Cairn Howff Tales: The Jinn

The Princess woke to the howling wind outside the Serai and realized she was alone in the large bed. It felt strange to be lying naked without the Pasha lying next to her. Slowly she raised herself from the mountain of pillows and searched in the dim morning light to see where he had gone.

Usually, she was the one who woke first, and she would lay in bed staring at the man sleeping next to her. Sometimes she would pull the sheets back to see all of him. He had become the center of her world these last few months. Even in his sleep, he seemed in control, a commanding presence that dominated everything around him. Recently, she had taken to caressing his shaft and bringing it into her mouth, waking that part of him before waking the rest. She would feel him stiffen and fill her mouth, and then his hand would rest on the back of her head, pushing her to go faster in this skill she had acquired or pulling her up to mount him. Once again, their passions would take over, and the coupling would begin again, just as it had the night before.

The Pasha was a patient lover, pushing the Princess to try new things and teaching her new ways to experience pleasures. While she wanted to rush toward the coupling she so enjoyed, he would take his time and slowly focus on a different part of her body, awakening her to the possibilities. Last night it had been that sensitive spot on her neck just below her ears. At first, his kisses were ticklish, but then, as his finger traced behind her ear and down her neck to her shoulder, her body seemed to come alive. Then he held her hands above her head and mixed his kisses with little nibbles, making her squirm, impatient for more. Her whole body tingled when he moved his hand down to pinch a nipple and lightly rub the center between her legs. He had taken her multiple times throughout the night, leaving her feeling drained and sticky from their activities. She would need an extra-long soak in the hammam to recover from their session, and she knew that would amuse the other women.

Now, the large empty bed with the cool sheets felt strange to the Princess. The wind seemed to be growing louder, and it scared her to think of the storm that was building. She saw the Pasha standing near the latticed screen that overlooked the hammam or tiled bath. Wrapping herself in one of the sheets, she padded across the tiled floor barefoot to stand next to him. Through the screen, she could see the first of the women from the harem splashing in the large pool as they began their morning bathes.

After the first few nights spent in the Pasha's bed chamber, the Princess was surprised to find that he had this view of everything that went on in the harem. How many days when she first arrived had she spent bathing naked in that pool of cool water, unaware he might be watching her and the other women from behind this screen? Now, of course, it did not matter. She had decided to share her nights and her body with him. She had come to the Serai, a reserved and imperious Princess. Slowly they stripped her reservations and her ideas of what was proper as effortlessly as they had shed her of her clothes.

The hammam was filling up with women, and the Princess and the Pasha could hear the squeals of laughter rolling through the screen as they stood there watching the playful women. "What will become of them?" the Pasha muttered quietly, almost to himself. The Princess understood his worries but had no answer, so she took his arm, held him tight, and said nothing.

The raiders had become bolder of late, attacking nearly every caravan that passed through this part of the desert. Life in the Serai became difficult as supplies became scarce, and the tributes the caravans paid the Pasha decreased. To make matters worse, the raiders' visits to the Serai were becoming more frequent, with their demands for food, wine, and water for their horses. Whenever these visits occurred, the women of the harem would retreat to the hammam and their chambers to remain secluded until the raiders left. The situation quickly became untenable, and the negotiations between the Pasha and the raiders' leader were tense.

Since arriving at the Serai as a refugee, the Princess had relaxed into the comfortable rhythms of the place. In some ways, the casual and relaxed manners reminded her of her uncle's court back home, where all the attention was on entertainment, fashion, and parties. However, here in this distant oasis, the focus was less on their dress than undress. The entertainment had a sensual feel that usually ended in some public sex between the Pasha and the women. Back home, there was a cut-throat nature to her uncle's court. Everyone was trying to top everyone else to gain some favor. Here, the Pasha seemed to spread his preferences around equally, and all the women seemed content to take turns with him. Recently the Princess seemed to have a few more turns than the others, but no one seemed to mind.

When she was not curled naked at the Pasha's feet or laying in his bed as he found some new way to use her, she spent her time in the hammam. The Princess loved the baths, which instantly broke the heat and refreshed her in ways no bath ever had before. There she would spend time with Opal and Jade, her two favorites of the Pasha's women. They were the ones who tried to learn her English and had been most successful in teaching the Princess to speak their language. Slowly the three of them communicated better, and the Princess was gaining a better understanding of the conversations around her.

These two would also bathe her when she returned from the Pasha's bed, and they would giggle as she told them what they had done and how she got each bite mark or bruise. When she was not with the Pasha, she would spend her nights curled up with one or both of them. This intimacy just happened and was something the Princess never thought of back home, where other women were her rivals more than her friends. Here it felt natural to accept the kisses and caresses of other women, and she was just as happy for either Opal or Jade when the Pasha chose to spend the night with them.

Now there was a whirling sandstorm building outside. What began with an oppressive heat over the past few days had developed into a stiff wind that turned the sky and the air a deep red color. As the storm blew through, the harem women began shuttering the lattice windows to keep the sand out. This only worsened the heat, and the women were obviously concerned inside the darkened harem. Opal explained to the Princess that a storm like this was the work of Jinn, supernatural forces that would come to cause mischief or, worse, terror. It reminded the Princess of the ghost stories she had heard about her uncle's castle back home, and it seemed to have the same effect on the women here. Just as she professed not to believe in ghosts, she said she did not believe in the Jinn. However, it was hard to listen to the howling winds and the murmuring women and not feel some trepidation.

Late in the afternoon, the raiders emerged from a cloud of sand at the Serai's gates, demanding shelter. Once again, the Princess and the rest of the harem retreated into seclusion. Now, with the raiders spread out around the courtyard and the women hiding behind boarded-up windows, everyone settled into what became a slow routine. Ever gracious, the Pasha continued his tradition of serving everyone who sought shelter in his Serai. Always opportunistic, the raiders took advantage of his hospitality to eat, drink, and lay around. Late on the second day, the Pasha visited the harem to see how the women were holding up. The Princess could see the frustration on his face, even as he refused to say anything but comforting words to the women. She had seen this face on her father and uncle when they faced terrible choices in bad situations. The Princess knew not to bother him and become yet another problem for him. She decided to take it upon herself to ensure the harem was calm and unseen.

By the fourth day, the situation in the courtyard was deteriorating. The storm continued to blow, the raiders began quarreling, and the Pasha was losing patience. So, the Princess decided to change the situation. She spoke to Efra, the old cook who prepared all their meals, and told her to prepare a wonderful feast.

After the sun had set and the meal was finished, the Princess and the rest of the harem women entered the far side of the courtyard. The Princess first saw the shock on Pasha's face and then the anger. However, he did not have time to react because a cheer had gone up from the assembly of raiders who had seen the women at the same time.

On the Princess's signal, the women began to play their drums, flutes, and sashay into the courtyard, led by the Princess. On countless evenings they had danced this same dance for the Pasha. Now they would dance for the group of raiders. They moved across the courtyard in the torchlight, spreading out, each one or two of the women picking out a raider to entertain. The raiders were mesmerized by the swaying hips barely covered by the silky cloth, and they were not as reserved as the Pasha. Soon they were clapping and cheering and then standing to dance with the women.

The Princess had singled out the leader of the raiders and was paying him special attention. She could see the passion in his eyes as he followed her every movement. She knew he was hers when she let the silk covering her breasts slip away. Glancing around the courtyard, the other women were disrobing or disrobed by the raiders they were dancing with. Then the women undressed the men.

The only man the Princess had ever seen naked was the Pasha. The man she danced for was at least ten years younger and did not have the finesse or the Pasha's patience. When he first took the Princess, he was hurried and rough. Around her, she could hear the passions of other couples. She surprised him with kisses and caresses and used every intimate skill she had learned from the Pasha to seduce him.

Later that night, as the chieftain fell asleep, she thought she saw the Pasha watching her in the shadows. She could not be sure, and when she looked again, he was not there. If it was him, how long had he been there, and what had he seen? She knew he would not be happy with what had transpired this evening.

The next morning the sun rose over a clear sky. The wind had stopped blowing, and the morning temperature was cool. As the Princess stirred, the naked chieftain beside her reached out in his sleep with a low moan. She leaned over and kissed his forehead before sitting up to look around. The other women of the harem were slowly untangling themselves from the men they had slept with. As the women reached for discarded silks and tried to cover themselves in the bright morning light, the men began to stir as well.

Suddenly, one of the men cried out. His sword was missing. Soon all the men were awake and jumping to their feet, searching for their weapons. Pandemonium broke out in the courtyard as the men pulled on their clothes and shouted at each other. It seemed all their weapons, every sword, every gun, every dagger, every bullet, were gone. There were also no shields or armor.

Soon the raiders were turning on the women, accusing them of taking their armaments, and the women were shouting back at the unarmed men. The only one who remained calm was Efra, sitting in the middle of the courtyard stirring a large caldron of breakfast stew. Finally, one of the men asked her who had taken their weapons, and she simply replied, "the Jinn."

This answer seemed to shake the raiders with terror, but a hasty search turned up nothing. The only explanation was that the Jinn had swept in and taken every weapon before blowing off. That afternoon, the raiders left the Serai with just their horses and the few clothes they had left.

Over the next few months, the situation in the Serai was much improved. The disarmed raiders could not attack the caravans, and the trade routes were restored and expanded. The Serai became known as a peaceful haven protected by the Jinn, and no one would bring weapons inside lest they disappear. The Pasha's hospitality had expanded to include not only meals and a bed where the travelers could rest and resupply. Now, they could also share the pleasures of the women of the harem.