<div class="floatleft">(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9f/2b/0d/9f2b0d5bcb238fa2413cdb8deecaecb9.jpg)</div>Ashley hated the desert. She had never enjoyed the heat, preferring the shade of forests, or the cool touch of mountain streams.<br/>This was miserable.<br/>She covered her face as a harsh wind once again blew the jagged sand into her face. "This entire desert is our enemy." she complained to no one in particular. She wasn't interested in making friends here. She never liked most people, and overhearing the men jubilantly talk of slave girls reinforced her opinion.<br/><br/>As the wind died down she lowered her arm. She didn't bother brushing the sand away, since she'd learned long ago it was a futile practice.<br/>She groaned. One advantage of the wind was drowning out noise, and now that it had died down she could hear the chatter once again.<br/>She opened her water skin and finished the rest of her warm water. They were near the city and she would refill the skin soon. Hopefully with cool water. Her stomach rumbled. Another misery on this long scorched trail. The city wasn't close enough. Soon she would sleep in a bed, away from the sand, drink, eat...and sleep. She would sleep soon. In the forests and meadows, she loved sleeping out in the open. Nature was her friend out there.<br/>Here, she found no sleep.