Disclaimer: I don't own squat, not a damn thing. Well, I own a rather nice pair of red Converse high-tops, but that's it. As far as Ardeth, Evy, or Rick, no, sorry, not mine. The OC, however, is mine. Flames will be used to light my backyard barbecue pit. Please R&R, I'm desperate.
-Belle
Lira was beyond shocked to see Ardeth come blazing in with a strange man clad in khaki. Saqr, on the other hand, had planned this encounter meticulously. There would be no surprises, not this time. He'd been waiting for far too long, had laid his plans meticulously, and nothing was going to ruin this moment for him. Saqr stepped out from the shadows to reveal the gleaming scimitar in his hand. A wildness played in his eyes like a sandstorm unleashing its fury in the desert. His lips were curled in a wicked grin as he looked around at his men, making certain they were all in position. Lira watched all this with great trepidation, her eyes darting from one man to the next.
"Ardeth," she asked, "What are you doing here?"
"He's here because the chief wants him here." Joshua interjected before the Medjai could respond. "There's some unfinished business to attend to." Ardeth kept his silence, keeping his eyes fixed upon the Bedouin chief.
"I see you've brought a friend." Saqr addressed Ardeth, brandishing his scimitar menacingly. Rick had both pistols trained on the Bedouin and failed to notice the two warriors standing behind him. "Seize the stranger." Saqr ordered, and the two men lunged forward, grabbing Rick's arms and pinning them behind his back. Rick struggled against them, but to no avail. They held him fast and eventually the pistols dropped from his hands. As much as it pained Ardeth to know his friend was in trouble, he couldn't risk taking his eyes of Saqr. So, the two men were left in the center of the room, each awaiting the coming fury. One of the warriors grabbed Rick by the hair and pushed him down on all fours.
"You will watch, American dog, as your friend pays for his mistakes." Growled one of his captors. Rick bit back a smart remark, knowing that it wouldn't do anyone any good; and merely rolled his eyes as he endured the extreme discomfort of having his head held upright by his hair. At least they're not three thousand year old dead guys this time, he thought to himself ironically. In a single combat situation, Rick had no doubt that Ardeth would emerge the victor. It was only when he began looking around the room that he had doubts. Bedouin raiders, their faces hidden by lengths of tan linen, surrounded the room and its occupants. Each was a nameless, faceless menace.
"It's easy to see, Saqr, that after 12 years you've still not learned your lesson." Ardeth intoned, speaking up for the first time since acknowledging his enemy.
"You'd be surprised." Saqr responded, and before Rick or Lira saw it coming, the shorter man lunged forward at the dashing Med-Jai. Both looked on in horror as the scimitar came flashing down in a wide arc towards Ardeth. It was with great relief and excitement that they watched as Ardeth effortlessly brought his sword up in a perfect parry. Saqr's sword careened smoothly to the right, the Bedouin's interrupted momentum throwing him off balance. He recovered quickly and attacked again, this time with a backhanded swing to Ardeth's left. The Medjai sidestepped to avoid the main force of the blow, and parried the remaining force, once again upsetting his opponent's center of gravity.
Again and again, Saqr attacked with brute strength and anger, and Ardeth responded by fluidly deflecting the blows, or altogether avoiding them with practiced footwork. The clashing and clanging of sword against sword reverberated the otherwise silent chamber. No one made a sound as they watched the two men locked together in deadly combat. The Medjai was using his opponent's anger against him, and after several moments, Lira realized that Ardeth was imitating, to a certain degree, her own tactics.
She could only assume that this was a tactic he had already been familiar with, but even so, she couldn't help but feel a measure of pride that a distinguished Medjai warrior, the leader of his people, should use in battle, the same tactic as her. She could see Saqr was tiring, sweat dripping from his brow and drenching the back of his linen tunic. Ardeth's face was intense and focused, though a mocking smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Saqr took another mighty swing, fatigue taking its toll on him. Ardeth easily knocked the sword from his grasp, and sent it spinning across the floor. Saqr lunged to retrieve his blade, only to stop from the slight pressure of the Medjai's sword at his throat. He'd planned on seeing the same Ardeth he'd met twelve years prior, the man who had single-handedly wiped out an entire raiding party. Saqr had merely been a soldier then, under his brother's command. The enraged young Medjai had killed Saqr's brother, and given him the brutal scar that so defined his features. He was in no way prepared to face the cool, calm, and collected man standing before him now.
"Go ahead, Medjai dog." Saqr growled, brandishing as much courage as he could in spite of the fear in his eyes. "Finish me off. End my family's line."
"Give me what I want and that won't be necessary." Ardeth responded calmly. His voice had an air of calm command, as if there was nothing left of the furious, uncontrollable eighteen-year-old that he'd so often referred to simply as 'murderer.'
"I will not succumb to the demands of the man who murdered my brother."
"You should consider yourself fortunate that I should show such mercy to the brother of the man who slaughtered my father. "Ardeth said, his voice low, nearly inaudible. A hint of the old anger flashed through his eyes momentarily, and Saqr trembled, terrified of what he knew the Medjai to be capable. Then, the angry light in Ardeth's eyes vanished, and he regarded his enemy with a cool detachment.
"Just so that I may laugh at them, what are your demands, Medjai?"
"Release the woman."
"I'm afraid that's out of my control. She's passed out of my hands." Saqr chuckled. He saw an opening, a possible weakness in the stern warrior, and it thrilled him. Ardeth glanced over to where Lira sat. He'd not paid much attention to the man next to her until now. The arrogance on the blond man's face was apparent, and he could only guess that this was the man who'd ordered the attack on her and her fiancé. Ardeth turned back to Saqr who was still held back by Ardeth's blade against his throat.
"Then you and your men must leave this room at once and leave myself and this man to attend to this business…" Ardeth's voice held the same cool detachment as did his face. "Without interference." He threatened, almost as an afterthought.
"You don't give orders to my men." Saqr snarled.
"It is not an order, only a suggestion." Ardeth replied, and to nearly everyone's shock, he withdrew his blade. Saqr fell to his knees, sweating profusely and uttering a silent prayer. Ardeth stepped past him, heading towards where Lira sat, guarded closely by her captor. Her green eyes searing into his own with an intense light and emotion he didn't recognize. After Ardeth had passed him, Saqr saw his scimitar lying not far off, the rays of sunlight streaming from the window reflecting off the cold steel. Grinning secretly, the Bedouin chief reached out, and silently lifted his sword from the ground.
Rising to his feet, sword in hand, Saqr turned; the Medjai's back was facing him. He made his choice. He would take the man's head, just as the cursed Medjai had decapitated his brother. Slowly, Saqr raised his blade, his grin taking on a hard edge as anticipation filled him. After all these years, his brother would be avenged. Ardeth smiled down at Lira with what she perceived to be geniality. She returned his smile for a brief moment, until a motion caught her eye and her face was stricken with fear. Her lips parted to speak but before any words could come, Ardeth spun around in a swirl of black cloth and ran his blade squarely through Saqr's abdomen. Shock was written all over the Bedouin's features as he froze mid-swing, stricken by the blade of his enemy. Seconds later, the scimitar fell from his grasp, clanging as it hit the floor. Blood began seeping through the pale robes. Ardeth quickly retracted his blade, and Saqr fell to his knees. He stared at his wound for a moment before sinking to the ground, and succumbing to the creeping coldness overtaking him.
Lira then realized what Ardeth's smile was. It was an apology. The Medjai could have killed Saqr at any point during the fight had he so chosen, but he didn't. He showed mercy, knowing full well the danger of turning his back to an enemy. He had been giving Saqr a chance to turn back, a chance to escape. He'd also known, however, that Saqr's very nature would not have allowed him to run. So, it had been a smile of knowing, of reassurance, and an apology for what she would soon witness. It was an unnecessary gesture, she fully understood the situation, but it was still a comfort to see a man behave so justly.
In the moments following Saqr's death, silence reigned throughout the room. All too soon, the sound of twenty men drawing their weapons filled the air. Ardeth stood in the center of the room, Saqr's body lying at his feet. Turning, he stared down each of Saqr's men. They'd been sworn to avenge their leader to the death. It was a matter of honor and prestige. Still, they hesitated. When the first man came forward to attack, several others followed, knowing their comrade would fall quickly if left on his own. Seeing this, Rick exploded to his feet, throwing his captors off him. Within a split second, he reached for his pistols holstered at his back and opened fire, guns blazing. Several men standing before Ardeth dropped dead, and the Medjai quickly dispatched of any who remained. Rick saw five men rushing at Ardeth's back. He shot the first two, buying Ardeth just enough time to turn and face them. The next thirty seconds were a blur of action. The sounds of gunfire and clanging steel filled the room, as the furious battle raged. It didn't last long; Ardeth, back to back with Rick, cut down the last of the Bedouin.
Lira was overjoyed; not with the carnage in general, but the relief that stemmed from knowing that not even twenty skilled raiders had deterred the man who now stood before her. A sudden flood of thoughts and emotions barraged the mind that, up until a few moments ago, had thought only of survival; all else had been pushed to the back of Lira's mind, to be dealt with later. Later had come, and one nagging question pushed back all others… who was this man to her? It was only natural to be concerned for a fellow human being, and certainly for one who held her only hope of rescue, but she could not account for certain things. The sheer terror that had gripped her was alarming; the pit of her stomach had turned to rock, and she'd almost forgotten to breathe. Watching helplessly as the raiders rushed at his back had felt like some giant hand ripping her heart from her chest. The relief that swept over her when the stranger had effortlessly dispatched of the attackers had been just as overwhelming.
Now she could only look at the tall, darkly clad man before her and wonder, completely unaware of the way Joshua's gaze flickered between her and the Medjai.
His motion had come so suddenly that she barely had time to prepare. As Ardeth and the stranger surveyed the dead and dying, Joshua lunged forward and grabbed her arm, lifting her roughly from the chair. Lira was about to fight him off, when the cold feeling of a thin, sharp blade, tickled her throat. The stranger, who had been somewhat facing them, was the first to notice this new development, and leveled his pistols at Joshua.
Hearing the guns cock, Ardeth spun around, his dark gaze flicking from one body to the next, looking for the source of the trouble before finally following the line of Rick's guns. Immediately, he laid a restraining hand on Rick's arm, urging him to lower the weapons. Rick complied, lowering his pistols and reluctantly releasing the levers; he would have liked nothing more than to shoot the filthy bastard down, but he knew that in doing so, he would be signing the young woman's death sentence. Not only would he not be able to live with himself if anything were to happen to the girl because of some rash action on his part, but he wondered how long anyone would live if they harmed this particular girl… Ardeth seemed very protective over her… and judging by what lengths the Medjai would go to protect that which they had been charged with, Rick almost pitied the man holding the knife… almost…
"Good show," The blond man spoke, cruel dark green eyes regarding them both with distrust, " but I'm afraid the game's up."
A/N: Well, here's the next installment, though I'm sad to see only Elrowen reviewed, so she's the only person I have to list in this note. Anyway, the contest continues for those who are interested though it appears Elrowen will win through default. If you feel up to it, please review, but as all my begging and pleading doesn't seem to work much, I'll just end this. Chapters will continue to be song titles and the winner(s) will be announced in the Epilogue. Ta ta.
PS: I fixed a glitch in one of my paragraphs that I noticed earlier, I'm sorry the new chapter isn't up yet, but my beta moved and she doesn't have internet yet, so I apologize.
