Chapter: A New Home

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When Ardeth told Althea about the fact they were closer to the location of where his people resided, immediately Althea began to become extremely nervous.

"What if I'm not likable? What if no one likes me?"

A chuckle escaped from Ardeth causing Althea to shoot him a glare as she did not want him to laugh at her, but rather have words of encouragement for her, or the flat out truth.

"Ardeth, I'm not laughing."

"I'm sorry. It's just that you'll be welcomed. My baba approved of you and I already had a meeting with the other tribes' commanders and elders about you."

"You did?" Althea stared at Ardeth with widen eyes.

She could not believe he had already gone through everything to welcome her to his tribe.

"Yes. They saw how much I wanted you by my side."

That statement got Althea to blush and look away causing Ardeth to chuckle once again, knowing that he was flustering her up.

As the camels came over a hill, Ardeth pulled his camel to a pause making Althea to do so with her camel too. Althea was welcome with a sight of Ardeth's people land. The land itself had trees and a small oasis, which circled half around the camp. It was mostly various tents all scatter about with people bustling about and going about doing their chorus.

The sight of Ardeth coming through the camp, Medjai themselves came to greet him and others too. As Althea rode beside him, many stared with curiosity and she could see some of the people whisper to one another.

"Come." Ardeth told her as he led Althea away from everyone and a bit away from the main part of the area to an outer part where a larger tent was located.

It appeared to have a main tent that had sections branching off of it making Althea to believe that it must be separate areas or rooms inside. Althea had a feeling this was Ardeth's tent as it was the largest one with him being the chieftain. It showed his status.

Ardeth slid off the camel before he came over to help Althea to slide off her own. With her off the camel, Althea felt as if she needed to sit down as her legs visibly shook.

"My legs are about to give up."

"I feel the same." Ardeth said as he brought her into the tent where Althea immediately began to take in her new surroundings.

Althea was right about the small sections branching off and being separate areas, though some weren't and just added space. The tent inside was like a home layout all in one room, separated by thick sheets that hung from the ceiling and down.

Leading her over to a low table, Ardeth set her down on a cushion seat. Ardeth dropped down beside her and he chuckle as Althea dropped her head onto his shoulder.

"I think I'm going to sleep."

"We should wash up."

"Oh we must be a pretty sight."

"Indeed." Ardeth chuckle as he could feel the dry sweat, blood and dirt on him.

Neither made a gesture to move causing the two to laugh with each other. The flap of the tent entrance made them to look over to see an older woman in the doorway.

"Althea this is my mother, Nahla. Maman, this is Althea."

"Oh, this is Althea. Yes, she is a pretty one. I can tell, good personality." Nahla said in clear English though her accent was there and was a bit thicker than Ardeth's accent.

Instead of standing up to shake hands, Nahla waved at Althea to stay seated as it was clearly obvious how exhausted Ardeth and Althea were. Also, by looking at their facial expression, they gone through and witness a lot. Nahla hugged Althea and then she hugged Ardeth before stepped back to welcome the two back.

"I will bring food soon." Nahla said, nodding at the two then left.

"Your mother's cooking sounds wonderful right now."

"Yes, it does. We haven't eaten at all for these past few days."

"Oh my, we haven't. The adrenaline and being chased and chasing a three thousand year old mummy is a workout. It built stamina for sure with all the running we had to do." Althea said innocently, glancing at Ardeth as he was shaking his head at her comment with a small grin on his lips.

They leaned against one another and fell back onto the pillows behind them. Althea felt herself shut her eyes for a few seconds and Ardeth wasn't that far behind as he shut his eyes too. That led the two to accept the exhaustion which took over their bodies and they were soon asleep.

When Nahla came back to the tent to see the two passed out against one another, she gently chuckle behind her veil as she carried the tray with food on it toward the table that was a foot off the ground.

Setting it onto the table, she looked to her right where Ardeth had instantly woken up because of his training of always being on alert. Seeing it was his mother, Ardeth gave her a small grin and nodded his head at her making her to nod back. She stood up from placing the food on the table.

"Your baba was right about her."

"Yes, he was. Getting to know her some more over the years, she was perfect." Ardeth replied making Nahla to smile before she left the tent after that, satisfied that her son was happy.

Ardeth gently shook Althea awake, wishing to let her sleep but he knew that they need to get food in their systems. Ardeth grin a little as Althea groan, not wanting her nap to be interrupted. Althea nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

"Althea, maman brought food."

That got Althea to wake up and stare around with tired eyes.

"Where?"

Ardeth chuckled. He turn her to face the table where the food was. Ardeth sat himself down beside Althea. He stared at her with raised eyebrows as she stared at all the food on the tray then looked at him with a questionable look.

"What's the matter?"

"I noted that you call your mother maman instead of ahm? Why is that?" Althea asked, curious about the reason behind Ardeth calling his mother's title a different language then his people own.

"Because my maman is mostly Persian. She insisted that my little sister and I to call her that."

"You have a sister?"

"Yes, her name is Zaina." Ardeth told her as he began to take the plates off the tray to set before the two of them.

Althea grabbed the two cups off the tray and set them in front of them too. Ardeth took the tray and pushed a bit away from them to give them more room as they began to eat.

"Ah, I felt as if I haven't had food in years."

"I feel the same way." Ardeth agreed, feeling how his stomach was rumbling as Althea and he were trying to restrain themselves from shoveling loads of food into their mouth.

After eating, they had washed up and were dressed in new clothing. As for Ardeth, Althea made him to keep his top off to take care of the cuts and scratches that he had on his top half.

Althea had to resist from eyeing Ardeth's top half as he was well in shape with solid muscles from all the training and fighting he did as a Medjai. There were old visible scars on his body, but what caught Althea eyes other than his muscles were the tattoos that covered areas on his body.

There was hieroglyphics in small paragraph on his left chest pectoral and a few hieroglyphics sentences on his right chest pectoral. There were designs on either of his biceps that looked like the ones on the top of his hands. As Althea began to clean off the cuts, especially the deep one on his shoulder, his back was covered in hieroglyphics tattoos.

"Do you have tattoos covering your entire body?" Althea asked as she ran her fingers across Ardeth inked back in a gentle manner causing him to shiver a little underneath her soft touch.

"Yes, I have a few more on my legs."

"Really?" Althea said as she eyed his pant covered legs as she moved to knelt beside him as she continued to clean out and around the injury on his shoulder.

Ardeth glanced at her in the corner of his eyes and grinned as he saw how Althea had eyed his body and tattoos. He resisted from puffing out his chest as he felt his ego being stroke with his future wife's approval eyes. Then to see how her eyes kept flicking to his legs, wanting to see the rest of his tattoos, a sly smirk came onto his lips.

"You will see them soon enough on our wedding night." Ardeth told her, chuckling when he saw Althea eyes go wide and her face began to heat up.

Keeping his eyes focus on her hand moving around his injury and gently tending it, Ardeth enjoyed how Althea touched with gentleness that he barely winced as she took care of him. His eyes scan over Althea, who was now cleaned up and in a fresh clothing. To see that her skin darken a bit from being out in the desert sun for a while. Her brunette color hair that reached to the mid of her back was drying up and had slight wave to it. Althea was a good height, towering over most of the women that were in the camp. For Althea stood at five feet and seven inches. She was slender yet built to show all the times she had to lift and move heavy objects back at the museum. She had a body structure made to be quick and agile.

When her eyes flicker up to meet his, those eyes were surrounded by thick lashes that made her green eyes stick out. Ardeth felt himself trapped in her stare.

Althea quickly averted her eyes away from him to continue to assess his injury and bandage it up. Althea tried to keep her focus on the injury, but she could feel Ardeth's eyes moving up and down her body.

The time that Althea finished bandaging his shoulder, she felt one of his hands cup her cheek making her to look up at him.

"How did you get your people to accept me?"

"With the help of my Baba and a few elders that saw you before at the museum, they approved of you. They saw the strength to handle any sort of situations in your eyes. They saw determination and found you to be a good fit to stand by my side. Yet also, I wouldn't have accepted anyone else other than you." Ardeth explained, admitting the last part as he caressed her cheek.

A small smile came onto Althea light pink lips and thankfulness was in her eyes. Seeing her smiling at him in such a way made Ardeth to lean forward to take her lips with his own, enjoying how soft they mold against his.

There was a small squeal that escaped from her as Ardeth pulled her to sit sideways across his lap. Ardeth cradle Althea in his arms and he held her close as he continue to peck her lips then dragged his lips down her cheek. There was a small laugh that escaped from Althea as she felt Ardeth facial hair tickle the underside of her jawline.

"We should rest." Ardeth said lowly as he could feel the exhaustion take over his body again and he felt how Althea slumped against him.

"Yes, but where should I stay to rest."

"You can stay where I sleep. I will sleep out here."

"No, no, Ardeth, I can't kick you out of your bed."

"And I can't let my future wife sleep on a proper mat." Ardeth told her softly as he adjusted Althea into his arms and managed to stand up with her in his arms bridal style.

Althea clenched him around the neck and stared at Ardeth with shock as he carried her to another part of the large tent, pushing aside a blanket to enter another part of the tent where there were a couple of chest on the side.

A table with two stool chairs on another side of the room. Only two lanterns hung around the room to keep it dim yet enough to see around. The bed was a couple inches off the floor with various blankets and pillows to make it comfortable yet firm.

Kneeling down, Ardeth set Althea down onto the bed mat where Althea had to admit was comfortable. She felt her body adjust to the firm bed. It was as if her back was realigning itself, which wasn't a bad thing, but rather a good thing.

Bringing some of the blankets halfway up her body, Ardeth rested his left hand against Althea cheek and he stare down at her with adoration in his eyes that Althea felt instant happiness for someone to show such love for her.

"Rest, my lovely green eyes."

"Lovely green eyes? That is a new one."

"It's true. Your eyes are beautiful. Though they are not only beautiful for their unique color, but I see the happiness go through them when you with me. Determination and fierceness when you get protective. Your eyes show emotions that draw me in and wish to read them all day." Ardeth explained softly to Althea as he knelt over her, tracing his left hand fingertips underneath her eyes then tracing down her face to her lips.

Reaching up, Althea pressed her hand against his cheek and her thumb traced Ardeth cheekbone, running over the hieroglyphics across his right cheek. Pulling her hand away, Althea stared up at Ardeth with soften eyes.

"You, my warrior, have a way with words."

"I aim to please you."

"Is that so? May I request something of you?"

"What is that?" Ardeth lean closer to her face, searching Althea eyes as he was waiting for her request.

"Can I have one last kiss before I pass out sleeping in a few seconds?" Althea asked tiredly with a matching tired grin.

"Of course. I wish nothing more." Ardeth chuckled and leaned down to press his lips against her own.

Enjoying the kiss, it was over soon enough as Ardeth pulled away to press his lips against her forehead. He caressed his cheek as he stare down at Althea, watching her eyes flutter as she was forcing herself to try to stay awake.

"Sleep, Althea. Sleep."

The smooth mellow tone of Ardeth soon made Althea to shut her eyes and drift off into a sleeping state. As for him, Ardeth continued to caress her cheek then pulled away to bring his right hand up to his mouth to hide his yawn.

Feeling himself nodding off, Ardeth slowly stood up and made his way out of the room, but not without glancing back over his shoulder to stare at a sleeping Althea. He couldn't wait to be sleeping beside her and hold her in his arms.

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Hi Everyone,

Here was another chapter.

To repeat myself from the beginning of the story, I do apologize if I get any type of information, facts, and/or historical information wrong.

Enjoy!

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