Sticky-notes work best when you actually use them. I suck at remembering dates until the most inconvenient of times (like in a cinema for 30 seconds) and need to find a way for this pc to send me a reminder, so that I'll never forget 

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Princess of the Nile

Chapter 9 - Persuasion

Emira stirred in her sleep and woke up. For a moment she panicked, forgetting where she was, believing herself to still be with her American kidnappers. Then memory snapped into place and she smiled at her own foolishness. Only for a second though. Chills ran up her body, even though it was a fairly warm night for the desert and she had plenty of blankets to keep her warm. She quickly realised it wasn't due to her being cold, but that something was wrong. She lay still for a moment before slowly pulling herself from her bed, finding out the shirt and skirt she'd worn the day before she changed quickly and crept out of her tent.

It was still dark, with no hint that dawn was approaching soon and she frowned for a moment, out of the corner of her eye she saw movement, and tensed, turning slightly. She relaxed to see it was only a tent flap being pulled back. A Medjai stealthily moved out, a slim hand appearing behind him, holding a scimitar. The Medjai nodded his thanks and close-up his tent again. He turned, saw Emira and quietly made his way over

"Emira." He said quietly "Nice to know your senses haven't failed you in the time you've been away from us." Emira nodded, a puzzled look sweeping across her face. An image flashed into her head, Zameel and a taller friend throwing her into the glistening waters of an oasis for her fourteenth birthday.

"Niu!" she whispered in recognition. The man grinned and clapped a hand onto her shoulder

"Nice to know the memory hasn't faded either." He stated

"You're going to pay for throwing me into that oasis." She told him, the man visibly winced, obviously hoping that she had forgotten about that. "Did you feel it to? I thought it was just because I haven't been here in ages but…" she shivered and drew her arms round her

"Emira?" Niu said "Are you alright?"

"Something's going to happen." Emira whispered "You sense it to, don't you." She looked past him to the other tents, more Medjai were creeping silently from their beds "You all do."

"Maybe you should go back to bed Emira." Niu spoke silently, he wasn't looking at the young woman, his eyes scanning the horizon beyond her "We don't want you getting hurt, and you have no weapon."

"Niu." Emira said threateningly "If what I sense is what you sense, then you're going to be waking up all the women and children to get them into the centre of the village. I'm not stupid, I remember the attacks from before, and I can fight, remember? Just give me a weapon."

"Emir-"

"Niu." Emira cut him off quietly but sharply, her voice allowing no room for argument "Where do you keep the spare scimitars?"

"Amin's tent holds all the spare weapons." He replied, "If you go now, you might just catch him before the attack." Emira nodded, darting round the muscular man and sped off between the tents.

She soon stopped, and a swore mentally at herself, she had no idea where Amin's tent was. Sighing in frustration she wandered slowly around the tents, hoping to see the man in the dark. A hand grabbed her arm and she spun quickly

"Ardeth?" she asked, seeing her friends serious face

"How are you feeling?" he said in reply, his eyes searching her face. She looked taken aback for a moment, before nodding

"I'm alright. Better than before." Ardeth nodded, taking her hand and pulling her along behind him. They stopped outside a fairly large tent and he went inside, reappearing moments later with a scimitar

"You remember how to use this?" he asked, Emira nodded, taking the lethal weapon and testing its weight

"Yes." She said, a small smile coming to her face and her eyes glinting with excitement "Yes."

"Good. Use it. I can't persuade you otherwise." He gave her a brief smile and pulled out his own weapon, Emira started to move off between the tents "Emira.?"

"Ardeth?"

"Don't get hurt." Emira grinned and nodded, a movement so slight it was nearly lost in the dark.

Ardeth watched her go for a moment before striding over to one of the other tents, their was muffled speech from inside, and then Amin came out, nodding to Ardeth, they started across to the others, both ready to fight at the slightest hint.

"Emira's fighting?" Amin asked, Ardeth nodded

"She's well enough." He said slowly "And trying to stop her would be next to impossible."

"She'll be alright." Amin reassured, "If it gets too ugly we can send her back to the women." Ardeth frowned at this

"I hope so."

Next update: 20th May for Chapter 10!