Pain sliced through Cassandra's chest as she leaned heavily on him, her face was turned sideways so that her cheek touched the rough black material, his arms were wrapped protectively around her back.

"Thank you." She whispered as a single tear slid down her cheek.

"Shhh, conserve your strength."

Careful of her chest and leg Cassandra snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes, she had a hard time relaxing though as they rode through the desert on horses her mind was filled with too many things for her to relax. The man, Khaldun, had called her Hatshepsut, not once, but twice, what did it mean? And what did he mean by past lives? Surely there we're no such thing…. A memory came to Cassandra suddenly, the map in the tent had had a name on it, was it possible that the map and the name the Khaldun had yelled out were connected? Cassandra pushed those thoughts away for inevitably they led to his hands on her; Cassandra shuttered and leaned into the warmth of Ardeth's body.

"Are you okay, Habiibii?"

"Yes." She murmured. "Where are we going?"

"Not much farther, there is a camp, then from there we shall go into a town just south of Luxor."

"I need to go home…"

"Don't worry about it right now, just rest."

She nodded into his robes and closed her eyes once more.

He hadn't lied when he had said they would be at the camp soon, almost 20 minutes after he had said it Cassandra could see tall tents on the horizon, the heat of the afternoon wore off as the sun slid down the sky bloodying the sky and soon the cool of the night swirled around them. They arrived at the camp with people crying out their praise, she wondered who this man who had held her so intimately two nights ago and held her so gently tonight, was. Ardeth dismounted still holding Cassandra in his arms, she didn't struggle as he carried her to his tent and laid her lovingly on a thick pallet, his hand reached to the bottom of her gown, her hand shot out and wrapped around his wrist.

"No." she said with fear in her eyes.

"You check my wounds two night ago, let me do that same for you, Habiibii."

She looked at him with trepidation but loosened her hold on his wrist, he pulled the gown up over her thigh and looked at the horse hoof shaped bruise, it was a discolored purple and blue color and rose up like a welt. Carefully he placed a hand over the flesh, heat radiated from the wound.

"I will get a salve." Ardeth stood and walked to the opening of the tent. "I need salve!" he yelled in Arabic.

Ardeth stepped back into the tent and went to her side pulling the gown further up her body, he sucked in a breath as he looked at the array of fresh wounds, a long cut slit up the left side of her ribcage.

"Stop!" she said, pushing his hands away as he pulled the gown up farther.

"Rohi, stop, I must see all the wounds."

"My lord." Two men stood outside the entrance of the tent.

"Leave the salve and towels at the entrance."

"Sir."

"Habiibii, you must turn on your side."

"Let me do it!" she said when he left and returned with the towels and salve.

"What are you afraid of, Rohi?"

"Nothing!" she said quickly.

"Fine, I will salve the wounds I can see." He compromised.

She nodded and laid back down on the pallet, carefully he dipped two fingers into the salve and pressed the cold potion to the bruise on her leg, she hissed and closed her eyes. Slowly he moved his hand over the bruise, rubbing it into the wound, her leg jerked and twitched beneath his gentle ministrations. Distractedly he moved his hand down her thigh to her knee, feeling her supple silky skin, leisurely his hand moved downward to her calve then to her ankle. Pleasurable ripples drifted through Cassandra, candlelight played over his dark features and shadowed his eyes, his hand moved upward to her thigh once more and massaged the soft inner thigh.

"More." She whispered, forgetting herself.

His dark amber eyes looked at her with indefinable emotions, his hand stilled for a moment before moving to her stomach, dipping his fingers into the salve and spreading it over her lower ribcage. Ardeth used both hands over her stomach, still kneeling at her side, she sat up slowly stilling looking in his eyes.

"Habiibii." He said softly before leaning forward and taking her lips in a kiss. "Don't leave me again."

Cassandra moaned and kissed him back, to be honest she had missed him even after only two days and now all she wanted to do was to fall back on to the pallet and feel him over her once more. She felt his lips trace hers and was assaulted by the memory of Khaldun, she shivered and pushed the memory away, knowing that it was Ardeth kissing her, Cassandra opened her mouth and felt Ardeth's tongue sweep into her mouth. Pleasure burned in her blood, to anchor his lips she gripped the long silky brown hair that curled at the collar of his robes. She stared into his eyes and felt her heart race inside of her chest, his hands touched her waist hesitantly and pulled her calmly into his lap, and Cassandra moaned again and pressed her barely clad body against his.

"More…" she moaned. "… I need more."

With enthusiasm Cassandra ripped the front of his robes open and touched the hot flesh of his chest, Ardeth moaned and tipped back his head to give her better access, she pressed a kiss to his throat just above where his pulse beat. Tenderly she slid a finger around one nipple, the sensitive skin reacted instantly and hardened, his hand slid down her waist to her hips curling each finger into the soft, pliable fabric of her underwear. Another bout of searing white hot pain flashed through Cassandra and she cried out, instantly aware of her pain Ardeth lay her back down, his hands touched her forehead.

"The wound! I'm sorry…" he whispered. "Bandages."

As if nothing had happened Ardeth called for bandages and returned to the warrior that Cassandra had seen earlier.

"Who are you?" she asked with awe, trying not wince at the pain.

"Shhhh." He crooned. "Save your strength."

"It doesn't hurt!" she lied. "I don't need to save anything!"

Pleasure and passion mingled with the painful throbbing in her side, Ardeth smiled and pushed her down onto the pallet taking the bandages from the man who had entered the tent a few moments before.

"Thank you. You may leave." He ordered and turned back to Cassandra.

"It doesn't hurt." She tried to convince Ardeth.

Dark, almost black crusty blood had dried to her skin and the wound had since stopped bleeding but Ardeth was concerned with the pain that still plagued her, carefully he probed the wound. Fresh blood bloomed from the wound but not enough to be concerned about.

"We'll have to stitch it closed." He announced calling for a curved needle and fresh black thread.

"No!" she cried and tried to sit up once more.

"Relax, Habiibii. Everything will be alright."

TBC
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