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Ancient Friends [WolfXSong]

She sighed and then looked at him and looked up. She nodded. "It would seem so." She sighed adn looked at him and sat down and crossed her legs and shook her head. "No, I am not upset. It is just a difficult time you and me are going through right now. Me not being a child but also not being a woman." She sighed and leaned forward putting her hands on her face and looked down at the beggar. She ran back in, grabbed a small pouch of gold and coins and tossed it so she knew the beggar would see but no one else would, except maybe Ix. Sabah turned back and shrugged.
 
(The italics were his thoughts, not him speaking. Too late now but just for future reference.)

"You and I" he corrected her, grinning devilishly. However, he quickly regained his solemn composure. "I know, I was thinking a lot about what you were saying yesterday." he admitted. "That's where this and this came from" Ix added, pointing to a scrape and a bruise. Being preoccupied with the struggles of adolescence was not exactly a big help when one was trying to focus on sparring or training with a new weapon. Nonetheless, it had been the subject of Ix's dreams last night too. He had dreamt of being married off to the weird girl who didn't bathe. She lived a few houses down from them and was a bit of a loner in the tribe. Ix always tried to make small conversation with her because he felt bad, but he hoped that wasn't misconstrued for them making a good match. He had woken up in a panic.

The next dream he fell into, however, was slightly less comical. He was standing at the foot of the large staircase leading up to the palace's main hall and watching Sabah's wedding. Then a hand fell on his shoulder and he was pulled far away from her, down into a hole where he couldn't see anything and where voices spoke in tongues he couldn't understand. Ix never realized how much of his life was Sabah and Sabah's safety. Without being her personal bodyguard, he would have a major change in his life to deal with. Surely he'd just become another important noble's bodyguard, but Sabah was who he'd grown up with. They were friends, and so not having a reason to take care of her was a little disconcerting.
 
(Sorry)

"Ohh you." She smiled adn then nodded and bit her lip. She got up and moved to the railing. Looking up she sighed as she decided it was too hot to be outside. She walked back inside and frowned and bit her lip. "The painters have already begun to paint mine and this mans union. Everyone is so excited, but me." She sighed adn was so enthralled with herself she didnt see the personal struggle that Ix was going through.
 
Ix perked up. "So they know who your betrothed is already?!" he asked, taken by surprise. He didn't think it was this far along. Of course, he knew when Sabah had said that her father was trying to arrange a match that eventually he would find one. It wouldn't be that hard. After all, her family was very powerful, her father was rich and influential, and Sabah was pretty. Beautiful, really. He glanced at her. Her face was still young but it was clear what a strong and attractive woman she was growing into. Her body too, was well on its way to being fully finished. When she had taken her robe off yesterday...

Ix's face felt hot and he snapped out of his ruminations. Luckily Sabah had been too absorbed in her woes to catch him looking too long. He really should be happy for her, after all. He knew her father would find a good match for her, and she would live a long and comfortable life.
 
She sighed adn then walked through the halls of the palace. She looked at him and grinned softly as some smoke meats were offered to her and a goblet of fresh water. She took a long drink of the water and picked at the meats and began to eat and smiled offering Ix some.
 
Ix chuckled. "Oh you mean you're not going to throw them at me like a dog?" he asked, accepting some water but not the meat. It wasn't appropriate for him to eat the food of royalty. Although, it certainly did look scrumptious. Ix stood patiently by as Sabah ate. "I have heard that there is a large celebration to be held for the royalty, Miss Sabah." he said. "I only know because one of the advisors gave me a stuffy fancy outfit that I was supposed to wear while I am with you there. Do you know what the celebration is for?"

Big gatherings like this were the most exciting parts of Ix's job. A big crowd of people was where Sabah was in the most danger. He would also be partially responsible for keeping an eye on the rest of the royal family. It was stressful because of the security nightmare of a large party, but at least he would get to feel useful then. Mostly he just felt like he was there to keep Sabah company and make sure she didn't do anything too crazy, like swim out into the Nile's currents naked.
 
"Something about meeting the guy that dad arranged for me to marry." She shrugged and chewed at the meat. She was soon done adn walked down the hall and clapped her hands in excitement. "Yay I love watching you dress in uniform." SHe giggled adn leaned into him playfully.

She sighed the night of the party. She looked at the white gown she was dressed in. She had a large bird headdress that weighed a ton but framed her features. She sighed adn spun in front of the mirror and shook her head. She walked to the door and peeked out. Ix was to pick her up here so she was to wait. She moved and sat down in a chair and frowned her make up was done and she looked almost like a goddess, bird head and all.
 
Ix's heart sunk. He liked parties but if there had to be a reason, meeting Sabah's betrothed was about the worst Ix could have imagined. When she leaned on him he didn't protest, just grumbled in response to the uniform comment. He liked her close by anyway. "Yeah but that uniform is way hot and really itchy too" he said. Still, he also kind of liked the uniform. It made him feel very official. It resembled the dress of a high army official, which stroked Ix's ego plenty, being as young as he was.

***

Ix kept looking at himself in the washbowl. He fussed with his hair and pulled the heavy black sash that crossed his chest back and forth a million times, unconvinced that it was straight. He just really wanted to look good for this event. He practiced his calm detached look, trying his best to look like a very important military official. The only problem was he didn't really know what those looked like. Eventually his dad yelled at him that they had to go. His father was a pretty famous security provider. He often did freelance stuff for the army and had a few families that hired him from time to time. Tonight he was going to be at the party as security to make sure only the invitees were able to get in. Ix hurried along. They split up as Ix's father went to the courtyard where the party was to be held. Ix ran to the palace to meet up with Sabah. The pharaoh and his wife were there as well, and Ix bowed low to Sabah's parents. They greeted him, but they always made him nervous. They were so important after all!

He went over to meet Sabah and smiled. She was radiant and beautiful. The headdress looked silly on her, but she looked otherwise stunning. He recovered quickly and re-composed himself. "That's a nice dress Miss Sabah" he said.
 
"Thank you Ix. You look very important." She giggled adn winked as if telling him that she thought he was important. She walked down with him and then smiled. She grinned and looked at him and sighed. Soon her parents took her over to a much older man and introduced him as her betrothed. He was handsom but old. She sighed adn went off with him and began to socialize. Their talk was strained.
 
Ix beamed at her comment. It was kinda important to him what she thought. He stayed closer to her side than usual. He did his best not to glare at her betrothed. He let his mind wander as he walked a few paces behind Sabah and the man as they exchanged pleasantries. He busied himself sniffing out what he could and searching the area for suspicious individuals. Here he thought he was going to get to spend most of the night bouncing Sabah between nobles, but she was with her betrothed now. Ix was in a sour mood.
 
Soon well into the party, there began to be an unsettled feeling that spread around the room. Whispers of heresay from servants of some group coming at the castle walls and had gotten past. Sabah, hearing this, tried to find Ix in the crowded room but soon the doors crashed open and soldiers came in roughing up a few people but not doing much except declaring war.
 
Hushed whispers snaked their way through the genial conversational buzz, poisoning the air with tendrils of fear and uncertainty. Paranoia. Ix's nostrils flared the smell of dirty metal, sweat, and blood danced at the edges of every whiff of delicacy, every scent of perfumed oils. He turned quickly to Sabah, but she was no longer next to him. Where had she gone off to? The crowd, however was thick and finding her was not easy task. He focused for a second and isolated the wolf's sense of smell. Following her scent through the crowd, he almost found her when all of a sudden things seemed to grow quiet for a beat, the length of a single inhalation. Then, everything erupted at once. The doors into the courtyard flew open, men leapt over the walls and pushed guests to the ground.

If the men were in here, then where was his father, who was supposed to be on general security? Ix shook the thoughts from his head quickly. He had to focus. The protection of Sabah was primary in this case. He loosed a low growl as his arms grew larger and more hairy. He let more of the wolf seep into his being as he charged a soldier who was attacking a woman with a ridiculous hair style. The man was thrown back over one of the tables. "Miss Sabah!" Ix called, finally locating her. He turned to see her just as two of the soldiers descended upon her. They grabbed at her and her headdress was knocked off. They pulled at her and her beautiful dress tore, revealing half of her nude chest. One made a comment about what an entertaining hostage she would make.

This time Ix's growl was not low or quiet. His guttural cry was just short of a roar as he lunged at Sabah's assailants. Throwing self-concern to the wind he threw himself through the air. Suddenly, there was a loud crack and Ix's clothing tore from his amorphous body as it burst into the form of an overgrown dire wolf. One of the soldiers was crushed underfoot, the sharp claws of Ix's black paw sinking a good 3 and a half inches into the man's chest. Ix's head and neck, now that of an angered lupine beast snapped to the side, broadsiding the other soldier who was too shocked to react. He was struck to the ground. Ix's snapping jowls made quick enough work of him. By now the party was in absolute chaos, as though the perceived organization of the social gathering had merely been a front for hot, unrestrained disorder. Only a few people had even stopped when a young teen, hardly yet 5'4" had burst into a wolf. There was blood, and the attackers continued to pour into the courtyard. Where had they come from?!

Ix motioned with his head toward his back, urging Sabah to climb onto him. His first concern was getting her away from this mess. There was no way he was going to lose her like this. Besides, things were just getting exciting.
 
She panted and whimpered. She was lost in a convulsing storm of people. She whimpered and tried to move trying to find that someone who would make anything and everything right again. She gasped as she was grabbed from the back. Turning a happy glance, thinking that Ix had found her. She turned adn smiled and gasped seeing the man she didnt know and tried to pull back her fist to hit him, but her hand was stopped by another man. Her head threw back as she screamed and her dress was pulled off as they uttered a vile remark she didnt quite catch.

She gasped adn screamed again seeing Ix. She had never seen his form before. She panted and tears filled her eyes as she covered her breasts and climbed on top and gripped him loose but tight around the neck and whimpered softly.
 
Ix made sure she was secure, then took off, scrambling over the back wall of the courtyard. He dashed down empty streets towards his own home in the shady back slum to the noble sector of the city. He crouched down until she got off, then traced one word in the dirt by his door with a claw. STAY. His mother came to the door with a cooking knife in hand. Seeing Ix and the state of Sabah's dress she ushered the girl inside. "Come on dear, it's safer in here" she muttered. If the opposing forces could capture the lone heir to the throne, the lineage of the royal family would be cut off. Ix's mother understood how important it was to keep Sabah safe.

With that, Ix ran back in the direction of the fray. By now several fires had started throughout the city, and he found his way blocked more than once. Ix though, was determined and so he took off into the night.

Ix returned within the hour, this time clothed in a loincloth he had obviously made from the end of a tablecloth. He slid into the house quickly and sat opposite Sabah. "Miss, I have to get you out of the city before things get worse. We have to leave now otherwise things might get too dangerous to move you, then you'll be trapped in the city."
 
She whimpered holding onto him. She shut her eyes knowing her home was melting off into the distance. When he stopped, she looked up and around and got off. She saw the word and covered herself and looked down with a nod. She looked up hearing the mother and muttered a thanks and went inside. She sighed and shivered in the cold night air. She sat down and refused all manners of food the woman offered her. She just sat and clasped her arms over her naked breasts.

She couldnt hold it in when Ix came back and told her. Tears rolled down her face and she whimpered softly. She nodded and stood up and looked down. She bit her lip and swallowed. "Is there any spare clothes I may have." Her voice sounded little. She was terribly frightened and knew very well she might not see her home again.
 
Ix's mother nodded. "Of course dear" she said, disappearing. Ix put a hand on Sabah's shoulder. "It's going to be alright" he assured her, although even he was unconvinced of the veracity of his own words. He disappeared into the back of the house a moment, returning with a loose kilt on. One that could be taken off quickly before he went full again. Under other circumstances he would be excited to have finally realized his true form. However the situation was grim. There was no worrying about repeating it or being proud of achieving it. He knew he would from this point on always be able to transform. It was what he was. It was who he was.

Ix's mother took Sabah into the back to help her get changed, and when they returned Ix sighed softly. "Mama...Father" he muttered. His mother held him by the shoulders and steeled her glare. "Courage, Ix. We'll be alright"

Ix nodded and hugged her. "Miss Sabah" he muttered, please come with me"
 
She sighed as she was taken into the back. She was given a nice cotton dress. She sighed and hugged her in thanks. She moved to the front and listened. She frowned and then looked to Ix. She nodded and walked with him she was afraid. She felt tears roll down her face as she moved with Ix. Sabah put her hand into his. She gave it a gentle squeeze to let him know that she was there for him.
 
(Could we try to beef up the posts a little, I prefer more detail and character/plot development and I really like Sabah)

Ix held her face in his hands and shook his head. "No Sabah. Now is not the time for tears." he said sternly, using her first name alone for one of the first times in their guard-charge relationship. "You must be strong for your people, and we need to focus and be very careful." he said, making sure she understood before leading her by the hand out the back door of the house into the slender alleyway behind it. "If we move two towns over by the time the sun rises, we can rest there a short time and seek refuge amongst our countrymen and women" he said. His mind was racing a mile a minute, trying to think of the best way out of the city. He stood still a moment and tested the wind. They would want to ride with the wind so that the breeze didn't blow any of their trail into the air more than it already did. They also wanted to get to the water's edge fast so that they wouldn't kick up any dust in the silty mix that made up the banks. In addition to that, the tall weeds that grew on the shores would provide much more cover than the open desert.

They wound through the labyrinthine maze of tightly packed houses that made up the small sector Ix lived in. He stopped as they found a shady area and tore off a bit of his kilt, using it to bind her sandals against her feet. "It will be more comfortable for you to walk this way, and they won't make as much sound" he whispered and explanation and continued to lead her in a roundabout fashion towards the outer rim of the city. By now patches of the large capitol city were in chaos, while others still seemed untouched by fire or soldiers. In the quite sections, they crept in the shadows, and in the burning sections, they used chaos as their cover, running openly in the street as though they were just fleeing the fires and soldiers. Ix overheard small snippets of conversation. The soldiers were still looking for Sabah, they had come for her and the rest of the royal family. He urged her along faster behind him, tugging her all the while by her hand.

They found their way into a small section of the town that was just waking up from all the ruckus. Suddenly a battalion of soldiers rounded the corner. Ix skidded to a stop and ran the other way, tugging Sabah with him. They gave chase soon after they guessed who Sabah was. Ix knocked pottery and clothing hanging on lines behind them, anything to hinder the soldiers' advance. They were gaining however, so Ix started shouting. "Fire! Fire! Get out of your houses!" They kept running, but Sabah was faltering. Ix swore and they skidded into an alleyway. He turned away from her for a minuted and disrobed, quickly bursting into his wolf form. He let her mount him and they ran off, tearing from the alleyway just as the soldiers reached it. Ix proceeded to growl and make all manner of noise and soon there were people frantically running into the streets, hindering the soldiers' advances and slowing them down. Ix's lupine form was much faster than they were on foot, and he made a series of intricate turns, then leapt from a pile of crates onto a rooftop and bounded across the roofs until they were free of the city. Looking back to make sure they weren't followed, he put on a burst of speed, hoping Sabah could hang on as they sped into the night towards the calm waters of the Nile's banks.
 
Feeling him take her face in his hands she couldn't help but feel a bit ensured. She shut her eyes and felt warmth and assurance flow through her. His words made her feel strong again. She sighed and smiled wider and leaned into his hands. She nodded. She felt like she could do anything when she was with him. Him using her first name alone sent shivers of excitement down her spine and through her body. Her heart was racing. She was totally positive that she could do anything as long as Ix was with her.

She gasped as she rushed along beside him. It felt oddly invigorating to be running for her life. She knew she should have been afraid of everything. However, this was romantic, running in the moonlight behind the only man she ever cared about. She ducked and dogged gripping his hand moving with him. Sabah couldn't help but blush as he tore his kilt and wrapped her sandals to her feet so they wouldn't make so much noise and wouldn't come off as often as they had. She heard the commotion and pressed her back into the shadows and frowned looking around. Sabah knew that they were searching for her, they were going to use her to smother the family name. She frowned and looked at Ix and ran closer behind him and frowned gripping him tightly. Her grip was enough to keep her bound to him. It would take a lot to tear her away now.

She gasped covering her mouth seeing the soldiers. She ran faster alongside Ix trying to help where she could. However, soon her feet started to blister she felt it. She whimpered and tried to keep her footing but every bump or rock in the road, she felt it. It hurt. She gasped seeing him turn into his wolf form before her. She climbed onto his back and held onto him tightly. She gasped and held on tightly. She leaned down into his fur moving with him and riding expertly. Her thighs clung onto him.

She shut her eyes, her limbs were screaming in pain, but nothing hurt as much as her sandals. She sighed and shut her eyes. She was so tired, she wanted to sleep so much. She sighed and shut her eyes.
 
Ix's paws hit the sand with as little force as he could muster while still running top speed. He panted a little, feeling worn out from the night. So much had happened already and he knew that the night was only just beginning. They would have to move quietly along the Nile's banks for the rest of the night, because they couldn't afford to waste the cover of darkness. Ix was enjoying the benefits of night vision, but it was a little distracting for him since he'd never been able to isolate that ability. Everything looked so different to the wolf in him. Just as he found wet, yielding silt below his paws, he felt Sabah's grip on him loosening. It must have been hard for her to hold on so tight to him, especially at the speed he was running. He knelt in the silt and let her get off of him.

Then, the large dire wolf padded into a nearby patch of papyrus. There was a small crackling sound and Ix's head popped out of the bush. He had carried his kilt in his mouth while he ran but now it was wet and dirty. He wanted to clean it out in the river but as it was, he was naked. "Um, Miss Sabah?" he said a little bashfully. "You're going to have to turn around for a minute"
 
Sabah sighed as she was dozing. She felt Ix knelt down and slid off gratefully. She yawned as she sat in the silty shore of the nile. Tears filled her eyes as she reached down and took off her sandals. She was blistered and bleeding. She rested her feet into the silt and sighed feeling the coolness of it and rested her head on her knees. Tears continued to roll down her face. She was exhausted, tired, and exiled from her kingdom through no fault of her own. The only companion she had was Ix. She jerked her head up as he popped his head out of the bush.

She sighed and stood up weakly almost falling over several times. She turned her back and her head was hung. She was exhausted, and hungry. She sighed and licked her dry lips. She crossed her arms, at least she was warm and dry. She sighed and shook her head. "Honestly, Ix," Her back was still to him. "I think I am too tired to look at you even. I was dozing off when you asked." She rubbed her face smearing her make up. She didnt care though she just continued to listen to him rustle around.
 
(Lol she's big on sighing huh?)

Ix huffed. "You can't be too tired to look" he muttered as he hurried to the water's edge and washed off his clothes. He did it quickly, then clothed himself and came over to her, putting a hand on her back. "Are you alright?" he asked. "We have to keep moving now, we're not nearly far enough from the city to slow down." Even he had to admit he was feeling pretty tired after making the transformation a few times in a short period of time, then running her down to the river. Everything else that had happened that day made his mind feel weary too, and fogged up as though to keep him from thinking straight. He was staving off thoughts of what this situation really meant, because he knew if he thought on it too hard it would burden him to a debilitating point.

He helped her along to the papyrus and lead her into the tall weeds. "We're going to be alright. I'm going to make sure you're safe" he said. He took a glance back at the city, now alight. Soon there would be people coming to the banks to get water for the fires, so he knew they had to move. He looked down, then disappeared with Sabah back into the brush.
 
She looked down and rubbed her forehead and yawned softly. She leaned into his hand when she felt it and looked at him. Her eyes were red and puffy from quietly shed tears. She swallowed and looked down at her feet that were red and blistered and nodded. She didn't think she could make it much further. She was in the state of mind where she didn't care if she was caught and killed, any release from the pain would be better than being caged in like this. She yawned again, she couldn't help it and she shook her head and looked at him. "Ix, tell me truthfully, how much longer till we reach a point where we can rest?"

She walked with him and held her sandals securely in one hand. She felt every Nile rock, everything that was prickly or hard her feet made sure she knew about them. She couldn't look back at her home, it would break her heart. She knew what was going on and what she was fleeing, and being here, running away, made her feel like a good for nothing coward. How would she live anyway if she did make it away from her would be captors.

She gasped as she was pulled back into the brush and winced following him loyally. She gripped his arm tightly so hard she began to tremble gently.
 
Ix didn't know how to answer her. He floundered a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know Miss Sabah, but the further we get the safer you will be" he said. "I swore to keep you safe and I mean to." They could reach the next town over within two hours, but was that safe enough? Where would their pursuers expect them to go? Probably to the next town over. Three and a half hours would bring them two towns over. Of course the pursuers would have to guess which way they would flee. There were towns in all directions. He guessed that they would assume they fled away from where there was a lot of influence from the capitol and away from civilization. Ix was smarter than that though. He knew that alone in the wilderness they would stand a lot less of a chance. The best place to remain anonymous was in a large city. Which meant their best bet was to cross the Nile at El-Katar.

"If you can hold out, we'll go three or so hours and stop over in a town then. We can only rest a little while there, but it should be enough time to get your feet bandaged and taken care of. Then we are going to cross the river"

They continued on, trudging along the nile. He made her walk on the inside, where the soft lapping of the water would occasionally run cool over her feet, and soothe them. After they had been going for about two hours, she started to falter. They could stop off at a town soon, but Ix was determined to keep her a lot safer than that, so he picked her up and picked up their pace, holding her in his arms as they ran. If he transformed again, they could move much faster, but he felt a little queasy from transforming too many times and the last thing they needed was for him to throw up and end up too weak to defend her. He didn't know how long he could carry her for but he was going to do his best. "I've got you Miss Sabah"
 
She shut her eyes and nodded. Three more hours?! He had to be kidding her. She shut her eyes tighter and nodded. She had to do this. She had to do this for herself and her people and most of all for Ix. She winced as he expertly bandaged her feet and wrapped the cloth that used to keep her sandals in place over her feet. She sighed and stood up. The bandages worked for a while, but before long they just helped in opening her blisters. She hated feeling her self will begin to slowly dissipate the more and more they walked. Her feet bled, she knew they were bleeding. Nothing made her more nervous than walking in the nile with bleeding feet. She gripped onto him and gasped as her feet, she was sure were going to be lame for a long time after this.

One time a servant had tried to escape and he forgot his shoes. When the others had pulled him back in he had to remain on his back with his feet towards the sun so the bleeding alone would stop. She wondered if that would happen to her. She gasped almost taking a face dive into the nile but whimpered as Ix picked her up and carried her. She shook her head.

"Ix, you should leave me for dead here, just leave me. I am not worth this, you are killing yourself to save me." She whispered. SHe hoped she sounded brave and not like the little weakling that was giving up in her head. She gently began to wiggle out of his arms as if to proove her point.
 
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