Chapter 2

It didn't take Abu long to find Ali. He was, as usual, sitting under one of the few trees scattered along the valley, the single solitary book he owned resting on his lap as he dozed. The little monkey jumped into Ali's lap, trying to get the seventeen-year-old to move.

"Wha-Abu?" Ali stretched and patted the monkey with a pale hand. Ali was one of the odd ones in the group. He had pitch-black curly hair that went around his ears and lightly colored skin that made him stand out all the more against the more tanned of his fellows. It never bothered him, being different, he was used it by now.

"What is it?"

'Aladdin!' The monkey screeched and pointed towards Cassim's tent. Ali followed his gaze and sighed.

"What did he do this time?" Ali stated and stood up. "My brother and his antics." Ali followed Abu down the path back to the campground.

"Dozing again, Ali?" A voice teased and Ali looked over to see his father smiling at him.

"Of course not, father." Ali smirked and Cassim snorted. Ali eyed the men behind his father who were going through the newly acquired goods. "Where did those come from?"

"Merchants." Cassim murmured and Ali nodded. "What has your brother's pet all a bother?" Abu was tugging at Ali's pants leg impatiently.

"What has my brother be getting into?"

"You're brother has recently acquired a new project."

"Oh, really? It's not another wild animal is it?" Ali asked with a roll of his eyes. "The desert fox was a disaster."

"I'm sure this one won't be as much as a problem." Cassim said cryptically and Ali arched an eyebrow.

"All right, Abu, I'm coming." The monkey huffed and ran inside the tent, leaving Ali to look after him with a shake of his head. Ali waved to his father before following Abu inside.

"Aladdin?" Ali questioned and his brother held up his hand. Aladdin was standing in the middle of the spacious tent, his posture tense and his gaze on the corner. "Wha-"

"Don't make any sudden moves, you'll startle him." His brother said and Ali frowned.

"Startle who?" He looked where Aladdin was gazing and he stared in shock. A boy of eight or nine was pressed against the far corner his shockingly blue eyes glaring daggers at the both of them from under his messy, tousled brown hair. "This is a step up from animals, Al."

"Shut up, Ali." Aladdin rolled his eyes. A hiss came from the boy and Ali looked at him. "Told you not to startle him." Ali looked at his brother now.

"Who is he?"

"The merchants left him here with us. They found him alone in the desert. All I know about him is that his name is Alaric, but he didn't tell me that. They did." Ali watched the little boy, touch the tent an odd expression crossing the child's face. "I've tried to coax him out of the corner, but I've run out of ideas. He won't talk to me either." Aladdin nodded down at the boy's ankles. "Dad thinks he might have been a slave."

"That would explain his distrust." Ali nodded. "Have you tried offering him food?"

"I tried to give him some bread, but he all he did stare at me." Ali took something out of his satchel and moved a few steps forward. Alaric growled and showed his teeth.

"Easy." Ali murmured and he held out a shiny red apple. "Are you hungry?" Alaric's eyes watched the apple as Ali waved it back and forth. "Want this apple?" He stepped forward and the boy hissed. Ali got down on one knee so that he was about the same height as the little boy. "Here. Go on take it." He held the apple out as far as he could reach and sat still. A change came over the boy at the sight of Ali at his eye level and he relaxed ever so slightly.

The boy had a stare down with him and Ali realized something in that intense look. The child was accessing him, seeing if he were trustworthy. Tucking that bit of information away, he kept his face neutral. Very slowly, the boy peeled off the wall of the tent and came forward a step.

"Come here, Al." Ali muttered out of the corner of his mouth and Aladdin crouched down beside him. The boy was watching them, curiosity outweighing the fear in his eyes. "Offer him the water again, but look him in the eyes." Al opened his mouth, but Ali spoke over him. "Trust. He wants to see if he can trust you."

"Want some water? You're bound to be thirsty little guy." The boy looked from the water skin to Aladdin and stared him down until the boy visibly relaxed again. Slowly, the boy moved again and reached for the apple first. Ali remained still while the boy's hand closed around the apple. Alaric snatched it from him open palm and snatched the water flask from Aladdin almost like he was afraid they were going to snatch him. The boy went back to the corner and sat Indian style on the floor and began to guzzle the water.

"Take it easy." Al murmured. "There's plenty of water." The boy lowered the flask, set it down and then he held the apple firmly in his hands. The boy turned it over, looking at it like he had never seen it before. Finally he bit into it and after a moment, he began to eat it greedily. When he saw they were staring at him, he lowered the apple and wiped at his chin before turning his back to them to keep eating.

"Having any progress?" Cassim asked and the boys jumped. Alaric ignored them, eating the apple a little less hungrily now.

"A little. I think he trusts us now." Ali began. "He's still unsure though." Alaric turned to them, apple core in his hand and he wiped at his mouth again.

"…Thank you…" He whispered and Aladdin smiled.

"My name's Aladdin and this is my brother Ali and my father Cassim." He introduced and the boy looked to each person before focusing on Cassim. Alaric lowered his eyes and curled into a ball. "It's okay, he won't hurt you." Alaric continued to shy away from Cassim until the older man knelt near him. The boy stiffened. Cassim was closer to him than Aladdin and Ali were and Cassim could reach out and touch him if he wanted too and it made him nervous.

"You're name is Alaric isn't it?" Cassim rumbled. The boy's eyes softened a bit at the name and he gave a small nod. The older man smiled. "Can you tell me how old you are?" The boy frowned and held up his fingers.

"You're eight?" Aladdin murmured in astonishment and the boy nodded. Ali arched an eyebrow. The boy looked too skinny and small to be eight, but then again there was intelligence in his eyes that suggested he was wiser than he looked.

"Where are your parents?" Cassim asked gently and Alaric looked angry.

"Gone." That was the only response he gave and the only one that they were likely to get, so Cassim didn't prod any more on that.

"Well, Alaric, we're going to have dinner in a few hours, you can join us if you like. Ali or Aladdin will show you around-"

"Are you a thief?" Alaric questioned and Cassim blinked as Alaric nodded at the twin knives that were strapped to his back. "You took those from the people I was with. Why?"

"In a way, we are thieves, but in other ways we are not. We never steal from those who are less fortunate than us, unless they come into our borders. Like the people who found you."

"How can they be at fault, when you have not marked your borders?" The boy questioned and Ali's earlier assessment was proven right. Alaric was smart and it seemed he was sharp tongued too. Cassim's eyebrows rose. "Anyone with a lost sense of direction could wander in here. What do you do then? Make them join you? Kill them? Are you murders?"

"Don't question me, boy." Cassim snarled, getting his temper riled. "I took you in and I can easily toss you back out."

"Maybe you should." The boy retorted. "I'm sure that the desert would be a welcome relief to what you assume to be."

"Just who do you think we are?" Ali asked and Alaric narrowed his eyes.

"You live in tents. You have a pet monkey. Are you Freak Show people?"

"No-" Cassim began with a frown.

"Is that where you came from?" Aladdin interrupted. "Were you with those people?"

"No one will be sending you back there." Ali assured him. "We just want to know. How long were you with them?"

"I…I don't know…a year or two." He murmured and Aladdin nodded.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. We aren't like that at all." Alaric wasn't sure if Aladdin was telling the truth, but he did relax a bit. Ali smiled, maybe the boy would get used to being around them after all.

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