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Clive and his men rode throughout the day, finally stopping to rest as the sun set on the horizon. Many times during the day, Clive had turned to look behind, half-expecting the Medjai to ride after them, but no one followed. He smiled to himself as he came to the conclusion that the Medjai chief wasn't as interested in Elizabeth as he had first thought. He taunted Elizabeth with this information as they set up camp. "Well, it looks like your desert lover doesn't really love you after all. He only wanted his son, which is fine by me," he sneered as he pulled her roughly off of the horse. Elizabeth turned to him, with hate in her eyes. "He will rescue me, I know he will." Clive laughed evilly. "Don't be a fool, Elizabeth. He has his own people and a son. He can marry one of his own little village wenches to be a mother to your son now. Hmmm," he said as an afterthought, "some of those desert blossoms were quite lovely, too. Tell me, Elizabeth, what's it like to lay with someone of a different culture?" Elizabeth refused to answer his needling and turned away from him, trying not to let him get under her skin as she looked back towards the direction they came from. Clive noticed where she was staring and got angry. "He won't be there, so stop looking for him!" He jerked her arm as he pulled her towards the small camp that the men had set up. He threw her to the ground by his bedroll and walked over to his men. Elizabeth sat on the ground, rubbing her arm where his strong grasp had hurt her, and closed her eyes, offering up a quick prayer that Ardeth would find her soon. She knew he would come after her, of that she had little doubt. But she was afraid, afraid for Ardeth and afraid for herself. Clive was beyond any reasoning and she knew it wouldn't take much before blood would be shed. She watched as the men finished setting up the camp for the night, building a fire to ward away the coming chill of the desert night air. They prepared a small meal, and Clive brought over a plateful of food for Elizabeth. "It's not exactly Buckingham Palace, but we'll soon be back to the land of good manners," he said as he sat down next to her and handed her a plate. She took it from him and ate in silence, putting on an air of non-chalance at his close proximity to her. Clive noticed this and tried to make conversation. "We'll also get you some proper clothes. What you're wearing is hardly decent," he said, his eyes running over her body. "Or maybe that's the point. These desert people are savages, given over to their animal lust and primitive instincts." Elizabeth's temper got the better of her and she finally spoke. "The only primitive one around here is you," she snapped. The other men laughed at the dialogue between the two foreigners, infuriating Clive to no end. He threw his plate down on the sand and stood up, grabbing Elizabeth up with him. "So I'm the primitive one? Maybe I should show you just how primitive I can be," he said lecherously, as he began to run his hands over her body. Horrified by his intention, she stepped back in alarm and put her hands up to ward him away. "Clive! No, not here, not in front of the men!" "Why not, Elizabeth? They're used to this type of thing, it goes on in Cairo all of the time," he said, bringing her roughly back in his embrace. She squirmed, trying to get away from him, but to no avail. "Please, Clive, I beg of you...!" "Yes, I think I would like you to beg, but not for release." He whipped out his knife and held it up to her face, making Elizabeth freeze in terror. "Now, hold still," he grated Elizabeth stood completely immobile as Clive slowly circled around to her back. Her heart pounded in fear as she felt him slide the blade down her back, cutting through the material of her blouse. Clive came back around to her front side, slipping the knife back in its sheath. "Now, let's see what got that black devil all hot and bothered, shall we?" He grabbed a hold of the front of Elizabeth's blouse and in one jerk, ripped it from her body. Elizabeth reflexively crossed her arms over her bare chest, but Clive had other ideas, as he grabbed her hands and held them down to her sides. He began breathing hard as he gazed at her naked torso. "You've hidden yourself well from me, Elizabeth. I would have never guessed that our conservative English clothing would conceal so much potential pleasure," he purred. Elizabeth's cheeks were flaming with embarrassment as she saw the circle of men watching her, their own lust gleaming from their eyes as they gazed on her naked chest. Clive's voice brought her back to him. "I can't tell you how much I'm going to enjoy this." She began to struggle against him, but it was no use. His grip was like a vice that held her firmly in place. The men laughed at her feeble attempts to free herself and the raucous sound made her shake with fear. She closed her eyes in anguish, and screamed when she felt his mouth close around one of her breasts. The Medjai rode at a good pace throughout the day, knowing the route that Clive would take back to Cairo. Ardeth checked their pace, not wanting to catch up to Clive until nightfall, so that they wouldn't be seen. The sun had gone down and the desert was dark on this moonless night, providing ample cover for the men in black. They rode on until Ardeth spied firelight in the distance. He pulled up his horse to a walk, and the Medjai rode quietly closer to the camp. They had to keep their distance until they were ready to move, so as not to alert the other horses at the campsite. Ardeth divided up his men, letting Hamid take half of them on one side, while he took the rest around a low sand dune that partially blocked Clive and his men from view. When they got to the other end of the dune, they could clearly follow the action in the camp. Ardeth watched, the fury building within him, as Clive forced Elizabeth to her feet and stripped her blouse off of her. He forced his anger aside, and let the cool detachment of battle fill him. He signaled his men to be ready, having given them their instructions earlier, and waited for the right moment to strike. That moment came when Ardeth heard Elizabeth's scream of terror, as Clive put his mouth on her naked skin. He gave his battle cry and the Medjai rounded the sand dune from both ends and swooped down on Clive and his men. At first there was chaos, as the startled hired men ran for their guns, but the Medjai had the upper hand and quickly contained them. Ardeth jumped down from his horse, intending on rescuing Elizabeth, but Clive pulled out his gun and grabbed Elizabeth around the waist, using her as a shield. Everything came to a stand still as the two proud men faced each other. "Let her go, or you will surely die this evening," warned Ardeth. "I will die? I think you've got it all wrong. If anyone dies tonight, it will be you...or her," he said, tapping the muzzle of his gun against Elizabeth's head. "Look around you. We have your men in our control. There is no one left to help you." Clive laughed. "You can have my men! All I need is the thing that will make you keep your distance." Seeing that they were at a stand still once again, Ardeth tried a different tactic. "Since we both want the woman, I suggest we fight for her, man to man, no weapons. If you can defeat me, I will not follow you anymore." Clive looked at him warily, trying to find a trick in his offer, for Clive was good at hand-to-hand combat. "How can I trust you?" he asked skeptically. "You have the word of the lord of the Medjai." "And if you defeat me...?" asked Clive. "You will return to your country, never to bother Elizabeth again." "Simple as that, eh?" "Bloodshed is not always the way of the desert," stated Ardeth. Clive lowered his gun but didn't let go of it as he considered the dark lord's offer. He wanted to be free of this black devil and knew there was a good chance that he could kill the desert warrior by brute strength alone. "All right, we fight man to man." Ardeth removed his turban, sword belt and over-robe, as he stripped down to just his pants and boots, looking magnificent to Elizabeth as the firelight flickered over his muscular chest. Clive put his gun back in the holster and tossed the ensemble aside, rolling up his jacket sleeves to his elbows. Ardeth noted that Clive didn't remove any clothing and questioned him. "Do you fight with your clothes on?" he asked. "I'm not the animal you are," sneered Clive. Elizabeth knew the truth and began to warn Ardeth. "Ardeth, he's..." Clive whipped around and backhanded her across the face, knocking her to the ground in a daze. Ardeth's temper flared up and his voice was pure steel as he spoke. "You will regret that." The two men began, as they circled each other, looking for an opening. Clive made a feint to the right, and came up swinging his fist towards Ardeth's face. Ardeth blocked the punch, and returned one, connecting solidly with Clive's jaw, sending him reeling back with the force of the blow. Clive shook his head and rubbed his jaw. "Round one to the black devil," he grated out. They began circling again slowly, and then with a sudden burst of speed, Clive ran straight for Ardeth, tackling him to the ground. In one smooth move, Ardeth dropped down on his back, kicking Clive up and over his head to land flat on his back in the sand. Ardeth jumped up, ready to attack Clive, but Clive was just as quick to get up. Clive swung at Ardeth's face, but Ardeth dodged the blow and countered by grabbing Clive's arm, twisting around, and throwing him over his shoulder. Clive landed flat on his back again, but kept a hold of Ardeth's arm and pulled him down on top of him, quickly rolling over so that Ardeth was underneath him. Clive got both of his hands around Ardeth's throat and began to squeeze. Elizabeth slowly came to and caught her breath as she saw Clive squeezing the life out of Ardeth. She watched as Ardeth was able to bring his foot up and shove Clive backwards, freeing him from his grasp. Ardeth began to get up, but Clive came right back at him, tackling him flat on the ground, very close to the fire. Ardeth could feel the heat of the flames on his face as Clive began to choke him again. Ardeth reached up and put a strong grip on Clive's throat, which left the two men in a deadlock. Clive began to cough against the pressure on his throat, and realized that he would need a little help to kill the man that had made the past five years miserable for him. He kept one hand on Ardeth's neck and reached his right hand to his back, whipping out his knife from under his jacket and holding it above his head. "Ardeth!" screamed Elizabeth. Ardeth looked up into Clive's eyes. "You have no honour. You are not a man," he spat. Clive smiled wickedly. "That's right, old boy, and you know what? I don't care. The main thing is, I will have won. I'll get my fiancée back and bring about your death, the two things I want most right now in my life. And I always get what I want." Elizabeth, having forgotten her half-nakedness in her fear for Ardeth's life, looked around for something to help him with. She saw Clive's holster off to the side and crawled over to it. She pulled the gun out and cocked the hammer back. "Clive!" she called out. Clive, the knife still raised high in the air, turned to look at her, as did Ardeth. "Elizabeth, put the gun down now!" snarled Clive. Elizabeth sat up on her knees, her hands trembling as she aimed the gun at Clive. "Let him go or I'll shoot!" Clive laughed. "Elizabeth, you don't have it in you to kill! Not like I do!" Clive turned a gleeful expression back to Ardeth, secure in his victory over the dark lord, and began to bring the knife down. A loud report stopped him in mid-swing, as he felt something hit his chest and knock him back a few feet. Startled, Clive looked down and saw blood pouring from an open wound in the center of his chest. He looked over to Elizabeth and saw her kneeling in the sand, with smoke rising slowly from the muzzle of the gun. "Elizabeth...," he croaked in shock, and then he fell backwards onto the sand, exhaling his last breath. Ardeth got up, and went over to Elizabeth, kneeling down to hold her close as she began trembling violently. He removed the gun from her shaking hands, while she sobbed against him. He stroked her long hair as he murmured gently in her ear. "Shh...Elizabeth, it is all right now." He lifted her face up to his and saw the ugly bruise beginning to form on her cheek where Clive had struck her. He sighed in helplessness at it and held her close. They sat there together while Elizabeth tried to get herself under control. Zuhn scowled at the way things had turned out. He had been certain that Clive would have killed the leader of the Medjai, but instead, he had got himself killed by his own woman. He slipped unnoticed back into the darkness of the night where his horse was, and drew forth his crossbow, intent on taking out the leader of the Medjai himself. He stood behind the horse and took aim. One of the Medjai warriors noticed Zuhn and cried out. "My lord!" he yelled, putting himself between Ardeth and Zuhn, just as Zuhn fired the crossbow. Ardeth looked up as the arrow buried itself in his warrior's back, knocking him face down on the ground. Hamid and another warrior rushed over and took custody of Zuhn, bringing him around to face Ardeth. Ardeth left Elizabeth's side and rolled the fallen Medjai warrior over, after removing the deadly shaft. The warrior's breath came in wheezing gasps, for the arrow had pierced his lung. He looked up at his chief, his eyes starting to glaze over. "My lord is unhurt?" his hoarse voice rasped. "Yes," replied Ardeth softly. The warrior smiled as his eyes rolled up in his head, drawing his last breath. Ardeth put his hand on the warrior's face. "You will be avenged," he promised. He stood up and walked over to Zuhn, looking at him coldly. "You have just brought about your own death. May you be prepared to face Allah this night." Ardeth gave a look to Hamid, who bowed his head in acquiescence to the silent command. Ardeth looked over to where Elizabeth sat, still huddled on the ground, hugging her arms across her chest as she shivered from shock and the chill night air. He picked up his over-robe, sword belt and turban, and walked over to her. He placed his robe around her bare shoulders and helped her stand up, holding her for a moment, before lifting her chin up to gaze into her eyes. "Come. It is time to go home." Elizabeth nodded her head wearily and let Ardeth lead her over to his horse. He slung his sword belt over the back of the horse and stuffed his turban into the saddlebag. He helped her mount first and then climbed up behind her. He gave one last look to Hamid, and then brought his arms around Elizabeth, one to grab the reins and the other to hold her to him. He clucked to his horse and they cantered off into the night. When they had traveled a fair distance from the campsite, Ardeth slowed his horse down to a walk. Elizabeth leaned back against his broad chest, reveling in the feeling of being within his strong embrace again. After a few moments, she spoke up. "Ardeth, what will happen to those men?" "They will be punished for what they have done," he said simply. Elizabeth thought about that for a second. "You ordered their deaths?" she asked softly. "Yes." Ardeth waited for Elizabeth to object, but she sat silently in his arms, so he continued. "They murdered my guards at the village, kidnapped you, attempted to rape you, and murdered one of my best warriors just now," he explained to her. "I would do no less for any one of my people." As barbaric as it seemed, Elizabeth knew that Ardeth was justified by his customs and the law of the desert; for there was no law. That his people had a system of checks and balances was an amazing thing within itself. "So, what happens now?" she asked. "We go home. You and I shall marry and have many more sons, to raise them up to be the next generation of Medjai warriors." She turned her face to look at him. "You persuaded the council?" she asked hopefully. Ardeth grimaced. "No, I did not persuade the council. But what happened here tonight just might," he said softly, almost to himself. "I don't understand," began Elizabeth. Ardeth smiled at her and bent his head down to kiss her lightly on the lips. "You will." He turned his attention back to the invisible road before them, while Elizabeth snuggled back against him, content to wait and see what he meant.
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