Human Nature Part I

Human Nature

         Her fingers dashed into the clear water of the river after waiting for the opportune moment. She caught a bass with her hands, and try as it might, no amount of squirming could free it. Zahra liked doing things her way, and fishing was no different. Instead of using a stick with twine, she preferred standing in the water, crouching over and using her hands to feel around. When she felt a fish, she grabbed it and threw it on land to prepare for gutting.
         After having caught two fish for dinner, Zahra sat by a flat rock and took out her dagger. It was made of a sharpened rock and was held together with a stick and twine, but it did the job well. She gutted the two fish and wrapped them in leaves. After putting them in her sack, she went on her way home with Hikoru, her wolf friend.
         They stopped on the path leading away from the river and looked up at the sky. Zahra closed her eyes and let her nostrils do all the work. The air smelled of moist and freshness.
         “It is going to rain,” Zahra concluded. She and Hikoru turned to see that the beautifully clear river was being distorted by small beads of rain, causing endless ripples to spread across its once smooth surface.
         “Race you home Hikoru,” Zahra exclaimed in excitement.
         Hikoru, being a wolf, was off to a great start and was running at full speed. He dashed around, leaping over rotten logs and tree roots.
         Zahra took a different approach, and climbed a tree with the greatest speed and agility anyone living in the wild could. She grabbed a thick vine and started swinging from tree to tree, watching Hikoru’s every move.
         The vigilant wolf could not see his friend anywhere in his vision, and figured she must have fallen behind. His paws were beating against the ground with  hard thumps, like the steady beating of a drum, as rain drizzled on his grey fur. He saw their home approaching and let out a howl,resembling a laugh, as he knew he would beat her this time.
         Zahra giggled as she jumped out of the tree with a back flip. She landed right behind her companion with the slightest rustle of the earth.
         “Don’t get your hopes too high Hikoru,” she said.
         Her words startled the wolf that had come to believe he actually beat her. With a low growl, he came to accept that he had been outwitted again by his witty friend.
         Zahra climbed up a tall pine tree, revealing a manmade tree house solidly built on the thick branches of this tall tree. Their home was built around and in between two strong pine trees. The foundation of their house was dampened by the rain, but still showed off its smooth craftsmanship. Leading from their tree house was a bridge made of thick pieces of oak, and twine. It swungslightly in the wind from Zahra’s home, and lead to a small spiritual dome.
         As Zahra reached her house she climbed onto the side, which had a few branches used for steps, and slid inside. By now, the rain had subsided, and the air was filled with a heaviness that made it hard to breathe. Zahra and Hikoru were used to the dense air, having lived in the forest for most of their lives.
         Hikoru watched from beneath the tree as a set of stairs was released from inside. The stairs sprang down, cutting through the thick air like a hawk attacking its prey. They extended all the way down, just reaching the ground. Hikoru climbed the stairs to join his friend for their dinner. The wolf was quick yet cautious, and moved as light as a feather from one step to the next. His grey fur moved with his slender body and lean muscles. The rain had made his coat shiny, and it shimmered in the sun, that now peered through some of the trees. The beams of sunlight lit the forest, making it look more friendly and inviting.
         Hikoru leapt from the last step to the wooden floor. To assure that any unwanted animals did not enter their home, Zahra pulled the staircase up.
         The view from inside their house was breathtaking. From the tops of the trees, the surrounding area could be seen. The lake to the north, the waterfall to the west, and the lush green fields that enclosed the great forest. When you just stopped and listened from Zahra’s house, you could hear the faint movement of the waterfall rushing down onto the rocks, the many beautiful birds that also called the forest their home, and the various sounds that the wind carried with it. Zahra always felt at peace where she lived. Being the free-spirited person she is, she had never felt at home in a village of scurrying farmers and young children. She liked waking up in the morning at dawn and watching the world wake up before her eyes. She felt as though she wasn’t held back by anything or anyone.
         Hikoru sat impatiently as the fish was almost finished cooking. Zahra put the second fish out to dry on twine, as a snack for later. Dried fish was their favourite, and they always had fresh berries to accompany it.
         Shortly after their meal, the heat of late afternoon clung to Hikoru and Zahra, like the sweat building upon their bodies. There was no breeze anymore to cool them off, and even the trees seemed to be limp. It wasn’t even apparent that it had rained only an hour ago, since everything was so dry and hot under the sun.
         Zahra looked at the panting Hikoru, and they knew what to do to cool off. Zahra let the stairs down for the tired wolf, and decided to take a different approach to leaving the house. After lifting the staircase and tying it tightly to their house, Zahra ran across the walking bridge, which swayed with her weight. She jumped onto the roof of the spiritual room, and let the air take her away. Gravity was working faster, without the wind to postpone her fall. She grabbed onto a tree branch and swung in circles as the branch twisted and shook. She let go almost before reaching the top of the branch with her hands, and did a back flip in the air. She landed with a thump on the dirt, taking the impact with soft knees. Zahra was still crouching when Hikoru caught up to her. Her brown skirt was resting on her mid-thigh, revealing her sculpted legs through the slits at either side. Her chest was rising and falling with her shirt. Zahra’s light brown hair was matted against her neck and back, slightly curling underneath her thick, long locks. Her dark brown eyes met Hikoru’s blue eyes and they darted toward the waterfall. It was more of a race to see who will cool off first.
              As they neared their destination, they could hear the cool water dropping down into a deep pool. They could smell the moisture in the air, but this was different than the rain moisture; this was more cool and promising of an escape from the heat. Zahra untied her top and threw it near a large rock, then quickly pulled off her skirt. Hikoru was gaining ground on her, but she ran, and with a round off and a few back hand-springs, caught up to him. She leapt into the pool, swimming under water to bask in every cool moment she could. Hikoru jumped in and paddled toward her, also enjoying the refreshing temperature of the clear water. They swam over to the water fall and sat on a large rock that lay directly under it. The pelting water and mist enveloped them, and ran down their bodies, cleansing them of the heaviness the summer day had placed on them.
         They stayed in the water for most of the evening, only deciding to leave as it became darker and less hot.  Zahra threw her hair back in a braid to keep the wetness off of her chest and neck as she dressed. Hikoru lay on the grass beside her, pleased by the day they had. The journey back to their house was quiet and peaceful, with all of the other animals preparing to rest for the night. The forest was becoming quieter, with the only sounds being crickets in the grass around the forest, the slightest sound of frogs chirping in the lake; the waterfall and a cool summer breeze were also heard. It was perfect sleeping weather.
         Zahra and her companion entered their home and prepared their bed. They laid out a layer of skins, then fur to keep them warm. They never wasted their food, so when they caught rabbits, Zahra saved the skin and fur and bound them together with thin twine.
         As they lay, they looked at the clear night sky and the many shining stars. Zahra fell asleep to the soft howls of Hikoru talking to the full moon.
         Zahra awoke only a few hours later to Hikoru nudging her face and growling at her. She managed to open her eyes and stumble to her feet.
         “Hikoru, what is with you? You already relieved yourself before we came up here so…” She didn’t finish her sentence when she realized what the wolf was trying to tell her. She inhaled the night air, but it wasn’t the usual scent. Clouds of smoke soiled the clear sky.
         “A forest fire! Hikoru, we must leave now!” She exclaimed. They left their house as fast as they could, not worrying about bringing the stairs up, with the thought that their house would burn anyways.
         The fire was in the north end of the forest, engulfing it quickly with the help of the dry trees and the night breeze.
Zahra and Hikoru fled south; in hopes they could get to the grass fields and find a near village for safety. They ran as fast as their feet could take them, half conscious and half asleep. They saw birds and small animals fleeing as well, trying to keep their children with them.
         They had just entered the safety of the fields when Zahra became entangled in a rope. She heard voices shouting something, but it wasn’t in her language. She was caught under a net of rope, and looked frantically for Hikoru. She saw three men approaching him. He growled at them in his defense, looking frightened and determined to get his friend back.
         “Hikoru run, don’t let them take you!” she shouted just before being hit with something. She felt a sharp pain in her neck, so she felt around and found a sharp metal piece with an odd scent on it, and feathers to help carry it through the wind. Before she could figure what it was, she passed out. Hikoru hesitated, then ran away to obey Zahra. He would come back for her.
         When Zahra finally awoke, she tried to look around in her dozy state. She couldn’t move her hands because her wrists were bound. The rope trailed from her wrists to a hole in the floor of the wooden buggy they were in, so she could not escape.  She was sitting down on the wooden benches with about six other girls. They all looked close to her age, in between 15 and 17 years old. The cart was being pulled by two horses, and two men sat in the front; one glaring at the girls to make sure they didn’t try to escape, and one steering the horses.
         Zahra looked at the land around her, but wasn’t sure where she was. To the left of the dirt road there was a large field of lush, green corn stalks. They were bending slightly in the wind. There were rows upon rows of them, and Zahra hadn’t seen so much corn like that before. She was astonished at the beauty, and how much time it took the farmers to till and plant the seeds with their oxen. Over to the right there was another field, but this one was full of golden trails of wheat, also swaying with the wind. The sun was glistening off the plants, and was also making the girls hot.
         The other girls looked very different from herself, and even different from each other. One girl, the one across from her, had long red hair, green eyes, fair skin and was wearing a green dress. To Zahra’s right was a girl that was very dark, darker than she had ever seen, with brown eyes, thick black braids and a red wrap covering her body.  To her left was a young woman who was fully clothed, in a light blue wrap and pants, and a kind of shawl over her head. She couldn’t tell what her hair was like, but she just saw brown eyes that were full of sadness.
         “She must be very warm,” Zahra thought to herself. She continued to look at her travel companions.
         The girl beside the red-head had short blonde hair that was cut in layers, and wisps of her golden hair flew in the wind. Her eyes were a dark blue, and her golden bangs shimmered in the sun. It reminded Zahra of the wheat she had just seen. The girl was wearing a light pink dress and a white shirt under it. There was a girl sleeping beside her, with light brown hair. She looked so peaceful sleeping; Zahra wondered what she was dreaming of, and if she knew she had been abducted. She had freckles on her face, and her peach skin looked soft. She was wearing a grey shirt which looked scraggly and two sizes too big, and she had brown shorts on. Zahra peered around the wagon again. The last girl had black, curly locks, light grey eyes, and an orange floral dress.
         “What are your names?” Zahra asked. The girls, except for the one sleeping, looked at her with incomprehension. The guard that was watching the girls yelled something at her, which she assumed meant she wasn’t aloud to talk to anyone.
         She tried pulling her wrists toward her body to see if she could get her hands free, but they were bouend tightly.
         “I wish Hikoru was here,” she thought to herself. “He’d be able to free us.”
         In the heat of the afternoon, the girls were in a haze and felt weak. The cart entered a village where the girls were aloud to depart, for the purpose of relieving themselves. The guards pulled the girls to the outhouses, and stayed on watch the whole time. If anyone tried to get away, they made it clear there would be a punishment; they had sticks with them, and were serious about using them.
         When the girls had all relieved themselves, the guards walked through the market and picked up some bread and cheese to feed them with. It wasn’t much, but the girls needed to be kept in fairly good shape for where they were going.
         Before they knew it, their short break was over. They did have some time to stretch their legs, but it was time to keep moving. The guards put them in the cart and strapped the rope under the cart. They set off once again for their unknown destination.
         The sun was setting, but the traveling tired the girls. They fell asleep before sun down, most of them trying to shut out reality. They were never going to see their families again, or even their own villages.
         Zahra felt loneliness for the first time in many years. When she was young she had lived in a warm home with her loving parents, but they had been killed in a house fire. She had escaped only by chance when a wolf nearby heard her cries and rescued her. Zahra’s parent’s room had been torched first, so they didn’t have a chance of survival. She was only three when that happened, but the experience only made her stronger. From then on, she vowed to live alone and be harmonious with the earth. She paid respects to her parent by building the spiritual dome and sending her prayers of love to them. Zahra still felt she owed her life to Hikoru’s mother for saving her, so when she passed away of old age, Zahra and Hikoru became closer than ever. She missed his company, his soft howls that put her to sleep, their playful days together; she missed everything.
         She eventually sobbed herself to sleep, and knew that all the other girls had done it too. It was the only thing they found comforting.
         The girls had been abruptly woken up by the guards and motioned to stand in a straight line. They weren’t in the horse-drawn cart anymore, but on a small boat.
         “The guards must have carried us on while we were sleeping,” Zahra thought. “Maybe they felt sorry for us, so they didn’t wake us up to board the boat. I still don't trust them though”
         There was a strange dark man with a moustache and dark eyes that was standing before them. He had a colourful wrap on his head, keeping his hair hidden. He was given much respect, so he seemed important.
         The girls were all bound together, like a line of slaves. Zahra stepped forward. “What do you want with us?” she exclaimed. Anger and frustration raced in her mind. The guard that was steering the cart ran in front of her and slapped her across the face. Zahra yelped in pain. She covered her red face and stepped back.
         The strange man looked at her, he seemed pleased with her, or mabye he was just gloating that he had power and she must obey him now.
         The boat was rocking on the surface of the ocean. It was made of sturdy oak wood, yet it seemed to melt into the waves. The girls were swaying with the boat, and lacked the energy to stand alert. The sun was high in the sky, and the sails were beating in the wind. The girls looked warily around their surrounding, and back at the strange, dark man.
         The strange man walked to the first girl, the one with the freckles, and touched her arms. He was feeling around to see if she was what he wanted, then he grunted with acceptance. He walked down the line, inspecting all of the girls to see if he liked them. He stopped in front of Zahra and placed a hand on her face. His touch seemed so gentle and delicate, but she did not want to be taken against her will. She turned her face away from his touch and gave him a cold stare. He smiled at her, and did the routine check of her body. Inside her soul she wanted to wince, but she needed to be strong and keep her head high. When he had finished, he barked an order at one of the guards. They took the girls and placed them to one side of the boat. One of the guards tied the girls to the boat while the other fetched something. He came back with fresh fruit and bread. He also had small cups and a pitcher of water for them.
         “It seems they must nourish us and keep us in fairly good physical condition. But for what reason?” Zahra pondered. As she ate, she looked around. At the back of the ship, there was a bunch of pillows sitting on a luxurious carpet. The strange man was sitting on the pillows being fed grapes by a slave woman. Then his eyes met hers. It seemed like their eyes locked for an eternity, then Zahra blushed and steered her gaze elsewhere. He smiled, and clapped his hands for the woman to leave. It seemed that he favoured Zahra.
         The boat ride was long and unpleasant. Some of the girls couldn’t handle being on water and were gripping the boat with their heads over the side relieving their sickness. That’s when Zahra saw it; it was such a beautiful sight to see, given the circumstances. Out of the vast blue ocean, there was land. As they neared, it seemed like a peculiar land. In the short distance, you could see tall buildings with an odd round top. There were markets here, like in many villages, but there were a lot of wraps in every single colour being sold. The food looked unlike anything Zahra had seen.
         The boat came to a halt and docked on shore. The strange man got off first. The female servants followed, and then the girls came last. The guards were pulling at the girls to keep up with everyone else, but the sights were new to them. People were riding these large grey animals that had a long nose and two ivory tusks. It was unbelievable; this place was very strange to them.
         As they walked on the dirt road through the market, they were overtaken by many different scents. There were sticks with smoke emitting from them, and they carried pleasant smells; there was a strong scent of something spicy coming from one of the food stands. It was some sort of meat with rice and potatoes, and there was a yellow sauce all over it. 
         “This place will take some time to get used to. I don't know how I'm ever going to get out of this place. Will I ever get to see Hikoru again?” Zahra wondered.
         They came up to an odd shaped building that was bigger than the rest. It looked well-kept, expensive, and had white shapes that were round, but had a point at the top; these were decorating this magnificent palace.
         Whoa! The thought seemed to run through all of the girls’ minds.
         The palace doors opened, and without hesitation, everyone went in. The floor was made of a hard and beautiful substance. It looked like a kind of smooth rock, and was cool on the bare feet. The walls were decorated with pictures of the large grey animals, women, and odd designs. The strange man continued going straight, but the guards took the girls into the hallway on the left. We walked through a beaded doorframe, into a long passageway. This hall was covered in a magnificent rug that seemed to tell a story. There were the grey animals, a palace like this one, and a great person in the strange clothes everyone here wears.
         At the end of the passage was a well-light room with a large pool of water in the middle of it. The hard rock floor with the smooth, cool touch was covering the ground and even the walls.
         The girls were lined up again, and three women came in. The guards turned around and kept guard near the door. The women said something, but no on knew what they were saying. They started taking off everyone’s clothes and motioned for them to go in the water.
         “They are asking us to bathe,” Zahra told herself. “This is such an odd way to bathe, there are so many other people here and it is inside the house. I wonder how the water got here.”
         The girls slowly went down the steps, leading into the pool of water. They were shocked when the water was warm to their feet, because they were used to cool water from outside. The women brought some cloths to wipe them down with, and then one of the women walked over to a cabinet in the wall. She took out a clear pink vase with a flower lid, and poured some of the contents in her hands.
         The girls looked down with embarrassment as the woman started rubbing perfumed oil on them. Special oil was placed in their hair to keep it soft.
         When they got out of the pool, they were dressed with the clothing everyone else wore. Their old garments were thrown away, just as their old lives were. One of the women brushed everyone’s hair, which was an easy task with the help of the oil.
         The three women showed the girls they wanted them to follow them, and the guards walked behind the girls just in case. They were brought to a large room full of beds, seven beds exactly. This was to be their new bedroom. There was a bathroom across the hall from them, but the palace guards were always on duty and would escort the girls if necessary. There were no windows low enough to climb out of, but even if there were, the bedroom was high off the ground.
         “That won’t be a problem, if I can only get out somehow…” Zahra thought, as she tried planning an escape.
         The girls were left alone for the rest of the evening, so they could get used to their new home. They weren’t aloud to explore the palace, but they could get used to the feeling of living here. They sat on their beds awkwardly, not knowing what to do, and trying to get used to the feel of their new clothes.
         Zahra had an idea. They may not speak the same language, but they’ll need some kind of communication. Zahra stood up on the silk blankets of her bed and pointed to herself. “Zahra,” she said slowly. She pointed again, “Zahra.”
         The girls understood, and one by one, they said their names. The red-head is called Laia, the blonde girl’s name is Bridget, the girl with the freckles is Maria, Yolanda is the one with curly black hair, the girl who wore the wrap is Sheena, and the dark girl is Asuka.
         “Now that we know each other’s name, it will be much easier to communicate,” she reflected.
         The girls thought it best to be quiet for the first night, and not get into any trouble. Zahra found it hard to fall asleep in this foreign land. She curled into a ball and imagined she was in her home with Hikoru; she even imagined herself hearing his howls to the moon. Her body loosened up and she fell asleep.
         Morning brought the start of a new day in the land of the grey giants, also bringing new surprises. The girls found a new set of clothes folded at the end of their beds, but they had no idea how to put them on. They were similar to the ones Sheena used to wear, so she taught everyone how to put them on. Once they had them on, they looked around at each other and giggled. It was nothing like the women had done last night. It was an effort nonetheless, but the inexperience showed in their sloppiness.
         A woman came in and bade them good morning, or so they assumed, and brought them to another room. This room had a low table with cushions on the floor. There was a beautiful red rug on the floor, and beads strung from the walls. Rays on sunlight poured from the windows, illuminating the room. In the middle of the table, there were some flat breads, some fruit, cups of water, and spiced meat. The steam arose from the breads and meat, showing that they were very fresh and warm. The girls sat and ate their meal quietly.
         “Will this be our routine from now on?” Zahra wondered. When they had finished, the woman with them brought them up a level of stairs. The stairs were lined with a gold rug, and the passage smelled like one of the burning sticks. They entered a room that looked fairly bare, compared to the other rooms. There were a few cushions in the far corner of the room. Four women were in the room waiting, with a wardrobe that was stranger than what they have seen so far.
         A basket lay in the centre of the room. The girls were instructed to go to the basket and take out the clothing.
         Sheena lifted up a piece of the material and it jingled. She lifted it up, and it was similar to what the women were wearing. It was a red, transparent material with beads and metal circles sewn onto it, causing it to jingle. The four women shook their hips, causing their outfits to jingle in unison.
         “Why on earth would anyone wear this ridiculous material?” Zahra whispered.
         Each girl took an outfit; the tops matching the bottom pieces. Some of the outfits consisted of a bra-like top that had lines of the metal and beads just under the bosom; another top covered more of the torso, and made a v-shape down to the belly button. The bottoms ranged from different sized skirts, to flowing pants with the jingles around the hip.
         Zahra received a golden material that was the bra-like top, and a pair of the transparent pants with a thick band around the hip that carried beads and medals to jingle.
         The girls changed into their musical outfits, and stared down at themselves. They all seemed to think they looked ridiculous in the outfits, like the village jester. 
         They made a big circle, with the four women in-between the girls showing them how to move gracefully. The women moved their wrists in smooth figure-eight’s, rolled their shoulders, moved their hips in circles, tapped their feet, and waved their arms like hypnotic snakes, luring you into their grasp. The girls clumsily tried to imitate the moves they saw, but it was not as easy as it looked.
         Two men joined them in the room, bringing instruments. One was a cylindrical object made of wood, with skins on the top of it, and a hole at the bottom of it. The other was carved from wood as well, but it looked similar to a snake; it was as long as a forearm, with holes at the top of it, a piece to blow air through, and a wide hole at the other end where the music escapes from.
         The men played their instruments, and the women showed the girls how to dance to it. They seemed to feel the music, and react with their bodies. Everything was so smooth and natural. The women’s bodies shook and bounced, and circled with the music. Their curves emulated the waves of the music, and the clothing jingled in agreement to their moves. They showed off their form and grace, and showed the girls how to do the same.
         “So they want us to flaunt our female bodies in front of the strange man. Well I’m not going to,” Zahra said. She put her hands on her hips and stood there, refusing to shake her hips. One of the women came over to here and loosened her up. She showed her it could be fun, if she only tried.
         Zahra began to explore the things she could do with her curves. She moved around with grace; turning her arms around in the air, circling her rib cage, shaking her hips, taping her feet around, and she smiled. She was starting to enjoy it.
         Zahra was dancing around in circles with the other girls, when she turned and saw the strange man looking at her intently. She blushed and went behind everyone else. The music stopped, and the two men and four women bowed down, instructing the girls to do so as well. Zahra stood straight up, refusing to bow down to him. The women tugged at her and tried to get her to kneel down before him.
         The strange man smiled, as he usually does when he sees her. He walked over to her. She was panicking in her mind and her heart was racing, but she told herself not to give up her strength and courage.
         “This one has an edge to her. She is strong, beautiful and has that fire in her. She has my favour,” the strange man said to his assistant.
         He touched her face, as he had on the boat. Zahra wasn’t sure what she felt about him. He had ordered her, and the other girls, to be captured; yet he had this gentle side to him, like he wouldn’t let anything happen to them.
         Her knees began to shake and she was getting butterflies in her stomach, but Zahra stayed standing upright.
         “She will make a great dancer, and may even be worthy of becoming a concubine,” he said as he released his hand from her face and walked away.
         When he left, Zahra let out a gust of air she had held in her lungs.
         The belly dancing class ended and the girls were sent to the bath. This time, they were aloud to bathe themselves, but some guards stood at the doors facing the opposite direction. The warm water was still a bit of a shock to them, but it felt comforting. They relaxed in the water and washed up. They found that there were many scented oils to choose from. Among the many, there were rose, lavender, orange, peach, and passion fruit.
         Zahra contemplated which scent she would choose, and then went with the passion fruit. It was another scent she was unfamiliar with, but she liked it. The other girls used either rose or lavender. Some of the girls realized that if they did not please the strange man, they would be sold a slave to someone else or left to fend for themselves on the streets. Zahra didn’t care if she was put on the streets; she had taken care of herself for many years now. She wasn’t looking to win the favours of the strange man; she was trying to understand the place she was in, but found she was  liking a few of their traditions and realized it wasn’t a bad thing. She still loved Hikoru and would do anything to be with him again.
         The girls put the softening oil in their hair, and stood in a line brushing the person’s hair that was in front of them. Everyone’s hair was as silky and smooth as the sheets on their beds and the clothing they wear.
         They were getting used to the daily routines, and were even picking up on the language. They learned that they were in India, in the palace of the prince. He was much older than the girls; close to twenty years their senior. They also found out what their job is. After a few more months of practice, the prince will see all of the girls perform a dance. He will select who we would like to be his concubines, and the others will either remain as dancers, or if they are displeasing they will be servants, or even thrown out of the palace.
         This motivated the girls to be as graceful and appealing as they could be. Learning Indian would also be an advantage which the prince would be proud of. The limit of concubines had not been told to them, so they deemed the approval of the prince to be a contest. If you wanted to guarantee a good future full of luxuries, it would be wise to win the favour of the prince.
         Zahra was set on not becoming involved with this obsession to win over the prince; in fact she was set on trying to go home. She hadn’t realized she already won his favor. She knew it in her heart, but she denied it. She wasn’t a doll that would do what she was told; she was a thinking, very independent woman who lived in a forest with her wolf friend. She is free-spirited and cannot be pinned down…or can she?
         “Maybe I could try asking the prince to set me free. But I would still need a boat to go back home, and I don’t know how to get back home, and I’m not sure where Hikoru went. Has he found somewhere to live, now that our home has been burned down…with fire. Fire. Just like when I was a little girl. Are these the same people that burned my parent’s house? No it can’t be, it was so long ago. But they certainly burned my home, and made me run like I was being hunted.”
Zahra thought to herself when she wasn’t doing anything. The other girls napped, but she didn’t, she couldn’t. She needed answers.
         By now, she knew enough Indian to lightly converse with the people in the palace. The big night was tomorrow night. Zahra wondered if she could talk to prince Hareem after the dance. She needed to go home, find Hikoru, she needed to be herself. 
         “I’m so nervous for tomorrow, I’m afraid I’ll mess up and prince Hareem will ban me from the palace,” Asuka said, sounding very frightened.
         “Don’t worry, everything will be okay. We all know our moves; we have practiced them for months and we are very good now,” Bridget said, comfortingly.
         “Maybe we should practice or something, just to make sure we have it,” Laia asked.          
         The other girls nodded in agreement.
         “Zahra, aren’t you joining us?” Maria asked.
         “No. I have no interest whatsoever in becoming prince Hareem’s concubine. I plan to go home after tonight.” Zahra held her head high, as she usually does when she tries to act courageous.
          The girls just shook the heads. They practiced the dance routine twice, with Yolanda humming the sound of the music. Yolanda has a great voice; the girls found that out one night by accident, so she would sing to them at night to help them sleep, like a mother sings a lullaby to her child.
         Each girl had a talent, but no one knew what the prince liked. They were all equally beautiful as well. The prince would have a tough time deciding who to choose.
         After they practiced the dance, the girls went to bed. They wished each other good night, and tried to fall asleep. They knew it was important to rest, but they were very nervous and had butterflies in their stomachs.
         Morning hit the girls heavily like a thunderbolt.
         “Did anyone sleep last night?” Sheena asked.
         “No,” they mumbled.
         “Well, we have all day to look awake and beautiful, so no need to worry about that.” Sheena tried to sound confident, but they knew it would take a lot of preparation for tonight. 
         After the girls dressed and ate, they were aloud to use the bath and dance room as they pleased.  The guards were not as heavily cautious as before, now that the girls have settled down and stopped thinking of leaving. At least, most of them stopped thinking of leaving.
         “After we dance, I’ll ask to speak to prince Hareem, and then I’ll tell him I want to go, and he’ll understand. Okay Zahra, you can do this.” Zahra was trying not only to physically prepare, but to mentally prepare.
         The girls decided to dance all afternoon, then bathe shortly before performing. That way, they’ll still smell sweet from the oils.
         Once they reached the dance room, the girls asked to have a few men play the music to their dance. While they waited, they dressed in their belly dancing outfits and stretched. Just after they warmed up, the instruments and men arrived. They were ready to practice the afternoon away.
         The sweet sounds of the instruments lulled the room into an almost dream state; then the drums came in and brought an up-beat tone to the song. The girls were in a circle and all of their moves were in unison. They were also given veils to twirl around and dance with. They made their two-line formation and shook their hips with the sound of the drums. Their hands flew up in the air, and they released their veils. The light material floated to the ground, and the girls froze in their final position. It looked good.
         They headed to the bath to clean up before their crucial moment. The warm water was very relaxing. They felt as if they could stay in there forever. They chose their oil, and smoothed it over their skin. Their hair was combed out with the smoothing oil as well. Zahra once again chose the passion fruit oil; it was her favourite, but no one else seemed to use it. The bottle was practically full, but the scent was magnificent.
         The girls raced back to their room to put their jingling outfits on. Their bodies have matured in the time they have been in India. Their curves were more noticeable, and they looked like beautiful women.
         They dressed with shaking hands and fast-beating hearts. This would be it. Tonight will change their lives, yet again, forever. They placed the veils over their mouths and noses, they had the front of their hair pulled back with layers of beads, and black eye paint was applied to them. Their ankles were decorated with bracelets that matched their outfits, and that also made noise. They were ready.