Lunja, the Atlas witch

Chapter 3 : The Tarourt mountain trap

"Are we there yet?", "Ammar this is the fifth time you are asking me, you will know when we get there" Ayyach responded, he was fed up with Ammar's questions all the way...

"I am only worried that we will not arrive before sunset, and you still have to go back to your daughter in the souk, otherwise i would not care" Ammar added, Ayyach turned and faced him, he kept staring at him for a moment, he was about to speak to him, when suddenly he gets shot with an arrow at his chest, Ammar startles and turns towards the source of the arrow, he find three bandits attacking them.

Ammar drew his sword and picks up Ayyach, who was laying on the ground bleeding, they hide behind some rocks, waiting for the bandits to stop throwing the arrows, "Ayyach, Ayyach...can you hear me ?" He does not answer him, so Ammar keeps waiting until the bandits decide to attack directly, one of them went from the back, but Ammar was waiting for him. He finished him without making any noise, the two others were waiting for their friend to come out. When he didn't show up they decided to step in slowly...

*****

" How much is this ?" she asked, the owner of the shop frowned, then said "Three silver coins", Lunja stared at the caftan for a moment then nodded her head to the shop owner and left.

She kept walking through the alleys of the small souk, everyone was staring at her, she felt like an intruder, so she decided to wait for her father at the big entry of the souk.

She sat near a tree, then suddenly she felt a pain in her chest, she frowned " Oh, father...", she then looked at the sky, her eyes wide open, like if she saw a demon, then she yelled " NO...NO...", she immediately stood up and walked. She noticed the horses at the barn that belongs to the souk. She carefully walked in and grabbed a horse by its bridle, hopped on it and ran towards the Tarourt mountain...

*****

He was swinging his sword left and right, the two bandits were injured too, but still they kept attacking him. Ammar had no choice but to drag them away from Ayyach. He was tired but he kept fighting back...

Ammar knelt on his knees, breathing heavily, due to his previous injury he could only defend himself, one of the bandits gathered his strength and raised his sword aiming Ammar's head, when suddenly, she appeared, the bandit stops as soon as he saw her...Lunja stopped the horse and get off it, she walked straight towards them, the two bandits attempt to run away, but they couldn't, it seems that some power is stopping them, they looked at each other with panic in their eyes, once Lunja was closer to them, she noticed her father laying on the ground, she then stares at the bandits and raised her hand, then tighten her grip. At that moment, the two bandits start screaming, Ammar was astonished at what he saw, he can hear the crack of their bones, the two bandits started bleeding from their noses and ears, soon the two bandits drop dead...َ

Ammar sat down, he's trying to reason what just happened in front of him. Lunja turns towards her father who was laying behind the rocks, she walks in his direction, then she gets closer, holds his head between her hands, her tears dropped on his forehead. She then pulls off the arrow, puts her hand on the wound, then she closes her eyes and the same light covers the place. Ammar closed his eyes and covered his face with his arm, he couldn't bear the strength of that light...

The night has come, Lunja came back with the firewood to light the fire, she noticed that Ammar was still sitting, she looked at him, "you need to bury them, the smell of blood will attract tigers", he looks at her as well, then he gets up and drags the bodies of the bundits to bury them.

After a moment, he comes back and sits next to the fire, he looks at Lunja who was checking on her father, she notices that, so she gets closer and sits next to him, " Why are you so quiet ?", he keeps staring at her, " Are you going to explain what happened ?" he asks, Lunja takes a deep breath then says "I have...a power to...heal people ", " you are a witch", Ammar confirms, she looks away " you judged without listening, and this is against your law, isn't it?"...he does not answer her...