An Ally

As Jaber looked after the ill Malik that night, Zarqa and Sindbad, not to be any bother to him, decided to talk somewhere else.

Sindbad rubbed his chin in thought as he watched from the top of the Northwest watch tower over the calm desert of the night. " I see. The village is going to be attacked."

" You don't believe me too, right?" Zarqa heaved a sigh as she fixed her eyes on the forest she only could see. " It has something to do with this ambiguous forest. I don't know how to put it, but I have a feeling that it is."

Sindbad said nothing further as he looked into the distance while Zarqa was getting mentally prepared to be mocked and made fun of again. "Since when?" The question caught her off guard and she snapped her head back towards Sindbad. "Since when have you been seeing it?"

"Huh?" She was utterly confused that someone was actually interested in knowing about the whole ordeal. " For a week now."

" How far had it made since you first saw it?"

Overwhelmed by the seriousness of Sindbad's tone, she tried her best to remember. " When I first saw it… it had been 70 miles due west." Zarqa pointed in that direction.

" How far is it from here now?"

The girl squinted through the darkness. "30 miles away."

"Slow progression... Which means mostly tonight." Sindbad turned around and walked over to the trap door. "We should gather the villagers at once!"

" Sindbad… you believe me?"

Sindbad looked back, and his eyes glinted with confidence. " And is there a reason why I shouldn't? You're my savior and the protector of Al-yamama, you've never lied in your life, and certainly nothing is wrong with you. So why shouldn't I believe you?"

" Sindbad…" Hearing his words and receiving his soft smile moved her deeply and tears came out despite of her. " Thank you… thank you…" she voiced, wiping off her tears.

Sindbad gently patted her head. " Get a hold of yourself, we're going to face everyone after all."

" But…" getting her emotions under control, she mumbled. " They didn't believe me…"

" They will do this time." Sindbad had that confident smirk back on his face, the one that meant that things were under his control…

━━━━━━━༺ *** ༻━━━━━━━

That night, everyone was aroused from their slumber by the loud continuous ringing of the bell.

Disturbed and worried, the town's people peeked out of their windows and doors to investigate. " Everyone is to report to the market! Listen up! Everyone is to report to the market immediately! It's an urgent matter!" Some of the younger ones of Sindbad's caravan broke into a run across the town, crying those lines out.

" What's happening at this late hour?"

" Report to the market?" Two neighbors looked at each other.

" Did the Sheikh pass away?"

" We will know when we go." Two women dropped their veils over their heads and rushed down the dirt path.

Sindbad stood in the middle of the market on a makeshift dais, surrounded by flaming torches illuminating his serious demeanor. One after the other, the people of Al-yamama turned up at the center of their town.

" What's it, Sindbad?" The old man from that afternoon approached the dias all worried. " Making such fuss at this late hour. Did something happen to Malik?"

" Everyone rest assured," Sindbad spoke firmly, facing the crowd. " Malik is in good hands and he will be on his feet soon. We gathered you for another reason." He looked at Zarqa, who stood at the other end with Jaber and the rest of his caravan, and gave her a nod before stepping forward. There was no time to lose anymore. If Sindbad's deduction was true, then the whole town would be massacred before even seeing the first ray of tomorrow's sun.

" Everyone, I ask for your help to defend Al-yamama and all of its people!"

No sooner than he spoke, murmurs spread among the crowd. Everyone turned their attention from him to Zarqa, and then to whoever was closest, speaking in hushed voices.

" Sindbad, I believe you've been told about what Zarqa saw."

" I did." His voice didn't waver the slightest, bearing no doubt in its tone, which took everyone by surprise. Who would speak of such nonsense with such resolve and confidence? 

" He's a goner too..." Some of them said.

" Zarqa, you've gone mad! To wake us all in the middle of the night because of your delusions!" Another one cried at the girl and Jaber moved forward as if to shield her when all eyes moved to her.

" We're going back!"

" Sindbad, you might want your physician to take a look at her too. She must have gotten a heat stroke."

" She just wants attention with her mother dead and her father falling ill."

" Hush! She is worth of pity."

" If that's all you have to say then we're leaving!"

Most of the people turned around to return to their warm beds, only just a few stayed there, giving her a pitiful look. As she saw that, Zarqa gritted her teeth and the vision flashed clearly before her mind's eye once more. " Please!" She cried after them, stepping from behind Jaber.

" Wait..." Alas, he could not stop her.

" Zarqa!" The old man's cry was what stopped the people and made them look over their shoulders as the girl ran to the dias, stumbling and falling before reaching it and taking the spot beside Sindbad.

With tears streaking her face, Zarqa took in a deep breath before yelling at the top of her lungs. " Please believe me! I have nothing to gain from lying to you! For years I've been watching over this town and protecting it from harm! My only wish is to keep Al-yamama and all of its people safe! Because I love this town, from the bottom of my heart! I would never dream of misleading you! So please, just for this once, lend me your help! If it's not for me then for the ones you love! Please help me protect this town!"

An atmosphere of silence loomed over the market. No one dared to breathe let alone speak. That was perhaps the first time they had seen the girl so worked up and disheveled. She had always been painted as this stony girl who kept watch over them with an unchanged expression that it was hard to believe the same eyes that challenged the direst days of the desert had shed tears in front of them.

" Zarqa…" one of those who attempted to leave turned on his heels and walked over to her. " Are you, telling the truth? Can you really see the future?... Is this town, going to be attacked?…"

Zarqa's sole response was a slow nod.

" Then…" It was clear the man was torn between believing her and just walking away like everyone else. " My family… my wife and children…"

Zarqa shook her head.

The man looked down, hesitant. However, his shoulders squared and his fists clenched tightly the veins of his forearm became apparent to the eye. " I don't get all of it. I will never know what a walking forest means… but Zarqa, if you say this town is in danger, then I'm lending you my strength."

There was a ripple in the crowd, the shifting of position, some people taking a step back. Yet…

" You're not serious are you!" A plump trader cried, pointing over at Zarqa. " She says she can see the future!? What nonsense! Everyone knows no one can!"

" That's true…"

" It makes no sense…"

" Zarqa is just being mad! You can't believe her!"

" Even though!" The other man faced him, his face void of anything but resolve. " Zarqa has been protecting us for so long, far too many times for us to count. Shouldn't we give her a chance? And if it's for my family and my town, then I won't regret it. Because I love this town."

Another ripple as more people walked back into the center of the market. Sindbad smirked proudly as he saw that. United by their love for their town, the residents had made their choice.

" But-" the plump trader opened his mouth to object again only to be silenced by Sindbad's glare.

" As far as I'm aware, this is not the first time someone claims to have seen the future." His gaze pierced through the trader and those who were backing him. " There are those who were chosen to possess such gift. It's not impossible at all for those deeply loved for their pure souls and kind hearts. I personally know of a few of them."

" Sindbad…" Zarqa looked up at the man defending her. She didn't expect him to go that far in supporting her.

" Now you all heard her. This town is going to be ambushed in a few hours. So it's either you ready yourselves to protect it and everyone dear to you, or ignore the warning and bear the consequences like the foolish nations before you. It's your choice." Sindbad's voice was grave.

Looking at each other, the villagers slowly returned to the plaza and looked up at both of them. "Sindbad, Zarqa, what should we do?"

"You say a few hours but will we be able to defend ourselves by then?"

"Fear not, residents of Al-yamama," Sindbad assured them. "As long as you choose to fight for yourselves, your families, and your town, my caravan and I will lend you our help as well." Not far behind them, Sindbad's companions exchanged looks and smirks as though they expected him to make such a declaration. " We will make sure to protect this town. Those who can fight, wield whatever is at hand, and follow me. The women, children, elderly, and invalids stay indoors and never come out. Make sure to keep your doors tight shut."

Sindbad stepped off the dias, making his way through the crowd and to where his men were. A lad handed him a sheathed sword that he held up above his head. " Al-yamama will make it through tonight!"

Following his lead, every man out there let out their best war cry.

Jaber shook his head in defeat. " That Sindbad would never change, always sticking his nose everywhere." However, a small smile appeared on his face as he watched over his leader. " Yet, that's also a part of his charm."