Charlotte rubbed her hand against the cotton of her trousers. It was smarting slightly from where she'd taken her emotionally high frustrations out on her brother. Sure enough Rick, a few steps ahead of her, was rubbing his cheek tenderly.

Well that's what you get for almost getting yourself killed.

Truly she felt a little bit bad about it, he had almost been choked to death and it was pure luck that his neck hadn't snapped when he'd dropped. But then he'd never have been in that situation if he'd just listened to her.

Upon dragging his sorry arse from the desert, after she'd spent hours searching for him in the desolate vast expanse, getting sand in places it she still hadn't managed to remove it from. What did good ole Rick go an do? It hadn't even been a day and he'd gotten himself into trouble, and in a brothel no less. That hardly bared thinking about. Charlie, by no means, was innocent. Innocence was ripped from you as soon as you could run on the streets of Cairo. Some of the things, the acts, she'd seen on sneaking through the dirty back alleys of the streets...one could never forget. But aside from that she still had restraint, she wouldn't go 'looking for a good time' as soon as she got back to a worried sibling who'd almost thought she'd been lost in the shifting sands of the desert.

She huffed a sigh as she pulled her pack more firmly onto her shoulder only to have if snuffled to a perilous position by her companion. Ameer. Ameer was the silver pelted stallion she'd rescued as a colt. A teenaged Charlotte at odd with the world, rebellious of her lowly position of life, hating all who thought themselves better. Her entire life she'd been trodden on by 'the upper class' and almost everyone was upper class compared to her. Young brown eyes, glazed by a layer of hate landed on the staving colt being whipped into submission by its owner. Wild panicked eyes connected briefly with her own as the terrified colt begged wordlessly for a saviour, a saviour it had no knowing was in the body of a young girl.

It was not to be borne. There was a kinship between her and this creature, she felt it deep within her soul. She'd suffered through beatings, suffered through heartless acts but she still had family. This young creature had nothing, its movements as frantic as one with nothing to lose. She had to save it, besides stealing an Arabian colt would just be another strike in her rebelliousness.

Savagely grinning in anticipation she weaved her way to the edges of the crowed, her eyes kept bowed down but never losing sight of her aim in the peripherals. A distraction is what she needed. Finally at the edge she scooted her slim body behind one of the stalls, the owner was bantering a price with a less than gullible tourist. She noted the man was quite obviously British, but the woman with him was not. Perhaps not a tourist anymore then.

The pain braying was so clear to her and it pierced her ear drums. She needed to hurry up. Eyes hooded with the severity of her self assigned mission she scanned the stall, very briefly they glided over a girl child, probably the same age as herself, or at least close to it. There was a strange smattering of exoticness in her otherwise European appearance...hummm she'd do.

Bracing her arms against the wall behind her she spied her escape route and then kicked out the leg of the stall, already sprinting as the trinkets went scattering into the street. Quickly she lost herself in the crowd as they gathered about the shouting couple, child and stall vendor. "Evie would never do such a thing, it its hardly her fault you picked a shoddily made stall...don't you dare...". Their argument faded into the background as he mind focused.

Charlotte was painfully aware she was down a blade, the rope, although frayed, was of good quality and it would take precious time to undo the knot. There was not telling how long the argument would keep the street distracted, but former experienced warned her that time was indeed on the short end. As she weaved towards her target she allowed herself to become aware of those about her. The majority were your average tourist, great for pickpocketing money, but less so for weapons. The Arabs usually had dirty blades hidden but they were slippery customers at the best of times, pickpocketing them was usually a two man business, then of course there were the guards but that was pretty much asking for trouble. Grimly she grinned at an unbidden thought that came to mind, she could try gnaw the rope off like the man in the film she and Rick had snuck into. It was be an amusing sight to say the least but a pretty silly idea.

However, lady luck seemed to be smiling on her, despite the fact she was no lady. There was a man, an Arab, swathed in black clocks so thick it was a wonder to her how he could even breath in the heat let alone stand. His eyes seemed wary, watchful in a way that sent chilled shivered running down her spin, it was untested thieving ground. Charlotte had seen these men from time to time, always dressed in black, they commanded the right of way. Even tourist who were so oblivious to the ways and beliefs of those around them parted for the black swaddled men. Other thieves avoided them, no one wanted to test the waters when losing a hand was on the line. Rumour had it that they beheaded thieves, but then rumour also had it that they branded them...she'd never held out on rumours anyway. She lived by experience, and she was about to gain some.

Even if she hadn't had to squint as the glint of a scimitar glared defiantly into her eyes she would have known he carried some sort of weapon. No one was respected in the streets unless they carried one, and even more so if they weren't afraid to use it. The query now was how was she going to...'acquire' it? There was no time for elaborate plans, the poor colt looked ready to collapse on his shaking stilts, luckily its owner or more accurately torturer was distracted by the still heated argument.

Thievery 101 then, the ole bump and grab with a side of run for your life. It was easily the most played trick in the book, easily spotted when you know what your looking for...if your looking. But if something works then why ignore the results. The man was much bigger than her, someone she should easily be intimidated by, but his size only meant she'd have to shove him harder.

Well no time like the present.

Crocodile tears gathered as she sprinted, a fearful look dropped like a curtain on her face, she'd could probably become one of those actors if she'd had an education and what not. Bracing herself for impact she collided with the man sending them both sprawling to the ground, en route she pilfered his scimitar, concealing it in her baggy shirt.

"Afuan la dajaja." Broken Arabic spewed from her mouth and she was past the point of caring what she actually said, which later she found out to be 'sorry no chicken' no wonder he'd given her that look. Either way she now had what she wanted and she pulled herself up and sprinted to rescue the colt. The scimitar was deadly sharp and cut through the rope like it wasn't even their, gentle she grasped the remain length and pulled the trembling creature into a side alley and back towards home.

Rick had been none to pleased at her antics or the extra mouth they had to feed, of she remembered corrected she'd been lecture about bringing strays home, or at least something to that extent. But it was irrelevant anyhow, she'd promised that she'd take care of the colt herself and she had and still did so. He'd been named Ameer, prince, and he certainly acted the part, spoilt creature.

Coming back from her memories she batted away his snuffling nose. "Ameer stop it, we're almost there you pesky horse."

Rick had strode ahead and was now talking to the Evelyn woman and her brother. Hamunaptra a myth seething in rumours, she scoffed she never did hold much by rumours. Sighing, resigned to her fate to cross the desert with her brother an their new...companions she tugged Ameer forward.

"Come on then, might as well get this over with." Happily she'd avoided the warden, grotesque human that he was and she casually made her way onto the ship, Ameer following with what one would assume was obedience. It was not though, Ameer was not a flightily stallion, where his mistress went he dutifully followed but that didn't mean he had to like where they went. He'd never been on a boat before, the new and strange experience tempered him something that Charlotte was grateful for.

~oOo~

Sunset

The desert sands twisted about her as she rode. The stallions taught muscles quivering beneath her and both woman and beast tried to escape the suffocating sand. She felt like she was drowning in grit, it plastered he mouth like sandpaper and irritated her eyes and unbidden tears streamed down her face. No matter how hard she rode, how frantic the both of them were for survival there was no escaping it. Terrified her breath came in sort gasps but she only inhaled more of the choking sand.

"Help!" Her voice was strangled and pitiful even to her muffled ears.

Sand rose high around them and both horse and rider took their last sand filled breaths.

"Help..."

A hand grasped her own failing one and pulled her to the surface. She was met with a pair of dark brown eyes, the face of her saviour covered by black cloth.

"WAKE UP!"

Charlotte woke with a start tumbling out of the cot onto the floor with a thump. Angrily her eyes snapped to her brothers, but before she could shout her indignation at being woken so weapons were shoved into her hands.

"The boats under attack, we need to get out of here, I need to get Evie...you get Jonathan." Rick was gone in a flash, launching himself out of the door to her room. Great she was stuck with Jonathan.

Carefully she strapped on her arsenal and grabbed her pack, you never knew exactly when you'd be bailing ship. She ran a hand through her hair, musing it, taking a deep shuddering breath. Time to save herself a Carnahan.

Opening the door she almost wanted to shut herself back in again. She had no qualms about fighting to stay alive but she wasn't up for a massacre and bullets were flying in every direction. There was no certainty in the origin of the bullets, it could be the enemy which she had no idea what they looked like or even Rick, who did have a tendency to fire every which way. Ducking she sped through the narrow hall until she bounced against the outer railing. Pistol smoke curled in the air while bright flashes and thundering bangs travelled throughout the confined spaces.

She could hear braying from the stables, but the horses were safe for now, or at least as safe as they could be. The fighting was focused father away from the stables at this point but she would be hyper aware of its positioning from this point onward. It was unfortunate but if it came to Jonathan or Ameer and the other horses, Jonathan was out of luck. She hardly knew him anyway and Ameer was practically family, admittedly of the four legged kind.

With a sigh and a concerned glance back towards the stables Charlie forced her legs to move in the opposite direction to that which her heart wanted her to go. After all her brother did technically owe him a debt, or at least owed his sister and hence owed him. With the stealth and grace of a cat she slinked her way to the bow of the ship and easily spotted Jonathan hiding behind a table with, if the cowboy shootout action was anything to go on, a bunch of fellow Americans. Perfect.

"Jonathan!" Her shout had a bullet flying in her direction and she ducked as it splintered the wood above her.

"O'Connell!"

The warning came to her and she flipped the man behind her, slamming him onto the deck. He wasn't down for long though and quickly grabbed a flaming piece of wood...wait fire. Ducking as the brand swung at her face she kicked out catching the black robed man in the shins. There was a gasp of pain but he man refused to timber. Hissing she drew her scimitar, it glinted in the light of the fire. Although she could not see the mans face his expression was clear through his eye and he shouted at her in Arabic too fast for her to catch the words. She shouted at her again and then his mouth popped into an O of surprise as he fell dead before her.

"There is not place for a woman in battle ma'am." The American shouted across to her and she send a dagger glare at them as the fire caught on a trail of lamp oil. The deck lit up with a violent raw. She was now separated from her Carnahan and painfully aware the fire was spreading towards the stables and Ameer.

"Jonathan jump." Terrified the Englishman looked at her with wide eyes, then to the dark churning waters below him and back. His head shook but with a mock aim of her revolver he leapt into the darkness with a muffled splash. One Carnahan down, Rick dealing with the other and time to save her prince.

Uncaring of the still flying bullets and the choking smoke that brought images of her sand ridden dream to mind Charlotte sprinted over the heated wood. The horses were panicking, she could feel the thumping of stomping feet through the boards, a panicking horse was a danger to itself and she hoped to what ever deity was watching over her that she wasn't to late. She'd never forgive herself or her brother for dragging her into this treasure hunt if she lost her prince.

She rounded the corner with the agility of a cheetah and met a solid wall of black. Her scimitar still in hand she faced him, her eyes weary and worriedly glancing towards the stables. Both were unwilling to attack, both sending sharp glances towards the terrified braying.

"Truce."

"Truce." The man nodded his agreement and they dragged the stable doors ajar. Without even waiting to see what he would do she darted past him and used her scimitar to slash at the ropes restraining the frantic beasts. Their eyes were wild and their mouths frothed with terror. As soon as they were free they horses galloped from the stables until all but one were left. Charlotte reached Ameer at the same time as her temporary ally. Their hands brushed as they tried to grasp the rope to cut it and her breath caught as a large tremor had her tumbling into the robed man.

Pushing the distraction aside she sheared the rope, grasping the free end like she had when she first rescued the silver hued colt and she ran. She sent a furtive glance at the man running beside her and was struck with a sense of familiarity, those eyes...

There was a large bang followed by a wave of heat and she launched herself off of the decking splashing into the water at a wall of flames blasted over head. Two more splashes followed her own and she surfaced to see Ameer struggling against the mans grip. Their eyes connected again and there was a moment, hardly a breath where the world seemed to still about her. But then it was gone and the man with it. Ameer rushed towards her and on reaching him she guided them both to the bank her mind still in tempest over that moment she'd experienced. She knew him...in her heart.

~oOo~

I want to say a big thank you for all the reviews they are all really nice and I do really appreciate them. Its good to know what you think of the story and it helps to keep my motivation up. I hope you like this chapter, I was going to do the whole scene with the arrival on the bank but I thought it seemed suited to end the chapter here. So thanks again and please enjoy.