Blair clung tightly to Ellison, pressing his face into the big man's back as Cascade carried them across the desert, heading for the city. He kept his arms wrapped tightly around the man's waist, wincing as his bottom began to protest the long ride. Blair wasn't used to horseback riding, and he had the sore backside to prove it.
"Are you all right, back there?" Ellison called back over his shoulder. He moved one hand from the reins to grasp one of the arms at his waist.
"Yes," Blair grunted, as his rear left the saddle for a moment, then slammed back down as Cascade sprang over the crest of a small dune.
Ellison heard the pained sound and laughed a little. "Don't ride much, do you young one?" He pulled back on the reins a bit, easing Cascade back from his hard gallop to a gentle canter. "Is that better?" he called out.
Blair closed his eyes with a sigh of relief as the horse's bounding gait slowed and became smoother. "Much better, thank you," he replied, squeezing Ellison in a gesture of gratitude.
They rode on at the slower pace for a few minutes, then Ellison reached back over his shoulder and seized Blair by the tunic.
"Here," the big man said, pulling at the young man. He twisted around in the saddle enough to get his arm around Blair's waist. Then in one great motion, he swung the young man around so he was seated in front of Ellison. He waited until Blair was settled, then reached down and wrapped one arm around the slender waist.
"What are you doing?" Blair asked, looking back and up at Ellison. The big man smiled at him as he took up the reins with his free hand.
"I think you'll be more comfortable in front of me," the big man replied as he clicked his tongue. Cascade broke into a gallop again, sand flying from his hooves.
Blair winced as the godawful bouncing began again. But then Ellison tightened the arm around his waist, and lifted him slightly off the saddle. The young man sighed in relief as Ellison's actions reduced the pressure on his bottom.
"How is that?" Ellison asked, leaning down to speak into Blair's ear. He tried to ignore the delicious sensation of the dark curls blowing back into his face. He was thankful the city wasn't much farther ahead; he couldn't trust his body to behave itself for much longer with this close contact.
Blair sighed, leaning back into Ellison as the strong arm held him tight. "Feels great," he replied, in honesty. What he didn't add was that the feeling of the big man's hot breath tickling his ear gave him goosebumps. He hoped he'd be able to make it all the way to the city without losing control.
Thankfully, only a few minutes later the roofs of the city's buildings were visible over the dunes. Soon, Ellison was guiding Cascade slowly through the crowded streets of the city bazaar, heading toward the main part of town.
Blair looked around at all the new sights. The city was dirty, noisy, everything a complete opposite from Ellison's paradise. A part of Blair was very sad to think that he would soon be leaving Ellison and his world behind, when he rejoined his anthropology class.
Blair's thoughts were broken as Ellison suddenly stopped Cascade, and slipped a hand under Blair's arm. With Ellison's urging, the young man awkwardly moved to sit sideways in the saddle. He grabbed Ellison's arm with both hands as the big man eased him down off the horse.
"Now," Ellison said as he lowered Blair to the ground. "Don't wander off. I'm going to go have the horse tended to. I'll be back in a moment." With a smile, Ellison turned Cascade, and rode slowly toward the public stables a few doors down.
Blair turned in a slow circle, taking in the sights around him. The narrow street was lined with stands and tables selling everything you could possibly imagine.
Blair moved close to one colorful stand selling snake meat, and watched in wonder as the ancient woman behind the counter stripped the skin off a large serpent. She looked up and smiled a toothless grin at him, offering a small morsel of the meat. Blair politely declined, and moved away, trying not to make a face.
The next stall was full of shoes, of all types and sizes. There were half a dozen men sitting on the ground around the stand, trying on the shoes. Blair carefully waded through them and moved on.
Blair was being watched. A large figure hiding in an alley across the way had noticed the young man as soon as he rode into the market. Nedar watched the boy as he paused briefly at various vendor's tables, never buying. Then, the young man turned, and headed across the street, directly toward where Nedar was hiding.
The shadowy figure tensed as the boy came closer. Yes, he thought, Mendari would pay handsomely for this little beauty. Nedar smiled as he imagined himself financially secure for the rest of the decade. His hand tightened on the coil of rough rope as the sweet-faced young man neared the mouth of the alley.
Blair finished admiring a table full of tiny carved animals, then moved slowly along the street. He paused to look toward the stables for Ellison, wondering what was taking so long. In the alley behind him, the dark, sinister figure was preparing to pounce.
Nedar inched slowly forward. This was almost going to be too easy! The boy was practically delivering himself right into Nedar's hands. Silently shouldering the coil of rope, Nedar reached for the boy's narrow shoulders. One quick yank. No one would even see it happen.
"There you are, Blair!"
Nedar scrambled backwards as a loud voice rang out. His young prey turned to face the owner of the voice. Nedar bit back a curse as he recognized Ellison. The big man was well known in the area, and disliked by most of the seedier individuals. Ellison had an overdeveloped sense of morality and justice, as well as a tendency to stick his big Western nose in where it was not welcomed.
Defeated for the moment, Nedar skulked away down the alley.
"I told you not to wander off, Blair," Ellison scolded. He'd been searching for his young friend for several anxious minutes, now, since dropping off Cascade. He'd been about to ask if anyone had seen the young man when he'd spotted Blair, safe and sound at the vendor's table.
"I'm sorry," Blair said quietly, remorse clear in the blue eyes. "I was just looking around, and...."
"It's all right," Ellison said softly, as his heart was melted once again by the sweet face. He sighed as he reached out to tousle Blair's hair. "I was just worried," he continued, "This is a dangerous place for you, especially alone." He smiled as Blair looked up at him, a curious look on his face.
"Dangerous for me? How?" Blair turned and fell in step beside Ellison as the big man headed down the street. Ellison looked down at him, opening his mouth as if to say something, then seemed to think better of it.
"Ellison?" Blair prompted.
Ellison looked uneasily at his young companion. "Pickpockets," he lied. He breathed a sigh as Blair nodded knowingly, accepting the explanation. The big man was relieved; he really had no desire to tell Blair about the horrors that could befall a solitary young male in this city.
As they walked along, Ellison kept an eye out for Mendari's 'collectors', the lowlife scum that the evil man paid to pick up new slaves for his harem. Blair's exotic Western beauty would make him a prime target for such an abduction. Ellison was acquainted with most of Mendari's hired dregs by now, and had delivered young victims from their clutches on more than one occasion. That was one reason he was so disliked by the less desirable residents of this city, and why he wished to finish his business and get back to the safety of his camp.
Blair walked along beside Ellison, pointing and exclaiming in delight when something caught his eye. He was so caught up in his surroundings that he failed to notice the warm looks his big friend bestowed on him every few minutes. Blair paused at the sight of a jeweller's stand, then glanced hopefully up at Ellison.
The big man grinned. "Go ahead," he said kindly. His grin widened as Blair smiled up at him, before moving to examine the glittering wares of the jeweller. Ellison moved to stand over Blair as the young man fingered several little amulets and lavalieres.
"Ohhh," Blair breathed in delight as picked up a necklace. It was a very simple silver chain, nothing spectacular. But dangling from the chain was the most beautiful trinket Blair had ever seen. It was a small, flat silver sun, inlaid with tiny garnets which sparkled in the sunlight like drops of red wine.
There was some kind of fancy lettering imprinted in the center of the amulet. Blair couldn't identify the characters, so he asked the young woman behind the table what they meant.
"Adored," she replied, with a smile.
Blair returned the smile, and asked the price. His face fell when the woman told him. Even after the customary bartering, Blair knew the amulet was way beyond his meager means. With a sad smile, he laid the necklace back on the table, and turned to go. Then he gaped as Ellison promptly handed a small stack of coins over to the delighted young woman.
"Turn around," Ellison said to Blair, as he picked up the necklace.
"No," Blair held up a hand, shaking his head in denial but never taking his gaze from the necklace. "No, Ellison, it's too much!"
"Nonsense," Ellison muttered as he carefully opened the clasp.
Blair opened his mouth to protest again, but Ellison stopped him with a gentle finger on Blair's lips.
"Hush," the big man said, softly. "Think of it as payment," he added, blue eyes twinkling.
"Payment?" Blair asked, brow furrowing in confusion.
Ellison cupped Blair's chin in his big hand for a moment as he replied, "For making my life a little less dull these past few days." He smiled, and motioned for Blair to turn.
Blushing, Blair turned away from Ellison, and held up his hair. The big man draped the necklace around his neck, and Blair reached down to touch the amulet with its message of love.
"There." Ellison finished attaching the chain, and smoothed Blair's hair. He smiled down as the young man turned to gaze up at him, still fingering the little sun. The big man was amused to see tears shining in the blue eyes.
Blair was speechless for a long moment, wondering what he'd done to deserve the gift. Hell, why did he even deserve to have Ellison find him in the desert so many days ago? Ever since he'd met this man, Blair had felt so..., so.... He smiled as he brushed a finger across the engraving on the amulet. Adored.
"Thank you, Ellison," he said at last, fighting to keep his voice steady. "I really appreciate...,"
Holding up a hand to stop all further discussion, Ellison smiled and laid a hand on his young friend's shoulder to guide him down the street.
An hour later Ellison had finished his own business, and was ready to help Blair track down his anthropology class. The big man became a bit subdued as he realized Blair would be leaving him. He'd become very attached to the young man in these few short days, surprising himself.
He'd thought living alone for so long had toughened him, given his heart a protective armor to keep out unwanted emotions. But that theory had been blown to hell the first time he held Blair, cradling him to his chest after finding him in the desert. In that moment Ellison realized that there was something special about the young man, something that filled Ellison with an overwhelming urge to protect him.
Blair followed on Ellison's heels like a puppy as the big man went from table to table, asking if anyone knew of a group of American anthropology students in the area. After getting responses ranging from blank faces to irate spitting at the word 'American', Blair began to lose heart.
Then, finally, they found an elderly woman who knew of the class, and where they were studying. She directed Blair and Ellison to a large caravan that was just loading up to set off across the desert. One of the planned stops was a supply run to the nomad's camp where Blair's class was stationed.
Ellison escorted Blair to the caravan, and arranged with the driver for the young man to ride along, explaining that he was one of the students. The driver nodded cheerfully, and promised Ellison he'd keep an eye on Blair. Ellison checked over the caravan and its other passengers one last time, before declaring it would be safe for Blair to travel with them.
"So," Blair said, as he looked up at Ellison. "I guess this is... good-bye?" The young man's voice broke a little, and he bit his lip in embarrassment as he felt tears welling up in his eyes.
Ellison smiled and tousled the dark curls. "Not good-bye," he corrected, "More like, until next time." He reached to cup that precious face in his hand one last time, swallowing as he felt his emotions rising dangerously close to the surface.
"Oh!" Blair said suddenly, then reached into one of his tunic's many pockets for a slip of paper he'd placed there earlier. He handed the slip over to Ellison with a little shrug. "Here's my address in the States," he said.
"Oh, thank you," Ellison said, taking the bit of paper. There was an uncomfortable silence then, both men shifting, looking at their feet.
"You don't have to write, if you don't want to," Blair said softly, looking at the ground. "I mean, it's not like you can drop a letter into the mailbox on the corner, right?" He smiled as Ellison chuckled.
"What, you've never heard of the Camel Express?" the big man teased. He was rewarded by a musical giggle from Blair. At last, unable to hold back any longer, Ellison hesitantly opened his arms. He closed his eyes with a sigh as Blair quickly stepped into his embrace and hugged him hard.
Blair pressed his face into the robes, clutching at the strong back as Ellison's arms held him tight. He tried to hold his tears in; he didn't want to look weak in front of the big man. As he felt Ellison's arms loosening, Blair leaned back and looked up at him thoughtfully. Did he dare? Blair paused, then stretched up to kiss Ellison's cheek.
Ellison started a little as Blair kissed him, and looked down at the young man in shock. It wasn't that the kiss was unpleasant or unwelcome... just surprising.
Blair blushed as Ellison stared down at him. He'd gone too far. Quickly, he let go of Ellison and stepped back, running a nervous hand through his curls as his heart quietly broke.
Ellison wet his suddenly-dry lips, and quickly found the belt of his robe to be the most fascinating thing on the planet. He fiddled uncomfortably with the fabric for a moment, wondering what to say.
"Blair," Ellison began, hesitantly. How could he put it into words? Tell Blair how important he'd become to his life? That there was barely a minute in the day that his mind wasn't occupied by thoughts of the anthropologist....
"I'm sorry, Ellison," Blair said quickly. "I just.... I mean I.... I should.... That was...," he put on the mental brakes as he realized he was babbling. "That's... just... how they say good-bye where I come from," he said quietly. It was sort of the truth, he reasoned. People who loved each other always parted with a kiss....
"Oh," Ellison replied softly. He gazed longingly at the young man's full lips, wondering what Blair's reaction would be if he were to suddenly grab him and kiss him back. The big man shook off the thought and looked up, studying the angle of the sun.
"Well," he said. "It's getting late. I need to start back to the camp now." He waited for a response from Blair, something.
Blair nodded. "OK then," he said softly. "Until next time?" The young man smiled as Ellison tousled his hair again.
"Right," Ellison said. He gestured toward the caravan. "You'd better get going, young one. Looks like they're preparing to head out."
Blair nodded. There was another uncomfortable silence.
"Take care, Ellison," Blair said at last as he turned away. He didn't look back as he walked quickly toward the caravan. He didn't want Ellison to see the tears that had begun to stream down his face.
Ellison watched the retreating figure, feeling like his heart had just broken out of his chest and walked out of his life. He breathed a heavy sigh as he turned in the opposite direction, heading back to the stables for Cascade. Lost in thought, he was oblivious when Blair was suddenly yanked out of sight into an alley.
At the stables, Ellison paid the man for tending to Cascade and swung up into the saddle. He reached down to make sure the bundles containing his supplies were securely fastened, then clicked his tongue and headed for home.
Blair kicked and fought as he was pulled along the dark alley. His wrists were clasped in an enormous, bony hand, the mate of which was pressed over his mouth hard enough to draw blood. He hadn't even seen his abductor, it had all happened so fast.
Nedar dragged the struggling young man down the alley toward his horse tethered at the far end. He kept an eye on the mouth of the alley, waiting to see if anyone had witnessed the kidnapping. No one appeared to chase him down, and the man breathed a sigh of relief. He turned his captive back against the wall, and released his wrists long enough to bring a dagger up to the young man's throat.
"Stop fighting," Nedar ordered. The young man instantly obeyed, blue eyes wide with terror. "Good," Nedar said softly, "I have no desire to hurt you, but I will if you try to escape. Do you understand?"
Blair nodded carefully, sighing in relief as the knife was removed. The hand over his mouth was replaced with a gag, and Blair closed his eyes in despair as he was turned, and his hands yanked behind him. A length of rough rope was passed a few times around his wrists, then looped around his neck like a noose. Blair instinctively tried to pull away, and gasped as the rope around his throat tightened a bit, rough fibers stinging his skin.
"Don't struggle," Nedar warned, as he fastened the rope. "If you try to move your arms, the noose will tighten." He knelt with a second length of rope, and tied the young man's ankles. When his prisoner was secure, Nedar hoisted the slim body over his shoulder, and moved to his horse.
Blair winced as he was draped over the saddle like a sack of flour. He felt the kidnapper climb into the saddle behind him. As the horse carried them out of the alley and into the light, Blair lifted his head and looked around hopefully. Now someone would see what was happening to him! He watched in disbelief as people calmly stepped aside, barely giving him a glance.
Blair didn't understand it. Didn't anyone care that he was being kidnapped in broad daylight? Surely someone would help him! He tried to speak through the gag to the people passing by, and was rewarded with a sharp blow to the back of his head by his abductor. Blair saw stars, which quickly faded to blackness as he lost consciousness.
Nedar smiled in satisfaction as they left the city behind for open desert. He reached down to run his fingers through his cargo's long hair, smile widening. Hair that length was a rarity in Westerners; Mendari was going to be very pleased.
A glimmer of silver beneath the dark locks caught Nedar's eye. He lifted the curls from the back of Blair's neck, and studied the thin chain glinting against the smooth skin. He reached down and deftly undid the clasp, lifting the bauble to his face to examine. Garnets, silver, very nice.
"Adored," Nedar read. He smirked down at Blair. "Well, you won't be needing this where you're going," he said to his unconscious prisoner. He laughed as he tucked the amulet and chain into his pocket, then kicked his mount, urging her into a gallop as he headed toward Mendari's camp.
Ellison finished unpacking his supplies, and stretched his sore back muscles. He could really use a massage, he decided.
"Blair?" he called, then cursed himself. He was going to have a hard time getting used to Blair's absence. He flopped down on the floor pillows and sulked for a few minutes, idly running his fingers over the pillow that Blair had favored. He found a single strand of the young man's long hair clinging to the cushion, and lifted it to his nose.
Life. Blair's hair smelled like life. Life and love and ..., Ellison shook his head, grinning at himself. He had never imagined himself as a romantic; it wasn't his style. But that young man had awakened things in Ellison that he himself hadn't realized were there.
With a sigh, he hauled himself to his feet and crossed to his table. He opened his journal, and laid the precious strand of hair inside. It was time for his evening ride, to make sure all was well on his property. Pining over memories of Blair would have to wait.
On to Part 4