short author intervention to thank for the reviews:
Doc : Thanks for your review, I hope I can keep up with your expectations...
StarfishOnTheBeach: Thanks nice to see you're sticking around ;) I hope you're not too disapppointed, still no reunion :( didn't work out that way. But I promise I'll update soon so the wait won't be too long...
VeromicaD13: Hmm, you're waiting for the Hassansins? Well Let's see if you're right...- evil grin- no wait! that is next chapter ooops...
Tamina had been searching for her horse for quite some time before she found it calmly nibbling at some dried grass in a small wadi. It seemed to be patiently waiting for her to come get it. This time she was able to seize the reins before it could take off again and tie it to a small tree. Two or three times had she found herself in this situation and every time in her hurry to get to the hidden valley she had forgotten to tie her horse to something so that it couldn't get away while she was busying herself with the saddle. This time around at least she wouldn't repeat that error. She could almost see the smirk that would have graced the Persians lips had he been present, surely he would have seized every opportunity to signal her how out of her element she was outside of her palace and without her servants. The thought made her snort in disdain. Those Persians thought they could control everything, she would show them… A sigh escaped her lips as she became aware of the fact that she had lost most of her supplies, but thankfully she had been able to collect the water canteen as she followed the tracks. Before placing the saddle back in its rightful position she decided that first she would have to drench her thirst. How did those Persians manage to cross the deserts? Her throat felt parched by her prolonged march under the unforgiving sun. The water here wasn't as fresh and cool as that provided by the renowned wells of her city, but it would do. She carefully filled her canteen and ate some dates before attacking the task to saddle her mount properly again. An hour later she was able to finally leave the small vale behind her. This little adventure had cost her most of the morning and more important the freshest hours to travel. So she spurred the horse to a light canter to get some road behind her."There!" Dastan followed Bis' outstretched arm, he had to shade his eyes before he could make out what his friend had detected. There were faint traces in the sand to their right. Dastan spurred his horse, eager to investigate the imprints. It took him only seconds to slide to a stop next to the two parallel lines in the hot sand. He didn't want to let his hopes rise before having the certainty that these were made by a single horse, specifically the one they were pursuing. It wasn't easy to clearly make out the tracks in the sand. The sun tended to erase all traces even more so if you were in the middle of the desert and if the mighty rays didn't succeed the hot winds vaporized the last remnants.
Dismounting before his horse had come to a full stop he slid to his knees to get a closer look. These were indeed made by one solitary rider who had been travelling swiftly judging by the distance between the imprints. As he compared the direction of the two parallel lines to the position of the sun, he was relieved to see they were going in the right direction. So the princess had probably left these. Unfortunately she had passed here hours ago because the imprints had already completely crumbled as the sun had evaporated the faint traces of dew clinging to the grains of sand.
Would they be able to reach the hidden temple in due time? Why was she always doing this? They must have taught her other strategies to protect that dagger than to simply sacrifice herself? What kind of cruel god asks that of his followers?
Dastans thoughts wandered as he absentmindedly observed the grains of sand flowing through his clenched fingers. "Without the right sand it's just another knife. And not even a very sharp one." He recalled her exact words as if she had said them only instants before. And yet those words had never been uttered. They only survived in his troubled memories. Why had things to be so complicate? Not two weeks ago he had led a simple life following the orders given him by his father or by his brethren. He hadn't had to worry about everything only about the mission that he had been given and now? Every time he tried to do the right thing events got out of his hands and the situation seemed worse than before. No not really, correct that! After all his family was well this time around. Nizam hadn't succeeded with his plans… He hadn't seen or heard his friend approach.
Bis sat silently on his horse registering the worry etched on the prince's face. What was going on? He never had seen him so distraught before. Normally it was Dastan who was the most light-hearted of the two. He always made fun of Bis when he gave in to his worries and now? Why would the prince be so unsettled by the actions of a foreign princess? Unless…? Slowly a knowing smile crept up on the man's face. So finally Dastan understood what Bis was worrying about when they were away from Nasaf for longer periods and he couldn't forget his latest feminine conquest. But how could this be? Surely the princess was a beauty, but Dastan hadn't even met her. How and when could he possibly have fallen for her?
A slight movement to their left caught Bis's attention. Far away he could distinguish a large cloud of sand. There must be a large group moving there. A caravan of merchants? Soldiers? Friend or foe? Impossible to say at such a distance. "Dastan! Look!" At his outburst Dastan's head flew up all thoughts now firmly back in the present. From his position low on the ground he couldn't make out anything, so he rapidly mounted Aksh again. But even from the saddle it was impossible to distinguish who or what was at the origin of the billowing sand. Memories of the past crept up in Dastans mind. Hassansins? No that couldn't be! This group was far too large for that. Koshkhan? His army was last seen far more to the south as he fled from the Persian army. Whoever it was there was no time to loose they had to get moving again.
"Come on Bis, we need to get out of here. We have a stubborn princess to find." Both of them nudged their horses to a gallop hoping to reach their goal in time. Aksh set off whinnying and vigorously kicking at the sand. His powerful strides made it seem like he barely touched the sand. Bis' horse though a good one was far less at ease on this type of ground and so it always was a bit slower.
Suddenly Aksh tore to a sliding stop the prince leaning down and circling some traces. They had arrived at the place where the princess had spent the night. The wood gathered was blackened, but not really burnt. So she must have had some difficulties in lighting it. Dastan nudged his stallion to follow the tracks. Upon joining him Bis could make out a change in the tracks. The sand looked like it had been ploughed. The traces were more erratic like the horse had been kicking or bucking at something, but above all there was a new set following them. Someone had continued on foot and that someone had been stomping furiously through the dunes. "Clever princess." Shaking his head Dastan connected the dots. Somehow the princess had managed to make her horse take off without her. With her constant babbling she could make even horses flee. A laugh erupted from his chest as he figured the scene in his mind.
Rapidly he turned serious as he noticed Bis' wondering stare. Some day he would have to tell his friend the whole story, but now was not the moment. So now he simply nodded in an inviting gesture and a light pressure of his legs made Aksh take off again. Both were accomplished riders and so the distance between them and their prey decreased significantly. Dastan noticed this fact with some relief. They probably would reach their destination soon.
She had been riding all afternoon only stopping to let her horse drink some water from her dwindling supplies and as the day began to fall, she was walking beside her horse to give it some rest. She couldn't risk pushing it further or she would have to leave it behind. As she stomped on, up another sand dune she had to chuckle. Had one ever seen a guardian get to the sanctuary in her present dishevelled state? She doubted it. Even though in the documents relating its long story there had been several occasions when a guardian had had to bring the dagger to this ultimate refuge.
Slowly the landscape around her changed the sand dunes changed into fields of scattered rocks, which didn't facilitate her progression. She was now almost as exhausted as her mount both of them tripping on small stones at almost regular intervals. The hard rocks scorched her hands. Finally as she clambered up one more hill the goal of her journey displayed itself before her eyes. A smile graced her lips. She had made it!
Even if nothing had gone as planned she could now distinguish the outskirts of the mountains surrounding the temple from where she stood. Hopefully she would reach her destination tomorrow and fulfil her destiny. The dagger would be handed back to the gods and the world be safe. No one would stop her now! She was given the chance to prove her worthiness as a guardian, but somehow the perspective didn't make her feel elated as she thought she would. Instead a deep dread filled her to the core and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling off. With a sigh she stepped forward to begin the final part of her journey.