Chapter 3

A few weeks after receiving the scarf from Alibaba, Jasmine could no longer deny that she was starting to consider him as a companion if not yet a friend. Having never allowed herself to stay in one place long enough to grow attached to someone the experience was eye opening to the white headed girl.

In fact the two teens were getting along much better now as some of the remaining tension had disappeared after the gift was giving. So much so that Jasmine was considering telling Alibaba about her past and asking to be allowed to follow and stay with him. They were only passing thoughts but they were happening more often then not so she had put more thought into it and came to the conclusion that her desire to follow the blonde fool scared her so she decided that unless something happened she was leaving at the end of the week.

"What! You're leaving." Of course Alibaba didn't take the news well. This was nothing new but a part of Jasmine was pleased that her departure was upsetting the blonde. Not to sure if that feeling was a good thing she pushed it out of mind to deal with the present issue.

"Yes, by the end of the week," Jasmine responded politely but distantly to separate herself from the situation as her heart wasn't into the notion of leaving either but her mind and past experiences was screaming that staying was a bad idea.

"But why? I thought that you were settling in alright," splattered Alibaba trying to mask the hurt he was feeling.

"I was and it nothing against you Alibaba but I'm a traveler and staying in one place is not something I'm comfortable with. I have already stayed here longer then I normally do and I just feel like…" her words failed her as she struggled to express how caged she was starting to feel.

Alibaba face crumbled into a sad expression "Like you should be moving. I understand and I won't stop you but how about we go on one last caravan delivery job together" he smiled widely but Jasmine could detect a hint of anger and pain under the acceptant in his golden eyes.

She accepted the offer thinking that it would be a nice last memory of the boy who was the first to make her reconsider her policy of never staying in one place and of never getting attached to another human being.

A few days later and it was clear Alibaba was going to make the most out of this as he had managed to get them a job delivering supplies to a town a good distant away as the sole caravan driver. The job would last a good two days to and back and allowed them time alone to say good-bye.

The ride to the town was silent and awkward at first as the two occupants struggled with themselves, Alibaba with his selfish desire to stop Jasmine from leaving him alone again and Jasmine with her feelings of being caged with the want to stay and remain by Alibaba's side. It was when Alibaba randomly blurted out "That cloud looks like Budel wearing a dress" that the tension evaporated in sheer bewilderment. Then Jasmine turned to stare at the cloud in question and choked as she tried to repress her laughter, it did indeed look like the fat wine loving marchent. Soon the cart was filled with the hysterical laughter of the both of them as Alibaba joined in when Jasmine gave up on holding in her amusement.

The rest of the ride was comfortable and full of jokes between the blonde and the white head. But still neither of them risked speaking of Jasmine's coming departure even if that was what they really wanted to speak about. So for the day they would merely pretend that everything was fine, something neither of them minded. That night they arrived at their destination safely and spend the night in their caravan.

They were gone the next day after they made the delivery and were payed. On their way back the mood was more serious as they both thought about how to breach the topic they left alone the previous day. But fate was against them at that moment because just as Alibaba seemed to come to a decision and facing Jasmine opened his mouth to speak they were attacked.

The bandits were fast and numerous allowing them to surround the caravan in seconds. Seeing that they were outnumbered Jasmine reached to grab one of the many throwing knifes hidden in her dress when movement from Alibaba made her stop. The blonde had his hands in the air and was wearing his mask of false cheerfulness she had seen him using when dealing with their arrogant noble clients, telling her that he was going to cooperate with the bandits while trying to talk them out of trouble. Not liking the situation she followed Alibaba lead and raised her hands.

"Well well well, what do we have hear? You boy give us all your money and goods," said what was apparently the leader of the bandits to Alibaba. The man approached the cart with a sword in his hand pointed at the blonde.

"Here, this is all we have so we'll be on our way," replied Alibaba with a forced smile handing the bandit the money this job had earned them.

"I don't think so," spoke the bandit having spotted Jasmine and was eyeing her with lust, "hand over the girl and we might decide to sell you as a slave instead of killing you boy."

"What! No you have your money so why don't you be on your way" Shouted Alibaba outraged at the thought of what the bandit planned to do to Jasmine. But as soon as he had protested he was grabbed by bandits.

Meanwhile Jasmine mind had shut down as she heard the threat to the blonde she had grown attached to, and yes she wasn't denying it any longer. Without any care to her own life she threw her knives at the bandits holding Alibaba and killed them. She then proceeded to kill all the other bandits around her, her aim always true.

"Stop or I kill him!" shouted the leader with his sword at Alibaba's throat, the blonde staring in shock at the ruthless assassin side of Jasmine that she hid from him. Dropping the throwing knifes that were in her hands the white head raised her hands. The moment the bandit relaxed his grip on the blonde in his grasp was when Jasmine striked. She threw her hands out releasing two throwing knives older and in better condition then the others, attached by red wires from under her sleeves. Using the wires Jasmine directed the knives to encircle and yank the sword away from the bandit. Alibaba used the distraction to unsheathe his own knife and knocked out the bandit.

Jasmine realizing that she had massacred the bandit in front of Alibaba stared at him in fear as she fully comprehended the situation fully expecting to have the trust she had allowed herself to place in Alibaba be broken. 'This is why I don't get close to people, they always reject this side of me the side that makes me a monster' she thought reaching up to clench the headscarf she had taken to wearing since Alibaba gifted it to her.