(not a new part) I had deleted this who knows when and putting it here. This will all get fixed on AO3. Promise!
———————————- Part 11E ———————————-
(Yusuf)
Cairo, 12th century
Yazim’s cat yowled when someone outside stepped on its tail.
In the house, both Nicolo and Yusuf’s heads shot up.
The docks were suspiciously empty when he and Nicolo left the ship. When Yusuf mused out loud the strangeness of it, Nicolo tersely said it was because Dirar sent some away and kept his loyal ones on the ship. Dirar planned to reward their devotion.
Yusuf did not say anything more after that. He could not. The lump in his throat would not let him.
A few people gave them squinty looks at their disheveled appearances, especially Yusuf. He was not able to clean off all of the blood. Fortunately, it meant people will notice and people will talk. If the right question was asked to the right person, Dirar's people will find them.
They changed quickly when they reached their home, at the same time packing what funds Yusuf saved. They changed with their backs to each other, but Yusuf was keenly aware of how Nicolo's movements seemed to stutter as he hastily wiped himself with a rag dampened with the remaining tea. They did not dare spare time to get water other than to fill their waterskins.
In a distance not quite far enough away, a man swore at Yazim's cat. Another snapped at him to be silent.
Someone had asked the right question.
“Do you have everything?” Nicolo said tersely. He slung his pack over his shoulder.
Yusuf hurriedly stuffed the constellations scroll in his pack.
“I have enough,” Yusuf said. He reached out to prod Nicolo forward, stopping when Nicolo tensed. He wordlessly gestured to Nicolo to go ahead and watched Nicolo slip out the door. After a count of three, Yusuf followed.
They took the pathway that would lead them down to the back of the markets and to the stables to Nicolo’s horse and hopefully one Yusuf could borrow.
Yusuf could hear men, loyal to Dirar, trying to determine which was their home. Some cursed as Yazim’s cat scratched and hissed at the intrusion. The well bucket rattled as it fell over. Another yelped, outraged when the cat bit him.
Okay, the cat? Perhaps not so bad.
There was no one guarding the stables. There was another horse besides Nicolo’s, lazily chewing dried grass and watching them with little interest with its large ebony eyes. It was congenial enough to be coaxed out of its warm pen.
Nicolo's horse survived the escape from Damascus, whereas Yusuf's did not. Nicolo's horse seemed alert, its ears perking up when Nicolo slung his pack on it.
Yusuf's horse snorted when Yusuf did the same.
"I do not know if he is fast," Nicolo said worriedly. He patted the horse's flanks. "I have seen him pull carts from the doc..."
Nicolo set his jaw. He went around the horse, hands sweeping across it, inspecting. It stood there tolerating the inspection as it continued to chew grass.
Yusuf watched how Nicolo's hands shook when he grasped the reins and tested the harness. He should tell Nicolo there was no time. But he held his tongue, watching Nicolo continue to check Yusuf's horse, his ears open to any approaching sounds.
“My horse is fast enough. I...Should we...” Nicolo hedged.
“No,” Yusuf said firmly. “We do not separate. We ride out together. Think of anything else but that.”
Nicolo's eyes slid to his own horse. His throat worked as he nodded.
"All right," Nicolo rasped. "Which way--"
A shout from afar. Then two. An arrow suddenly punctured the pole that held up the stable's roof. Nicolo's horse merely snorted. Yusuf's reared up on its hind legs, startled.
"Into the market," Yusuf said as he climbed up the beast. Thankfully, a jerk of the reins calmed the horse.
Nicolo was about to ask when another arrow passed close enough, a red line appeared on his left cheek.
"Go!" Yusuf shouted. He slapped Nicolo's horse on its flanks and shot off after Nicolo as the shouting grew close enough to make out nine voices.
The market was crowded as more people ventured out when the sun was at its highest. They milled around the fruits and meats of the day's offerings. They bickered and gossiped about the ongoings of the inner city.
They scattered when Yusuf and Nicolo's horses burst through.
"Out of the way!" Yusuf hollered as he waved madly at those too slow to jump back the first time. Behind him, Dirar's men chased them on foot. With the stalls and the people, the horses were not an advantage, but Yusuf hoped the market would create enough confusion so their pursuers would find it hard to follow.
In front of him, Nicolo's horse wove between the stalls and people. Nicolo kept looking back for Yusuf.
An arrow zipped by, past Yusuf's ear, barely missing Nicolo.
"Left!" Yusuf shouted in Greek. He stayed close to Nicolo's horse.
Yusuf's horse seemed to revel in the chaos Yusuf steered it into. Hooves pounded on melons, skidded on dates and thumped on the ground. It neighed as it raced past people, chomping the air in delight.
Yusuf found himself a mad horse.
Nicolo's horse suddenly made a sharp right and Yusuf followed, catching the men blocking their path out of the corner of his eye. He grit his teeth, starting when he saw a familiar stall up ahead.
"Make way!" Yusuf said, switching to lingua. He charged past Nicolo, leaned to his far right and snatched up a bolt of linen as he passed. His horse barreled into the stall. It collapsed. Yusuf did not apologize to Aziz's white face.
"Whose stall was that?" Nicolo shouted after Yusuf.
"Take this end," Yusuf chose to reply instead and unfurled enough fabric for Nicolo to fist the cloth's tail.
Nicolo's eyes widened. He nodded to Yusuf.
Yusuf turned back around, towards the men blocking their path, the fabric unraveling more and more like a banner.
Nicolo stayed close behind, holding tight to his end.
There were five men blocking the only path out of the market and into the desert. They raised their swords when they spotted Yusuf and Nicolo.
Nicolo raced up to meet Yusuf's pace, their horses' strides matched up. The fabric stretched taut between them.
Like a fishing net, the fabric slapped around the men before they could react. Tangled, they easily fell to the ground after a kick to the wiggling mound.
Yusuf pulled out the small bag of coins Aziz gave him from his pocket. He tossed the foul smelling coins behind him.
"A gift from Dirar!" Yusuf shouted at the people scrabbling forward, some on top of Dirar's people trying to free themselves. Greedy hands reaching for coins stampede over the men and blocked the rest of their pursuers.
With a burst of speed, Yusuf and Nicolo rode out, leaving Cairo behind.
Their pursuers dogged behind Yusuf and Nicolo, far away the seven on horseback wavered as mirages.
But not far enough away that an arrow did not find Nicolo's back.
Yusuf heard a grunt, turned around only to discover Nicolo had rode behind him to intercept the arrow.
"Can you still ride?" Yusuf yelled as he grabbed Nicolo's reins before the horse could bolt. Yusuf's horse pranced in place. In fact, both horses did. Nicolo's horse almost threw him off.
"As long as I stay on my horse, yes," Nicolo grit out. He reached behind him and snapped the shaft off close to his body. He clenched his teeth, nodding as he tugged his reins out of Yusuf's grip. "Let's go."
Yusuf pursed his lips, but did not argue. Not here. Not now.
Clicking his tongue, jerking the reins, Yusuf urged his horse to run. Nicolo stayed behind him. He refused to line up with Yusuf's horse. At Yusuf's back, Nicolo panted as he rode, white-faced with pain, expression hard and refusing to speak.
There was nothing Yusuf could do. So he rode, faster and faster with Nicolo at his back, sand billowing behind them like smoke.
After the third arrow found Nicolo and not Yusuf, Yusuf snatched Nicolo's reins and did not let go.
"I can still ride," Nicolo bit out. He grunted as one of the arrows at last pushed out from his shoulders.
"You ride besides me, not behind me," Yusuf said. He clutched the reins tighter as Nicolo tried to reclaim them.
"Besides me, Nicolo." Yusuf repeated. "I do not need a shield."
Nicolo's eyes were gray with pain that were not just from the arrows. "Let me do this for y--"
"You have done enough for me." Yusuf's voice cracked. He could not stop it. His eyes welled. "You have done too much already, hobi."
Nicolo closed his eyes. He breathe out shakily as he reopened them.
"They are still behind us."
Yusuf smiled grimly. "Not for long. I now know why our horses are skittish." He nodded to the horizon and the vast golden smoke that rose up from the desert.
Sandstorm.
Nicolo set his jaw. "The horses..."
"We will send them on their way. They knew this storm was coming. They will know where to go to be safe. But they will go faster without us on their backs. The others will not dare follow us into this."
Nicolo was climbing off his horse before Yusuf finished and did the same. He grimaced as he slung his pack over his shoulder. He looked in one direction at the seven chasing them. He looked at the storm.
Yusuf extended his left arm.
Nicolo reached out and gripped Yusuf's forearm.
Yusuf wrapped his hand on Nicolo's wrist. He felt Nicolo's pulse beating serene under his fingers.
"Let us go," Yusuf murmured.
Together, they turned and ran towards the sandstorm. ------------------
REPOST OF: Needs of the Other 11E/20
———————————-
Part 11E
———————————-
(Yusuf)
Cairo, 12th century
Yazim’s cat yowled when someone outside stepped on its tail.
In the house, both Nicolo and Yusuf’s heads shot up.
The docks were suspiciously empty when he and Nicolo left the ship. When Yusuf mused out loud the strangeness of it, Nicolo tersely said it was because Dirar sent some away and kept his loyal ones on the ship. Dirar planned to reward their devotion.
Yusuf did not say anything more after that. He could not. The lump in his throat would not let him.
A few people gave them squinty looks at their disheveled appearances, especially Yusuf. He was not able to clean off all of the blood. Fortunately, it meant people will notice and people will talk. If the right question was asked to the right person, Dirar's people will find them.
They changed quickly when they reached their home, at the same time packing what funds Yusuf saved. They changed with their backs to each other, but Yusuf was keenly aware of how Nicolo's movements seemed to stutter as he hastily wiped himself with a rag dampened with the remaining tea. They did not dare spare time to get water other than to fill their waterskins.
In a distance not quite far enough away, a man swore at Yazim's cat. Another snapped at him to be silent.
Someone had asked the right question.
“Do you have everything?” Nicolo said tersely. He slung his pack over his shoulder.
Yusuf hurriedly stuffed the constellations scroll in his pack.
“I have enough,” Yusuf said. He reached out to prod Nicolo forward, stopping when Nicolo tensed. He wordlessly gestured to Nicolo to go ahead and watched Nicolo slip out the door. After a count of three, Yusuf followed.
They took the pathway that would lead them down to the back of the markets and to the stables to Nicolo’s horse and hopefully one Yusuf could borrow.
Yusuf could hear men, loyal to Dirar, trying to determine which was their home. Some cursed as Yazim’s cat scratched and hissed at the intrusion. The well bucket rattled as it fell over. Another yelped, outraged when the cat bit him.
Okay, the cat? Perhaps not so bad.
There was no one guarding the stables. There was another horse besides Nicolo’s, lazily chewing dried grass and watching them with little interest with its large ebony eyes. It was congenial enough to be coaxed out of its warm pen.
Nicolo's horse survived the escape from Damascus, whereas Yusuf's did not. Nicolo's horse seemed alert, its ears perking up when Nicolo slung his pack on it.
Yusuf's horse snorted when Yusuf did the same.
"I do not know if he is fast," Nicolo said worriedly. He patted the horse's flanks. "I have seen him pull carts from the doc..."
Nicolo set his jaw. He went around the horse, hands sweeping across it, inspecting. It stood there tolerating the inspection as it continued to chew grass.
Yusuf watched how Nicolo's hands shook when he grasped the reins and tested the harness. He should tell Nicolo there was no time. But he held his tongue, watching Nicolo continue to check Yusuf's horse, his ears open to any approaching sounds.
“My horse is fast enough. I...Should we...” Nicolo hedged.
“No,” Yusuf said firmly. “We do not separate. We ride out together. Think of anything else but that.”
Nicolo's eyes slid to his own horse. His throat worked as he nodded.
"All right," Nicolo rasped. "Which way--"
A shout from afar. Then two. An arrow suddenly punctured the pole that held up the stable's roof. Nicolo's horse merely snorted. Yusuf's reared up on its hind legs, startled.
"Into the market," Yusuf said as he climbed up the beast. Thankfully, a jerk of the reins calmed the horse.
Nicolo was about to ask when another arrow passed close enough, a red line appeared on his left cheek.
"Go!" Yusuf shouted. He slapped Nicolo's horse on its flanks and shot off after Nicolo as the shouting grew close enough to make out nine voices.
The market was crowded as more people ventured out when the sun was at its highest. They milled around the fruits and meats of the day's offerings. They bickered and gossiped about the ongoings of the inner city.
They scattered when Yusuf and Nicolo's horses burst through.
"Out of the way!" Yusuf hollered as he waved madly at those too slow to jump back the first time. Behind him, Dirar's men chased them on foot. With the stalls and the people, the horses were not an advantage, but Yusuf hoped the market would create enough confusion so their pursuers would find it hard to follow.
In front of him, Nicolo's horse wove between the stalls and people. Nicolo kept looking back for Yusuf.
An arrow zipped by, past Yusuf's ear, barely missing Nicolo.
"Left!" Yusuf shouted in Greek. He stayed close to Nicolo's horse.
Yusuf's horse seemed to revel in the chaos Yusuf steered it into. Hooves pounded on melons, skidded on dates and thumped on the ground. It neighed as it raced past people, chomping the air in delight.
Yusuf found himself a mad horse.
Nicolo's horse suddenly made a sharp right and Yusuf followed, catching the men blocking their path out of the corner of his eye. He grit his teeth, starting when he saw a familiar stall up ahead.
"Make way!" Yusuf said, switching to lingua. He charged past Nicolo, leaned to his far right and snatched up a bolt of linen as he passed. His horse barreled into the stall. It collapsed. Yusuf did not apologize to Aziz's white face.
"Whose stall was that?" Nicolo shouted after Yusuf.
"Take this end," Yusuf chose to reply instead and unfurled enough fabric for Nicolo to fist the cloth's tail.
Nicolo's eyes widened. He nodded to Yusuf.
Yusuf turned back around, towards the men blocking their path, the fabric unraveling more and more like a banner.
Nicolo stayed close behind, holding tight to his end.
There were five men blocking the only path out of the market and into the desert. They raised their swords when they spotted Yusuf and Nicolo.
Nicolo raced up to meet Yusuf's pace, their horses' strides matched up. The fabric stretched taut between them.
Like a fishing net, the fabric slapped around the men before they could react. Tangled, they easily fell to the ground after a kick to the wiggling mound.
Yusuf pulled out the small bag of coins Aziz gave him from his pocket. He tossed the foul smelling coins behind him.
"A gift from Dirar!" Yusuf shouted at the people scrabbling forward, some on top of Dirar's people trying to free themselves. Greedy hands reaching for coins stampede over the men and blocked the rest of their pursuers.
With a burst of speed, Yusuf and Nicolo rode out, leaving Cairo behind.
Their pursuers dogged behind Yusuf and Nicolo, far away the seven on horseback wavered as mirages.
But not far enough away that an arrow did not find Nicolo's back.
Yusuf heard a grunt, turned around only to discover Nicolo had rode behind him to intercept the arrow.
"Can you still ride?" Yusuf yelled as he grabbed Nicolo's reins before the horse could bolt. Yusuf's horse pranced in place. In fact, both horses did. Nicolo's horse almost threw him off.
"As long as I stay on my horse, yes," Nicolo grit out. He reached behind him and snapped the shaft off close to his body. He clenched his teeth, nodding as he tugged his reins out of Yusuf's grip. "Let's go."
Yusuf pursed his lips, but did not argue. Not here. Not now.
Clicking his tongue, jerking the reins, Yusuf urged his horse to run. Nicolo stayed behind him. He refused to line up with Yusuf's horse. At Yusuf's back, Nicolo panted as he rode, white-faced with pain, expression hard and refusing to speak.
There was nothing Yusuf could do. So he rode, faster and faster with Nicolo at his back, sand billowing behind them like smoke.
After the third arrow found Nicolo and not Yusuf, Yusuf snatched Nicolo's reins and did not let go.
"I can still ride," Nicolo bit out. He grunted as one of the arrows at last pushed out from his shoulders.
"You ride besides me, not behind me," Yusuf said. He clutched the reins tighter as Nicolo tried to reclaim them.
"Besides me, Nicolo." Yusuf repeated. "I do not need a shield."
Nicolo's eyes were gray with pain that were not just from the arrows. "Let me do this for y--"
"You have done enough for me." Yusuf's voice cracked. He could not stop it. His eyes welled. "You have done too much already, hobi."
Nicolo closed his eyes. He breathe out shakily as he reopened them.
"They are still behind us."
Yusuf smiled grimly. "Not for long. I now know why our horses are skittish." He nodded to the horizon and the vast golden smoke that rose up from the desert.
Sandstorm.
Nicolo set his jaw. "The horses..."
"We will send them on their way. They knew this storm was coming. They will know where to go to be safe. But they will go faster without us on their backs. The others will not dare follow us into this."
Nicolo was climbing off his horse before Yusuf finished and did the same. He grimaced as he slung his pack over his shoulder. He looked in one direction at the seven chasing them. He looked at the storm.
Yusuf extended his left arm.
Nicolo reached out and gripped Yusuf's forearm.
Yusuf wrapped his hand on Nicolo's wrist. He felt Nicolo's pulse beating serene under his fingers.
"Let us go," Yusuf murmured.
Together, they turned and ran towards the sandstorm.
------------------