Reflections of a Friend

By TSS

Disclaimer: See First Chapter. And thanks, Serena, for the review!

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CHAPTER TWO: Choosing A Path

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PRESENT

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Ardeth had found her pallet, and now he rode beside it with a look in his eyes that made those around him turn away, almost in shame for having caught their lord in such a weak position. He was staring into the silent, bruised face of his closest confidant and friend. Adira Haddad was not what one might consider very beautiful, but she had the fine, classic lines that would make many a warrior turn his head to catch a better glimpse of her. But, due to her calling in life as his guard, the most attention she ever seemed to receive from the other warriors was that of a comrade in arms.

Now her face had been marred, there was a long, thin slice of a cut training from above her right eyebrow to her right cheekbone. It would leave a scar, of that Ardeth was sure. Her dark hair was in disarrayed, not the usual tight knot she kept it in during battle, and her black robes were bloodstained. Her normally dark complexion was incredibly pale, her face was contorted in pain. Something was horribly wrong with her, and she could not be treated until they reached the oasis. Ardeth found himself praying they would make it in time to meet the better physician that would meet them there.

"Foolish woman," he murmured, his eyes clouded with worry. "I told you to stay in the city."

The king of the Med-jai put all other duties aside as he asked one of the men who carried her pallet for his position. The pallet was suspended between two horses, and Ardeth was quickly given the place on one of them to better keep an eye on the woman.

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PAST, 25 Years

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The timid young girl had followed a confused young boy out of the council chamber, her eyes wide and unsure. They met Kaliq in the corridor, and his eyes mirrored the surprise that Ardeth's had. "A girl?" he asked, looking absolutely horrified. "I've never heard of a GIRL being asked to serve the heir!"

"Nor have I," Ardeth agreed with a sad little smile. "But Father insists I make the best of it. She was 'hand-selected' by the council at birth. I suppose we will just have to see what we can do about it."

Kaliq shook his head, glaring at the girl who was now attempting to smile at him. "I think you should ask your father to address the council. There must be some mistake."

Adira's smile faded, and she scowled at Kaliq. No question about it, she did not like him anymore then he did her. "I have rights, too," she said at last, her small voice hardly sounding menacing. "I've been training for this for as long as I can remember, and I fought for this position. You cannot take this honor away from me!"

First the two stared at her in surprise, then Ardeth began to laugh. "You have fire in you. Most boys would not dare to speak to Kaliq Loc-Nah like that!"

"Why not?" she came back, her voice holding some sting to it now, "he certainly isn't much to worry about. I've trained with boys his size before, and bested many of them. He could be no different."

The dark-skinned young man was amused and insulted, but shook both emotions off to give his friend a calculating look. "So you are going to allow her to train with us?"

"I feel I should respect the council's wishes. And my Fathers." The younger boy looked at the girl standing beside him, noting her smug grin. "I think we will be able to get along just fine. She has all ready put you in your place, after all."

The older boy was seething now, his friend could tell, but Ardeth did not understand why. "Ardeth, she is an inferior! She is a female. I cannot even remember hearing tales of warrior women among the Med-jai. This is an outrage, a break from tradition! Especially when she is given the honor of being your responsibility. That is even a higher honor then what I obtain, and they give it to a girl! Are you not upset or insulted at all?"

It was then that Ardeth realized the reason for his friend's feelings, and he could not help but disapprove of it. "Envy is an emotion that should never be expressed by a Med-jai, Kaliq. Her position is one of honor, but that does not make yours any less important."

The girl looked surprised, and then even slightly afraid. A boy, who must have been four years older then she, was jealous of her station. When she saw the glint of anger in his eyes, she realized she would have much to do should she ever wish to become his friend. Even she, at her young age, knew the importance of cooperation and a unit working as one. Humbly, she stepped forward and lowered her eyes. "I am sorry for my words before, Kaliq Lock-Nah, I let my tongue get away from me. Please forgive my unkind and rude attitude."

Now realizing he had the upper hand with the girl, even though Ardeth was clearly upset with him, Kaliq smiled silkily and nodded. "You are forgiven. Perhaps we could make this arrangement work after all."

Ardeth knew by the tone of his friend's voice that he was not planning on making anything work, and he prayed to Allah that Kaliq did not have anything too mischievous up his sleeves.

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Still The Past

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Months later, Adira came hurtling through the doors of Ardeth's bed chamber, fuming and angry, covered in some strange, mud-like concoction. "Ardeth!" she shouted impatiently, "Ardeth! I cannot let this continue!" She glared around the room, finding Ardeth at last staring up at her from his pile of cushions. It was very late, and she had awoken him from sleep. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and stretching.

"What is going on?" he asked, not at all upset for the disruption of his rest. It was then he took her appearance in, his eyes having adjusted to the pale light of the moon coming through his window. The girl child stood before him, in her white nightdress, dripping in ooze. He sat up, surprised, and came to inspect what was on her. "What is this? What has happened?"

"You have to ask!" she exclaimed, her eyes burning with anger. "Ardeth, I have put up with Kaliq's tricks for these many months, never saying a word to your father because you asked me not to, but he is not getting used to the idea of me being here at all!" She flopped down on his cushions, careful to avoid getting them sticky. She was covered in a sugary-sweet syrup that smelled incredibly like the same syrup that Kaliq preferred on his breakfast. "I opened the door to my balcony and this is what happened!"

Ardeth sighed, running his hand through his curly hair, a habit he had begun to pick up since Kaliq and Adira's confrontations had begun. "I know it must be hard, Adira, but Kaliq is just---"

"Trying to make me leave," she finished, her voice grown soft. Her anger had worn away after her explosion to him, and now the tears were beginning to come. "Ardeth, if the council knew about this who do you think they would ask to go? The girl who had only been around for a short time, or the boy who has been here for many years and proven his allegiance to the heir?"

The compassion of his mother came forth, as it always did in trying situations, and Ardeth knelt down in front of the smaller child and smiled. "Do not worry. I will see to Kaliq as soon as you are back in your room. I have been wrong to not say something of his treatment to you before, or to deal with it myself. I was hoping his anger would fade away." He sighed, his eyes not holding the look of an innocent young boy, but an older, more mature person capable of making large decisions. "I will walk you to your room."

She sighed, shook her head, and walked out in front of him, wiping at her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ardeth. I did not mean to make so much trouble for you. I know you and Kaliq are good friends. Almost brothers, the people have said."

"Every brother goes through a trial with the other now and then." Ardeth walked her across the corridor to her room, then went back to the bedroom beside his own and knocked on the door. Kaliq answered, his eyes bleary from sleep.

One look at his friend's face, however, and he was wide awake. "Is something wrong, Ardeth?"

"Yes." The stormy look in the young warrior's eyes was the start of what his enemies would one day call the stare of a thousand deaths. "Adira has just been in to see me. Kaliq, I am her guardian, and her protector, as she and you are mine. I can no longer allow her to be harmed like this."

"I have done her no harm," Kaliq argued, his voice rising with his anger. "It is she that threatens me!"

"Harm? You have harmed her greatly, shaming her in front of others, making her feel a fool--"

"Perhaps because she is foolish! Never in history has a woman served as companion to the heir of the Med-jai, the elders were out of their minds to ask it of her family, and she should be put back in her place--"

Now Ardeth interrupted, his fists balled at his sides, his eyes grown to a deadly black in color. "You over-step yourself, Kaliq Loc-Nah. It is on dangerous ground you tread. Take these incidents one step further and I will bring it before the elders and my father." His voice dropped to a low, menacing growl, "You have been my brother in arms, but you are not beyond reproach and punishment." Without another word, the young warrior turned and stormed out, leaving a thundercloud in his wake.

After several minutes of standing, seething with rage, Kaliq's determination and anger forged into one and hardened. It was at that moment that he realized he must choose between submitting to the foolishness of being a woman's equal, or make his friend and others see the error of their ways by letting her believe she could be companion to the future Med-jai commander. His path was before him, and Kaliq knew which he must choose.

"For now," he muttered to himself, calmly, "I will play their game. But when the time comes, I will show them all what fools they were to bring her to this position."

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I'm posting one more chapter (or attempting to) and then I'm off to camp. Thank you, in advance, to any who find my story interesting. Like I said before, it does start slow, but the end results are worth the character/story build up. There's fifteen chapters all together. Enjoy!