Sands and Starlight
Chapter One: Baradir
Twilight, and a hush cloaked the darkening sands. To a stranger, the silence might be oppressive, born as it was of the vast emptiness of the steppe. To Baradir, the silence was expectant.
He paused in the lee of a rocky promontory, sheltered from the dry winds that swept past in a haze of dust and sand. One precious skin of water went to refresh the three camels of his caravan; they drank greedily, thick lips slurping noisily. Baradir, dreaming of mint-laced tea in a clear glass, satisfied himself with a swallow or two. Soon, he promised himself. He need only wait while the sun sank beyond the horizon, taking the vestiges of the burning day away with it.
Thirst and hunger lengthened the minutes; twilight glimmered on in a haze of low light. Bar
