The bandits judgement
Chapter 2 – The bandits judgement
The cool water enveloped her, washing away the dust and exhaustion that clung to her body like a second skin. As she submerged herself, the desert's harsh embrace loosened, leaving only silence and the gentle ripple of the pond.
When she emerged, droplets slid down her skin, catching the pale moonlight. For the first time since she awoke in this unfamiliar land, she felt truly conscious.
She sat by the water's edge, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring up at the sky. A full moon hung high, its soft glow casting silver over the dunes. The heat of the day had faded, replaced by the sharp chill of night.
And she was alone.
Her fingers traced the damp sand beside her, thoughts drifting like the ripples on the pond's surface. Many days had passed this way. She had grown used to the silence, the endless stretch of sand, the battle between scorching heat and freezing nights.
Yet tonight, something stirred inside her.
Memories, faint and blurred, surfaced in her mind. Her hometown. The familiar streets, the voices of people she loved, the laughter shared in the warmth of a home she could no longer return to. Her family, her friends—every little moment that once made up her life.
She closed her eyes.
Had she taken them for granted?
Here, in this vast and merciless land, those simple things—a warm meal, a familiar face, the safety of knowing tomorrow would be the same as today—felt like distant dreams.
The night passed with her gazing at the moon, lost in thoughts of a past that felt almost unreal.
Two days.
She spent two days by the pond, allowing herself to recover, to breathe. She adapted to the cold nights and scorching days, to the stillness of the desert. But she could not stay.
So, she walked once more.
Until the storm came.
It began as a whisper in the wind—a distant howl, a shift in the air. Then, the sky darkened, and the world erased itself into swirling sand.
She could see nothing.
She fought to stay upright, shielding her face as the storm swallowed everything in its path. The wind howled like a living beast, drowning out all thought, all sound. She stumbled forward, blinded, breathless. Had she come this far only to be buried under the sands?
Then, just as suddenly as it began—silence.
She opened her eyes.
Something was different.
The world around her was no longer an endless void of sand. She saw life.
A small lizard scurried past her feet, its tiny body blending into the golden dunes. Nearby, insects crawled over a patch of dry grass. Above, birds circled in the sky.
She stood there, her chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. She had survived.
And she was no longer in a world of only death and emptiness.
She was back in the world of the living.
She had traveled for a while, the desert stretching endlessly before her, each step slow and weary. The harsh sun beat down on her back, but she had grown used to the heat, the exhaustion, the silence.
But fate was merciless.
She never saw the snake.
A sharp pain pierced her ankle—a flash of burning agony. She barely had time to react before her vision blurred, her body collapsing onto the scorching sand.
Her breath grew shallow. The poison spread quickly, burning through her veins. Her fingers clawed at the sand, but her body refused to move. Darkness swallowed her whole.
When she woke, everything was different.
The rough bite of rope dug into her wrists. A heavy iron chain looped around her ankles, its cold touch in stark contrast to the heat of the desert. She tried to move, but her body ached—weak, drained, and bound.
Her eyes adjusted to the dim light.
She was inside a tent—a camp. The scent of sweat, firewood, and dust filled the air. No one was around.
Her heart pounded.
She twisted her wrists, struggling against the rope. "Help!" Her voice came out hoarse, weak. "Is anyone there?"
Only silence answered her.
Panic crept in. Was this a rescue? Or something far worse?
She thought back to the last thing she remembered—the snakebite, the burning pain. Had someone saved her? Or had she fallen into the hands of something much darker?
Were they truly human, or beasts in human skin?
She shivered despite the heat.
No answer. No footsteps. Only the endless, suffocating silence.
She swallowed hard. Whoever they were, they had taken her.
And soon, they would return.
It was the only thing she remembered—the unbearable heat of the sand beneath her, the burning pain of the snake's venom, and then… nothing.
But she was alive.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself tied with rope, her ankles chained. The dim light of flickering torches revealed the inside of a large, worn-out tent. The air was thick with the scent of leather, sweat, and dust.
She wasn't alone.
Rough voices murmured outside, their tones sharp and uncertain. The tent's fabric shifted slightly as figures moved around. She had been taken.
Hours Earlier – The Bandits' Camp
A group of desert bandits had found her half-buried in the sand, unconscious, her skin pale from the venom coursing through her veins.
One of the men crouched beside her, studying her carefully. "She's still alive."
Another scoffed. "She won't be for long. The poison is strong."
A third man—older, his face weathered by years of surviving in the desert—narrowed his eyes. "We take her to the boss."
The others hesitated. "What if she's a spy?"
"Or an official's daughter?"
"She could be anyone."
The older man's voice was firm. "That's not for us to decide."
They lifted her onto one of their horses and rode swiftly back to their camp.
---
The Bandit Leader's Decision
The bandit leader sat in his tent, watching the girl's unconscious form as his men explained where they had found her.
She was a mystery—a lone girl in the middle of the desert, dressed like a traveler yet with no supplies, no weapons.
One of the men muttered, "Should we kill her before she wakes? If she's an official's spy, she could bring trouble."
The leader's gaze remain steady "We dont kill without a reason."
His voice was deep carrying a quite authority that silenced the whole room.
"Give her medicine first" he said "if she died she gain nothing ,if she survived , we'll question her"
"But..."
"Bind her"he ordered "until we know she is"
The men exchange glance before nodding .They were not kind men but probably not fools either.
The dead girl could told nothing..So,they spared her life for now.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
The dim torchlight flickered, casting long shadows against the fabric walls of the tent. Her wrists ached from the rough rope, and the heavy chain on her ankles felt like a cruel reminder of her helplessness.
Her mind was still clouded, the effects of the poison lingering in her body. But the worst had passed. Someone had given her medicine.
She didn't know whether to feel relieved or terrified.
Footsteps.
Her body tensed as the entrance of the tent shifted. A tall figure stepped inside, his face hidden in the dim light. His gaze fell on her, unreadable, distant.
"Awake?" His voice was calm, yet there was something sharp beneath the surface.
She swallowed, her throat dry. She didn't answer.
The man studied her for a long moment before finally saying, "You have one chance to explain who you are."
Silence hung between them.
She didn't even know where to begin.