Chapter 6

The sun hadn't come up over the horizon yet when Ardeth awoke. He lifted his head to look over the camp and saw a different warrior on guard and the rest just starting to awaken. He then looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms, wondering that she was still snuggled up to him. He could now see that her hair was reddish gold, a colour very seldom seen in his part of the world. He lifted one hand and gently touched her face with his long fingers, marveling at the softness of it. She began to stir as he continued stroking her cheek.

"Elizabeth," he whispered softly. "It is time to awaken."

She sighed softly as her eyelids fluttered open and she found herself face to face with the handsome warrior. She looked into his dark eyes and then blushed as she realized she was in his arms. She panicked for a moment as she pushed herself away from him and sat up. She looked down and saw her robe was still on, but it had opened slightly at the top, revealing more skin than was proper. She closed it up and re-belted it securely before she looked at Ardeth again. When she did look at him, she saw the amusement in his eyes and a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He didn't say a word to her as he got up and put his scimitars back in his sword belt, then moved on to speak with his men.

Elizabeth wished she had a basin of water to wash up in, and sighed as she thought about her lovely bath in the oasis the night before. She couldn't wash, she mused, but she could do something about her hair. There were loose strands everywhere, so she unpinned it and let it down, using her fingers as a come to work out the knots.

The sun had just come up over the edge of the horizon, throwing its first rays of the day out to the earth, bathing everything in a warm glow. As the rays fell on Elizabeth's hair, a few of the warriors stopped in awe to watch her. Ardeth looked at his men in puzzlement and turned towards the source of their shock. He gave a quick intake of breath as his eyes fell on Elizabeth. Her hair was long, almost to her waist and the sun shining on it made it glow like the reddest sunset. That, combined with the whiteness of her robe, almost made her look like a goddess of old.

Elizabeth was oblivious to the warriors staring at her as she proceeded to deal with her unruly hair. When she finally became aware of how quiet the camp had become, she looked up and saw six pairs of eyes staring at her. She frowned and looked all around herself, trying to figure out what they were staring at. Finding nothing, she gave Ardeth a questioning look.

Ardeth turned to his men and barked an order at them in Arabic. They quickly went on about their business as he came over to Elizabeth and squatted down in front of her. "The colour of your hair is seldom seen in my country. All their lives these men have only seen dark hair."

"And you?" blurted out Elizabeth.

Ardeth looked at her hair thoughtfully. "The only other colour of hair I have seen is yellow, on some of the foreigners. But never have I seen the colour of fire..." He reached out and touched a length of her hair, bringing it forward and letting it slip through his fingers.

Elizabeth kept very still as he touched her hair. She was still a bit afraid of him but more than that, she was mesmerized by him. He was unlike anything she'd ever encountered before, and she wasn't sure how to take him. She watched his face as he played with her hair, observing the look of wonder on it. His eyes suddenly focused back on hers, and he stood up quickly. He looked at her for a moment, saying nothing, then walked over to his men. She exhaled, and quickly piled her hair back on top of her head. She stood up and watched the men for a moment as they put their bedrolls away, then she walked up to the top of the dune to see what she could see.

Ardeth and his men made short work of packing up. Keeping one eye on his captive, he rolled up his bedroll and secured it to the horse. He walked his horse up the dune to Elizabeth. "It is time to go," he said, and mounted his horse.

Elizabeth looked up at him blankly. "Am I supposed to walk the entire way?"

"No. You will ride behind me. We can gallop faster that way."

Elizabeth panicked. "I can't ride behind you!"

Ardeth frowned. "Why not?"

"Because my robe will fall open if I straddle the horse. I must sit sideways!"

"We have no time to lose. Climb up behind me now. You can tuck your robe under your thighs."

Elizabeth stubbornly refused. "That will expose most of my legs!"

Ardeth began to get exasperated with her. "My warriors do not care. They have seen a woman's legs before."

"Well, they haven't seen mine and I prefer to keep it that way." Elizabeth couldn't figure out what was making her so perverse about this situation, inciting his anger this way over something so trivial. But she folded her arms across her chest, intending to stick to her decision.

Ardeth had never had a woman argue with him before and, as it angered him, it also stimulated him. But he knew something that would make her obey him. He leaned down to her from the height of his horse and said, "Either you get up behind me now, or I will tie you onto one of the pack horses naked."

Elizabeth's eyes went wide at the threat. "You wouldn't!" she whispered. But one look at his intense stare told her he would. She swallowed her pride, dropped her arms down to her sides and reluctantly moved towards the horse. Ardeth kicked his foot out of the stirrup and leaned down to grab a hold of her arm. As carefully as she could, she stepped into the stirrup and heaved herself up behind Ardeth, arranging her robe to conceal as much of herself as possible, which wasn't much. In order for her body to stay completely covered, she had to hike up the length of the robe and sit on it, exposing most of her legs. She was glad she sat behind Ardeth so he couldn't see the embarrassment on her face. He turned his head sideways to make sure she was ready and caught sight of her bare legs so close to him. He faced forward quickly, yelled something in Arabic to his men, and they set off at a great speed.

Elizabeth had to hang on to Ardeth's waist to keep from bouncing off as the horses thundered across the desert. They kept up this speed, resting the horses every so often, until the morning turned to early afternoon and the sun was at its hottest. Elizabeth shook her head at herself as she remembered how angry she had been with Clive for riding so hard. That was nothing compared to this. Her body was aching from holding on in places that she didn't even know she had muscles. The sun beating down on her uncovered head made her scalp feel like it was on fire. The monotony of the pale, endless dunes began to wreak havoc on her eyesight. She longed to see a building, a motorcar, rain clouds, anything else, besides the sand and sky. She finally got her wish as they came upon a watering hole, merely a single palm and a covered well, but at least it was something different. Ardeth decided to stop here for a brief meal and to water the horses. They cantered up to the well and the warriors dismounted, quickly uncovering the well and drawing up buckets of water for the horses.

Ardeth dismounted also, intent on helping the men, but when he looked back to check on Elizabeth, he found her face flushed and her eyes half closed. He cursed himself for his stupidity. He knew she wasn't used to the desert heat and had pushed her beyond her endurance. He quickly strode back to his horse and held out his arms. "Swing your leg over and fall into my arms."

Elizabeth didn't answer him as she rubbed the back of her neck, her head weaving from side to side. She was hot, tired, and thirsty, and couldn't seem to concentrate very well. She wanted to close her eyes and sleep.

"Elizabeth," said Ardeth sharply.

"What?" she mumbled.

"Let me carry you over to the shade where you can rest."

"I can walk myself," she replied, a bit of her defiance coming through her delirium.

Ardeth was patient as he answered her. "You do not have any shoes on. The sand would burn your bare feet. Swing your legs towards me." Elizabeth didn't argue anymore and brought her legs to one side. "Now, put your arms around my neck." She did that, as she slowly fell off the horse and into his arms. She rested her head on his broad shoulder as he carried her over to the single spot of shade, provided by the lonely palm tree. He set her feet down on the sand and held her upright. "Hold on to my shoulders and stand for just a few minutes longer," he said softly.

Elizabeth had no idea what he was doing, and didn't care for the moment, she merely closed her eyes, thankful to be out of the glaring sun. A ripping sound made her eyelids fly open as she felt a yanking on her robe. She looked down and saw that Ardeth had drawn his dagger and was ripping her robe horizontally at the knees, and all the way around her. "Wha-what are you doing?" she asked in confusion.

"I am making you a turban to keep the sun off of your head," he replied as he finished cutting her robe. He then made her sit down and he wound the fabric around her head, fastening it back into itself. When he finished, he looked at his handiwork and grunted, then walked back to his horse to get his canteen. He brought it back to where she was, squatted down next to her, and opened it. "I want you to drink this slowly."

Elizabeth looked at it, then back to Ardeth. "Doesn't the captive merit fresh water?" she snapped.

"If you drank the cold water, you would experience terrible pains inside and possibly, the water would come right back up. I want you to sip this warm water like you sipped your tea. Very small amounts." He saw the look in her eyes and quelled the uprising before it started. He held her chin in his hand as he spoke. "Do not fight me on this Elizabeth. It is for your own good."

Elizabeth faltered under his powerful gaze and took the canteen from him. He removed his hand from her face and she lifted the canteen to her lips, sipping a very small amount of water. He stood up and smiled down at her. "Good. I will bring you a small amount of food in a short while, after you have cooled off some more." He walked over to help his men water their small herd.

After a few moments, Elizabeth felt a little bit better, and she took the opportunity to observe Ardeth closely. He was devastatingly handsome in his dark looks. He had a very commanding presence and he moved with all the gracefulness of a jungle cat, his long legs covering the ground in smooth strides. He was taller than the other warriors, his long neck coming up from his broad shoulders. She knew from experience he was strong, as he had held her in his arms several times. She listened as he gave an order to his men every once in a while and found his deep voice soothing, not grating. She closed her eyes, remembering that voice from the night before low and sensuous in her ear, much more pleasant than Clive's whiney voice. In fact, Ardeth was a considerable improvement over Clive, even if he was a foreigner.

She frowned as she thought of Clive. He would undoubtedly find a way back to Cairo and wait impatiently for her to be returned. She felt pretty sure that Ardeth's intentions were honourable, but did she want to go back there? What would she be going back to? An unwanted marriage with a horrible man, a life of misery in a gloomy countryside estate. How could she escape it all? Where could she run? She considered her limited options. If she ran away from Ardeth, he would hunt her down and bring her back, of that much she was sure. Besides, she didn't know the desert like he did. But maybe she could talk him into taking her to a different city instead of going back to Cairo. Or maybe he could take her straight to a port and she could catch a boat to another city or country, anything to get away from Clive. She could wire her parents for money...no, she thought, that wouldn't work either. Her parents would tell Clive where she was and he'd come after her. Basically, she was stuck, unless she was willing to give everything up, her family, her fortune, her home. She shook her head at herself, knowing she could never leave her family. She sighed in frustration as her thoughts whirled out of control.

Ardeth busied himself with watering his horse and seeing to his men, trying to get Elizabeth out of his head. She was so different than any other woman he had ever encountered before, in personality and looks. She was stubborn and defiant but still listened to reason. She hadn't complained about her situation as a captive, the heat, or the uncomfortable ride across the desert. She took it all bravely, much more so than any other woman would have done. And her looks...he was still haunted by her moonlit bath from the night before, and the glimpses of her legs from today didn't help any. She had held on to him tightly as they rode across the desert and he'd had to keep a firm hold on his desire as he felt her body move against his back. He had thought that his passion for her was simply the unreleased urges from yesterday. Yet deep down, he knew it was the beginning of something deeper. He could admit that much to himself. He looked over at her now, observing that her face had lost some of the redness from earlier. She was looking down at the sand, lost in thought and frowning. He walked over to his horse and took some food out of his saddlebag, then walked to her.

Elizabeth looked up as Ardeth walked up to her and sat down in front of her. He had something in his hands, and, as she watched him unwrap it, she noticed it was food. Suddenly, she felt hungry, as she realized she hadn't eaten anything since the night before. He held it out to her and noticed some dried fruit, dried meat and a chunk of bread. "I want you to try and eat some of this," he said gently.

She took a piece of the dried fruit and bit into it. It was dry but good, and she washed it down with a sip of water. She reached for a small piece of meat and chewed on it while she watched him eat. She studied his face for a moment, having never really seen him in the daylight before. He had a high forehead with thick, dark eyebrows, dark brown eyes with long black lashes, a long, straight nose and high cheek bones. His moustache and beard were neatly trimmed, framing a large mouth with a full lower lip. His turban covered most of his hair, but it was long, and black, with the curly ends coming down to his shoulders, covering his ears. Her eyes traveled downward and she noticed his Adam's apple protruding from his long neck. She lifted her eyes back up to his and found him watching her in amusement. She looked down, blushing, as she concentrated on finishing her light meal.

"Do I pass inspection?" he asked with a smile.

Elizabeth looked up at him, hoping he didn't notice her blush. "I was merely wondering, what those marks on your forehead and cheeks mean?"

"They are ancient symbols of honour, reserved for the descendants of the royal guards to the pharaoh. When a boy passes to manhood and becomes a warrior respected by all, he makes the sacred oath of service and receives these marks. I wear these marks of honour, like my father before me, and his father before him."

"I see," she replied as she lowered her head.

"Do you?" he inquired.

Elizabeth looked up at him. "We have the same type of thing in England, only they're called knights, not warriors. Our knights don't get tattooed but they receive a title from the king himself. It is a thing of honour, almost like the markings you wear."

"Does your future husband have this 'title'?" asked Ardeth coldly.

"No, but his father does."

"So you marry the son of one who has received the honour. Does this make the son honourable?"

Elizabeth wondered where this line of questioning was going. "No, it does not make Clive honourable," sighed Elizabeth.

"Then why did you agree to marry him?" pressed Ardeth.

"Because at first, he was different. He was kind, and loving, fun to be with."

"But not now."

Tears filled Elizabeth's eyes as she looked away. "No, not now."

"So he pretended to be honourable until you agreed to marry him. Now, he is not. Yet you stay with him."

"I have no choice," whispered Elizabeth, the tears of frustration spilling down her face.

Ardeth reached out to cup her face, bringing it back to him. "I did not mean to make you sad." Elizabeth could see the concern on his face and suddenly felt silly for letting him see her cry.

She wiped away her tears and smiled. "You didn't make me sad, I'm just ...frustrated over the situation. I'll fix it somehow." She gazed into his eyes, trying to put on a brave front.

Ardeth saw the effort she was making to be strong and he had an overwhelming desire to hold her in his arms. Neither one of them said a word but they could both feel the electricity in the air between them. Ardeth moved his thumb to her mouth, lightly stroking her lips, trying to control the desire building inside of him.

Elizabeth sat as still as a statue, her heart pounding wildly, as he touched her lips. But it wasn't fear that made her heart race. She realized she was attracted to him. She gazed at his partly-opened mouth, wanting him to kiss her with his full lips.

Ardeth's hand moved down the side of her neck and then around to the back of her neck. He felt no resistance from her as he slowly brought her towards him. Their faces were within six inches of each other's, when one of Ardeth's men yelled over to him. Ardeth broke away from Elizabeth, releasing her as he did so. He stood up and gave her a long look before turning away.

Elizabeth put her hand over her fluttering heart as she watched him walk away, taking several deep breaths to calm herself. She was surprised with herself for reacting to him the way she did. He had almost kissed her and she had welcomed it. She hadn't let Clive kiss her until they'd been going out for a month. What was wrong with her? She put her hand to her head, as she felt a little dizzy. Maybe it was the heat. She looked up to see him leading his horse over to the well. Maybe it was more, she pondered.

Ardeth dropped the reins of his horse by the covered well and walked back to Elizabeth. He held out his hand to help her stand up. "Come. It is time to go." She stood up and he picked her up once again and crossed to the well. He set her down on top of it, and then mounted his horse. He moved his horse as close as possible to the well and Elizabeth scrambled up behind him. Ardeth gave the signal and they rode off into the desert.