Lori gasped as Jaeke called her 'hun'. Then, hearing the rest of his sentence, she shook with rage. She clenched her teeth so tight that it was at the verge of breaking, and tried hard to restrain herself, but no longer could.

She stormed over at him as he went to the stables and chariots and, without hesitation, punched him right in the face...hard. She didn't mind at all if she crushed his nose or what. He got what he deserved.

She grumbled and walked over to her friends, not making eye contact with them. Then, she heard Seth speak. She looked up and tried not to smile. He certainly thought precisely about everything, and she really admired him for that, yet his choice of friends was something she couldn't fully understand.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, and looked at the chariots. They didn't look very safe, and she was quite fond of horses anyway, so she silently walked over to the stables and petted a horse. If they were going to steal, she was having this white one. She jumped on it and felt comfortable. She then let it out of the stables and glanced at Jaeke, knowing he'd be very, very, very mad at her indeed.

Jaeke instantly covered his nose, as blood gushed out. First a smack, then his eye, then another smack, now a punch.. wholy cow these people are abusive!! Jaeke thought to himself, as he stared at Lori. He was stunned - no shocked. He didn't deserve that punch at all. Okay, a smack maybe, but a punch? No. Now they were just being abusive.

And Jaeke couldn't stand that with people. Taking off his shirt to use to block the blood, he picked up the reins for the chariot and yanked hard on them, making the horses start galloping right away. Without looking at anyone, he drove away by himself with the chariot - going fast and steady - so fast that he was already disappearing from sight. Before he disappeared from sight completely, he glanced back. And the look on his face - filled with anger and hatred - but also hurt.

Seth winced as Lori punched Jaeke, man was he getting a beating on this trip. He sighed as his best mate raced off. He isn't normally the type of guy to run away from things, Seth thought with a look of puzzlement on his face. He was sick of these people beating up his best mate. He turned to the others.

"Ok, you lot have gone too far. Yeah Jaeke can be a pain but there's no need to physically abuse the bloke, he's only human, he has his flaws as does everyone! And anyway if we want to survive this we need Jaeke on our side and if we don't have him then there is little hope. Kamilah can't do it all on her own. I'd think about that if I was you." He said to them all, he didn't look angry or annoyed, if anything he looked disappointed in them. He turned and got his horse to start chasing after Jaeke's chariot.

Kamilah screeched in indignation on Jaeke's behalf. How dare she punch him like that, a girl, in her station out to be bowing down to Jaeke, not punching him! Kamilah's hatred for Lori was sealed. She thought for a moment of jumping down and hitting Lori right back, but thought the better of it. She'd deal with her later. Instead, she called her a few choice names, picked up her reigns and dashed after Jaeke.
"Hold on tight if you want to stay alive!" she shouted back at Roslyn. She wasn't joking either, at the speed she was going, if she fell off, she could be seriously injured, if not killed.
Kamilah narrowed her eyes, training them towards the horizon. It didn't take her long to spot him careering recklessly down a slope to her right. She would have to work fast. Bending her knees, she pushed her weight down, and pulled her right reign tight, leaving the left one loose.
"KIA!" she screamed at the horse, who sped up and pulled right. They leapt over the top of a dune and within minutes were just a few feet behind Jaeke.
"KIA!" she shouted again pulling left and drawing up close.
"Told you I was faster!" she called, teasing Jaeke. She was dismayed by the flecks of blood flying behind him, but said nothing. it was so good to feel the wind in her hair, the power of her horse pulling at her arms. She was transported back to their childhood.

Samantha stared at Lori, wide-eyed. That was so unlike Lori, but if she were pushed far enough she would probably do it too. She growled under her breath as she heard Kamilah speak, then stared, momentarily shocked as Jaeke took off in one of the chariots. Vaulting onto a nearby horse, she called to the others. "Come on, we've got to go or we'll lose them." As Seth mounted his horse, she added. "Oh and Seth we'll stop physically abusing Jaeke once he stops verbally abusing us. Sound like a fair trade off?" she asked, as she nudged her horse into a run. She only hoped that the others would ride a bit faster so that she could keep them in sight. She wasn't an advanced rider, so she didn't want to attempt something she wasn't ready to and that included ordering the horse to run at high speeds.

Roslyn squealed as the chariot moved. Thanks to great balance she managed to stay on. She saw Lori hit Jaeke, and true he had called her ugly, but the punch was uncalled for. Focusing on trying to stay alive, Roslyn laughed when she heard Kamilah tease Jaeke. It was a completely different side to the girl, that Roslyn hadn't seen.

Jaeke let go of his shirt, as his nose stopped bleeding. It felt tingly and a bit of pain, but very numb. Like his nose was broken. He turned his head as he heard a girl's voice, then narrowed his eyes. He was still angry as ****, but racing Kamilah brought the childhood memories, and he had to give a small smile.

He whipped the reins on the horses, the muscles in his bronze arms and shoulders flexing hard, as he leaned low, squinting, as he eyed Kamilah's chariot.

He whipped the reins again - he wasn't the one to yell - as he steered dangerously close to Kamilah's chariot. Before the two chariot wheels could grind together, Jaeke pulled away. He glanced at Kamilah without moving his head, as he pulled alongside of her. "You sure about that, Kami?" He said, but didn't yell. It hurt to talk.

As Jaeke looked ahead, he suddenly dropped his mouth open. Since they were riding through open road - with sand piling up on the sides - it suddenly narrowed, making it only possible for one person with a chariot to pass. And that person was Kamilah and Roslyn.

Jaeke opened his eyes wide, as he blinked, wondering what he should do, when a flashback came to him. It was Kamilah and him.

They were arguing - Kamilah and Jaeke. Jaeke had his own personal chariot, and Kamilah's was at her estate. Jaeke was bragging on how he could drive the chariot better than Kamilah - and she argued back saying she was the best. She dared Jaeke to steer the chariot across this very road - when another person was coming. Jaeke agreed, and they waited.

When another person came, Jaeke went full-force at them - playing chicken. But.. the other person didn't turn away, so Jaeke ended up colliding with them. Then it all went blank.

Jaeke focused back, as he let go one of the reins and hesitantly touch his waist - where a long thin line of scar ran up to his chest. He grabbed the reins again, then stared straight ahead. They were still side by side, and if they went any closer, they would both collide. It was either them, or him, and they weren't too far from Cairo. Jaeke suddenly pulled on the reins - yanking hard. The horses broke off from the chariot, and Jaeke's chariot went spinning into the sand.

He ducked low, as a splintering sound filled the air. It was silent, as sand flew everywhere.

Ooc: I hope you don't mind, LadyV!

ooc: do I ever? long post...

Kamilah shrieked with delight as she saw Jaeke pull back behind her.
"Yeah I'm sure! Eat dust!" she laughed hysterically as she sped up on the narrowing road. She waited for his come back, but it didn't come. The only thing she could hear now was the thrundling of her chariot. One chariot.
She snapped her head round, just in time to see Jaeke flying across the sand, his chariot up ended. Gasping, she pulled her horse around sharply, nearly knocking both her and Roslyn from the chariot, and sped back to him. She didn't wait for the chariot to stop before leaping from it and running towards him.
"Jaeke!" she called, "Jaeke, are you ok?" She suddenly had a flashback to years before, where on this very road, Jaeke had nearly lost his life. It had been because of her then too, she couldn't let that happen again.
"Talk to me!" she screamed as she threw herself on the ground beside him.

This happened before.. Jaeke thought, as he heard a distant voice screaming in his ear. I felt this before. Except.. it's different. I don't feel the unbearing pain like before. Jaeke groaned as he switched from lying on his stomach, to his back. He was crouched low, his hands protecting his face, and miraculousing, he could feel both his arms and legs. His head was just throbbing. He blinked, as the voices came closer, then stared up at Kamilah. "Stop screaming in my ear, stupid," Jaeke growled, as he sat up and held his head, touching his nose gingerly, but pulling away fast. He wiped the sand off his body, inspecting his scar on his waist, stomach and chest, then, satisfied, he turned to Kamilah again and added, "I hear you just fine."

Kamilah reddened. This is what she got for being concerned about him? Fine. If he didn't want her help, he wasn't going to get it.
"Good. Then get up off your *** and move. We've to be in Cairo by sundown." She stood up quickly and walked back towards her chariot, fuming. She was angry at Jaeke, at herself, for allowing herself to drift once again to the past. How could she think it would be like before? It would never be the same, too much had happened. She had to do wehat she did best. Disconnect, be objective. She pulled her horse around and led it on foot back towards the road. She looked up the road, the zig zag tip top of Cairo teasing her in the distance. She sighed. Now she remembered why she hated this road. It was so narrow... It was precarious really. Stop, she chided herself, let go!

Samantha dug her heels into her horse and galloped toward the site as she spotted a chariot go off the road. Pulling the reins, she stopped just as Jaeke sat up. "What happened?" she asked sharply the group, glancing toward Roslyn. "Are you okay?" she said to Jaeke, her eyes quickly examining him, trying to spot if anything was out of place. Nothing, except for the dried blood from his nose.

Jaeke struggled to get up, for his whole body ached. He trailed after Kamilah, then, once he got close enough, he shook his head. "Wait, Kami," he started, staring down the road and sheilding his eyes from the harsh sun. He switched his gaze to inspecting his bronze skin, getting darker from the sun. "I didn't mean it. I.. I was just telling you it wasn't like before.." he trailed off and stop talking; his voice sounded funny.

He went over to his chariot and examined it, then sighed. "It's trash. I can't ride in this one.." he gazed at Kamilah's chariot, then pointed. "I'll ride one of your horses. The chariot.. it'll be slower, but.."

He shook his head, as he walked back over to Kamilah, glancing back at Sam. "I'm fine," he lied, biting his lip. Why wasn't Roslyn talking? He gazed at Kamilah, then shook his head. "You changed. Like me. Why are you so cold now? Before.. we would tell each other everything.."

Kamilah looked registered Sam's arrival and gave a quick nod in her direction. To Jaeke she said, "You can take one of the horses. We probably should go slower, this road is...very dangerous."
She started unhooking one of the horses.
"Circumstances changed Jaeke. OUr families, they dont takl anymore. I mean, This is the first time I've seen you in..." she did a mental check, "three years, it's been three years." she finished almost to herself. Had it really been that long?
"If I'm cold, It's because I have to be. You don't get anywhere in our world by being compassionate. YOu know that. You've changed too you know, you've lost your..." she had been about to say laugh, but stopped herself, "you're different."
Her mind bounced back to something he had said earlier.
"What did you mean it wasn't like before?"

Jaeke looked thoughtful, as he abosrbed her words. "You don't get anywhere in the world with being heartless, either. You're either hated by all, or.. well.. the most wanted person. That's how it turns out, Kami." He stopped, then stared at her. "I've lost my what? You know what you've lost? Your smile."

He looked away, towards Cairo, then shook his head. "It wasn't like before because I didn't get hurt. You remember. My nannny took me to the infirmary. Then.. we.." he trailed off, going red for some reason. Like, bright red. ".. kissed."

Kamilah felt her throat constrict and tears sting her eyes. Why oh why did she have to go on this stupid trip? She knew she would see him again, she knew what it would dredge up...Gah, it was so frustrating! She swallowed hard.
"Yeah..." she answered quietly. "I remember. You had a great big bandage on your head." she looked away.
"You lost your laugh." She whispered barely audibly.

Lori stared after Jaeke, nothing but pure hatred reflected in her sandy-brown eyes. She sighed deeply as the wind ruffled her hair, and she smirked. She heard Seth speak and she said clamly, "Look, Jaeke got what he deserved. You and I both know he's gone too far. I'm human, too, and I have feelings just like he has. I'll apologize to him once he learns to lay off the insults and start treating us nicely. Until then, it'll be war between him and me."

She didn't care if Kamilah, or Seth himself, was angry at her. She didn't give a **** on what they thought of her. She was free to ber her own person, though she did admit that picking a fight was very unlike her. She looked at Sam and Teresa and shrugged. "I know that was so unlike me," she said as she steered her horse closer to the two. "But you guys know that Jaeke went too far. No one insults Lori Angel!" she added angrily. She was not ugly, as far as she knew.

She watched Sam as she galloped away and noticed she was going Jaeke's way. She decided not to follow, then looked at Tes. "You can go ahead and follow if you like. I'll just be...er...staying alone here," she said to her friend.

Jaeke shook his head. "And the scar," he said, pointing to the thin scar. He looked down again, then shook his head again. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kamilah. I still have my laugh."

He went over to the chariot, then unhooked a horse from it. He got on, then lightly nudged the horse, so it would start walking. "C'mon," he called to them. "We're not too far from Cairo. And where's Teresa, Seth and.. Lori?"

Samantha turned her horse around as she heard Jaeke speak. She could tell they were having a serious conversation and didn't want to interrupt. "They're a bit further back. Do you want me to ride back and get them, or should we just wait?" she asked, shielding her eyes against the sun.

Roslyn was slightly scared as the two chariots played chicken, but she didn't want to draw attention to it. As soon as she heard Jaeke's chariot crash, she had whirled round and saw him on the floor. She and Kamilah finally made it over to him, but let Kamilah see to him. She knew that they had history, and problems to deal with so she didn't want to get involved. Roslyn heard Sam speak. When did she get here? She thought.

"We were playing chicken and Jaeke's chariot crashed. Kamilah, are you alright?" She replied to Sam before turning to her riding partner.

Seth raced and caught up with the others.

"Hey." He said breathlessly. "Jaeke? Man you are not having a good time on this trip!" He exclaimed jokingly but the worry was obvious in his voice.

Jaeke stared at Seth, with a sullen/grouchy look on his face. "No, I'm not," he said bluntly, then scowled. "Why can't they just accept me for who I am? I mean, yeah, they didn't know I was a thief.. but.. everything I do seems worthless. Can't they see how hard I'm trying to get to Cairo?" Jaeke stopped, looking away. "Everything I do, seems wrong to them. They just hate me, don't they, Seth?"

Seth jumped off his horse and walked over to his friend.

"They just don't know the Jaeke that I do. You let me in mate, I've seen the real you. These guys have only seen the Pharoah Jaeke. And you haven't exactly made the bes impression on them. Come on mate, why don't you take my horse and go on to Cairo. I'll go in the chariot or double with one of the others." He said.

ooc: sorry guys, I had a sleep-over

Teresa shook her head. 'Why do people are constantly telling me to go away? Jesus! You're coming with me Lori. Wheter you want it or not! If we don't go, we'll end up dieing here and I personally rather die in my home country' She told her.

She grabbed a brown and black horse. Oh Godness... Guess I'll finally learn how to be in one of them She thought. She had never ridden a horse in her life, she had always been scared of doing that even though she loved horses. But the circumstances told her she had to do it even if she didn't want to. She got on it and looked at Lori. 'C'mon! Let's go' She said with a little smile.

Ooc: Omg. Rese. Talk to me on MSN. I have to tell you something.

Jaeke shook his head. "The chariots broken. I took a horse from Kami's chariot." He stopped, then gazed at the towers in the distance. "I only let you in because you stood up to me. You told me my place, and made me afraid of you. If those girls ever want me to trust them, or let them in on stuff, they'll have to do exactly what you did." He suddenly smirked down at Seth. "Eh, mate. You still make me afraid of you."

Lori gave a faint laugh at what Teresa said. She felt lucky to have friends to comfor her that way. Though she had reluctant thoughts on seeing Jaeke again, she followed Teresa nonetheless. At least she and Sam were there. "Yeah, c'mon lets go."

She rode forth and finally got to where Jaeke and the others were. She immediately stopped her horse and kept a good distance from Jaeke, knowing he'd still be mad at her. She didn't care, but deep inside, she wished he'd just change so she could apoologize to him for what he did. Seth liked him, so why couldn't they know the real him? She had to somehow find a way to know him, [I]and[i/] miraculously, actually accept and like him.

She glanced at him and noticed he was hurt, but she simply looked away and bit her lip. She didn't want to seem like she'd want to reconciliate with him at the moment.

ooc: Yay sleepovers! Hokay, now Jaeke's just being dramatic...looking in the distance and all that jazz.