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       #Post#: 986--------------------------------------------------
       These Arms Of Mine
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: June 15, 2012, 10:44 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I seem to be getting worse with these banners; they're going
       downhill, a lot haha. I hope you don't mind, but I just threw
       two pictures next to one another, added quality to the colour,
       added a little blur and gave it a banner. I would make another,
       but the only important thing is that you know who the characters
       are and stuff :] Ardeth you know already, but the woman in this
       one is Shae :]
  HTML http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa285/Danisvampiress/Untitled-11.jpg
       #Post#: 988--------------------------------------------------
       Re: These Arms Of Mine
   DIR By: Maggie Flannery
       Date: June 15, 2012, 6:06 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Ooh I love the banner! It's simple and to the point :D and the
       song I've actually never heard before and I dare say you've
       turned me on to something new :D I can't wait to start reading!
       #Post#: 991--------------------------------------------------
       Re: These Arms Of Mine
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: June 16, 2012, 8:17 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I'm glad you like the banner :] I didn't want to spend too much
       time fussing over creating one as I usually do cause thats how I
       end up not starting the story until a week later haha. I'm not
       so sure about that song I posted anymore, it's a bit too upbeat
       for this story. I may change it when I post the first chapter
       and a link will be included (minus the video), if that's okay :]
       Scratch that last bit, I've chosen already hehe! and I have
       changed the title. Have had this song on repeat all afternoon
       and it suits now.
  HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqVrNK4uiB4
       #Post#: 997--------------------------------------------------
       Re: These Arms Of Mine
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: June 17, 2012, 3:43 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       After paying the man half of my piasters, I shrugged and went on
       my way, reluctant to cause a scene on such a scorching day. If
       it was unbearable for me with the thin material I was wearing, I
       could only imagine how hot these locals must be.
       Sighing in defeat at the lacking weight of my coin bag, I heaved
       myself up onto the camel with the help of a few men. It was
       quite a tall camel, but I hadn’t complained. The man looked at
       me with a smile as I mounted the creature and informed me that
       this particular beauty had not been given a name; he instructed
       me to do so.
       I thought long and hard for a number of minutes before coming up
       with the perfect name.
       “I shall call him Sandu” I said proudly.
       The man whom had sold him to me clasped his hands together in
       delight. He then smacked the camel’s rear end lightly and off I
       went on my journey. I had forgotten to ask how long my ride
       would take, not wanting to be driven into a blistering heat in
       the middle of the desert with no means of turning off course.
       The heat was already beginning to burn the muscles beneath my
       skin, though not the skin itself, which I found odd immediately.
       Not pressing on the matter, I gently nudged the camel’s sides
       with my ankles and he sped off over the dunes.
       Much to my enjoyment, the light breeze adorned my features in a
       blanket, protecting me from feeling too dizzy with the hot
       weather. I beamed, though unaware.
       Sandu slowed his racing a short while after as we made it over a
       pretty large dune. I had to give him credit for pulling himself
       up with both me and my bag of belongings riding on his back. I
       patted a small black splodge on his nose to indicate a job well
       done and in doing so, he craned his neck back and nuzzled my
       hand before continuing on.
       Smiling at the delightful creature beneath me, I scanned the
       width of the desert and my mouth dropped open, not expecting it
       to go on forever as it seemed to. Surely, we had to be at least
       halfway there by now.
       Sensing my worry over the already darkening skies of the land,
       Sandu picked up his pace and was once again racing at full speed
       in the direction he knew we were going. What an incredibly
       beautiful, intelligent animal. If I returned to the city of
       Cairo alive, I would be sure to ask about keeping this wonderful
       companion of mine. Though we had only known each other a short
       amount of time, he seemed just as keen to remain pleased with my
       company.
       “Sandu, you don’t need to run anymore, I think I see the city
       already” I said, slowing him down.
       He stopped galloping almost straight away and I figured the poor
       boy was very tired and in need of rest. But the problem was, we
       couldn’t possibly take a break in the middle of nowhere. I
       jumped down off his back, pulling my bag of belongings over my
       shoulder, to give him a bit of freedom from his possible achy
       back. I patted his nose once more and grabbed his reigns.
       As we both tread along through the thick sand, me cursing every
       once in a while at the sand rubbing my poor toes into astounding
       pain, a glimmer of light twinkled from the corner of my eye. I
       turned my head in the direction of the strange sparkle and
       gasped at the sight before me. On a high dune, a short distance
       to my left, stood what had to be at least twenty odd men on
       horseback, covered from head to toe in black robes.
       The men’s faces were impossible to decipher given the masks
       shielding them. I turned my attention back to where I was
       heading and pulled Sandu along a little more quickly this time.
       He did not object. He simply nudged my arm every once in a while
       with his nose, telling me he was thirsty and we had to hurry.
       This camel was certainly one of a kind. I smiled to myself as we
       approached the entrance to Hamunaptra. It was exactly as my
       cousin Evie had described it, she hadn’t missed a single detail
       when she’d told me of her adventures with my cousin Jonathan and
       her now soon to be husband Rick. I was in complete bliss at the
       surrounding area before me. Words could not suggest what it
       meant to me, being in such a wonderful place and having the
       freedom to explore.
       In that sense, I had always been like Evie, daring and brave
       with a need to find out every last little piece of information
       there was hidden in the depths of our desires. I released my
       hold on Sandu’s reigns and he trotted off in search of water and
       shelter. I didn’t mind. My only need at the moment was to take a
       look around the place.
       “Ah, what a beautiful city this must have been” I spoke quietly
       to myself.
       With my focus intent on finding a little bit of ancient
       treasure, I rushed toward an opening in one of the chalk
       coloured stone walls and cursed at the darkness around me. I
       couldn’t possibly walk around here without a little bit of
       light. My hands felt along the walls for a few minutes until my
       right hand brushed against something incredibly soft. I smiled,
       despite myself. Then it did something I did not expect; it
       breathed.
       Panic coursed through my veins as I bolted a few feet away from
       it and ran for at least a half hour before believing I had lost
       whatever it was. Though, I had not heard the footsteps of anyone
       or anything chasing me. Perhaps it had been undead. The thought
       disturbed me. I hadn’t considered the consequences of coming
       here alone, no one to protect me from danger but my camel.
       I had to smile a little at the idea of my new found friend
       battling enemies for me. Maybe I should return to the outer city
       and try to find some form of weapon before building a fire.
       Turning to my left, I saw no way out. Turning to my right, I saw
       no way out either. I cursed, again, I seemed to be doing that a
       lot lately. Scolding myself, I turned on my heel and heading
       back in the direction I’d come from. My footsteps were repeated
       somewhere ahead of me, but the sound was a little faded.
       The echo of my own noise bouncing off the walls and back to me
       had to be the only explanation. I would not allow myself to fear
       this place more than I already did.
       I spotted the opening I had raced through before and was ever so
       happy to see a little light at least, anything was better than
       the pitch black, cold and damp from in here. Just as my entire
       body stepped under the warm light of sunset, two hands grabbed
       my arms and pulled me back against the stone building.
       I struggled, of course, until a voice whispered into my ear. My
       eyes had shut automatically in fright and I could not see who my
       attacker was.
       “You should not be here. You must leave at once” a silky voice
       spoke gently.
       My knees almost caved beneath me, until I opened my eyes. Before
       me stood a devilishly handsome man, though I could only see his
       eyes and hear the smoothness of his voice as he spoke to me
       again, but I was not listening very well.
       His eyes bored into mine, those coal embers shining brightly
       under the little light of the sun as it continued to sink
       beneath the horizon. I couldn’t tear myself away from him, and
       nor could I find my own voice to respond to his statement. The
       man seemed incredibly irritated by my lack of cooperation and I
       grimaced when he raised his sword to my neck.
       He noticed the fear in my eyes, and I saw the pleasure at my
       weakness through his. I scowled, finding my voice somehow “I
       will not leave, now get that filthy thing away from me” I
       yelled.
       The strange man seemed taken back by my bravery, but he held his
       sword in place still. Averting my eyes away from him, he watched
       my heaving chest and his smile grew, though I only saw his eyes.
       I knew he must have been thrilled by how frightened I was of him
       and it made me sick to my stomach.
       “I said leave, and you will do as I tell you” he spat, pressing
       the blade slowly against my skin.
       I gasped, having not expected him to do that. “Why should I
       leave? You cannot make me. I made this trip to see the beauty
       and wonders of Hamunaptra and I will not go simply because some
       foreign scavenger is telling me to” I replied, coldly.
       The hurt in his eyes tore my heart in two. I barely knew this
       man, he had a sword against my neck and was threatening me, yet
       here I was feeling sorry for him. I cursed inwardly and shook my
       head slightly, not remembering the blade. It cut a small wound
       into the side of my neck and I screamed, though not loudly. He
       jumped back a little, fearing he had actually hurt me without
       intending to. My mind soon changed, perhaps he wasn’t so bad
       after all. But, I could not be sure, for actions spoke louder
       than words.
       “You should leave, there is no reason for you to be here. It is
       not a safe place, now come, I shall lead you back to Cairo
       safely” he said, offering me his hand.
       “No! I shall not go back with you. Ooh, you wait until my cousin
       hears about this, she and her husband will have your head on the
       end of a spear for coming near me” I spoke with a low voice.
       The man frowned in confusion, but also appeared amused by my
       threat. He took a step closer again and I tried to back up, but
       realised I was already as far back against a wall as I could
       get. He only moved closer still, until he was right in my face,
       looking down at me with humour written all over his face.
       “Is that so?” he said, mockingly.
       “Yes, it is. If you so much as lay one filthy hand on me, Rick
       will have your brains for breakfast with no regrets” I said,
       defensively.
       I felt incredibly small and impossibly unlucky under his hard
       stare, but I stood by my words and had said them so fearlessly,
       I was impressed with my turn of emotions.
       “Rick.. that wouldn’t happen to be O’Connell would it, child?”
       he asked, his brows furrowing.
       “How do you know?” I said, shocked. “You can’t possibly know
       him, he would kill the likes of you without even thinking twice
       about it” I added.
       “Oh but I do know him, and your cousins, very well in fact. They
       made their own trip here a few years ago and raised all kinds of
       undead mummies from their graves.” he spoke, seemingly having a
       silent debate with himself as he paced back and forth in front
       of me.
       I stood there silent. He was right in all he had just told me,
       so I could not argue back this time. All I could do was wait for
       him to come down from the annoyance he had developed in that
       short space of time. It was torture, thinking he might snap and
       lash out on me at any moment.
       “You leave me no choice. You must come back with me, to our
       camp. There, you will remain until you have decided how you wish
       to return home.” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward
       his men and their horses.
       #Post#: 1000--------------------------------------------------
       Re: These Arms Of Mine
   DIR By: Maggie Flannery
       Date: June 17, 2012, 5:49 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Oh. My. Lord! You always find a way to pull me in and I must say
       I've been sucked into this one and I'm loving it! My heart's in
       my throat for poor Shae. Please keep up the fab work my dear! I
       can hardly wait for the next part!
       #Post#: 1001--------------------------------------------------
       Re: These Arms Of Mine
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: June 17, 2012, 6:00 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Ooh I'm so happy with that comment on the first part of this
       story xD I couldn't be happier that you like it so much! here is
       the next part. I'm just going to keep adding bits and bits and
       bits cause this will be a very long story. I hope you don't mind
       that :]
       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       “Wait, what?! I can’t go back to your camp with you and your
       men. I will stay here with my camel and we will be absolutely
       fine. I will not be ordered around by a horrid desert man” I
       shouted, pulling away from the grip he had on my wrist.
       I turned and was about to storm off in search of Sandu when the
       annoying man grabbed my arm and forced me to look at him. I did,
       without struggling this time. Only, when I had tried to hold an
       angry glare on his eyes, his entire face stopped me in my
       tracks. He had lowered the veil from his nose and mouth and I
       could now examine his perfect manly features.
       My staring seemed to catch him off guard as he looked back at
       me, puzzled. I snapped out of my trance pretty quickly and
       apologised, waiting for him to speak.
       “My men will find and return your camel to our camp, but now you
       must go back with me.” he stated, matter of factly, pulling me
       toward his horse.
       I whispered all kinds of harsh words behind his back as he
       dragged me along, until I was lifted into the air and placed on
       a very high, yet beautiful ebony horse. I had to smile as I
       brushed my hand gently across its smooth coat.
       Lost in my thoughts, my hand still running over the horses neck,
       I failed to notice anyone behind me. The man had gotten up onto
       the horse as well, shocking me. I couldn’t possibly relax and
       enjoy the journey on this fine horse with such a man pressed
       tightly against my back like this. Just as I turned my head to
       snap at him, he grabbed the reigns and shouted something in
       Arabic. I could not understand a word of it, but I was prepared
       to learn.
       “What did you just say?” I asked, curious.
       “Mashi Imshee, translates as Alright, lets go” he answered as
       the horses started to move forward.
       I was baffled, but the word Imshee had intrigued me, or perhaps
       it had been the way in which he had pronounced it. His voice
       lingered in my mind for some time after those words had left his
       mouth and I just couldn’t get rid of it. He hadn’t said a word
       to me for almost an hour and I was growing very impatient.
       “Excuse me but.. who are you?” I finally said, breaking the
       silence that surrounded us.
       When I looked to my left and right, I noticed the other men were
       close by, though not so close that they could hear every word.
       They seemed to be guarding the man behind me and I wondered why,
       but knew better than to ask. Besides, it was clear he was of
       great authority among these men.
       “I am Ardeth Bay, habibti” he said, amused by my sudden urge to
       sink lower on the horse and bury myself a little in his black
       robes.
       My need to be out of the spying eyes of his men was growing.
       They kept glancing over at me with eyes that bestowed clearly
       what they wanted. It was unnerving. I snapped back to reality,
       having captured the last word he had used.
       “Did you just..” I said, barely above a whisper, leaning my head
       back a little and noticing how close his lips were to my
       forehead.
       He planted a soft kiss there and smiled down at me warmly,
       nodding his head at my half finished question and spoke again.
       “Indeed. I hope you do not mind, it is only fair of me to
       respect you after what I have put you through” he said, taking a
       quick glance at the scarring wound on my neck.
       “Oh, please don’t worry about that. It doesn’t hurt much, but it
       would be nice if you could avoid it in the future.” I said,
       smirking so he understood I was merely playing with him.
       Ardeth looked pained by my words for a moment, but soon
       recovered and was smirking right back at me. His horse struggled
       only slightly up a high dune, but with his masters guidance, he
       kept treading through the deep sand beneath his hooves. On the
       way up the dune however, my back was pressed even harder against
       his chest, not to mention my rear end being in such close
       contact with what I believed was gradually growing between his
       legs.
       I tried, with difficulty, to hold back a moan of excitement, and
       thankfully it worked. Once we were over the dune, I was
       relieved. Just ahead, there sat a cosy looking camp, complete
       with a huge fire and tents dotted here and there around the
       area.
       My mouth hung open at the sight and Ardeth laughed lightly. I
       turned my head to the side and tossed him an angry stare, trying
       to throw myself from his horse. But he was too quick. With one
       hand, he held onto the horses reigns, and with the other, he
       held me around the waist. His stern look frightened me, so I
       stayed still this time. Grumpy as I was, I couldn’t contain my
       happiness at having the chance to stay here with them all. At
       least I would get my protection this way, if nothing else.
       His horse came to a halt just a few feet from a tent that looked
       a little larger than the others and I gathered their ‘chief’ of
       sorts must be waiting inside for their return. Again, I tried to
       jump from his horse whilst he was still behind me and he growled
       in annoyance. Pulling me hard against his chest, with his arm
       tightly around my waist still, he held me there for what seemed
       a long time.
       “Mr. Bay, let me down this instant!” I shouted, attracting the
       attention of his men.
       He did not, instead, he brought his lips closer to my ear and
       said ever so softly “Ardeth is what you will call me, do not be
       so formal”, then he jumped down off the horse.
       I sat there in my own little world, relishing at the sound of
       his voice in my ear as it lingered, unaware that he was holding
       out his hand for me to take. He coughed, jolting me from my
       trance and I lay my hand in his, but he soon changed his mind.
       His hands found my waist and he told me to lay mine on his
       shoulders as he picked me up off the horse. I did so, resting my
       hands on his broad shoulders and being amazed at his strength as
       he swung me to face him, my legs now on one side of the horses
       body.
       “Um, Ardeth, I cannot jump from this horse” I said, ashamed with
       myself.
       But to my surprise, he lifted me from the horses back and
       slowly, ever so slowly, slid me down the length of his body
       until my feet touched the ground. A surge of desire and ultimate
       need rushed from my head, straight to the area between my legs
       with the closeness of his hard body. I gasped when I was finally
       standing again and stumbled a little, trying to find my footing.
       Ardeth grinned, knowing what he had done. He took my arm and led
       me inside the tent. I was preparing myself to greet whomever was
       in charge, when a look of disappointment crossed my face. The
       tent was empty, completely empty of any other presence bar our
       own.
       “I thought..” I said, stopping myself from carrying on as it
       finally dawned on me. “Oh” I added.
       Ardeth smiled at me and asked me to be seated. As I was walking
       toward an empty chair across the tent, he stood on the far side
       of it, turned his back to me and lifted his robes up over his
       head. His turban came off right along with it and I gasped,
       perhaps a little too loudly.
       He turned to face me, worried that something was wrong and
       concern filled his eyes as he stared into mine, but all I could
       do was sit there with my mouth hanging open and a blush creeping
       from my cheeks, over my nose. I crumpled my nose in an effort to
       be rid of the embarrassment, but it was not working. With one
       swift movement, he was kneeling before me. My head was now
       buried in my hands as my arms rested on my knees. I was
       absolutely terrified of the beautiful man before me, and for
       that reason. He was absolutely beautiful. I had never been
       around anyone quite like him, then again, I hadn’t ever been
       around men. None seemed to take interest in me at all.
       I found myself close to tears as those long forgotten memories
       slipped into my mind. The warm feeling of two strong hands
       clasping mine brought me back down to earth, but my tears had
       not stopped falling. His hands held mine and pulled them gently
       away from my sorrow filled features and he remained concerned.
       “What is the matter, habibti?” he said softly, clinging to my
       hands.
       I tried in vain to keep myself looking off in another direction,
       but his thumb lay under my chin and pulled me back to face him.
       More tears threatened to run down my face at the sight of him.
       It was happening all over again. My heart was falling for a man
       I had known less than a few hours, he would never return such
       affection and I would be left alone to wallow in my grief. The
       painful memories of my past returned with full force and I
       closed my eyes awfully tightly, in an attempt to shut them out,
       but they just kept on coming. One after another, they created a
       waterfall of salty tears as my eyes leaked like a fast flowing
       river.
       Through my blurred and watery vision, I could see the pain and
       shock on his face at my little outburst and quickly wiped my
       eyes before further tears could fall.
       “I’m so sorry, you must forgive me. I have not learnt how to
       deal with my past” I said, my voice trembling with every word
       that passed my lips.
       “What is your name, child?” he cooed, caressing my cheek with
       his thumb.
       “Shae” I said, managing a small smile at his kind gesture.
       Unbeknownst to me, my body had a mind of its own. My eyes closed
       over slowly, enjoying his touch. I leaned further into his hand
       and he held it there for quite some time. Surely he must have
       believed I was a childish and immature young woman, but he
       showed no sign of thinking so.
       “Ardeth..” I said, gently.
       I snapped out of my daze immediately when I’d spoken his name
       and he responded with nothing but a low ‘hmm’ as though to
       acknowledge I had said something. My eyes danced madly over his
       bare chest as he rose from his knees and stood tall in front of
       me. Given that I was still seated, I was going to feel
       vulnerable under his gaze. But it would not make much of a
       difference even if I had stood before him. He seemed a great
       deal taller than most men I had known.
       “Rest, Habibti. You must join me early in the morning, we have a
       long journey to Cairo” he said, tossing a smile my way.
       As much as his smile had made my eyes glow in delight and my
       heart thump against my chest, I still was very reluctant to go
       back home on such short notice. Not to mention my cousins would
       absolutely murder me for going on a trip like this on my own,
       not that they should worry about me anymore. I was no longer a
       child and no longer would I be told what I should and shouldn’t
       do.
       Ardeth lingered in front of me for a moment, watching my inward
       debate. I stood, as tall as I possibly could under his stare and
       tough frame. With my head tipped back slightly to look him in
       the eyes, I braved what I had to do.
       “I told you before, Ardeth. I am not going back home. This is my
       trip and I will not leave without so much as a wander around
       this magnificent place” I said, coolly.
       #Post#: 1013--------------------------------------------------
       Re: These Arms Of Mine
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: June 18, 2012, 3:19 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I could see his patience with my attitude was wearing thin, but
       I would not give up. I did not know the meaning of the term. I
       simply stood my ground as he sized me up as he had done back at
       Hamunaptra and I felt a little uneasy. He took note of this and
       backed off a little.
       “Very well, but you still must rest. You have had two long
       journeys today.” he informed me, pulling aside the entrance to
       the tent and leaving me be after throwing on a similar robe.
       I had taken it all in as he had threw it on, though he had
       barely given me the chance to do so. It was pure black, but had
       silver patterns covering it randomly. He looked magical,
       especially with his shoulder length black hair falling down in
       light waves.
       My wicked thoughts disturbed me. I hardly knew this man, he was
       Arabian, had a dangerous nature, tried to kill me, threatened
       me, pretty much told me to get lost.. and yet I was insanely
       attracted to him.
       “Wait!” I called, just as the bottom of his robe went out of
       view.
       Ardeth heard me call out to him and poked his head through the
       gap to see what I wanted. It looked absolutely hilarious from
       where I stood, but I tried to shun laughter, fearing it would
       only anger him.
       “Um, where do I sleep once I am changed?” I asked, blushing
       lightly.
       “My apologises, Habibti. You will have to sleep in here, in my
       bed. But do not worry, I will stand guard outside while you are
       here.” He said, leaving me alone again.
       My mouth hung open in shock at what he’d just told me. I
       couldn’t believe I was allowing him to give up his bed, just so
       I could be comfortable. Not to mention, he would be standing
       guard outside on these cold desert nights, simply to make sure I
       came to no harm. Apparently, he knew my cousin Evie very well,
       and her husband. In the back of my mind I knew Rick would never
       let anyone get away with being the very reason harm came to me.
       I giggled at the thought of the two of them battling one another
       over it; it made me quite happy.
       Sighing, I pulled the top half of my jumpsuit down to my waist
       and looked around the tent for any sign of my bag, but I
       couldn’t spot it anywhere. I groaned in frustration, realising
       it hadn’t been on my shoulder or on Ardeth’s horse when we had
       left Hamunaptra. I stormed out of the tent, forgetting entirely
       that I was only half dressed.
       A number of wolf whistles filled the air and I was terribly
       confused. Until I looked down, and my mind spun in circles
       realising what I had just done. Ardeth, who thankfully was not
       standing too far from the tent when I left, rushed over to me,
       shielding me with his robes. He glared hard at his men, having
       expected better of them. I was crushed, to say the least. I had
       just exposed my bra to all his men, and that was a hell of a lot
       of men, including him. The fact that he had seen my chest in
       just a skimpy black bra was far worse however. I didn’t know
       what to say.
       “Ardeth, I..” I said, my voice cracking as I stumbled back into
       the tent.
       With my arms, I managed to successfully cover myself from him,
       though he had kindly turned around as I once again pulled up the
       top half of my jumpsuit.
       “Thank you” I whispered, hoping he’d hear me.
       He turned around to face me, something burning in his eyes.
       Clearly, the sight I had just given him and his men was more
       than he was prepared for. Yet, he made no move toward me. He
       just stood there with a small smile on his lips, concern filling
       his aura. I couldn’t help but return his smile with full force,
       understanding that there was no need for me to apologise.
       “Shae, you really should try to get some rest now, you may sleep
       in what you are wearing, or you may sleep bare, for I will not
       disturb you, and nor will my men” he said, kindly.
       “Thank you, Ardeth. I think I’ll feel a lot safer sleeping in
       this, goodnight” I said, blowing him a kiss, which surprised
       him.
       “Goodnight, habibti” he replied, walking out of the tent with a
       smile tugging at his lips.
       I smiled secretly to myself as well at the sight and soon found
       the comfort of his bed. I dove in, like a child diving into a
       swimming pool and my smile brightened at how comfortable it
       really was. I had not imagined so many cushions and blankets to
       feel so good against my back. I turned, laying on my side and my
       eyes closed over slowly as I drifted into a very light sleep.
       Unfortunately, my unfamiliar surroundings were a huge problem
       when it came to finding ease with slumber. In foreign or unknown
       places that were not home, I found it impossible to get any
       sleep at all. Grunting in anger, I tossed from one side to the
       other, trying to get some rest.
       All the commotion alerted Ardeth. He strode in with wonder
       across his face and asked me with his eyes what was wrong.
       Embarrassed by my predicament, I turned my back to him as I lay
       on the softness of the bed and opened my mouth to confess what
       was the matter.
       “I can’t sleep, away from home. I often carry a teddy around
       with me, but my teddy is in my bag and I don’t know what’s
       happened to that” I spoke, ever so quietly.
       He heard me however. I felt the bed drop down beside me and a
       warm hand lay itself gently on my shoulder. Then, his voice
       broke the silence of our colliding breathing sounds.
       “Shae, please look at me” he purred.
       I refused to turn around to look at him, as my cheeks were
       already burning and I just knew they would be a deep scarlet
       red. I didn’t want him to think I was incapable of controlling
       my emotions, and such a sight would prove I was not.
       When I did not comply, I felt movement again and thought he had
       gotten up and left. But to my horror, and amazement, he’d lay
       himself down in the bed beside me.
       “Ardeth, what are you doing?” I questioned, feeling very
       vulnerable.
       “Since you have temporarily lost your teddy, I shall replace him
       for the night until we can retrieve your bag sometime tomorrow,
       but now, rest” he said, snaking an arm around my waist and
       pulling me back against his chest.
       I sighed audibly in pure bliss and didn’t even need to turn
       around to know there was a heavy smile plastered on his face.
       With shaking hands, I reached for his as it lay loose on my
       stomach and clung to it tightly, as I would have clung to my
       teddy bear had he not been lost. Instantly, I fell into a deep
       sleep, not worrying in the slightest about being so far from
       home.
       My slumber that night was untouched by nightmares and
       restlessness. I had Ardeth to thank for that, and somehow I
       would have to repay him.
       I awoke lazily the following morning, dragging myself uneasily
       out of bed after finding a huge space beside me. He must be out
       and taking control already. I knew not of the time, but knew
       that it must have been fairly early as the darkness had not
       completed lifted just yet.
       When I stretched, standing on my tiptoes as I did so, I spotted
       my bag in the corner of the tent and smiled happily. He must
       have gotten up early to hunt down my belongings for me; how
       sweet of him. I made a mental note to thank him as best I could
       and rushed over to collect appropriate attire for such a warm
       day. I didn’t want to appear from the tent dressed ready for
       winter, but I doubted these desert men knew of such cold
       climates anyway.
       I gaped at the item of clothing in my hand and debated a while
       whether it was suitable to wear whilst surrounded by such a
       group of men, whom I had noticed yesterday had wandering eyes. I
       shrugged it off and got changed into my harem outfit. It
       contained a very risqué cropped black top with thin straps, and
       over that was another crop top of loose coins that jingled as I
       moved. On my lower half, I wore a transparent black gypsy skirt,
       complete with a coined hip scarf. As I glanced to my right, I
       found a full length mirror. Rushing over to it, I spun once or
       twice to admire the matching items I had chosen to wear.
       Something glimmered out of the corner of my eye. Turning my
       head, I spotted a beautifully designed snake armband. My eyes
       twinkled at the sight and given it’s matching silver colouring,
       I figured it would go quite nicely with my clothing. Though I
       was unsure about taking it when it was not mine, I ran my hand
       along it’s smooth surface and picked it up to admire it a little
       more closely, wishing I could put it on.
       “You may wear it, if you wish” called a gentle voice from behind
       me.
       I did not turn to face the owner of the voice, for I knew
       immediately whom it belonged to. I did not want him to think I
       was a no good thief, and choosing to accept his offer hastily
       would make me seem like one. It was an impression I did not wish
       to go forth with. Instead, I responded as kindly as I possibly
       could.
       “Thank you for such kindness, but it does not belong to me,
       therefore I cannot simply take it” I said, now turning my full
       attention toward him.
       As I did so, his lips seemed to part ways momentarily as his
       eyes scanned my clothing. I felt complete humiliation at what I
       had chosen, and should have known better than to wear something
       like this in front of a load of men, but it was one of the only
       comfortable items I’d brought along with me on my journey.
       My head bowed slightly, not wanting to stare him in the eyes as
       my blush grew deeper, burning my cheeks with its heat. After a
       few moments, he coughed to clear his throat and I noticed a pair
       of black boots in front of me. I lifted my head and he stood
       there, simply gazing down at me with his eyes searching mine, as
       though he was quietly begging me to talk to him. He said nothing
       and was as silent as a mouse for more than a few minutes, and it
       was unnerving.
       A rather sultry song played in the back of my mind when I
       couldn’t help but stare into his chocolate brown eyes, getting
       lost within them. I repeated the same lines a few times in my
       head, wishing he would just lift me in his arms, carry me over
       to the bed and make love to me.
       [center]Baby it’s yours, all yours
       If you want it tonight
       I’ll give you the red light special
       All through the night[/center]
       #Post#: 1028--------------------------------------------------
       Re: These Arms Of Mine
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: June 19, 2012, 3:13 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I want to apologise for posting chapters before comments. I do
       hope you are able to keep up, but if not then just let me know
       and I shall halt my posting so you can catch up, without having
       so much to read all at once haha. By the way, the italics are
       Ardeth's thoughts :)
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I snapped out of my daze instantly as he continued to look down
       at me, amused by my silence. I had to touch my cheek to realise
       my blush still lingered and was hotter than ever, much like the
       delightful creature standing before me. My naughty mind was
       beginning to take over and I just had to escape from him for a
       while. After bidding him good morning and wishing him a lovely
       day, I made my way out of the tent with him hot on my heels.
       “Habibti, where do you think you are going alone?” he called,
       still right behind me as I walked.
       A few of his men were already gathered around a long table,
       munching on their breakfast of bread rolls and barley seeds. It
       looked surprisingly delicious and I sniffed the air hungrily.
       Ardeth took notice of my hunger and the tilt of my chin toward
       the smell. He questioned if I would like to join them all before
       starting the day, but I kindly declined.
       Instead, I swayed over to the table, startling his men as my
       hand brushed by two of them and grabbed a bread roll from a full
       bowl of them. They all seemed stunned by what I had done, but
       none of them said a word. When I walked by Ardeth again, I saw
       that he too was a little shocked by my need to be elsewhere with
       my roll of bread. It was quite entertaining to see. I hummed a
       merry little tune to myself as I began to skip off in the
       direction of what I believe to be a small lake not far ahead. I
       figured if it was within his line of vision, he would not worry
       too much.
       I turned my head back once to be sure no one was following me,
       but it seemed the chief wasn’t going to leave me alone anytime
       soon. I sighed, frustrated, before turning on my heel to face
       the persistent bugger.
       “Ardeth! please do not follow me, I will be fine on my own” I
       half yelled, trying to calm down.
       “I think not, Shae. You are not safe to wander anywhere alone
       around these parts. Allah knows who could attack you or pick you
       up” he replied, walking ahead of me.
       I gripped his wrist with my hand as he had grabbed mine
       yesterday. He turned back to me with a question in his eyes. I
       didn’t say anything, I just held onto his wrist with my hand
       barely able to clasp right around it. It made me frown,
       realising I was so small and weak, but I just looked up at him
       and told him everything with my eyes.
       He soon gave in, telling me that if I got hurt, then he would
       make whomever caused me pain pay severely. My heart started to
       beat hard against my chest at this. I hadn’t known him very long
       and he was already willing to risk his life to save mine, or to
       keep me from harm. It was quite sweet, coming from someone such
       as he. I smiled, not trying at all to hide it from him as he
       walked back toward camp to join his men for breakfast. He had
       caught my smile and light blush and smiled himself, thinking all
       kinds of appealing thoughts as he made his way back without me.
       I spent almost an hour or two by the lake, sitting there and
       drowning in my own ideas and surges of creativity. I’d never
       been unable to put my ideas to the test before, and I certainly
       didn’t think I could borrow a few pieces of paper from any of
       these men. If it wasn’t because they frightened me, it was
       because I couldn’t come to terms with the idea that they might
       just have what I needed hanging around here somewhere, not going
       to good use.
       I made my way back to the camp and walked straight by the men
       and into my tent, a few curious eyes looking my way as I
       disappeared behind the tents entrance. Minutes later, an
       unfamiliar sound entered their ears as I turned my portable
       music player up a few bars.
       Confused and a little angered by the strange noise coming from
       my tent, disturbing him and his men from their most important
       meal of the day, Ardeth strode toward the sound with great big
       strides, determined to find the source and put an end to it.
       Unaware that my music was causing so much trouble, I swerved my
       hips in every direction as I stood facing the mirror, trying to
       perfect my moves. My memory of the music video from back home
       was still very fresh in my mind as I memorised and nailed the
       steps and moves with ease. I didn’t notice someone had stormed
       into the tent, ready to scream to hell and back to stop the
       noise, but it seemed they were too distracted to utter a single
       word.
       I watched her hips moving from side to side with ease, like the
       swirling body of a snake as it moved discreetly through the
       sand. I had intended to raise my voice and stop the madness, but
       my eyes wouldn’t tear themselves away, and as the music seemed
       to grow quieter and quieter, I felt guilty for having thought
       about shouting at this beautiful woman.
       My thoughts were interrupted as she paused her dancing and a
       more familiar song played from what I guessed was one of the
       items she had brought along with her. I may be a desert man and
       may have spent the majority of my life unaware of other worlds,
       but I seemed to know this record as it played through a few
       lines.
       I stood still for a moment as the next track began to play, and
       soon closed my eyes over, holding out my arms as though dancing
       with an invisible man. I spun myself slowly around the tent,
       keeping my eyes closed so I could imagine it was real and
       someone was holding me close to them as we danced happily to
       such a romantic and sensual song.
       In an instant, a hand held mine and another hand lay itself
       gently on the small of my back, pulling me close against a warm,
       hard chest. My eyes snapped open and I was greeted by a smiling
       Ardeth, effortlessly spinning us in small circles around the
       tent as the melody continued and the words poured out. Then, as
       if my a magic spell, he began to sing along, and I was
       captivated. It ended all too soon, but when it did, he did not
       pull away so quickly. He stood there, his arms now by his sides,
       mine mirroring his at my own sides. I looked up at him and found
       him staring intensely at me, and I had to turn my head away.
       Ardeth lay his thumb under my chin as he had done last night and
       turned me to face him. I was terrible for blushing, and here I
       was doing it again at the slightest touch. His skin touching
       mine sent shivers throughout my entire body, and I couldn’t turn
       my eyes from his in that moment.
       He smiled a loving smile and closed the space between us,
       planting a kiss on my forehead and congratulating me on my
       dancing. I blushed harder, not realising he had been watching me
       the entire time. Though, I was thankful for such a compliment.
       No one had ever witnessed me dancing in such a way before, so of
       course I was nervous over what he truly thought.
       “Thank you for wanting to stay here longer, Shae. I did not
       think anything would lighten the mood around here, but you seem
       to have done so in no time” he spoke, indicating that his men
       were suddenly very cheery.
       I laughed a little as I peeked through the gap in the tent to
       see them all dancing themselves to another track that was
       playing softly in the background. I realised I should turn it
       off, having had my little freedom time and excited the men as
       well, though not in such a way. Ardeth brought my hand up to his
       lips and he pressed his mouth against the back of my hand,
       smiling warmly at me once more before leaving me alone to tend
       to his horse.
       Apparently, we were to journey to Hamunaptra this morning and
       hopefully arrive there by nightfall, if we were so lucky. I
       hadn’t stopped to think when I first got here, just how long it
       had taken my poor camel to walk that far. At the thought of
       Sandu, I raced out of the tent and asked the nearest man where
       my camel would be.
       He was kind enough to point me in the direction of all the
       horses and suggested I give my camel a nice cool bath and a good
       old scrub. I laughed lightly at the thought, thanked him and
       went on my way to see to my new friend.
       Upon reaching the area in which the horses all stood, though
       some were laying down, I spotted Ardeth at the far end with his
       ebony coloured horse, its beautiful mane falling gracefully over
       its eyes. When I noticed this, I looked over at Ardeth and my
       thoughts on him were the same as my thoughts on his horse. His
       beautiful hair fell gracefully over his eyes as well, keeping
       him in shadow for a few moments before the sun shone its rays on
       his beautiful face.
       I couldn’t believe he had me staring at him so much, it was
       embarrassing.
       “Hello, habibti, can I help you?” he said, walking toward me
       with a soapy sponge in his hand.
       I backed off ever so slightly at the dripping wet foamy sponge
       and he laughed heartily, hiding it behind his back and turning
       his attention to me again. I’d been silly to back away from such
       a thing, but the idea of being soaked with soapy water in this
       heat wasn’t too appealing. I raised my eyes to meet his and
       answered his question.
       “I’ve come to see Sandu, where is he?” I asked.
       Ardeth pointed to the opposite side of his horse and there
       rested my lovely little dear, laying down in a bed he’d made
       himself out of wheat. The sight pleased me. He had found shade
       behind two or three horses and was busying himself with preening
       his snow white coat.
       As I approached him, he tilted his head to one side and a
       sparkle twinkled in his eyes. He craned his neck higher as I got
       near to him and allowed me to scratch behind his ears. He loved
       it, almost as a dog or a cat would delight in such a gesture.
       I lay my head on his nose gently and he nuzzled me a little. I
       could not see Ardeth at this point, but I knew he must have been
       smiling brightly at our exchange of affection. No one would
       believe the camel and I had known each other only a few hours. I
       ruffled the fur on his head one last time and proceeded to bathe
       him. He smelt strangely nice already for a camel, but a good
       wash would keep him sparkly clean and fresh even longer. To my
       surprise, he enjoyed his bath.
       Ardeth called me over to him once I had finished Sandu and had
       sat beside him whilst he was drying off under the warmth of the
       sun. I’d chanced moving him out of the shade so he would dry
       quicker, and he obliged. I stood from my seated position and
       walked around to meet Ardeth as he finished up grooming his
       horse.
       I lay my hand on the horses gorgeous ebony coat and it nudged my
       shoulder gently with its nose, a sign I took to mean he was very
       friendly.
       Ardeth gaped at the sight “He does not usually take so well to
       anyone but me” he said.
       “Well, I suppose I just have a way with animals. It’s in my
       nature, and they can sense such things, amazingly beautiful they
       are” I replied, continuing to stroke the horse.
       Indeed you do have a way with animals, and not just animals,
       habibti.
       I watched Ardeth shake his head as though snapping out of a
       daze, or shaking thoughts out of his head. I giggled and caught
       his attention.
       “What is his name?” I asked, as I was nuzzled again.
       “Nadeem” Ardeth said, approaching me and his horse once more.
       “What a beautiful name you have” I said, talking to the horse in
       a childlike manner “and it suits you so very much” I added.
       I could see Ardeth grinning like a madman to my left and tossed
       him a knowing smile, which he returned after losing the funny
       grin. He looked good either way, grinning, smiling or even
       laughing, but I would never admit such a thing.
       “Shall we return to camp?” I asked, his horse now moving away to
       find his own shade.
       “Of course, if you wish to” Ardeth replied, offering me his arm.
       I decided to play around with him a little and lifted my chin
       high into the air, striding forward in the direction of the
       tents and making my way along, blowing a kiss to Sandu and
       Nadeem when I turned to hurry Ardeth along. I panicked, when I
       did not see him anywhere behind me. He could not have just
       vanished in thin air like that, but where was he. It shook me to
       my core, what if something terrible had happened, what if he had
       sunk beneath the sand so quickly, that he hadn’t even had the
       chance to call out for help.
       I raced back to the spot where we were both standing moments ago
       and dropped to my knees, fearing he had lost his life and was
       now buried beneath the earth. I dug with my hands as hard as I
       could, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. The sand just kept falling
       back into the hole I was making and filling up quicker than I
       could say Allah.
       “Habibti, what are you doing?” a voice said from behind me.
       Stunned at the sound of his voice, as he appeared very close and
       his shadow lingered over me, I kneeled there in silence. He
       reached his hand out to rest it on my shoulder and I flinched,
       though I hadn’t meant to. I didn’t want him to think that I was
       afraid of him or anything.
       “Ardeth, what the hell are you playing at?” I said, though it
       came out as more of a shout.
       Confused, but also dying to laugh at my poor self, he circled me
       as I was still kneeling on the sand in front of him. It was
       quite interesting, what he was doing, but I didn’t dare ask why.
       “I wanted to test you. I wanted to see how you would handle
       being alone in the desert, without guidance, without anyone to
       protect you. Clearly, you would not last five minutes” he said.
       He was now standing in front of me, holding out his hand for me
       to take. I scowled up at him after what he had just said to me.
       I couldn’t believe he’d found the nerve to do that. Obviously,
       he didn’t know my cousin in law as well as he said he did,
       otherwise he would know that just like Rick, I was a badass when
       people insulted my intelligence.
       I stood with ease and smacked his hand out of the way. He
       frowned, but a hint of amusement lingered in his eyes when I
       tilted my chin up in the air as I had done before, and made my
       way back in the direction of the camp.
       He followed close behind me until we reached a gathering of his
       men. I was intrigued as they all seemed to be standing around
       something; something I could not see as there were too many of
       them in the way of whatever it was that lay on the ground
       between each of them. Upon closer inspection, I noticed it was
       something they should not even have found; my underwear. One of
       the men grabbed my lacy black bra and held it against his face,
       smelling it as though it still held my perfume. Another man
       picked up a very skimpy pair of shorts and turned to someone on
       his left, nudging him in the ribs a little. They both laughed
       loudly at whatever was said and I felt tears building up and a
       lump in the back of my throat.
       Ardeth came and stood by my side, fury written all over his
       handsome face, and he didn’t look too handsome anymore, in such
       a state. I turned my head away from him as he looked over at me
       with sympathetic eyes, and I couldn’t help myself. I broke down
       in tears and ran flailing into my tent, that was actually his
       tent, but I had nowhere else to go.
       When I made it into the tent, I sat huddled up in the corner
       with my knees pulled up against my chest, tears falling freely
       onto my arms. The sound of roaring anger and a demanding voice
       echoed through the thin material that the tent was made of, as
       well as the gap at its entrance. I knew his men were in a lot of
       trouble, but at the same time I felt sorry for them. Maybe they
       were so interested in such items because they rarely had the
       chance to court anyone, being desert men and bound to the ritual
       of not falling in love. But, I knew that was no excuse to invade
       my personal things as they had done. The yelling soon died down,
       and I heard someone walk into the tent, cursing aloud to
       themselves. It was Ardeth, the chief.
       “Habibti, I am so sorry my men have intruded in such private
       matters. I assure you they will not see the light of day again
       if they repeat what they have done” he cooed, kneeling before
       me, trying to raise my head up so I would look at him.
       “It’s alright..” I managed to choke out, lifting my eyes to meet
       his. “I guess I just need to control myself a little better” I
       added, wiping my tears away.
       “No, you have every right to react this way. Allah knows, I
       would be just as upset if something like that happened to me, if
       I were a woman” he spoke, wiping a stray tear from my cheek with
       one of his thumbs.
       “Thank you, Ardeth. You have shown me such kindness on my short
       stay here. I don’t know how I could possibly repay you for the
       things you have given me, such as a place to stay where I am
       protected, a nice meal and a warm bed” I said, smiling up at his
       shining brown eyes.
       He couldn’t help but return my smile tenfold as it brightened my
       entire face. It made him see things differently, perhaps it made
       him see me a little differently. His intense stare made my blood
       boil beneath my skin and I felt a swarm of butterflies take over
       in my stomach. He seemed to be leaning closer to my face, my
       heart now pounding a mile a minute in anticipation.
       Suddenly, he paused, almost as though caught in a trance of some
       sort. I blinked twice, confused by his sudden urge to stop
       advancing forward and asked him what was wrong, sounding more
       than a little disappointed that he hadn’t kissed me.
       “What’s the matter?” I breathed, still stunned that he’d
       stopped.
       “Oh, astugh-fer-Allah” he said, puzzling me as I had no idea
       what he just said to his God.
       “Um..” I mumbled, turning my head away from him as he
       concentrated on something else after standing up again. Perhaps
       he had sinned. I realised all too soon that he had indeed
       sinned, for in his religion, he was forbidden to love anyone.
       “Ardeth, I am sorry. I did not mean to..” I said, before he cut
       me off.
       “Aasef, it is not your fault child” he said, walking quickly to
       the other side of the tent where he stood for a while with his
       back to me.
       I was a little ticked off at him for doing this. It was horribly
       frustrating to not know what was going on, especially when I was
       involved and was part of the problem at hand. Standing from my
       place on the rugged floor of the tent, I made my way over to
       him, trying not to come across as intimidating. I doubted very
       much I could pull that off however, given the size and strength
       of this man. He was beautiful though, I knew that.
       “Ardeth” I said quietly, laying my hand on his shoulder.
       Quicker than I could say Allah, he spun around with such a
       speed, I nearly toppled backwards and landed on my behind before
       he caught me in his arms. A blush spread fast across my cheeks
       at how close we both were, and without thinking twice about what
       he was doing, his lips were against mine, inhaling my every
       breath at the shock of what was going on. This had been what I
       wanted, but I didn’t believe he realised his mistake. He had
       been struggling to contain himself, that much was obvious,
       through the power of his kiss.
       It made my knees ever so weak and I felt myself ready to
       collapse. Ardeth tightened his grip on my waist and snaked his
       arms right around me, pulling me even closer against him if it
       were possible. I was drunk on his passion, wanting to give in
       just as he was and hold nothing back. But, I knew we could not
       do such a thing, for he would surely pay with his life if anyone
       found out.
       #Post#: 1030--------------------------------------------------
       Re: These Arms Of Mine
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: June 19, 2012, 8:57 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I pulled away from his tempting lips reluctantly, and he looked
       at me with the innocence of a small boy, eyes telling me he knew
       he was in trouble. I bowed my head a little before looking up at
       his handsome face once more. My hand rested on his cheek for a
       moment and I calmed his worries by uttering small sympathy
       thoughts, letting him know that I would never tell a soul about
       what just happened between us, not even my cousin. He looked at
       me with such guilt and regret that I had to turn away from him.
       His sadness was terribly upsetting, and the idea that he wished
       he could take back what had just happened, made my heart sink
       very low.
       “Well, I think I will leave you alone for the rest of the night.
       Get some rest, you have your teddy with you this time” he said,
       leaving the tent after managing to flash me a smile.
       “Goodnight” I called, but he had already gone.
       I sighed to myself. This surely was going to be a long and
       troublesome stay. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to hang around
       anymore, not if things would be awkward between us.
       “Shae, is it?” called an unfamiliar voice from the tents
       entrance.
       “Yes” I answered, turning to face an older looking man who
       somewhat resembled Ardeth.
       He strolled in as though he owned the place and sat down on the
       bed just across from me, sizing me up as I stood, unsure, to his
       right. The man introduced himself as Ardeth’s father and I
       instantly felt worry running through my body. What if he had
       witnessed what just happened between me and his son, there would
       be hell to pay.
       “Be seated my child” he said, holding out his hand as a sign
       that I should sit beside him.
       I did so, without objecting. I did not wish to anger this man,
       for he could very well have more power than Ardeth, even if his
       frame was not as frightening.
       “My name is Abbas. I am concerned about your need to stay here,
       to explore Hamunaptra. What is it that you are hoping to find
       young one?” he said, keeping his eyes on me as I spoke.
       “Nothing in particular sir. I simply wish to enlighten myself
       with the beauty of this place. My family have been here many
       times before, but I had never been given the chance to go along
       with them. Besides, it is my birthday tomorrow and I wanted to
       do something special. I thought after all of the stories I’ve
       been told by my cousins about the city of the dead, that it
       would be a wonderful experience to see it for myself” I said,
       hoping my answer would please him.
       It seemed to, for he smiled brightly at me and extended his arms
       to embrace me. It was rather unusual, but I complied. I didn’t
       want to appear shy or intimidated before him, so I put on a
       brave front and hugged him back.
       At that precise moment, his son walked back into the tent and
       noticed his father holding me as he would his child. I looked
       over his fathers shoulder at him and the sadness in his eyes,
       along with the glistening coat of tears, pained me. I would have
       to see to his problems shortly; I felt the need to make him
       happy, by doing anything I possibly could.
       “Ah, Ardeth. This young girl here is celebrating a birthday
       tomorrow. We must all be involved in preparing the meal, it
       shall be a special event” he told his son.
       Abbas stood, placed a kiss on the back of my hand and then
       walked by Ardeth, without even acknowledging he was there. The
       way in which he brushed by him placed a giant frown upon my
       face, my nose crinkled up and my brows furrowed. Ardeth looked
       over at me after hanging his head low as his father passed. His
       eyes were still glistening with tears that were about to drop. I
       rushed over to him and pulled him into a tight embrace, not
       caring that his father or any of the other men could walk in at
       any moment and see us ever so close to one another. He needed to
       be comforted, and his father certainly wasn’t going to be the
       one to do that.
       My annoyance with his own blood was growing, as Ardeth clung to
       my clothing tightly, afraid that he would be blown away by some
       strong force. It was heartbreaking, seeing such a strong man in
       a moment of absolute weakness.
       “Ardeth, I am sorry that your father does not treat you well. I
       shall not ask what happened, for it is none of my business, but
       you must know that I care. I am here if you want to talk about
       it” I whispered softly into his ear, rubbing his back as I did
       so.
       Without a word spoken, he lay one of his hands on the small of
       my back, grabbed one of my hands and brought it up into his, and
       we danced, slowly. I couldn’t get my footing right at first as
       there was no music playing; my dancing was terrible without a
       rhythm to follow. He noticed me falling all over the place, but
       did not laugh. He simply began to hum a melody that wasn’t
       familiar to my ears, but was ever so beautiful. It drew me in
       immediately and my feet moved on their own.
       We were dancing for quite some time, before I released an
       unladylike yawn and shielded my mouth in horror. Ardeth glanced
       down at me with a large smile on his face, I knew he was just
       dying to laugh at that.
       “You should rest now, habibti. I will talk to you in the
       morning” he spoke, releasing me from his hold and walking toward
       the entrance.
       “Wait! Ardeth.. I” I stammered, trying to work out how I was
       going to say this. “I don’t want to be alone tonight” I said,
       bowing my head so I couldn’t see his reaction.
       When I did not look up for a few moments, I saw his boots right
       in front of me. Reluctantly, I raised my head and met his solemn
       gaze. I returned it, waiting for him to say something; anything
       to break this connection so I could stop tormenting myself with
       a want to pounce on him.
       “You have your teddy, Shae. You no longer need my company” he
       said, but it was more of a question than a statement.
       “That is true. But, I would prefer to have you stay here with
       me. I’d feel safer” I said, not breaking eye contact.
       “Very well. Then, I will sit at the end of your bed and keep an
       eye on you while you rest” he said.
       “But, when are you going to sleep? I would think someone such as
       yourself needed all the rest he can get” I asked, confused.
       “Do not worry about me. I will be fine, just sleep now” he said,
       moving to take a seat at the edge of the bed, propping pillows
       up behind him.
       It was difficult to get comfortable with him sitting there
       opposite me, watching me like a hawk would watch its prey. I
       tossed and turned for some time, but his eyes soon started to
       close over and I was hoping he’d fall asleep so I could do the
       same. Eventually, he did. His eyes were now very heavy and
       within seconds, they were closed tightly and light snoring could
       be heard. I had to giggle at that. A brave chief snored in his
       sleep, it was humorous.
       I fell into a deep sleep sometime after listening to him snore
       for a while. I’d fallen into a dreamless slumber, something I
       was not used to. I more often than not dreamt about all kinds of
       things, though most of my dreams were more nightmares than
       anything. They were absolutely horrible as well; most kept me up
       all night.
       The morning sun shone brightly through the gap in the tent,
       casting a ray of light over one of my eyes as I stirred. With my
       eyes opening to greet the lovely warmth, I heard the sound of
       music playing quietly nearby. Interested, I sat up in my bed and
       found Ardeth seated with his back to me, with my music player on
       a small table in front of him. It was a lovely sight to wake up
       to. He looked so serene sitting there, leaning back in his
       chair, his eyes closed over and a small smile tugging at the
       corners of his lips. What was I thinking, I couldn’t involve
       myself further with this beautiful man. Allah knows he would
       have me falling over my feet at the sight of him for the rest of
       my days. It wasn’t what I wanted, but I would make do if I had
       to.
       I strained my ears a little more. These Arms Of Mine was playing
       ever so softly and a deep blush spread across my face. It was
       the same song that we danced to when he had been busy watching
       me swaying in front of the mirror the other day. I couldn’t
       control myself for much longer, but I knew I didn’t have a
       choice in the matter. In order to prevent harm coming to him, I
       would remain oblivious to the signs my body was sending out, and
       those that his body was sending out. It would be ever so hard to
       do, but if it meant keeping him safe, it was worth it.
       “Good morning, waseem” I said, angry with myself straight away
       for putting my foot in it.
       He almost fell out of his chair at the sound, but soon recovered
       looking a little unsure. Apparently, I had said the wrong thing,
       but I had meant it either way. When he looked into my eyes after
       taking a seat beside me, he was hunting for truth. My eyes
       displayed nothing but that, and he smiled, taking my hand in his
       and planting a soft kiss on the back of it. He then turned my
       hand over and placed another kiss on my wrist, but did not stop
       there. His lips kissed a line right up my arm, until he reached
       my neck. Still, he didn’t back down.
       Butterflies returned to my stomach, flying around madly and from
       what it felt like, they were crashing into one another. With his
       mouth against my neck, I couldn’t hold myself up much longer. My
       hands were behind me and I was leaning back a little, trying to
       get away from him but knowing deep down that I didn’t want to do
       that at all.
       “Ma hatha!” shouted a very angry voice from just behind us.
       Unfortunately, it was Ardeth’s father. This was not going to be
       a pretty sight. Ardeth almost fell from the bed at the sound of
       his fathers voice, and I tried in vain to catch his arm. Abbas
       gave me a very horrid stare when I tried to help his son, but I
       didn’t pay attention. After recovering and standing before his
       father, as though nothing had happened, he asked me to leave the
       tent for a while. I did just that, not wanting to anger his
       father any more than I already had.
       I jumped up from the bed and rushed over to grab my bag first,
       then I ran outside, leaving the two men alone as the tension
       rose considerably. I felt bad for leaving him alone to take all
       of the blame, but from what his father had seen, that must have
       been what he believed. That, it was Ardeth who was interested in
       me, and I was not all that interested in him in the same way. I
       felt just horrible. I wanted to go back and confess everything,
       just so I could speak my heart and let his father know that no
       one was merely playing around. That, whether he liked it or not,
       I had the intention to be with his son, for I was falling hard
       and fast. Even I could not prevent that now.
       I found a secluded spot not far from the camp, with a few bushes
       nearby and a small pond in the middle of it all. A smile graced
       my lips and I rushed over to it. I kneeled beside the water and
       splashed my face with it, feeling instantly refreshed. I sat
       there for what felt like hours, just glancing over the water and
       up at the sky every now and then at the sight of falcons flying
       here, there and everywhere.
       It grew dark fast. I panicked, the sky had turned a very dull
       shade of grey and the sun was no longer shining down upon the
       desert. Shivering, I got up and made my way back toward the
       camp, hoping to warm up in the tent where I had left Ardeth and
       his father. I hoped that they had made friends, or at least
       settled things.
       “Hadar min fada!” I heard Abbas scream, and then a harsh slap
       echoed through the tent as I entered and caught Ardeth holding
       his face in agony.
       #Post#: 1034--------------------------------------------------
       Re: These Arms Of Mine
   DIR By: Maggie Flannery
       Date: June 20, 2012, 1:38 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Oh my lord! This just keeps getting better and better every time
       I read! Cheeky Shae! Although I can't say that I blame her one
       bit. I apologize for not replying sooner. You've got me on the
       edge of my seat! Is dear Ardeth going to be ok? I must find out!
       I swear if I could get ahold of Abbas I'd do quite a bit of
       damage to that vile man! Let me at him! Please keep up the
       fantastic work my dear! :D
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