It was noon, but heat was weak in the all-too-frequent absence of Ra above. Nakhtmin should be taking rest, and found he was not tired in the least. So he strolled between ancient pillars and painted stone, until the sound of exertion struck his ears and the oryx wandered toward the courtyard.

The arrival of so many new (old?) faces had sent the palace astir. But Nakhtmin had little use for listening to rumour and gossip. He was, primarily, hopeful that this influx of newcomers would provide him more opponents to test his mettle with and so hone himself into an ever-better warrior.

And so, Aiesha's scandals went unnoticed by the oryx, but certainly not her fighting stance. From across the yard, he watched her drill with blatant curiosity.