Chapter 4

Malik was true to his word and woke Ardeth in one hour. He knew that neither man was capable of going off to rescue the young girl but he also knew that he was powerless to stop his friend and commander from doing what he set his mind to.

Malik entered Ardeth's house and saw him sleeping on the bed in the back bedroom. Carefully he approached his friend and gently shook him. "Ardeth, wake up."

Ardeth sat up and fisted Malik's robe. He had his right fist in the air. Ardeth winced and said, "Has it been an hour?"

Malik nodded and said, "Neither you or the boy are up for any riding Ardeth, let alone another round with Loch-Nah. "

Ardeth let Malik's robe go and tried to stand. "Your concern is duly noted but I am going as is Jonathan. His sister is but 15 years old. She is all he has left in the world and I can't sit by and let Loch-Nah take her from him after all he has lost already. Get Sky Dancer ready and gather some warriors, we are going to get young Emma back."

Malik crossed his arms over his chest and watched Ardeth struggle to stand. "You can't even stand up without help Ardeth. You need rest, food and medicine. You are letting emotion drive you to your death..."

Malik's words were cut off as Ardeth stood and tackled his friend making sure to pin him to the wall with his right hand closing around his throat. "You will never understand what drives me Malik. You may be my friend and second in command but you know nothing at all about what I feel and who I am. Now do as I say and get the horses ready."

Ardeth had never ever turned on Malik and this caught him off guard. As he struggled to breathe he saw the look in Ardeth's eyes. It scared him... the pain and anger was so very real. The man he grew up with was long gone and someone else had taken his place. A desperate, angry, bitter man replaced the kinder, gentler Ardeth that Malik revered and admired.

Ardeth let Malik's throat go and he said without looking up, "Just do what I tell you and don't give me any flack. Get Jonathan we are riding in 20 minutes." He backed up and let Malik leave.

Ardeth sat back down on the bed as the wave of dizziness took over. He was tired, angry, hurting and even afraid. He felt as though he was losing himself in his grief. He usually prided himself in the control he had over his emotions but since Hasim died, he had no control over any of his emotions. Losing his parents only added to the downward spiral he felt his life was going in. Soon he would hit bottom and there would be no returning for him.

Ardeth shook the thoughts and dizziness from his head and attempted to stand again. Adrenaline was all that pushed his sore tired body off the bed into a standing position. He pulled a clean shirt on and grabbed his scimitars. As he walked out the door to the front room he felt his knees go weak and he fought hard to stop himself from passing out. Ardeth managed to make it out to the horses but he was sweating and shaking by the time he mounted.

Malik went to the medical building and quietly crept into the room Jonathan was in. Gently he shook the boy, "Jonathan... you need to open your eyes. We are going to get your sister. Come now... wake up."

Malik sighed he knew the blood loss and medicine had calmed the boy enough to sleep now here he was waking him up from a semi peaceful slumber so that they can go out and probably get killed by Loch-Nah's men. He knew from the start that this was a suicide mission and he was powerless to stop it.

Jonathan heard someone talking to him but they sounded so far away. He was feeling all warm and safe, his Mum was cradling him in her arms and he did not want to leave. When he looked around inside his head Emma was no where to be found, he heard his Mum say, "Jonny... Emma needs you now more than ever. Please go back. Go towards the voice that calls you. Emma is in great danger..."

Jonathan's eyes snapped open and he cried out, "NOOOO!!!!"

Malik jumped back and whispered, "Shhhh Jonathan, everything will be alright. We need to go... the faster the better. Let me help you up..."

Jonathan looked at the young man and swallowed hard, "Emma... where..."

Malik sighed, "We are going to help get her back. Come now..." He hoisted the younger man up and got him to his feet. He knew the boy could not walk on his own and all but carried him out to Ardeth. Malik watched his commander sway in his saddle and put Jonathan up there with him. He muttered, "One falls and the other will topple over right along with him."

Ardeth reached down with his good hand and grabbed Malik's hair, jerking him back. "Keep your cheeky comments to yourself, I am still your commander and I do not want to make an example out of you. Do I make myself clear?"

Malik nodded and Ardeth let his hair go. He wrapped his good arm around Jonathan and positioned his bad one on Jonathan's good leg. Leaning in he whispered, "Jonathan we will be as swift and silent as we can to get Emma back then we will come back here and you both can rest."

Jonathan was so weak all he could do was nod in agreement as Ardeth kicked Sky Dancers flanks and they sped off into the desert on a rescue mission that was doomed from the start.

The Med-Jai party raced across the desert at a mile eating pace. Ardeth held onto Jonathan the best he could but he felt himself losing his grip on more than one leap over the dunes. Jonathan was nearly unconscious as they raced to save Emma from Loch-Nah and his band of men.

Ardeth moved his hand from the reigns to the horse's mane. Malik and Muhammad were first to arrive to the cliffs just above the village. What they saw would forever be etched in their minds. On a pole at least 50 ft high in the air was the lifeless head of Bahmin Bay. Muhammad had been friends with Bahmin for as long as he could remember. Seeing his head on display as a trophy in Loch-Nah's village was like a slap in the face to Med-Jai everywhere. Malik put his hand on the older man's shoulder and looked away. "We can't let him see it. Not now. He will go in there and get us all killed. He is hurt, weak, exhausted and is more of a hindrance than a help at this point."

Muhammad nodded in agreement and turned to see Ardeth's horse galloping full speed at them. He moved and quickly grabbed the reigns to stop the horse. In doing so when the horse jerked to a stop Jonathan slid forward and fell down to the sand with a thump. Ardeth tried to stop Jon from falling and only managed to topple over the head of the horse as well.

The horse looked down at his human and nudged him as if to wake him up. Ardeth weakly reached up and pat the horse on the head. Malik looked down at the pair on the ground and said, "Don't bother getting up..." He moved past Ardeth and Jonathan and said, "Muhammad if you would be so kind as to stay here with our Commander and young friend while we go fetch his sister..."

Muhammad nodded and watched the others move down silently toward the village.

He dismounted his horse and held a hand out and pulled Ardeth to his feet. "Back up on the horse you go Ardeth." He helped Ardeth to his horse and put his good hand back in Sky Dancers mane. "Young Jonathan will ride with me."

Ardeth tried to protest but his words were cut off by Muhammad. "Ardeth, you may be my Commander but I am still your elder and I know you were raised to mind and respect your elders. For the last six months you have been almost unbearable to be around. I know you lost someone you loved very much, now with losing your parents...Ardeth you need to let yourself grieve. Holding it in is only eating you up inside. Crying and grieving is not a sign of weakness and no man woman or child will look at you any differently if you did. Bahmin was my friend and I will miss him and your mother more than words could ever say. They were with me when Nala died. That meant the world to me. Now with your actions you have in essence taken in this young boy and his sister. They are just an added responsibility to you but it could also be a new beginning for you as well. They will need guidance and support in their own time of grief. Just do us all a favor and let some of that anger, hurt and pain out before we lose the leader and friend we all know and love forever."

Muhammad then moved over and picked Jonathan's lifeless body up from the sand and cradled him gently in his arms. "He has a fever, as soon as we get back Lilith will need to treat him. He is so weak Ardeth, What in Allah's name were you thinking bringing him with us?"

Ardeth growled, "Look Old Man, I know what is best for me, my tribe, my family and young Jonathan here. I promised him he was going to go with me to get his sister and I am a man of my word. Just hold your tongue. I have had all the advice I can stand for the next 10 lifetimes..."

Ardeth hung his head over and started to whisper quietly to his horse as they waited for Malik and the others to return.

Malik put on the black and red robes that he stole from the dead guard and made his way down the narrow path to the back of the house that Loch-Nah owned. He looked up and around to make sure that they were not being watched and after getting the signal from one of his men he threw the rope with the hook up and latched it to the open window ledge.

Silently he climbed the rope and made his way into the darkened room. There on the bed lay the lifeless form of a young blonde girl. He was sure that was Emma. As he got closer he winced and had to bite his cheek to hold back the angry cry that welled up in his throat. There was blood pooling around her buttocks and legs. She was beaten and battered.

Malik picked up a clean robe and draped it over the young woman. As he went to pick her up she opened her eyes and the terror he saw in them would forever be etched in his memory.

Emma opened her eyes to see a young man in red and black trying to touch her. She was so afraid that he would do the same thing to her that the other man did she curled up into a tight ball and opened her mouth to scream in protest.

Covering her mouth with his hand he whispered, "Emma... Jonathan is waiting. I brought him to get you please don't scream... I am going to get you out of here..." His whispers were cut off by the searing pain he felt when she bit his hand. He jerked back quickly and gagged her with the tie from the robe. "Emma please, Let me take you to Jonathan. I promise I am not here to hurt you. If you don't come with me I will be forced to leave you here with Loch-Nah... is that what you want?"

Emma quickly shook her head no and let the handsome man pick her up into his arms. All she could do was whimper quietly and shake. The terror she felt was almost as bad as the pain she was in from her last beating and rape.

Malik moved to the window and said, "I am going to let you fall but do not be afraid my friend will catch you..."

Emma looked unsure but before she could do anything she felt herself falling out of the window and into the strong arms of the older man below.

Malik followed suit by leaping out the window and onto his horse. He took Emma in his arms and took off like a bolt of lightening toward his waiting Commander and her brother.