Jensa glanced at the clock on the night stand next to her bed. It read 10:30 PM. The time was getting closer. Ardeth had left a message with the cook in the James' house saying that he could see her that night at 10:30 PM. The cook was a friend of the Med-jai warriors and kept these little visits between the master's daughter and Ardeth a secret—at his own risk.

She opted for the more comfortable clothes and had quickly changed from a hindering dress to khaki pants and a short-sleeved, white, pullover cotton top. Quickly, she slipped her black leather boots on and strode to the balcony outside the window of her room. There he was waiting for her. 10:30 sharp. A sudden sadness washed over her face because she knew she wouldn't get to meet him like this anymore. Jensa hadn't realized until it was too late that these secret meetings with her close friend Ardeth Bay were very special to her.

"Hurry up!" he said a little to loudly.

"Shh!" she warned. "Keep your pants on."

There was a small lattice frame next to her balcony. It ran from the roof to the ground and made for an excellent ladder. Jensa quickly descended and ran up to his horse, Ahmar. He held out an arm for her. She grabbed it as he helped her mount. Ardeth clicked his tongue quietly and the horse slowly trotted until Ardeth knew they were safe from anyone's view and then the horse broke into a canter.

It took a little time for them to reach where they were going. They were heading for the Zakiyyah Oasis. It was "their place". Jensa loved thinking of it that way. It was their own special place where they could talk freely and be themselves. The small oasis was about fifteen minutes from her house. A large rock sat next to the water and made a perfect place for them to sit. It was low enough for them to wade their fingers in the water. Jensa dismounted first followed by Ardeth. He tied the reins to one of the five palms that helped put a little shade over the water.

"You have been unusually quiet tonight, Jen. Something's wrong. You didn't even say one word on the way out here," he said, taking his usual place beside her on the rock. Ardeth took off his turban and ran his fingers through his curly raven hair. He furrowed his brow in concern at the sad look on her face. "Tell me, what's troubling you?"

"There's no easy way to say this so I might as well come right to the point." Jensa sighed deeply. "I'm leaving Egypt," she said flatly.

"Leaving?" he repeated, "Why?"

"Daddy's suddenly decided that mine and my brother's education would best be served back in New York. We're leaving in two weeks." Jensa held up her first two fingers in a 'V' shape.

Ardeth said nothing and continued to stare at Jensa. He masked his emotions well at times and this was one of those times. Jensa wasn't sure what his eyes were saying to her. Silence continued until she could stand it no longer. "Ardeth, say something!"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"This is a big decision." He looked away from her. "You're father didn't come to it lightly. You've been here ten years. Why leave? I understood this to be your home. You've said as much."

"It is my home. I hardly remember anything about New York, certainly not enough that I call it home."

Ardeth's eyes closed and he took on a weary expression, slowly absorbing the sudden news of his closest friend's coming departure. "I shall miss you, Jensa."

"I'll miss you too. I don't want to leave, Ardeth, but I, of course, have no say in the matter. My opinion doesn't count."

He turned back to her. "Doesn't it?" he asked with anger.

"Not in my house it doesn't. I've been through all of this with Daddy over and over again. He won't budge. My stupid brother Michael isn't any help either. He doesn't care one way or the other. Daddy's being mean and stubborn, demanding that he gets his way."

"Now who do I know that has those same traits?" Jensa scowled at Ardeth and reaching down, flung water at him. He retaliated. Soon they were flinging water at each other, momentarily forgetting the sad news she had just told him. Jensa grabbed some sand and stuck it in the water. Rolling it into a ball, she stood up, backed away from him and took aim. "What are you doing?" he asked puzzled.

Jensa pondered on this a minute. "Instead of making a snowball for a snowball fight, I'm making a sandball for a sandball fight." She then proceeded by pelting Ardeth in the chest. He was slightly taken aback, never having heard of a snowball fight, but he was a quick learner. It did not take him long to catch on. Jensa stood up and ran to the other side of the oasis and made more sandballs. She mercilessly began pelting him and screamed in surprise as he launched his own attack. She took off running, occasionally dodging his near perfect aim.

"No fair! You can throw harder!" Jensa yelped and giggled at the same time while he continued his own merciless pelting. They ran from each other, taking cover behind the palms and Ardeth's horse.

"I like this game, " he said smiling wickedly. He then proceeded to make his sandballs bigger and bigger. Ardeth made one nearly as large as a human head, while still throwing the occasional sandball at Jensa. He smiled with pride at the accomplishment.

When she saw the size of the huge sandball, her mouth hung open. "You wouldn't dare!" Slowly, she backed away as he stepped closer and closer. Fresh out of sandballs, Jensa did the only thing she could. She took off running. Ardeth closed in on her, took aim and released, hitting her square in the chest. "Ardeth!!" she yelled as she lost her balance and fell into the cool water. Waves of anger spilled over her, along with the water. She broke through the surface to see him laughing so hard at her that tears fell from his eyes. Jensa just floated there in the water, hoping he would offer to help her out. Then she could seize her opportunity for victory. Luck smiled on her.

"Poor, Jensa! You're all wet!" Ardeth was hardly feeling sorry for. He reached out his hand to help her and she took it, immediately pulling him in the water. Now, it was she who was laughing, but Ardeth didn't resurface. Jensa looked all around her.

"Ardeth?" Suddenly, something grabbed her ankles and she disappeared beneath the water. Her heart jumped in her throat. She swam her way furiously to the top. Once she resurfaced, he was laughing at her again. "You will pay for that, Ardeth Bay!" Jensa threw her arms around his neck and forcefully dunked him in the water. Once more, their infantile fighting resumed until they were both too tired and out of breath to continue. Ardeth climbed out first and this time she accepted his offered hand without pulling him in. "That wasn't funny!" She grabbed her hair and began wringing the water out.

"What?" he asked innocently. Droplets of water spilled down his finely chiseled features.

"When you didn't surface, I thought you'd drowned or something. Then, you stopped my heart by grabbing me like that."

"You started it." He glanced down at himself. His robes were clinging to him. He hadn't taken off his sword belt and the added weight of his wet clothes quickly became an annoyance. He unbuckled the belt and threw it on the rock. Ardeth looked at Jensa with a wicked smile again and burst into laughter. It didn't take long for Jensa to join him. What a sight they were, soaking wet from head to toe and laughing hysterically.

"You really gonna miss me, Ardeth?" Jensa asked suddenly serious.

"Jensa, of course I'll miss you. What makes you think I wouldn't?"

"Nothing." She looked down at some pebbles by her feet and bent down to pick them up. One by one, she threw them into the water. "I'll really miss coming here with you…and defying my father."

"Only you'd have the nerve to do that."

Jensa threw in another rock, watching the ripples spread further and further out until they were no more. "You're defying him too. The right and proper thing would be for you to leave me alone."

"You know very well that I couldn't do that. You wouldn't want me to either." He went over to his horse and began rifling through one of the saddlebags.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

"I have something for you."

"Really? What is it?" Jensa asked excitedly.

"See for yourself." Ardeth handed her a brown piece of folded cloth. Jensa unfolded it and gasped in delight at what she held. It was a silver ring with hieroglyphs imprinted on it in tourmaline. The same symbols were tattooed on Ardeth's cheeks. Jensa slipped it on her right ring finger. Ardeth smiled happily at her delight with his gift. "You like it?"

"Ardeth, it's beautiful! I've never been given anything so exquisite. I love it. Thank you." She put her arms around his neck and hugged him. He responded by gently enveloping her in his massive arms. "I didn't realize how much you valued our friendship until now. This ring symbolizes that, right?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Ardeth. I don't want to leave." She withdrew her arms from him and walked back to the edge of the water. "I wish I could just stay here."

"By yourself? Where would you stay?" He raised his eyebrows.

"With you," she said in a barely audible whisper. Ardeth heard her though and gave her a sympathetic look. "No, huh? How about Hamunaptra?"

"That is a definite no," he said sternly. "I don't know why you entertain these ideas. You couldn't stay here anyway."

"I know, but it makes me feel better just thinking about running away."

"But you can't run away."

Jensa sighed and fingered her ring with a worried look on her face. "I won't fit in."

"Like you fit in so well here?"

"I do fit in here," she retorted. "Better than I would anywhere else."

"True," he agreed.

"When we get back to New York, I'll not know a single person. I'll be all alone without friends and be a subject of ridicule and torment."

"No, you won't. You'll make friends easily. You have such a charming personality," he said sarcastically.

"You're right. I made friends with you didn't I?" she shot back.

"Touché," he smirked.

Jensa wrinkled her eyebrows. "Where'd you hear that word?"

"From the English merchants in Cairo."

She smiled, showing her approval and ran her fingers through her still dripping wet hair. Looking up, she said, "What time do you think it is?"

Ardeth glanced up at the sky knowledgeably. "It is near midnight." He bent down to retrieve his scimitar belt and buckled it back on.

"Midnight?!" Jensa walked back towards Ahmar. "I really should be getting back." He followed behind and mounted. "Ardeth, would you go a little slower? I want this night to last as long as possible. It might be the last time we get to do this." Swiftly, he pulled Jensa up to sit side saddle in front of him. "Why did you do that?" she asked somewhat alarmed.

"If we ride like this, we will be slow in returning." Ardeth looked her in the eye with his unfaltering obsidian gaze. "That is what you wanted, right?"

Jensa nodded. Ardeth held the reins in one hand and encircled Jensa's waist with the other. The horse jumped forward to the soft click of Ardeth's tongue, and all too soon for the two friends, he took her home.

Jensa sighed deeply and rested her head on Ardeth's shoulder. Despite the chill that had taken possession of her since she fell into the water, Jensa suddenly felt warm and comfortable leaning against him with his arm wrapped protectively around her. His hot breath tickled her skin and sent a chill up her spine causing her to shiver slightly. Ardeth mistook her shiver as being brought around by her wet hair and clothes. "You are cold." He let go of her waist and rubbed her arms with his hand, trying to warm her. "I should not have knocked you into the water."

"Yes, you should have. I deserved it."

"Come to think of it, you did."

Jensa playfully slapped his arm and glanced down at her newly acquired present and asked: "Where did you get this ring?"

"It was my mother's."

"Your mother's?" she said in surprise. "Oh, Ardeth, I can't keep this ring. It rightfully belongs to her."

"At one time it did, but she gave it to me to give to someone who is worthy to wear it. My father gave it to her before they were married. He spent many days and nights making it for her."

Before they were married? Jensa tensed at these words. If Ardeth noticed her tension, he didn't show it. Jensa, stop it, she told herself harshly. It's not like he's on his knee proposing. It's just a symbol of how much he cares for me as his friend. Friend? That word suddenly sounded strange to her. Did she really want to be his friend? Or did she want more? She could honestly say to herself that she had never had romantic feelings towards him. Until now.

His giving her this ring clearly showed his devotion to her, but it had also awakened something deep inside of her that she never knew was there. Now she realized she had feelings for the man she had called her best friend for the past seven years.

Oh, dear! she thought. I'm a complete head case. The profound sadness crept up inside of her again almost ready to burst. After this sudden realization of her feelings for Ardeth, she was leaving. She didn't know how long she was going to be gone or if she would ever get to come back. The tears claimed reign to her face. This reaction to her thoughts did not go unnoticed by Ardeth this time. Quickly, he stopped his horse and turned her face to his. "Are you all right? Why are you crying?" Concern masked those eyes she had come to know so well.

Jensa shook her head and buried her face in his shoulder sobbing like a little girl. She clutched his black robes not wanting to be parted from him. Ardeth held her and stroked her hair. She sat there cradled in his arms until her sobbing subsided somewhat and disentangled herself from his robes. "I'm sorry, " she said sniffing and to her dismay, she hiccuped. She always hiccuped when she cried. Despite the fact that she was crying, Ardeth's mouth twitched at the corners trying to form a smile. Strangely enough, the combination of Jensa's tears and hiccups was endearing to him. He forced the smile down and said: "Tell me, Jen. Why the tears?"

Jensa forced back another sob and slowly admitted, "I don't want to leave and I don't want to leave you." He raised his eyebrows at her last remark. Jensa immediately became embarrassed at her own words, not knowing why she had dared speak such a personal admission of her true feelings. Quickly, she turned her face away and hiccuped again.

"Look at me." Her eyes were closed. Slowly she turned her face up and looked into his eyes. "Jensa, you know it can't be."

"Why not?"

"Well for one thing, you are too young and another, your father would object."

"I know," she said sadly.

"If you were three or four years older I'd—"

"You'd what?" she interrupted, eyes blazing.

Ardeth grinned. "Nevermind." Another uncomfortable silence took over until they reached her house. By then, her hiccups had subsided. Jensa held onto his arm while she slid down from the saddle. Turning, she looked up at him and saw her feelings mirrored in his eyes. Waves of desolation came over her again and tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. Ardeth sensed her feelings and jumped down. He put his arms around her giving her the hug she so desperately needed. Ardeth and Jensa stood encircled in each other's arms for what seemed like an eternity, but was only a matter of minutes. Reluctantly, Jensa loosened her hold on him, but Ardeth did not let go of her. She chose to spend her remaining minutes with him by studying him closely.

Even with wet hair, he still looked magnificent. Part of his hair was dry. Wavy tendrils blew across his face in the light breeze that was blowing. His raven locks were enough to almost make Jensa jealous. Lord knows my wet hair doesn't look like that, she thought. Her gaze fell to his mouth. Her fingers ached to trace the full curve of his bottom lip, but Jensa decided that she didn't have enough courage. His short, neatly trimmed beard made him seem older than his twenty-one years.

She knew just by gazing into his eyes that he had seen many things that would probably give her nightmares. Ardeth lived a hard life fraught with dangers. Maybe that excited her a little bit and was part of the reason she loved to be with him. She had known Ardeth for years now, but sometimes he still seemed like a mystery to her. Not to her surprise, she wanted to be entangled in this mystery with him.

Jensa once asked Ardeth not too long after they'd met if he had ever killed anyone. He hesitated only a second before simply answering her with a steady yes. To his surprise, she was not shocked. He then asked her if that bothered her. She said no. Ardeth had already told her what the Med-jai did. She respected them, knowing their job couldn't be easy, but they did what they had to in order to keep Hamunaptra guarded. To Jensa, if that meant killing people to protect an evil so powerful it could destroy the earth and its population, then there was no wrong in it.

The only thing that worried her was Ardeth's safety, but she chided herself knowing full well he could take care of himself. The way he held her in his arms was enough to prove to her his strength. The intensity of his gaze was enough to make her melt. Jensa was becoming embarrassed at the scrutiny of his intense gaze, but she took a firm hold of herself and gazed back at him hoping her expression was equally as intense.

Jensa nervously twisted the ring around on her finger and glanced at the tattoos on his face. She wasn't sure of their exact meaning, but they signified strength and the power of the warrior. The other Med-jai warriors also bore tattoos on their bodies, but were different from Ardeth's. His signified his leadership. Each man in the tribe bore tattoos that signified their different strengths. These markings showed that each of these men were unique individuals.

"Ardeth," she finally said, "will I see you again before I leave?"

"I do not know, Jensa. It is hard for me to determine the next time I'll be in Cairo."

"Oh," Jensa said, disappointment very apparent in her voice and eyes.

"However," Ardeth could not disappoint her or bear to see that she would be truly hurt if he wouldn't visit her again. "I don't want this to be the last time I see you, so yes, you'll see me again before you leave."

Jensa's eyes brightened somewhat. "I'm so glad." She glanced up to her room. "I guess I should…"

"Yes, you should. Goodnight, Jensa." Ardeth let go of her and mounted his horse. She felt cold where the warmth of his hands had been on her back. Jensa slowly began her ascent up to her room. She could feel his eyes burning into her back. Before heading into her room, she looked down at Ardeth and waved good-bye. He did the same, smiled briefly at her and left. Jensa quickly went inside not even bothering to turn on the lights. She undressed quickly, hung her wet clothes on the hook of her bathroom door, brushed her half-way dry hair and quickly braided it. The soft sheets of her bed felt warm to her chilled skin. Despite her sleepiness, Jensa wanted to remain awake to come up with a way that would allow her to stay in Cairo, but sleep won out. Jensa gave into the plush comfort of her pillow and fell asleep within minutes.