Authors Note: thank you to my reviews, and I am glad people are enjoying this story! This chapter contains some silliness and comic relief, and Basira and Malik finally begin their journey. Does anyone happen to know how long it would take to get to Jerusalem from Masyaf? Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter, happy reading!
When the stables at the gates of the city came into view, Basira saw Malik already sitting atop a dark steed, waiting for her arrival and she quickly padded down the rest of the dusty path towards the horses.
The young assassin turned as his ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps to see the young healer hurrying down the last stretch of village road towards him. He was somewhat surprised to see a sheathed dagger swinging at her hip but quickly dismissed it.
"I am not too late am I?" she questioned him as she walked around the side of his horse, careful not to surprise the beast.
"No." came his simple reply, and then clicked his tongue.
Basira looked over to see a rather fat looking bay mare sauntering over to her from the shelter of the lean-to stables , and for a moment she worried that the horse was pregnant.
" Don't worry, she wont be havin' any colts out there." came a gruff yet friendly voice; the stout stable man stood up from cleaning out another bays' hooves and smiled at her; wiping his dirty hands on his even dirty pants, and setting his tools on the paddock fence post next to him. "She's just a little pudgy."
"Oh, that's good to know, I was a little bit worried." Basira replied and chuckled as the mare gently her velvety nose into her chest in an act to try and gain her attention.
"She wouldn't be if she wasn't feed so many apples." Malik chided the stable man from atop his horse, becoming impatient.
"Aw, but she's such a sweetheart." came the discouraged reply, and Basira chuckled to herself as she busied herself with strapping her bags on the back of the pudgy mare.
The stout man went back to taking care of the rest of the horses as the young woman finished securing her belongings and supplies. She gave the horse a gentle pat on the flank and moved around the beast to climb up into the saddle. However she found that hoisting herself up onto the horses' back proved to be rather difficult, her robes limiting her leg movement, making nearly impossible to swing herself into the saddle.
Malik watched as the healer jumped up and down attempting to get herself enough momentum to pull herself on top of the horse, though failing each time. It would have been rather comical, jumping up and down, legs flailing this way and that to no avail, but they were already behind schedule. Sighing he quickly dismounted from his horse and hurried over to the now very flustered woman who was attempting once again to get on the horse.
"Alright, up you go, jump." he commanded her when he arrived behind behind her.
"What?" she snapped in surprise not hearing him come up behind her, due to her angry and embarrassed muttering. She turned her head quickly to face him, her hands still clutching at the saddle.
He wasn't quite sure if she was glaring at him because of his harshness or because of the bright morning light, but he was to annoyed to care.
"Jump, I'll push you the rest of the way up." he replied.
"Oh, okay..." came her somewhat hesitant reply as she turned back around and placed her foot in the stirrup once again.
Malik watched as she readied herself and then jump up off the ground, he quickly placed his hand on her buttocks and pushed her upwards, ignoring the rather inappropriate placement of his appendage. Once she was flopped over the side of the saddle he stood back and watched as she clumsily readjusted herself into a sitting position.
Basira muttered as she managed to sit up in the saddle, rather embarrassed by the whole ordeal, she wasn't even upset about Malik having to touch her. She was more so by the fact she had looked like a complete fool in front of the assassin and anyone in the village who was out running their morning errands.
"You might wish to adjust your robes before we head out." she heard Malik comment as he walked back over to his horse who was waiting patiently.
She looked down quickly to see that her robes had bunched up around her thighs, exposing much more of her tanned flesh than she wanted anyone around to see.
Malik watched as she began clumsily shifting around in the saddle expecting that at any moment she would fall off.
"If you keep moving around like that, you're going to fall." he told her as he spun his horse around as if to leave her and head off towards the gate.
"Excuse me, but I would rather not have the whole village see." she hissed as she attempted to swing her legs to one side of the horse.
He was sure she was unaware of the very brief but very lovely view of her backside she had just given him as she finally managed to re-situate herself in the saddle; and even if she did he doubt she would even care at this time due to her frustration. Quickly he turned away, feeling his skin heat up uncomfortably.
"If she wasn't so fat, you probably wouldn't have any problems riding astride." he muttered more to himself as she trotted up next to him.
"Well, now that embarrassing little incident took up a amount of time, shall we start out." she asked, still sounding tense but a little less upset.
He merely grunted in replied, wishing to forget the whole thing and clicked his tongue at his horse and proceed through the gates, followed closely by the young healer.
By late midday the temple had long since disappeared from view, and Basira had since stopped looking back, knowing that it would not be there, even if she wished it to be.
Already beginning to feel sore from riding so long she looked ahead to Malik, who seemed intent on riding until nightfall. Clicking her tongue as Malik had before she trotted to large mare up beside the black steed and gazed over to the assassin rider.
"It would be a wise decision to rest for awhile." she told him softly. "We do not want to wear the horses out, or ourselves for that matter, not in this heat." she added as he looked over to her.
"Very well." was his only reply and kept riding without another word.
A little ways down the beaten road the two companions had steered their horses over to little shaded nook beside a small river and thick brush. And though Malik seemed adamant in his desire to keep moving he welcomed the cooling shade of the brush and an escape from the sweltering heat.
He and his companion ate in silence from the stash of dried fruit and meats they had brought; when they made camp later they would most likely have something fresher to eat but for now what they had would do.
After around an hour they packed up, Malik pleased that this time he didn't have to help Basira up on the horse again, since she had found a good sized boulder near the river bed to aid her. And with that they off again, and once again accompanying them, the insufferable heat of the arid land.
They finally settled down for the night as the sun began to set; Basira just glad to be able rest again, climbed down off the mare and began to unpack a few things as Malik began to gather tinder to start a fire from nearby brush.
Sitting down at the sandy river bed Basira dipped her feet in the cool waters and gazed at the glistening stream, which now in the in approaching twilight looked light liquid sunbeams. She wasn't sure if it was the same river they had stopped at earlier in the day or a different one entirely, but she assumed it didn't matter, and she assumed she didn't care.
Sighing she stood up turning around to see Malik heading towards her, the sword usually at his hip unsheathed. For a moment her breath hitched in her throat and she felt a shiver of fear run down her spine, but she quickly pushed to the back of her mind, knowing her would never hurt her and she chided herself for thinking otherwise.
"Are you fast enough to catch fish that way?" she questioned him as he walked past her and into the cool river waters, not caring that his clothes quickly became soaked with the cold waters.
"Just watch." he replied and gave her a smug smile that caught her off guard.
She obeyed and stood on the river bank quietly not wishing to scare the fish away; watching him stand perfectly still thigh deep in the water, sword poised in his right hand ready to deal a killing blow.
Suddenly he drove the blade down, slicing through the water keenly, in a movement she almost did not see. Her eyes widened in awe as he plucked the blade from the water, with a good sized flailing fish speared on its tip.
"Gods..." he heard her whisper and he couldn't help but smirk.
"That is quite impressive..." she finally managed to say as he waded back to the shore.
"Practice." was his simple reply as he made a move to head towards to fire and prepare the fish but she quickly stopped him.
"You caught dinner, at least let me prepare it." she said and carefully gripped the fish which had since desisted it movement and pulled it from the blade.
He was somewhat surprised at this, he had seen how other women looked when they had to handle raw fish, their noses wrinkled in disgust and their hands trying to touch as little of slimy scales as possible. As he watched her cut off its spiny fins with her dagger and spear it on a long slender stick he supposed she had dealt with a lot worse that. Yes definitely worse as he thought about his arm amputation.
Two hours or so later the sun had sunk below the western horizon and the fire embers smoldered and popped in the small makeshift fire pit as the flames tried to grasp at life. The fish had been somewhat burnt due to the fact that Basira had been impatient and had not waited for the flames to die down, but if was good none the less and Malik was content as he lay on his worn straw mat and gazed up at the star filled night sky.
He heard a slight shuffling to his left and turned to Basira gazing sleepily over at him from her mat on the other side of the fire pit.
"Perhaps you should teach me." she said tiredly and he gave her a confused look.
"Teach you what?" he questioned
"I feel bad that you will be doing all the work, hunting for our meals." she replied somewhat hesitantly. "Perhaps you should teach me how to handle a blade better, so that I might help more." she added, looking away from the fire, unsure if it was from the heat of the coals or the assassins keen stare that made her face feel so heated.
"Perhaps..." she heard him reply. "Though we will not be out here long."
"If you ever become injured I could defend you..." she offered, once again gazing across the dying flames.
He chuckled softly and she frowned.
"I trust you with my life, you have already saved it once, though I am not sure I could put my trust into your skills with a blade, even if I where to teach you, It takes years, not days." he said turning away from from her. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he wished he could take them back mainly the latter, she was only trying to help.
Basira fell silent, and turned away from the fire and the assassin, unsure of what to think, he trusted her but not enough to teach her how to wield a blade. He doubted her strength as a warrior, but applauded her as a healer; and though she should have been pleased that he trusted her with her healing prowess, she couldn't help but think as she drifted off into a restless slumber that she could offer more if he only let her try.