An owl soared through the dark and still sky of the night, swiftly dropping and perching on a man's shoulder as he climbed up a dune of sand and peeked down at a cave from which a very dim and weak light emitted.
The man was clad in a red cloak, further concealing his face. He gently stroked his bird and walked further down.
The cave was large and the protruding shards of rocks surrounding it made it all but impossible for an all-out attack to occur, which meant the occupants were safe should an army march towards them.
The occupants, however, didn't seem at all appreciative of the confined space.
The thieves cowared back into the walls as they saw their leader, Hassan, hauling large rocks and flinging them here and there with furious cries. Whenever a rock soared overhead, they hurried to get away before they were crushed under its remains.
