Panoramic
Raven Roth ambled along the crowded market of Fez, Morocco. It seemed like she had paused to stop at almost every shop and stall in the souk. But, if she hadn’t, she definitely wanted to - see everything. Since she had arrived here, she had been completely enchanted with the whole city. She couldn’t begin to describe it, and she was seeing it before her. It was almost inconceivable just how picturesque of a place it was. Everywhere she looked she saw beauty and vibrant colors. And it was all around her. It was in the people, the scenery, the food. The lights. The smells. The architecture. The cobblestone streets.
She felt her heart skip a little faster with each and every step she took. There was just… something in the air. She could feel it the second she stepped off the plane. This trip had been such a wonderful idea.
Oh goodness. Raven gazed up at the glowing lights that had been strung up to sway from a wire above - that elegant lantern would be ideal for her apartment. She could just see it there now.
Wow.
Something else was catching her eye.
Now she had to stop and take a closer look. Because.
There was…
Tea.
She gazed in wonder at the baskets. Closing in on chamomile flowers. Yes, flowers. Not crushed. Not powdered. Full leaves, whole herbs, and entire flowers. For every tea imaginable. And it would go great with those stunningly ornate tea cups she had spotted earlier…
Turning, she could see the stall with the positively delectable pastries and desserts calling. Figuratively and literally.
Raven inhaled the rich scents wafting around her deeply.
“Chebakia! Briouat! Golba!”
“Chebakia! Golba!”
“Sweets, Ms.?”
“No, thank you - shukran.”
Truthfully?
The pale traveling girl couldn't wait to eat when she was done shopping. She was eager to try one of the desserts that was made with rosewater in particular. With a cup of tea, naturally. Everything smelled scrumptious. Raven felt almost like a little girl with the blatant amount of joy she was finding in everything. But, this city was really taking her breath away. Besides, she really didn’t have to answer to anyone. She was travelling alone, so she was free to take her time and explore.
Raven initially had decided on a whole itinerary that she thoroughly planned out. She wanted to go see the University of al-Qarawiyyin. The world’s oldest learning institution - she had to. But when she heard about the souk in this part of the medina, she decided to stop in for a minute. But it was so lovely. The pale girl thought she might just stay here in the souk all day after all and go restart her schedule tomorrow.
The pale girl reached out and touched a sheer indigo scarf. “Pretty.” She smiled to herself.
“May I?” She asked the owner of the stall. Gesturing if she could try it on. The woman nodded. She pulled it from the pile and wrapped it around her neck. She looked in an ogee mirror in the corner on the ground. Feeling carried away by it all, she tossed it over her shoulder to admire herself. The dark-haired girl almost had to stifle a chuckle at her own antics.
Because, Raven didn't get carried away.
It was absurd, this was not something she normally did. But this place… The scarf was so beautiful. The blue and gold had caught the light in the most exquisite manner she had ever seen. She turned again, and almost knocked into a tall hooded man to her right.
“Aläafw.” She said politely, excusing herself.
She held a hand out in front of her. Giving him an apologetic glance. A sort of bow-like nod. Before she looked away, drawing up her own hood. She pulled off the garment, folding it neatly. The way it sparkled and the way it made her feel - she had to get it. It would always remind her of this moment. This treasure would be the first thing she got herself during her stay. She fished around for her wallet as she went up to pay.
“How much is this?” The older woman waved her away. Raven wanted to say she did, but she didn’t entirely understand what was happening.
“Not this one?” The woman now shook her head at the pale girl before her. Raven had been fully prepared to haggle. It appeared, she would not get her chance - at least not yet. Her ability to communicate effectively was limited, but she had managed to get around so far in a mixture of Arabic, a little French and broken English.
Maybe she should have more thoroughly immersed herself in the language before her trip.
She sighed.
“Already paid.” Was the blunt reply in English she received.
What?
“Excuse me?” Raven asked, forgetting her Arabic completely.
“Already paid. Over there.” The lady pointed to something behind her. Raven turned.
That man in the cowl from before.
Unbelievable.
“Shukran.” She said to thank the vendor.
Raven marched over. Wrapping her ankle length hooded cardigan tighter around herself. “Aläafw,” she said to him again. “I could have paid myself.” His eyes were shrouded in shadow as he stared at her from under his hood. But he didn’t speak. It was a minute or two before he exhaled and nodded. “You understand, that I can’t accept this…?” He very well might not have. He still stood there and said nothing. “I’m sorry,” Raven tried.
She handed it to him. He shook his head as if he didn’t understand. And he really must not have, because he tried to hand it back to her. The pale woman shook her head, held out a hand and apologized once more. Then, Raven quickly walked away. She didn’t want to make a scene because she couldn’t accept his gift. It was nice, though a little forward - but she couldn’t. She was a woman traveling alone. Raven had to keep her wits about her, just as she usually did when she was home. She couldn’t suddenly go around accepting gifts from strange men.
One thing was clear…
It was time to go.
Raven found herself looking all about, as she tried to retrace her steps. She had found her way in and around with ease before. Traipsing along without a care. But now she wanted nothing more than to leave. How did she get out of this maze-like market? She felt a little claustrophobic all of a sudden. Uneasy. She shouldn’t have stayed there for such a long time. Raven should have stuck to her original plan. She glanced around herself at all the people.
What had seemed like an incredible and inviting place mere moments ago had morphed into one that was loud and a little chaotic. And then, on top of all that. The encounter with that stranger had left her feeling even more self-conscious. With her hair and her eyes, she was a rather easy target to spot. A tourist. A potential mark. She didn’t have a camera hanging around her neck, like - she looked around for the overt display of tourism - that guy over there with the baseball cap, but it was very obvious that she was a foreigner. It was probably why that stranger had approached her.
Raven was feeling out of sorts. It had happened a couple of times on this trip, but she told herself she would get over it. Wasn’t it on everyone’s bucket list to take a trip alone like this? It was supposed to be an enriching experience. And hadn’t it been so far? Strange men aside…
There was nothing truly wrong, but…
She tugged her hood further over her face. Wrapping the cardigan around herself as she walked along.
It wasn’t as if she had a significant other to go with her on this trip. There was no one waiting for her back at home. She had friends, but.
No boyfriend. No girlfriend. No fiancée…
When she was stateside, occasionally she got a little lonely. A tiny bit of loneliness was healthy. Raven liked her life, but sometimes… She gazed at the rich colors around her. The luxury leather bags. The elegant carpets. The rows of fabric lining the stalls and billowing in the breeze. It was like it had just occurred to her… There was such romance and beauty all around her. And no one to share it with.
Great.
And now, she was lonely here. Why did she think that going across the ocean to a place she knew no one, would somehow… Make her feel any other way? Now Raven wasn’t just alone, she was alone in a country with languages she had a limited knowledge of.
What was she doing even here?
And then, almost as if her silent plea into the universe had summoned something.
Or someone.
She felt the breath of a deep whisper in her ear, “Jamila…” Then a rustle of fabric. She looked down. The sheer scarf she had tried to buy was draped around her neck. Her lips parted in astonishment. The scarf. The beautiful indigo scarf. It was him. He followed her?
She turned to face a pair of striking, smoldering jade eyes, tousled dark hair, and gorgeous rich skin. In other words, it was everything she suddenly knew she needed - in the form of this tall, dark stranger. He was the man from before?
What… in heaven?
She stumbled, nearly knocked over by a bicyclist. And then, in her haste, almost tripping over a child running by. That and her weakened knees made for a poor combination. He took her by the arms to hold her up. Now smiling down at her, as if he had just haggled his way into scooping up a true gem. And not an uncharacteristically clumsy and frazzled girl. He slowly fingered a lock of dark hair that had escaped her braid. He tucked it behind her ear and replaced her hood. In all that, it had drifted down off her head.
That hardly mattered. His hands… She had never felt a touch like this. They presented promises of palaple pleasure. They were like satisfaction and sinfulness simultaneously. Somehow softness, roughness, and intense warmth all rolled together.
“Tueal maei rja'a” he murmured to her. The deep blue-violet eyes widened.
That voice.
That irresistible voice.
She was hypnotized.
Raven was powerless to do anything, but exactly what he said. And right now, he was requesting her to follow him. He held out a hand to her. She peered down at it, already knowing she wanted to go wherever he wanted to go. His calloused hand enveloping her own completely. Pulling her along gently, to lead her somewhere.
Anywhere.
They walked together in silence, with the noises around them slowly winding down to a muted backdrop. They were no longer out of the middle of the market. He had led her to a spot that was much more secluded. And more scenic. It was a lovely hideaway. He stood with her under an arch in a stone wall. One in a line of three. They were gorgeously carved with trefoil details. But she barely noticed anything other than what was standing underneath them. He was a stunning vision all by himself. Raven stared at the stranger in black for several moments, unable to say anything.
The man understood. He closed his eyes with a small smile.
His tan hand reached out for her hand and he pressed it to his broad chest. “Ismii… Damian.” He said in his deep, accented voice.
Raven bit her lip. Completely taken aback. By his boldness. By her fingers caress of the outline of his skin. She had never had an introduction like this before, and certainly not with anyone like him. She blushed, but followed his lead.
And her quivering palm grasped his own to shake it. Curious forest spheres observed her, silently encouraging her. She paused before she gave in completely. And placed his large hand right above her chest. “Raven… Ismii… Raven.”
“Rrrr-aven…”
A throaty, trill of tongue. A deep, full-bodied rendition of her name. That rendered both her mind and body, utterly useless. Her petite form trembled. An already rapid heartbeat was threatening to burst right out of her chest as it echoed in her eardrums.
She had never known her name could sound…
Like that.
“Naäam…” she agreed, in a daze.
And then, he repeated it.
“Rrraven?”
Oh…
His hand.
She forgot about his hand. That he could feel… her heart. Damian reached up and clutched her face tenderly. Searching. Eyeing her closely - clearly concerned that if her heart was beating so unnaturally fast, she wasn’t alright.
Funny, she had never felt more alive. Being in this city.
And now being in this city with him.
She was far better than she had been in a long time.
“I’m okay.” she murmured.
Although, him being that close to her, smelling the way he did and looking the way he did. She wouldn’t be for long.
He seemed to accept this and nodded slowly. And then, the deeply tanned man noticed their proximity as well. She was sure her entire body was bright scarlet. He smiled, brushing her cheek with a rough thumb. Her lips trembled and her heart still had not ceased the erratic beating.
She realized as she said this, that it was to herself, more than anything. “I’m… okay…”
Still gazing at him as if she couldn’t believe it. With her huge eyes, half-lidded.
A treasure she hadn’t expected to find. One she could never buy.
A miraculous moment in the market.
With a spell-binding stranger.
