I Wish

Disclaimer: Mine and Dragon's. We wrote this as a collab. No use without permission. You get the idea by now.

Warnings: Severe blush factors. Angry men..

To Dagger: You asked about the amulet. I found it kind of funny because that gets answered in this chapter.

Morgan: As for the question of if she gets with Rami..I can't say but you know, they do seem to like each other.

P.s: The plot thickens hm? There are other people at work here, no?"

Read on..Enjoy

Starfyre

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“Find them! They didn’t just vanish into the desert!” Akhbar was furious. How could they have just disappeared without a trace? Not even the nomad was capable of performing such a magical feat. There would have been some sign, but the men were just to dumb witted to find anything. “Find them now or I will see to it that the sand swallows you as well!”

“We may all get swallowed!” Baquir yelled. “Sand storm!” He pointed to the North East. “It’s coming in hard and fast!”

“Something or someone doesn’t want us hunting them! This is a bad omen, Akhbar!” Basel turned his back so it too the beating of the wind. “We have to get to cover, now!”

“Curses,” Akhbar spat. “Make shelter, and be quick about it!” Something didn’t want them hunting these people? No, there was more. There was something protecting them. Perhaps they had come across some magical charm or relic. There was just too much going in their favor for them not to have such as a protection charm. Whatever it was, he vowed that it would be his. Somehow, it would be his, just like the girl.

“Ride now!” They hurriedly brought the horses around. “Race the storm. Get to that pass! The rocks will shelter us!” Baquir pulled Akhbar up as he galloped by.

Men scrambled. They wouldn’t be able to find their way back to the caves after the storm wiped away the trail. It was a calculated risk in orders to save them selves from the storm. Inside the caves, the men heard the wind buffeting against the caves.

“By Ala!. A sand storm.” Badawi smiled. “The gods have seen fit to protect us! Praise Ala!”

“A sand storm out of no where?” Leon raised a brow. “It does seem sudden, does it not, Abdel?”

“Perhaps not,” Abdel said, smiling. “These deserts can be quite unforgiving and hazardous. Fate fortunes not the fool.” Abdel smiled. “The sands shall see to it that our tracks our quite well hidden, should anything remain.” He turned, facing Leon and Badawi, his hands behind his back. “Perhaps first we should see if there is water to be found. Unless these caves lead to the city, we perhaps might be in here for quite some time.

“There is water here. I did not bring us here just for the caves alone.” Badawi motioned the two to follow him. “Please follow me.”

“Badawi?” Leon nodded to Rami. “Rami, You can go rescue Kitten from what ever cubby you have her in now.”

“I will, sir.” Rami chuckled, walking away.

“Right behind you, Sir,” Abel said. He waited until they were heading away. He continued the motions of his fingertips. A sandstorm was easy, and easily explained. Water, that would have been something else. Luckily he didn’t have to worry about it. And the magic had been low enough that the other hadn’t even noticed, nor would he be able to detect it. “The sand storm should pass quickly. Perhaps twenty minutes or so. Always moving, the waves of the desert.”

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“Hmm..” Kitten did another small spin as she looked in the mirror. She was looking at her self in a loin cloth type half skirt and top. The Harem girl outfit was still on her though. She seemed to like the way it felt on her. “Still like this outfit better.” She said to her self.

“Are we enjoying ourselves” Rami asked, Kitten appearing before him, posing. He glanced down at the Harem cloth clothing she was dressed in. “Interesting choice of wear. It looks most appealing on you.”

“The Harem outfit?” She chuckled. “Or the magic mirror loin cloth. I think I like the purple and black Harem outfit.” Kitten turned, a soft curl dancing over her cheek as she did. “And ..you. You just put me somewhere and left me. There wasn’t even so much as a note or something saying you will pay me back some how. Anyways..where are you keeping the amulet?”

“I can see them both at the same time, don’t forget.” He tilted his head from side to side, her clothing changing. “Both are rather fit for you, though personally, I like the loin cloth better.” Rami smiled. “And I did tell you that I was protecting you, did I not? I couldn’t have done that without sending you here while I was helping out there.” He had been rather quick about it, though, not telling her what he had in store. “As for the Amulet..It’s right here.” He pulled open his shirt so that his rather built chest showed. “See this mark.” He touched his heart. “I kept you close so I could never lose you.” He smiled. “And now..the sarcastic Genie bit.” He chuckled. “You wish amends for this? How might I serve, mistress?” He bowed to her.

Tossing a pillow at him, she laughed. “For one, don’t call me mistress.” She stepped closer. “And for two, give a little warning next time.” Kitten smiled, letting her hand come up and touch his side. Her fingers traced over the shirt material softly. “So, since you’re here. I assume things are okay? No one died. Every one is okay?”

“Yes, all is well. No one died, at least not from fighting. There was a sandstorm that blew over us just as we made it safely inside. I do not know for sure if the bandits fared as well as we did.” He glanced down at her hand on his side. “Next time, I will give a little warning, …Kitten.” He glanced back up. “And we should be heading back, your father is worried about you.”

“When isn’t he worried about me.” Kitten smiled, holding his hand. “I was worried about you both.”

“There isn’t a moment when I am not thinking about you.” Rami held her hand in return. “Let us go.” He didn’t want to but her father would eventually come looking.

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“Daddy!” Kitten ran up and hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“My girl.” Leon held her. “It seems a sandstorm came and saved us from the attack.”

“Why were they chasing us?” Kitten pulled away. “I don’t understand.”

“They were after something specific, I believe.” Rami stepped forward. “Though it is only an opinion that I have. No one knows what they were after, really.”

“They are raiding bandits. They make their living by robbing the caravans that travel through the desert. The desert leaves no trace of their crimes.” Abdel nodded. “Though I would agree that there is something quite specific they are after. The Sultan would have made an easier target, yet they seem to have gone specifically after us.” He glanced first at Kitten, then back to Leon. “Perhaps something that we have been carrying with us?”

“Or someone.” Leon reluctantly said. “Kitten....”

“What?” Blinking, she stood back beside Rami. “No...not me. I am not worth chasing a full caravan group for.”

“That is only your opinion, Kitten.” Rami smiled. “You are much more special than what you seem to think.”

“I would have to agree. These men prize women as they might be traded for goods they need and are unable to acquire by other means,” Abdel replied. “Someone such as yourself is quite rare around here and would be considered very valuable. Perhaps they are after other things as well, but I would say that you would be their primary objective.”

“So what are you suggesting we do?” Kitten asked.

“We have to split up.” He hated this. Leon clenched his fist, shaking his head. “We have to split up a small group. You with them and the rest another way. Perhaps draw attention away from what ever way you are going. We will meet in the main city of Riyadh.”

“Daddy!” Kitten didn’t like this either. “I can’t leave you!”

“You have to!” Leon calmed him self. “Rami...You take kitten and two of our fastest horses. There has to be a way through these caves. We will, meanwhile, set up a decoy and ride the slightly longer tail. Hopefully, they will go after us, thinking that we wouldn’t dare split the group.”

“A risky tactic, but I so no other alternative.” Abdel glanced around, turning to Kitten and Rami. “Go, quickly. We must hide your route, and the storm outside is perhaps over already. It is only a matter of time before they discover the entrance to the caves if they are quite determined to find us. We have very little time.”

“Come on Kitten.” Rami nodded to Leon. “She will be safe. I swear it.”

“Daddy..” Kitten was literally being pulled away by Rami. “Daddy!”

“Now, lets find a slender enough man to wear her traveling cloak.” Leon said as he walked off.

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“We lost two men in that storm, sir.” Baquir said as he performed another head count. “And the trail is completely covered. The sand is too thick to even get our horses through. We are stuck going back and around to even get out.”

“They are going to head towards the City. I would bet anything on it.” Basel shook the sand from his clothes. “They think the cities will protect them. And the closest one, aside from the small trading city, is Riyadh.”

“So that is where we need to head.” Baquir had to agree with Basel this time.

Akhbar nodded. They quarry had been to fortunate in their luck. They would be expecting them to follow, perhaps having some surprise waiting. “We will not fall for their little trap this time. Rouse the men, we head directly towards Riyadh. We leave as soon as everything is packed.” He turned, looking over the valley. “You have only delayed the inevitable,” he said to no one in particular. “It is only a matter of time.” He turned to his brother. Perhaps it was wise that he not be so blinded by his prize until he fully held it within his hands.

“Right.” Basel shook his head as he walked off to get the horses. “Lets go! We ride to Riyadh!”

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Meanwhile

“Rami..” Kitten rode beside him. “We can’t leave them. I thought you weren’t going to listen to my dad.”

“I told you before. I would listen when it was important and you..you are very important.” Rami glanced at her. “To him and me. He said go and we will go. Just as soon as we are out of range, Our horses will fade and ,once again, we will ride upon the carpet.”

“But what if they attack my dad?”

“I doubt they will. Your father is a very wise man but he has one flaw to his plan. He is thinking like a normal merchant in one aspect. Everyone seeks protection in the cities. The bandits are sure to know this. They will most likely leave the group alone and head straight for the city.” Rami took a quick peek around. “And I do not intend to make it that easy for them.”

“Rami.” She blinked, falling back onto the carpet. “Okay, you seriously have to warm me before you do things like this.”

“Sorry.” He chuckled, scooting beside her. “And up into the air we go.”

The flying carpet whisked them up, high into the sky. Rami wasn’t about to use regular methods of travel when it was just the two of them. With it just being them, he didn’t have to conceal his magics so much.

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“You worry about your daughter?” Abdel asked. “Do not be worrying, I feel that she is quite well. It would be better to concentrate on our own predicament and safety.” Abdel glanced behind them. He hadn’t heard any signs that the bandits were following, nor had any of his little triggers been activated. There was no one following them. Why did that make him feel so uneasy? He did not reveal his feelings though, as too much insight would start to raise questions. “Quickly, we must head to the city by all means necessary. Badawi, is there a way we might hasten our journey?”

“Through the pass of Ala. But it is dangerous to trek if a sandstorm hits. There is no protection.” Badawi was already taking them towards it. “It will have us in the city by the end of three days instead of six.”

“Then we need to take it.” Leon looked forward. “I am sure that Rami knows the short cuts as well. They will be there. But I have a bad feeling about the bandits being there too. I didn’t think about it when I was making the plan. Running to th city is a normal merchants tactic. These bandits are well acquainted with merchants.”

“Are you suggesting that we do the opposite?” Abdel asked. “Start acting differently, throw them off the trail? If they are thinking of what we are going to do before we do it, then is it not wise that we start to think and act differently so as to avoid any traps they might have set?”

“Yes..but how to tell Rami that? We could double back and go to the small trading city that is south of Riyadh.” He sighed. “That would have been better to tell them.” Leon hated him self for thinking like a normal merchant. “I guess, even though I am an American man, I still act like an Arabic trader.”

“We could send Eyab’s hunting hawk.” Badawi suggested. “It could easily track them.”

“That seems logical,” Abdel said. “And do not feel bad of yourself, Mr. Gryshorn. You have spent much time here and of course would be thinking as such.” He felt the same about himself, he should have realized it much earlier. “There is still time enough to make certain that whatever plans they had do not become us or your daughter.”

“Then lets do it.” Leon nodded to Badawi. “Go do what you do.”

“Yes sir.” Badawi halted the group as he rode back towards Eyab. “New plans!”

“The hawk can scent her robe...or something.” Leon prayed rather hard. “I know Arabic men do not value their daughters but...she is my only child. She is the last thing that her mother gave to me before she died. I swore I would care for her, from the very minute she was placed into my arms.” He looked down. “Her mother died when she was only three days old.”

“Do not fear for your daughter, Mr. Gryshorn, Sir.” Abdel held up his arm to the hawk, having been chosen to act as the decoy as he was the smallest one amongst the group. “You have done quite honorably by your wife’s memory. I do not think that she would have any complaints.” He glanced at the hawk, clicking his teeth slightly, inaudible to human ears. Though the message would be understood, directions on exactly where to go and get there safely and as quick as possible.

“Go with the wind, good hawk.” Leon watched the bird take off. He had a small note tied to his leg, which Badawi scribbled down very quickly. “Fly swiftly!”

“He is a good hunter and flyer.” Badawi came back over. “Eyab sais he has never let him down before.”

“A faithful companion that shall remain steadfast as ever,” Abdel said. “And it is time that we also be on our way. The longer we linger here, the further ahead our pursuers get.” He nodded to Badawi. “Lead us on most quickly.” He glanced back the way they had come, a few whispers carrying on the air. He wouldn’t be able to directly affect them, uncertain of their whereabouts, but he might be able to slow them down a bit and disrupt them.

“We ride!” Badawi held his hand up. “Through the pass of Ala and to the south.”

“Kitten will be okay.” Leon said it more for him self than anyone. “There is a unique quality about Rami. I trust him to get her there. I trust him with her.”

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A/N: Hi!

Me again.

Love it? Hate it? I know I like it. But I know how it ends..lol

Anyways..There's the review link. You will love your selves more if you leave a review.

Laters

Starfyre