**I do NOT own anything! All rights go to their respective owners. I only own the OCs in the story. Enjoy! Please read and review!**

**This is set shortly after TSK: Rise of a Warrior**

"It's not funny Layla," said Alani.

"You're right, it's not," smirked Layla.

"Go ahead and laugh. At least I'm not going to marry a sheep herder," said Alani.

Layla stopped laughing. "Now, that's not funny," she said looking at her friend. "At least Jesup is a warrior."

"Woo-hoo," said Alani rolling her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with Jesup. You like him," said Layla.

"I know that. And he is really sweet, but like you said, he is a warrior," said Alani lying on her bed. "He's gonna be off doing warrior stuff and I'm gonna be stuck here with the menagerie of children we are likely to have," she said sitting up to look at her friend.

"Come on," said Layla pulling Alani off the bed. "We better get going if we are gonna be there before supper."

"Yeah," she said pulling on her cloak.

"Have you heard from Mathayus at all?" asked Layla.

"Not since last month," said Jesup. "He doesn't write that much."

"He's going to get himself killed if he keeps it up," said Alani.

"He knows what he's doing," said Jesup. "He has his training."

"I know that look," said Alani.

"What look?" asked Layla looking up.

"Mathayus had that look before he left," said Alani looking at Jesup. "You plan on going after him, don't you?"

Jesup didn't say anything. He turned his attention to his plate. Alani shook her head, but didn't say anything else about it. She couldn't stop him if she wanted to.

Alani sat on her bed. Layla was standing at the window looking at the moon.

"You don't think he would go, do you?" asked Layla.

"He's too much like Mathayus," said Alani. "It's not a matter of thinking if but more of a when."

"Really?" said Layla turning to look at her friend.

Alani wasn't an ugly girl, but she wasn't an extraordinary girl either. She had the same black hair that most Akkadian woman had. She kept it pulled back in a braid to keep it out of her face when she was working. She had a relatively toned body. She'd gotten that way from helping her parents cart fruit crates around the village to sell. And she was deadly with a sword, if need be. Alani had always said that she was lucky Jesup had shown an interest in her. Most men didn't want a woman who could think for herself or best him in battle. Layla shook her head. Jesup was the lucky one. He was lucky that Alani didn't run off or put up a fight when she was told she was going to get married.

"I don't think he's going to go," said Layla. "He's too interested in you to leave. Especially right before the wedding."

"You ran away. Which cause a big uproar that almost cause a physical fight," said Alani. "Your father is lucky they still agreed to the wedding when you came back."

"I wasn't interested in my husband to be," replied Layla. "And I'm still not. And they only agreed after Mathayus left."

Alani shrugged her shoulders. Despite what Layla had said about Jesup, she knew he would leave. Whether it was before or after the wedding, she knew he would go after Mathayus. It was only a matter of time.