Modibo sat with his wife and sons underneath the shade of a hastily erected tent, watching them as they rested after the morning stint of their long journey. The caravan would often time their departure either during the early morning or afternoon, aiming to reach a new settlement before the midday heat. The merchants were kind enough to travel at a slower pace, giving those who rarely left the confines of the large cities a chance to recover from the long ride. Most realized that the trek across the desert would be far more taxing and that they would seldom have the luxury to rest.
Unfortunately, Cheikh's temperament had started to grow worse the further away from their home they went. It was a constant battle between his ego's desire to achieve something that his far more successful brother could not and the rediscovery hardship, something that his family's wealth had shielded him from for decades. Cheikh's first wife and child were also not dealing with the ordeal with any semblance of humility, as their constant complaints being aired for the world to hear.
Unlike his brother-in-law, his sister and her two daughters were adapting to the change in lifestyle with minimal discomfort. They often spoke with the other merchants, trying to adhere to the customs of Islam while building business relationships with them. Both Nenrot and himself had only adopted Islam recently, having converted as a way to ingratiate their own family into the upper class of merchants. Nenrot had made the decision to sacrifice her own happiness long ago, something that she often questioned after various verbally abusive interactions with her husband. It was difficult, trying to adjust to a far more restrictive lifestyle. However, she had made it her home and was doing what she could with what she had been given. Cheikh and Abdoul's parents had been extremely helpful in this regard, guiding her through the conversion and integrating her into their family. Now they were alone and being tested, with Baru watching over their adherence.
His own family had become partial converts, although it had become a strange mixture of two different beliefs*. They all could pass for adherents to the Muslim faith, with any missteps being attributable to the cultural differences across the dividing desert. Fortunately, he only had sons. Meaning that his wife was free to walk as she pleased, as she could have any one of them to escort her when he was not available. Their parents, still following the traditional beliefs, often invited them to partake in their celebrations in a greatly diminished capacity.
The leaders of the caravan kept their guests centered in the middle, so as to protect them from any transgressors. Cheikh and Badra both disliked Modibo, looking down on his humble background, strong work ethic and willingness to perform menial tasks. As a result, Modibo had his family ride along in the rear of the caravan as to not receive any misplaced ire from his brother-in-law. As a result, he found himself frequently conversing with the pale-skinned merchants from across the sea.
Even though their conversation was staggered due to the use of a translator, it was an interesting way to pass the time. They were apparently interested in a lucrative spice trade that passed through the region. Like most everyone, they held their secrets. However, aside from the foreign woman's aversion to sunlight, it was nothing too out of the ordinary. He occasionally saw glimpses of his niece, Yarra, trying to listen in on their conversations from further down the caravan. She was clearly interested in the stories from across the vast ocean.
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The merchants had reached a small settlement near sundown, deciding to stop for the night and not attempt to reach the next settlement under the cover of night. Baru had quickly arranged accommodation, renting out some well-maintained lodging that the villagers maintained for such an occasion. While most of the less-travelled members had quickly collapsed onto the provided bedding, others loitered around the caravan. Only Yarra still had energy to spare and was quietly palmed off onto her uncle while her mother soothed Cheikh. Their two families had been paired together, due to the limited number of houses available.
Everything was a brand new and exhilarating to Yarra, even if she couldn't express it without derision from Badra. She was captivated by all of the new sensations around her. Wildflowers, giant animals and magnificent birds followed them along the roadside, inspiring her mind with all manner of new ideas. It was a shame that this would probably be the last time she would see the outdoors, destined for a life trapped at home. Maybe his boss, Abdoul, would find a nice travelling merchant that she could marry and travel the roads with.
It was then that something, or more aptly someone, caught her eye. In the early twilight, the foreigner was walking unveiled out towards the open grasslands. They were leaving the safety of the small town whilst carrying a discrete satchel, making small talk as they went towards a lesser travelled pathway in the corner of the village. It was unusual to say the least, especially considering that they likely did not know the lay of the land. He might as well stretch his legs and allow Yarra to let out some of her remaining energy. “I'm going to go for a walk.” He called out, not even waiting for a response. “Yarra will be coming with me, if anyone is looking for her.” His wife and sons knew the value of rest during any long trip, something which they would seldom get once they arrived at the outskirts of the desert.
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They quickly left their lodgings before there was any notable objection, idling as they walked in the general direction of the two women. Their presence wasn't exactly conspicuous, resulting in their immediate discovery. “Good evening, Abu Aadil*” greeted the translator, bowing her head in greeting. “How can we help you at this hour?” She was polite as she always was, despite their apparent wandering with some purpose. “Good evening. This little one saw you from the window.” Modibo said, gesturing to the little one by his side. “She was curious as to what you were up to at this time of night.”
“We are currently conducting some personal business, just outside the town.” She responded before turning her attention to her colleague. What followed was a polite, yet serious, discussion in another language far removed from his own. While most might have mistaken it for a series of questions between two colleagues, to his ear it sounded closer to a hushed debate. Aside from the absence of another man, it was clear from how they carried themselves that their wanderings were not part of a private affair.
Whatever discussion they had was quickly resolved as Kahina returned to face them, seemingly having convinced her colleague Victoria into consenting to something as of yet unknown. “If you wish to follow us; we do not mind.” Kahina responded judging his reaction. “However, we must first know how you feel about the traditional customs of the land.” It was not a question he had considered, at least not for many years.
He often had to live a dual life, with his parent's still holding faithful to the old ways while openly practicing his new faith. Any adherence to either belief was entirely pragmatic, as the gods and spirits seldom imposed themselves onto his life. If they were followers of the Orishas, it mattered not to him. “My sister and I are fresh converts. Nenrot and her family take it a little more seriously than my own. Why do you ask?” It was a truthful response, although hiding the lesser extent of his lack of faith. Satisfied, Kahina motioned for them to follow.
Whatever destination they were heading towards was apparently not too far away. Standing alone, and surrounded by all manner of flowers, was a solitary cotton-tree. The tree had not been visible from the road, or even a few seconds ago when they were with-in the confines of the town. Strangely, it did not appear to bother him, as it might normally do so. Beside him, his niece wandered out from behind him. She started looking around at the lush surroundings with a sense of confusion and curiosity, unsure as to why they were there.
Movement could be seen from with-in the hollows of the cotton-tree, as well as rustling from the underbrush. Small creatures soon emerged, climbing out from anthills and similar such burrows into the cool night air. In spite of their dark skin, each had an incandescent glow that lit up the trees and flowers like a vast swarm of fireflies. He had been brought up with stories about the Aziza***, and their valued guidance. The miniature humans were deceptively nimble, able to traverse the terrain as if they were of regular stature.
Several, lifted either via ethereal wings or an unseen mystical force, flew towards them as the two women got on their knees as to address them closer to their own level. While most of had them flocked to the foreign girl, who was removing several items from her satchel, a few of them floated towards Yarra and himself with a sense of intrigue. They danced around his niece, eliciting laughter from the small child. He found himself sitting down, carefully as to not crush any under his weight, to watch the surreal scene before him.
As he watched the pale woman exchange items with the local Aziza, two more foreigners manifested from the woman's shadow. It was a young girl, maybe a year older than Yarra, and a far more mature woman. Each one being summoned to collect something while their master continued conversing with the Aziza. The youngest one gave Yarra a mischievous grin, pressing her finger against her lips to indicate that this was to be a secret between them.
Modibo found himself with countless questions, some that he could answer without assistance and others he could not. He contemplated this as the Aziza did as they pleased around him. On several occasions he had to remove the stray creature that was digging through his clothing, trying to remove things that they had deemed harmful or off-putting. At this moment in time, he was but a welcome guest in their private domain, something that few people could say they had experienced.
With the conclusion of their exchange, the foreigner's shadowy assistants returned to her shadows waving farewell as she got up to leave. Both parties appeared to be content, seeing both carefully stow away their bartered goods. “If I may ask” Modibo said, guiding the now fulfilled Yarra out of the protected glade. “What exactly are you?” “While I am human, she is an Adze or something akin to that. If you are worried about your safety, there is little point harming you only to risk further exposure.”
He paused, glancing at Yarra who only returned his gaze with the same silencing finger against her lips. “That is fine, I am more than willing keep your secret.” He responded as he calculated the opportunity before him. “I only ask that you let me in on your ventures on the road. Gaining access to a potentially new market is always has value to an aspiring merchant, and you would have someone to assist in your endeavors.” Both of the women appeared satisfied by his answer, leaving for their own quarters as Yarra's fatigue finally caught up with her.
