The Witch's Want Ch. 04

She held up an obviously old and tattered cloth envelope. "For him, and if you choose to give it to him on the first night, then it must be at the last, and you must show him some honor, if you can, for the general that he once was. I know that he is in the body of a man from this part of the world, but, ..."

She thought about it while Farah waited.

"Try to understand," Dimme said, "He is whatever his body is, but here," she pointed at her own breast, "Here, he is Martu. I am Martu, Farah, and somewhere inside you, you are still Martu as well. We are no longer a people. We were hated and feared because we looked different from the other people in the world that we knew then. We were feared because we could fight and because we were every one of us at least a little magical and a nation of mages to the eyes of others is a fearsome thing.

He has found the one right girl in you. Think now to what I said before. Somehow, Ur-Nammu came here and somehow he found you, likely the only woman for thousands of leagues around who is something like his kind, a female mage who carries the blood of Pharaohs, and Martu, and even a little of his own - and that is saying much, even to leave your beauty out of it," Dimme laughed softly, "I was alive then, and I have seen proud Nubian princesses. You honor that blood well too. From that way of looking at it, Ur-Nammu has surely found one who is worthy, even if he does not know it."

She indicated the pouch with her eyes. "You may open it if you wish, but it will mean nothing to you, the pieces are only small stones, though I can see by your eyes that you feel the strength of the whole. But to me, and to him, and his parents, and all of us, this is the lock of the faith, one of the centers of our religion. Tell Ur-Nammu that the lock is passed. Tell him this as soon as his hands close over it, and do not forget.

To one such as him, it would give great power, since he is now the last priest living, and it would fulfill the promise that I gave to other ghosts that I could not see in a ruined keep on a dusty mountain. Ask to learn his faith and you can share the lock with him and see what it may bring to you, since all of the misfortunes have surely been paid in your lives. The joys alone would be worth it and it would add to what you know of your own faith, since they are the same in most ways."

She looked at Farah and smirked a little. "I know what has been in your mind for a while now. You would ask me why I came here to you to pass this."

She reached and held Farah's face with both of her pawed hands, "I do it this way because I already saw the beauty of the one that he has chosen and hopes with all of his heart to be allowed to love. I think that you deserve each other, and that is why I came to share some of the secrets of his love with you. Have no fear, my new friend. I have left plenty of the mystery that is Ur-Nammu for you to learn for yourself."

She leaned forward and kissed Farah's forehead. "If he saw me, I fear that he would be lost to us both for a long time, since I cannot have him again, and so it is better this way, I think, though it hurts me. If it is good between you, then please take care of him always.

Do this for him and you, and for me, Farah, so that I may go home to Jebel Bishri once more and see it the way that it always has been. I long to see my dead parents."

Farah took the bundle and set it down. "I promise, Dimme. Thank you."

"My thanks to you, Farah." The feline nodded once and Farah was alone.