Rami took out three vials of muddy, brownish, sticky liquid with a very, very, very, very, pungent smell, a bright smile on his face. Jurie wrinkled her nose in disgust and gagged, covering her nose.

"C'mon it isn't that bad. Its actually quite soothing once you get over the smell" reasoned Rami.

"Gross! That doesn't excuse its smell. It's disgusting!"

"You know you're pretty squeamish for a healer and assassin" he said jokingly before tossing her two of the vials. He then proceeded to taking of his upper garments (were his injuries were mostly situated) and lathered himself in the pungent brown ointment of the Altheda plant. The burns were still quite painful, but once the ointment made contact with his skin a pleasurable coolness ran through his body. By tomorrow morning his wounds will be better. Good enough to fight with.

The smell reached Jurie's nose and she wrinkled it in repulsion. But nonetheless she helped bandage Rami's wounds, using leaves and moss. She gave him a quizzical before asking:

"Will it work?"

Rami gave her a look of surprise "Haven't you heard of the Altheda plant?"

"Yes I have. But I thought it was a myth."

"Well this so called myth happened to heal the gunshot wound in about a month. The doctor said it wouldn't heal a year." He then pointed to his abdomen, where amongst his many scars and bandages Jurie was able to make the faint scars of a once mutilated abdomen.

"I'm trusting you," she muttered before applying the ointment on her minor burns and finally on her ankle before binding it in moss and leaves.

Rami then felt his stomach grumble. Painfully I might add. He finally realised how much he had exerted himself today, he hadn't eaten since the morning either.

"I'm hungry." He said almost child like.

"Well food won't come to us."

"It does. In restaurants that is."

"Does this look like a restaurant to you?"

"Maybe," replied Rami. Grinning sheepishly.

Jurie rolled her eyes. Then she made an attempt to get up. Rami lightly rested his hands on her shoulder motioning for her to sit down. Even this slight contact seemed to send fireworks through his body.

"You need to rest. The Altheda ointment will only do so much."

"But..."

"I'm not inexperienced you know. I probably won't shoot myself."

"If you run into trouble or don't come back by sunset I swear I'll kill you."

Ram didn't say anything but decided to take her seriously. He knew how lethal this woman could be. None the less he grinned, as if touched by her concern, and said:

"As you wish Angel"

He grabbed his dagger and bow and arrow, deciding his scimitar and shield would be extra weight. With that he stepped in to the moist hot rainforest. He stepped into the forest almost too hastily stumbling as he did so.

Wisely and slow; he reminded himself they stumble that run fast

He took a deep breath. Through his nose he could smell the fragrance of different flowers combined the dank air. It would have been pleasant if the Altheda ointment didn't sharply cut through the beautiful fragrance.

He had a vague thought. What if the animals he was hunting could smell the ointment. Would they run away from the smell? Or would they be attracted to the smell of plant.

In no time he took down three birds. Some sort of poultry by the looks of it. They were large and fat. Rami could almost taste how good they would be roasted over a fire.

During his daydreams about roasted poultry he heard a snapping of twigs. He whipped his head to source of the noise. Suddenly it was on the other side. The twigs were snapping is a strangely rhythmic manner.

Adrenalin rushed through Rami's veins. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled.

It was fight or flight.

Rami Montague chose fight.

He spun around with his bow and arrow ready to shoot.

It was lucky he didn't shoot though.

Because in front of him stood his horse Bucephalus. The black Arabian horse whinnied and backed away slightly spooked by Rami's appearance and the way he held his weapons. Rami lowered his weapons and smiled invitingly. Bucephalus who came forward and nuzzled Rami's chest. Rami winced at contact, but nonetheless stroked the horse's noble head. He was glad Bucephalus had found them. This will make travelling between locations easier and a lot faster

The horse then snorted and turned his head away. The smell had probably gotten to his nose.

"C'mon Bucephalus. The smell isn't that bad."

That was when Rami saw the large cut on Bucephalus's magnificent neck.

"What happened?" Rami muttered stroking the horse.

Bucephalus whinnied and neighed no doubt telling him an exciting adventure. Maybe he fought with another horse. But Rami would never know what had happened. He wished he did though. But the large scar reminded Rami who Bucephalus really was. He had seen him grow from colt to stallion. As wild and reckless as lightning over the land. Racing with the eagles. Soaring with the wind. There were times where he believed the black horse could fly.

Bucephalus was wild.

The black horse seemed to give Rami a once over almost asking what the hell happened to you? Before diverting his attention to a tree of some sort of fruit. In the forest light Rami couldn't make out what it was so before his beloved horse died of food poisoning Rami decided to intervene.

"Bucephalus that could be poisonous."

The horse ignored him. That was when Rami decided to take more drastic measures. Bucephalus didn't have a bridle. He preferred being ridden bareback and unbridle. The saddle and bridle were very constricting. Which left Rami with only one option. The tail.

Grabbing the horse's tail Rami pulled. Bucephalus whinnied, irritated. Rami earnt a nasty kick to the stomach. Not enough to injure him but enough to leave him winded.

After he found his breath and vision Rami saw on the ground some sort of fruit. Bucephalus was eating one. Piercing the skin and devouring the juicy pulp. That was when Rami saw the yellow skin with a red blush. He recognised the fruit instantly. Almanju in Arabic. Ambh in Punjabi and Hindi. Mango in English.

He had only ever tasted them about twice. But he could still remember the sweet tanginess erupting in his mouth. They say when God created man he also created the mango simultaneously. No wonder it tasted so heavenly.

He made his way to the tree and hastily climbed it. There were about twelve ripe mangoes. That meant they could have breakfast the next morning without hunting for food.

He jumped down from the tree, mangoes in hand. Using as strong flexible leaf of some plant he placed the mangoes in a makeshift basket, which Bucephalus had decided to carry by softly but firmly placing the basket in his mouth. He was careful not to touch the fruit.

Rami then proceeded to hoisting the poultry on his shoulder. Then motioned for Bucephalus to follow him back to the river. Rami realised the light in the forest was duller than usual. Which meant it was sunset. Which probably meant Jurie was preparing to kill him. Or at least give him a tongue-lashing.

~~~~~

Pacing back and forth Jurie glanced at the grassy glaze that Rami had disappeared into.

"Come on." She groaned, running her hands through her hair. "Where the hell are you you fool?!"

Impatiently Jurie pulled at the branches of the trees closest to her, almost ripping away their beautiful lush leaves.

Where are you?!! She thought glumly.

Her eyes flashed up to the canopy where the light had dimmed and the first shadows of the evening were creeping in. Images of a jaguar getting its way with him filled her thoughts. Maybe he walked into a ginormous spider web and was getting eaten by a spider. Or maybe he fell into a swamp and an alligator was eating him. Or worse. Tribesmen tying him to a branch and roasting him over a fire.

Horrified Jurie hurried over to the glaze and peered amongst the trees hoping for any sign of the young Arabian Knight. Singed tufts of hair or emerald eyes. At that moment she would have taken anything to ensure that he was safe. As she stared endlessly into the dark woods, she felt an unsettling presence behind her and whipped around to come face to face with an orange and black striped tiger, it's beady eyes pinned down on her petite form.

She froze, her skin prickling, her hairs rising. Fixating her eyes onto the tiger's shining gold eyes, she looked deep into them and willed it to back down.

Her heart pounded, as she tried to sooth her rising panic. She was once told that predators could sense their prey's fear so she held eye contact with the tiger, praying that it would leave.

Cocking it's head at her it padded two steps closer to her, it's soundless footsteps sending waves of insecurity through the little Shadow Princess. Inching towards Jurie, the tiger watched as she held her breath. It was so close that Jurie could feel it's whiskers tickling her cheeks. Rooted to her spot, she closed her eyes as the tiger circled around her, sniffing, it's nose in the air.

Am I going to die? She thought, sadly. 

Peering through her eyelashes she saw that the tiger had laid casually onto the ground next to her and proceeded to clean itself before making its way towards her in its graceful gait. Gingerly Jurie offered it her hand and watched wide eyed as it nuzzled against it, it's surprisingly soft fur silky to touch.

Letting out a sigh of relief, the tension left her body and she stroked the tiger's head gently. It purred with satisfaction, laying down by Jurie's bare feet, showing its  white silken stomach, as she giggled. For the next few minutes Jurie patted the gentle beast as it sat contently by her side, her previous worries of Rami pushed to the back of her mind. Sitting crosslegged against the tiger cozily, she felt her eyes flutter close as the forest faded out of sight.

~~~~~

Hey guys how was it? We hope you have enjoyed the chapter and the story so far. Thank so much to all the lovely people who commented and voted you words have truly made our day. And thank you so much for 1.4k.

So why might the tiger have taken a certain liking to Jurie? How will Rami react? Please tell us what you think in the comments.

So until next time:

"May the odds be ever in your favour"

(I have no idea why I wrote that)