Under Desert Skies
A/N: Alrighty, the opening scene is a dream sequence. And for those of you who hate them, you're going to hate me even more because you have to read it in order to understand later events!! Bwhahahahaha...soiee Peridot Pooka. ^^ That said and done, hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 5
The gritty taste of sand greeted Yasmine as she slowly moved her jawbone. Blinking a few times, she managed to push herself up from the ground and look around. The breeze moved slowly through the long leaves of the palm trees. She walked forward hesitantly, as the smell of water reached her nose. Just up ahead through the thick leaves of surrounding shrubbery was the faint silver gleam of liquid. Walking through the plants she made her way to the water and sat down beside it, cupping her shaky hands to relive her parched throat.
"I would not drink that if I were you."
Yasmine started with a clumsy motion, her bow out and drawn with an arrow. She found herself looking down at a short blonde haired child who was smiling at her. "W-Who are you?" she asked as she lowered her weapon.
"Your cousin. Just as you remember me from all those years ago and not as I really am now."
Yasmine let the bow drop from her hands as she sank to the ground; the exhaustion was getting to her. "I need water as does my horse. What is wrong with it?"
"Look closer. Appearances can be deceiving Yasmine...remember that well. Ones who can seem like friends in a time of need can become vipers."
Yasmine leaned over to get a closer look; there along the surface lay the bodies of the small creatures that inhabited the pool, bellies upturned to the scorching sun. She bent her head in frustration before she looked back. "Thank you for..." her words trailed off as she found herself looking at the empty space before her.
Managing to her feet she started wandering around. "Rabi! Rabi! Where are you? Rabi!"
She combed over the oasis with slow plodding steps before she collapsed beneath the shade of a palm tree. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to accept the bitter truth. "My horse is gone, I cannot drink the water and I have no food...I am dead."
She closed her eyes wearily, resolving to never open them again. A soft touch caressed her face as she sighed with resignation.
"You have not died yet; my daughter, how can you give up so easily?"
Yasmine forced her eyes open to see another smiling face. "Mo-Mother? No...I must be dead now. You died so long ago in the desert when...when..." she fell silent unable to choke out the words.
"And you are far from death's door Yasmine. Where is the resolve that I had to put up with when you were a child? The feistiness and determination has all melted away?"
"Dulled by years of palace life." she replied listlessly. "Father never let me do many of the things I loved to do once you died. I couldn't go to the desert, I had to hunt with others, a part of me died along with you Mother."
Ailysha smiled as she took Yasmine into her arms and picked her up. "No. That part of you hasn't died Yasmine; you simply cloaked it away and forgot about it. You will need it more than ever now. Do you still trust me my child?"
"Yes Mother. You would never harm me; you died to save me." Yasmine rested her head against Ailysha's neck; she felt safe and protected as she once did when she was a child.
"You shall claim what is yours my child and take your place." Ailysha whispered softly. "Trust me now. All will be right in the end."
Yasmine had barely opened her eyes to ask about what when she found herself flung into the air. When she hit the water, she came alive, shaking off her lethargy and floundering to the surface with loud splutters. "What was that for Mother?" she started forward, her feet stirring the sandy bottom. "I demand an explanation!"
Ailysha didn't reply, simply watching silently. Yasmine froze as every hair on her neck rose suddenly, making her look around warily. She started as she felt hands wrap around her ankles tightly; she reached down and tried to pry them loose. Then she felt as they started to pull her down with a slow inevitability. Yasmine looked back up at Ailysha with panic in her eyes before she started to fight back frantically. Slowly, the water crept its way up, from her knees and up her legs to her hips, the dead animals sloshing with her movements.
"Mother, please, you have to help me!" she begged as the water stole up to her stomach. "Mother, please!"
Ailysha simply looked on like a silent sentinel, not making a single motion.
Yasmine fought back the tears as rage bubbled up from inside her. "Mother, you can't leave me to die like this. Please help me!" she said as she continued moving against the force that was pulling her down.
Ailysha regarded her for a few more moments before she turned around, and walked off.
"Mother!!" Yasmine screamed out in helpless frustration, as the water lapped against her elbows. She balled up her fists and smacked the water. A loud crack echoed around the clearing followed by bolts of red lightning that crackled and whipped around wildly. Yasmine stopped suddenly, not believing what she had just seen...or did. 'And the hands have stopped pulling me under.' She breathed a deep sigh of relief as she started forward. Then she was yanked under viciously, her scream disappearing into a loud gurgle as the empty clearing left no mark that she had been there or even existed.
The sensation of water being poured over her face made Yasmine open her eyes with a start; why wasn't she dead?
"How is she Trowa?"
"She needs water. It's a good thing we were able to get her to this oasis or she would be dead by nightfall."
Yasmine closed her eyes as a spout was placed on her lips. "No...no water...death..." she mumbled pushing the object away weakly.
"You have to drink." the new voice was insistent and different from the second voice; wasn't it the first voice?
Yasmine didn't protest as the liquid flowed into her mouth and down her throat. She fought down the immediate urge to bring it all back up. "Thank you." she managed as she breathed heavily.
"Help me get her to the shade Heero. Did you take care of her horse?"
Yasmine's eyes flew open as she tried to rise quickly. "Rabi! W-Where is she?" she asked. She only managed to fall to the ground and take someone with her.
"Your horse is fine. I suggest you let us take you to the shade so you can-"
Yasmine ignored his words as she forced herself up to take a look around. The cool water greeted her vision edged by the light brown of the sand. And there by the small shore, were three horses, her own drinking placidly a bit away from the other two. She took a step forward followed by another one before she tripped and fell to the ground again.
"She's really weak Heero. She needs a day of rest to recuperate her strength."
"Tell that to her Trowa."
Yasmine looked up as the guy with strange hair crouched beside her. "What...do you want with me? I have nothing of value."
Trowa shook his head. "Nothing. Will you sit in the shade?"
Yasmine turned her gaze from him to Heero and then back again. "The river...you're the same ones I saw that day..."
Heero bent down and picked her up. "Yes. Now sit in the shade."
Yasmine gave a disgusted sigh as she was placed under a tree. "My legs are not broken."
"No. They just can't support you. Sit here and rest while we take care of things."
Yasmine fumed silently as he walked off and started talking to Trowa as they went to the horses. A small chuckle escaped from her as Heero tried to approach Rabi and she shied away from him with a wild snort and roll of her eyes. Trowa was about to do the same thing when she gave the call again after steeling herself. Rabi trotted over quickly, nickering softly as Yasmine reached up and stroked the muzzle.
"Now I want you to be nice for them," she said as she managed to pull herself up and lean against the tree. "But if they do anything strange, do not hesitate to give them hell." she couldn't help but smile as Rabi insistently pushed her muzzle against her. "I will be fine. You go and eat."
Rabi gave a snort as she walked away slowly to the small patch of grass. Yasmine closed her eyes as she took a deep breath before she started to take stock of her arsenal. Surprisingly, she still had her bow and quiver, in addition to her small pack with some of the things she would have missed.
"May I ask you something?"
She found herself looking up to be greeted by Trowa's strangely neutral expression. "What do you wish to know?"
"Are you the Princess?"
"And if I am?" she asked with a shrug.
A small smirk crossed his face briefly. "I could say that we would take you back to Laharish and collect the bounty that is now on your head."
"Bounty?! Curse that snakelike whore." she spat as her hands clenched involuntarily.
Trowa blinked in the face of her obvious surprise and rage before he schooled his face again. "Be glad that we have no such intentions. Where are you headed?"
"Headed?" she paused. 'Ali, Jafar and Ahmed were supposed to meet me at an oasis...is it this one? Or another? Allah, I am lost in the desert. This is the very last thing that I need to have happen to me now.'
"Princess?" Trowa repeated once again.
"I am headed to find my mother's people. Her name was Ailysha."
"Ailysha? Was?" Heero finally approached slowly. "There was an Ailysha in our tribe. It might be the same one. Did she have brothers?"
Yasmine nodded as she bent down and picked up the long stick that she spied by her feet. Using it as a support she made her way to the water and started down into its reflective surface, the words echoing around in her head again. She looked back at Trowa and Heero for a moment before she looked back at the water. 'For the moment, I shall have to place my trust in them. If they wish to deceive me, they are doing a fine job of it.'
"Are you willing to travel with us to our homeland and see?" Heero's voice was quiet.
Yasmine turned back to face them. "I do not wish to be a burden to you in my present state. I would only slow you down and so forth." she paused; was it her or did she feel a slight vibration in the sand? "I could not do that to you after all the kindness that you have shown me."
Heero shot her a slightly quizzical look. "You'd rather us leave you here?"
Yasmine didn't reply as she started forward slowly. "I'd rather die than end back up in the city in the palace. Let that be known to you and your friend as well as this; I have no time to waste. I must find a way..." she trailed off as she looked around the tops of the dunes that sheltered the oasis; she could feel the vibrations in the sand. "Someone is coming." she said looking back at them.
Heero and Trowa gave each other sidelong glances before Trowa walked off to the horses and started to lead them to a secluded area. Heero looked at Yasmine not saying anything.
"What do you want now? Is the brooch of my cloak that interesting?"
"Can you make it to the trees there?"
"What kind of woman do you take me for? A weak and helpless one? I can walk." she said as she started to make her way back.
Heero fell in step beside her as they walked into the trees and concealed themselves among the thick cover of leaves. Trowa soon joined them as they sat there in complete silence and waited.
"I hope that you don't have us waiting here in vain Princess." Trowa said in a barely heard voice.
She turned to snap at him but paused as she sensed an air of sarcasm around him. "Hn." she turned her attention back to the pool of water.
The air became thick with tension as the dry heat and shadows pressed around the trio. Just as Yasmine was about to rise and berate herself for an over active imagination, a horse appeared at the top of a dune and descended down, others pouring after the lead. Yasmine stifled her gasp; she had been right. But the question was who these people were? She glanced over at Heero to find him watching the people intently. Turning her attention back to the new visitors, she watched as they dismounted and watered their horses, their conversation floating over to their ears.
"How long have we been looking for her now? It's been three days since they showed up and demanded that we find her."
A snort responded. "If those two outlanders hadn't raided us and taken the one thing that our leader needs, we would be able to find them a lot quicker. Half our men are looking for them and the other half searching for her. That damn bounty would be handy right now."
Yasmine bit her lip hard; it would appear that she had other people hunting her down now.
"You're just saying that so you can buy the rich city food. That stuff will kill you one day. I can't warn you every single time."
"Ha, then I can die happy. Some good food and a woman by my side!"
Yasmine took a shaky breath; she wanted these people gone now so she go far away; preferably over mountains.
"I hope you two are done with your talk. We ride now!"
Yasmine peered forward as the voice echoed out around the oasis; it had a familiar ring to it. She started to move a leaf slightly before she glanced over at Heero. He was glaring at her with a none too pleased expression. Ignoring it, she moved the leaf and looked out. The men were remounting now as the horses pranced around, refreshed from their drink. 'He must be the leader. Most likely the tribe leader from the looks of it.' Yasmine narrowed her eyes as she spotted the wrapped head from amongst the others. She barely caught a glimpse of eyes as they took off up the slope, followed by the others and cries to spur the horses. Once silence descended around the oasis, she crept out slowly before standing up straight on her stick.
"I would say you are a good person to have around Princess."
She turned hearing Trowa's voice. "You did not know that they were coming?"
"We knew. We were wondering if you did." Heero replied. "And you haven't answered my question yet."
Yasmine looked up at the dune where the horsemen had vanished, the small trickles of sand rolling down the hill erasing away the tracks. "I will come with you. I know what lies for me here and I will have none of it." She looked down and spied a glint of gold just a few steps ahead. Reaching down for it, she pulled it free; it was the same golden dagger that she had given Ali when they had escaped from Ioudas' camp. She tightened her grip on it reflexively. 'So this was the place. I will find you three wherever you may be.'
"Do...you feel well enough to ride Princess?" Trowa asked.
"I shall ride." she said as she leaned off of her stick and held it loosely in her hand. "We can ride whenever you wish to leave."
Heero regarded her for a moment. "Just like that?"
"Just like that." Yasmine said. 'There is no point in me staying in this forsaken land that does not want me anymore.'
The deep indigo of the sky made Yasmine finally look up. They had ridden all day, the mountains in the distance drawing steadily closer and closer. She patted Rabi's neck as she snorted, a rock skittering to the side harmlessly.
"I know that the ground is rocky but do your best." she said with a smile. She looked back up to see Trowa looking at her with a slightly curious gaze. "Yes, I do talk to my horse. Do you have a problem with that?"
Trowa shook his head as he turned his attention back to the landscape before them. "We should stop soon. We have to eat."
Heero nodded his head. "There's a bit of grass up ahead. We can all eat."
Yasmine didn't say anything as they kept going for a bit more. She wasn't too sure why she was snapping at them. They had been extremely polite with her considering the situation and she had been nothing but rude to them. Unconsciously, she started to chew her lip. 'Where would I go if this does not give me a place to stay? Will they take me in once they find out what I truly am accused of?' She gave a heavy sigh as the steady clip-clop of hooves came to a halt. She watched as Trowa and Heero dismounted and started to picket the horses.
"Here, let me." she said, taking the reins from them.
Not giving them a chance to protest, she led the horses away, talking to them in a soothing voice; she always did feel better around horses for some reason. Seeing the horses safely feeding, she turned back to see a small fire going cheerily, Heero and Trowa seated around it. Walking up she sat a bit away, pulling her stained cloak closer around her.
"Aren't you hungry?" Trowa asked as he offered her a bit of bread.
She shook her head. "No. Thank you though." she murmured as she started broodingly into the fire; her appetite was fairly small right now, despite having a little water and some dried fruit in the midday.
A tense silence descended around the hasty campsite, as the obvious effort to not look at one another produced strained coughs. The quiet rustlings of t he horses made her look back every once in awhile as if they would suddenly vanish on them. 'I am being so busy being worried; I should more worry about trying to ease up on myself.'
"Are you on the run also?"
She looked up, startled by Heero's question. Watching as he prodded the fire, she managed to reply, "Y-Yes I am. Just as you two are."
"We never told you that." Trowa said softly.
"Judging how you were willing to go on my initial words that someone was coming, you were not going to leave anything to chance and took cover." she gave a small smile as looks of mild impression spread across their faces. "I may have grown up in that palace but I much preferred to be out here."
"Why did you leave?" Heero asked.
"I have my reasons as do you. All I can tell you is that I had no choice to leave and I would not let people's actions be in vain."
Trowa nodded his head before he leaned forward. "It has nothing to do with your mother? She didn't do anything to you?"
Yasmine took a hard swallow. "My mother is deceased. She never harmed me a day in my life, if that is what you are insinuating. I left because of the whore."
Heero's eyebrows went up slightly. "And who may the 'whore' be?"
Yasmine watched them for a few minutes. "I may as well warn you. If you ever go back to Laharish, it is her grasp that you must stay out of. But I cannot bring myself to utter the name of that Egyptian whore. Not that I have anything against Egyptians, understand that." she steadied herself with a deep breath. "This...Allah, I can't even call her a woman; this whore usurped my place in the palace and then pushed me out of the way. Attempted to I should rather say, for I still live."
"She tried to kill you?" Trowa asked, with a curious look on his face.
"Yes, and as I told her, I would not make it easy for her."
A small smirk crossed Heero's face. "And you travelled alone?"
Yasmine stayed silent for a few minutes. "I think I should ask some questions of you two now. I have answered plenty about myself. What about you two travellers; why did you conceal yourselves from the men at the oasis?"
"They stole something of ours and we stole it back." Heero replied frankly. "It is rightfully ours and they have no claim to it."
"This is his test in a manner of speaking." Trowa added. "Princess, perhaps you should get a bit of rest now. We have to cross the mountains to reach the other side."
She watched them for a few minutes. "All my life, I have been called Princess. I need a change. Call me Yasmine if you please. I am far from the 'docile' princess now."
Trowa gave a smile. "Yasmine, I think it wise for you to rest now."
Heero nodded. "There are things that must be discussed between Trowa and me."
Yasmine nodded as she rose. "I feel a bit exhausted also. And I do apologize for my behaviour today. It was uncalled for and now, I bid you a good night."
Murmurs of good night followed her as she removed herself a bit from the warmth of the fire and rolled herself up in the travel-stained cloak. 'When I can, I will get a new cloak for myself. I should get some supplies for arrows as well. My quiver does not fill itself.' She sighed and closed her eyes. 'I will never get to apologize to Ali now. May Allah have mercy on his soul wherever he is now, as well as Ahmed and Jafar' She stared out at the horses as they ate placidly, the sound of moving hooves echoing out softly. It wasn't long before she regulated her breathing and let her mind wander. It wandered staright back to the strange dream she had; the feeling that she had died once those hands had pulled her in, was niggling and inescapable. And why had her mother thrown her in like that and simply watched her? And the words of her little cousin; should she take them for what they were, or rather look beneath them and try to see what he meant on a larger scale?
"Is she asleep yet?"
"I think so. Look at the way she breathes. Trowa, I'm not too sure if we can make it to the mountains with her in tow. She does ride fast but she still slows us down. She's still too weak to continue at this pace."
"She's coming with us Heero. You know that it has been a long time since we have had a shaman with us and since the last one died mysteriously after his trip to Egypt, things have not been good for the tribe. He didn't finish training me and all I know is from experience. When it comes to this, experience is not the best teacher."
"Hn. Do you think that the snake Isis had anything to do with it?"
"Most undoubtedly; she is a very dangerous woman. I get the impression that is who Yasmine was talking of. Even I do not like saying her name."
"You were lucky to escape her also." there came a pause. "Do we really need Yasmine?"
"You saw what she did while she was in the dreamworld for yourself. None I have seen could do that. Red is the colour of potency and life. I have seen others with red, but not a red like that. It was as red as blood."
"At least it's not white."
A brief silence came before Trowa spoke again. "She is coming with us Heero. Can you afford to throw away a chance like this? You already lost favour with the Elders; don't lose anymore."
"They won't take the chance. We could crush them once and for all and rid ourselves of them. But we must play nice and go on raids that take more of men than an actual battle." a pause came. "They play the fool's game instead of actually doing something. Our tribe grows weaker and weaker."
"And I am sure we will be better once you pass your last test to become leader Heero." another pause as the fire was stirred and crackled noisily. "You will not regret bringing Yasmine along."
"Hn. You can face the Elders when we get back. I am on my last nerve with them. Did you want to split up and meet back up?"
"Not any more. I have to make sure that nothing happens to Yasmine. But I don't think that she will want to be my apprentice. She'll look at me and see inexperience."
Yasmine blocked out the rest of the conversation as she perked her ears up slightly; didn't she just hear a rock go skittering? Brushing it aside, she closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep; she was tired from her day as well as racking her mind constantly to decipher the dream. Yet sleep still eluded her as she sensed something horribly off. Finally exasperated, she rose, startling Trowa and Heero from the rest of their conversation. She knew this feeling of being watched and it irritated her to no end.
"Yasmine, I thought you were asleep." Trowa said as he rose also.
"I was." she fibbed as she drew her bow and notched an arrow to it. "Something is wrong here."
"Wrong?" Heero rose. "What's wrong?"
Trowa drew his sword suddenly in a ring of steel. "I feel it too. Ready yourself Heero."
Yasmine scanned the area around the fire. 'Why aren't the horses spooked?' She cast her gaze to where the horses should have been picketed. "The horses!!" she exclaimed as the sight of broken lines met her eyes. "They're gone!"
The three of them edged out silently as they tried to see what had happened. Heero made his way to the lines and inspected them.
"They've been cut. The horses could be anywhere now."
Yasmine scanned the area once again. The same thing greeted her eyes. The rocky stretch with nowhere to hide. Yet she still felt that there was something there and now she felt as if it was making its way towards Heero slowly. She quelled the sense of panic inside as she bided her time; how could one fight an enemy that was invisible? She couldn't be losing it for Trowa was just as defensive as her. When the panic inside threatened to overwhelm her she let the arrow fly with a twang. It buried itself deep inside someone's throat as the body became visible and crashed down to the ground, making Heero jump back, drawing his own sword as well.
The night filled with shrieks and whirling steel as the attackers revealed themselves and launched into a full fledged assault. Yasmine reached back into her quiver so many times she lost count. She had finally resorted to using her last arrow as a knife as she slashed and stabbed with it. Trowa and Heero had been lost in the press of the bodies but every now and then, she would catch glimpses of steel. Finally feeling her strength start to go, she called for Rabi. Soon enough the horse came thundering in. Uttering another birdlike call, Rabi's hooves descended upon flesh and the horse tore through the attackers. After what seemed like an eternity, the remaining attackers fled off into the night, leaving Yasmine, Heero and Trowa to sheathe their weapons slowly.
"What was that?" Yasmine asked as she leaned heavily against Rabi.
"Na' azai." Trowa said in a quiet voice as he bent down beside the now visible bodies. "We leave now. This is Isis' doing."
Yasmine spat on the ground and turned away. "There is something to be said about certain words. They should not be uttered and that whore's name is one of them."
"So you know this woman as well?" Heero turned her around with a hand on her shoulder.
"Unfortunately." Yasmine replied looking Heero in the eye.
Heero watched her for a few minutes until he started looking around. "Where are the horses?"
"Here." came Trowa's disjointed voice. "They concealed them very well."
"Are you fit to ride?" Heero asked turning back to Yasmine.
"Once I get in the saddle, I can make it. Are we to ride straight to the mountains?"
"Yes." Heero watched her for a few minutes before he mounted his horse quickly.
Yasmine didn't reply, looking around at the bodies around them before she gazed at the horizon warily; normally, she would go and collect the arrows she had used but she mounted Rabi as well. She didn't want to have to fight anymore battles for the day. They started off slowly, not wanting the horses to misstep and end up with a rock in their hooves. Just as the sun was cresting over the mountaintops, they picked up pace, the flat stretch allowing for full gallop. Yasmine closed her eyes at the feeling of the wind rushing through her hair. Every once in awhile, she would look over to see Trowa and Heero, their own hair whipping around in the breeze as much as hers was. Soon enough the only thing that bore testament to their presence was the rising trail of stirred dust.
Furor: And yet another chapter cranked out somehow. What with my brother being the asshole that he is.
Crysta;: Yeah. What did he do to the computer again?
Furor: Took it upon himself to uninstall Microsoft Word (TM). What I want to do.... oh... he'll regret messing with me....*twists at her shirt*
Peridot: Oh shit...she's twisting the shirt...this is not good.
Princess: Just how pissed is she? In the level of ultimate revenge in which pain is caused to the said other party?
Jasmine: You mean she's going to kill her brother? Hey, get rid of mine while you're at it?!
Furor: No. I am going to solve the problem so he can't touch something that belongs to me.
Crystal: O.o Eh heh...and what are you going to do to the scumsucker?
Furor: *turns to Heero* I need a good recommendation for....a laptop.
Jasmine: That's your big plan? That's it? Get a laptop? You'll be working for awhile if you want to get that!
Furor: Well at this point, it's worth it. I have had it with the...onna. I am going to end this once and for all.
Crystal: Hey Furor...should your hair be all out like that? Like in a fro and....
Furor: *glares at Crystal*
Crystal: Eh...never mind.