The festival was buzzing with life and laughter. Intresting tales floated all around him, and Dali stopped more than once to listen to them. Admire the way their tellers spoke,weaving tale after tale. Truth laced with grandeur to make the stories all that more intresting. He enjoyed them,and more than once spoke tales himself. About the far away sanddunes, that shifted with each dark moon. The dessert winds bending and shaping the sand to its will. The heat scoarcing everything that was not resilient enough to withstand its deadly touch. He was born for this. To stand infront of people and preach, speak and share in their laughter and amazement. He spoke about his gods, and their tales. But not to long, as he had other stories to listen to after he was done speaking.
Not far from where he and his story sharing companions had settled down, a group of musicians took their place. It caught his attention as they began to speak about his home land. He had not noticed many others from Alidasht around, yet they were here. Hastily he stood up, earning strange looks from his new found companions. He gave them a gentle smile. "what better way to be tempted by the taste of far away spices, than music on the tip of your tongue" he said poetical and turned to look at the musicians.
Apparently they had roped in a young lady from Alidash origins, to sing along with them. He laughed softly and shook his head. He prayed the poor lamb was not to crowd shy. She proved him wrong, from the silence rose a siren. Tempting the crowd with her song and intriguing them with her mysterious tune. She knew how to amuse them,how to amuse him. And when she soun,the world stopped for a moment. Everything blurred but her, as pure joy rose from within his ever enthusiastic being. He knew those eye's, he recognised the woman singing infront of him.
"Saiye" he said and for a moment, he could see her back in the temple. Offering secret prayers to her father. Her pure intent so radiant as he stood guard to make sure no one would disturb her prayer.
He chuckled as she sing the last sentence,and he felt as if she was calling him a fool. His poor heart.
He made his way through the crowd after her song was done. He grinned as she called him by his old name. How much time had passed since they had last spoken. She had been taller than him, that was for sure.
"Inshallahs Habibi. Only my father inists on calling me as such" he said,and wanted to reach for her hand.
Instead,the gods literally pushed her into his arms. He stepped forwards to catch her just in time. Holding the precious desert rose in his strong embrace.
"come now habibi. Do not go falling head over heels for me just yet" he teased her "how long has it been since we last saw one another? Years? I am sure you were bigger than me,Inshallah" Dali suppressed a laugh as he helped her find her steady feeling again. By the gods did it feel good to see Saiye again. Seeing her filled him with a sense of nostalgia. To home and the honey glazed dates he used to bring to his mother and Saiye.
"you can call me Dali, Saiye" he had helped her steady,but still held onto her hand. "how is life treating you? Has it been kind?"