In darkness Zuhair felt his way to the small pool at the back of the cave and splashed cold water on his face. The water gathered in the hollow sockets where his eyes had once been; the feeling was queer.
والباقي كان من وجهه شفى
The rest of his face had healed with Sarenrae's blessing, but that was after the acid took his eyes. He would rather have died there, in the field of battle than survive blinded and knowing he had failed the priestess. He had saved her from the black dragon's breath, but the protection spell would not have protected her from teeth and claw.
أبحث في عيون كاهنة
Zuhair's last vision was of looking into the priestess' eyes. He saw compassion there as he had never seen before, even in the bedroom.
كما هزت كهف التنين عاد ،
The cave shook as the dragon returned, knocking loose dirt and rocks from the walls of the cave. Zuhair lost his balance and fell into the pool. "Careful, priest." The reptilian voice echoed from across the chamber, "I did not bring you here just to watch you drown."
كافح زهير على قدميه وصلت ل
Zuhair struggled to his feet and reached for the comfort of a sword that wasn't there. Shihab al Din was gone--another loss that he had to live with. "Why did you save me, dragon?" His voice was as hollow as his eyes. "If I had wanted to live I would have saved myself."
التنين الضحك
The dragon's laugh was like ripped canvas.
حلمت أن زهير يلة شهاب الدين
That night Zuhair dreamed of Shihab al Din wreathed in flames. In the flames he could see his uncle standing behind the desk in his own pavilion, a large tome open before him. His sister, Kamilah, was also there with a look of surprise on her face as the heirloom blade burst into flames. She shouted angrily at their uncle but when he waved his hand, two large keleshites led her away.
عندما استيقظت كان الأعمى مرة أخرى إلى العالم
When he woke he was once again blind to the world and all he could hear was the rasping breath of the dragon. Zuhair al Hassein prayed.
