The amount of love you all have for Samir is amazing, I never could have imagined that happening. He was suppose only have a small part in this story...but he really wiggled his way in there, didn't he?

Thank you all for the kind words and well wishes, it means a lot to me.

Hope you will all enjoy this new chapter.

Elisabeth wasn't a hundred percent sure where she was. Her bed didn't feel the same. It wasn't as soft and it smelled different too. But the amount of pillows and cushions surrounding her head was something she could get used to. She opened her eyes and the first thing she looked at was the ceiling. It wasn't made out of wood, nor were there any drapes hanging from her canopy bed. In fact, this hardly resembled the type of bed she was used to.

Sitting upward she glanced around the room letting the memory of yesterday fill her mind. She was with the Medjai tribe, safe and sound in one of their tents. How could she have forgotten that? Her body ached, as well as her head. Everything felt stiff. Reaching up, she touched her face and flinched when her fingers stroked the cut in her cheek. It was still sore, but not as bad as how the rest of her.

It seemed the sun was already up, shining it's way through the beige coloured fabric of the tent. Why was she still here? Hadn't Ardeth promised her that he would wake her as soon as the dawn had come? It was clear that he hadn't. A heave feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, could this mean something had happened to Samir?

Elisabeth threw the cover aside and quickly got up from the thick and sturdy futon she'd been sleeping on. She began to search for something she could wear, other than the silken robe the young woman named Yara had given her. Her own clothes were long gone. Yara had thrown them out. Her current outfit was anything but decent compared to the clothes the other women wore. Could she really head outside looking like this?

"For heaven's sake, what does it matter." She exclaimed under her breath grabbing a random khayamiya from the floor.

Normally this large pieces of fabric were used to decorate the in and outside of tribal tents. But it would suffice as a makeshift garment for now. Throwing it around her shoulders, hiding as much as she possible could, Elisabeth made her way out through the front of the tent.

It was quiet, with no guards guarding the entrance. Elisabeth had expected them to still be there. They had been last night after Ardeth left her to have a meal and some well deserved rest. She was relieved she didn't have to deal with those broad shouldered Medjai now, but there was still the matter of finding Samir's tent.

To her recollection, the guy who had carried her had walked in a straight line. Only considering what she was currently seeing if front of her, that had not been possible. It seemed her tent was sort of tucked away between a couple of others. Had it been like this yesterday? Despite all the different colours and patterns, she couldn't recall what Samir's tent looked like.

Not willing to give up, Elisabeth began her quest to locate her friend. Initially she thought it was going to become quite the task to find him. But the longer she walked, more like dragged herself forward, the more she noticed how some tents differed from one another. The shapes were all the same, but there was a distinction the patterns drawn on the fabric as well as the size.

The largest and most round tent stood at the end of an open space. Immediately she reckoned this was where she had stopped and gotten off Sawsan yesterday. As she stood there at the edge of the clearing, she scanned her surroundings and noticed two familiar faces standing in front of the larger tent. Elisabeth wouldn't claim she was a genius, but she was no dummy either. There was no doubt in her mind that behind those two she would find Samir.

Only she knew there was no way they were going to let her inside and even if they did, they would probably alert Ardeth before she would be allowed in on her own. She was not in the mood to see the Medjai chief, especially after he had failed to keep his promise to wake her. Glancing over her shoulder, Elisabeth walked back and circled around the inner tents until she arrived on the other side of Samir's tent.

There was no way of telling if he was there and she also didn't want to alert or scare anybody who might be with him. So the woman dropped herself on her stomach and lifted the bottom of the tent to peek inside. Luckily she didn't have to look far for her friend. He was on his back and only a couple of feet away from her. But the way he looked worried her immediately. His skin had lost its colour and she could even see tiny beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.

As quick as she could, Elisabeth wiggled her way forward crawling underneath the tent making her way inside. Hopefully nobody had seen her. Thankfully nobody else was in the tent, except for Samir. Within two seconds she was at his side. Placing one of her hands on his chest, she blinked her eyes which were beginning to feel rather warm. His breathing sounded better, thought still rather rapid as if getting air into his lungs took a bit of an effort.

"Samir?" She said.

Unlike yesterday, Samir responded this time. He turned his head and slowly his eyes opened.

"Zahrah?" He breathed.

"Hello." Elisabeth smiled but her voice cracked as she spoke. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmm." He gulped and licked his lips. "Better."

She didn't believe it. Furrowing her brow she moved closer and leaned over him, carefully moving the cover away from his shoulder. He'd been stabbed in the soft tissue between his chest and armpit. Any further down the other end and who knew what could have happened. Elisabeth didn't want to think about it. However it would seem that Samir had been properly patched up, for she couldn't see the wound, nor any blood trickling through the bandage he was wrapped up in.

The urge to pull the blanket down even further entered her mind, but she knew Samir would probably not appreciate it if she did that. Even if it was only meant to check the rest of him. After all, she'd seen him get kicked in the stomach. She had no idea of the man who'd treated him had realized this.

"You?" Samir's voice was soft, but still had that rough edge to it.

"Me? How I'm feeling?" Elisabeth asked and he nodded.

She wasn't feeling alright but could she tell him that? She wasn't hurt, not compared to him. Her body was bruised and burnt from the sun. The pain on the outside would pass soon enough with rest and time. No, it was on the inside that hurt her so much more. Seeing Samir like this, transporting him across the desert while he was on the verge of possible death. She knew he would tell her that none of it had been her fault, but why did it feel like it was?

Her bottom lip quivered and she buried her face against his chest as soft sobs escaped her. Samir didn't say a word. He couldn't even if he wanted to. He'd never seen her like this. With what little strength he'd managed to gather overnight, he rested his hand on her head and rubbed her hair with his fingers while closing his eyes.

Samir wasn't really sure what happened after leaving their camp in the desert. He remembered sitting on Sawsan, with Elisabeth in front of him. Her voice buzzing in his head, not being able to make out what she'd been saying. In all honesty, he had thought that was going to be it. That he wasn't going to make it and neither would she.

The two of them riding through the dunes and large sand hills on the back of his horse. Riding until the sun was set high in the sky and fatigue and thirst would take the upper hand and death would claim them. Dying together, just him and her.

Only death hadn't come and they were still alive. Although Samir didn't feel very much alive. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, it was something he'd never experienced before. Not like this at least. Somehow getting shot wasn't the same as having a knife plunged into your body. With a bullet you knew your fate rather quickly, but not with a blade it seemed.

Finally Elisabeth turned her head to look at him. "I thought you were going to die." She whispered.

She wasn't the only one. He had thought so too. The upper right corner of his mouth twitched. "Never."

"You'd better not. Who will I be able to annoy then?"

It was a lame joke and she knew it, but she had no idea what else to say. What was there to say? Living her life without Samir being there? She couldn't imagine it and she didn't want to experience it either. She moved backwards and sat up straight causing Samir's hand fell down her back.

"Don't,-" He muttered.

"Don't?" Elisabeth repeated leaning closer towards his face.

"Stay here."

She had no intention of leaving. Elisabeth honestly didn't care if anybody found out she had managed to sneak past everyone and crawled under the tent in order to get to Samir.

"I won't." She assured him.

Samir let out a shuddering breath. It was comforting having her here with him. A pleasant distraction to take his mind off the pain. He liked how she fussed over him whenever something bad happened to him. Like that time when she knocked him out of a window. But that had been different, because he hadn't been on the verge of death then.

If he had known that this was going to happen to him, he definitely wouldn't have made that promise to her back in Cairo. The promise that he wouldn't try to kiss her again unless she asked him to. He was starting to think that day was never going to come. Samir had known her for five years now and in those years he had never seen her go after another man.

Of course he wasn't around her all the time, but she never even talked or looked at other men in his presence. But he had seen her use her charm on others. It was her weapon. Persuasion, the use of words, different personas. She could take any shape or form in order to get what she want.

But the way she was now, the way she always was when she was with him, that was her true self. Clumsy and a little rude. Head-strong and stubborn. Caring and even a little insecure. But most of all straightforward. Never afraid to speak her mind.

He watched as Elisabeth shifted in her spot and she sat up straight. Her eyes were a bit puffy from having quietly cried on top of him. Samir couldn't help but smile a little.

He was fully aware that she told him she didn't love him, not in the way that lovers did. Which was the main reason why he had made that promise of not kissing her unless she wanted him to. But he was beginning to wonder if perhaps she didn't really understand the meaning of the word love or what it felt like to be in love.

"Zahrah?"

She turned her head towards him. Her blue-green eyes locking with his. "Yes?"

Samir wanted to move, but his current condition was prohibiting him from doing so. It was clear this was not the time for him to be doing that which he wanted to do. So instead, he moved his arm and searched for her hand. Luckily she caught the hint and placed hers on top of his.

"Do you need something?" She asked, her brow furrowed.

He stayed quiet on purpose, taking his time to linger in this moment. Looking at her, watching her concerned expression shift into confusion. If this was not love, then what was it?

She searched his eyes. "Samir?"

"Anti gameelah." He let out a deep breath. You are beautiful.

Elisabeth didn't remove her hand, but her face revealed a little shock at his unexpected comment. Her cheeks felt rather warm all of a sudden. Flushed. She licked her lips, ready to reply yet it had been such an out of the blue response that she sat there stumped. However she wasn't given a chance to reply at all. A familiar voice sounded from the front of the tent.

"Miss Borchardt."

Ardeth stood in the centre. Neither Samir nor Elisabeth had heard him enter and they both wondered how long he had been standing there, watching and listening. The woman leaned back and swallowed the lump which had formed in her throat. If her face hadn't been red enough already, it was surely even worse now.

She had to gather herself. Coming here without telling anyone suddenly seemed like the least of her problems. Her eyes flicked to Samir, who couldn't really see his brother properly from his current position. He was obviously unaware of the fact that Elisabeth had sneaked inside from the back, instead of entering through the actual entrance.

"How are you here?" Ardeth stared at her with great surprise.

The guards were positioned out front. How had she managed to get past them without noticing? He lowered his eyes and stopped once they caught sight of his younger brother and the German woman's hands resting on top of one another.

"How did you get past the guards?!" He asked.

"Magic." Elisabeth retorted.

"Allah,-" Frustration was written all over his face.

When Ardeth had gone to her tent earlier it had been empty. Except for a rather distraught Yara, who had no idea where Elisabeth was and searched high and low. Apparently looking here had slipped her mind, but not Ardeth's. He was fairly certain that this was where he would find her. Despite moving the guards from her tent to his, she still managed to get inside.

He'd moved them this morning at sunrise, while Elisabeth had been asleep. He watched her sleep peacefully, surrounded by a pile of large cushions. Instead of waking her, like he had promised he would, he decided it was for the best to leave her be. After what she'd told him about the attack, followed by their journey through the desert, getting rest was something she very much needed.

But it now seemed that she had taken matters into her own hands the moment she woke, going to his little brother herself without waiting. If he had known she was planning on doing so, he would have kept his promise of waking her.

"Alright, I'll tell you. I crawled inside." She finally answered.

Ardeth arched an eyebrow. "You crawled?"

Elisabeth nodded, turned her head and nodded at the khayamiya behind her. A colourful and elaborated patterned piece of fabric decorating the inside of the tent.

"I only had to lift it a little and was able to wiggle my way under there. Obviously I managed quite well."

He pressed his lips in a tight line. The way she'd done it was simple and efficient. Out of sight from the eyes of his people. Ardeth could only imagine what it must have looked like. He cleared his throat, as well as the image out of his mind.

"I think it's best if we let my brother get all the rest he needs, while we discuss other matters." He then said stepping closer to them.

Glancing down, he noticed Samir still looking rather pale. He was not out of danger yet it would seem. In fact, he looked worse now compared to this morning. But Ardeth couldn't say that out loud. He didn't want to worry Samir nor Elisabeth in case he was wrong.

"Please." He added, raising his head and catching the woman looking at him.

Thankfully, she didn't object. With one final look at Samir and a gentle reassuring squeeze on his hand, Elisabeth stood up and walked towards Ardeth, who moved aside to let her go on ahead. The Medjai chief then turned around and crouched down next to his brother.

"I'll sent for some food. You need your strength."

"Akhi..." Samir sighed and took a moment to catch his breath. "Don't let her go."

"Go?"

"To Cairo." His chest felt tight and he winched a little.

Ardeth wasn't sure why Samir was asking this of him. Not that he had any plans on sending Elisabeth away. The thought hadn't crossed his mind once. In his defence, there were more important matters to deal with. His brother's well-being being the main one. Wherever the woman wanted to go was the least of his concerns.

Then he remembered, the reason why Samir and Elisabeth travelled along the Nile and through the desert was because they had been on their way to Cairo. But not once had he stopped to ask why that had been exactly. Why travel on horseback when they could have taken a paddle steamer? What was so important that made them come to that decision?

He knew Samir couldn't provide him with answer. Talking drained his energy. No, there was only one other person who could give him an answer. Elisabeth Borchardt. Yet a small voice in the back of his head told him it had to do with the American. Ardeth clenched his fist and smiled at his brother.

"I will not let her out of my sight. She shall stay here."

Samir nodded slowly, happy with the answer. He closed his out and let out a deep breath. With one final glance, Ardeth stood back up and headed to the front of the tent.

Once he stepped outside, he immediately searched for Elisabeth. But she wasn't there. Ardeth made his way into the clearing and looked around. Where had she gone off to? He told her there were things the two of them needed to discuss, had he not? Clearly that did not mean she could go wherever she pleased.

He was about ready to turn back and order the guards at the tent to search for her, when he spotted her a couple of feet away from his tent and she wasn't alone. There was somebody else with her. Small of stature, but standing proud, making it seem as if she was someone of importance. Which she was. Her name was Dalila and she was one of the most respected people of his tribe. The mother of the chieftain. His mother.

Ardeth relaxed at the sight of the two women conversing together, although it seemed Elisabeth was having a bit of trouble understanding the older woman. It would seem the questions he had for her would have to wait. The chance of getting her away from his mother was one not likely to happen soon.

Thank you for reading! Would love to hear your thoughts.