Part XII

As the mixed group of warriors and men approached the Medjai, the Hunud scattered like seeds in the wind, chased by a few of the more eager Tuareg.

Berin jumped off his horse before it had stopped moving and ran over to Jericho's body, slowing down as he cautiously approached the stallion that stood guard. He reached out one hand and softly crooned to the agitated animal, aware that Drevick was close behind him.

"I know that animal," Drevick murmured as he gazed at the white star on the horse's chest, once considered a birth defect. This was the legendary Bahir and the warrior none other than Commander ibn Sakhr.

Berin gingerly touched Bahir's velvet soft muzzle, crooning nonsensical words of comfort, and then issued terse orders. "I want you to slowly walk over to Jericho and for the love of Allah, sheath your weapons," he instructed Drevick and two other Tuareg.

Drevick knelt down by Jericho's side and with the help of another, gently turned the warrior over. Eyes as black and as fathomless as the night fluttered open and Jericho stared in surprise at the Tuareg surrounding him.

"Easy Medjai," Drevick grinned at the shocked expression on the warrior's face. "We are now allies and are here to help you."

"This is not…paradise but…hell," Jericho muttered weakly. He flinched when Drevick's hands brushed against the shaft of the arrow and against his will his eyes slid shut from the pain. He opened them again when he thought of his warriors, the concern for them overriding any physical discomfort.

"D-dharr?" he asked through clenched teeth. "Jameel? Madjy? I must…know…"

Drevick looked around the battle site for Yousef and found him a few feet away, helping Jameel to his feet. Madjy was sitting on the ground leaning against another Tuareg, one hand pressed against his bloody side.

"They are fine," Berin answered for Drevick, his response purposely vague. He grabbed Bahir's halter and led the now subdued animal over to Jericho. "Can you ride?"

"Aiwa," Jericho replied, his voice weak but firm. With the Tuareg's help he managed to stand, and despite his wounds, found his first smile of the day. Bahir had practically dragged Berin over in his eagerness to see his master.

"Sahil…sahil ya Taiyib sahib," Jericho softly murmured as the stallion rubbed its nose against his robes. He lovingly scratched Bahir's ears, never guessing that while he was distracted, Berin would seize the opportunity.

"Ya ukh, I must do this," Berin whispered to Jericho as he gripped the shaft of the arrow and pulled.

Jericho's startled cry of pain echoed over the land as his knees buckled and he would have crumpled to the ground if not for Drevick and his men. Weakly he reassured the startled Bahir and then glared at Berin. "You could…have…warned me," he growled.

Berin shrugged his shoulders and tossed the arrow away. "Samah ana, but I did what was necessary considering the circumstances. We must leave at once, before the Hunud will gather their forces and strike again."

"On that we are agreed," Drevick said as his gaze swept over the landscape, searching for signs of the enemy.

A temporary bandage was quickly applied to Jericho's shoulder and once Berin was seated on Bahir, Drevick and a few of his men helped a semi-conscious Jericho climb up into the saddle.

Berin frowned when Jericho abruptly slumped against him but it was better this way. The ride would tax what remaining strength the elder warrior had left. His dark gaze scanned the survivors and he was relieved to see that the Medjai had suffered few losses. But what loss they did suffer was staggering – Jameel held onto Dharr's limp body and Berin wasn't sure if the warrior was still alive or not.

As the Medjai and Tuareg riders raced across the desert, they were very aware that their actions were being watched by the Hunud situated on a higher ridge. And the hatred that flowed from the black riders was chilling.

- - - - - - - - - -

Reyhan felt sick to his stomach and leaned his head against the building, closing his eyes as chills wracked his body. He knew Muhjah-Aji stood in front of him, and could almost feel her growing concern at his rapidly deteriorating condition. He had made a mistake in leaving his pallet, compounded by trying to do too much too soon. He had managed to bathe and change into a clean set of clothes but nothing could dispel the growing ache in his arm…or the sense of apprehension that settled like a weight around his shoulders.

His hand was numb and he no longer felt his fingers; all sensation was lost in the waves of agony that raced up and down the appendage. Fear made him surly and irrational and despite the fear of collapse, he had made Muhjah-Aji take him farther away from the healers' building than he had originally intended.

"You are pushing yourself too much," Muhjah-Aji sighed and gently gathered the blanket around Reyhan's shoulder. Her dark gaze swept over his face, and her heart did a strange twist within her chest when she saw his suffering.

Impulsively she reached up and smoothed the still damp hair from his face…

Reyhan's eyes opened at her touch and they stared at one another for a few moments before he caved into his desire. Slowly, he lowered his head and tenderly brushed his mouth across her lips, pleased and surprised that she had met him halfway.

He cupped her face with one hand, his fingers splayed across her cheek as their mouths continued exploring, testing and tasting one another. She was as sweet as he knew she would be and intoxicating. He caught her sigh and would have deepened the kiss but the intense pain in his shoulder effectively dashed the glowing embers of passion. With a tortured groan, he pulled away and clenched his jaw as he rode out the agony as best he could.

Temporary relief came in the form of Muhjah-Aji's fingers as they lightly danced across his face, tracing his tattoos and finally caressing his mouth. She explored the soft whiskers that covered his jaw line as they stared at one another for a few moments.

"I need food." Reyhan's sullen statement broke the spell of enchantment that had ensnared them both, and he pushed away Muhjah-Aji's hands. "Walk me to the nearest dining hall."

"There's that camel again," Muhjah-Aji muttered as she looped his good arm over her shoulder and pulled away from the building. She slowed her movements when she felt him falter and took a deep breath for courage, knowing in the hours to come he would hate her for what must be done.

- - - - - - - - - -

Reyhan dropped the spoon into the half eaten bowl of broth and shoved it away, surrendering to the persistent pain in his shoulder. He hung his head as his hand came up to message the ache that no amount of hot water, food, or tender companionship that Muhjah-Aji provided could alleviate.

"I must apologize," he said softly, unable to meet her knowing gaze as he finally gave his confession. "You have been right all along; I should have stayed on my pallet. I am trying to accomplish too much."

Muhjah-Aji braced herself against the sweeping sorrow that ravaged her troubled heart and realized that the time was fast approaching for her to finally carry out the orders from her queen. She repressed any love or compassion she felt for Reyhan and pulled the vial from her sleeve, uncorking it. She poured the entire contents into a cup of strong mint tea, knowing the flavor would mask the taste of the potion and handed it to him. "Would you like to know why your shoulder hurts so much?" she coldly asked.

Reyhan's head snapped up at the sudden change in Muhjah-Aji's demeanor but he wrongly assumed that it had to do with his ill-fated excursion. He took the cup and drank the contents in one swallow, his eyes never leaving her face. He grimaced at the unfamiliar aftertaste. "Aiwa, please tell me since you seem to know so much," he said dejectedly. "Tell me what is wrong with my shoulder."

Muhjah-Aji stared at the empty cup, willing herself to remain detached and unaffected. "It is common practice among the Rwalla-Hunud to torture their prisoners in order to gain a confession and you were no different. In fact, I know that the priestess took great delight in testing your strength and endurance, especially after a beating. When you were unconscious they inserted three scarab larvae, almost ready to emerge, into the wound. Any exertion by you or sudden impact," her hand shot out and hit Reyhan's shoulder, "will result in them hatching and slowly, methodically eating you from the inside out."

Agony unlike Reyhan had ever experienced before in his life exploded within him and his body jerked away from the table. He fell off the chair and landed hard on the floor, his hand clutching his shoulder as he battled through the white-hot spears of pain that knifed through him. Disbelief settled over him like a thick blanket and he fought to remain consciousness, holding back the bile that surged up in his throat. Drawing in ragged breaths of air, he rolled to his knees and looked up to meet Muhjah-Aji's emotionless stare.

"H-how do you know…this?" he asked hoarsely.

Muhjah-Aji steeled herself against the hurt she saw in Reyhan's eyes and felt no joy in what she was about to do. To feel nothing at all was better than to care and if she cared then she could never carry out her orders. She knelt down next to Reyhan's ear. "Because I am Rwalla-Hunud, sent here by my queen to capture you."

Reyhan slowly shook his head, refusing to believe that everything about Muhjah-Aji was a lie. She was the enemy, and memories of his imprisonment came back to viciously haunt him; he tried to scramble away from her but it was too late. His weakened body was unable to comply and her fist struck his shoulder again, sending him crumpling to the floor.

"In the name of Queen Markunda-Tagwizult, I hereby capture you for my people," Muhjah-Aji's voice droned on as she searched the empty dining hall for what she needed to transport Reyhan back to her tribe. She quickly gathered several bags of garbage from the day's previous meals and dumped them into a large burlap bag. "I do this in the name of Damya-Ultafa…"

"La," Reyhan groaned and started to crawl across the floor, the doorway to freedom lying just a few feet away. He shook his head to clear it, alarmed at the strange warmth that was slowly seeping through his body.

"I do this in the name of Tabari-Yervant, the young man you killed. I am bringing his murderer to justice." Muhjah-Aji found some ties and shoved them into her pocket, turning around to find that Reyhan was crawling towards the door. She cursed and ran after him, her hands gripping his legs as they struggled with one another.

"I did…not kill Tabari," Reyhan panted as he fought with all of his rapidly waning strength. "You must…believe me. He was…my…friend!"

Muhjah-Aji clawed her way up Reyhan's writhing body and punched his shoulder, inwardly cringing from his anguished cry.

Reyhan retaliated and swung his fist, striking Muhjah-Aji hard across the face sending her sprawling from him. He kicked away from her and rolled over, stubbornly clawing his way across the floor in one last frantic bid to get outside.

Muhjah-Aji wiped the blood from her mouth and grabbed Reyhan's legs, throwing herself across his body. She pummeled his wound, and managed to duck beneath one blow but was caught on the backswing. Her head rocked back from the impact and tears pooled in her eyes when she realized that Reyhan was desperately fighting for his life.

Suddenly she felt enraged at the unfairness of her duty colliding with her love for the warrior and her hands curled into tight fists. She wished with all her heart that Reyhan would have simply and peaceably caved into the drug and she blindly punched his shoulder as his actions grew weaker and weaker.

Muhjah-Aji slumped over Reyhan's still body and covered her mouth, suppressing the heart wrenching sobs that welled up in her throat. She reached down to tenderly touch his pale face, her fingertips skimming over the red stain blossoming on his shoulder. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and mingled with the blood from one corner of her mouth.

"Oh Reyhan," she said softly, her heart shattering into a million pieces. She had to take several precious minutes to compose herself, and then stiffly got up from his body, setting into motion the last of her plans.

She hurried around the dining hall, cleaning up any incriminating evidence and casting anxious glances at Reyhan who hadn't moved since he had passed out. She wiped away all traces of the potion and destroyed the bottle along with the uneaten food, aware that the wagon would soon arrive.

Muhjah-Aji dreaded the last part of her plans but performed it in the name of duty. She bent over Reyhan's body and tied his hands and legs, this last part of the preparation causing fresh tears to stream down her face. She paused before she covered his mouth with a gag, much like the one he had been wearing when he first arrived at the citadel, and stroked his face. She bent over him, her mouth hovering above his lips and she closed her eyes, remembering when he had kissed her not so long ago. That memory would be kept safely tucked away in her heart for when her deeds would disturb her dreams and sleep would be evasive.

She jumped up and dragged the burlap bag over his body and used almost all of her strength pushing and shoving everything into place. When Reyhan was sufficiently covered in refuse, she sealed the bag without a second glance at his face and stood up. It was then that she noticed her hands were shaking.

A low and familiar whistle came from the back of the hall and moments later, the accomplice to her plans appeared in the doorway. The wagon for the trash had arrived and quickly, the large cumbersome bag was dumped into the back along with the rest of the rubbish.

Muhjah-Aji covered her head with a dark veil and climbed into the seat next to the driver and as they slowly drove through the streets of the city, she noticed that no one gave them a second glance. She held her breath as they approached the gates and didn't release it until they had passed through and were out in the open desert.

Miles away from the citadel, she heard the faint call of her people and shaded her eyes, noticing the riders atop a ridge in the distance. The war spears spiked up into the brilliant robin's egg blue of the sky as they celebrated her victory but Muhjah-Aji felt nothing at all.

No elation.

No happiness.

She had done what had been assigned for her to do – she had obeyed her warrior creed and had captured the murderer of a chieftess' son, thereby pleasing her queen. Accolades and honors would be bestowed upon her for the successful conclusion of her hunt and a feast would be held tonight as the Hunud gathered in celebration. After the festivities, as the special event of the night, Reyhan would be executed before them all and his blood offered to their pagan gods.

Muhjah-Aji felt numb inside and her stomach rolled from the idea of Reyhan dying, his assertion of innocence tormented her along with images of his gray eyes…his expressive beautiful eyes.

"You like me," his voice whispered in her mind but Muhjah-Aji remained silent as her heart cried out in anguish from her treachery.

- - - - - - - - - -

A/N – As always I truly appreciate the reviews and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I hope I continue to keep you entertained as this story continues to unfold and the rollercoaster ride gets a bit bumpier.

Before I move to the shout-outs, I did want to clarify one thing that Nakhit brought up in her review. First I appreciate that any reader is paying that much attention to my story and all of your comments, as I've said before, often inspire the next chapter or so.

In reply to her question about "how can Ardeth be the Medjai's king?" – I guess the best way to explain my reference is to state that I've been influenced by Oded's appearance on the MTV Movie Awards almost two years ago, when TMR first came out. He helped the hosts of the show do a spoof of TMR; Rob Schneider played Immy and it was quite funny but one of his lines was something to the effect of, "I am their king." That always stayed with me for some reason and as time passed, I envisioned Ardeth being just that – the handsome ruler of the Medjai people who lived in a castle or citadel [not unlike the city of Gondor in ROTK]. The city is located in the center or the hub of a wheel, and is surrounded by the Twelve Tribes. My use of the word "king" instead of sheikh or pasha was to do just that, my friends, convey that Ardeth is indeed the leader of his people. I honestly never thought about it until Nakhti brought it up and I'm pleased she did so. I like to make my stories as believable as possible for the reader and if sheikh, pasha or chieftain helps the reader imagine Ardeth as I've written him, then I have no problem changing my style. [smiles]

Now for the shout-outs:

Ladybug – writing Nabil's resignation was hard to do but writing this last chapter was even harder. Save Jericho and Dharr? Erm, I'm trying. [eg]

Nakhti - to sungenes gar deinon'. LOL Did I write the correctly and yes, Nabil will ultimately do whatever is necessary to save Reyhan, the price to pay higher than you can imagine. What I'm trying to do is portray Nabil's reluctance to accept Reyhan at first because his arrival fulfills one of Nabil's heartfelt desires – to no longer be alone in the world. There may seem to be a lot of loose ends with Jericho et al in danger but my friend, you ain't seen nothing yet. Thanks for letting me know about the status of HN – here's hoping you can update soon.

SerenaFehr – one of these days I'll tell the story of how Jericho saved Bahir and how their friendship blossomed. Muhjah will do what is necessary but in the end, will she listen to her heart or honor her oath as a Hunud? Berin and Drevick friends, you ask? You never know. Thanks for reading.

Dawn – I felt bad for both Ardeth and Nabil but honestly, more for Ardeth. He has to walk that fine line between chieftain, warrior and friend. He won't always like what he has to do but as I've said, it's always for the greater good. Glad you liked my portrayal of him. Dharr will do what he can to save Jericho, they are friends and as you know, Jericho thinks of Dharr as his son. We'll see in the following parts how that evolves and changes. Did you update "Salvation" yet? Heh heh

Dreamy – thanks for the review and poor Reyhan indeed. But honestly, don't you feel a little bad for Muhjah?

The kid mdd – Dharr in the Big Boys club for his courage? LOL Sure and he's blushing with pleasure from your comments. I made him strong and Bahir faithful to Jericho because it just seemed right. Silly, aren't I? ;-) In answer to your question about the spy, sadly I just answered it with this part, didn't I? Thanks for reading!

Keep those belts fastened and hold on…there's more to come. ;-)