Chapter 5

I could tell from the position of the sun shining weakly through the fabric of the tent that it was late morning when I woke up. As I shifted position, Sari, curled up against me, moved a little, then turned, still sleeping. Not wanting to disturb her, I quickly pulled on my pantaloons, then stepped outside.

Even under the canopy in front of the tent, the sunlight was bright after the dim light inside. Hassan hurriedly brought me some of the very sweet, strong coffee they drank here. As I sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of my tent, Klaatu-Omar hurried over, papers in his hand.

"Lord Arthur, I trust you spent a pleasant night," he said, smiling.

"All right, you know it was pleasant. Now, what's going on? What's on those papers?"

"These are the papers we captured from the Emir of Samarkand's tribute caravan. They indicate that Princess Amara of Deryabar is to become the bride of Malik, the usurper. As you know, Amara was promised to you when you were both children, though you have never met. Once married to Malik, his alliance with Deryabar will be sealed and it will make it impossible to restore you to the throne of your father."

"How can they get married? I thought Malik was a homosexual?"

"That's not important - whether they ever have sex together is immaterial. This is a marriage of state, cementing an alliance between Deryabar and Basrah. That's why we must stop it."

"I assume how the wedding will be stopped is already in your script," I said, looking into Klaatu-Omar's eyes.

Smiling at me, "If you aren't satisfied, or if you want anything changed, just tell me. You know, if it's too easy, you won't enjoy it as much."

"Yeah, I know. So, what's the plan?"

The plan he described was simple. We knew the caravan route Amara's party will be traveling on their way to Basrah. I was to take most of our men, attack her caravan and make the princess my prisoner.

"That should be something you'll enjoy," he said. "But remember, the force from Deryabar guarding the princess will be larger than yours, and they won't be undisciplined bandits like Rachid's band. You'll need to use stealth to overpower them, and even then, it won't be easy."

"You'll watch out for me, make sure nothing happens to me?"

"Yes, Art. You'll be perfectly safe, though you might not feel like it at times."

While I was capturing the princess, Klaatu-Omar would take some of our men, retrieve the treasure and use it to hire mercenaries. His men would march on Basrah, where I was to meet him. Our partisans inside the city would rouse the populace so Malik would be facing an internal revolt at the same time our troops attacked.

"Sounds like it should work," I said.

"I am sure it will work. Of course, if you want anything changed, just let me know."

An area of the pool had been set aside for bathing. While washing myself I thought about Klaatu-Omar's plan. It sounded good, but I didn't like the idea of leaving Sari after just taking her as my pleasure slave.

When I returned to my tent, it was empty. I got clean clothes from a chest and had just finished dressing when there was scratching at the entrance. It was Julna.

On her knees before me, "Thank you lord. Sari is very happy. She told me how gently you took her, how wonderful you were. She loves you very much lord, and is so happy to have you as her master. As am I, lord." Then, she crawled to me, kissing my feet. I pulled her up, she curtsying before me, kissing my hands.

"I'll be leaving soon to attack my enemies. Will you tell Sari?"

"Oh, lord," Julna wailed. "Of course I'll tell her, but my poor Sari, she'll be so heartbroken."

When Julna left, I ordered food be brought and was just starting to eat when Sari scratched at the entrance. She was wearing her robe and headscarf and veil again, but bared her face and hair as soon as she saw I was alone.

Kneeling, her big dark eyes filling with tears, "Master, Julna told be you are leaving for battle."

Reaching out to hold her to me, "I must. As soon as I can I'll send for you. Then, it won't be long before I'll be on my throne again and I can install you as the favorite of my harem."

Hugging me, "Yes, that's my dream, to be with you, to be there for you when you want me." Then giggling, "And I'm going to try to make you want me a lot."

She was better after that, smiling, giggling as we ate together, feeding each other, each touching the other, kissing the way lovers do. After we had eaten enough, Sari's hand on my leg caressed my thigh, then finding my cock, was stroking it through the material of my pantaloons. "Lord, I have bathed and prepared myself for you. Before you must leave, is there time for you to take pleasure with your slave?"

"Let's see what happens," I said, drawing her to me, kissing her deeply, at the same time sliding my hand inside her robe to caress her breast through her bra. Sari's hand was more insistent on my cock now, rubbing, squeezing.

Then, we heard scratching at the entrance. "Lord Arthur, the men are ready to depart now," Murad said from outside.

"Sari, this is for you, a sign of my favor," I said, taking the emerald necklace from my waistband, placing it around her neck.

"Oh, my lord, you are too generous with your poor slave," touching the necklace, then pressing her mouth to mine, kissing me deeply.

"Sari, I must go," I said, giving her a quick kiss on her soft lips, then hurrying out.

I was donning my mail shirt when she came out, again wearing the headscarf and veil. Kneeling before me she said, "Lord, know that you carry your slave's love and devotion with you. I pray to Allah that your poor slave will soon be able to serve her lord once more."

I touched her cheek, then ran my hand over her face, allowing her to kiss my palm. "Soon," was all I said. Then, mounting my mare. Looking over my men, all mounted, anxious for battle, I led them out of our encampment toward the east.

It was a large company of men I was leading now. More than forty, almost all our small army. Plus, every third man was leading an extra horse carrying water and supplies. Klaatu-Omar was taking a small force to the treasure trove, and from there to nearby cities to recruit the mercenaries we would need to attack Malik, while a small guard was left at the encampment.

I led my men in a generally southeast direction, seeking the main caravan route between Deryabar and Basrah. It was about midday when we left and uncomfortable riding across the white sand under the hot desert sun. We rode until nightfall, then waited for the moon to rise before continuing. About midnight we stopped at a rock outcrop, sleeping until sunrise.

We rose with the sun, breakfasted quickly, then continued riding until noon, halting at a small oasis I recalled the location of. There, we ate and rested until the desert began to cool. Riding southeast again until midnight, when we stopped to rest.

It was on the afternoon of the third day that we came to the caravan route. It wasn't a road or well-marked trail, just the way generally used for travel between Deryabar and Basrah. It was marked by geographical features, oases, and was a fairly easy travel route between the two cities.

We established a temporary base in a large rock outcrop just north of the caravan route. I sent some men out to scout our immediate area but they returned reporting they had found nothing - not Princess Amara's caravan, and no others either.

At moonrise, I sent out larger scouting parties, one to the east and one to the west, each man leading a spare horse. Their orders were to ride till sunrise, or until they found Amara's caravan, then return to our base as soon as possible.

It was difficult for me to settle down to sleep while waiting for the scouts to return. My men seemed anxious too, knowing they would be facing battle soon. I heard Murad say, "Don't worry, once we take the caravan there'll be rest and wine aplenty for all of you."

Getting up from my sleeping rug spread on the sand, "I didn't know there was enough wine for you in the world, Murad," I said.

"Lord, I don't know if there ever will be enough for me, but I keep trying to find out," he responded, the men laughing loudly at Murad's rejoinder.

After that, I returned to my rug, listening to my men chuckling, talking together, then growing quieter. After a few minutes staring up at the bright desert stars, my eyes closed and I was able to fall to sleep.

Late the next morning, one of the men from the eastern search party galloped into our base leading two spare horses. Quickly dismounting and kneeling before me, "We found the Deryabar caravan lord. They'll be stopping for the night at the Oasis of Haj. Lord, Hassan ordered me to inform you that if you hurry you can reach there by sundown."

"Good work," I commended him. Then, ordered my men to ready themselves. I was going to leave a few men to let our western search party know where we had gone, when they rode up to us just before we were ready to leave.

It was a long hard ride at first, with the sun directly overhead, then the ride became a little easier as the sun moved behind us. When we neared the Oasis of Haj, Hassan and the men of the search party, approached us walking their horses.

Salaaming to me, "Lord Arthur," Hassan said, "I suggest from here on you walk your horses and go slowly so as not to stir up a dust cloud and give the enemy notice of a force approaching the oasis."

We followed his advice, walking our horses as Hassan led us in a round about way so we approached the oasis without being observed. There were some rocky hills southwest of the oasis where we could hide until we were ready to attack. Following Hassan, I crawled to the top of one of the rock outcrops from where we could spy down on the camp.

As I looked over the encampment, Hassan described what he had discovered. "There are two companies of troops escorting the princess, more than a hundred men. One company from Deryabar, the other is a company of our own Basrah Royal Guards sent by Malik as an honor guard for the princess. As you can see, they have many pack animals, carrying the Princess Amara's dowry to that false Sultan, may his ass be filled with hemorrhoids."

Then we saw some figures walking through the camp toward a small inlet to the side of the lagoon in the center of the oasis. There were three cloaked and covered women, one in white, the others in darker colors, and two large bare-chested men carrying huge scimitars. "The princess and her slave girls, guarded by eunuchs," Hassan said. "The women go to bathe in that inlet there."

"You wait here," I commanded. "I would take a closer look at this woman who was promised to me so many years ago."

I crawled down the hill, hiding in some bushes close to the little beach where the women would be bathing. The bathing area was screened from the camp by a large stand of reeds and it's location on the edge of the main pool. The two eunuchs took up position facing the camp, their scimitars ready while the women walked a little ways further and quickly disrobed.

The princess was tall, with a slim, athletic figure. Her breasts were large - at least what I considered large before my reward - but not as large as those of any of the other girls Klaatu had provided for me. Her face was pretty, with a sweet, innocent look to it - with blue eyes and a heart-shaped mouth. Her hair was long, blonde and wavy. I recalled that her mother was a Circassian concubine of the Sultan of Deryabar, which explained her coloring.

The first slave girl was a Nubian, short, very slim - almost skinny - but with very large, very round, firm breasts that looked like they had been bolted on, but I knew they must be real. Her buttocks, like her breasts, were very round, high and projecting. She had a cafe au lait complexion, her hair was long, and wavy, her features fine, with an almost innocent expression in her dark eyes.

The other girl looked Asian, with very fine, perhaps Japanese, features. But her figure seemed to belie the idea of her Asian ancestry. She was nearly as tall as the princess, but had a much lusher figure, with large, breasts, a slim waist, and full hips. She had very long, straight midnight black hair, reaching well below her waist, parted in the middle. Like the other two, she had an innocent, almost girlish look to her face.