Don't make me laugh,

Don't pull my leg

May I suggest you would do best to beg,

If you say no, miss,

If you refuse,

This is your notice that I refuse to lose

Say yes, my love,

And go with a winner!

Believe me, that would be wiser

Chapter 20: Separated

All too soon one morning they've arrived to port, but their journey was far from over.

"Port Sa'id is much too dangerous," explained Ben, "There's still a roman outpost and they'll be looking for me and Tacticus."

"And by now it would include me and Rhoswen." Marius said grimly.

Ben nodded. "That's why you, Zak, Justin, Marcus, Helena, Tacticus, Rhoswen and myself will cross to Shem hadar through the desert from here." He said pointing to a map. "The others will take the shorter road from the board."

Anna's face fell. "But…that means splitting up."

Colin looked crestfallen. "You mean we can't go with you?"

"Colin…" Prospera said sadly.

Tacticus put his hands on her shoulders gently. "It's for the best Anna. You Miriam and everyone else will be in Shem hadar long before us. And we'll expect a big hug, just like this." He hugs the little girl, making her giggle.

"Splitting up?" Moran gaped, "But surely you can't mean-?"

Rhoswen turned to her father. "Athair listen to us, I just want to make sure you're safe also."

Moran sighed with great reluctance then glances at Marius reprovingly. "You'd better take good care of her!"

The Beast nodded firmly, "This I swear on my own life. Not just Rhoswen but everyone else."

While they were discussing the arrangements, Ben whispered to Miriam: "When you get to Sa'id ask for a scribe named Yakov…He may have word of Justin and Marcus' parents."

"Do you think they could still be alive?" questioned Saleem.

Ben glanced over the boys, who were talking animatedly to Colin. "For their sake, I must hope so."

"Prospera, Luther, Gilford, I want you go with the others and look after them as well - I don't need to tell you that the road you face ahead will be perilous."

Luther agreed, "Yes sir."

"We'll meet you all in Shem hadar, Master Marius." Gilford confirmed, "Just be careful!"

Soon the passengers split up - the first group taking the different route were dropped off to shore, waving to the others.

"Ben, how are going to travel 200 miles of desert wasteland without a wagon?" asked Zak.

Just then they heard cheerful laughing to their right.

"I'm telling you Reg, that's funniest thing I've ever heard."

And there, pulling up in a wagon with an old horse dragging it was an elderly man in yellow with a green traveling cloak.

Marius, who was just behind Helena and Tacticus, self-consciously pulls up his own dark blue cloak to conceal his features. He didn't need to scare off any of the locals. Next to him, Rhoswen placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"Ben, right on time. So nice to see you all again." The old man greeted cheerily, "Well most of you."

"Milo? Oh no!" Zak groaned in exasperation.

Tacticus looked at him curiously. "What's wrong Zak?"

"Yes," Rhoswen asked, "He's at least being hospitable enough to give us a ride."

Zak rolled his eyes. "You'll see, you'll see."

So the group is crossing the hot desert in the wagon, listening to Milo tell stories of other travelers he'd given rides to in the past. This left several of them wondering why neither horse nor driver reacted at the brief glimpse of Marius. But then again they were all more concerned with reaching Shem Hadar and reuniting with the rest as soon as possible.

Both maiden and monster listen to the old man's tales in an effort keep their mind off the heat, and out of genuine interest.

When they're going through a small rocky gorge, Zak leaned forward to ask Milo. "How much further to Shem hadar?"

"Two days, eh Regis?" Milo said to his horse, which whinnied in reply. He added, "Two and a half. He thinks we'll be delayed by raiders."

Marius glances around curiously."In this climate?"

The horse suddenly neighed and stopped dead in it's tracks. Milo looked out to his right hand side to see several men on camels charging towards them!

"You were saying? Hang on everyone!" The elderly man cried, snapping the reins to make his horse run.

A chase began through the gorge, then up ahead was another rider with a sword and his head wrapped in red cloth - so that only his eyes can be seen, blocking their way. "You Christian, halt!"

But Milo had Regis make a daring turn to another path. Only to run into a dead end, causing the passenger inside the wagon to lose their balance.

"Were boxed in!" Zak exclaimed with dismay, as he got up.

Fearfully, they watch the raiders calmly trot up on the camels. Marius gets ready to fight until the other raiders pulled out the others and raised the blades threateningly over them while their leader held Rhoswen in place.

A heavy hand feel on Rhoswen's shoulder, making her cry out in alarm. Upon feeling the cold touch of steel against her throat, she froze.

"Don't try to struggle," a dreadfully familiar voice whispered darkly in her ear as the hand that held her shoulder now slid possessively around her waist. Once recognizing the voice, Rhoswen's blood ran cold with fear and disgust.

Then the lead rider reached up to his face and pulled away the cloth - revealing the face of Nihilus, much to their horror.

"Ah, so we meet again."

The villains detain the caravan, burn down Milo's wagon then separated Tacticus, Ben and Rhoswen from the others. Marius is tied up and can only watch in helpless frustration as the captive three are tied to the camel's saddle.

A frightened Rhoswen thought she was meant to simply be tied with Ben and Tacticus but she's stopped and forcibly pulled up on a camel due to her injured ankle - unfortunately it had to be the one Nihilus was riding.

"Where are you taking us?" demanded Ben.

"To bounty hunters, where else?" Nihilus answered, "You and your convert will fetch a huge price, all those still wanted by the emperor." He notices Tacticus' ring then removes it.

The ex-soldier protested in vain. "No!"

"Yes," Nihilus then tossed it to one of the riders. "An advance on your fee."

"Look, you have what you want in us," Ben said softly, trying to keep his voice steady, "Now let the others go free."

"They are free, free to die of thirst." Nihilus replied, "Except for perhaps that Beast friend of yours."

Below, a frustrated Marius is pulled roughly to his feet and away from the other below.

"Let Marius go!" Rhoswen wailed, "You have us, why pull him into this?!"

"I want him dead for my own personal reasons." Nihilus retorts. "Him, I like much better as either a legend or a throw rug!"

Then the vile ex-roman soldier cuts rope that had been holding a dry tree branch with a boulder on it - once released the boulder hit the side of the rocks and caused the debris to cover one exit out of the gorge. Next he pulled on the ropes that held down the captive's wrists.

In her unwilling spot, the Briton beauty cringed and tried to pull away from Nihilus, but his hand held her firmly in place against his chest.

"I won't badgered by your foul words any longer." she scowled.

He leaned in to whisper licentiously in her ear, "If having you so close means I have to threaten your friends and that thing, then it's well worth it."

Below Marius glances upwards determinedly. Thinking: It's not goodbye. Rhoswen, I'll find you, I swear by everything good in this world.

To be continued…