I should have thought more on Enzo, though I did tell my sister to look after him.”

Maliha’s eyes rolled skywards at his pitiful attempt at trying to provide for Enzo whilst he was absent.

“Your sister just had twins, having another child to watch after will bring her more unneeded stress.”

How he couldn’t see that was beyond Maliha.

“I hadn’t thought of that.” He muttered.

Was the man truly that oblivious or did he just not care?

“Yes, well, I have decided to look after Enzo whilst you are away.”

She nodded once before she prompted him to go and say his goodbyes to Enzo.

“I would like the apologise for my harsh words towards you.”

“You spoke no lies,” Maliha reluctantly admitted.

He hadn’t, she did not yet belong to this tribe and as more time passed she doubted her desire to. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that this tribe had not fully claimed her as of yet.

Ujarak nodded his head in apology before taking a few steps in retreat away from her.

“Ujarak.” She called him to a halt. “I would ask one thing of you before you depart on your long journey.”

From what Maliha has gathered the Nushtar mountains would take at least a few weeks to reach and then there would be a few days in which they would participate in trade before they would make their return journey. Ujarak and the select warriors he was taking with him would be gone for over a full moon cycle.

“What would you like, Maliha?”

Her eyes clenched closed as she braced herself to make her request. She sucked in a deep breath of air and then opened her eyes to face.

“I would like my own tent.”

His head jerked back as if she had slapped him across the face.

“You do not need one.” He easily dismissed her request but Maliha was not prepared to give up.

“I do. I need my own tent. The main reason I was moved into your home was because of Tanzim but now that she will be gone there is no reason.”

“What about us?”

Maliha’s head rolled skywards as she silently prayed for some divine intuition and guidance. She received nothing but a strumming feeling in her body that made it difficult for her to hold back any words.

“There is no us Ujarak. It has become very apparent that what has happened this past few days have dampened your feelings towards me.”

Her voice croaked with emotion, but she made sure that not one tear of yearning dripped from her eyes.

“That is not true.” He refuted and then seemed to think better of his words. “Not entirely” he added.

The blank stare that Maliha gave him made Ujarak rush to explain his behaviour over the past few days.

“Regardless, your manner towards me has changed and I can only assume that it is because of what has happened.”

Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she perused Ujarak’s handsome face longingly. His copper skin shone with perspiration that glided down his forehead and beaded along his lip. His face was cleanly shaven, revealing his hard and chiselled jaw.

“It wasn’t clear to me before, but I suppose Tanzim’s behaviour has made you a lot more reluctant to be in a relationship with a female that you are not sure is the one.” She murmured as it all suddenly made sense to her.

It wasn’t that he was grieving the loss of Tanzim as such but more so what her behaviour signified for him. Tanzim’s viscous behaviour towards Maliha had been a result of her jealously, Tanzim’s r bitterness at being dismissed and replaced had sent her over the brink.

Maliha couldn’t blame his apprehension, but she was nothing like Tanzim. Nothing at all.

“Maliha, I would explain to you where my reservations come from.”

Maliha waved him away. “It is not necessary Ujarak. You wished to bide your time with me while you wait for your Sujurrah to arrive. Well no.” She snapped.

“I refuse to be anyone’s consolation prize.”

She had learnt her lessons. If a man was not prepared to commit to you or dedicate his time to you then you were just his safety net until he found what he was looking for. She would not allow herself to be side-lined for another female ever again.

“Please let me explain.” He interjected hurriedly.

“My father loved someone long before my mother came to the tribe. They were happy together and then my mother came, and my father knew she was his one.”

Maliha didn’t know what the purpose of his family history served in this moment, but she could see where this story was going.

“They bonded shortly after and then I was born, my twin sister did not survive as is often the way with twins. It was the first thing to set her into a downward spiral. She had many still births and miscarriages and while her despair worsened my father gave into the pleasures of the flesh and went back to his love.”

He all but spat his final words, cursing his father and the woman in his tribal tongue.

“My mother could just about tolerate the infidelity but when she discovered that the woman was pregnant. It was too much, especially when she gave birth to a girl.”

It all began to make sense. Nahi’s mother had been their father’s lover even whilst he was mated to Ujarak’s mother who had been the true leader.

“My father did not see the error in his ways until it was too late.”

Ujarak did not need to explain any further, Maliha understood clearly what he could not say.

“I am sorry.”

He nodded his head in acceptance before bringing his swirling orbs to meet Maliha’s. His large hand gripping her chin lightly, so she couldn’t look away.

“I didn’t tell you this story for your sympathy, though your kindness does warm me. I told you this story for a reason.”

As Maliha had sensed, Ujarak had a purpose for telling her the morbid story of his parents and she already knew what he was thinking.

“You fear that by letting another woman in now, you may cause your Sujurrah heartache in the future.”

His head shook as his thumb glided over her bottom lip. Dark obsidian eyes hypnotising her with the emotion pouring out of them. Maliha tried to remind herself of her vow. she wouldn’t let him affect her this way, but it was so hard when she wanted him so desperately. She needed to remind herself that desperation got her nothing but heartache and rejection.

“I do not have these reservations out of fear for this woman I do not know, but out of fear for your heart. I do not want to cause you harm.”

“Then we shall put a stop to this.” Maliha whispered softly, understanding and acceptance travelling through her being.

Though the situation was not ideal, she could accept his choice and admit that his words had made it easier for her to distance herself from him emotionally.

She had her closure, and though knowing his distance was fuelled by how much he cared for her, it did not help lessen the blow or make the decision easier to endure.

“I will have my own tent.” She murmured huskily, peering up at him with her expressive eyes.

“Yes, you will.” He sighed, stroking her lip reverently before releasing her chin and turning away from her.

Maliha watched the muscles of his back ripple as he walked away from her and this chapter of her life.