I was, once again, on a horse in front of him with his arms around my waist.
As we pick our way through the marketplace he was doing things he knew would piss me off, like playing with my hair, nibbling on my ear and neck, kissing my shoulders and once he even squeezed one of my thighs. When I reached the point I couldn't ignore him any longer I turned to yell at him, but he kissed me hungrily. As he broke the kiss he whispered, "I got you something." I noticed we were outside the village now, before I got a good look around he put a wrapped package in my hand. I stared down at it in shock. "Well, open it." He snickered lightly.
When I succeed in unwrapping it a necklace fell out. Not just any necklace, it was a thin silver chain a pendent hanging from it with a medium sized sapphire in the shape of a heart with tiny diamonds surrounding it. "So, what do you think?" His whispered query startled me out of my reverie.
"You better not have stolen this." I scold him hypocritically considering our profession.
"Of course not." He says a tad offended that I had considered it.
"Well, I just thought, I mean since you are 'King of Thieves'" I try to explain. "Never mind it doesn't matter I can't accept this anyway, it must have cost a small fortune." I look at it longingly but, I have money, I don't need him buying things for me and he might ask for something in return.
"Kiya, what it cost is my concern not yours. Besides you better accept it, it took me two hours to finally decide on this one."
"How did you know sapphires are my favorite?" I ask, well I also prefer silver to gold, but he doesn't need to know that.
I heard him chuckle slightly. "Lucky guess, here take the reins and hold your hair up." I did as he instructed as he took the necklace from me and fastened it for me, kissing my neck. He took the reins from me as I dropped my red wave of hair.
"Thank you Bakura, it's beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you." He says simply.
"Kiya! Why do you have to be so easily distracted by shiny things?" Emun asked, reminding me that Bakura and I weren't alone, I glanced up at her. That's when I noticed the position of Ra.
"Um Bakura, home is the other way." What is going on?
"Your home is." I could hear the grin on this fool's face.
"For the love of Anubis Kiya! They are kidnapping us and if you had been paying attention instead of getting all cozy with Bakura we could have gotten away!" She raged at me.
"I wasn't 'getting cozy' with him! And you knew about their plan before we left, if you had said something this all could have been avoided!" I scowl at her. "Besides, my men will come looking for us." I add victoriously.
Marik was cracking up. "No they won't, Sharifa will make sure of that."
"Oh gods, she was in on this?" I sputter, but quickly regain my composure. "It doesn't matter, I left Ishaq in charge and he would be apprehensive of her at the moment." Once again thinking I had out witted them.
"Oh we planned around that occurrence, she's just going to make him look like a jealous twit." Bakura divulged, holding me close for emphasis.
"You redefine what it means to be a cad." Getting as far from him as I could under the circumstances.
"You might as well get comfortable," He ignored the insult to inform me, "It's roughly a day and a half's journey."
"Great, and the fact that I don't want to go makes no difference does it?" I complain.
"None what so ever." He pronounces brightly, a grin carved on to his face.
When Ra reached his highest point we stopped to rest and eat, Marik erecting a tent to protect us from the heat since there were no trees around. "That food isn't poisoned you know." Marik pointed out eventually, since Emun and I had both been picking at the food before us, not really eating.
"Or drugged." Bakura added with a cackle.
"The thought never occurred to me that you would do either, I'm just not really hungry." I voice, my eye fixed on the sand under my feet.
"Me either." Not that that is really a surprise, she never eats.
"Evidently being abducted isn't good for your appetite, I'm too concerned with how to escape and not end up dying in the desert to eat." I could see no way out of this now, except maybe, no he would see that coming.
"Regardless you should eat." Marik feebly attempts to get Emun to eat.
"Here if you aren't going to eat at least drink." Bakura handed me a skin of water. Knowing things would get bad for me if I didn't, I drained what water there was. A few minutes later we were moving again. Time was dragging by slowly, I was starting to grow impatient and angry.
"Kiya, I'm bored." My sister began to grouse.
"And what do you expect me to do about it?" I snapped back. "I'm sure Marik would love to entertain you."
"Leave me the hell alone, gay boy, or I will kill you." She mumbled, "Besides, he's gay what would he do?"
"I don't know or particularly care."
"You hate me!" She grumbled.
"NO, I'm just trying to think and your carping isn't helping." I groan.
"If you two don't stop bickering we will gag you." Bakura threatened.
Silence engulfed us for who knows how long before I decided to break it. "Oh Emun, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"That Seth's hat is hot."
"Hell no!"
"That Marik likes purple too much." She took another stab.
"Well as true as that is, no."
"How about that we should knock Marik and Bakura off the horses and leave them here?" She asked hopefully.
"Try it and see how quickly you will spend the rest of this journey tied up." Bakura whispered darkly, his arm contracting around me.
"No, but I did consider it briefly."
"Well I give up." She rolled her eyes.
"Just follow my lead." I simper. "Oh I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves. Oh I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves and this is how it goes. 99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around. 98 bottles of beer on the wall." I saw the dawning comprehension in her eyes as she joined me. "Oh I know..."
I heard Bakura's sigh of frustration and as we reached 80 Marik looked ready to kill himself. As we were finishing up 47 Bakura clamped his hand over my mouth. "Stop! I can't take anymore!" I nod, indicating we wouldn't continue and he removed his hand.
"Man that was annoying." Marik said, relieved it was over, silence enveloping us once more. Marik was the one to interrupt it this time. "So, I've been wondering, why are you two so pale?"
He was right, we were both exceedingly pale for Egyptians. "Well, Emun doesn't venture outside very often and I'm not sure about me, I mean I get burned easily but it never tans." I say with a small shrug.
"That's weird." Marik opines.
"I know," figuring we were discussing what we find odd about each other I ask, "anyway, Spiky is that really your natural hair color?"
"Yes." Is all I get in response.
"Well how did that happen, I mean, you don't see naturally white hair, ever."
"I don't know, but my sister has white hair too." I felt his shrug.
"Odd." I mumble.
"Hey you're one to talk your hair is blood red." He announced.
"So, red isn't really that uncommon, other people have red hair." I counter.
"Not many."
"Hey, Kiya, did you notice that Marik and Bakura have the same eye color?" Emun queried.
"No but now that you mention it, you're right."
"How strange is that?"
"I'm sure it isn't that unusual, since you and Khalid both have green eyes right? And Ishaq and Sharifa have the same shade of brown."
"Guess you're right." She conceded.
"Now I'm hungry." I utter a bit angrily, suddenly an orange appeared in my hand. "Emun did you see that! Bakura can do magic!"
"Sure he can Kiya." She said indulgently.
"I want a drink." A skin of water appeared in front of my face, I took a quick drink before tossing it to Emun. "I want a Millennium Item." I announce hopefully, I closed my eyes and held out my hand, peeking when nothing happens. "Darn, apparently he can't get whatever I want for me." I say sulkily.
He laughed, kissing the top of my head. "I would if I could, love. Now, you should probably eat that."
Sighing, I peeled it and start munching, noticing that dusk was approaching. "Are we riding all night?" I ask when the last of the orange was gone.
"No, but we won't be stopping any time soon. You can sleep if you want, I got you." He offered. I was getting tired, so I relaxed and leaned back against him, closing my eyes.
Later I felt him shifting around then wrap something around me. Opening one eye slightly I see his red cloak on me. "Aren't you going to get cold?" I inquire, pulling it closer.
"No, I'll be fine, besides you were shivering." And with that I fell asleep.
When I woke it was still dark and we were sleeping under the stars at an oasis. I indistinctly remember being carried of the horse to where I am now, on the ground with Bakura's cloak still around me and an arm draped over me. I glanced over and saw, of course, Bakura was the source of heat next to me, a blanket over the two of us and Emun and Marik not far away. I managed to get out from under his arm without waking him, throwing his cloak on I sneak over to the horses. I decide to take Marik's horse since it had most of the things we would need in its saddle bags already. I was grabbing my stuff from Bakura's horse when I thought I heard something behind me, but after checking saw nothing so continued with my preparations. As I was trying to think of a way to get my sister from Marik a hand was placed on my shoulder, as I was about to scream a hand was placed over my mouth to stop it.
"You moron, do you want to wake them?" Emun hissed in my ear, dropping her hand.
"Sorry, I thought it was Bakura." I admit as she climbs up on to the horse, rolling her eyes.
I jump up behind her, wrapping an arm around her, taking the reins, and head toward a clearing so I can find my directions from the stars. Observing them I start towards what should be home when I hear a call of "Emun! Where did you go?"
"Oh shit!" She breathed.
"What the hell? Kiya this isn't funny!" His friend yells as I glance back to see someone rushing for the remaining horse.
"Never said it was, Fluffy!" I call back as we take off into the desert.
"Marik get your ass moving, their getting away!" Elated that this was actually working, I spurred our ride faster. I thought we were going to get away until I heard Emun gasp, looking behind us. No! How are they gaining on us? Abruptly the reins were yanked away from me as an arm slipped around me pulling me off and in front of Bakura; Marik had somehow managed to jump from one horse to the other. Before the shock had worn off we were back at the oasis. Bakura takes his cloak off of me and has me over his shoulder, again, and is digging around in his saddle bags for something.
"NOOOOOOOO! I don't want to be tied up again!" Emun whimpered.
"Should have thought of that earlier." Marik says calmly, lifting my head I see him winding rope around her, lashing her arms to her sides. I feel something being slipped around my ankles and assume that I am being bound as well. Bakura's hand then went up my dress to remove the dagger I have sheathed to my thigh before setting me on my feet. He quickly ties my hands together, removing the dagger I keep up my sleeve, tying my arms to my side. Marik had finished with my sister and was using her stomach as a pillow as she grumbled something about a gay asshole. I found myself once again on the ground with Bakura's arms around me, I lay there silently glaring at him until he fell asleep. Because of how he trussed me up I was able to bend my arms, I spent the better part of an hour trying to retrieve a dagger he didn't know I had from down the front of my dress. Finally extracting it I undertake the task of cutting myself loose. Getting my hands and arms unfettered, I start on my feet only to have Bakura wake up as I succeed.
"Where was that hiding?" He raised an eyebrow, taking the dagger from me.
"Uh... nowhere." I was blushing slightly, I don't need him knowing that I keep a dagger there.
"Right, guess I didn't do a good enough job of restraining you last time, it won't happen again." He grabbed more rope and practically mummified my upper body with it.
"Wow, what happened?" My sister asked when Marik woke her up.
"I cut myself free but he woke up." I huff. The rest of the venture was uneventful and around midday we stopped next to a randomly placed boulder.
"Why did we stop?" Emun wondered aloud.
"Sh, just watch." Marik chided her as Bakura dismounted and approached the rock. Pushing it aside revealed a sloping tunnel, Marik led the horses with us still on them in as his leader replaced the stone.
"How can you move that so easily?" I asked perplexed, I mean it was huge.
"It's a lot less dense than it looks." Was all he said. The tunnel was lined with torches and eventually opened up to create a space used as stables. Marik pulled Emun down and tied up the horses.
"Damn it! I can walk you know!" I protest as I am once again picked up. "Hey, why isn't Emun being carried too, I should be allowed to walk if she is!" My cries go unheeded as we start toward a large set of double doors.
"I'm home boys!" Bakura calls out as he kicks the doors open. The sight before me is utterly disgusting. Since I was, for once, not over his shoulder but being held bridal style I could actually see the humongous room we just entered. The men that were in the room appeared to all mostly be drunk, a few of them had women on them being totally whorish and the floor and tables were all covered in who knows what.
"Gross." I hear Emun mutter as men slowly began to focus on their 'King', some of them calling out to him.
"What took so long?"
"Did it go well?"
"Who are the chicks?"
"Nice catch! Man, Bakura, where did you find her?"
"What a hot piece of ass."
"That's it who said that?" I glare at the room in general as most of them leer at me or chortle at the cleverness of the comment. "Damn it, Bakura keep your men in line or I swear to the gods I will kill you all!" This just caused more guffawing.
"Right you don't scare us girly."
"Feisty, I like it."
"You couldn't kill a fly I bet."
And one of the women called out, "How dare you speak to the Thief King in such a manner."
Marik then stepped forward speaking. "Guys, I wouldn't piss her off if I were you, she's the Desert Rose." A few of them had looks of shock or respect on their faces the rest were too drunk to think.
"Yes as cunning and deadly as she is beautiful." Bakura boasted. "And she's mine! Look at her wrong and she won't hesitate to kill you if I don't first."
"The freaking hell I'm yours Fluffy!" I scream at him, struggling to get out of his arms.
There is a collective intake of breath as they all look at me in horror. He sets me down facing him and slaps me. "You will show me respect." He snarls.
"Spiky just be glad my hands are tied up since you wouldn't live through the next five minute otherwise." A slow grin spreads across his face.
"Right and what can you do to me, I have already proven that unarmed I am the better fighter."
"Who said I wouldn't be able to get a weapon away from one of your thieves?"
"What about the other girl?" Someone slurred out.
"Go near my sister and you will be begging for death before I finally grant it to you!" I scowl around at them all.
"Besides, she's mine." Marik loudly informs them, pulling her to him.
"But, Marik, don't they know you're gay?" She stage whispers to him, making him turn bright red.
"I am not and you should know that for a fact by know." He harshly came out with.
"Ah, I thought I heard yelling." The crowd parted to make way for a girl around Emun's age with waist length white hair. She was dressed how I prefer to be, in a pair of loose pants and a tank top. "Kura, where have you been?" She asked hugging him tightly.
"Sorry Rea, things didn't go at all the way we thought they would." He says releasing her.
"This her?" She asked jerking her head in my direction.
"Yep." He says brightly, smirking as usual.
"Why is she all tied up?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Only way I could get her here." He shrugs.
"I'm guessing you are his sister." I interrupt the reunion.
"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you Kiya. And your sister is…" She starts to ask.
"Emun." I supply.
"Emun, I hope we can all be friends." She says warmly smiling at us. I could see a mean retort about to come out of my dear sister, but she didn't get a chance to voice it since a door was thrown open and there was a shrill wail of "Kura!". Before the sound stopped a blond blur threw itself on him.
"Baby I missed you!" The petite thing says as she wraps her arms around his neck pulling him down and kissing him possessively.
"That's evident." He comments dryly as he pulls away from her. "Neferet, will you show Kiya to my room?" She looks up at him quizzically.
"I'm not staying with you." I insist, drawing her attention away from him.
"Who's she?" She asked a bit defensively.
"Kiya is the Desert Rose and for the time being she will share a room with me." He asserted staring at me.
After glaring at me contemptuously she turned to beam at him. "Of course honey, if that's what you want."
"Just don't untie her. Wait, maybe I should have one of the men…" He starts to change his mind.
"That won't be necessary." She says sweetly giving him another kiss.
"Where is Emun staying? Why can't I share with her?" I demand, holding my ground.
"She's staying with Marik, Rea will you." He turns to his sister, who nods leading my sister out of the room, Marik going off somewhere.
"Ok then, Kiya if you will follow me."
"No."
"Babe, just follow her, I will be there in a little bit." Bakura tried persuading me.
"No and I told you not to call me that."
"Just do what you are told." He was getting annoyed.
"Fine, but I don't associate with skanks, so you better find someone else to show me where it is or give me directions." She was obviously a whore; I mean besides how she was behaving, she dressed like one in a top that barely covered anything and the shortest skirt I have ever seen.
"Fine, Neferet, there is a bag of clothes on Marik's horse, could you grab it and take them to my room?" He was trying to break the tension that had set in between us.
"Sure." She turned and left.
"I don't know what I find more disgusting, your men or her."
"Told you women can't resist me." He chimes like the smart ass he is.
"Right, I can barely stand to be around you I want you so bad." I sardonically crack. "Look just tell me where in the name of Thoth I am going."
"I'll show her where it is, if that's ok with you Bakura?" One of the guys who wasn't wasted came over.
"Just the man I wanted to see. I trust they all behaved themselves while I was away?" The last part loud enough for everyone to hear, a sarcastic grin plastered in place. There was a call of "Why would you think otherwise?".
"Nothing out of the ordinary." This new guy informed him.
"Good, I will talk to you more later then, Renihura, and please take her to my room, just for the love of Ra don't untie her, she is a lot stronger than she looks and could easily get away from you." He says before sauntering off.
"So what was your name again?" I ask looking the dude over briefly.
"Renihura, it's a pleasure to meet you Kiya." He bows slightly.
"Well, I'd shake your hand but." I glare down at the ropes around me.
"Right." He gives me a slight smile. "So, off to Bakura's room, want to walk or should I carry you?"
"I can walk!" I probably said that a bit too loudly since I got several funny looks from people nearby. He raises an eyebrow and proceeds to lead me down a hallway. As we walked I started to feel ashamed of having snapped at him like that. "Sorry, I just hate to be carried around." I pause for a second as something occurred to me. "Oddly enough only Bakura has ever carried me around and he only started doing that, dear Ra was that really only two days ago?" If I could I would be running a hand through my hair in frustration. "Damn him! Why can't he just accept my answer and leave me the hell alone?" I murmur.
"So that is why he tied you up and kidnapped you?" Is it just me or does this seem to be amusing him? "Because you refused his offer of partnership?"
"That and I won't be his, something about how our parents wanted us to marry." I roll my eyes. "I have never taken orders from anyone and I don't plan on starting anytime soon."
He let out a low chuckle. "I can see why he'd like you."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" I ask a bit offended.
"Well, you are extremely beautiful," I can see him looking me over out of the corner of his eye, "have a reputation as an excellent fighter plus you have a bit of an attitude and, well, he likes a challenge."
"Whatever, I can't stand the idiot." The majority of the time I add to myself. Silence enveloped us and I took the chance of examining him closer. He had a good build, somewhere in between Ishaq and Bakura, not as tall or as buff as his leader, but still well-muscled. His hair is a medium brown with a red tint to it that is about the same length as mine, reaching just past his shoulders, and his eyes are a similar color to mine, a bright aqua color. If I had to guess, I'd put his age around mine.
We finally stopped outside a door. "Well this is it." He informs me as he opens it leading me into a huge room. It was bigger than mine back at my hideout, there was a door on the other side of the room leading to, what I assume, is the washroom, next to that is a chest of drawers, a desk and chair in the corner and a humongous bed on the side wall, everything was decorated in red, gold and black. There were mounds of jewels and gold everywhere, on the desk was a few scrolls and an assortment of daggers. Already forming a plan but figuring it was worth a shot asking.
"So Renihura, care to untie me?"
"Love to, but you heard Bakura." He looked apologetic.
"Oh come on, I'm not going to attack you or go anywhere or anything." I give him a pleading look with big puppy dog eyes. When he doesn't say anything or move I mumble, "Fine, be mean. Will you be keeping me company until Shadow comes in?"
"Well," he thought it over briefly, "he never specified, I can if you want me to."
"Stay if you wish, it makes little difference to me." I say with a shrug sitting down in the chair, grabbing a dagger in the process.
"And what do you think you are doing with that?" He asks raising an eyebrow and plopping down on the bed, looking at the blade.
"He said you couldn't untie me, he said nothing about me cutting myself free." I was already sawing away at what I could reach of the ropes. "Look, I'll take the blame if he gets mad or I can say you weren't in the room when I did it." I inform him as he makes a grab for the knife. Putting the dagger back when I finished I decided to get to know this cutie a bit. "So how long have you been with the moron?"
"About five years, the group I had been with merged with his."
"Any family?" I throw myself on the bed next to him.
"Um, no, but I have a friend that is like a brother." He moved farther away from me.
"Oh and is he here too?"
"Yes, his name is Teremun; you will probably end up meeting him at some point."
"Cool," wanting to test his loyalty to Bakura I ask, "so if I told you my plan to escape would you tell that thing that calls itself 'Thief King'?"
"Man, he's pissed you off, but yes I would, if he found out I knew and hadn't told him he'd kill me."
"Well, he is a perverted asshole."
"I should go, if he comes in and finds you not tied up and me still here it would be my head." He gets to his feet.
"It was nice meeting you Renihura." I say standing as well.
"The pleasure was all mine, my lady." He says giving my hand a kiss. "I wanted to do that earlier but well, you know." He says with a smile.
"Taking risks aren't you? Bakura says I'm his." Returning his smile, he is good looking.
"You are definitely worth the risk."
"Right, is that the reason you don't want me to escape instead of being afraid of what he'd do you?"
"What can I say, the King has good taste." He says with a cheeky wink before leaving.
"I swear, men are all insane." I lay back down, closing my eyes, thinking through how to get back to that main room. Fifteen minutes later I had come up with several ways out of this hellhole but wasn't sure I would get to spend any time alone with my sister to go over them and I wasn't going to leave her here.