The wind howled like some unseen monster, the sand swirled, slashing at the exposed skin like thousands of needles.
Zarqa pressed through the harsh and relentless wind, with Ali Baba unconscious on her back, secured by her green shawl, and Morjana nestled in her satchel, unmoving.
The girl sagged under the weight, and the sand beneath her offered no good perch for her feet. Still, she trudged on, one step at a time, following the breeze that was pushing her from behind, trying to help her.
" We'll get to the cave… together…" she grunted. " That's what we promised…"
She had wanted to follow Ali Baba when he fell down the cliff, but the Jinns wouldn't allow her, blasting in her face every time she neared the edge.
She had finally managed to convince them to lead her to him instead, and they begrudgingly accepted.
It had been a detour, but she wouldn't leave her friend behind, even if she had to haul him all the way.
