Banou is carried out without anyone noticing and frequently given to smell the handkerchief. Thus she is remain untie so that inspection points of the capital, they are able to move freely. She is dress up in the usual Persian outfits with Persian traders carriages. No one suspect that the princess is being kidnapped and leaving Chang'an.
Another two months pass, she vaguely knows that she is now out of the city. Travelling to where she does not know. Like previously he had her tied up in a caravan with goods in it. This time, the caravans are moving in a group of ten so that it is easier to run when danger of the Tang army is near. He arrange the caravan with her in it to be light and the horses to run faster than the normal horses. He personally feed three meals a day to her and refusing to release the ropes. The last time he did that, she run and disappear. It takes him another three years to recoup his resources. Thus he cannot fail again this time.
That night he feed Banou and talk about things in their childhood. Banou remain silence and did not do anything but eat the food that he serve to her mouth. When she is done, she sit back and look outside the sky. The stars are travelling fast and leaving a line in the sky. She wonder why is she back at the same spot again. The sands are trying to eat her up. Banou feels tired and she tell herself she should not think of having any hope. Her brother is the type who learn from his lesson and will not try to do the make mistakes again.
After a few days, there are sighting a group riders. They are dress in black. The leader of the group asked for food and water. Prince Bardiya agree since they are Arab men like him. Banou remain hidden in the caravan far from the group. She is not aware of the newcomers. After awhile, she hear no sound from the outside. A man come into the caravan that Banou is hidden in. Banou only can see his eyes they are lined with black eyeliner. He removed the cloth that is tied around her mouth. He bow slightly and speak in a strong Arab accent.
"Your highness."
"Who are you?"
He turn her round and untie the ropes that bind her. The moment the tight ropes are released, she feel like she is free from the hands that trying to push her down.
"We are sent by his majesty the great Sultan of the Ottoman empire."
Banou stare blankly till she remember in the last letter her father mentioned that he had trained a group of men to hunt for her brother. Are they the hunters?
"Please, would you like to step out of the caravan?"
Banou obediently follow him to get off. Her legs are so stiff that she can't walk properly. She look at head and see a group of men kneel down on the hot sand and some men holding their swords facing them. As she walks towards them, she see Bardiya press down by one of the men. He is cursing them.
"Your highness, i would suggest that you shout your mouth! Before you taste my sword!"
"Banou! Banou! Tell him to get his feet off me! Please!"
All the men in black stare at her. Waiting for her orders. She look at each of them and to to the man who untie him, she whisper.
"Can you just get those ropes to tie him up?"
He bow slightly and run back to the caravan to get those ropes.
Once they tie Bardiya and his men, it is already sunset. So they decide to camp for the night.
"Are you bringing my brother back to my father?"
"Yes your highness."
"Will my father..."
"Your highness, this is up to the great Sultan to decide on his fate. Our job is to hunt and kill however this time the order was to hunt and return."
"Thank you for you and your men in helping me."
"It is my pleasure."
"I will return to Tang tomorrow."
"We will escort you back. Along with all these... men and ... goods."
"Thank you but it will take you and your men a long time before you get to return home."
"We are trained. Don't worry about this. The great Sultan demands the capture of Prince Bardiya. We did not expect that Princess Banou is kidnapped. We happen to hear from the translator from Tang Dynasty about this. We ride in the sands for awhile searching for any sight. God is in our favour! For he show us where he might be heading. Praise god!"
"Yes praise god for the fortune."
She look at her brother who is laying on his side asleep. He have age so much from the last time she saw him. Now she carefully see that her brother is no longer that young handsome man. Now he is older full beard and white hair. He even have a small round belly. Banou feels sad for him, when he return to their father, he have more suffering. As children of the Sultan, they are never going to escape from the duty expected of them. Even when they are deem as common citizens, they are expected to respond immediate to the the royal family commands into the palace. Banou look at her brother, at his age getting punished by their father is really a sad sight to see. She is glad that she is not there to witness it. She pray and ask god to be lenient for the punishment that her foolish brother might receive.