YAY!!! *dances around* My goal has been achieved! I've reached 100. *face falls* This is the last chapter, the very end. *sigh* Its over so soon!

Nakhti:You liked the last chapter? I thought u might've hated me for doin that to Ardeth. When i killed Obi in my SW fic, i got some fairly heated reviews! Its funny, my best work is when the character dies! "Thats just not cricket"? Hehehe, and i thought i was the only one that used that phrase! Oh, i'm on more solid ground here, just been cursed. Yay! I'll tell u if a piano falls on my head. Ohhh, chocolate factory? You're on! The closest cadbusty factory we got is in Tasmania! Too far away! Wow, i'm honoured with 2 reviews! Labotomised monkey??? Hahah, yes, u spelt fair dinkum right! u'll get there! You just gotta keep on writing. And as freakizimi qisely pointed out to me, 92 is not something to be snifffed at! Ppl out there would kill for that many reviews! Uh...yeah...fantastic at poetry. Just great. *hurriedly stuff the cookie into her mouth* Now, i expect plane tickets in the mail so i can go to the cadbury factory!

Dark Illusionist: Hey! a new reviewer! HI! And heres the chappie.

Veritas et Aequitas: More, and wat does ur name mean?

Firstmate: *screams and then dances around in a circle* You gave me my 100th review! You are the bestest!! THE BESTEST!! Hey, don't worry. I read lotr as well, i'm also writing a lotr story at the same time as doing this one, but the lotr is going slowly....zzzz.....And i'd just like to say 'thanks' for reviewing!

Medjaiangel: Err, want a tissue? *tentively holds out tissue box* Thanks for ur compliments, they mean heaps! *blushes profusely* My death scenes always seem to be the best parts, hmmm, thats worrying! And u can prolly join the 'kill roz' evil characters club'. Apparently there was a 'Kill Caleb' club, i wrote an SW fic where a character called Caleb killed Obi-Wan. Ppl were not happy! BLOODSHED!

So heres the last one. *sniff* I hope you like it! [THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO MY FRIEND BECK WHO IS TURNING 18. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECK! MAY THE GOD OF WRITING SMILE DOWN UPON YOU!] *hisses* C'mon everyone! Say happy birthday!

****

The next time Jawhar opened his eyes, he was lying on a bed and his head and side was bandaged. There seemed to be way too much light, it was utterly blinding but after a while, the boy's eyes adjusted and Jawhar found he could see.

He looked around and was surprised to see his father slumped asleep beside him in a chair, his larger hand gripping his sons. "F-father?" Jawhar hesitantly questioned, his voice thick and slurred from the dust and still harbouring the effects of the explosion.

Ruwaid jerked awake at the sound of his son's voice and snapped around to stare at his son, before his face split into a huge smile and the Sami-Nhir chief bent over and pulled Jawhar into a rough embrace.

"Jawhar! My son! You are awake! You are alive! Oh, Allah, be praised! I thought I'd lost you! Oh Allah! Thankyou Allah!" Jawhar found it slightly amusing to hear his father babbling, he had never heard his father babble before.

"Father? I…….w-what…..what am I doing here?" Jawhar looked around him in confusion, taking in the clean sheets and bandages, "How did I get here?" Memory slammed into him and he turned huge, panicked eyes onto his father, "Where is my son? Where is Thaqib?" The sadder parts of the memory returned to him and with woeful eyes, he said, "Ardeth Bay……saved me father. He gave his life for me. And…..Zen is gone." Jawhar choked back a sob, trying to conceal his weakness from his father.

"I know son, I know." Ruwaid gently caressed his sons face and answered the questions bothering him so much, "We all thought you'd died in the explosion. We thought nothing could've survived that. And normally, we'd be right. We had not been expecting……….Bay's sacrifice. We formed a human chain to try to remove the rubble to get to you, only expecting to find your bodies when one of the Med-Jai heard it."

"Heard what?" Jawhar asked, enthralled. It was hard to realise that this story revolved around him. It reminded him too much of when he'd sat around the campfire listening to stories that the elders had made up to scare the youngsters.

"They heard Thaqib crying. That's when we knew that there was at least some life under the rubble. Allah, that gave us the strength of ten thousand men. If the baby was alive, then maybe you and Bay were too. How long we dug for I don't know, it seemed like forever. You were lucky my son. The roof had caved in on you, but the rock slab that you had laid against had saved you twice. Once from the deadly concussion of the blast and secondly, it had held up the falling rocks around you, creating a small cave with you, Thaqib and Bay contained within. A little pocket of life."

"Ardeth……?" Jawhar questioned, unable to take the tension.

"Sshhhh. I'm getting there. We came across Ardeth first." Ruwaid face crumpled with sadness.

"Is he alive?" Jawhar asked frantically. "Is he alive?!?"

"Jawhar……" Ruwaid stopped, not knowing how to continue, "Jawhar, my son. You must understand that he was unprotected from the blast. Thaqib had you, Bay and the rock, you had Bay and the rock, Bay didn't even have the rock. He was too far away for the rock to have helped." Ruwaid eye's moistened as he looked upon his son's downturned head.

"He is dead then. He gave his life for me." Jawhar spoke dully.

"He is……not dead but….." Ruwaid raised a cautioning hand as Jawhar looked up with hope, "I do not want you raising false hope my son. He is very badly injured and he still may not survive. He is only just holding on. When we pulled him out of the rubble, he wouldn't let go of you. His arms were frozen in that position, even in his unconsciousness. He virtually was not breathing and his heartbeat was so weak, you couldn't feel it through his skin. We actually thought he was dead, but the Med-Jai shaman detected life within him and so far has managed to keep that flame of life still flickering."

"How long has it been since the explosion?"

"Two days."

"Two DAYS?!? I've been asleep for that long?" Jawhar asked incredulous.

"Yes my son. Don't forget, you too were injured by the blast. You have broken ribs from some sort of impact, a severe concussion from the explosion and your eardrums have only really just healed. You also had slight internal injuries but they cleared up fairly quick."

"Thaqib?"

"Do not worry Jawhar. He is virtually unharmed. Just a few minor scratches, that is all. He was well protected. It is the Med-Jai child that we all worry for."

"I can't believe he saved me," Jawhar sighed.

"As we speak, he is still struggling to cling to life. The shaman is doing all that he can."

"Tell me of his injuries."

"Where to start? He has a bullet wound to his side, which initially broke several of his ribs. Shahin then shattered those ribs during a beating. He had lost a lot of blood but the shaman did something I had never seen anyone else do before. He took Hashim and transferred blood from the father to the son."

"You can do that?" Jawhar asked captivated.

"Apparently, you can." Ruwaid nodded and continued, "He has severe internal injuries, which were sustained from the concussion of the explosion. We had to remove his spleen but he can live without that. He also received a very very bad concussion. When we pulled him out of the rubble, he was bleeding from his ears, nose and mouth. His back had been torn apart by rock shards and many of the shards had to be removed from his flesh. But it is mainly the internal bleeding and injuries we are most worried about. The shaman believes that the concussion from the blast could've caused organs within Bay's body to explode or rupture."

"Will he live father?" The teenager had listened, horrified, at the list of injuries the boy had sustained in order to save him.

Ruwaid hugged his son and whispered, "I do not know son. No one knows, only Allah. And it is too early to tell."

****

Hashim watched his son's pale, still figure, sorrow etched into every line in his body.

Two days it had been and no sign life within the battered body. Every second was perilous and could be his son's last. Hashim knew it and it was tearing him apart. Do not die. Please do not die, Hashim pleaded silently with his still son. But he knew what he asked was futile. He had no power over Allah. If he died, then……..well, nothing that he could morally do would bring him back. He could not use the Book. He would not use the Book.

"Shaman. Please…….is there any improvement?"

The Med-Jai shaman smiled a toothless and humourless smile. "Only slightly my Lord."

"Will he live?" Hashim asked the dreaded question.

The shaman shook his head sadly and replied, "I cannot tell my Lord. Only time and luck will tell."

****

Time passed and the combined Med-Jai and Sami-Nhir camp was quiet and sad. Jawhar recovered well and helped nursing Thaqib.

A week passed and still there was no change in the still Med-Jai. All that could be said was that he was still breathing, still alive. Tenuously.

Two weeks passed and Jawhar stood quietly grieving as Zen was lowered into a grave and finally laid to rest. There was a slight improvement with Ardeth but it was levelled out as the boy took a turn for the worse.

Three weeks passed and Ardeth's life signs became stronger, his skin less pale and breathing less shallower and less raspier.

Three weeks and four days passed and then Ardeth opened his eyes.

****

A celebration was in full swing after four weeks. Ardeth Bay would live. The shaman had confirmed it with a joyful smile and a quickly whispered, "It is good to have you back little Lord."

The shaman's blood transfusion, strange and smelly potions, surgery and fantastic healing skill had saved the Med-Jai prince. Although Ardeth was awake and sanely coherent, a fact that had concerned the shaman the most, he was still pretty badly injured and his body badly needed rest to heal. So while Ardeth was allowed out, he was confined to bed rest and limited movements. Thus, he watched the party from the prone position on his bed/chair.

The fire burned merrily in the middle of the camp and tribal music emanated from the musicians who played the drums, pipes and horns. Any outsider watching would've been highly surprised to learn that the same people dancing joyfully had been trying to kill each other only a month ago.

Ardeth watched in wonder as several of the warriors performed their various Sabre Dances.

Turning to his father sitting beside him he mischievously said, "Did I tell you that I did my first Sabre Dance here?"

"Really? No!" Hashim grinned, "Do you speak the truth?"

"Of course father! Would I ever lie?" Ardeth's dark eyes sparkled.

Hashim ignored the barb and instead spoke, "Then that indeed is something to celebrate! Warriors! Hear me! My son has matured further!" The warriors turned from their various activities to listen to their chief's news. "My son has performed his first Sabre Dance!" A roar of approval went up from the Med-Jai warriors as they received the news and after making a toast to their future leader, they returned to their previous activities.

Ardeth turned to view Ruwaid and his son who were sitting across the fire from them. Ruwaid was laughing at something Mikail had just said, and Ardeth could see that the marks of anger had disappeared from his face revealing the soft, caring father that Jawhar must've grown up with. Suddenly, Jawhar turned and caught Ardeth's eye.

Ardeth instantly turned away, uncomfortable in his actions with the Sami-Nhir teenager. He had not had a chance to speak with the Sami-Nhir since he had woken up and didn't know how Jawhar would receive him. He didn't know if Jawhar hated him still for being a Med-Jai, or if he hated him because Ardeth had saved him.

Therefore he was very surprised when a figure sat down next to him and revealed itself to be Jawhar himself.

Jawhar pointedly looked at Hashim and Hashim grinned before making up the lame excuse of: "Uhm, I think Ruwaid wants to talk to me…….er….yes, he's waving at me…….uhm….i guess I better go, leave you two alone to talk…..er……bye!" and leaving.

"Bay?" Jawhar asked tentatively, unsure of how to start.

"Yes?"

"I'd just like to say, I'm so sorry for what I've put you through the last couple of weeks. I'm so VERY sorry." The apology was hard and cost Jawhar his pride but it had to be said.

Ardeth's head snapped in bewilderment. He had not been expecting THAT. "You're sorry?"

"Yes. I am asking for your forgiveness, Ardeth." Jawhar bowed his head.

He's asking for MY forgiveness? He called me by my name. He called me Ardeth. Ardeth thought in confusion, "Of course you're forgiven. None of it was your fault."

"I thought you were dead. I really thought you'd died to save my life. You were willing to. I can't believe that you'd sacrifice yourself for someone like me. After all that I'd done to you, after everything I'd said and done. It was then that I realised that I had been completely wrong about you. Ardeth, it would honour me if you could count me amongst your friends." Jawhar dropped his head, knowing he didn't deserve to Ardeth's friend.

Did I just hear right? Ardeth sat still in shock for a couple of seconds before replying, "Of course I count you amongst my friends! I must say, I am glad to see you alive though."

"Yes. I must thank you for that too. Because of you, Thaqib and I are alive and the Sami-Nhir tribe will survive and prosper." Jawhar was astonished at how quickly the Med-Jai could forgive.

Ardeth blushed but his expression saddened before replying, "There is no need to thank me. I'm afraid I did not save everyone."

"What do you mean?" Jawhar frowned, puzzled.

"I couldn't save Zen. I only managed to grab you and Thaqib. Maybe if I'd run faster, maybe if I'd been quicker, she could've been saved." Ardeth lowered his eyes in sorrow.

"Ardeth! You were almost dead on your feet when you grabbed us! You couldn't have grabbed Zen as well. Besides……." Jawhar faltered. Although she had died almost a month ago, her loss was still so painful, "………besides she was already dead."

"What?!" Ardeth spluttered, incredulous, "What do you mean by that? How could she already have been dead? She was alive when I left the cavern."

"Shahin shot her. It was a ricochet, an accident really. It was quick and it was merciful." Jawhar looked at the Med-Jai. "Do not worry yourself over her Ardeth. She wouldn't want that. You are alive, she would be happy with that. She always did have a soft spot for you."

Ardeth nodded slowly, his heart still full of grief for her apparent abrupt loss. He had not known that she had already been shot. He thought that she had died in the explosion. Although it took a lot off his conscience, he still felt the grief of her passing.

"She has been buried?"

"Yes. Two weeks ago. We will visit her before you go." Jawhar nodded at the unspoken question.

"Good. I can't believe Shahin shot her."

"Yes. That bastard. He has much to answer for." Jawhar agreed.

"I don't understand though……he told me…….he told me his family used to be part of the Med-Jai."

"What?" Jawhar thought he'd heard wrong, "He was part of the Med-Jai?!?"

"No. His ancestors had been in the Med-Jai……I don't understand though."

There was a slight cough beside him and Hashim sat back down beside his son, laid a fatherly hand on his shoulder and spoke, "I think I can help explain that."

****

"It is quite a long and complex story but I'll shorten it and make it easier to understand. Said easily, Shahin's ancestors caused one of the major rifts in the Med-Jai. Shahin's great grandfather wanted to wake up The Creature, to which, was totally against our law."

"The Creature?" Jawhar asked confused.

"Don't worry about it." Ardeth shushed him quickly, forgetting that he was there. "Why did they want to wake up The Creature?"

"Because they were sick of just looking after it. They had read somewhere, that if you woke up The Creature, then you could control it and they were tired of being feared and scorned. The Med-Jai tribe is not the most liked tribe in the sands, as you've found out." Hashim quirked at eyebrow at the Sami-Nhir teenager and Jawhar had the decency to blush and turn away.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"Forgiven." Ardeth quickly eased the boy's guilt and turned back to his father, "What happened?"

"There was a civil war amongst the Med-Jai and our great grandfather won."

"How come I was not told of this event?" Ardeth asked puzzled about the mystery.

"It happened four lifetimes ago, more then a century ago, slowly it is being forgotten and the memory is eroding away. I had almost forgotten about it and was going to tell you eventually. But unfortunately events overtook me. After Shahin's great grandfather lost the war, him and his followers were kicked out of the tribe, banished to the sand's mercies and we had long thought them dead. We'd thought that the desert had finished them but we were wrong. Oh, how wrong were we. And that nearly cost you your life Ardeth and it did cost the lives of Sami-Nhir innocents."

"You cannot be held in blame for the massacre Med-Jai." Jawhar interrupted.

Hashim sighed and replied, "I know. But it always makes you wonder, makes you think about what you should've done. But from the information that the Sami-Nhir has given us, it appears that they wander about thieving and killing to live."

Ardeth nodded thoughtfully. It explained a lot, it explained everything. "The elder men would still have their Med-Jai tattoos wouldn't they?" the Med-Jai boy asked his father.

Hashim nodded, "Yes. And no doubt, some of the elders still probably tattoo some members of the group. That's how they managed to fool the Sami-Nhir. The Sami-Nhir blamed us and the rebels found out about the Sami-Nhir's suspicions. So the rebels sent Shahin, who was unmarked, into the Sami-Nhir. Shahin was then sent by the Sami-Nhir into the Med-Jai camp and then the Sami-Nhir and Shahin orchestrated your capture. Ruwaid used you as bait to lead the Med-Jai and me into a trap which I fell for. However, Shahin had an even loftier ambition. He planned to get the Sami-Nhir and Med-Jai to annihilate each other thus destroying the Med-Jai, their most hated enemy, and taking out another tribe as well. It was all going to plan until Shahin decided to blow up the cavern. That act was actually the catalyst for peace. After the second explosion, we believe that Shahin believed you and Jawhar to be dead, thus his mission was complete. So he just left. We believe he went back to his tribe to report on his 'success' of the Med-Jai and Sami-Nhir's downfall."

"We must get rid of the rebels before they cause anymore harm." Ardeth stated firmly and looked around the group as Jawhar and Hashim nodded.

"Yes, indeed. They must be asked to, er, change their ways. But first, my son, we are going to go home and you're going to get better!"

Ardeth groaned, knowing how much Abel would fuss and reprimand him. "Must I father?" He whined even though secretly he ached for his mothers loving arms and kind words.

"Yes you must Ardeth!" Hashim put on his most sternest expression and Jawhar laughed at Ardeth's mock expression of abject terror.

"Alright then. If you insist father!" Ardeth submitted and laughed merrily as Hashim gathered his son gently in his arms, careful of the healing ribs and other various injuries.

The night dissolved into a myriad of laughter, joy and happiness - feelings that had not been felt in the Sami-Nhir camp for quite a while. Jawhar and Ardeth's friendship deepened throughout the night and the last thing that Ardeth remembered before falling asleep on the sands was looking up at the stars, while laughing at something Jawhar had said and feeling relaxed and refreshed.

His ordeal had taught him much. Allah had indeed blessed him and the gods indeed HAD approved.

****

Ardeth stepped forward slowly, using Jawhar as a human crutch and carefully knelt down before placing the flowers on Zen's grave. They had been the only flowers in the wadi, around the waterhole and Ardeth had picked them with a prayer or thankfulness.

There was nothing he could think of saying to Zen's grave, most of it had been said, expressed or vaguely hinted at. She had known his feelings for her and he had known that they had been futile. She had loved Jawhar, not him.

Ardeth sighed and spoke his words before slowly walking away, "You'd be pleased to know that Thaqib, you little shooting star, has your eyes. Goodbye Zen. I must leave now but one day, I'll see you again."

As the Med-Jai and Sami-Nhir walked away together, a low sigh seemed to flow over the sand, although it could've just been the wind.

****

It was a bitter-sweet farewell. Ardeth was so glad to get home and so excited to get moving, yet he was sad to leave Jawhar and amazingly enough, his captors. Once everything had been sorted out, and realisation of Shahin's betrayal had set in, his previous captors had become his friends, as it had mainly been Shahin that Ardeth had been afraid of, Shahin that had goaded the Sami-Nhir into hating the Med-Jai further.

Ardeth himself was not walking home, his body was still in no condition to. Instead, the warriors of both tribes had made up a stretcher that was tied sturdily to two horses, thus Ardeth could be carried home in relative peace.

The Med-Jai teenager looked around once more, letting the image sink into his memory to be remembered forever more. The shaman was packing his herb and medicinal bag, while talking to his father and aiming quick glances at him. Ardeth rolled his eyes, Those men worry too much about me. Hashim then broke off the conversation and walked across to Ruwaid, spoke quickly and then to the surprise of EVERYONE bowed ceremoniously to Ruwaid.

Ruwaid and Jawhar stood still, shocked beyond words as they surveyed the Med-Jai chief, their most hated enemy in their past, honouring them with a bow. Then Ruwaid got himself under control and then knelt in front of Hashim.

"I am so very sorry about the misunderstanding Med-Jai. Please forgive me." Ruwaid spoke from his heart, his head bowed down, his eyes staring at the sandgrains.

Hashim straightened up and smiled, surveying the kneeling Sami-Nhir chief. Then placing a hand on the other chief's shoulder, he slowly helped him up and replied, "There is nothing to forgive. If I had've been in your position, I probably would've done the same thing. But that is in the past, and let us leave the past lie and concern ourselves with the future."

Ruwaid nodded, his eyes never leaving the Med-Jai's. "Yes, let us do that. Then, I wish you a prosperous journey, and for your son, I wish him a speedy full recovery. I cannot even begin to tell you how much we, myself and the Sami-Nhir, owe you."

"Thankyou for your blessing. You owe us nothing. For we give nothing and take nothing." Hashim grinned suddenly and leaned in closer and whispered into the Sami-Nhir's ear, "That's the Med-Jai code, but its not strictly kept anymore…….if you know what I mean." With an evil grin and a handshake, Hashim backed away and, murmured the formal farewell while touching his lips and forehead and then spoke for one last time, "Till we meet again Ruwaid, ruler of the Sami-Nhir! May Allah watch over you!"

Jawhar nodded, smiled and waved goodbye to Ardeth, "Goodbye Ardeth! We will meet again!"

Ardeth laughed, inclined his head in agreement and answered, "But when, only the echoes of the sand know and whisper!"

"Yes." Jawhar murmured the formal farewell while also touching his lips then forehead, "Only the echoes of the sand know."

The End

****

Finally over! It's over! *bursts into tears* And before neone says Ardeth's recovery is impossible, the same incident happened in the First World War, except one man shielded a wounded man with his body from a grenade and was thought dead but after ages, he recovered. So, it has happened!

But many thanks goes out to everyone who read my story and reviewed it. Special thanks to Nakhti, Medjaiangel, Freakizimi, Deana, Sirithiel and the mostly regular reviewers. You guys rock! You have no idea how much reviews mean to me! Thanks again to everyone and i hoped you like the story!