Whispers of the Sahara

"So, what do you think?" Nuri asked, gesturing to the mysterious men in robes gathered around the campfire.

"They seem nice enough," Sidara replied. "And they know how to make a fire." She pointed to the flames licking at the logs placed in a circle around the campfire. The men had built it within an hour of meeting each other, after seemingly effortlessly navigating through the night desert with only the stars and the occasional glimpse of moonlight to guide them.

"Yeah, but..." Nuri said, puffing on his cigarette. "You don't really trust them, do you?" Nuri squinted into the darkness, searching for any sign of danger. He was always looking for trouble, ever since that one time when he was just ten years old and his father decided it would be fun to challenge a group of local thieves to a duel. It would've gone fine if it weren't for the fact that Nuri's father was an amateur swordsman who didn't realize that most thieves knew how to use their weapons too. The one who wielded a sword killed him right on the spot while his henchmen held Nuri down as he screamed. That day changed him forever and made him more wary than most when it came to people in general.

"Oh relax," Sidara said between drags from her water pipe. "We're fine. And I've already told you a thousand times that I can handle myself." She didn't like it when he treated her like some girl who needed someone to protect her all the time. She could take care of herself just fine and didn't need someone following her around worrying about her every move. She knew that Nuri meant well but it really got on her nerves sometimes.

"I know that," Nuri said, stubbing out his cigarette against his boot heel before tossing it into the fire where it crackled and turned black before turning into ash. He pulled another cigarette from his pocket and put it between his lips as he searched again for danger in all directions while he lit up his next cigarette with a lighter brought out by one of their new companions. "I just don't like getting into situations where we'll be outnumbered." He looked back over at Sidara and saw her staring dreamily into the fire as she blew smoke rings above her head. "Sidara!"

The sound of his voice snapped her out of her reverie and she looked over at him with a look that seemed annoyed at first but quickly melted away when she saw him staring at her with adoration in his eyes. She pursed her lips together until something resembling a smile appeared on them before turning back towards the fire and blowing another smoke ring which floated straight towards Nuri's face before landing lightly on his nose before dissipating into thin air.

"You look so cute when you smoke," she whispered into his ear seductively before giving him a quick peck on the cheek before returning back to gazing at the fire which reflected orange light off of her dark skin making it appear even darker than usual in contrast to everything else around them in this endless desert night.

Nuri felt himself blush slightly under his brown skin as he thought about what she'd just whispered into his ear before taking another drag from his cigarette and blowing another smoke ring which joined hers in front of her face before slowly dissolving away like magic leaving nothing behind but thin air which they both stared at while they sat there alone together lost inside their own thoughts.

Then, soft coughing nearby caught their attention. The robed men were having a conversation in a language that neither Nuri nor Sidara understood. However, through the tone and facial expressions, they could get a sense of the conversation's topic. They observed their new companions, certain that if any issues arose, they would deal with them as they have before. So, instead of questioning the peculiarities of their situation, they focused on enjoying each other's company under the orange desert sky, warmed by the flickering fire.