DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Gary Leonard Oldman
HTML https://garyleonardoldman.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: R Rated
*****************************************************
#Post#: 1063--------------------------------------------------
You
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: June 22, 2012, 5:35 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Apologies over such a short title, but I wanted that song to be
a huge part of this story. I hope you like the banner. My couple
is Ardeth and Arabella. Also, I'm including a wallpaper I just
created :]
HTML http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa285/Danisvampiress/Untitled-12.png
HTML http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa285/Danisvampiress/ArdethWallpaper.jpg
#Post#: 1072--------------------------------------------------
Re: You
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: June 23, 2012, 11:41 am
---------------------------------------------------------
The sand beneath my feet had been dyed a deep shade of scarlet,
springing tears to my eyes. A camel had been attacked not far
from here, and a trail had been left behind as the vicious
wolves had dragged it through to their den. I couldn’t control
the urge to scream in pure agony, feeling a gigantic weight seat
itself on my heart. The poor little dear, if only I had arrived
at Hamunaptra a little sooner. I might have been able to prevent
it from losing its life to a bunch of no good scavengers.
Depressed and thirsty from walking so many miles over impossibly
high sand dunes, I staggered toward an opening in what looked to
be a crumbling temple. At the moment, I didn’t care if it caved
in on me. My weak body wanted nothing more to do with this cruel
world. I could easily pin such thoughts down on witnessing such
a horrible mass of blood, and picturing the scenes playing out
in my mind, but I was no longer in any real need to survive. My
journey here had been solely to help the poor, suffering animals
of Cairo and its surrounding areas. To think, on my first night
here, I would find such an unsightly incident. It made me sick
to my stomach.
After walking for only half an hour, I came to a stop when my
nose nearly bumped into a chest. A chest that, from what I could
make out in such a dimly lit area, was clad in black robes. The
scent of whomever it was floated around me, delighting my
senses. Raising my head a little, I took in every other aspect
about this person, and eventually turned my gaze back down to
the ground. This stranger was devilishly handsome. Every part of
his face was covered by a black veil; every part but his eyes,
the windows to ones soul. I had felt myself sinking into them
when our eyes met, so to save myself from harm or hurt, I had
looked away. The only sound I could hear was the steadiness of
his breathing, every intake of breath was soothing in sound,
almost like a lullaby. I wanted to slap myself for allowing such
thoughts to invade my mind. This man could be terribly dangerous
for all I knew.
“Who are you?” he asked, “And what are you doing here?”
Taken back by his melodic and heavenly voice, as well as his
thick Arabian accent, I opened my mouth and replied ever so
quietly. He leaned a little closer as though my voice was
impossible to hear or understand, though I knew the fault was my
own, so I spoke a little more clearly.
“My name is Arabella, sir. I am here in favour of your loyal and
most treasured desert creatures” I said, bowing my head to him.
The mans hand gripped my chin gently the moment I had diverted
my eyes away from his, pulling me back up to look at him.
Through his eyes, his soul was almost as clear as day itself. It
was a very vulnerable person indeed whom had such a carefree
spirit, something I found admirable.
“My lady, do not feel as though you must show such respect
toward me. I am merely a Medjai, a protector of this city and
mankind itself. I am no king, nor am I any form of royalty.” he
said.
A faint blush spread across my cheeks and lightened my nose with
its colour also. The man smiled down upon me as we continued to
chat about unimportant details. Well, they seemed unimportant to
me, for I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. As
clueless as I was, it all sounded very familiar, almost as
though I had heard it all before. I had to ask him to stop
momentarily while I gathered my bearings and he did so without
question. Whilst waiting patiently for me to piece together the
little bits of information he had been giving me, he began to
circle me ever so slowly.
It was unnerving. I wondered what on earth he was doing, when I
finally realised just what that was. I hadn’t hidden my weapons
very well before arriving here. He stopped behind me, his breath
hitting the back of my neck, as well as the skin of my bare
back. I shivered at the impact.
“You are quite the little vixen aren’t you, Arabella” he said,
now walking around to face me.
I dipped my head low in embarrassment and that same hand raised
my chin once more. His eyes seemed to have grown darker over the
last few seconds and I was soon captivated. No matter how hard I
screamed at my mind to help me win a losing battle, it wasn’t
working. He took a step closer and my feet were willing enough
to cooperate with me as I, in turn, took a step back. This went
on for some time, until I could go back no further. Hitting
something solid behind me had been the worst case scenario. What
if he was going to try and kill me? I couldn’t control the crazy
ideas in my head.
“Please, don’t kill me” I whispered, my voice beginning to shake
with fear.
“Gamila, what makes you think I am going to kill you?” he said
softly.
“Gamila?” I questioned, tilting my head to one side as he stood
right in front of me.
He lay his hands on either side of the wall beside my shoulders
so I could not escape. I didn’t think I would try to even if I
wanted to. His magnificent eyes were too intense to ignore.
“Yes. Gamila, in your language, means beautiful” he told me,
blushing himself.
“Oh..” I said, feeling suddenly miniature under his burning
gaze.
One of his hands reached up to my neck. He lay his hand over it
and raised my head a little, getting a closer look at me, for it
was still quite dark inside this temple. I shivered in response
to his warm hand holding my head up by my neck, ever so gently.
It seemed he believed I would break like a porcelain doll if he
handled me too roughly. It was sweet; he was a caring man.
“You have yet to tell me who you are, sir” I said, breaking eye
contact when he released me.
“My apologies. I am Ardeth Bay, someone you should never fear
and always turn to in times of need or desperation.” he said.
I watched intently as he reached one hand up to his veil. With
one swift movement, he had lowered it from his face and my eyes
darted all over the handsome man before me. I could not help
myself, he was perfect from head to toe, there was no doubt
about that.
“You are beautiful” I uttered, hoping he wouldn’t hear a word of
it.
“Shukran” he replied, smiling when I titled my head again, “It
means thank you”
Nodding my head in understanding, I continued to admire his
beauty. He blushed lightly noticing me staring at him, but did
not speak. After a few moments of taking him all in, I turned my
head from side to side, hoping to find some form of light in
this darkened place. Sighing in defeat, I glanced toward the man
again and saw him staring at my bare stomach. I felt uneasy
under his watchful eyes, but chose to ignore the feeling.
Suddenly very aware of my paranoia, I lay my arms across my
stomach and his eyes shot up to meet mine immediately. He opened
his mouth to speak and what I thought was going to be an
apology, was far from it.
“Would you be interested in returning to my camp with me?” he
asked.
“I’m not too sure that would be a good idea. You see, I have
work to do around here, then I must pay a visit to my dear
grandfather” I replied.
“Very well. Perhaps you would like a ride there once you are
done here” he stated, not waiting for an answer as he started
walking toward the entrance.
Pouting, I hurried along behind him until we both came into
contact with the fading sun above us. As I was not looking ahead
of me and instead glancing at the sand beneath my feet, I hadn’t
noticed him come to a stop, so of course, I collided rather
painfully with his back. Unfortunately, his Yatagan was tucked
into his robes, between the thick material and the belts he was
wearing. I noticed he was also carrying two small daggers in his
belt on the other side of his waist from the sword.
I cursed aloud as it pricked my finger after I’d crashed into
him. He spun around to inspect my wound so quickly, I almost
fell back. His arm reached out to grab my arm to stop me from
falling and our eyes met once again. I was drawn in straight
away, delving deeper and deeper, not realising his other hand
was now fidgeting with a chunk of his robes.
“You need to be more careful” he said, now wrapping cloth around
my injured palm.
Turning my attention down as he skilfully bandaged up my wound,
I noticed the tattoos on his hands were of similarity to those
on his face. I wondered what they stood for. When he had
finished wrapping my hand, he pulled back a little and looked
down at me, almost as though he knew I wanted to ask him
something.
“Thank you” I said, admiring his handiwork, “Do your tattoos
have some form of hidden meaning, or am I just unable to
understand them because I know little Arabic”
He smiled before he responded, “They are a symbol of strength
and unity. Every man who chooses to protect this land must wear
them with dignity”
“How lovely” I said, “Did it not hurt when they were tattooed
onto your face?”
“That it did, but my pain threshold is fairly high” he replied,
grinning down at me.
I grinned right back at him and he held out his hand toward me,
indicating I should take it. Though a little unsure about
letting my guard down in front of a stranger. Deciding that he
wasn’t completely a stranger after our introduction, I lay my
hand in his.
“Come, we will return to my camp and get you a horse for your
journey to Cairo” he said.
“Thank you” I replied, following him through the blocks of
fallen stone.
#Post#: 1073--------------------------------------------------
Re: You
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: June 23, 2012, 3:27 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Where do I begin? Hmm I love the banner and the wallpaper and
the story! I felt like I was right there! Poor camel and poor
Arabella. She really must love what she does in order to that
sort of trek out in the middle of those scorching sands. I love
where this is going and I'd love to put myself in her shoes!
Please keep up the wonderful work!
#Post#: 1074--------------------------------------------------
Re: You
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: June 23, 2012, 3:32 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I'm happy to know that you like the banner, wallpaper and story.
I absolutely adore Leonor Varela and just watched Cleopatra to
get into the swing of how she acts and such. I can honestly say
I did not remember seeing Oded in that movie the last time I
watched it! so that was a nice surprise haha. I shall update
very soon :]
#Post#: 1077--------------------------------------------------
Re: You
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: June 23, 2012, 4:58 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
As I looked around the place, a knot built up in the pit of my
stomach at the sight of what was ruined all those centuries ago.
It must have been a truly beautiful place to live when it was in
its prime. I tried hard to replace all the fallen building walls
in my mind, but it could never compare to its original form, so
I gave up.
“Ardeth” I said, making him halt and turn to me.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Do you have any knowledge of what this place looked like, you
know, before it all crumbled onto the sand below it?” I said.
He seemed almost amused, yet highly intrigued by my interest in
such a thing. It was as though the likes of me should not be so
adaptable to places like this, or be asking all kinds of
questions that no one had ever asked before. Whilst waiting on
his response, I noticed a twinkle in his eyes.
“You are quite an unusual woman, but your interest is
delightful. Before all of these buildings crumbled under the
force of multiple storms, one after another, they were the pride
of Egypt. You could see beyond the desert from many of them, for
each had been built with the intent of reaching the heights of
the Gods” he said, brushing his hand up to draw my attention to
the sky.
I smiled in admiration at my surroundings, then turned back to
Ardeth, “It must have been a very peaceful and homely place to
live, even for its guests. I would have loved very much to live
in ancient times, it would have been fascinating” I said.
I walked ahead of him for a while, very aware of the fact that
his eyes were burning holes into my back. A smirk grew on my
lips at the thought of him craving something he should not. I
had read up on historical facts, he, being a Medjai, is
forbidden from falling in love. It is surely a hard part of
their lives, but one they must not break the course of, for it
could prove fatal to both them and the land of Egypt that is to
be protected for all eternity. Should a Medjai ever fall in
love, his attention would be diverted from its most important
destiny. The land of Egypt, Hamunaptra especially, would have
lost its most treasured and trusted warriors.
“What are you thinking, Arabella?” he spoke up.
I noticed he was now walking beside me, so I slowed my pace a
little for him to keep up.
“I was simply wondering, Ardeth, what it must be like for Medjai
to be banished from ever developing feelings for another. I
wonder, what it would mean for both their love and the fate of
Egypt.” I said.
He seemed to stop in his tracks, so I waited patiently for him
to speak up, as I watched his mouth open and close as though he
was about to. Perhaps I had offended him with my thoughts. It
was not surprising, for my thoughts spoken aloud often got me
into trouble.
“Do you know, for one so fragile looking and fearful, you
certainly have a lot of knowledge inside of you. I find it
enchanting, truly.” he responded, “To give a light of wisdom to
your thoughts my lady, I can only inform you that Medjai are not
entirely forbidden from falling in love. We are however under
the watchful eyes of the Gods and it has been in our blood for
centuries, to never allow our feelings for another to tear our
hearts away from what is right”
“I think I understand. Surely, it must be a horrible way to
live, never knowing what love is like, never having the chance
to act upon the emotions building up inside of you, ready to
burst” I said.
As I looked at him from the corner of my eye, his inner torment
amused me greatly. He looked as though his emotions were indeed
ready to burst inside of him and I felt a wave of guilt wash
over me, so I stopped walking again and turned to him. I grabbed
his arm with my hand and he looked at me, very confused.
“Please, forgive me. I did not mean to disrespect your honour or
the freedom and blessing you have been given by your Gods. My
mouth seems to run away with me far too often” I said.
Ardeth, though clearly with great difficulty, smiled down at me,
“Do not apologise for voicing your thoughts, for they are wise
and most appropriate. I fear I would ask the same questions, if
I had not spent my life living in such a way already” he said.
We walked for another hour or so, exploring the depths of the
city of the dead, Ardeth filling me in on every ounce of detail
I could grasp. I was growing tired and the sun had almost fallen
beneath the horizon. His attention had been drawn to my sluggish
form for the last half hour, but I had refused to stop this
wonderful tour he was giving me, until I could barely feel my
legs anymore.
“Arabella, I think it is time to stop exploring. You may do as
you please tomorrow morning, but now you must rest.” he said.
There was no need to tell me twice. As soon as those words had
been spoken, my whole body went limp, but thankfully he was
there to catch me. He lifted me into a bridal hold and whistled
loudly. The noise went right through me, but I didn’t have the
energy to complain. The last thing I was aware of before falling
into a very heavy sleep, was being lifted onto the back of a
beautiful midnight black horse, who from what I heard Ardeth
call him, was named Shadow. As I drifted off, leaning my back
against Ardeth’s chest, a smile played on my lips.
We arrived at what I assumed was his camp a few hours later.
Even though I had walked right through to Hamunaptra, without a
horse or a camel to ride, I would not have fathomed it had taken
this long. I awoke with a start, feeling someone brush their
thumb across my cheek to stir me.
Looking down with my eyes half open, I saw Ardeth standing with
his arms outstretched. He expected me to jump from his horse and
into his arms, something I could not do. The thin material of my
clothes could not be mistaken, but in seeing no threat from his
warm eyes, I took my chances. Reaching my hand out to grasp one
of his, he laughed lightly. I was confused, until he gestured
toward his shoulders. I was to hold onto him as he pulled me
down from his horse.
Blushing at my mistake, I rested my hands on his shoulders,
feeling his toned muscles beneath his robes as I did so. It
brought a warmth to my body I didn’t think was possible.
#Post#: 1081--------------------------------------------------
Re: You
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: June 24, 2012, 3:13 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Ahh! I'm loving how Ardeth and Arabella seem to just click! They
make a wonderful couple and I love how respectful they are of
each other. I dare say that things are just starting to heat up
for these two :D Keep up the wonderful work!
#Post#: 1083--------------------------------------------------
Re: You
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: June 24, 2012, 12:05 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I'm glad you like it so far, I'll be posting an update at some
point tonight :]
#Post#: 1086--------------------------------------------------
Re: You
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: June 24, 2012, 4:00 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
As he lifted me from his horse and into his arms, the feeling
was torturous for both of us, or so it seemed. I was not one to
confuse pure lust with disgust and his eyes had flashed as he
slid me slowly down the length of his well built body.
“You are very beautiful” he said, staring deep into my eyes.
Though I had wanted to stare back for hours and plant a thousand
kisses on his enticing lips, I knew it would be wrong. My only
hope to get through this inward battle with myself would be to
ignore the need for him. I hoped he would do the same, or that
he would at least take my coldness toward him as a sign that I
was most definitely not interested.
I emptied my eyes and mind of all their pleasurable desires and
smiled kindly at him. He frowned momentarily, but hid it upon
noticing my mouth open, for I was about to say something.
“Thank you for bringing me here. I don’t know where I would have
spent the night at Hamunaptra. I fear that I would have been
eaten alive by those wolves if you had not found me” I said.
Puzzled, he asked me what I was talking about, “What do you
mean? There are no wolves in these parts of Egypt” he said.
“But, I saw two of them dragging off a camel’s corpse, with
their teeth dug right in!” I half yelled.
In an instant, his hand covered my mouth to silence me. His eyes
had changed from kind to angry and I knew I’d done something
wrong at the force of his hand against my lips. He was by no
means hurting me and I would not bruise, but the pressure wasn’t
too bearable. Thinking it was a good idea, though very unwise, I
bit down hard on his finger and he yelped in shock, removing his
hand and cradling it with his other.
I smirked, despite the death glare he was currently sending my
way. Then, with a shrug and a smile, I turned on my heel and
wandered off in search of Shadow. The poor love had trotted away
from us when I had raised my voice to his master. Not only did I
want to apologise to the lovely animal, but I wanted to take any
opportunity to give this Medjai a little space.
“Arabella, where do you think you are going?” he shouted, as I
had already walked quite a distance.
“To see Shadow” I replied, not even turning to look at him.
I could hear the sound of heavy breathing behind me. When I
turned my head to look at who was running after me, they almost
collided right into me. Luckily, my reflexes were quicker than
they had been in their attempt to grab me.
“You are insane!” I shouted as Ardeth managed to pin me down on
the sand, “And you are ruining my hair”
His anger burnt to cinders and evaporated at my words. Now, he
was grinning down at me, highly amused that I wasn’t happy with
him right now. I growled and tried in vain to shove him off of
me, but he was much too strong and my efforts were fruitless.
He, however, had other plans as he lifted himself off me and
held out his hand. I took it, regretfully. Ardeth led me a short
distance toward a small lake, surrounded by evergreen bushes and
lavender coloured lilies. I beamed at the sight, for it looked
so tranquil. I could spend the rest of my life here and be
forever happy.
Ardeth, taking notice and loving my reaction to such scenery,
pulled me toward the lakes edge.
“This water has healing powers” he said, “It can also cleanse
your soul of its unlikely but devious hidden wrongdoings”
“How wonderful” I said, taking a step forward.
As I stood closer to the water, Ardeth’s hand gripped my wrist
tightly. I winced at the pain as it rushed right up my arm.
Without thinking about the consequences of my actions, my other
hand swung around and smacked him hard across the face. His grip
on my wrist did not loosen, nor did it tighten. But he pulled me
with great force closer to his body, my chest colliding with his
as the wind was knocked from my lungs.
“Well, you really are insane” I spat.
His grip on my arms was beginning to hurt and I knew I bruised
like a peach. I struggled, despite knowing his strength would
win. My struggles did nothing for me and after a good few
minutes of trying to break free, I gave up.
“Are you done?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“Yes” I mumbled, not daring to look at him.
He wrapped one arm tightly around my waist and with his other,
he grabbed my chin and lifted my head so I had no choice but to
look into his eyes. I did not wish to, but closing my eyes would
leave me vulnerable to him. Instead, I looked up at him with
tears in my eyes, igniting realisation inside him as he deftly
let me go and took a step back.
“You hurt me” I said quietly, rubbing my arms with both hands.
“Arabella..” he said, “I am sorry”
“No, it’s alright. I slapped you, it is to be expected” I said,
turning my back on him.
I buried my face in my hands as wails of sadness swam up my
throat and out of my mouth like the grieving sounds of a widow.
My shoulders shook uncontrollably as I tried to stop myself from
showing weakness before him, but I just couldn’t hold it all in.
His hands lay upon my shoulders as they shook fiercely. I would
have turned and slapped him again, but it would only make us
both feel worse about the situation. I allowed him to cradle me
in his arms for a while, whispering comforting words into my ear
as he did so. I had to smile at his efforts, for they were
working wonders. Not only for my tears, but also the warm
feeling floating through my entire body whenever he opened his
mouth to speak.
“Thank you, Ardeth” I mumbled against his robes.
Somehow in the time that we were standing there, him holding me
tightly in his arms, I had turned and lay my head against his
chest. He did not object to such closeness. He lay his thumb
under my chin and lifted my face up to look at him. I searched
his eyes, wondering what it was he wanted.
“Gamila, I am sorry for hurting you. It will never happen again.
So long as you are here, I will protect you with my life.” he
said, smiling down at me.
I blushed heavily, “You really do not have to make such
promises, they may not remain a possibility, what with all the
dangers lurking in this desert.” I replied.
“On the contrary my lady, no harm will come to you whilst you
are under the protection of the Medjai. Now, I think it would be
most suitable for you to meet each of us.” he said.
A look of wonder crossed my face. I hadn’t considered at all
that he would be among others such as himself, as he seemed the
kind who liked to have their own space, as well as their own
rules. Still, I took his hand when he offered it to me and we
walked back to the camp. As we approached, I noticed a large
fire building up and almost touching the sky, it was so high. I
smiled and rushed toward it, now noticing the desert temperature
had dropped dramatically when the sun had gone down.
When I turned my head around to see how near Ardeth was after I
had run ahead, my nose bumped into his chest.
“Sorry..” I said, rubbing my nose gently.
He laughed a little before speaking up, “No, that was my fault,
are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine” I said, cautious now that my nose had been
knocked.
I had an enormous fear of nosebleeds and even with the slightest
bump, I worried such a thing would happen. Having had so many of
them over the years, it became almost a phobia. Leaving the fire
quickly, as well as a confused Ardeth, I ran around the back of
a group of tents and stood there shaking a little while, waiting
to make sure I was not going to bleed.
A silhouette hung over me. I spun around and came face to face
with a man who was not Ardeth, but dressed exactly like him. He
reached his hand out toward me and I flinched, diving into
defence mode and kicking him in the shin. The man fell to the
ground in agony and was crying like a little boy as I stepped
over his robed body and ran as fast as possible around all the
tents. They all seemed to be occupied so I couldn’t find
anywhere to hide. I turned my head around as I ran hoping that
no one else was following me, when I collided with another body,
landing painfully on top of them. A grunt escaped them and as I
looked down to see who I had injured, guilt rose in my stomach
again. It was Ardeth and I’d hurt him twice now.
“Oh, forgive me. I was trying to, erm, get away from someone” I
muttered, climbing off of him.
I heard him laugh with incredible force as he raised himself up
off the ground and pulled me up with him. I blushed heavily,
realising my stupidity had yet again caused him harm. Though, in
all fairness, he didn’t look too badly hurt. Besides, I wasn’t
all that heavy compared to him.
“Hey, what would you say to a bite to eat?” he asked.
“I would most definitely accept!” I squeaked, clapping my hands
together like a small child.
Ardeth laughed lightly at my childlike moment and lay his hand
on my lower back, leading me over to the table that a vast
number of robed men surrounded. With the sound of his voice,
each man was seated instantly and I felt the need to sit myself
down right there on the sand. He was clearly the one in command
here. That made me feel a whole lot safer among such unusual
characters.
#Post#: 1091--------------------------------------------------
Re: You
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: June 24, 2012, 5:58 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
“Arabella, please take a seat anywhere you wish” he said,
brushing his hand through the air.
“Thank you” I replied, glancing around at the many men.
Each of them bore a deep sense of desire and longing as they
watched me. All but one, whom looked rather on the young side to
be in such a dangerous profession. Nevertheless, I was not one
to judge a book by its cover and seeing as he looked the least
harmful, I chose to sit beside him. The young man looked up at
me momentarily and smiled, a light blush growing on his cheeks.
I could not help but smile back at his adorable attitude. I knew
we would become friends.
“Bil hana wish shifa’” shouted Ardeth from across the table.
At his words, everyone began to dig in and grab pieces of food.
I took his words to have meant something along the lines of
enjoy your meal, though I couldn’t be entirely sure. I leaned
over to the young man beside me and asked him what was said. He
confirmed my beliefs and I smiled in thanks at him, which he
returned happily.
“So, how old are you” I asked him, hoping to make conversation.
“I am seventeen, ma’am” he said, “I know it must seem as though
I am not of age to be a protector of this city, but ever since
my mother brought me into this world, she and my father had
hoped I would do them both proud, and this is my chosen path.”
“I understand. It is of great nobility to be standing up for and
protecting such a beautiful city from unknown attackers or
assassins. I am sure your parents are very proud of you, what is
your name?” I asked.
“Thank you dear lady, that is very kind of you to say so. My
name is Hakeem, and yours?” he said.
“It is a pleasure to meet you Hakeem, I am Arabella” I answered,
offering my hand to him.
We shook briefly and a small smile lit up the boys face. I could
tell he was happy to make a new friend, for the men around us
didn’t appear too friendly at all, apart from Ardeth of course.
Then again, even their chief had his moments. Hakeem leaned a
little closer to me and I moved my hair aside as he whispered
something into my ear. A loud thud was heard and the table shook
violently upon impact. I turned my head to the far side of the
everlasting table and noticed one of Ardeth’s Medjai warriors
trying to calm him down. His eyes, burning with anger and
torment, were looking directly into mine. I allowed my eyes to
travel down to his shaking arm and noticed the dagger he had put
right through the table. Gasping, I wondered what on earth was
the matter.
Hakeem leaned over to me once more and told me of his masters
jealous ways. He had never seen him act in such a way before,
but of course, it was now all too obvious what was wrong, for
when Hakeem had leaned closer to me again, Ardeth’s fist
tightened around the handle of his weapon.
“Hakeem, do you think I should go and have a talk with him?” I
asked the boy.
He merely nodded in terror, afraid to talk to me again over the
death glares Ardeth was sending his way every time he said
something. A frown crept its way onto my face as he looked at
the chief Medjai, about ready to swing at him for losing his
temper over a little conversation I had been having with one of
his men, who just happened to be a little too young for me
anyway. My age wasn’t far off his of course, but I preferred
older men, so he was way out of line.
Rather than make a fool out of him and myself by storming over
to his side of the table and demanding to know what his problem
was, I looked around the place and stood from my seat quickly,
knocking over a goblet of wine as I did so. The men around me
and in front of me questioned what on earth I was going to do,
but they didn’t speak a word. I found what I was looking for in
one of the tents across the way, for my bag had been placed in
there for safekeeping. These men must think I was stupid, as it
was plain to see they had been routing through it before
dropping it beneath a small desk as though it was of great
unimportance to them.
I would never have the time to explain to these desert men just
what I was doing with a radio in my bag on a journey to Cairo.
All eyes focused on me as I left the tent and cleaned some space
where the food had been prepared. I jumped up onto the steady
planks of wood that formed a nice little stage and hit play on
my radio. Music blasted out from its speakers and the men’s
mouths hung open in shock. Apparently they knew something I did
not.
Ardeth scowled horribly at both me and young Hakeem now, but I
would not back down. I was determined to pull his attention away
from the innocence of that boy. I turned my back on the men and
fidgeted a little with the search button on the radio, until I
found what I was looking for.
Guitars and drums echoed through the speakers and surrounded the
camp with its forceful beat, before a woman’s voice seeped
through in gentle waves of harmony. Then, I erased her voice
from my recording and allowed only the melody to play on. Then,
as if the men had been waiting for me to do something incredibly
stupid, their eyes began to glow in the darkness, lit only by
the fire. My voice took over in an instant, reciting the lyrics
to a song I was prepared to dedicate to Ardeth, for it was of
both anger and adoration.
[center]Late in life
You came to me
And you put a sign
On me
Late in life
What remained of you
When you fell into
A trap of lies[/center]
The men were completely drawn in by my voice and had now stopped
eating so noisily. Hakeem was leaning a little too far back in
his chair and I feared any moment now he would lose his balance
and seriously hurt himself. As I continued to sing, quietening
my voice toward the end of the first verse, I sent him a worried
look, and he grabbed the table for support. I had to smile at
his reluctance to take his eyes away from me as the chorus built
up.
[center]You (oooh) You (oooh)
You (oooh)
Only you (oooh) You (oooh)
You (oooh)
All your love
That I love
All your love[/center]
With every last one of those words, as they dragged out and my
voice reached the heavens above with every note I perfected, I
was staring hard into Ardeth’s eyes. My voice repeated the words
for another two verses, and then another came up, one I wanted
to make sure he knew was directed at him.
[center]Like a man
Who plays the game
As a healing
For his pain
You played your game
Again and again
Crazy - insane
Deep in love[/center]
Something about his face changed in that moment. I had allowed
my voice to vibrate venomously through the men who were now
standing in front of me, away from their forgotten meals, their
mouths still hanging half open in surprise. I threw my arms into
the air with the last few words, the notes hitting perfect highs
as my hands stretched out to reach the stars.
Then, almost as though the King Of Egypt himself had appeared
from behind one of the tents, thunderous applause erupted from
the man men who stood before me. I had to smile at how nice they
all seemed, especially after thinking they did not like me very
much.
“Arabella, you have a wonderful voice” called Hakeem as he came
rushing over to me.
I had jumped down off the planks of wood and was walking around
the edge of the men whom had gathered into a small group. Now
that they were freely talking amongst themselves and paying
little attention to me, I saw my chance of escape. Thanking
Hakeem and giving him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, he
backed off blushing, touched his cheek, smiled at me and then
went off to join the men in their discussion about their new
found interest.
Just as I rounded the corner of a tent, hoping to get away from
the chattering men, I was thrown to the floor by a pair of
strong hands. The person had landed directly on top of me as we
went tumbling to the sand below us. Perhaps my thoughts on these
men had been wrong; they were indeed the old pervs I had
predicted them to be. I struggled fiercely with the creepy
looking man who lay above me, his hands trying to find their way
under my skirt. My cries for help seemed to go unnoticed. The
sound of the Medjai talking and shouting among themselves still
hurt my ears, as they were still at it, unaware that I was being
attacked, possibly about to be raped. I screamed in horror when
the mans hand reached under my top and grasped my chest through
my bra.
I closed my eyes tightly, praying silently to the Gods and
Goddess’ above that this man would just disappear or evaporate
and leave me alone. As quick as I had spoken my thoughts aloud,
the man was lifted up off my shaking body and tossed far across
the sand, landing with a painful thud. I refused to open my eyes
in fear of being attacked by another of them, when a hand lay
gently on my cheek. A thumb rubbed my face and a soothing voice
called out to me.
“Gamila, it is alright, you are safe” it said.
I hesitantly opened my eyes. Now laying over me was a handsome
man, by the name of Ardeth. A grin spread over my lips and he
returned it. Though my body was still shaking slightly from
having almost been stripped of my innocence by that vulgar man,
it was also shaking from happiness, along with a dollop of
desire in the pit of my stomach.
“Shukran” I said quietly.
Ardeth’s grin broadened at my choice of language and he wrapped
my arms around his neck, lifting me into a bridal hold for the
second time and carrying me into one of the empty tents.
“This tent belongs to me, for it is larger than the others. It
has two beds, one for you and one for me. I had my men build it
when I knew you would rather not share my bed.” he said.
I was about to comment, when I noticed him blushing profusely. I
chose to ignore my urge to tell him I would not mind sharing his
bed, for it would put him in a most difficult situation. I
unwrapped my arms from around his neck as he let my legs drop to
the floor.
With my eyes about to pop out of my head, my hand brushed over
the fine material the bed had been made with. I turned my head
around to look at Ardeth and he was scratching his chin, a
hopeful look in his eyes. Of course, he must be awaiting my
approval of such a fine place to stay, but surely the bright
smile on my face was a hint that I loved it. I would make it a
permanent place to live if I could do so, but understood the
Medjai would never allow a woman to be around them so long.
“Ardeth, this is perfect” I said, “and I’m not just saying that”
I added as he was about to object.
“Alright, well, I’m glad you like it and if there’s anything you
need, I will be just outside” he said.
“Wait! where are you going?” I asked, grabbing his hand.
I blushed hard when he turned back and looked down at my hand
clinging to his for dear life and dropped it immediately. He
smiled down at me and lay a hand on my shoulder, his other under
my chin as he lifted my gaze up to meet his.
“I will be right outside, habibti” he said, turning to leave
again.
He must have known I knew the meaning of that word, for it was
one of the most common in the land of Egypt, and he was right.
That word had been a blessing to my many pleasant dreams back
home. I would often dream about a tall, dark and handsome man
coming to my rescue as I was about to be eaten by a giant snake.
That was no mere exaggeration; the snake in my dreams was
actually huge.
As soon as he had stepped out of the tent, arguing could be
heard. They were certainly not making a go at being quiet. I
gathered it was the man who had tried to have his way with me,
because I heard only Ardeth and an unfamiliar voice as he was
being reprimanded. I snickered to myself and took a look around
the tent. Thankfully, my bag had been tossed in here so I would
not have to leave the tent and pass by that guy again. He was
definitely going to be avoided from now on.
Digging through the few clothes I’d thrown randomly into my bag
before my journey here, I sighed in defeat when I found nothing
I could wear.
I took a seat on the edge of the bed and waited for the noise
right outside the tent to die down. Once it had, Ardeth stormed
through the entrance and took a look at me, frowning. His eyes
looked over my attire and he wondered, obviously, why I had not
changed into more comfortable bed wear.
“If you’re expecting me to sleep naked, you’ve got another thing
coming” I said.
“But, you brought clothes along with you, did you not?” he
asked, taking a step closer.
“That I did, but there is nothing suitable here for me to sleep
in” I said, matter-of-factly.
“Ya Allah” he said, clearly frustrated.
I knew what he had said, it was another popular term used around
here. I did not wish to anger him, so I stood from the bed and
walked over to my bag once again. I intended to show him what I
had brought along with me so he could see for himself how none
of it would possibly be appropriate to spend the night in.
“Ah, I see your point. Well then, do not worry, I shall find you
something to wear” he said, walking out of the tent and leaving
me alone again.
I sighed, wondering how long this was going to take. My
tiredness was getting the better of me and as I lay down just to
rest my aching body, my eyes closed without even trying to stay
open. My light sleep was dreamless for once.
A thumb brushing gently across my cheek stirred me from my
slumber. I looked up into the eyes of that same handsome Medjai
who had brought me here. I smiled, he smiled back and handed me
a neatly folded piece of cloth. Or at least that’s what I
thought it was. Examining it a little more closely, I discovered
it was in fact an Egyptian nightgown and a beautiful one at
that. My only problem was the transparency of the thin material.
It was blood red in colour, but my everything would be visible
with just one look. I was about to object and hand it back to
him, but he had already gone.
I released another sigh, knowing I would not win. I hurried to
get changed out of my clothes and quickly pulled the nightgown
over my head and down my body. There was a mirror situated in
the corner of the tent, so I went to inspect myself.
Gasping at my thoughts being proven before my very eyes, I
noticed just how see through it was. My chest was clearly
visible, as well as the outline of my body. At that very moment,
shock still building in my tense body, Ardeth entered. He
stopped in his tracks by the entrance and from the corner of my
eye, I could see his own eyes advancing a trail along my entire
body. He too was able to notice what this skimpy piece of cloth
was showing. It barely left anything to the imagination, but at
least it was floor length and that is all that mattered.
“You look stunning, Arabella” he said, finally finding his
voice.
“Thank you” I replied, spinning in a small circle.
Ardeth smiled warmly at me and clapped his hands together
quietly a few times in approval. He held out his hand for me and
I took it happily. He led me over to my bed and sat down on the
edge, asking me to sit down beside him. I did so, intrigued by
his sudden silence.
#Post#: 1092--------------------------------------------------
Re: You
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: June 24, 2012, 6:45 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Ahh! You're drawing me in even more and I must say I don't mind
one bit! I can honestly say I was just as scared as poor
Arabella was, maybe a bit more when she was grabbed like that
while trying to sing. Such animals, but perhaps one can't blame
them? They haven't seen a woman in months years probably. That
doesn't defend their actions in the least and thank god Ardeth
was there for her. I dare say that I found Ardeth's frustration
when Arabella had nothing to change into quite funny :D Keep up
the wonderful work, I can't wait to see what happens next!
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 2
DIR Next Page