"Get over here, girl."

"Ain't she just the shyest lil' whore I've ever seen."

"Hehe, don't worry, we's a fix for that."

"You said it! Come here, lil' kitten. We don't bite."

"Not usually, at least."

Tempesturo hammered the pair of men with the scorching southern sun and buffeted them with violent wind satiated with inimical grains of sand. The palm trees of the dried oasis stood wilted and dying in the intense heat and provided little shade for the two beneath them. However, their two sets of cruel eyes weren't on those yellowed fronds that lingered pitifully above.

"What'dya figure, Ales?"

"I figure she needs a lil' motivation."

The first man, Ales, was a gruffy and rounded man with thick stubble covering his bulging face. His eyes were set deep behind a pair of pronounced brows, and they stared hungrily at the lithe figure of a young woman. She'd only just came upon their encampment and would've left if not for the distant promise of water this rare oasis offered. She glanced sheepishly towards the pair of men and repressed a shudder.

"Oh I's gots her motivation, that I do!" the first man said, licking his lips and standing from his spot under the tree. Much skinnier then his companion, his skin was burned by the vibrant sun and his eyes were wide with a barely controlled lunacy. They say the desert does that to men. He looked towards his comrade and grinned, exposing yellowed teeth not unlike the shade of sandstone which dominated this barren plain. Then he turned his lustful gaze to the girl and reached down to pull out a dagger.

"C'mon, then, little kitten. I's won't hurt if you won't fight, eh?"

The girl shook her head and stepped back hesitantly, her green eyes widening. For the second time since she'd approached the pair, she spoke, and it was the same phrase as before: "I just want some water." The voice was weak and dry, and her skin was as red as the sunburnt man who leered at her. Her clothes were yellowed from the sand, as if they'd merged completely with the desert to become one with the brutal landscape, and her trembling lips resembled the sun-parched cracking of a dry riverbed.

The man grinned crookedly. "Water? I got's plenty of water. Come here, let me show you.."

--

The sun had set and the desert was cooling down fast. Frigid wind blew in from the southern oceans, bringing a layer of mist that was made all the more miserable by the plummeting temperatures.

The young girl disentangled herself from the stench-soaked arms of Ales and pulled herself out of the straw pile he called a bed. She stepped lightly, being sure not to disturb the sleeping man, and counted her few blessings as her feet touched the sandstone earth noiselessly. Outside of the ramshackle hut, the frigid wind stung and bit her like a thousand hornets, made all the worse by the thick mist which would be gone the moment the sun kissed the eastern horizon.

Thank god they're still asleep, she thought to herself, making her way over to the pits the men had dug into the soil. These holes were covered with a tightly-stretched deer skin, and a rock rested in the center. Beneath the deer skin and inside of the hole, a bucket collected water as it condensed on the skin, dripping slowly but surely into the containers. She moved aside one of the deerskins and pulled the bucket out. It was less then a tenth full, but that wouldn't matter - there were several buckets laid out here, cleverly prepared by the sleeping men, and she predicted she'd have more then enough.

She glanced once towards the worn down hut, breathlessly praying to the goddess Aurora that they wouldn't wake, then grabbed the bucket out of the dirt and moved over to the next one to pour the water in. Though it was sandy and stunk of sun-burned leather, this was the elixir of life, and she was careful as she pulled the second bucket out and used it to fill a third.

She continued to make her way around the holes, filling all the buckets into one while trying to be as silent as possible. Before long, she had in her hands a full bucket, heavy with water and desert dust.

Three empty water skins hung on a line fastened on the inside of the hut, but she didn't feel like venturing back into those dank and frightening confines. However, searching frantically for an alternative, the girl found none, and finally rested her green eyes on the hut hesitantly. From inside she could hear Ales, the fat man snoring profusely as he dreamed of blue skies and green plains. His skinnier companion slept soundlessly in another straw 'bed', and she listened for several cautious moments for any sign of noise from within.

Finally mustering her courage, the girl clutched the bucket of water under one arm and carefully moved aside the flaps of shredded leather that served for a door. Her eyes adjusting to the dimness of the room, she moved slowly towards the eastern wall.

Clank, thump, bump!

Her foot struck something and she stood stock still, her eyes widening and her ears listening for the slightest noise from the two sleeping men. Ales snorted and rolled over to continue his vibrant dreaming, and the other man remained silent and sleeping. She cautiously released her abated breath and continued to the wall, finding the waterskin and pulling it off its hook.

Finally, she was free to go! She cast one last glance towards the two men, stuffing the waterskin under her left armpit, and repressed a shudder at the thoughts of the earlier afternoon. So disgusting, she thought to herself. But there had been no other option - if she had denied their request, they would've either raped her or killed her, or even worst sent her on her way where she'd inevitably die of thirst. Despite their wicked ways, these men had saved her life. Nevertheless she would breath easier once she was miles away from here.

Moving towards the door, the girl didn't notice as the thinner of the two men studied her soundlessly from his bed. His eyes, dark brown and made nearly black by the dim light, glimmered with cruel mirth. So, she'd get away with their water, would she?

"'Ey Ales, gettup" his voice called out sharply, startling the girl into flinging her bucket compulsively. Precious water arched through the air and splashed against the leather flaps of the door, soaking it with the invaluable droplets of aquamarine fluid. "We's got us a trouble maker.

"Quite the trouble maker indeed."

Grinning, he rose from his bed.