My Name is Egyptian

You could hear the guards from the General's house following you. You make a left and exit the house, quickly looking for a place to hide, but the night is to dark to tell what is safe and your arms are getting numb from the heavy chest you are carrying. Then you spot a lantern in the distance, it illuminates the wheat fields.

You run.

The sound of your pursuers following you grows and eclipses all other sound. You know that the fields won't hide you for long, especially if they send for more guards. You know they will find the boat, you know you can't make it to the river before they do. Your time is running out and the chest in your arms in starting to gain weight and is impeding your movement. Stopping in a patch of tall wheat grass you hunker down and wait. It will give you enough time to catch your breath and think.

A rustling not far from where you're hiding makes you freeze, and stop breathing for fear of being heard. The sound of their footsteps are so loud they sound like drums, as they move closer to where you are, your heart starts beating erratically. The crunch of their footsteps on the ground sounds like only two guards' are moving towards you, but that doesn't ease the frenzied beat of your heart. The guard's stop a couple yards away, you can't make out anything, but their height, the same shadows that are shielding you from discovery are also making them impossible to see, but their voices are loud enough to carry to where you are hiding.

The taller of the two speaks first; the back of his head is the only thing you can make out as he is turned away from you to speak to your other pursuer.

"Have you found her yet?"

"NO, damn it. But she can't have gotten far, not with what she was carrying."

"Alright let's split up, you look in the barn and I'll check the fields we'll meet up at the court yard statue of Isis."

"Yes sir."

That man moved off, the night completely eclipsing him in shadows. But as he moved out of your sight the other one starts to head your way and again your fear rises, you realize that you have to get out of here. Running seemed ridiculous, because you'd never get far with the chest and leaving it behind would make all this entirely pointless and that was something you refused to do. The chest was too important to leave behind. Hiding until they gave up was the best decision at the moment, but that led to the chance of the approaching guard discovering your hiding place.

The guard was only getting closer and even with the dark and tall wheat grass aiding you the likely hood of him discovering you was becoming a definite possibility, he seemed to know exactly where you were. His frame became bigger and you could now make out his uniform and his short brown hair. Feeling the sweat on your hands as your grip on the chest tightens and starts to slip. Releasing one of the chest handles you search around franticly for a pebble or a rock.

Picking one up by your left foot you through it in the direction you aren't planning on running and give a silent prayer that the guard takes the bait. You see him stop and turn towards where you threw the rock. He pauses and looks right at you, but the night has covered you in a black blanket securely hiding you from his gaze. Turning, he starts walking in the direction of the rock, you finally breathe easy. Your hands are still leaking out sweat and wiping them on your clothes you grasp the chest and start making your way to the main road as quietly as you can.

The package in your hand is heavy and it hinders your movement, but that couldn't be helped. The contents were going to save everyone back home, and you could not, would not let them down. So slowly you make your way to the edge of the field and onto the main road. You hate being on it, but the guards would never expect their thief to so boldly travel on the main road, so even though you feel that at any moment you will be attacked or found out, you straighten your back and head in the direction of the city.

After an hour of tense walking afraid that every wagon that passes will recognize you; you arrive at the city. The town is just waking up to its nightly parade of events. Passing a bunch of rowdy soldiers that are having fun with a couple of ladies of the night, you flinch. Wishing your destination was closer than the fifteen minute walk it would take.

Night life in the city was boisterous and no one cared who you were, too concerned with their drinking and whoring. It was a gift in disguise and you weren't about to let the unsettling view of soldiers and their doves being intimate get in your way.

Up ahead you see your destination. Traveler's was the only place in the city that you knew was safe for you. The Inn's reputation was seedy and so soldiers wouldn't be there to take you prisoner.

Bracing yourself against the door you push the chest onto your left hip as you push the worn out wood door open. Entering, you feel safe for the first time that night, your heart beat slows to its normal pace and the shaking hands that have protested the carrying of the chest ease. Your fear subsides but it does not completely disappear. Your mission is still unfinished and until it was your life was still in danger.

The interior of the Inn is cramped, there are tables everywhere, but only a few patrons and none are soldiers. Thanking Isis for that, you move farther into the room. The rooms lighting is bad, but its better then when you were outside in the dark. Zigzagging through the tables and passed one patron who looked to be passed out, but surrounded by an overwhelming smell of rot, you maneuver to the bar and put the chest on a stool. You wait for the Inn keeper.

The Inn keeper is a man named Kulash he was foreign, and his stay in Egypt hadn't been without sacrifice, no one questioned why he didn't like the aristis (aristocrats), but since he helped us from time to time no one cared. His only condition was that his name was never mentioned in any way or in association with the rebellion.

You knew his description from reports and a brief glance a few years ago at a gathering. So when he entered from an adjacent room that must have led to the cellar and walked to the bar you knew it was him. He stood about five feet five inches which was about two inches taller than you; he had brown eyes and grey hair that held a few strands of black just like his beard. His clothes were worn and there were stains of some kind of food and drink on it, he was wearing an apron like piece of cloth around his round belly. His forearms were bare of any covering and underneath the hair you could clearly make out a scar running from the top of his wrist and then reaching around to end just beneath his elbow.

Kulash turns to you and places his hands down on the counter in front of him before he speaks.

"How may I help you miss" his voice isn't rough like you expect, but jovial like a grandfather who's asking if you want a sweet from the bakery. Taking a deep breath, and leaning in you answer in a hushed tone.

"My name is Egyptian."

There were certain phrases used by agents of the rebellion to ask for help in the different situations they found themselves in. This one was reserved to life or death matters.

You could barely see it but he stiffened a bit and smiled "Of course miss and how about some dinner and a room, I have the best cook in the world situated in my kitchen doing absolutely nothing oh… and how about a nice hot bath for ye."

You sigh in relief he was going to help you.

"Yes thank you very much." Your voice is steady and certain.

"Napta show her to the Right room it's got a perfect view miss, I'm sure you'll like it."

Translation if you needed to escape, the room would serve as a perfect place to do so.

"Oh innkeeper I was hoping to send a gift to my family back home it's my brother's birthday and I was hoping you would know of someone who could deliver it. I would do it myself, but I am tired and was hoping to do some sightseeing since I've never been to Thebes before and I so want it to get there on time."

Translation it's not safe for me to move can you get something important to the leader of the rebellion quickly and without delay.

Again he paused, but again he was willing to help.

"Yes in fact I am sending my servant up to an outlying vineyard tomorrow to pick up more wine he can take it with him and it will arrive safely. May I ask how long you wish to rent a room?"

Translation I can get it to him, but how long do you need to lie low.

"I was thinking of staying at least two days and then heading to see my cousin, haven't seen her since she married… now if you'll excuse me I'll go to my room now, if you will come by in an hour or two, I will have the present ready for your man to deliver tomorrow."

Translation I am going to stay two days just to make sure it is safe and if you will pick up the package in an hour I will have it ready for delivery.

With that the conversation ended and you pick up the chest off the stool and follow Napta up to the room. You decide to write a letter to your brother first explaining what happened and why you won't be there when the chest arrives. Napta leads you up a flight of stairs and then takes a left and guides you through a hallway until she stops in front of a door on the right. She opens the door and then hands you the key.

"If there's anything you need, just let me know."

You mutter a thank you and enter the room and close the door with your foot, it makes a thud as it shuts. Turning and examining the room you find it small, plain and perfect. Your first order of business is to hide the chest and for now you place it under the bed. Not original, but at most it will only be there a couple of hours before it's sent to its final destination.

Three hours later you are washed, fed and your letter and the package are on their way to your brother. Your last thought is hoping that your brother will receive the package soon and that the military secrets it held would finally help bring about an end to this civil war. Too tired to change, you fall onto the bed and are instantly asleep.

Unbeknownst to you downstairs three soldiers enter.