SHEIK OF DESIRE, CHAPTER 4
THE KNIVES OF PEACE
"Jezreel!" Pavel called when he exited the small tent. Suddenly he felt the way he had when he was two and had been taken for the first time to the Indian village and had gotten lost for a brief period; very young, very small, very alone, and surrounded by strangers. Where was Jezreel? And where the fuck were the Connobarans, he hadn't seen them since they arrived here! "Commander Sachsen!"
"Pavel!" came the response. Commander Sachsen was walking his way and Pavel was never gladder to see him.
"Where's Jethro?" he asked suddenly.
"In that tent back there, being watched by a couple of the natives." Commander Sachsen said. "He's still asleep but appears to be coming around. I was looking for you and Jezreel."
"Good. Have you seen Jezreel?"
"No, you're the first one found."
"I've got a little problem here and I need Jezreel's advice." Pavel said.
Jassem had walked up behind. "A problem?" He inquired gently.
Pavel turned and smiled. "Not that kind of problem. I need to ask him a question about your culture before I make a mistake. Please, I don't want to upset you."
"You cannot upset me." Jassem said. "If I am not to be your husband, I will be your servant, which is all you agreed to. But I cannot be blamed for hoping."
"Of course not." Pavel said. "Our people simply don't get married that quickly."
Commander Sachsen, who had overheard much of Pavel's and Jezreel's conversation aboard the turtle bower, smiled and cocked an eyebrow.
"Well, we don't!" Pavel protested. "I've known Jezreel for...for a while."
"You and I will be together for a while." Jassem agreed. "After our marriage, I will show you the place of children."
A-yi-yi-yi-yi! Pavel thought to himself. "Is there no other way to see this place?" He asked.
"Not for a single man such as you or myself." Jassem agreed. "Only those with the bond of marriage may enter the Mosque at New Medina."
"Where is New Medina?" Commander Sachsen asked.
"But a day's journey in that direction." Jassem pointed. "Near the mountain with the two points on top of it."
"Back towards the way we came." Commander Sachsen noted. "Interesting."
"Yes." Jassem said. "You are from the land of the rising sun and through the waters of the rising sun do our children come to us. You must live in a land blessed by Allah."
"It's a nice place." Pavel agreed. "Still, I'd like to speak with Jezreel. Do you know which of your kinfolk went with him, and where?"
"I have to get back to Jethro. I don't want him waking up among strangers. When a Connobaran comes out of that stupor, he doesn't remember anything that happened during it. It's why I insisted on bringing him along with us."
"You go back to your guard, and I will find Jezreel for you." Jassem promised. "He went with my cousin Aziz."
Reassured somewhat, Pavel went with Sachsen (Connobarans had no last name, only a first which was different for each Connobaran, as no name could be used again until its prior owner was dead--the reason that Sachsen and Jethro bore such uncommon names) to a bigger tent. Inside, Jethro was lying on a pallet of soft cushions (they seemed to be favored by this people and were the sole item of furniture, Pavel noticed), with two young men beside him and an older, gray-haired one observing with a air of authority. "He is about to awake." this man said. "Notice his turgidity."
Jethro's cock was indeed tenting up his gray trousers, and Jethro was making thrusting motions.
"He is behaving the same as one who has been heavily marked by knives of peace." the man said.
"Knives of peace?" Sachsen asked. "What are those, doctor?"
The doctor pulled a knife from his sash. "It is like these. The blade you will notice is very narrow and kept from going deep by the guard above it. Small holes let the fluid stored inside the blade's body seep out. One does not stab with the knife of peace, one slashes and the fluid does the rest. It is the blessing of Allah, for now our men do not need to kill in battle."
Sachsen reached out and the doctor jerked the knife back. "Ah, do not touch the blade. Even a small amount is enough to drive you into the depths of your spirit."
"It is like the pepper pods we used during the war." Pavel said. "Concentrated passion."
"Yes." the doctor agreed. "Distilled from plants found here and there. Allah's messenger warned us when we arrived that killing was forbidden, and gave us the knife of peace so that we may honor our old ways."
"Stepwith." Sachsen said, awed. "He was here, too."'
"Of course." Pavel said.
"The knife of peace and the waters of life were his gifts to us, his children." the doctor said, enraptured. "And we have been blessed with these gifts ever since."
Jethro groaned and the doctor jerked about. "My students, you must tend to this man in his hour of need."
"We obey." One of the young men said and reached for Jethro's fly. His fingers fumbled with the unfamiliar buttons and he stopped puzzled. "How do these open?" he asked.
"Like this." Sachsen knelt down and unbuttoned Jethro's fly. Jethro's familiar cock sprang out as he freed it from the binding cloth. "What are you going to do?"
"He must be drained of the passion within." the man explained.
Pavel watched, unsurprised, as the young medical student, a man barely into his manhood, began to flog Jethro's cock. His dark hand on Jethro's almost-pinkish cock was a beautiful combination of colors against Jethro's light-gray uniform. Jethro groaned, still in a stupor but conscious at least, and the young man knelt down lower and grabbed Jethro's cock with both hands and began to pound him even harder.
"Let me do that." Sachsen said. "He's a Connobaran, not a piece of meat. He needs special attention."
Pavel knew the Connobarans' special way of making love, so he wasn't surprised when the Connobaran officer, resplendent in his quasi-Nazi uniform, leaned over and engulfed Jethro's cock and, burying it deep inside his mouth, held it there. Jethro groaned and bucked lustily, and Pavel knew that Sachsen's talented mouth muscles were milking Jethro's cock in a way that no regular human could ever quite match. Pavel had experienced that mode of making love before, those special muscles quivered and pulsated against your cock in a rapid motion, drawing your foreskin up and down with a speed even your hand could not match, and with a velvety, moist feel like you were speed-fucking a lubricated ass. It was a feeling you could never match with anyone else, or even duplicate yourself, it had to come to you as the gift of a Connobaran lover. So Pavel watched as the two gray-clad soldiers loved in this way, and Jethro groaned loudly and Sachsen choked, but held firmly to him, and Jethro bucked, his black boots found purchase around Sachsen's waist and held him there, and soon Jethro was quiescent again.
"Excellent." the doctor murmured when they were done. "He is nearly done. He will sleep but a short period now, only a few minutes, and then he will rouse once again, and should regain total consciousness then."
"Good." Sachsen stood up and wiped at his lips with the back of his hand, swallowed visibly. "It'll be good to have my man back with me again."
"Pavel!" came the call from outside. It was Jassem's voice.
Pavel stepped outside the tent. "Yes?"
"Your advisor and Aziz are both gone. Their tent is empty." Jassem said. "I must warn my father."
"What's wrong?" Pavel asked.
"Later, please!" Jassem begged him.
"Go." Pavel said. Jassem's worried urgency was apparent.
Pavel stepped back into the tent. The men were talking among themselves in fluid Arabic syllables. "What is wrong?" he asked.
One of the young medical students explained. "Aziz is of the tribe of Mahmoud bin-Hadid. Rashid is his uncle, but his other, and first, father is of the tribe of Mahmoud. Two seasons ago, he came to live with us. There is trouble between our two tribes. If he has taken away your friend, then he can only be going to rejoin Mahmoud."
"What's the problem with the tribe of Mahmoud?" Sachsen asked, sensing the danger.
"Mahmoud wishes to become sultan, with his tribe to control access to the mosque at New Medina." Jassem said. "Who controls New Medina controls our people, through the waters of life, which brings us children."
"So he may attack?"
"Yes." Jassem said.
"But what would he gain from attacking your tribe?" Commander Sachsen asked.
"He has Jezreel. Now he needs you." Jassem said. "You, your fellow guard here, and most importantly, Pavel."
"Me?" Pavel asked. "Why me?"
The young man appeared surprised. "You are the prince from the Land of the Rising Sun, young and not yet married. The one who marries you will form a lasting bond with your tribe."
"But we don't choose such things that way!" Pavel objected.
"Your father will choose to deal with the tribe where you live, will he not?" the man retorted. "Even if he deals with all of us, he will come first to the tribe where you live, in hopes of making your life better, richer, will he not?"
"I guess. But...." Pavel was foundering. "What if I don't want to get married?"
The young man looked at him. "I do not think Mahmoud will ask you what you want. He will simply take you. Once you are with his child, your wishes will not matter. Even Rashid will not deny your marriage when that happens."
A horn sounded. The doctor, who had been examining Jethro, rose to his feet from his cross-legged position, easily and adroitly. "There will be a battle. We must go help. Please, stay back here, out of the way. You cannot be warriors in this battle since you are the treasure they seek. Stay here, Prince of the Rising Sun, with your guard. Here." The doctor handed Commander Sachsen the "knife of peace." "Use this on the enemies of your prince."
And they were left alone in the tent.
"I'll stand guard at the door." Sachsen said grimly, hoisting the knife. "You be ready to help Jethro when he comes around."
Pavel waited a short time, listening to the shouts and cries, and clashes of steel, and odd drumming sounds coming in bursts. Finally, he could bear it no longer; he got up and poked his head out of the tent.
The place was a morass of small battles. Here, to men were fighting, one on foot, the other a-saddle on an odd beast. A beautiful white color, it stood on slender legs that rose its body barrel up to the height of a man's waist, and the top of its body barrel was the height of a man's head. From there, a slender neck graceful and sleek, to a head that was long-muzzled. It was a horse! Pavel had seen them only in pictures, and here they were, strong, white and brown and black horses all around him, making that drumming sound he had heard with their hooves as the moved! But they were the weapons of the enemy, holding them up above their defenders, who were thus at a disadvantage.
Pavel watched as the two men wielded their knives and warded off the same with a small circular guard held in the left hand. Only about six inches in diameter, it was too small to be called a shield, but it performed the same function. Pavel saw the men fighting, saw the blades strike, the man on the ground getting cut on his arm below the shield, while he landed a similar blow on the man's leg.
The knives of peace then showed their power; the men stopped their battle, and the man astride the horse slid off and the two former enemies were now engaged in a lustful embrace, fighting their clothing aside to bare their bodies; kisses replaced the shouts of fury. Soon they were locked in a new battle, the man who had been on horseback was now ridden by the man on the ground, who was fucking him hard and fast.
Such scenes played out all around them, Pavel saw. But the force which was attacking seemed to be gaining on them.
Jethro groaned and Pavel moved inside again, quickly. Jethro's cock had never been put back inside his trousers, and it rose up again, a pink cobra begging for the chance to strike. Pavel couldn't give it the attention Commander Sachsen could, but he stuffed the thick prod into his mouth and sucked on it. God, get Jethro off and get him up, they had to get out of this place! There was a horse just a few steps away; Pavel knew how to ride it (in theory, anyway, he had heard many stories about it from a neighbor who had ridden often in childhood and had talked about it at length with Pavel while showing him the pictures), if he could get Jethro off, he could get them away! He wasn't going to be shanghaied into a marriage with some man he hadn't even seen, he had to go rescue Jezreel!
He slurped on Jethro's pud, and Jethro groaned, babbling to him. "Yeah, baby, that's good, that's nice, do it, baby, do it." Pavel had never heard Jethro talk like that before, he must be all right.
Pavel forced his body into rapid motion, shutting out as well as he could the distractions of men shouting in fury, and groaning in lust. Those heavy black boots came to rest on Pavel's back and Jethro was fucking at his face now, Jethro's hands grabbed his head and forced him into action.
"Come on, suck on it, suck on it!" Jethro begged while Pavel bobbed his head frantically. Jethro meant the Connobaran way of sucking, which Pavel couldn't give him. Jethro groaned in frustration, fucked his face harder, faster, then he rolled them over so that Pavel was on his back and Jethro's legs were pinned under his shoulders, and Jethro still held onto Pavel's head, holding him up and force-fucking his mouth. Pavel choked on the long dong, held on, and Jethro groaned, blasted another hearty wad into Pavel's mouth, while he held Pavel's face stock against his crotch, shooting his load right into Pavel's throat.
Done, Jethro panted a time and then looked down. "Who are you?
"Glmph!" Pavel said.
"Oh." Jethro let him go. "What are we doing here? Where am I?"
"No time for that." Pavel said desperately. "Commander Sachsen, he's awake!"
"Commander?" Jethro turned, disoriented, found the tent flap and ran out, hands fumbling at his fly as he tucked his cock back inside.
Pavel got to his feet, head reeling from the rough face-fuck, and went outside as well. Jethro was standing there in stunned amazement.
Commander Sachsen was not very far away, two men were fighting with him at once. Sachsen had the knife which he was wielding expertly, and he had found a long stick which he used to block the stabs of the two men opposing him.
Sachsen looked over his shoulder briefly, saw them, grinned and turned back to face his foe.
"Jethro! Get him out of here!"
Pavel looked, and saw that the tribe of Rashid was in full flight now, those who weren't fucking their brains out or lying on the ground. Nearby was the white stallion that Pavel had seen before, the first horse he had ever seen in the flesh, its owner insensible beneath his antagonist who was similarly incapacitated.
"This way, Jethro!" Pavel said.
"What?" Jethro said.
"No time, Jethro! Come on, you heard your commanding officer!"
That did it, thank God Pavel had remembered Sachsen was Jethro's commander from the time before Jethro had fallen victim to the pepper pods. Jethro had Sachsen's order to "get him out of here" so he followed Pavel to the horse.
"What is this thing?"
"A way out of here!" Pavel said. "Get on!" Pavel fumbled with the odd rigging on the horse. There had to be a way up onto the horse! He looked down, saw a loop dangling at the bottom of the rigging. A foothold! He stuck his foot into it, and clambered atop the horse. It nickered, backed away, but Pavel was desperate and he managed to get seated in the saddle. Once he was aboard, the horse quieted, somehow reassured by his posture. "Get on!" Pavel said, offering a hand up to Jethro.
Jethro mimicked Pavel, and nearly pulled Pavel out of his seat, but got aboard and was sitting behind Pavel.
"Hang on!" Pavel said. "This is going to be rough!" And he dug his feet into the horse's flanks and yelled, "Giddyap!"
And the horse moved so fast that Pavel nearly lost his seating again, and Jethro nearly slid off the side. They held on somehow, and the horse was moving. Awkwardly, totally without grace, they fled from the battle and to their good fortune, none of their assailants had seen them go. They rode back towards the mountains beyond which lay their home while behind them, the battle wound down with pairings of lustful, groaning men, and others cursing as they searched for their prey that had eluded them.
END OF CHAPTER FOUR