A note, there is a lot of mention of the 'gods' in here. Egypt was very religious so yeah, they talk about or pray to their gods somewhat. Also the time line in relation to RedRiver is about 5 years after the Peace Treaty was signed so Ramses is in Egypt and Yuri and Kail really won't be featured much. Also rated 'M' for later chapters so, be careful what you read if you're not 18 or older. :p
Captured Thief
I: Seshafi
Seshafi entered the small hut and closed the door behind herself. She was tired but pleased. She had been out all night doing her work and she had gotten much done.
She putting on a clean dress when she heard someone outside her door. Listening carefully she heard the muted footsteps of more than one person carefully stand outside.
Gods! she thought surprised. She reached for her small sack just as the guards kicked the door in without any warning. Seshafi ran toward her small window; she could get outside of it and run.
But someone was waiting outside for her.
The guards grabbed onto her from behind and pulled her away from the window and into more hard grasping hands.
She didn't scream. There was no point and she would only make them more excited.
The men took the ropes they had brought with them and bound her arms and ankles tightly. Then they lifted her small body up and carried her away.
She was bound. She was caught. Like an animal she was tied to a stone wall in a tiny windowless room.
She tried not to panic. The walls were too close. She couldn't breathe. She was so closed in, and she had no escape.
Seshafi fought to control herself. She wondered if they had known she couldn't endure such small places or whether they had simply picked this room because she could not escape from it. She didn't know. She was becoming more and more terrified with each passing moment.
Please, please someone come in here. Open that door. Let in more air. She begged the gods silently. She did not believe they would listen to her. Her own patron god was Set and he would just as rather see her tutored for his own amusement than help her. And the other gods would also ignore her because they were not fond of Set.
For once though, the gods seemed to have heeded her request. The door was opened. She shuddered in relief as soon as she saw that the world beyond this room was still there. Then when she saw the man who entered the room she felt herself go tense.
The man looked the woman tied to his wall up and down. She was small, short for a fully matured woman. Her long hair was ebony black and slightly unkempt. Her dress was simple and showed signs of being rather worn. Her feet were covered by old sandals that looked dirty and almost broken through. Her face was defiant. Her dark gray eyes shone with fire.
The man walked closer to the woman and she clenched her jaw shut.
"So," he said when he was only a few feet from her. "This is the infamous thief that has all of Egypt screaming for revenge." he said mockingly.
Seshafi lifted her chin mutinously. She was already caught. There was no point in talking with him. She would be sentenced to death for her crimes. She would most likely been given to the crocodiles that swam in the Nile. It was usually a rather fitting death to those who served Set.
"We had such trouble looking for the thief who was taking money from all nobles and merchants. Even priests you stole from. And we didn't find you. After all, who would have thought such a clever thief could possibly be a woman?" the man sneered at her.
She scowled unable to contain herself. She was a woman, and women were supposed to be docile and submissive. She never had been either of those things. No one had even guessed who she was. She wondered how they had managed to figure it out. She must have been careless somehow.
"Nothing to say woman?" he asked laughing mockingly at her. Against herself she had to ask. She had to know how she had been caught like this.
"How is it that you did find me?" she asked softly looking to the floor in her disgrace.
"You were foolish. To steal from merchants or lesser nobles might be easy for your skills, but to attempt to steal from General Ramses who not only is the Pharaoh's high adviser, but he is also the best military man in Egypt. Three of his guards spotted you."
Seshafi cursed herself. She had known not to try the General's house. She had known that his house was well guarded and his guards were well trained. But she had needed to money, and she had believed that she was the best of thieves. It had been her pride that had sent her to this small dungeon.
"And now? To the crocodiles?" she asked still in a soft voice.
"Undoubtedly." the man said with cruel eagerness. "But first you will be brought before Pharaoh and his court to be sentenced for your crimes."
Pharaoh and his court.... she thought slowly. She let her body relax. Why keep fighting? She had known her life would end this way. How could it not? She had been born nothing. Born of parents who had nothing and so died. Left to the streets so early as so many children in Thebes were now, she had had to fend for herself. Stealing what she could, running constantly, sometimes although rarely, she had been able to find a honest job. Cleaning or cooking and earning her food the right way. But mostly she had had to take what she needed. It had been either that, or sell herself as a whore. The stealing had seemed less repugnant to her.
She would go to Pharaoh's court. And she would have to face all the people she had stolen from. She would be lucky if she even got to the crocodiles. The court itself might tear her to shreds.
Laughing wickedly now that he had finally caught the prey he had been searching for for months, the man strode from the room to send a message to Pharaoh.
The bird was caught, and her cage was strong.
