The Way Of The Water, The Way Of The Sand: The Story of the Sab'yn

[Parallel Pain]

Prologue: Tamane


The Sun sets as the last of the travellers enter the city of Tamane. The Desert Wolf has returned home. His home was Tamane, in Arabia. He had no father, no mother, no siblings, and no child. When he could barely walk, he left Tamane. When he left, he had nothing with him. But he survived. He survived without a name. He survived without a goal. He survived by watching and learning from everything around him. When he gave advice to generals seldom would they taste defeat. No one knew his name, not even himself. No one stayed close to him, for he was dark, his face always angry. But his band of mercenaries followed him everywhere. They gave him the nickname “The Desert Wolf.” Tamane had never helped him, had abandoned him when he was a child. Now, when Tamane needed him, the Desert Wolf returned without question. When he left, he had nothing with him. Now he returns with his weapon and his armour. He returned with a band of loyal followers.
The Sab’yn tribe of neighbouring Maryab had started war preparations. For years the Sab’yn had been buying their time, building up strength to rebuild their once mighty empire. Now they thought the time was right, and their eyes were set on Tamane. So the Desert Wolf returned to defend his homeland.
The Desert Wolf marched in front of his troops, and marches through the iron gates of the settlement. The garrison welcomed him. The citizens cheered him on. Karab, the ruler of the city, watched with a stern face from his little wooden stage in front of the gate. The Desert Wolf walked up to the foot of the stage and bowed deeply. "Lord Karab. I have come to offer you my services. I have come to defend my birthplace, my homeland."
Karab stood up and smiled. He walked down the steps with open arms. "The legendary Desert Wolf! The pride of our city! We are honoured to have you with us today! With you here, do we even need to fear those Sab'yns?" But he could not fool the Desert Wolf, not the likes of him. The Desert Wolf returned the smile, and bowed deeply. But he knew he was in for something. He knew this Karab would be no good to the city. He knew.
The gates started to close behind them. Just then a young couple rushed through the gates. The guards stopped them. "What are you doing! The gate is closed an hour ago! This is just for the Desert Wolf!" The crowd turned around to look at the young couple. The Desert Wolf looked, and his face hardened.
"Please, sir! My name is Yusif. I was born in Maryab. I grew up in Maryab. I married in Maryab. Now the Sab'yns have taken over! I need a place to stay!" Yusif knelt down on his knees.

The Desert Wolf walked up to the young man. "Yusif." He hissed through his teeth.
Yusif looked up, and his face turned white. "Desert Wolf..." He stuttered, but quickly regained his composure. "Desert Wolf! You got to help me! Tell them I need to stay!"
"Who is this man, Desert Wolf?" Karab walked up to them.
"A friend from Maryab, my lord," the Desert Wolf answered. "He was chief aide for Yazil Il Watar during the last campaign season, when we cleared all rebels within the province. I was still there when he planned out the building of roads around Maryab under the orders of Yazil, so their troops could march faster. Obviously an act in preparation of expansion. I know Yazil very well."



He paused. And before anyone knew what was happening the sword of the Desert Wolf was neck of the young women beside Yusif. Everyone froze. The blood rushed out of the young woman's red cheeks. Yusif watched her, not letting out a word. The entire gathering was silent, and the Desert Wolf's voice could be heard loud and clear. "Speak! Why would a chief aide like you need to flee the city! Speak or she dies!"
"Wait! Wait!" Yusif shouted. He turned his body so he was kneeling to the Desert Wolf. He crawled up to the Desert Wolf, and pulled at his leg. "I'll speak, I'll speak. My wife has nothing to do with it. Please."
"Then speak!" Some of the citizens watched the man with pity. Others had clear caution on their faces. The soldiers all had their hands on their weapons. Karab was speechless.
"There was a coup," Yusif stuttered out. "Halik had overthrown Yazil and taken over the city. Everyone who were loyal to Yazil were hunted down! Me and my wife barely escaped with our lives! We didn't even have time to gather our belongings! Please, Desert Wolf, trust us!"
"Come now, Desert Wolf," Karab started. Everyone turned to the lord of the city. "The man's in tears. There's no way he's lying. Let him stay."
The Desert Wolf looked at the lord, then at Yusif. He grinned, and sheathed his sword. "As you wish, my lord," he paused, then continued. "May I suggest we use him."
"Use him?"
"Perhaps as an advisor. This man knows the Sab'yn army well. He'll be of great use." He turned to Yusif. "How about it, Yusif? It will be a good pay."
Yusif looked at Karab. "Why not." Karab smiled. Let him come report to me first thing in the morning."
"Sir! Thank you sir! Thank you oh great lord." Yusif, still kneeling, bent down deep, his head touching the dirt, showing his thank. The young woman followed.
Karab started walking back to his villa, the civilians bowing as their lord passed. After a few steps, he turned around. "Desert Wolf," he said. "I would be delighted if you could join me for dinner tonight."
"Of course." The Desert Wolf bowed. "It would be a pleasure."
The Desert Wolf followed behind Karab's bodyguards. As he passed one of his men, he eyed the mercenary and jurked his head, slightly but sharply. The man nodded and slipped off into the crowd.

At the villa, Karab comfortablly sat down with his wife and concubines, enjoying his bread and wine. "Sit, Desert Wolf. Have some food."
"Thank you, sir." He took a piece of bread, and had a bite. Then, without warning, he started. "Sir I believe Yusif is a spy."
Karab, annoyed, snapped back an answer. "Ah come on. I told you, the man was crying."
The Desert Wolf shook his head. "He did not panic soon enough. He had took a pause to think. If the woman was really his wife, he would have moved before I even spoke. Yusif is a skilled man. He thinks fast."
"Don't be stupid. Here." Karab signaled for a maid to give the mercenary general mug of wine.
The general refused and continued. "I am here to protect the city, my lord. As you know the enemy is less than a week away. I need to take every precaution..."
"My lord," a guard came in. "A man wishes to see the Desert Wolf. He says he's ordered to report in."
Before Karab had a chance to ask or answer, the Desert Wolf was out the room. He returned moments later. "Yusif was seen throwing a large rock outside the settlement. No doubts now, he's a spy."
Karab was now angry. "Well what do you propose? You also agreed to let him stay!"
"I did. I say we use him," though sensing his lord's temper, the Desert Wolf proceeded calmly. "By forced night march, the Sab'yn could arrive at the city in a three days. If we fool Yusif into thinking I will be leaving with my men in three days, and won't be returning for a few days, he would send the word out, and the Sab'yn captain would rush his men here. And when he arrives, I'll be waiting inside these walls with your garrison, and we shall crush them."
Karab shook his head. "Enough of this. We'll talk tomorrow." Karab raised his voice. "Sit, have some wine."
"I am sorry sir. I always dine with my men. And we have a lot of preparations to do if we will be facing the troops of Sab'yn, trained under my supervision, in one week." The Desert Wolf bowed deeply at a shaking Karab. "Now if you'll excuse me."
"Go! Go!"
The Desert Wolf nodded and moved walked out the villa. Five of his men immediately came up to him. One of the whispered to him. "Sir, do you think it is a good idea to talk to the lord like ths?"
The Desert Wolf turned and looked at him. "You know what is the kind of person I can't stand, so leave this. We have work to do."
Inside the villa, Karab was swiping the food off his table, throwing the mugs, and beating his servents. "This mercenary general in my settlement, in my villa, shows me no respect and moves as he wishes!"


The message reached the Sab'yn camp in no time.

Captain Yasir had just dismissed a soldier coming to report on the construction of battering rams. He read the papyrus tied on the rock, and immediately sent out a dispatch back towards Maryab. They were the same message: "The Desert Wolf is in Tamane."
The message soon reached Maryab. The first man to read it was none other than the young prince Halik. He sent the messenger to his father Yazil, and immediately set out for Tamane with his bodyguard. Old Yazil could only shake his head at the rashness of his son, but he did not stop the young man. He knew they could still win, he knew why, and he knew his son knew why, and why his son actually rushed towards Tamane.

Two days later, a message was delivered into Captain Yasir's hands from Yusif.

It was the message he wanted.
Meanwhile, inside the settlement, Yusif approached a side of the wooden pallisades. It was late at night, and the streets were quite. He took out a large rock and a long rope and started working on a few knots.
"Going somewhere? Yusif?" Yusif snapped around. The Desert Wolf and ten of his mercenaries were there. "Or maybe, tying a message to be thrown outside?" The mercenaries were on top of Yusif, pinning him to the ground, before he could do a thing.
"You planned this?" Yusif stared at him wide-eyed.
"Quick as always." The Desert Wolf chuckled. "Yes I planned it. The talk about going out for a day to get supplies two days ago, going out this evening as planned, then sneaking back at night. They are all my plans. Now your troops would attack facing the might of my mercenaries and the garrison combined."
"Well what are you waiting for! Kill me!"
The Desert Wolf's face turned stern. "No. You of all should know I don't like to kill needlessly. After my victory, I still need you to return to Sab'yn and tell them not to think any more about taking Tamane while I am still alive. I still want to serve your masters. But tell them not to think of taking Tamane, or I would have no choice but to oppose them till I die." He turned to the soldiers. "Lock him up. No one touches him." They bowed, and dragged away struggling Yusif.


At dawn, the Sab'yn army prepared the army. Captain Yasir was still inspecting the troops when a company of soldiers arrived. It was young Halik and his bodyguards.

"Sir! Why are you here?" an amazed Yasir asked.
"I need to fight, captain." An out-of-breath Halik answered. "I need the Desert Wolf. The Sab'yn needs the Desert Wolf."
"No worries, my prince." the captain replied. Yusif has sent word that the Wolf would not be in the settlement today. He and his men had left last night. We could take the settlement, and then talk to him."
Halik stared at him. The prince, though rash and young, also had a quick mind. "It would be nice if it was so. It would be nice." He sighed. "Let's move out."
The troops moved forward. Just in case Yusif could not open the gate, the troops brought along two battering rams. When they reached the gates, they were prepared for the sight of shut doors.

But not the sight of the Desert Wolf's band of mercenaries. The Desert Wolf's men were organized to recieve their assault inside the walls, but ready to march out and fall on their rear should they try to turn around and lift the siege. All were shocked. The only person in the Sab'yn ranks not to be discouraged by the surprise was Prince Halik.

The battle commenced.


Karak and the garrison stayed in the town square. The Desert Wolf and his mercenaries were in front of the pallisade. With no choice but to fight with tired troops against superior numbers, Halik quickly ordered slingers and archers to clear the gateway. The Desert Wolf, saving his own ammunition for later, withdrew to the town square, leaving the walls to the Sab'yn.
Without a garrison, the walls quickly fell. The Sab'yn troops rushed into the settlement. It was at this momment the Desert Wolf gave the orders to fire. His archers let loose the arrows. The garrison slingers, without orders from Karab, sent forward their stones. Karab looked on with annoyance.
Halik and Prince Yasir ordered the men forward, for that was all they could do. But they were tired from night march, while their enemies were well rested. The Desert Wolf's crack troops pushed them back time after time. Soon the street were filled with the bodies of Sab'yn troops.



Sensing trouble, Prince Halik withdrew his troops. Many were ordered to take cover behind buildings. Halik and Yasir frantically tried to reform their troops.



Seizing the moment, the Desert Wolf ordered the charge. His veteran spearmen and archers rushed forward, clashing into the tired, confused Sab'yn. The Sab'yn line started to break.




Seeing their lines falter, Prince Halik rushed into the fight with his bodyguard. Captain Yasir also commited his cavalry. The Desert Wolf laughed at this attempt, for they would not be enough to hold back the attack. But he soon realized the garrison were not committed. He had not with him the force that could break the Sab'yn. Together, the defenders of Tamane outnumbered the Sab'yn attackers, but individually they were less numerous.
The Desert Wolf looked back in horror at the town square. The men of the garrison could be seen irritated, wanting to rush forward into the fight.


But there was one man holding them all back.



Prince Halik realized what was happening, and rallied the Sab'yns.



The Desert Wolf, horrified, rushed back towards the townsquare, calling for the garrison to charge. He pleaded with Karab.



But Karab sneered back. "You think I don't know what you are planning? You plan to win, take all the credits, then remove me from this town and take it over yourself!" The Desert Wolf tried to reason with the lord of the town. He begged, kneeled down, even swore allegiance, but to no avail.

Back at the other end of town, the mercenaries put up a hard fight. They took down half the Sab'yn army. But being vastly outnumbered and surrounded, they finally gave way and were destroyed.






Betrayed, with his men dead, the Desert Wolf charged the Sab'yn ranks. He killed many, but soon were hit hard by the shaft of a spear, falling unconcious to the ground.



Without the mercenaries, without the Desert Wolf's leadership. The settlement quickly fell, with minimum casualties to the Sab'yn army.



The Desert Wolf woke up ours later. He was lying on sheep skin in a dark tent. On top of him was another piece of sheep skin, there to keep him warm. He could hear the celebration of the Sab'yn troops outside. "Finally, you're awake." He heard a familiar voice. He sat up, it was Yusif. Behind him was Prince Halik.
"Desert Wolf." Prince Halik began. "You and I both know I should have lost this battle. You and I both know it was Karab that lost the city, not you."
"What do you want?" the injured wolf hissed.
"The Sab'yn needs you. Please. We need you to lead our troops to greatness. You had fooled us all yesterday. To build a mighty nation, we need you!"
The Desert Wolf shook his head. "I told Yusif and I will tell you. You attacked my birth place. Now I have to fight you until I die." He got out of the sheep skin, and stood up. "Now kill me."
The Prince shook his head. "No, I will not." He sighed. "Leave. We will meet again. I hope I can convince you the next time."
The Desert Wolf was surprised. But he nodded, and without a word of thanks he left. His destination was Carna, the city of Il Sharih. A compotent, but over arrogent ruler. He arrived at the city just in time to see Il Sharih send off the Sab'yn diplomat with threats.



He had not wished to serve Il Sharih, but Carna was the starting point of his mercenary career. Here, he is well known. Here, he has some power. And here, he will oppose to Sab'yns one more time. From here, he will plan the retaking of his birthplace, Tamane.

[General Appo]

Wow, nice twist, portraying your faction from the eyes of the enemy. And a Eleutheroi enemy as well. Great start PP.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
It had to be good after Spear & Shield, and it looks it is!
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[Parallel Pain]

I actually wanted to try practicing novel writing. But I started at 3:30~4, then 7:30 and when it got to 8:30 I realized that it's going to be take way too much time. So I stopped the novel-details and just listed the main parts. It's not as good (imagine reading all the action details) but oh well. Got to sacrifice something. You don't want to see a 3 year long AAR after all.

[Obelics]

very nice! if i well understood, desert wolf is a sort of strong indipendent charachter who you will try to take at your side... if so it remember me a bit of Lawrence D'Arabia...

[Chaotix]

Great AAR, keep it up! I definitely like the twist- you're writing it from the point of view of your enemies!

[Basileus Seleukeia]

Astonishing work, this chapter! I can hardly await the next one, it will be a pleasure to read, I am sure!

[johnhughthom]

Very, very nice. Looking forward to the next chapter.

[Parallel Pain]

Chapter 1: The Sieges of Carna

The Desert Wolf was covered in sand. Zari' Shams Asri', the Sab'yn diplomat, saw him stumble towards the city gates and rushed up to him. The Desert Wolf had walked for days without rest, and now he almost collapsed in the diplomat's arms.
"Desert Wolf! Good friend!" Zari' stared at him wide-eyed and worried. "What made you into such a mess?"
The Desert Wolf recovered himself and look at Zari'. Zari' retracted his arms and stepped back from the devil's stare. "You know what made me into this mess. A messenger coming here had passed me by on the road. I know the news reached here. And I saw you getting kicked out. Now you better leave, and I better enter." He stumbled past a frozen Zari towards the city gates.
Zari' turned around. "Join us, Desert Wolf." The Desert Wolf stopped. A few of the guards had sawed him and called out his name. People had gathered to see the once great mercenary general coming back to the city. Il Sharih also approached. All could hear their discourse. "This land has been divided long enough. We're trying to make it peaceful and strong once more. We need your strength! Join us!"
The Desert Wolf turned around, and stumbled in front of Zari'. He sneered, swung back his head and spit in Zari's face. The crowd cheered. Zari' calmly wiped his face. He looked at the Desert Wolf's pitiful composure, shook his head and walked off. The Desert Wolf turned back towards the city. He took a step, and another, and finally collapsed. The soldiers quickly rushed up to him. Il Sharih looked on from the crowd with a grin on his face.

The Desert Wolf found himself on a comfortable bed. A few maids were tending to him. Il Sharih came into the room. "Well, I'm glad you're awake." He walked in and stood over the bed. The Desert Wolf sat up. "I head about Tamane. I assure you I well crush them when they come, and then I will help you retake Tamane."
"Thank you, great lord."
"Come. I need you to join me for dinner, I need to tell you the plan for defending the city." Il Sharih turned around and started out the room.
The Desert Wolf flinched. There will be no discussion. He will be told what to do. This is why he had left Carna. He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. "How long have I been asleep, sir? And how many days away are the Sab'yn?"
"You've been asleep for an two day. The Sab'yn army have moved back to Maryab, and just started out. We have a week left."
The Desert Wolf stood up and followed the lord to dinner. He listened to the plan, a simple plan. Just hold the gates and defend the walls. There wasn't much else to do. Then, a well dressed man entered the room. Il Sharih moved to welcome him. The Desert Wolf was examining the documents and a map of the city. He looked up and froze. Under the rich cloths and jewels of a merchant was none other than Yusif.
"Why, welcome again, Yusif Um Namran. What new wares have you brought me?" Il Sharih received his guess with wide open arms.
"The wood you have ordered to reinforce the palisades have arrived, great lord." Yusif bowed. "The best quality wood for the best city." He turned to the Desert Wolf and bowed again. He said with a bright smile, "Ah! You must be the great Desert Wolf. Your stories are spread far and wide. Even my clients on the coast of the Gulf of Persia have heard of you." He walked in front of the Desert Wolf and took out a chest. "We merchants must thank you for clearing out so many rebels, making our business safer. Here is a small token of our gratitude."
The Desert Wolf swiped the chest out of Yusif's hand, grabbed his clothing and pinned him against the villa wall. The over the shocked lord and servents, the clinking of jewels could be heard on the floor. The Desert Wolf Roared. "You? Again? I've let you live last time. Don't expect I'll let you live every single time."
"S-sir...I don't know what you are t-talking about." Yusif stuttered with a frightened face. "I- I've n-never met you, s-sir."
"You little." The Desert Wolf threw Yusif to the floor and reached for the sword of a palace guard.
"Stop! Desert Wolf! You are in MY villa!" The Desert Wolf stopped and turned around. "Explain yourself." Il Sharih ordered.
"This man was the spy at Tamane," the Desert Wolf answered. "I caught him, and I let him live. Now he's here to help the Sab'yn."
Il Sharih laughed. "Don't be silly. This man has been of great help. He reported to me the movement of the Sab'yn and told me of their numbers and their conditions. My scouts have confirmed all of them. He has brought in great wares for the soldiers. He has pointed out points on the wall that needs fixing and the best way to fix them. He has come up with a plan to quickly reinforce the gates. Why would a spy do all that for his enemy?"
"To earn his trust, sir." The Desert Wolf stared at the lord.
"Are you questioning my abilities?" Il Sharih boomed.
The Desert Wolf backed down. "No, sir. But I am sure this is the man."
"Go off and rest, Desert Wolf. You are tired."
"I have seen him. He worked as the Yazil as chief aide."
"I will hear no more of it! Do not test my patience. He has brought me arms, supplies, and information. What have you brought me? Nothing but a scene in front of the people. How do I know you were not acting? How do I know YOU are not a spy?"
"My lord..." the Desert Wolf looked at him, shocked.
"Go off and rest."
The Desert Wolf bowed and backed off. Yusif, lying on the floor where the Desert Wolf had thrown him, smiled. The next morning, the Desert Wolf watched Yusif sent a young merchant out the city. The young merchant reached the camp of Captain Hutar, the temporary leader of the Sab'yn force while Yazil is busy with construction planning.



Hutar smiled, and sent the message off to Maryab. Yazil smiled at the news. He quickly finished up his work, and marched off with his bodyguard to lead the army in the up coming battle.

At dawn five days later, the alarm sounded. The Sab'yn army had arrived, ready to engage. The troops scrambled to get into position.



The Desert Wolf had been tailing Yusif. But Yusif had skillfully not allowed any concrete evidence to be left, or any obviously devious actions to be seen. He had acted like a high class merchent, telling his underlings what to do. It was these underlings that did his job. And now when the battle is about to commence, the troops found the gates of the settlement, which should have been closed for the night, wide open.
The Desert Wolf rushed to the gate with many men. "Hurry! Close the gate!" They did. They turned the levers. They pushed. But the gates wouldn't budge. It was, somehow, stuck. The Desert Wolf rushed back into the street to look for Yusif, but Yusif had long disappeared into the crowd of panicing people.



But all was not well for the Sab'yn. They had barely rested from the fight at Tamane, and most units had not been retrained, and so were under strength. The worst thing is that Yazil had been delayed by a sandstorm, and Hutar had never fought. He was a young aristocrat. This was supposed to be his first battle where he learned from the king. Hutar knew the gate was important, and ordered his troops to rush the gate. The slingers, being the lightest of the troops, reached the settlement first. They were easily pushed back out the gate by the few handful of disorganized troops that arrived.



At this time, Yazil arrived to take over command.



He ordered the archers to drive back the disorganized defenders. Then, charging at the head of the army, he lead the attack on the gate. The disorganized defenders of the gate, though much more numerous now than before, were pushed back with heavy casualties.



Il Sharih, though arrogant, was competent. He was not Karab. He sent forward a group of light troops to buy him time to reorganize the garrison.



The light troops fought well, but were in the end broken.
But they had served their purposes. Hutar's blunder, together with the light troops, had bought the defenders enough time. With both Il Sharih and the Desert Wolf running around shouting orders, the garrison had reorganized.



"My lord..." the Desert Wolf started.
"It's not Yusif!" interrupted Il Sharih. "It must have been someone else!"
"My lord, put that aside. We'll find him later. Give me the troops. I'll drive them out the city."
Il Sharih squinted his eyes at the mercenary general. "No. I know what to do. Send in the second company of light troops. The archers shall support them."
The Desert Wolf nodded. The order was good.
The archers pelted the Sab'yn army, suppressing the Sab'yn archers who were again low on ammunition. The light troops used the narrow streets to wear down the attackers. Though the light troops took heavy casualties, the Sab'yn army was soon worn out, their ranks disorganized.
Il Sharih ordered the heavy troop forward. The Desert Wolf lead the charge. Soon the outnumbered Sab'yn were pushed back, and taking heavy casualties. The Sab'yn had counted on surprise to take the settlement, and they had lost it. One last good impact would break them. The Desert Wolf heard the sound of whining horses behind him. He turned around, expecting to see Il Sharih's bodyguard noble cavalry lining up for a charge. He needed to order the men to make room for the cavalry.
Instead, he saw the cavalry heading back towards the villa. He could not believe his eyes. He rushed back to the townsquare to find Il Sharih.
"What are you doing!" the Desert Wolf bursted into Il Sharih's villa. The guards and servents that tried to stop him were all knocked aside. He yelled at Il Sharih lying comfortably on the sheep-skin bed. "Send in the cavalry. We'll crush them!"
Il Sharih took a drink of wine. "Why bother. We've won, you know that."
"We've won, but we have not crushed them! We need to crush them now or they will come back!"
"And have me enter battle myself? Battle is below me. I do not fight unless I need to, and I don't need to now."
"You need to fight right now! Your citizens need you!"
"I already won the battle for them."
"Your Ethiopian mercenaries you hired for this battle will not last you forever, especially if you loose them now. The Sab'yn are the most numerous of the tribes. You need to minimize your casualties."
At the battle, Yazil sensed his troops were breaking. He knew his chance of winning was slipping from his grasp. To save his strength, he sounded the retreat.



The Desert Wolf heard the Sab'yn horn. "Then give me your cavalry. I'll lead them. I'll chase down and break the Sab'yn power forever. I'll give you Yazil's head!"
Il Sharih laughed. "Sorry, my noble cavalry is not for the command of a mercenary general." The Desert Wolf is left without a word. He stormed out the villa.

The casualties on both sides were terrible. Without the punch of the cavalry, the infantry had to fight a battle of attrition. In the end, they had lost more men then the Sab'yn. The stench of the dead filled the streets.



The sun started to set. The Desert Wolf walked through the much diminished ranks. The men, both Arabic and Ethiopian, were exhausted. Many had lost good friends. No one was in the mood for celebration. Some were too tired to notice him walk pass, or too tired to stand up and greet him.
As he walked pass the entrance to a narrow back alley, he took a quick glance inside. He slowed down. "Tell Yazil I am leaving the city."
Yusif walked out into the street, wide-eyed. He followed a few steps behind the Desert Wolf. "You'll join us?" He asked excitedly.
"No. But I will not serve this lord."
Yusif stopped. "Where will you go? If the city falls, then all your base of operation would be under Sab'yn control."
The Desert Wolf stopped. "I will head to Sabata. The old man Waty'ath is a close aquaintence and a wise man. I have no power in Sabata, but he'll use me well. I'll see you again." He started took a step forward, but stopped. Yusif looked at him. "Tell the people of Carna the Desert Wolf had not abandoned them. Tell them I have only abandoned their lord. I will come back to the city for them." He started off again and slipped into the desert night.

Yazil marched back to Maryab with his defeated army. He arrived in a week. His own Ethiopian mercenary, after two fierce battles, had seized to exist as an effective fighting force. So he dismissed them. He was in no mood for any more trouble when Yusif's message arrived, very late for a message from a top spy. Yusif reported had escaped the city, but established a spy ring that he could control from a near-by villiage. His messenger delivered the message of the Desert Wolf. Yazil smiled. He saw hope. Not the hope for a city, though that was there. But he saw hope for a general that could take for him city after city.
A young girl, merely twelve, walked into the room. "Father? Why do you smile at a defeat?" His beautiful daughter Mubsamat asked. She had came to cheer up his father, but found his father happy.
The old man looked at her young daughter. "The Desert Wolf might join us after all." The young girl was caught speechless. She had finally recovered and was about to start when a messenger entered the room.
"Sir! Message from the master Akh Athtar Yazi'. He request you discuss his proposal to marry your daughter."



Akh Athtar, though young, was a rich and powerful man in Maryab. He had inherited his fortune and title. He had many followers. When he had supported Yazil, things went well. When he op. Now he was going to take advantage of Yazil's defeat and gain himself further power. Yazil knew it, but there were few things he could do so fresh from a defeat.
But before he could even answer, young Mubsamat snatched the message and threw it in the fire. The messenger was shocked. The king shocked even more. "Tell that big ugly bully I would rather marry no one than marry him." The young girl did not know politics, but she knew her father had been pushed around by this man before. Plus, she already has feelings for someone else.
Yazil smiled at the messenger. "I'm sorry for the behaviour of my daughter. But inform the master Akh Athtar if my daughter feels so strongly against him, they would not have a happy marriage. A man needs a good wife in the house so he could shine outside. A man with a bad wife would have a bad life. Tell him to reconsider." The messenger was caught speechless. He had been informed on what to say shall Yazil refuses, but not if the girl throws the proposal into the fire. He bowed and exited the villa.
Yazil waited for him to leave, and turned to his young daughter. "You, young girl, are far too rash for you own good. Thanks to you I'll be having a nightmare in my court for the rest of the year. Without Akh Athtar's support, my army could not quickly refit, and my campaign would have to be delayed till next year." The young girl stared at the floor, dejected. Tears were forming up in her eyes. The old man put his hand on the girl's head and stroked her hair gently. The girl looked up. "But thanks to you I've been given enough time to go forward with reorganizing Tamane. And thanks to you, I do not have to send my loving daughter to marry a brute." The young girl burst into a tearful laughter and jumped into her father's arms. Old Yazil laughed. He whispered into his daughters ears. "I'll make sure the Desert Wolf will come and play with you again." Mubsamat's face turned red.

The next year, Yazil returned to Carna with his army. Yusif had again successfully opened the gate. Il Sharih had faced much political problem when word got out that the Desert Wolf had abandoned him. He did not recieve enough support to refit his own army.
Yazil first ordered his archers and slingers to pelt the garrison, the few mercenaries and citizens soldiers still loyal to Il Sharih.



Il Sharih rashly charged many of his remaining men forward. But Yusif had made arrangement with a few of the households, and Yazil was able to set a two side ambush at the gate. Though the total garrison is slightly bigger than the attackers, the disheartened troops melted away into the street as soon as the trap was sprung.
Yazil surrounded Il Sharih at the town square and killed him. Carna was his.



Now the tribe of Sab'yn controlled Maryab, Tamane, and Carna. They are by far the most powerful tribe in the region. Their rise to power would be challenged, but not stopped by the other tribes of Arabia.



In the mean time, the Desert Wolf had not headed straight for Sabata. He spent the time gathering new followers and hunting around for information. Now he is finally heading off for Sabata when news arrives. The old Waty'ath is dead. His son Luthy'ath is now lord of the city. The Desert Wolf did not know this Luthy'ath well, but the rumors about him have not been kind.
The Desert Wolf camped in the hills a couple days away from Tamane. As he sat in his tent wondering what his move should be a rare guest arrived. It was none other than Zari' the Sab'yn diplomat. He stumbled inside the tent, helped by two mercenaries. They laid him down on the sheep carpet to rest.
"Well who have we here," the Desert Wolf looked at him and smiled. "Why such a mess, good friend?"
"Desert Wolf!" Zari' started. "The bandits. The rebel bandits."
The Desert Wolf jumped to his feet. Rebel Bandits? So near Tamane? "Who leads them? Where, how many?"
"I don't know how many. They're lead by a man named Magabazou. He had stopped my company on our way back from Sabata. I barely escaped and ran here. The others are captured. When I ran, they were just discussing about raiding a small village not far from here!"



The Desert Wolf rushed out the tent and sounded for his men to gather.

[General Appo]

Another great chapter. I just hope the Desert Wolf will finally join the Sab'yn, he can´t run forever.

[Basileus Seleukeia]

Wow, gameplay-wise there's so few going on, but story-wise, it's like reading a chapter of a novel! One must have good writing skills to achieve this and you surely have such!

[Reverend Joe]

Reminds me of an old movie... very far out.



The one unfortunate side effect being that, for reasons I cannot fathom, the Desert Wolf sounds like Charlton Heston in my head.

[Parallel Pain]

Chapter 2:
In, To, From, and Through the Hills of Qataban

The city of Carna, under Il Sharih's competent rule, was peaceful and prosperous. Though arrogant, Il Sharih was able to clear much of the bandits and provide the people with a save place to be. It was there that so many years ago the Desert Wolf, barely seven, had joined the militia to clear out the rebels. Carna was the Desert Wolf's real home.
The city of Maryab had gone through a dark age. Ever since the diminishing power of the old Sab'yn kingdom, and the break up of Arabia into different tribes, Maryab had been filled with crime. All that changed when Yazil took over. For years and years, he had worked day and night to restore the city to its former self. After he had done that, he looked to the rebel problem in his province. For that problem he hired the best mercenary leader around. This man was terribly young, yet at fourteen years of age, he had risen fast through the mercenary ranks throughout his seven years as a soldier. His strategy could not be sounder, his tactics brilliant, and his character had astonished everyone as not that of a young teenager but that of an experienced adult. He was the Desert Wolf. Thanks to Yazil, his son Halik, and the Desert Wolf, in a single campaign season the province was cleared of bandits.
But Tamane was different. Surrounding the Desert Wolf's birth place of Tamane are the hills of Qataban. Karab, busying enjoying wine, women, and jewels, had not bothered to keep the bandits in check. Many times the Desert Wolf had paid his mercenaries out of his own pocket so he could launch a campaign into the Qataban hills, as Karab could not be convinced to cover even one tenth of the cost. But the Desert Wolf's treasury was limited, and without help of Karab, he could only bring enough men to drive the bandits deeper into the hills. He could not annihilate them without financial backing from Karab. Indeed, some of the bandit leaders even paid Karab handsomely to stay in his city and let the bandits be.
The most powerful of these bandits was the gang of Magabazou. An ambitious man, Magabazou had eyed the city of Karab for a long time. A skilled bandit, Magabazou knew his own gang's limits, and never made this mistake of confronting the Desert Wolf's mercenaries that many of the other large gangs made. Taking advantage of the movement of the Sab'yn troops to Carna, Magabazou combined many of the bandit groups in the hills into a large rebel force. It was this force that Zari's company stumbled upon on his way back from Sabata.
The Desert Wolf quickly sent out scouts to determine the situation. His men were readied to move at a moment's notice. It was nearly dawn the next morning when the scouts returned, and their news was not good. The rebel force was about the size of the Sab'yn army that had assaulted Tamane, and thereby outnumbering the Desert Wolf's mercenaries nearly fourteen to one. They had set out to plunder the villages in the Qataban Hills, travelling west. They were going to attack Tamane. The only Sab'yn troops in Tamane were Halik and his bodyguards.
The Desert Wolf walked back to the campfire. The tents had been taken down and packed to move. Zari' laid there on the sheep skin resting. The Desert Wolf gave a few orders to the two soldiers guarding the diplomat, then walked up to Zari'
"Wake up. Wake up Zari'"
Zari' snapped awake. "What? What is it." He stared at the Desert Wolf. "Where are the rebels?"
"They are heading to plunder the villages. Their ultimate goal is Tamane." Zari' jumped. The Desert Wolf held him down and put his hand on the man's mouth. "I need you to go back to Tamane and warn Halik. Send word to Maryab and Yazil to bring troops over. These men will accompany you."
Zari' looked at the soldiers, and then back at the Desert Wolf. "What about you?"
"I'll see what I can do to slow them down. I will not let them plunder my birthplace without a fight." Zari' looked at the mercenary general speechless. "Go quick. I need to move out as well." Zari' nodded. The Desert Wolf stood up. "I want that sheep skin back the next time we meet." He turned around, ran to his horse and jumped on it. With a whistle he and his men, mounted on horses for speed, rode off into the hills.
Zari' quickly stood up. He rolled up the sheep skin, mounted a horse prepared for him, and rode off for Tamane with the two guards.
The Desert Wolf was not going to foolishly throw away the lives of his men. He looked for opportunity. When Magabazou's men were ready, concentrated, and marching, he tailed them from a safe distance, hiding his own force in the safety of the Qataban Hills. When the rebels spread out to plunder, camped to prepare a meal, or when the night guards were dozing off, the Wolf would strike. He struck from behind the hills like sand storm, like the river flood. One moment he caused havoc amongst the rebel ranks, and before anyone knew what was happening, he was gone, leaving the rebels badly mauled and very scared.
Magabazou had no answer for the problem of this Desert Wolf. His men, though numerous, were bandits. They were not soldiers, could not respond fast enough to such a tactic. Their march was slowed, and they could not frequently plunder for fear of the Desert Wolf. Frustration in the rebel camp rose. Many started questioning Magabazou's leadership. Finally, a group of them, one of the larger gangs, left Magabazou and headed back into the hills. The next day on the march, the rebels found the head of these men lying on the road to Tamane, one every ten meters. The message from the Wolf was clear: Go back to your homes and live an honest life. Attack Tamane and suffer the consequences.
One by one, disheartened bandits deserted Magabazou to returned to honest living. Soon, the ratio of bandits to mercenaries dropped to ten to one. It was under these conditions that the men the Desert Wolf sent to guard Zari' returned to the Hills of Qataban with another men: Yusif Um Namran.



Yusif had been sent by Halik with an additional group of riders to make contact with the Desert Wolf, and inform him troops under the experienced Captain Yada' were rushed from Carna and Maryab. But as soon as they entered the hills, the mercenaries slipped into the sandy dunes. Yusif and his riders searched all around, but could not find the Desert Wolf. Finally he gave up, and moved to the camp of Captain Yada'. Together they marched off to confront Magabazou.



The army of Sab'yn faced off with the rebel force in the Qataban Hills. The rebel force, originally the size of the Sab'yn force, was now outnumbered. They took up position on a hill, hoping to defend themselves. Captain Yada' manoeuvred his own force onto an opposite hill and readied for battle. It was at this instance that a messenger appeared out of the sand dunes. Yada' and Yusif looked at the man, a peasant in rags.
"Who are you? What do you want? Who sent you?" Yada' inquired. Yusif stood there beside him, watching the peasant moving with skill, as if used to moving quickly on horses.
"I'm from the militia force formed by the surrounding villages." The peasant replied. "Our leader Captain Shamdar sent me to inform you he has position himself behind the hill on the rebel's left flank. He will wait for you to strike, and then he shall fall on their rear."



Yada' thought for a second. "Tell your Captain Shamdar that we will welcome their help, but tell him not to commit his forces unless he sees trouble. I do not want to risk the lives of innocent people. The peasant nodded. His job done, the peasant rode off and disappeared back into the sand dunes.
"Peasant militia?" Yada' asked Yusif.
"I don't know. He didn't move like a peasant." Yusif answered. "He seems very used to the horse, more than a peasant should be. And his speech was very organized, as if he had done this many times before."
"Yes, I felt the same way."
Yusif thought a while. "I am afraid this could even be Magabazou's trap. Be careful."
Yada' nodded, and sounded the advance. Yusif stayed behind in the camp with the few camp guards. He was ordered not to go into battle, for his talent was too important.
The Sab'yn advanced. Yada' looked to his right. He could see a few horsemen hiding in the hills, watching the battle.



Careful not to expose his own right flank, Yada' manoeuvred his force onto a high hill to their left. Magabazou turned his army around to be opposite the Sab'yn army. Now the hiding horsemen were behind Magabazou. If they be friend, they could hit the enemy rear. If they be foe, they would not fall on an open Sab'yn flank.
Before Yada' can complete his manoeuvres, Magabazou lost control of his rowdy host. His red sea axmen rushed towards the Sab'yn ranks unsupported. The Sab'yn let loose a shower of arrows and javelins, putting the rebels to flight.



Seizing his chance, Yada' sounded the charge. The infantry rushed down the hill at the rebels yelling their battle cries. The rebel line faltered. In one last attempt, Magabazou with his own band of light cavalry, lead a charge at the Sab'yn ranks. The rebel infantry followed suit. The charge was strong, and Yada's own red sea levies suffered quite some casualties. The fighting was fierce, but the disorganized rebels soon lost ground. Magabazou, fighting ahead of his ranks, was surrounded and killed.
Seeing the rebel line falter, Yada' led his cavalry on a fierce charge at the rebel's right flank. The rebels broke. The Sab'yn gave chase. Yada' saw the fleeing cavalry of Magabazou and lead his own cavalry in pursuit leaving his infantry behind to hunt down the rebel infantry. When he had put some distance between he and his infantry, another band of rebel cavalry appeared. It was a reserve Magabazou had not committed, and now they charged the Yada's cavalry.



Yada' did not expect to face a fresh force of cavalry reserve. The Sab'yn cavalry's horses were winded. The men had used much strength in the battle. The Sab'yn cavalry were starting to loose ground when yet another force of cavalry appeared, this time from the hill behind the rebel cavalry. It was the so called peasant militia. Yada' remembered Yusif's warning and prepared to sound the retreat.



But it was not needed, for at the sound of these horsemen, the rebel cavalry panicked. And soon the last of the rebel unit was put to flight. The rebels fled back into the Qataban Hills. The Sab'yn army let rise the cry of victory.





Yada' watched the fleeing rebels with his cavalry. The peasant militia grouped behind him. "Thank you for your services, Captain Shamdar. You and your militia had been of great help." He turned to look at the militia captain, and was shocked at what he sees as a young man in his late teens. "You are very skilled. I want to recommend you to the lord Halik. The new Sab'yn kingdom needs men like you."
"Thank you for your kindness, Captain." The militia leader replied. "But I must lead my men back to their homes first."
"Of course, of course. When, you are ready, go to the barracks in Tamane, and I'll be there waiting for you."
"Thank you, sir." The peasant captain whistled, and his men rode off into the hills. Yada' watched with surprise at the organization of this rag-tag militia. "Sir, if you don't mind, I'd like you to deliver a few words to Lord Halik for me."
Yada' turned his head back to the militia leader. "Certainly."
"Thank you, sir." The young man bowed. "Please tell Lord Halik, and King Yazil as well, that if they can't even clear a province of bandit gangs, they will have no chance in building a mighty kingdom. Tell them that I will be waiting for them in Sabata." Before Yada' could say anything in response, the young man turned his horse around and rode off into the sand dunes.

That night at camp, Yada' described his encounter to Yusif.
"That's the Desert Wolf!" Yusif exclaimed.
Yada' stared at the spy speechless. "You mean, THE Desert Wolf?" Yada' inquired.
"No doubt about it. He was here helping us all along and we did not even realize it!"
"But you said you were not able to get the message to him."
"I wasn't. He must have kept everything in the area under his eyes." Yusif stood up and walked outside the tent. Yada' followed.
"What does he mean by his message?" Yada' asked.
"If he and his men weren’t around this time, the rebels would have taken Tamane." Yusif stopped and looked up at the night sky. He continued, "He probably want to tell us that if we can't even drive the bandits from the Qataban Hills ourselves, we will have no chance of defeating him at Sabata."
Yada' looked up at the sky, following Yusif's gaze. "He has always helped us out hasn't he? He cleared out the bandits around Maryab for us, and then used his authority to help us weaken Il Sharih's hold on Carna. And now he saved Tamane from the rebels."

Halik and Yazil were both shocked by the message. It was as if a strong wind had blown away the morning mist, and their own incompetence shone blindingly in their eyes. They first sent Yusif to Sabata to look for information and to mislead Luhay’ath, but more importantly to try to open a dialogue with the Desert Wolf.



They then spent the next two years working harder than they had done in many years, finally clearing the Qataban Hills of bandits, turning the province into a prosperous, peaceful province.
Two years later, they lead an army together towards Sabata to face the Desert Wolf. As they passed through the Hills of Qataban, ordinary villagers came out in the hundreds to the side of the road to greet them and thanked them for their works. With a sense of accomplishment, and reminded once again how much they owe their kingdom to the Wolf of the Desert, they marched out from the Qataban Hills toward Sabata.

[General Appo]

Wow, another update already. If Sabata falls the Desert Wolf will have nowhere to run, unless the Ptolies or someone takes him in, butt hat would be a bit over the top wouldn´t it? Anyway, continued great story.

[schlappi]

Really good story. I enjoy it a lot!

[d'Arthez]

Great perspective, great story. Keep it up.

[Parallel Pain]

Glad you guys like it. It means the hours I spent fiddling with paint for the screenshots and the many more hours spent writing the story was well worth it

[Basileus Seleukeia]

Oh yes, it is surely worth it, it is magnificant!

[Reality=Chaos]

Awesome stuff, reads like a novel. Perhaps you could show a little bit more of the native culture and traditions? It's not criticism it's a genuine open suggestion.

[Parallel Pain]

The problem is I don't know any. The only Arabic culture I know is that they are Muslims so they pray to God at set points in the day. But this is obviously pre-Islam, so that takes that out.

[Reality=Chaos]

The problem is I don't know any. The only Arabic culture I know is that they are Muslims so they pray to God at set points in the day. But this is obviously pre-Islam, so that takes that out.

Wikipedia maybe? under pre-islamic culture in the arabian peninsula. EB gives some hints with the buildings. Apparently, there was a priest class and a noble class, and those of lower station. If you don't want to bother yourself with the research I would totally understand. This AAR is full of life already, I just think a pinch of culture would make it even more special (cause special it is, other AAR's read well, but you have a very interesting story line alongside a interesting campaign line, like I said before it really reads like a novel) Oh and one bit of background I do know. The south arabian cities got rich buy harvesting incense and other aromatics. The earlier Saba'yn Kingdom had also dominated the trade with India. Over sea from the peninsula and back, then up the red sea towards the greek colonies there, or with caravans north across the desert.The south of Arabia was also divide between nomadic bedouin and sedentary city dwellers. I do not know much of the cultures in these cities, except that religion was very important. There were many gods, but the largest were those of moon deity's There's more on them in EB. The bedouin would have a very similar culture to the one they have today. Simply look bedouin traditions up on the net and replace Islam with an naturalistic polytheistic belief, you are quite close to what they would have been like. If you want me to stop going about this, just give the word BTW

[Parallel Pain]

No no no by all means continue. It'll help my story (how much I don't know, after all it's about the rise of the faction, which means the focus lights is set on character and events, but I'm sure it'll help).

And I can't find much of use on Wiki, not even enough about bedouin culture.

Meh, according to http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ISLAM/PRE.HTM

Sab'yn have a different culture from bedouin culture, as Sab'yn are a sedimentry farming people in "good" agriculture land to the south while Bedouin Arabs are pastoral nomads.

[Reality=Chaos]

No no no by all means continue. It'll help my story (how much I don't know, after all it's about the rise of the faction, which means the focus lights is set on character and events, but I'm sure it'll help).

And I can't find much of use on Wiki, not even enough about bedouin culture.

Meh, according to http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ISLAM/PRE.HTM

Sab'yn have a different culture from bedouin culture, as Sab'yn are a sedimentry farming people in "good" agriculture land to the south while Bedouin Arabs are pastoral nomads.

Indeed the bedouins were a different culture, but one which was in many ways connected to the cities. You'll see that most light troops are actually from the surrounding tribes. Only the Archers heavy infantry, Noble Cavalry and the saba'yn city militia are completely Saba'yn units. You might be able to incorporate something about the trade center the region was, ships from India. Frankincense Myrhe and other aromatice were produced in the region. The Caravans might give you another useful lever for your story. To get a caravan up and running a city had to negotiate with the Bedouin tribes that lived in the territories which the caravan would cross. Some tribes would fight for the Saba, others might raid the caravans. A Caravan was far from a simple thing to organize but once established very profitable (as represented by the increasingly large bonuses you get from building a large caravan. To be true it is rather difficult to correctly portray the Saba, cause historically we don't know too much about them. What we know is that the culture there was polytheistic. They also had a culture which was similar to current Arabian culture minus Islam. That means that the cities would be rich trading cities, with enough arable land to support them surrounded by many different Bedouin tribes (What p*sses me of is that the Saba have nothing in the way of bedouin cavalry (camel or horse)in the game, which would be rather realistic . Also you might do something with that wicked ass huge dam you have as a special structure in Maryab.

[Parallel Pain]

I'ma painstakingly taking a screenshot of every single building/unit description and province and then cutting them out and keeping the description so I can read them for referance

Hope it'll help, it's takeing quite a long time.

EDIT: Hope I can write tomorrow. And I got Darth Formation Mod 2nd version + First Cohort/Phalanx/Elephant mod. Pray to Almagah that I'll still be able to win...

[Parallel Pain]

Chapter 3: Luhay'ath

In the mean time, the Desert Wolf had his hands full preparing Sabata for the coming siege. New troops had to be levied, and the old troops, slacking in discipline after years of idleness, had to be retrained. But his biggest problem is, by far, the young Luhay'ath
Under Waty'ath the town of Sabata had truly been prosperous, trading out the finest brewed wine and the fattiest, healthiest of livestock to the surrounding cities and provinces. Waty'ath was good at playing with the surrounding diplomacy of the land. He had invited the southern groups of Bedouins, the desert nomads, to participate in the frequent ritual hunts to the rain god Athtar. He offered them good wine and fine meat regularly, as well as precious metals obtained from Maryab. In return these Bedouin tribes not only left Sabata alone, they watched over the caravans to and from the city, making sure bandits, plenty in these turbulent times, could not attack the traders. These tributes to the Bedouins from Sabata had continued for over a hundred year, but never before Waty'ath had the Bedouins been so closely tied to the city that they would protect its people.
If Waty'ath had made one mistake, it was spoiling his son Luhay'ath. Luhay'ath had worn the best clothes, ate the best food, smelled the best incense, and surrounded by the prettiest girls. He had never worked in the governing of the city, and seldom went to court. He has no knowledge of the delicate diplomatic balance his father had skilfully maintained, and the first action of him as ruler of the city is to insult every Bedouin in the city by calling them smelly illiterates. The second is to cut off the tributes to the desert nomads and cross them off on the invitation list to the ritual hunt. The third is to divert the timber the late ruler had set aside to building a defensive wall into building his own palace.
This is the situation the Desert Wolf found himself in. The city was far from the jewel he was when he last came here with his men so many years ago. It was Waty'ath who had hired him to be used as a balance chip of power between them and the Bedouins during a tense situation. But in the end Waty'ath was able to sort out the situation, and even invited him and his mercenaries to the ritual hunt.
Now the Bedouins had given up their defence of the city, and some even turned on Sabata's caravans, significantly reducing the city's supply of wood, arms, and even food. The city has no wall, no Bedouin protection, and a self indulgent ruler who has not gone to his court since the first ten minutes of his reign.
Thankfully, the Desert Wolf was able to convince the lazy young man to entrust him with organizing the defences of the city, as Luhay'ath was too busy with his pretty maids to care. Without a city wall and with no new timber to construct one (Luhay'ath had told him he'll be skinned alive if he tries to take the timber for the palace to build the walls) the Desert Wolf concentrated on equipping and training new troops. The citizens who joined, he supplied with what light weapons and armors he could find. For heavy troops, he relied on his own heavy infantry (their fine horses Luhay'ath took as price for being garrison commander) and the Ethiopian mercenaries he was able to get together through the pulling of some strings.
Luhay'ath had mounted his own noble infantry with the mercenary's horses, but even so the Desert Wolf knew he could not count on these show-cavalry. Even so, he had with him a fine army, well led, well trained, and well disciplined. They were ready to take on the Sab'yn in the field.
It is at this time the Sab'yn army, under both Yazil and Halik, with Zari' accompanying them, had arrived. Yusif had sent them the report that there were no walls in the settlement, but after seeing the dedication of the Desert Wolf in the training of his new army, Yusif added that it would be most unwise to assault the town head on. It is not the Sab'yn had no chance of victory in an assault. Many were trained by the Desert Wolf himself, and those who weren't were trained in the same style. They were well equipped, and most had seen battle. If they attacked, they had a good chance of winning. But fighting in the streets would mean the civilians would be harmed. The longer the fight, the more civilians would be harmed, and facing the Desert Wolf the Sab'yn leaders all agree they'll be facing a terribly long fight. Many civilians would be hurt, and as conquerors that would not hold well for when they try to rule the city, especially when the Sab'yn strength are really spread out.
So the decision was a siege. Meanwhile, without walls and without authority, the Desert Wolf could only watch as Yusif walked in and from the settlement. In he comes with expensive incense for Luhay'ath, and propaganda for the people. Out he goes with information about the city's supplies and morale. The people of the city, both the citizen and the soldiers, are frustrated. The food is running low, and yet Luhay'ath did nothing. There is even a rumour that Luhay'ath plans to cut back the troop's payments to get more incense. Fighting broke out amongst the units, with a few of the Desert Wolf's own men wounded. Men from other units started deserting.



Finally, the Desert Wolf has had enough. He stormed Luhay'ath's villa. The guards couldn't stop his rage, and the servants and maids all hid. He reached the inner courtyard. Luhay'ath was lying on his bed, enjoying the afternoon sunshine, sleeping while a courtier played him music. The Desert Wolf's face turned a deep red. He grabbed the musicians flute, and swung it at a flowerpot. It crashed, breaking apart with a loud clank. Luhay'ath jumped up from the bed. The musician fled the scene.
The Desert Wolf grabbed Luhay'ath's clothes and started dragging him out the villa. "What do you think you're doing?!" Luhay'ath tried to stand up, but could not regain his footing. The Desert Wolf did not speak. He dragged the ruler like a slave through the streets towards the government court. The people watched in amazement. Some started clapping and shouting their approval.
They entered the court. The Desert Wolf forced Luhay'ath onto the throne chair. He walked to the gate, forced the it shut. He turned to Luhay'ath and boomed. "You specifically told the men that you will lead them out to fight the invaders, and anyone who goes out without your orders won't get paid! Now they have been sitting around for ten months, waiting! The food is running out, the men are deserting, and you still pay that spy for incense!"
"H-he's not a spy..." Luhay'ath stuttered.
The Desert Wolf looked at him, his face twisting from the anger. He paced back and forth, and then turned back to Luhay'ath. "All right, let's say I saw the wrong person and he's not a spy. Why exactly did you cut back of money for the men and use them to buy incense?"
"No..."
"I've heard it from Yusif, and I've see it in your clerk's documents myself! Explain!"
"I..."
At this moment, someone knocked on the gates.
The Desert Wolf turned around and walked up to the door. "We're busy!" he yelled out the door.
"I'm sorry, sir," squeaked the voice of a servant. "But the merchant Yusif is here with a Sab'yn diplomat."
The Desert Wolf paused, and then opened the gates. Yusif walked in, accompanied by Zari'. The Desert Wolf watched them walk pass him towards Luhay'ath. Zari' spoke "Yazil Il Watar, the Great King of Sab'yn, the conqueror of Carna, the ruler of the provinces of Saba, Qataban, and Ma'in, comes to give Luhay'ath an offer. Surrender the city and you will be allowed to live."
Luhay'ath stared at Zari', wide-eyed. "Surrender? Why?" A normal ruler would have said those words in a mocking tone. Luhay'ath, on the other hand, asked a question.
Zari' laughed. "After ten months of siege, your food stores are running out. While we have been rationing our food as well, our supplies have just been replenished by the harvests from YOUR fields. Your men are underpaid and they are deserting you. The Bedouins have abandoned you. The people are dissatisfied with you. You can't win this. But your life is of no value to us, Yusif have told us all about your skills. We will let you live and give you a piece of farmland, so you can taste what the people went through for you to sit there comfortably."
Luhay'ath was speechless. It is the Desert Wolf walked up beside Zari' and Yusif and spoke. "I ask you to give us one night to consider it. Come back tomorrow afternoon and we will give you our answer."
"Yes, of course." Zari' bowed to Luhay'ath, and turned to the Desert Wolf. "King Yazil and Prince Halik both want to talk to you, Desert Wolf. I hope we will get good news tomorrow." Zari' and Yusif bowed to the Desert Wolf, and left. The Desert Wolf walked them to the gate, then closed it behind them.
He turned around and faced the lord of the city, still frozen in disbelieve. He sighed. His anger had left with the messengers. He shook his head. "This is why I asked you to meet them in the field as soon as they got here. That was the moment when we had the greatest chance of victory."
Luhay'ath unfroze and turned to his general and advisor, the only one left still willing to serve him. "What should we do?"
The Desert Wolf walked up to the steps at the foot of the throne chair and sat done. He turned to the young governor. "It depends on your decision, my lord. If you decide to surrender, I will quietly sneak out the settlement tonight. If you want to fight, then I will lead the men into battle and try with the best of my ability to give you victory."
Luhay'ath thought for a while, and asked the Desert Wolf. "What do the Bedouins have to do with the defence of this city?"
The Desert Wolf looked at his lord, surprised at the question so out of time. But he answered "Your father, the Lord Waty'ath, had been on great terms with the nearby Bedouin tribes. The relationship between those tribes and the city was so good that the Bedouins protected our caravans and our cities. In return, Lord Waty'ath regularly gave them large amounts of wine, livestock, as well as precious items. It is the Bedouins that kept this small city safe from outsiders during the reign of your father."
Luhay'ath fell silent once more. The Desert Wolf continued. "Such diplomacy are always delicate business. And you because of your careless remark, and bad decision, the Bedouins have turned on the city. It is not surprising if they support the Sab'yns now."
"I never knew ruling a city required so many things." Luhay'ath said to the empty court space. "My father had not taught me these, but let me do what I wanted."
The Desert Wolf stared at Luhay'ath. "Well, what's your decision my lord."
Luhay'ath turned around and looked at the Desert Wolf. The Desert Wolf saw in the young man's eyes the strength that the late Waty'ath was famous for. "We fight. Tell me what I should do."
The Desert Wolf smiled. Luhay'ath's eyes had given him a tiny glimpse of hope. He could see himself supporting Luhay'ath and returning Sabata to its former glory. But first, the Sab'yn army must be dealt with. "I think we should fight tomorrow morning at dawn, before usual breakfast time. We'll fight before they have breakfast. With this we might be able to catch them not as well prepared, to make up for our desertion. And even if they come prepared, time is not on our side, so we should fight as soon as possible."
"What should I do?"
The Desert Wolf thought a while. "Think of some way to raise the spirits of the men. Their morale is quite low. But in a way any spies in town either can't find out or would find out too late." That was all he could think of, for the men did not know their lord, and their lord did not know them. The Desert Wolf stood up. "I'll go and give out the orders."
The order was passed. Everyone was to go to sleep early. Wake up call was three hours before sunrise, breakfast was two hours, and they move at dawn. On that order alone, the spirits of the men rose, for they finally would be fighting.

It was a particularly chilly late-autumn morning, but that was not the reason Halik woke up early. He did not know why he woke up in the darkness, but he could not go back to sleep. There was supposed to be no worries, for the surrender of the city was today, but he could not sleep. He walked around the camp, inspecting the guards.
He left camp and lied down on the grass outside. He put his head on his hands and looked up at the stars. After a few moments, he heard the sound of someone walking through the grass towards him. He turned his head to look. It was Yusif. He returned to his original position.
"My Lord, may I..."
"Sit, sit. You know I don't like being called that." He cut off his childhood friend. Yusif sat down beside Prince Halik and looked at the sleeping city. "Can't sleep?"
"No." Yusif answered. "You yourself, my lord..."
"I said don't call me that." Halik snapped.
"I'm sorry," Yusif laughed. "I'm getting used to using it in public."
"Yes, all the formalities of court."
"It's..."
"Yes, yes it's needed to keep the noble families in place I know."
Yusif chuckled. "I'll try to remember not to use it in private."
There was a calm silence. Yusif waited, as he's always done. "I think to myself once in a while," Halik started, "that a peasant life wouldn't be so bad."
"How so?"
"They don't have to face all those loud-mouth nobles, don't have to play politics, don't have to pretend." Halik stopped and swallowed, then continued. "They don't have to make so many decisions, and the lives of hundreds do not rest on the decisions that they make. All they have to do is farm and look out for their own family."
"That is true." Yusif agreed. "But only because you and King Yazil are in power." Halik turned on his side to looked at his childhood playmate. "My grandmother told me when I was young," Yusif continued, "that during her mother's time there wasn't a farmhouse that were not robbed by someone at least once, not one household that had not lost someone to war and famine. There was a funeral in the city nearly every single day." Yusif turned to to look at his lord. "Our kingdom is no longer like that thanks to King Yazil and you. Our kingdom are peaceful and prosperous. The stomach of our people are full. They have warm cloths on their bodies, and they don't need to fear robbers and invaders day in and day out. You and the king are doing a magnificent job."
Halik smiled and turned back on his back. "Thanks, Yusif."
"Any time." Yusif turned back to look at the city. "Of course we have to thank the Desert Wolf as well."
"Yes, that's why we've been trying so..."
"My lord!" Yusif spoke, startled.
Halik sat up. He knew something's up. "What?"
Yusif stood up and pointed at the city. Halik followed his point. In the pitch black, rays of firelight were coming out from the city. Small columns of smoke were popping from here and there, rising up into the night sky. Yusif squinted. "Cooking fire? So early in the morning?"
Halik jumped to his feet and sprinted back to camp. Yusif followed him.

Luhay'ath had figured out a way to further lift the spirits of the men. He had his servants pass out his best wine in cups to warm the bodies of the men in the chilly morning. He personally went around distributing his personal possessions and valuables to the men. The Desert Wolf followed him and smiled and the promises shown by this young man. He could see from the movement of this young lord the bight future of the city of Sabata, and for a tiny moment he forgot his goal of retaking Tamane.
They were ready, and at dawn they marched forward. The Desert Wolf could see that they had not taken the Sab'yn completely unprepared. They were quick to line up for battle and position themselves midway up a ridge.
But one unit was left isolated at the bottom. It flew the colors of Prince Halik.



"Desert Wolf." Luhay'ath spoke. He was riding with his noble cavalry in the front ranks.
"Yes, my lord?"
"If the enemy looses one of its generals, its morale would drop and its ranks be disorganized, right?"
"Yes, but..." Before he could finish, Luhay'ath rushed ahead with a great shout. His cavalry followed. The Desert Wolf cursed himself for letting such a raw, young, but important young man be in the front ranks with the cavalry. Luhay'ath had just gained his fire, he had not yet learned how to use it. In order to protect his lord, the Desert Wolf sounded the charge.
As soon as Luhay'ath made his move, Halik turned and raced towards the Sab'yn ranks.



The first part of his plan had worked, and now he needs to make it back to his army alive. But the quick horses of the noble cavalry were soon right on his tail.
Just before he was overtaken, a shower of arrows came down from the Sab'yn lines and flew over his heads. They struck Luhay'ath's cavalry hard. Soon the skirmishers of the forward line let join their javelins.



Luhay'ath tried to rally his cavalry in the storm of missiles. But they had outstripped their own missile support. While turning to rally his troops, a javelin struck his horse. At the same time two arrows entered his back, one beside his right shoulder, one at his waist. He fell off the horse. Seeing their lead fall, most of the remaining noble cavalry fled. A few men, good loyal troops to the late Waty'ath, dismounted and rushed to protect their lord.



The Desert Wolf arrived on the scene. His men formed a wall of shields. He threw aside his spear and shield and knelt down beside Luhay'ath, holding the young lord up in his arms. "My lord!"
Luhay'ath looked up at him. There was a deep purple under his eyes. "I guess..." he coughed. "I guess it's too late for me to try to fix my mistakes."
The Desert Wolf shook his head. "No, my lord. You have to live! Live and I'll make you ruler of all Arabia."
Luhay'ath smiled at him. "Don't be silly..." blood was starting to choke his words. "Go, go and join the Sab'yn. They will unite Arabia. Help-help them accomplish that. Th-they'll be a be-better ruler for Sabata th-than me..." With those last words, Luhay'ath lost consciousness. The renewed fire of the late Waty'ath had lasted barely half a day before it was swallowed by the even large flames of war.
The Desert Wolf put down the body of the lifeless young man. Barely a day ago he had wished to killed the man himself, but now he felt an rage from the deepest depths of hell boiling up inside him. He stood and looked around. The men know their leader had fallen, and they were faltering under the shower of Sab'yn missiles. He picked up his spear and shield and turned to face the Sab'yn lines. His men looked at him. The remaining noble cavalry, dismounted, looked at him. With a mighty battle cry he charged forward. The men around him heard the cry, and, raising the same cry, rushed forward to follow him.



Soon the cry echoed throughout the defenders of Sabata, and the men with swords and spears followed the charge, while the men with bows and slings doubled their efforts. They hit the Sab'yn left flank hard, and a desperate melee ensued.



The fierce battle forced King Yazil to commit his own bodyguards to the fighting. Meanwhile, Prince Halik seized the moment of weakness in the other parts of the enemy line and ordered a charge. He lead his own bodyguards down through the center. The spearmen around him followed. They pushed aside the enemy center and turned around on the enemy right. The cavalry, concentrated on Sab'yn right flank, committed themselves to the charge and swept aside the skirmishers of Sabata, then wheeled around and hit the defenders of the city in the rear.



The defenders started to flee. But the Desert Wolf did not back down. He fought and fought. He threw away his shield so he could use his spear more effectively. And when his spear broke, he drew his own sword with his right hand and picked up one from the ground with his left. The Sab'yn were afraid to get close to this monster, but he was not afraid to get close to them. He rushed through the Sab'yn ranks like a madman, with no one brave enough to face him, and, under orders, no arrows or javelins were let loose at him.
He finally stumbled upon the guards of Halik and Yazil. They closed in on him from all sides. He pulled back his sword to strike. But before he could, a heavy blow landed on the back of his head and he fell unconscious.

Meanwhile the defenders had disintegrated, their lines broken, their morale non-existent.



Sab'yn cavalry mercilessly rode down the routing defenders, killing the few who reached the town square. The archer-spearmen, prevented from firing on the Desert Wolf, turned their attention a few fleeing slingers and shot them down before they reached the city.



After a ten month siege and a hard battle, the Sab'yn army let raise the cry of victory in the town square of Sabata. The settlement was theirs.

The Desert Wolf woke up amidst the sound of celebration of the Sab'yn army. He found himself lying on a bed inside a brightly lit tent. It has been almost five years since he had heard the same sound in nearly the same situation in Tamane. Just as he sat up, four men entered the tent. They were Yazil Il Watar, Halik Il Watar, Yusif Um Namram, and Zari' Shams Asri'



They saw him sitting up, and let out looks of relieve. "I am glad you're awake," King Yazil spoke. "We need to talk, great Wolf of the Desert."

[Reality=Chaos]

WOW, This just get's better and better. Will the Desert wolf finally join the Saba'yn? Or will his honor prevent that? I am honored that you chose to use some of my suggestions. When are you going to be published ? Well keep up the great work. I hope I did not give you too much extra work...

[Parallel Pain]

Heh, you actually made me do a lot of extra work. But it's worth it.

I'm actually afraid that many people around here won't read this because it's too long. They want to see an AAR, not a sort-of novel.

And I'll publish it if you'll buy it. Maybe even donate some of the profit to EB

[White_eyes:D]

Yeah, its a little hard starting off but its more then worth it in the end.
The part I liked the best was this speech:"After ten months of siege, your food stores are running out. While we have been rationing our food as well, our supplies have just been replenished by the harvests from YOUR fields. Your men are underpaid and they are deserting you. The Bedouins have abandoned you. The people are dissatisfied with you. You can't win this." Wish I could say that in the EB diplomacy screen. Great AAR kept going Parallel Pain

[Gebeleisis]

i one read it all and i one like the novel type of aar.
stands out from the rest,and its better reading then a lots of books now'days

[Parallel Pain]

Chapter 4:
The Way Of The Water, The Way Of The Sand

King Yazil walked close to the bed. The Desert Wolf waited for him to get close, then suddenly flew up from the bed, whipping up the sheep skin covering him and throwing it over King Yazil's face. Quick as lightning he bent down, bent his arms, and pushed down hard on his feet. His elbow rammed into King Yazil's stomach hard as the flood waters. Yazil is knocked off his feet, falling to the ground. The Desert Wolf swung back his leg for a kick. But at that instant Halik, who was close to his father when the Wolf of the Desert went mad, jumped on him and knocked him to the ground. Yusif quickly added into the struggle, and pinned the struggling Wolf firmly to the ground. Zari' bent down to tend to his king and called for help.
The bodyguards of both the king and the prince rushed into the tent. They found their king lying on the ground coughing, holding his stomach in pain, their diplomat trying to tend to their king with a frightened face, and their prince, together with their spy, pinning down a howling Desert Wolf.
The Captain Yasir, the captain of the Sab'yn army during the assault on Tamane, and now captain of the king's bodyguard, drew out his sword and rushed towards the struggling Wolf. His cousin had been killed by the Desert Wolf's mercenaries, and now this mad mercenary knocked over his king. Like any bodyguard of the king would do, he was going to end the life of this miserable Wolf.
Halik still struggled to pin the Desert Wolf down. It was Yusif who looked up when Yasir closed. He saw Yasir standing before them, his sword drawn back, the shining iron blade ready to be plunged into the Desert Wolf's neck. "Yasir!" A voice from the bodyguard ranks yelled out. Halik noticed the shadows and looked up to see the sword, like a speeding arrow, started its plunge down. He had no time to react, and the Desert Wolf was pinned down beneath his body, unable to move.
A sudden loud clang resounded in the room, followed by a soft swish. The Desert Wolf looked up at Captain Yasir. He was no longer screaming. His face was not one of anger, but an unusual calmness for one who had faced death. A tiny stream of blood trickled out from his right shoulder, dying his soft, sandy brown cloak red. The sword had entered the soft earth just to the right of his shoulder, cutting a shallow gash into his flesh. On top of him, still pinning him down with the left knee, was Yusif. In Yusif's out-stretched right hand was a curved dagger, held firmly in the hands of the spy.
Yusif stared at the bodyguard captain. "Back off." The words were quiet, but heavy. Yasir did not move, but stared back at Yusif in amazement. Another bodyguard rushed forward. He was Yada', the captain of the army that fought the rebel Magabazou. He was Yasir's best pal, and now captain of the prince's bodyguards. He had called to stop Yasir, and now he tugged on his friend's arm.
"Yasir." A gentle voice sounded throughout the room. Everyone turned to the source of the voice. It was King Yazil Il Watar. He sat up an coughed. "Yasir, I understand your anger and pain. I had lost my favourite nephew in the chaos of Maryab eight years ago." Still squinting in pain, Yazil held his stomach with his left hand, and tried to support himself on his right. Zari' pulled the king to his feet. "I know it's difficult," the gentle king continued, "but I ask you to let this man live. Our kingdom needs this man."
Yasir looked at his king for a long moment, and bowed deeply. He pulled his sword from the ground and sheathed it. Halik and Yusif stood up, pulling the Desert Wolf on his feet with them. Halik spoke. "Keep your guards outside, and do not come in unless we call on you again. And don't let anyone else disturb us tonight." His voice was calm, but everyone could hear hidden under the calmness a vast volt of anger ready to burst open. Yasir and Yada' turned to the prince and bowed deeply, and hurried their bodyguards outside.
The Desert Wolf had lost all sense of struggle, and stood, as if lifeless, watching the bodyguards leave. Halik and Yusif sat him down on the bed. Zari' grabbed a chair for King Yazil to sit down. "I am sorry, Desert Wolf," the king started, still holding on to his stomach. "I am sorry for the behaviour of my bodyguards."
The Desert Wolf stared blankly outside the tent at the campfire and night sky. Yusif left the tent for a moment, and came back with a bowl of water and some pieces of clean cloth, and started washing the cut on the Desert Wolf's shoulder. The Desert Wolf, as if he had not even felt anything, continued to stare out the opening of the tent. Halik followed his gaze. The others did the same and saw what looked like the carnage of the battlefield on a gentle slope covered with dried grass. It was the battlefield from that morning.
"You killed Luhay'ath." They turned back to looked at the Desert Wolf. He was still staring blankly outside the tent. "Your men killed young Luhay'ath."
Yazil stared at him, wide-eyed. "He was a tyrant, that young man. You know how he treated his men, and yours."
Finally the Desert Wolf turned to face the Sab'yn king. On his anguish face were tears, little droplets fresh out of his eyes. Everyone was shocked, even the Desert Wolf. "He was NOT a tyrant." The Desert Wolf could hear himself talk, but did not know what he was saying anymore. "He was NOT a tyrant. He had his father's skills, his father's drive, his father's eyes. He would have been the best ruler for Sabata. I could have made him so. The people of the city would have gladly died for him. Even the Bedouins."
The four men from the tribe of Saba were shocked at the words of this man of the Qataban. Even the Wolf did not know why he felt so strongly for a person he had wanted to be strangled not even two days ago. But he continued, "He was so young. He was five years younger than me, at only sixteen. His father had received a son at fifty two years of age, of course he would have spoiled the young man." The Desert Wolf swallowed. "But for half a day, for just half a day. For half a day he let be believe the city could still be held, the battle could still be won. For half a day looking at his figures working tirelessly over the city plans like his old father, he gave me hope that the Bedouins could be brought back, that the city could be peaceful again. For half a day looking at him cheering up the troops, looking at the fight returning to the men's eyes, I had forgotten I had set out to retake Tamane. For half a day he had been a master that I would gladly have died for, that I SHOULD have died for."
A few more drops of tears fell on the bed. Though few in number, these tears carried with them more despair than all the water of the red sea. The tent was silent. "I am sorry." King Yazil said, an apology coming from deep inside his heart. "I did not know there was such promise in this young man, or I would not have issued such harsh terms of surrender." King Yazil stood up. He was deeply pained, not at how strong a tie the Desert Wolf felt towards the dead Luhay'ath, but at the fact that his army had killed of a potential subject of great skills. "Rest for today, Desert Wolf. Tomorrow we march back towards Saba and Maryab. There are things I want to show you in my kingdom."

Leaving behind a small garrison, the Sab'yn army headed back for Maryab. Once again they entered the hills of Qataban. Once again the peasants from near-by villages rushed out to the sides of the road to cheer on the victorious troops. They rode in front of their bodyguards marching on foot, at the front of their army. Halik turned to the Desert Wolf, who was looking at the cheerful faces of the people. "We had taken your advice, and cleared out these hills of bandit clans." The Desert Wolf turned to the prince, who continued. "We have even invited some of the Bedouin tribes to take up their territories in these hills, and they have agreed in return to watch over our caravans from the other tribes to the north and clear the hills of bandits for us."
"This is all thanks to your guidance, Desert Wolf." Yusif joined the conversation. "If you had not left us the message, we would have marched to Sabata while the rebels are still in the hills. Because of one suggestion from you," Yusif stretched out his hand and picked up a tiny yellow desert flower held out at him from a young peasant girl. He continued, "because of one suggestion from you, these peasants can finally live a peaceful live after years and years of chaos. Look at the liveliness in their eyes."
The Desert Wolf looked at the prince and his childhood companion. He turned back to the peasants, and picked up a piece of bread offered to him. He smiled. He heard familiar sound of hoofs. He looked up into the hills. His mercenaries had been given back their horses by King Yazil, and were travelling with the Sab'yn army as light cavalry for as long as their leader remained with the army. He smiled again.
They entered Maryab amidst the cheers of the local population. They were showered with praises. The soldiers marched with their heads held high. The Desert Wolf looked around, examining the shop stores and buildings and the cheering crowd. "What are you looking for, Desert Wolf?" Zari' noticed and asked. The Desert Wolf shook his head in silence, but continued to look around.
They reached the town square. King Yazil dismissed the troops, who headed for home and their families. Then Yazil led them inside the palace. A beautiful young woman in her late teens rushed out to greet them. Yazil and Halik rushed up to the young woman. Yusif and Zari' stopped in the courtyard, observing the court custom. The Desert Wolf stood frozen at the entrance, admiring the woman's beauty. Her long, dark brown hair flew gracefully behind her. Her eyes gleamed in the sunlight like jewels of a colour yet unnamed. Her beautiful body moved gracefully in a snow white robe. She moved eloquently, unlike the maids they had passed by. "Father, Brother, so glad you are home. The year had been long without you around."
"Oh my dear, your mouth are as sweet as always." Yazil laughed.
"How is mother?" Halik asked.
"Oh she's fine." The woman answered. "She came down with a slight cold about a few weeks ago, but when news came of your victory, she suddenly got well without needing any herbs." She giggled. "Come, come, we'll talk about this later, go inside." She walked down the steps and out into the courtyard in front of Yusif and Zari'.
"Princess." Yusif and Zari' bowed. "Glad to see you lively as always." Zari' said.
"You have turned so pretty we did not recognize you at first." Yusif added.
"You flatter me with that same sentence every time, Yusif" The young princess giggled.
"I do?" Yusif asked, pretending he didn't realize. They laughed.
"Come, come in. We have a great feast all ready." She gestured them towards the inner palace and walked towards the last guest, who continued to stand frozen in the gateway. She walked towards him with open arms and a wide smile. "Welcome to..." she stopped, her smile disappeared, her hands dropped to her side. She looked carefully at the man standing in front of her. The man was tall, dark black hair, with thick eyebrows, a strong build, and the eyes of a lion, the eyes she had seen only once before. Her face turned red. She spoke with a voice so soft, it was inaudible to anyone but her and this new guest. "The Desert Wolf."
Yusif and Zari' looked at each other confused. Yazil and Halik smiled. Halik walked back out the palace, through the courtyard, and to the couple staring at each other. "Desert Wolf," the Desert Wolf turned to look at him. "Do you remember my sister, Mubsamat?"
The Desert Wolf's eyes widened. He looked at the woman standing before him, the beautiful lady. The last time he had seen her she had been a cute, playful little girl of eleven, and he had been fifteen, having just earned a name for himself for clearing the bandits around Maryab. He forgot to bow, and looked at Mubsamat, who twitched uncomfortably under the glance, her original light skin on her face now red. Halik laughed and put one arm around each of their shoulder. "Come on. The feast is ready, right? I want to meet my young Tawbtawan."
They walked inside. Yusif and Zari' told the guests of the successful campaign, and the welcoming peasants. Yazil and Halik listened to the Queen Hamlat, Halik's young wife Lady Tawbtawan, and other nobles talk about what went on in the city while they were away. The Desert Wolf was silent, examining the ranks of nobles and the atmosphere. Mubsamat was unusually quiet today, walking around directing the maids and serving the guests. The two changed momentary glances, and always quickly turned aside their vision. There wasn't a person at the feast (besides the two of them) that didn't notice the queer atmosphere between the young mercenary general and the princess.

A week later, Mubsamat woke up from a restless night. King Yazil had took the week to show the Desert Wolf around Maryab and the surrounding provinces of Saba, and Mubsamat had followed them around. During the first few days she had wanted to ask the Desert Wolf about her promise, but she soon realized the seriousness of the matter and contended herself with following them. She quickly got dressed and went to the courtroom to look for her father. Instead he found her brother and Zari' already busy at work sorting out matters of state, and receiving complants from the citizens. She saw Yusif, preparing to leave, and stopped him. "Where's my father?"
Yusif bowed at the princess. "He took the Desert Wolf into the city to show him around, my princess."
"Thank you, Yusif." The princess hurried out the palace. Yusif looked at her figures, greeted on both sides by happy citizens, disappear into the streets. He chuckled, and set out for Carna.
Mubsamat wondered through the street, asking around for the king. It took her quite a while, but she finally found them near the southern gate, examining the crowd coming and going. She walked towards them, but Yasir, loyal bodyguard, stopped her. "I'm sorry, princess, but the king asked not to be disturbed by anyone."
Mubsamat nodded, and stood with the bodyguards. 'I had just wanted to follow them, that's all,' she told herself. 'And I can do it with these men.'
She listened closely, trying to pick up their conversation over the morning crowd. She saw Yazil walking up to a large caravan parked for inspection. The Desert Wolf followed. "You see all these caravans, packed with the incense of the red sea coast, the livestock of Hadramaut, the silver of Saba, the gold of Ma'in, and finally the ivory of Qataban." She heard her father speak. "These caravans are packed with expensive goods. But there are no mercenaries following them."
"It is true." Mubsamat heard the Desert Wolf answer. "Not so many years ago, such large caravans would have hired mercenaries to keep away the bandits, or would have paid heavy fees to Bedouin tribes for protection. It is quite amazing what you have done."
"It's thanks to you. Clearing the bandits around Saba, and then telling us to clear the bandits around Qataban. You have done much in making these lands safe and prosperous, and the people know it. You heard those shop keepers greet you." Yazil turned to look at the Desert Wolf. "You are well known for your deeds in these lands. I will need help to unite Arabia. I am no great general. My son is much more talented in those arts than I." The Desert Wolf nodded in agreement. The king continued, "but to build a strong kingdom in Arabia, I need more generals than just my son. And I need competent advisors, especially men who has seen through the hardships of the people and could tell me how to benefit their lives. I need you, Desert Wolf. I am begging you to join us."
The Desert Wolf shook his head. "I am a mercenary general, great king." He answered. "Men like me causes suffering of the people. We kill for a living, and when we do, the women and children cry, and the lines of families are ended. Men like me are not fit to advise you about the hardships of the people. As for uniting Arabia, Prince Halik would be sufficient." The king moved to speak, but the Desert Wolf continued. "I have seen too much death. Many good men who followed me had died, and I had with my own hands caused the deaths of many more. Now I only wish to be another trader, so I can witness the rise of your prosperous kingdom in peace. I only ask you take care of my men."
The Desert Wolf bowed deeply, and, without waiting for an answer, turned around to head back towards the palace for his belongings. He froze. Standing a few steps in front of the bodyguards was Mubsamat, tears of anguish running down her face. She turned, pushed her way through the bodyguards, and ran into the bustling streets. The Desert Wolf watched her figures getting smaller and smaller, as the peoples parted to make way for here. Yazil walked up beside him, his gaze following her daughter. "You had promised my daughter six years ago that you would come and work for me, and then you would play with her again. For six years she has rejected suitor after suitor, waiting for you. She has never made a scene like this in the streets."
"I broke that promise when I chose to become your enemy and defend Tamane." The Desert Wolf took a few step forward.
"Desert Wolf." Yazil spoke behind him. The Desert Wolf stopped. "There are a great many more things I want you to see. Make your decision after you see those things. If then you still want to retire and become a trader, I won't stop you. So I want you to follow me around my kingdom for a few weeks."
"Yes, great king." He answered without even turning around, and resumed his walk back towards the palace.
"Leave your belongings in the palace, Desert Wolf." King Yazil called behind him. "We're heading out for Ma'in, for Carna. We leave first thing tomorrow."

The princess, after crying through the rest of the day and night, decided to follow them. They went slowly, Yazil showing the Desert Wolf the homes and farms of happy citizens. They reached the outskirts of Carna in about a week's time. At mid-afternoon, they entered the city. Instead of a bustling market scene, the people were lined up on the side of the road bowing down to them as the pass. The entire city was out in the streets, from the nobles to the merchants to poor farmers and their children. The Desert Wolf turned to Yazil. "What are they doing?"
"They're bowing to you, Desert Wolf." Yazil answered. "They are bowing to you."
The reached the town square, and there at the centre, before a large group of wealthy merchants, was Yusif. He walked forward, with a little box in hand. He walked before the Desert Wolf. "Great Wolf of the Desert. The merchants of this city would like to offer you this gift as thanks for your work in making this region of Arabia safe."
He held out the box. The Desert Wolf took the box and opened it. Inside were a number of gold and silver pieces, as well as large number of jewels and crafts. They reflected brightly in the mid-afternoon sun. The Desert Wolf shut the box and turned to Yusif. Before he could say a word, Yusif rose his hands and clapped. The merchants behind him parted, and a few men carried forward three large chest and placed them in front of him. He bent down and opened them. The first was filled with finely made textiles, clothing, and expensive incense. The second were filled with hunting trophies. There were elephant tusks, gazelle antlers, goat skin, fox skin, even an Arabian Leopard hide and an Arabian Ostrich egg. The third was filled with fine crafts of every kind from small statues of himself and his band to silver drinking vessels, to jugs of the finest wine with him and his men painted on it. Before the Desert Wolf could speak a word, Yusif clapped again, and more men walked forward. This time they had with them three fine Arabic horses, tall and muscular, with dark brown skin and eyes of black jade.
The Desert Wolf turned and stared at Yazil with a disgusted face. The king smiled and shook his head. "You think I am trying to buy your loyalty. I am not. On hearing of your return from Sabata, people from all over my kingdom rushed to put together gifts for you. They picked representatives from their community and sent them to Maryab with their gift. The people who had expensive items picked out the best, the people who hadn't put together some money to buy a few items. And these are what they ended up putting together. You can ask anyone here whether I had bought, or even ordered them to bring out these goods. They will tell you no."
The Desert Wolf looked up and around the crowd in disbelieve. But wherever his glance went it was made with nods. A few men even answered his questioning eyes with words: it's true. "Great Wolf of the Desert." Yusif spoke, and the Desert Wolf turned to him. "The people had asked me to speak for them, and to thank you for making this kingdom safe. They want to say no matter if you choose to continue to serve, your deeds would always be remembered."
Yusif bowed deeply. The merchants behind him followed. The Desert Wolf looked at them, speechless. There was a great silence, then a voice rose up from the crowd from behind him. "Great Desert Wolf!" Everyone turned to the source of the voice. It was a young farmer, with his young son, about ten years of age, standing beside him. They stood in front of the crowd. "Great Desert Wolf! You might not remember us but you and your men had saved us from a group of marauding Bedouins seven years ago. We beg you. Please protect our homes like you have done. Please!" The man and his son bowed deeply, their upper body almost perpendicular to their legs.
Yusif rushed forward past the Desert Wolf and King Yazil. "What are you saying? We agreed not to beg and let the Desert Wolf deci..."
Before Yusif could finish, one of the rich merchants in the town square cried out. "Desert Wolf! You might not remember, but five years ago I had just been robbed by bandits and left to die in the desert. Not only did you save me, you got back a large portion of my cargo! I beg you too, to keep watching over this land! Please!" Soon the crowd all put forward their stories and pleads. There was a sudden rush or words, and then silence as the people all bowed.
King Yazil smiled. Yusif was stunned. The Desert Wolf froze for a long moment, then looked all around the bent bodies around him. "I..." he started, and trailed off. He knew he had made a name for himself, but not like this. "I can't accept this, I..." He looked around again. "Raise your heads, please, all of you, I didn't..."
"The Desert Wolf will hold back on these gifts for now." King Yazil spoke. The Desert Wolf turned to look at the king. "He is tired after a long journey, and we still have much road to cover. Let him rest. When he made his decision, then he will receive the gift. Yes?" The Desert Wolf could do nothing but nod. They walked forward, past the piles of gift, towards Il Sharih's old villa. The people before them, like the stories of Moses told by the Israelites, parted like the waves.

They were in the hills just north of Ma'in the next day. Yusif had headed back towards Maryab, but Mubsamat still followed them, standing with the bodyguards. The Desert Wolf was thinking about the sight he had witnessed yesterday, his mind numb. As they reached the top of a hill, Yazil spoke "You told me when I first met you, that your way of being a general was to follow the way of the water and the way of the sand." He stopped.
The Desert Wolf stopped beside him. A wind blew across his face. Beyond the hills was a sea of sand, the Arabian Desert.



"Yes, I did," the Desert Wolf answered.
The king turned to the mercenary general. "Can you explain to me again what you meant by the way of the water and the way of the sand?"
The Desert Wolf nodded. "Both water and sand are flexible. They can adjust to any crack, go through any hole. But a flood water will burst at the dike you least expect when you least expect it to, and the force of the flood will destroy anything that stands in its way." He turned and pointed out at the Arabian Desert. "The sand, on the other hand, are strong like those dunes. You can't move them. Yet they move fast with the wind, like the wind, and are on top of you before you in a sandstorm before you know it. And when they cover up a well in the desert, you don't know it's a death hole until you step on it." He turned back to look at Yazil. "An army need to be flexible, fast, stand strong, and strike hard. Its movements need to be unpredictable, and its traps unnoticeable. That's the way of the water and the way of the sand."
The king nodded and turned to look out at the vast sea of sand. He stared at it for a long time. The Desert Wolf followed his gaze. The sun warmed their faces, and the wind cooled them. Finally, Yazil spoke. "Beyond this desert are the lands of the great empires of the Seleucids of Mesopotamia and the Ptolemy of Egypt. They are fighting for the lands beyond this desert. You know about them?"
"I've heard."
There was another long pause, then Yazil continued. "I have my own theory about the way of the water and the way of the sand. It's about the workings of my kingdom."
The Desert Wolf turned to look at the king, but the king continued to look out towards the desert. He pointed at the sea of sand. "This desert is all that stands between the divided tribes of Arabia and those great empires. The harsh terrain of the desert are the homes of the Bedouin tribes, and they are loyal to no one. It's the desert and the Bedouins that kept those empires from taking over our home." He dropped his hand and turned towards the Desert Wolf. "The sand is our barrier against these great powers. But there will come a day it will not stop those empires. They will come down the coast and try to take over us. When that happens, the people of Arabia need to be its new barrier."
Yazil bent down, grabbed a handful of sand, and stood up again. He opened his palms face up and held the sand out to the Desert Wolf. The Desert wolf examined the sand, then looked back at Yazil. Yazil looked at the mercenary general. A wind blew across the hill top, and Yazil spoke. "We are sand, Desert Wolf. We are the sand of Arabia. The powers of the empires are like this wind. It's not that strong, not that fierce. It's not enough to blow away a large sand dune like the one we stand on. But little handfuls of sand like this will be easily brushed aside and blown away." The sand in Yazil's hands were carried away into the wind. Yazil turned and looked at the sand flying in the wind until they were out of sight. He turned back to the Desert Wolf. "To build a large sand dune that this wind can not move, I need sand. I need lots and lots of sand. I need men like you, Desert Wolf, to help me protect Arabia from these winds. Will you join me?"
The Desert Wolf did not know what to say. He is ashamed at himself, and amazed at what this man of almost fifty years of age has seen. The king looked at him. "Don't answer my question yet. I still want to tell you the way of the water." He turned and started down the hill. "We're heading back to Maryab, for Saba." His bodyguards followed their lord down the hill. The Desert Wolf stood on top, looking at them. Mubsamat climbed the little distance to stand beside the Desert Wolf. She did not say anything, but looked at him. He looked back at her, and couldn't say anything.

A week later, they were back in Saba. This time Halik, Yusif, and Zari' were all there with them. King Yazil lead them up a tall, long staircase of a thick stone wall. This staircase was usually off limits to normal people, for the wall contained a very important resource: water. It was the Great Dam of Marib.



They reached the top of the dam. In front of them was a lake, of river water that from the mountains that had gathered behind this wall. Yazil started, "Our ancestors had toiled for hundreds of years to build this dam." Yazil pointed at the lake. "The water is not very high right now, for it is late in the year and the water had been mostly used up. In a few months the rain will come, and soon this dam would be full again." He pointed into the mountains to the north. "In those mountains are many, many streams. They come together to form rivers, and those rivers come together into one large river that gives us the water of this dam." Yazil turned to the mercenary general, stunned by the sight. "If those streams don't come together to form small rivers, and those small rivers don't come together to form a large river, this dam would be useless, and our people would starve." He let his arm drop. The Desert Wolf turned to look at this great king. "Each of us is a stream, Desert Wolf. The more streams, the more people that can be fed by the water of this dam. To feed the people, I need streams. I need more streams."
The Desert Wolf looked emptily at the Yazil. "Desert Wolf." Yazil spoke with a stern face. "For the good of the people of Arabia, I ask you to become a handful of sand in my fist, a stream in my mountains. No, I beg you." He bowed. He did not bend as far as the people at Carna, but the weight of his bow was heavier than all of them combined.
Zari' suddenly rushed up, and held out in his arms a nicely folded sheep-skin. "This is yours. You had told me when you left it with me three years ago that you want it back." The Desert Wolf turned and looked at Zari' and slowly took the sheep skin. Zari' walked beside King Yazil. "I am beg you, also, great Wolf of the Desert." He bowed. Prince Halik and Yusif walked forward and stood beside Zari'. They said nothing, but bowed deeply.
Mubsamat rushed forward, and knelt down in front of the Desert Wolf, tears streaming down her eyes. "I am begging you also, Desert Wolf. I don't care if you forget about me, but please, help my father." She rested her head on the stone blocks of the dam.
The Desert Wolf looked at the five people in front of them. A long moment of silence passed, the wind blew from the mountains, rippling their robes and blowing their hair. Finally, the Desert Wolf smiled, and looked up at the sun above their heads. "I need a name." The group in front of them raised their heads. Mubsamat rose to her feet. The Desert Wolf looked back down, at the people in front of him. "I need a name," he repeated. "A lord need a name to serve."
Another moment of silence passed. It was Halik who spoke. "You agree to join us?"
The Desert Wolf smiled at them, and suddenly bent down on his knees and put his head on stones of the dam, warm from the sun. King Yazil smiled. "Very well. I give you the name of my great uncle, the man who held the last threads of the old kingdom together. I give you the name of Nasha Yuhan'em."
"If I may," the Desert Wolf spoke without raising his head. "I would like to make one change to my name."
Yazil looked at the Desert Wolf, surprised. "What's the change?"
"I am not fit for such a great name." The Desert Wolf answered. "I would like to add the name Karab behind Nasha."
Yazil smiled. Yusif, confused, asked. "The name of the tyrant of Tamane? Why?"
"The name is to always remind myself not to become a lord like Karab." The Desert Wolf answered. "I want to be Nasha in front, not Karab behind."
"Very well." King Yazil spoke. "You shall be Nasha Karab Yuhan'em."
The Desert Wolf looked up. "I, Nasha Karab Yuhan'em, born Tribe of Qataban, grew up Tribe of Ma'in, the Wolf of the Desert, pledge allegiance to King Yazil and the kingdom of Sab'yn."



King Yazil clapped his hands. The sound resonated on the dam. The bodyguards of the King and Prince approached. The Desert Wolf stood up and looked at them. From their midst, a group of men stepped forward. Captain Yasir and Captain Yada' were amongst them. "Lord Nasha." Yazil spoke. "I present you with your bodyguard. Captain Yasir shall be your spear carrier, Captain Yada' your drill master. You have met both of them. They are both skilled men. Use them well."
Nasha Karab Yuhan'em bowed to the king of the Sab'yn. "I will."
Yazil continued. "And I give you the governorship of the town of Tamane and its surrounding province of Qataban. I also decree that any word spoken by you about the governance of Carna and its surrounding province of Ma'in could overrule any order of the current governor unless that governor is myself, or any future king of Sab'yn."
The entire group stared at the king, their mouths wide open. The king had effectively given to this newcomer control of two of the four Sab'yn provinces. "My king, that's..." the new Lord Nasha started, but one look in Yazil's eyes and he stopped. "Yes, my king. I shall make sure nothing happen to these provinces, or die trying."
The king smiled. He stretched out his hand and held the army of his daughter. Mubsamat turned to look at her father. "And if you don't mind, I want you to take my over-playful daughter for your wife."
Mubsamat's face turned red. Lord Nasha looked at the princess, and spoke. "If the princess does not mind marrying such a young, inexperienced lord who has not been able to keep even his simple promise, then I shall be my honour to take her hand in marriage."
Mubsamat rushed up to the young lord four years older than her, and threw her arms around him. Tears of joy were streaming down her face. "You, idiot, what are you saying? You HAVE kept your promise."
Young Nasha put his hands around the princess, and gentle stroke her hair like he had done once before when she had dropped her clay doll. "I am sorry, Mubsamat. I am sorry for making you wait so long."
Mubsamat shook her head, and buried it in Nasha's embrace. "You kept your promise, that's all that matters." Nasha continued to hold his new bride tightly, stroking her long, dark hair.
The others looked at scene before them with a wide smile. It was Zari' who finally spoke. "Come on, let's go down. The mating wolves needs some room." They laughed, and started descending the stairs down the Great Dam. The young couple was embarrassed for a short moment, but only a short moment. And after, they were back in their own world.

King Yazil announced the addition of Lord Nasha Karab Yuhan'em and his decreed in court the next day. He announced the wedding, and announced that funds had been set aside to expand Lord Nasha's villa in Tamane and the building of a new temple in Tamane dedicated to Almagah, the supreme god of Sab'yn.



Many noble families voiced their protest, but King Yazil silenced all of them with a list of accomplishments of the new Lord Nasha, even giving him the credit of the taking of both Carna and Sabata.
Soon after, a lavish wedding feast was held in Maryab in celebration of the marriage of the King's daughter to the legendary Wolf of the Desert. The gifts from the people of the kingdom to Lord Nasha at Carna were presented once again, this time as a wedding gift from the people throughout the kingdom to the newly wed couple. It was a feast fit for a king.



Over the next year, Lord Nasha toiled daily over the works of Tamane, with frequent visits to Carna. Mubsamat was always beside him, helping him with work and giving him much needed comfort and advice. With Halik left in charge of Maryab, and King Yazil sorting out and overseeing the consolidation of Sabata and the province of Hadramaut, the kingdom was as peaceful and prosperous as can be.
Finally, it was time to continue with the unification of Arabia. The target was Ubar, on the edge of the coastal hills, which receive a yearly monsoon, and the dry barren desert. For this task, King Yazil entrusted Lord Nasha with the entire Sab'yn army minus his and the prince's bodyguards and a few units of town garrisons.
Everyone was shocked by this order, for this placed the actual powers of the Sab'yn kingdom in the hand of one lord. Neither the king nor the prince were accompanying Lord Nasha on campaign (though Mubsamat insisted she goes along). As a show of thanks, just before they left, the lord and lady Yuhan'em dedicated Tamane and Qataban to the god Almagah.



After a long march, the army met up with Yusif Um Namran in the rolling hills beyond Sabata.



Yusif was sent ahead to Ubar to spy and deliver false information. Meanwhile Lord Nasha and the army marched through the roadless low hills of Hadramaut, making their way slowly towards Ubar and the coastal desert.



In the meantime, with both the Sab'yn army and its best general away, the noble familes of the Sab'yn started to make their complaints heard.