Ma'in, the Imperial city-state along the coast of the Arabian Sea
Lo'gan and Mari descended down from the roof and made their way back to their room in thoughtful silence, but once they were inside, they moved quickly, knowing they had little time to beat the rising sun. Forgoing the need for light, Lo'gan went directly to where he had leaned his Khanjar against the wall, while Mari bent over and picked up the dress Lo'gan had dropped in the room in his rush to find her. Lo'gan watched out of the corner of his eye as she turned it thoughtfully in her hands. The look on her face told him he had made a good selection. She held it up to herself and he smiled as he began to quickly lace the leather straps of the blade's sheath to his thigh. Mari returned his smile and ventured a hopeful question.
"Mari anabbayah?"
Lo'gan moved to fit his square clothe headpiece on next, wishing they had stayed on the roof, exploring and touching, instead of running from an insane old woman like fugitives.
"Yeah, darling. It's yours."
Grateful that she finally had something decent to wear and pretty to boot, Mari quickly shrugged her outer cloak off. It was only when she reached the tie of her teal robe that she remembered that Lo'gan was watching her every move. Blushing furiously, Mari froze and smiled at Lo'gan. He understood perfectly but wondering why the heck he couldn't just see her change if they had been a step away from doing – stuff, he turned around and finished adjusting the blade at his thigh while facing the window.
Keeping a careful eye on Lo'gan's back, Mari quickly shrugged off her mesh robe and slipped her new dress over her head. Like most Bedouin dresses, it was held up by a knot over each of her shoulders, had sli sleeves billowing down her arms and fell into a straight line to her ankles. The skirt was split up her thighs to allow for movement and secured with a wide sash at her middle that offered support to her back and chest. It was a perfect fit and grabbing her cloak again, she called out to Lo'gan.
"Okay."
Lo'gan turned around, having secured his own clothing and weapons and watched quietly as Mari twirled around once in her brand new Miznih original.
"Perfect."
Mari wrinkled her nose, not sure if Lo'gan's serious expression meant that it was good or not.
"Perfect?"
Lo'gan saw the confusion in her eyes and clarified with a word they had covered extensively already.
"Beautiful."
Satisfied, Mari looked down at the intricate cutwork in the garment and nodded.
"Mm-hmm. Beautiful."
Feeling his resolve slip a little, Lo'gan walked to Mari and lifting her chin, kissed her lightly on the lips. It was a simple kiss, but just like the heated ones they had just shared, full of ardor and passion in its brevity nonetheless.
"I meant that you were perfect. Mari perfect."
Mari cocked her head to the side and weighted his words. Somehow, he sounded genuine when he said things like that, but she would never really get used to them. The conflict she felt earlier about leaving and staying with him came crashing back. On the roof she had made a decision, she was going home. For some reason that didn't seem quite as important as it once did but it was still the plan: find Danea, visit her father's grave, make sure Valeria was all right. Then Lo'gan absolutely floored her by offering to take her back home. She didn't think it was possible, but she believed him and there was no doubt in her mind that he would follow through on his promise. Only now she didn't really want to leave him. There was something about the way he touched her, the way he spoke to her and the way he looked at her that made her think that everything she ever wanted was right there with him.
Dropping her face from his hands, Mari smiled weakly at Lo'gan's flattering words and bent down to pick up the teal robe she no longer needed. Lo'gan watched her with growing uncertainty, the lightness in mood he had felt kissing her tender skin on the roof gone, to leave nothing but the assurance that it would all end more sooner than later. Snapped out of his thinking when Mari finally brought the hood of her cloak over her hair, Lo'gan wondered if he had overstepped his bounds. It wasn't fair that he ached to touch her so much and he hated himself for it. Adjusting his ghutra over his own long hair for his return trek into the desert, Logan opened the door and turned to face Mari.
"We have to leave now, Mari."
Mari nodded and placing the teal robe she folded, delicately on the bed walked out in what had become her characteristic posture: head down and hands tucked into her sleeves to help cover her light skin. Lo'gan winced a little at that. She didn't deserve this; to be an outcast and a curiosity for people to stare at. She deserved to be comfortable, secure and loved in the midst of others just like her. Only he knew no one would love her like he did. Of that he was sure. Tightening his fists and throwing one last look at the bed they had shared, Lo'gan closed the door behind them and stomped down the hall.
When Lo'gan and Mari arrived at the courtyard, Harabi and Miznih were locked in a goodbye kiss that they both awkwardly ignored as they walked to Nayif. To Mari's surprise the two stallions were already attached to two camels by a lead. This was not something she expected. Forgetting her agonizing decision for the moment, Mari moved to pet the lanky camels until Lo'gan called her to Nayif's saddle. The stallion snorted when he smelt Mari and offering a few greetings that Lo'gan could not understand, Mari rubbed his snout a little while the saddle was adjusted.
Like their escape from the palace, Logan figured that Mari should ride with him. It would save time and added weight and not to mention, keep her close to him. Lo'gan watched Mari's face carefully for any reaction to that, but seeing none, helped her over the horse. To his surprise, Mari took to it much easier than she had before. Even Mari noticed, and proud that she could at least mount properly, smiled at Lo'gan, who hurriedly took his place behind her. To her non-surprise, Lo'gan pressed himself flush against her and brought an arm around her waist, but Mari did not mind at all. Clutching the brunt of the saddle with two hands, she leaned into him and prayed that whatever Lo'gan was planning for an escape would work.
Lo'gan was hoping the same exact thing and turning Nayif in place, trotted over to where Harabi was still mumbling things into Miznih's ear. Clearing his throat impatiently, Lo'gan watched them move apart reluctantly. Mari smiled at the couple and feeling Lo'gan hesitate nervously at her back, looked up at him expectantly as he attempted what she knew was a good-bye.
"Uhh, I wanted to thank you for everything……"
The shopkeeper/madam raised her eyebrows with a smirk of surprise and tightened her shawl around herself.
"Miznih."
Lo'gan growled, embarrassed that he had forgotten her name.
"Yeah, Miznih……so thanks."
Miznih shrugged her shoulders and watched as Harabi mounted his horse.
"It was nothing. Please be careful." She met Harabi's eyes and her smile wavered a little. "All of you."
Lo'gan and Mari watched silently as something passed between Harabi and Miznih and feeling like an intruder, Lo'gan was about to pull Nayif away when a hand on his arm stopped him. Lo'gan looked down at Mari in surprise, who had extended a hand out to the other woman. More than a little surprised herself, Miznih walked up to Nayif and met Mari's pale hand. Mari smiled shyly and leaning over Nayif pressed into it what Lo'gan recognized as one of the bangles she had on earlier.
It had small clear yellow stones incrusted in the gold all around and was probably one of the most valuable of her ornaments. Mari said a shy thank you to the vibrant woman that she wished she had gotten to know better and offering a beaming smile in return, Miznih thanked her back. Pleased, Mari straightened out against Lo'gan and offered him a smile as well. Lo'gan squeezed her hip gently and with a last curt nod of gratitude to Miznih, led Nayif out of the courtyard and into the dark streets of Ma'in.
Harabi dawdled a few minutes longer, but eventually rode up to catch up to Lo'gan and Mari. Glancing back to see him sad, but focused, Lo'gan tapped his fist twice on his chest. Harabi did the same in response and together they entered into the second phase of their plan to hopefully get out of Ma'in alive.
Lo'gan was usually not a very emphatic person, but he knew that the Dawasir was sorry to go. For some reason, it didn't surprise him. Miznih seemed a compatible woman for Harabi. For a second he actually felt bad for them. He knew that what awaited them in the al Khali desert was not good and would get way worse before getting better. Tightening his grip on Mari's waist, Lo'gan scanned the narrow streets ahead of them. If Harabi were ever going to see his spitfire again, he would have to be on extra alert when things got ugly. And if there was one thing Lo'gan was sure of, was that things were definitely going to get ugly.
Focusing on the curve of streets that they were on, Lo'gan banished his pessimism away and let his well-honed sense of alertness move to the forefront. For now, there was a job to be done. In the predawn hour, the streets were deadly silent and there were none of the typical gamblers and drinkers than normally had that particular section of the city bustling with activity. The markets would not open for several hours and until then, they were pretty much traversing a ghost town. But experience told Lo'gan that that was not all. The royal guards would definitely be on the search for them at every gate in the city walls and they could not afford a hands on fight. Their best bet was to sneak through and for that they needed help.
Pulling ahead in a steady trot that the camels could follow easily, the three escapees moved through the most nondescript streets possible towards the outer camps on the fringes of the city. Still hidden from view by darkness, Mari watched the streets go by in growing anxiety. She was not an expert in running from the law, but she knew for a fact that she was their biggest problem.
Harabi and Lo'gan had chosen their clothes wisely, wearing robes that revealed no clan signatures and that looked like everyone else's in the region, but they could still be pegged as desert dwellers by their flat head cloths and she was no help whatsoever in that department. If a guard at the gates took one look at her, the three of them would be dead on the spot. Feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the thought that she may be their only reason for recapture, Mari looked to the east, at the palace resting on the tallest cliff in the distance. Lo'gan felt her shift and frowning at what he knew was turning in her head, turned Mari's head around so that she was almost nose to nose with him.
"You'll be safe. You won't go back, Mari."
Mari blinked at the lips so close to hers. Of course Lo'gan would help her. It was a given. Nodding her head and clutching at the hand glued possessively to her hip, Mari searched the words she knew that meant confirmation. She came up with one that he had used when he first assured her he would take her home.
"Lo'gan promise?"
Lo'gan raised an eyebrow slowly, absolutely awed that Mari could already know so much of his speech.
"Yeah, Mari, I promise."
Mari let out a shaky smile and wishing for the thousandth time that he had the time to touch her like he wanted to, Lo'gan brought his lips to cover hers. Mari returned the kiss and tenderly tasting each other, Lo'gan and Mari stole a few seconds of time for just themselves. But the moment had to be cut short in their dire situation. Pulling on Nayif's reins to make a left down the end of one street, Lo'gan reluctantly parted from Mari's lips. Smiling shyly at the grumble that she could feel under her ear emanating from his chest, Mari turned to face forward again to let Lo'gan lead them correctly. Catching the hand that was holding the leather reins, she brought it to her lips for a quick peck of a kiss like he had done to her on several occasions. Lo'gan smiled at that and placing one of his own on her cloak covered head, continued to move out in a western direction.
They continued in more or less that direction for close to half an hour, slowly taking routes they knew were not paved to avoid unnecessary noise. Turning around to see past his pack camel to Harabi sitting at full alert on his horse, Lo'gan signaled that they were only five minutes away. Harabi grinned in response thinking they had made it across to the nomad quarter without incident, but their luck would falter in the last stretch. Turning the last corner to face the last of the structures before the nomad quarter, they came face to face with a royal guard on foot.
The blue turbaned man was obviously on patrol and seeing them, an instant recognition of the two desert dwellers crossed his eyes. Lo'gan immediately stiffened and seeing that they were about to be discovered if the guard blew the horn attached to his sash, Lo'gan swung his leg behind Nayif in a frighteningly fast reaction.
The guard's eyes widened and Mari gasped, but before she could grab him or even turn around, Lo'gan was off his horse and halfway to the guard with his Khanjar in his hand. Mari watched in slow motion as Lo'gan approached the bigger man and panicked that he would get hurt, she hastily dismounted and was about to run in his direction when Harabi caught her arm and yanked her back with a hoarse `no'.
Mari struggled, but was quickly subdued by the Dawasir when he flung his arms around her. Hearing a grunt and a gurgling scream from where Lo'gan disappeared to in the shadow covered street, Mari eventually just closed her eyes shut and stood in place as a chill ran the whole length of her body.
Sensing she would not bolt, Harabi slowly let go and ran to help Lo'gan. Mari stood glued in place a second longer and fearing the worst, slowly turned in time to see Harabi help Lo'gan drag the guard into an alley. In the faint light, she couldn't make out whether what ran through the cobbled stones they walked over was water or blood, but she really didn't want to know. Their escape was turning out to be at a costly price and she didn't want to think of all of the implications their actions were having. Walking numbly back to Nayif, Mari pet the stallion briefly before securing her footing and mounting him unassisted.
When Lo'gan returned to her, slightly sweaty and out of breath, Mari looked down to hide behind her hood. Lo'gan saw her posture and felt regret gnaw at him, but worried that they had little time to reach the nomad quarter, quickly mounted behind her and pulled in behind Harabi, who was already galloping in the lead. His actions probably disgusted her, but he knew they were necessary and despite his violent tendencies, he took no pleasure in taking lives. It was simply a matter of survival and he always had those sleepless nights to chastise himself for those moments when it was he or they. Only with Harabi and Mari it was more than just him. That was enough of a justification to lay his regrets to rest and pushing all thoughts of how hard steel sliced so easily through warm flesh, Lo'gan pulled up to Harabi's side.
Like expected, they reached the camp settlement in just a few minutes. Despite her growing headache, Mari couldn't help but gasp at the sight of hundreds of camels and tents pitched in the sandy fields when they finally cleared the last buildings lining the curving streets. Lo'gan felt her reaction and wanted to explain, but spotting a single campfire in the distance, quickly brought his stallion to rest by a post at the edge of the camp. Hoping that he would be lucky enough to find the needle in the haystack, Lo'gan dismounted without saying a word to either of his companions and walked off towards a crowd of early risers huddled around a fire a short distance away.
Mari watched him go with trepidation, unsure of what was going on and sorry that she hadn't even asked if he was hurt after his scuffle with the guard on the street. Now he was gone and they were in a massive field full of tents and camels that seemed to stretch endlessly over hills that bordered the entire populated city. Worried that Lo'gan was walking straight into unfamiliar turf, Mari looked over at Harabi for help. He too was following every move that Lo'gan took towards the halo of light amidst the island of huddled tents. She wasn't sure, but he looked concerned too.
"Lo'gan, okay?"
Harabi blinked at Mari's unexpected words and taking a second to center himself against the oddly clear eyes that were watching him carefully, stammered out.
"Yeah, sure. Ahh, he'll……he'll be right back."
Still feeling strangely disquiet by the green of her eyes, Harabi pointed at the fire Lo'gan was headed to in order to get Mari to stop looking at him. Mari did just that and following Lo'gan's thick outline framed against the bright fire, bit nervously at her nails. He seemed to head straight to the biggest figure and she could make out talking between the two. Then someone else joined them and pointed out towards one side of the camp. Mari followed his outstretched hand and seeing nothing different in the ocean of people and animals, looked back to find Lo'gan bowing deeply against the licking flames.
To her relief, Lo'gan then promptly turned and walked back to them. They were directions. He had asked for directions. Bringing her hand to her throat nervously, Mari watched anxiously as Lo'gan made his way through the tents. When he was close, she offered him a hand, eager to have him pressed safely against her once again.
Content that at least she was not `that' disappointed with him, Lo'gan took Mari's outstretched hand and quickly climbed onto Nayif behind her. Getting a hold on Mari first, he checked back to the people he had just spoken to, and then spoke up to his curious companions.
"The al Shammar are not very far to the west. They are headed in the right direction."
Mari crinkled her nose in confusion as Harabi and Lo'gan exchanged uneasy nods, but used to being disregarded in conversation, said nothing as they pulled away once more. The sky was brightening in small increments, so she could finally take a good look around. In her worry over where Lo'gan was going, she had not really noticed that she was in a desert dweller's camp. When Battam arrived at Ma'in, his people had settled in a similar camp. It was where the nomadic clans rested under the open sky while the merchants went out and sold their wares. It seemed terribly inconvenient to Mari at first, but in second thought, the desert peoples were perfectly at home in open fields. They actually preferred that rather to lodgings and swarms of people they did not know deep in the city.
Sighing deeply at the memories of the exchange where she herself was sold, Mari closed her eyes. Lost in the feelings of perpetual dread and confusion she felt all those months of being carted around by strangers as merchandise, Mari did not feel Lo'gan's hand on her cheek until he called her name.
"Mari, darling?"
Mari startled and taking a moment to remember that it was Lo'gan's hand on her skin, blinked at the worry in his eyes.
"Mari okay."
Lo'gan frowned at the waver in her voice, but knowing it was neither the time nor the place, offered a tight smile and quickly signaled to the watching Dawasir to pull ahead. Harabi followed the order and pulled his horse and camel ahead towards their only real hope to escape the city unnoticed. Placing her hand over Lo'gan's, Mari tried to reassure him with touch that she was well. But Lo'gan was not convinced. Cognizant of the fact that she was still very tired, most likely hungry and upset at his attack on the guard on the street, Lo'gan held Mari tighter than he had been and followed Harabi on silent thought.
Weaving Nayif carefully through the hundreds of tents and the hordes of camels hunched and sleeping on the ground, Lo'gan kept a careful eye on the brightening sky and the girl in his arms. The sun would break over the horizon soon and they had to find their allies first.
Fortunately, the dark, storm-threatening sky stayed darker than normal and offered some delay in their search. It was a mixed blessing however, as it meant that traveling was now going to be harder than he had anticipated. Lo'gan frowned at the sky and tugging the reins in his hand slightly, pulled in closer to Harabi.
"Purple and black are the colors."
Harabi nodded and continued to march his horse through the throngs of tents. He had heard of the Shammar and thankfully they were one of the more peaceful clans out there. They were hesitant to trade with other clans and were known for being inclusive, but they were at least friendly and that was always a good start. What's more, their Sheik was renowned for his integrity. His reputation of never cheating a dealer outshone even the Jabir's and that was truly impressive for someone who had been leading for only a year since his father's untimely death.
Straining to see over the huddle of tents all around them, Harabi let out a satisfied smirk when he finally spotted the purple and black weaving on some nearby tents. Signaling to Lo'gan, he turned his horse to the cluster of about fifty tents in the distance, hoping they had at least one more bit of luck working to their favor.
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