"Selam." the man who had stared bobbed his head greeting her as she pa.s.sed. Chang took a second a looked at the older men sitting beside her, a kindly look on his tanned weather worn face. Chang returned the greeting, bobbing her head back at the older man who spoke. One of the other men blew a cloud of smoke out as she pa.s.sed hitting her in the face with the pungent smell, causing her to cough and sputter.

The older man with his leather like face smacked the shoulder of his capped companion who had fumigated her with the foul smelling smoke, while berating him in a foreign tongue. He grabbed a flask from behind him and walked to Chang motioning for her to drink with his hands and smiling eyes. Chang took a sip of the liquid to help almost choked again. The jug of liquid was full of very strong red wine! Chang pa.s.sed the jug of liquid back to the old man, who nodded his head while lifting his brows at her, as if to ask if that was better.

Chang felt slightly dizzy after inhaling whatever that smoke was but smiled at the old man in grat.i.tude for his kindness. She had one last piroshki that she had wrapped in a small white handkerchief for later, Chang grabbed it from a little pouch that she wore around her waist next to a pouch with money she was given by the guard. She held the white ball out to the old man urging him to take it in thanks. The older man eventually took the small wrapped bundle and Chang smiled widely at him.

"Shrukran Jid! She thanked him with the best of her knowledge of Arabic, she had learned over the last couple days. The old man's leather like face creased into a wrinkle of smiles after she thanked him. After thanking him she went on her way feeling slightly abnormal and s.p.a.cey. Chang didnt think too much more on the matter and continued her mission to head to the square.

After around ten minutes or so she came to the circle where a few women danced near a few musicians. Chang watched them for awhile seeing the movement of the dance before joining in with the ladies. Chang enjoyed the freedom of the movement of the dance, feeling her tunic lift and swirl around when she would twirl. Her spirits lifted as she lost herself in the music and movement as more and more people came to join them. Soon the area became crowded with people and Chang had to stop as she was out of breath, sweating from the vigorous dance. The other ladies she had originally dance came up to her smiling laughing, talking to her in a singsong voice. Chang couldn't understand them and could only share in the smiles and laughter, unable to directly converse, though the feelings were understood. All of them had had a lot of fun.

After standing to the side for awhile, catching her breath, Chang looked up at the sky to see how far the sun had crossed the sky, to help gauge the time. It had crossed a fair distance and she knew she had broken her promise to the guard.

Chang cursed herself under her breath and started heading back to where she had left him, using the giant palace in the background as an orientation point. To avoid the crowds and to make quicker time, Chang went back into the dark and narrow alleyways. After her first turn though, she felt several hands seize her.