Under Desert Skies
A/N: All right, I know I have absolutely no excuse for this extremely looooooooooong delay in updating. Don't kill me Jas, I never forgot about the fic - in fact, I have the entire plot written out with quite a few chapters written - I just never got around to typing it all up. v_v Plus I have a stupid oral ISU presentation on Thursday. And don't you laugh.
Chapter 6
Sunlight twinkled down from the jagged lip of the cliff walls, in between the sparse branches of stunted tress. Yasmine glanced up, squinting slightly; a smile came to her face hearing the gentle echoing clip-clop of their horses' hooves. Her eyes shifted downwards to the edge of the trail they were travelling down. The black gulp that stretched across to the flat wall seemed bottomless and infinite. She smacked her lips slightly, earning a glance from Heero and Trowa.
"I'm fine. This place is amazing though," she murmured. "Rugged beauty."
"Keep your eyes to the path, Princess." Heero said curtly as he looked back ahead.
"He simply doesn't wish for you to grow faint and fall." Trowa said after a rather awkward silence.
"Grow faint? I have been riding up here all day. Have I shown any signs of falling from my horse?" she grasped the reins more firmly. "The way he is going, he may fall off if anything. Isn't focusing that much bad for you?"
She looked at Trowa puzzled as he gave a funny little cough. Looking up, she saw Heero glance back, his lip tugged upwards slightly, before he looked ahead once more. A frown crossed her face as she rubbed the reins between her slightly chapped fingers. It seemed rather odd to her, that he had smiled of all things; he had definitely struck her as the type of person who got things done immediately and didn't favour any sort of drawback or delay.
"Princess? Princess?"
"Oh! I apologize." she said as Trowa's voice finally broke through. "What were you asking me?"
"If you have ever been to Peda."
"Peda? Can you eat that?" the words left her mouth before she could stop them; it was pretty obvious, even to her, that she was hungry and that Peda was not a food.
"No, you can't. It's a town." he said with a thoughtful look before he made a motion for his saddle sack. "I have some dried fruit still..."
"Just a small piece to hold me over." she said, staring ahead from embarrassment. "I should have had some water."
"That, I cannot help." Trowa handed her the dry strip. "Peda is an isolated town in these mountains. Very few know of its existence; those that do use it as a place to hide from bounty hunters."
"So we are pausing here for a brief rest and to refill on supplies." she fell silent for a moment. "There aren't bounty hunters there?"
"Sometimes; you will have to be on your guard. The bounty may have increased while we were in the desert." Trowa said. "Were you hoping to stay with family somewhere?"
"I was...but I don't know where they are." she replied after swallowing. "My mother, Ailysha, left her brothers to guard me when I was young. But she died."
"Their names?" Trowa asked with a pensive look.
"Jafar and Ahmed." she said looking at the last bit in her hand mournfully. "I do not know what happened to them or where they are now."
"A family with those three are still there; the daughter, Ailysha, died. Perhaps they are your family. We can see when you arrive."
"You assume I am going with you." Yasmine shot him a look of amusement. "But since, you saved me in the oasis, we are in this for better or for worse." she tossed the last piece into her mouth, chewing with a small grin.
"I believe we may have underestimated you. This is the place, Heero." Trowa said as he stopped.
Yasmine let Rabi stop as she looked around; this was where they had come to? A large area missing from the rock wall; surely there had to be more here. She watched as Heero dismounted, giving Trowa his reins and started walking along, boots crunching against the loose rock. She had just opened her mouth to ask a question but stopped at Trowa's motion.
Little apprehensive noises came from her throat as Heero made his way over to a steep incline and started up. 'This isn't such a good idea.' She played with the reins anxiously, feeling the worry inside her grow. When she eased herself down, earning a glace from Trowa, she squinted up after Heero, trying to see him; the sun's glare was blinding him from view. When silence descended over the area, she looked at Trowa, managing a small smile, before she focused her attention ack to where she had lost sight of Heero. After a few minutes, she started to shift from foot to foot, as if impatient.
"Is something wrong Princess?" Trowa asked, coming to stand beside her.
"No, nothing." she paused before she spoke once more. "Is all well up there?"
"Yes. I'm just looking for something." came Heero's terse reply.
Yasmine nodded her head as she looked at the reins in her hand. "What could he be looking for?"
"Don't worry. He left it here when we passed through here before. He doesn't want to miss it." Trowa said. "The hill is so steep, no one ever bothers to climb it. It's virtually a cliff."
"Ah." Yasmine looked up at the steep cliff face; there was supposed to be something up there? "Heero?" she called; he had been gone for a few minutes. "Where are you? Is all well?"
"I'm still up here." he sounded annoyed. "I'm...stuck."
Yasmine looked at Trowa, who had a rather startled look on his face. She gave him Rabi's reins before she walked over to the incline and started up. 'Just how in Allah's name did he get himself stuck?' She managed to scramble her way up rather quickly and surveyed the area. Then she saw him; wedged in between two rocks, legs braced against it; he had obviously tried to free himself.
"Heero...how did you come to be in this predicament?" she asked as she walked up the rock and took a closer look.
"I got stuck. What more do you need to know."
"Hm..." Yasmine mused to herself. "It seems that you misjudged the space between the rocks. Hang on." she pushed one, trying to see if she could move it. "All right, I shall have to pull you free. Use your legs as leverage and you shall be out of there in no time."
Yasmine shook her head as she looked for an appropriate place to grasp. After a rather futile search, she simply reached forward and grabbed his hips, her face flaming.
"Is there a reason why you're not doing anything?" Heero asked, his voice rather irritated.
"No. Just...move and I'll start." she said before she started to pull.
She strained, finding that Heero had managed to wedge himself in rather tightly. She closed her eyes, leaning back a bit more to put more force into the motion. She smiled in relief as she felt Heero start to come loose. Then everything snapped back as he came loose and she sprawled to the ground.
"I hope," she began as she dusted herself off. "That is the last time you...do..."
"What now?" Heero asked, beating the fine particles from his clothing.
"Nothing." she bit on her lip, trying to hide her grin. "Let's continue to Peda, shall we?"
She climbed back down in a hurry, earning a strange look from Trowa as he handed the reins back to her.
"What is so funny?" he asked, mounting his own horse.
"Heero." she stated, making a motion above her head.
Trowa looked at her with an arched eyebrow until Heero came back down, a small bag tied to his belt. Trowa's lips tugged up into the beginnings of a smile before he schooled his face back into its more serious expression. Heero took his reins back without a word and continued on. Yasmine looked at Trowa before she mouthed 'his hair'. Trowa nodded his head, but didn't say anything; he looked ready to laugh out loud. Heero's hair was sticking out in all directions and covered in a fine powdering of brown rock dust. She cleared her throat and started ahead as Heero led the way to Peda. Perhaps this trip wouldn't be so boring after all.
"You dirty liar!"
Yasmine jumped with the sound of the voice as well as the crash, her hands flying to her weapon and readying it. When the threat made itself clear that it was on the lower level, she eased back against the wall, blinking owlishly. Ever since they had arrived in Peda two days ago, she had been nervous and on edge, not leaving the room; posters with her likeness were plastered to almost every bit of available space and the bounty hunters were coming in more and more each day.
"You can rest easy, Princess." Trowa said as he stirred from his place in the shadowy corner. "No one is after you."
"You sound sure of yourself." she said as she pulled her cloak closer.
"Why don't you rest on the bed? It would be better than the floor."
"For all I know, every single whore in this town has been on that bed." she wrinkled her nose. "Call me what you wish, but I have no desire to sleep on such a questionable surface. Aside from that fact, it could be brimming with Allah know what, lice, ticks and such. I prefer the floor."
"As you wish." Trowa said, leaving the corner and coming to sit beside her.
Yasmine looked at him before she closed her eyes once more. Maybe it had been her, but Trowa hadn't left the room either since they had come here. She frowned as a sudden restlessness descended over her; she wanted to be free and alone, as dangerous as that might be. With a grunt, she rose and pulled her cowl closer, opening her door. She made her way down, warily and silently, out onto the street.
The sight of the protecting mountain walls greeted her as she looked upwards; it was comforting and encroaching at the same time. With a huff, she pulled her cowl closer, and started to make her way through the crowded streets. She wandered through the fragrant streets, the scent of dates, pomegranates and incense wafted through the air. An ache settled in her heart as she weaved her way through, keeping an eye open for the sharp gleam of metal; so many days had been like this when she had left the palace with Fatima by her side. She glanced back every once awhile, to see Trowa's head following at a distance away. She moved rapidly through the crowd, until she spotted another cloaked head, the fabric the exact same shade as hers. She hurried over and overtook the person before she slipped into an alleyway; Trowa walked right by her, following after the person.
With a smile, she walked to the opposite end of the alley and continued on her walk out on the walkway. She just rounded the corner when she turned sharply, seeing a scimitar gleaming pristinely in the morning sunlight on an end table in a stall. Her lips pursed slightly as her eye critically examined the weapons. A loud cough from the back made her look up as the stall keeper made his way out from the back, the ragged dirty turban making her wrinkle her nose - it certainly didn't smell like the rest of the stalls.
"Would the pretty lady like to buy a weapon? Nice dangerous weapon for the pretty lady."
"I was wondering if you had supplies for making arrows." she asked, looking over the pieces; so far, nothing was really catching her eye.
"Yes yes, that I have." the man disappeared for a few moments before he resurfaced with a large tied bundle. "Good for your arrows, yes? A full span, they are?"
"Yes; you have a good eye." she said as she took the package and opened it to make sure. "Do you have any red and black feathers?"
"That I can provide for lady as well." he disappeared and reappeared again. "Black and red are very popular colours; bounty hunters want it to catch Princess Yasmine for the bounty."
She felt her heart stop for a moment. "Oh? Just how much is the bounty at now?"
"Interested are you?" the man flashed her a grin. "Bounty is now one thousand five hundred drachmas."
Yasmine held back the bitter gall that rose in her throat as she remained silent for a moment. "That is plenty enough."
"I know," the man nodded. "Four gold drachmas."
"Four!? Robber!" she shot out, shaking the package hard. "This is, at most, three gold drachmas and a few silver denari."
"These things are in high demand. But I suppose I could take the three drachmas and seven silver denari."
"Seven? You wish to beggar me? I am poor enough as it is already! Three and four."
"Three and six."
"Three and five, or I shall walk. And I assume you need the business more than I need the arrows."
"Three drachmas and five denari," the man said holding out his hand. "Pretty lady drives a good bargain."
Yasmine didn't say anything as she dug into her side pouch and started to dig around for the coins. She slowed for a second a moment later and continued on; someone was watching her. She could feel their eyes boring into her back. She quietly asked for the dagger at the end, not caring that it was a cheap piece; it would do well for defending herself now. The man hurried pushed the package into her arm and settled back into his seat. She placed the package in her pouch before she hurried down the walkway, slipping into an alleyway, palming the small dagger.
She slunk into the shadows as she watched for her hunter to come out. Before long, a tall figure blocked out the light in the alleyway before it moved forward, slowly, with a deliberate intent. Yasmine stilled her breathing as the person drew closer. She moved her hand up a bit more, before she struck, aiming for the ribs. The person reacted almost instantly, swinging around and grabbing her wrist and twisting the blade out of it viciously. She dodged the blow that had been aimed at her temple, knocking her arm against the back of the assailant legs. The figure dropped like a stone, a heavy thud echoing out through the alleyway.
Yasmine bent down to find that they had been knocked out cold, their brown bangs shadowing half the face. She brushed them back, a sigh of irritation and slight anger coming from her throat; it was one of those pale faced foreigners, although this one was quite tanned. She grabbed her dagger and hurried out of the alleyway. She didn't look up once as she made her way back to the filthy inn they were staying at and entered her room quietly.
"He's out there looking for you, you know." the quiet words were accented by the steady ringing sound of the hone against his sword.
She shot up, dagger in her hand as Heero's voice reached her. She relaxed after a few seconds, meeting his cobalt blue eyes with a wary expression. "Why?"
"That is beyond me. He feels it is his duty to make sure no harm befalls you."
"You saw what she did while she was in the dreamworld for yourself. None I have seen could do that."
"At least it's not white."
Yasmine looked at Heero, not quite willing to believe that as she remembered their secret words by the campfire. She seated herself on the windowsill after brushing of the filth that seemed to accumulate despite her frequent cleanings. Quickly, she laid out all of her supplies and got down to work, making arrows to fill the near empty quiver on her back. Before long, a pile grew beside her, the bristling tufts of red and black rustling every time she placed down a new one.
When she finally finished, the sky was a deep orange blue colour, the first of the faint stars coming out. She sighed as she drew the remaining six arrows from her quiver. A frown crossed her lips as she looked at the tips; they had gone from the blue-white of steel to a dark black colour with strange fine green veins running through it. She looked at it before she took the dagger and carved in a symbol into the first one, near the base of the shaft. She did this to the remaining five before she wrapped the tips in pieces of ripped cloth and put the rest back into the quiver. She smiled in semi-satisfaction when she looked at the mass of feathers and wood in the dying sunlight.
"Heero-" she started but broke off immediately when she noticed that he was fast asleep.
She placed her quiver down silently and padded her way over to the bedside. She hadn't even noticed when he had fallen asleep. It was odd though, he looked more pleasant when he was this way rather than awake. She smiled to herself as she leaned forward a bit, trying to imagine what he must have looked like when he smiled fully. Then the expression disappeared from her face; his wasn't a face that smiled much, perhaps never.
Leaning in to see a bit better in the growing dark, she tried to see more of his face. Suddenly light burst in as the door opened with a bang. She toppled forward, unable to right herself as she tried to move away in time. She landed face first into Heero, sprawling onto of him.
"Well, I found her, Trowa! She's trying to make a move on Heero!"
Yasmine struggled up through a pile of linens, before she stood before the person and Trowa, an irate look on her face. The person was rubbing a spot on their head as Trowa appeared with a lantern. Yasmine felt the blood in her face drain.
"It's you. The one who attacked me in the alleyway."
"Me?! I think you got it backwards; you nearly knifed me in the ribs!" the guy grinned. "Lady, you sure know how to hit; you dropped me like a stone."
"Duo, that 'lady' is Yasmine; Princess Yasmine," Trowa said softly once the door was closed. "Heir to the Laharish throne."
Yasmine blinked as she watched Duo's face pale and he started stuttering out apologies. "It's all right. But if you were with Trowa, why didn't you say anything."
"You were gone before I could figure out where you had ducked away to; and it's hard to give me the slip, Princess." Duo said with a red face.
"I've been trained in hunting and such. A city is no different that the desert." she glanced back at Heero, who was tying his word back onto his belt. "We are leaving tonight?"
"Yes." Trowa said. "We may have stayed here too long already, but the horses needed the rest. "We'll eat here and then leave."
"I don't think that's a good idea. The sooner we go, the better." Duo said. "When I was coming back here, I found that I had to shake some unwanted company. They might still be out on the city's southern end."
"How many?" Heero asked.
"A dozen or so. Armed to the teeth too."
"The flats." he said as he walked out the door, without another word.
Yasmine looked at Duo and Trowa. "The flats?"
"The outlying lands of the tribe's territory," Duo explained. "No one but tribe members go through there. They say it's cursed by death and that the last shaman-"
"Duo, enough!"
Yasmine looked up at Trowa barked command before he tapped the door impatiently. She and Duo walked out almost guiltily, hurrying down the stairs and through the tavern area to where their horses were stabled. She mounted Rabi easily enough, waiting until the others had gone out before her. Nothing more was said as they made their way through the streets quickly, heading for the northern pass that led down out of the mountains.
"I really didn't realize it was you in there Princess." Duo said quietly, breaking the silence. "I thought it was someone else who got you, or something."
"That's all right Duo." she said waving aside his apology. "And don't call me Princess; it's far too formal and draws attention."
"Well, that's kinda hard for me; I have a great deal of respect for Laharisians." he said with a sheepish smile. "I mean, when I was first lost on this continent, it was in Laharish. Your people are very friendly and helpful."
"National character." she said with a shrug. "Is there anything you can tell me about the tribe?"
"About the tribe?" Duo asked, giving Trowa a glance. "Yeah, what do you want to know?"
"Information in general," she said; the looks that had passed between the two of them were not lost on her. "And just how do you fit into all of this."
"Well...let's see here." Duo's face became thoughtful. "Heero's the next leader, Trowa there's the shaman and I'm just a hunter with a messy tent. The tribe is known as the Draza'carth. Kinda a mouthful isn't it?"
"Very." she nodded after pronouncing the word carefully. "And just what are you three fleeing from now?"
"That is no one of our concern Yasmine." Heero's voice drifted back to her. "Once we arrive, we will see to placing you with your family."
Yasmine didn't say anything for a few minutes before she spoke to Duo again. "Who do the Draza'carth fight against?"
"The Maganacs." Duo replied with a shrug. "Their new leader just took his position and he isn't waiting for people to contest him. He's affirmed his power and is already after us. But I heard in Peda that he's looking for someone, a family member who went missing in Laharish."
"Ah." she nodded her head for a moment before she looked at him. "Just where are you from, Duo?"
"Me?" he looked at her surprised before he laughed. "I figured with my tan, people wouldn't ask me that anymore. I'm from a place far far away."
"How far is far?"
"Over a year's travel by land...three probably; going by boat is just as hellish. An island called Alba."
"Alba?"
"Have you taken Latin?" he smiled as she nodded. "Scotia."
"Ah. That is very far. How did you come to be so far from home?"
"It's a pretty long story, Yasmine; not for a trip like this one. Maybe when we get back, I can tell you around the dinner fire."
"Very well; I shall take you up on that offer one day." she gave him a grin. "What do you know about magic?" she didn't say anything, noticing that Trowa had glanced back, his ears alert; what a double edged question she had asked.
"Don't ask me. Trowa's the one for that department. Besides, just wait until we arrive; he'll probably answer all your questions then."
Yasmine nodded as they reached the top of the pass and started down. She paused for a moment, looking back at the town of Peda, the lights of candles flickering in the windows. With a snort, she urged Rabi down after the others; the sooner these mountains were between her and her hunters she'd feel a lot better.