Sorry for it being so short. Couldn't really think of much for this Chappy. Promise there will be longer ones to come.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Would be nice to thought!

Chapter 3: Going Home

"Never a dull moment round here is there?" Jade said as she looked over at Ardeth. "Care to join them?"

"I am sorry little one but I do not dance."

"Ok if you don't want to you don't have to." Jade got up wan walked over to where Rick and Evy were dancing. Tapping Evy on the shoulder she asked: "Mind if I cut in?"

"Of course not. By all means go ahead."

"What about Ardeth?" Rick asked.

"He doesn't dance. Least that's what I've been told." She said as the two of them started dancing across the room.

Outside in the darkness two figures were hiding in the shadows watching the events unfold within.

"Do you think we should tell him now?"

"No we must wait till he is alone. We will let him know then. We do not want to alarm them all."

"Our leader will not like this."

"It is what must be done.

Later that night everyone had retired to his or her rooms. There in his room Ardeth sat ready for bed naked from the waist up. In his lap the book Jade had given him the night before to look over. He was reading through it every now and then pushing a stray strand of his hair out from in front of his eyes.

No wonder this is her favorite book. It has everything, romance, action, and heroes. So somewhere under that tough façade there is a sweet woman. Well you should have known that. You saw that when she broke down in your arms after her dream. He thought to himself.

"At least she sleeps peacefully now." He says to himself as he looks over at her before going back to reading the book in his lap. Minutes later Jade stirred. She sat up in bed tucking her arms round her knees. There under the faint glow of the lamplight was Ardeth totally engrossed in her book. She finally got to get a good look at him. His long dark hair framed a beautiful tan face, mahogany eye, lovely eyes. His mouth could be so animated even when he didn't speak. Just from a look she could pick up his feelings. A neatly trimmed goatee framed it all.

Her eyes ran down his figure. He was very muscular, lean, almost like an athlete. But that she already knew. The fact that his figure was not hidden behind her robes made the fact just that more obvious.

"Enjoying the book?"

His head shot up from the book to see her looking him over.

"Yes, are you enjoying the view little one?"

"Guilty as charged." She said with a grin.

"The door burst open suddenly, both looked in the direction of the door.

" Rick I swear this joke is getting kind of old now. If you think for one minute…" She quieted as two men dressed in dark clothes entered the room. Ardeth jumped from his seat and instinctively put himself between Jade and the men She had placed a hand on his arm as she now stood behind him. He relaxed only when he realized who the men were.

"Tariqk, Ahmed?"

"Brother, you must come back home."

"Yes, there is trouble."

Jade looked confused as she watched this exchange of words. She hadn't the slightest clue of what they said and she had the feeling they wanted it that way.

"Slow down, now Tariqk what is all this about? I asked while I was gone not to be bothered."

" Back home there is trouble…"

"You don't have to speak Arabic. If you are worried about Jade don't be. I trust her."

"As you wish. Brother there are murmurs back home. About you."

"Yes." Ahmed cut in. "There are whispers about an uprising. Not many, but something about you."

"Have any of you heard this yourselves?"

"No brother but…"

"Then it is not to be worried about."

"But it is. The Elders most certainly think it is."

"The Elders? Then it is serious." Ardeth said looking over at the two before him.

"You must return. It is important that you come. You are needed home."

"You know we wouldn't have come had it not been serious. We did not want to alarm anyone else here that is why we waited." Ahmed added as he looked over at the girl who stood behind Ardeth.

"Go I shall leave in the morning. Tell them I am coming." With that the two men turned and left just as Ardeth had instructed.

"Ok they were speaking in English and still I didn't get it." Jade said as she sat down on the couch that Ardeth had been occupying earlier. "Do you mind filling me in on a few things I missed?"

"Yes. Back home there are twelve Medjai tribes. I am the chieftain of al of them."

"Well that must be fun." Jade said with mock sarcasm in her voice.

"You must understand. There has been talk like this before." He said as he knelt down in front of her taking her hands in his. "Never before has it concerned anyone. Just rumors, all of it. But for the Elders to be concerned, and to send my brother and my top general there must be truth to it."

"Yes but why after all this time is it a real threat?"

"I do not know little one. I wish I could tell you." He said bringing his hand up to caress her cheek.

"As I have said. I am to leave in the morning. I promise everything will be fine."

The rest of the night not a word was spoken between either of them and the morning was to come too soon.