AN: Disclaimer- I do not not own the Mummy of anything else.
So, I've been out of the writing and focusing mostly on the reading lately, but due to the surprise snow storm and lack of work for the past week, I've had time to write! My muse lead me to start a couple of new things in the Mummy-Universe rather than continue/finish some of my currently in-progress works. This idea just took hold of my brain and would not let go. Hopefully, the muse will lead me back to those...we'll see how long the snow storm lasts!
The Wife-Nap
It happened every few generations. The Med-Jai were prone to have mostly baby boys so over the course of a few generations, there would be a severe shortage of women amongst the tribes. Some elders speculated that it had to do with their sacred warrior duty; that the pharaohs who had charged them with protecting their ancient treasures had ensured that enough boys would be born to supply their regiments. Apparently they had over done it slightly.
The solution had come as soon as the Med-Jai had realized the problem. One thousand years after the Hum Dai had been performed, they had an emergency meeting of the twelve tribes and decided that there could be only one action: to take single women from their homes in the cities to join with and marry their warriors.
And so the tradition of the wife-nap began…
1920
"It is time again." Basir Bey sighed. The other elders nodded and murmured their agreement. "No girls have been born into any of the twelve tribes in over 20 years; all the women are married. It is time for the unmarried warriors of our tribes to seek their brides among the city dwellers."
There was no descent among the elders, for this was a tradition almost as old as their very existence. However, Basir was not particularly fond of the idea of kidnapping young girls from their homes; he still remembered what it was like to hold his daughter in his arms for the first time, even though now she was thirty-five and had two sons of her own.
"Summon the chiefs!" Abdul, another elder, called out. Soon a group of twelve men walked into the room. They all knew what the purpose of the meeting was and soon they had their orders. Each tribe would leave the oasis and return to the lands they regularly patrolled and head to the cities. Some would go to Cairo and some to Aswan. And one tribe, one tribe would go to Luxor, formerly the ancient city of Thebes.
OOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOO
"Come, Ardeth," Basir said as he led his son, recently installed as Chief of their tribe, to their horses. They would return to their camp tonight and tell the rest of the warriors in their tribe the Council's decision. Then the young warriors would go to Luxor to find their wives.
"Father, I must talk to you," Ardeth said once they were on their horses riding towards home. It would be a short ride to the rest of the tribe. Basir slowed their pace and turned to his son.
"Yes, my son? What is it that troubles you?"
"Father, I am…worried about taking a woman." Ardeth could swear that his father was blushing and then when he thought about what he had said, he himself began to blush. "No! No, I mean, worried about taking a woman from the home she had known to our way of life."
Basir chuckled a little bit; glad that they wouldn't have to discuss that. He studied his son carefully out of the corner of his eyes before responding.
"Ardeth, do you think of your grandmother?" Basir asked at last. Ardeth hesitated.
"I do, Father. You must know, as you were her son, she would sometimes miss the family that she was taken from even though many years had passed and she eventually came to love grandfather."
"Yes. I do know; though perhaps not so well as you, my son." Basir looked at his son. Ardeth had been close to his grandmother, even closer with her than Basir himself had been. Although, Basir thought with a sardonic twist to his lips, that could be because of the passage of time. His mother had not fully reconciled herself to her fate until many years after his birth.
Ardeth lowered his head.
"I do not wish to cause my wife this pain." He said in a low voice. Basir sighed.
"It must be done my son." Basir said after a lingering silence. Ardeth nodded and they rode in silence. Basir knew that Ardeth would do his duty, and he knew that his son's wife would have an easier adjustment than his own mother had; Basir's father was a good man- but did not have the same gentleness towards women that Ardeth had.
But he knew that his son's heart would remain heavy. Looking at the silver colored dunes that they rode through, Basir tried to think of a solution. The sand sparkled like diamonds in the moonlight and Basir allowed the desert night to calm the anxiety he felt on behalf of his son.
Ardeth allowed them to travel in silence the rest of the way. He knew that he would do his duty, however it pained him, whoever it pained. He always did. He did not always enjoy killing people at Hamunaptra, but he did to prevent the resurrection of The Creature. And he would do his duty now, to ensure the continuation of his people.
As the two Bey men rode into their camp, they were greeted with cheers. Ardeth spared a kiss for his sister and mother, and then turned to his father who was addressing the tribe.
"Yes, it has been decided that once again we shall go into Luxor for our unmarried warriors aged 20 years and older to seek their wives." There was a murmur among the people. Basir raised his hands and all was silenced. "We shall all spend the next two days praying to Allah that they find that which they seek." All of the people cheered at that pronouncement.
"How long shall we have?" A young warrior called Rashid called from the back of the crowd. There were a few chuckles and Basir smiled at them.
"One month at most." Basir allowed a twinkle of laughter into his eyes. "Unless you can convince a girl quicker than that, Rashid!" There was laughter from all the people and Rashid gave a good natured grin at the teasing. Basir quickly became serious again. "May Allah grant you wisdom." Basir said before taking his wife by the arm and escorting her to their tent, leaving an excited murmur in his wake.
Ardeth watched his parents go. He absently felt his sister pat his arm before she walked to her own tent. He was brought back to himself by a punch in the arm. He had his scimitar half drawn before the laughter fully reached his brain.
"Serious thoughts, Ardeth?" Rashid asked with a cheeky smile.
"Not now, Rashid," Ardeth growled at his childhood friend. Rashid merely chuckled in response.
"I for one am excited by this opportunity." Rashid began. Ardeth gave him a look that clearly stated, 'You would'. Rashid merely laughed and clapped Ardeth on the back. "Don't look so glum, my friend. We have a whole month; perhaps you can find some damsel in distress to save." Rashid said chuckling. Ardeth merely scowled so Rashid walked back to his tent, leaving his friend alone.
Ardeth looked around and saw that all the people had gone back to their homes. He walked to his own tent where he laid in his bed staring at the ceiling. Sleep did not come.
OOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOOO
The Med-Jai did not enter into the city as one large group. Their appearance alone would make any large group appear suspicious to the people there. They had several houses throughout the city, even though some of the men had not ever had contact with the world outside of the tribes.
Ardeth was one of the few who had lived in the outside world; he had attended Oxford University for a few years, primarily studying linguistics. At Oxford, they had believed that his tribe had sent him in order to trade better with the ever increasing amount of Western tourists to Egypt. Really it had been to train him to better warn travelers away from the Ancient sites; Ardeth could now threaten death in 7 languages.
Ardeth and Rashid rode in together and reined in at the house they were staying at. It was rather close to the ruins of the temple of Luxor. He hadn't been there in a long time, and it always surprised him how close it was to the Nile River. He let a slight smile slip over his face as thought of being that close to the river, water was usually such a luxury, it always pleased him to be so close to the water.
Ardeth frowned as he saw a boat pull into the dock. He began watching the people as they exited the boat, looking for any signs of excavation gear. They would have to abandon their other "quest" if their sacred duty came up.
As he watched, Ardeth's hopes began to deflate as he saw no evidence of archeological tools. Although, he tried to console himself, perhaps they had waited until they got down to Luxor to purchase their tools. Ardeth studied their faces carefully, trying to figure out their motivations. He noticed that there seemed to be mostly families getting off the boat with luggage bearers trailing behind. Ardeth watched them and suddenly he felt that all the air had left his lungs.
Her hair was long and brown and fell in waves around her. The wind off the Nile picked up her hair until it seemed to be a wild cloud around her head; it had a life of its own. The young man next to her swatted her hair out of his face and mock glared at her. Ardeth studied them both and realized that they were probably siblings; their resemblance was too close to be anything other. He quickly turned his attention back to the woman as she threw back her head and laughed. She quickly gathered her hair and put it under a hat, much to Ardeth's regret. He grabbed his telescope and went to get a closer look. Her face was heart shaped and he realized how petite she was as he viewed her through the telescope. He watched her as she interacted with her family and his heart sank. Could he take her away from them?
"Ardeth! Come! We must go out into the town." Rashid said rushing into the room. He paused when he saw Ardeth with the telescope in his hand. Rashid grinned. "Unless you have already found someone?"
Ardeth's answer was a long time coming. He looked at his friend's easy grin and saw how it began to fade the longer he waited to answer. He thought back to the girl's smile and infectious looking laugh…
"Yes." Ardeth answered at last. "Come, we must go."
Ardeth and Rashid left the building together. Their path automatically led them to the temple; it seemed like they were automatically drawn to Ancient ruins.
"So tell me of this girl, Ardeth," Rashid said in the language of the Med-Jai.
"She has just arrived in Luxor." Ardeth replied and then hesitated. "She is Western." He added at last. Rashid raised an eyebrow and then looked at the group they were following…
"Are we following them, my friend?" He asked with a laugh in his voice. Ardeth gave a look, which eventually melted into a sheepish smile.
"Maybe." He said at last. Rashid laughed, causing the attraction of several of the baggage handlers. One of them dropped their parcel, causing its contents to spill out onto the street. Both Ardeth and Rashid rushed forward to help as the party came to a stop.
"Oh! My case!" He heard a feminine voice exclaim in English and before he knew it he was kneeling across from the very woman he had been observing only minutes before. Ardeth felt himself staring at her and as though she felt his eyes on her, she looked up.
Ardeth found himself staring into the most intriguing brown eyes; in fact, they were such a pale shade of brown that they were almost gold. He felt Rashid nudge him none too subtly and he broke her gaze, noticing that she was blushing.
"Thank-you." She practically whispered to them in English. Rashid, who did not speak English, merely nodded at her as she began to blush. "I mean…oh blast, what was the word…Sho-Shu-"
"You are most welcome." Ardeth said quietly in English. She smiled at him in relief. He felt his own lips lift in response. He put the books in his hand into the case and snapped it closed. "Please allow me to carry this case the rest of the way for you."
"Oh, that's very kind of you, but I'm-"She appeared to be rather flustered.
"Please." Ardeth said and stood up offering her a hand from where she was kneeling. She tentatively put her hand in his and stood beside him. Ardeth smiled down on her, she was even more petite than he thought; barely reaching his shoulder.
"Alright." She said quietly. Ardeth hesitantly released her hand, and then spoke to Rashid quickly in their own language. The baggage carrier began to throw a bit of a fit and Rashid quickly pulled him aside and paid him.
"Jenny! What are you doing back there?" A male voice called out and Ardeth saw the same young man that she- Jenny- had been laughing with on the dock running up to them. He looked at Ardeth and the way that his sister's arm was resting on this strange desert man's arm warily.
"Oh! Joey, this is er-" She looked at Ardeth embarrassed.
"Ardeth Bey." Ardeth replied quickly assessing the young man before him. Ardeth bowed respectfully and the young man stuck out his hand.
"Joe Lydon. Pleased to meet you." He said and as Ardeth shook his hand, Joe managed to steer his sister slightly away from Ardeth. "I see you've met my sister Jenny." Joe said while raising one eyebrow.
"Yes, I'm afraid that my friend and I startled your carrier causing him to drop his load." Ardeth gestured to where Rashid and the baggage carrier were bickering. Joey chuckled a little bit. "Please, allow me to carry this case the rest of the way."
Ardeth felt himself meeting the younger man's assessing gaze. He wondered if he could tell what his intentions were towards his sister. He must've seen something that he was suspicious of because the next thing Ardeth knew, the case was being removed from his grasp.
"That's alright Mr. Bey, our hotel is just one street down. I can handle my sister's case from here." He bowed to Ardeth and gestured to his sister to follow him before turning to continue down the street. Ardeth looked at the girl. She seemed a little embarrassed by her brother's heavy handed manner. Her eyes met Ardeth's before she looked away blushing.
"Thank-you for your help Mr. Bey. It was a pleasure to meet you." She murmured and followed after her brother. Ardeth watched her go, knowing that this would not be the end of their time together, but merely the beginning.
OOOOOoooooooOOOOOO
Ardeth was standing in the hypostyle hall at the temple of Luxor, feeling frustrated. It had been a week and he still hadn't been able to see the girl he had chosen for his wife again. Her brother seemed to be very protective of her, or else he knew the traditions of the country and was protecting his sister's reputation.
To make his situation more frustrating his good friend Rashid had found a girl and already returned to the Med-Jai camp. It had happened just the other night…
The two Med-Jai were walking down the streets of Luxor intending to go to the market. They figured while they were here they might as well pick up something for their mothers, and in Ardeth's case, his sister. They just knew their women relatives would flay them alive if they returned empty handed!
As they walked down the aisle of the market, looking for a reputable place to buy cloth and other such bric a brac, they heard a male voice rose in anger.
"You stupid girl! What are you doing?" Both Rashid and Ardeth turned towards the sound of the noise and noticed a woman of about 23 clutching broken pottery shards as a man bore down on her.
"I'm sorry father, I did not mean to be so…"
"Useless!" The man interrupted her. "You can't even walk without breaking my best pots!" He moved to slap her, but before he could Rashid had caught his hand and stopped the man.
"That is no way to be treating a woman." Rashid said, in a tone that Ardeth had never heard his friend use before. However, Ardeth had never seen a woman slapped around like that before either.
"You stay out of it!" The man spat at Rashid, ripping his arm out of the younger man's grasp. "This is my daughter…my worthless, unmarried, daughter…and I can treat her in any way that I see fit." Rashid glared at the man, Ardeth merely crossed his arms and looked on stoically, wordlessly letting his friend know that he was here to support him and fight with him if it came to that.
"I think you have given up your rights as a father if this is how you treat her, if this is how you talk to and about her." Rashid said dispassionately. Both Med-Jai watched as the man's face turned beet red.
"You know nothing of it! She has disgraced me and the family! She has lain with a man!" The man proclaimed expecting Rashid and Ardeth to recoil and then mind their own business. Both Med-Jai did take a step back in shock and turned to look at the girl. She had not looked up from the ground and they could clearly see tears falling from her face into the dust that she kneeled in. Her father grabbed her under the chin and forced her to look at the Med-Jai.
The girl had bruises on her face and a particularly livid one across her lower left jaw and a red mark over her eye where her father struck her moments before. They could also see the hand prints marking around her neck. Here unusual green eyes seemed to plead with them to end her misery.
"Sir! Did you cause those bruises to her neck?" Rashid asked in astonishment. Ardeth, however, seemed to come to a different conclusion.
"Rashid, my friend," Ardeth began and as Rashid turned to his good friend, understanding seemed to come to his eyes. The girl's father merely spat on the ground at their feet, before throwing the girl down before them.
"If you want the little trollop you can take her!" He yelled furiously. "Just so long as you get her out of my sight." The two Med-Jai exchanged glances and Rashid nodded.
"So it shall be." Ardeth intoned. And they left the market, with the girl between them. She was still sobbing and even crying out to some of the people in the market as these two strange warriors led her away.
When they reached their house, Ardeth thought that the girl was going to pass out from fright. However, Rashid had a calming and jovial manner about him that was eventually able to get through her panic. He explained to her that he was going to take her back to his people where she would be his wife. She seemed incredulous about the last point but he had assured her of his seriousness. Once she began to believe them, she began crying with relief and praising Allah for sending her this second chance.
Rashid jokingly told Ardeth that his hero-complex ways were rubbing off on him. But Ardeth knew his friend was happy about this when he noticed the soft look in Rashid's eyes and how the girl's eyes seemed to glow when the two looked upon each other.
Ardeth rubbed his hand over his eyes tiredly. He wondered if he should go and try to find another girl, one who like Rashid's, would be thankful to him for taking her away from this place. He sighed, feeling despondent. He was about to turn to leave when a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Oh, come Joey. I just want to stay out here amongst the columns a little bit longer." Ardeth felt his heart leap in his chest and he moved closer to the voices.
"Jenny, it's dark! How will you be able to draw anything in the dark?" A frustrated voice answered back.
"Oh, I don't intend to draw in the dark." She said and Ardeth could swear he heard the teasing smile in her voice. Her brother sighed.
"So, why can't we go back to the hotel?" Ardeth turned the corner and saw them. The girl was sitting on a portable chair with one of the books that had fallen out of her pack on her lap and an array of pencils on the ground beside her. He brother was standing over her with an exasperated look on his face.
"Because. You know I love this place. I'd just like to sit here for awhile and enjoy it, outside of the heat of the day."
"Yes, I know, you've done that every night since we've been here." He muttered with an irritated look. She merely shrugged in response and began to ignore him as he huffed another irritated sigh. "Fine, you can stay out here one hour and then I'm going to come back to get you. Don't forget that we have an early morning tomorrow."
"Thank-you." She said grinning up at him. Her brother sighed again before patting her shoulder and leaving, muttering under his breath.
Ardeth observed her for a while in silence. She seemed to be looking up at the columns lost in thought. He took a deep breath before going over to approach.
"I see that I am not the only one who enjoys this sight at night." He said in his melodious voice, causing the girl to jump and the book to drop from her lap. She looked at him in surprise before a smile blossomed on her face.
"Mr. Bey! You startled me." She said and his heart leapt when she said his name.
"Inshallah. That was not my intention. Please, call me Ardeth." He bowed and then bent down to pick up her book, noticing the drawings in it as he did. "You are an artist." He said at last holding it out to her. She took it with a blush.
"You are too kind, Ardeth." She said and lowered her eyes. "I do enjoy drawing." She added softly.
"From what I saw you are quite talented." He moved closer and gently took the book back from her. "May I?" At her nod he flipped through the book and smiled at what he saw. They had started at Giza, for he saw several renderings of the pyramids and the sphinx, as well as some from the souk. The drawings seemed to trace her travels in Egypt. "These are quite lovely." He said when he glanced up and saw the hesitant look in her eyes. He turned the page again and was surprised to see his own face looking up at him. "You seem to have captured me quite well." He murmured.
"I hope that you are not offended." She said and he handed her the book back.
"No, I am merely flattered by your attentions," He replied. Ardeth wondered if he should take her away tonight. They sat together in silence for a moment and Ardeth saw her looking wistfully at the moon above them. "The moon is quite beautiful tonight." He said in a low voice.
"It is," She turned and looked at him. "I love this place at night, after all the heat has gone and there are no people around…" She trailed off in a sigh. "I don't know how to explain it."
"I understand," Ardeth replied. And he did. It was as though sitting there, in that grand hall, he could imagine it as it once was, imagine how his ancestors saw it. Sitting there in the moonlight with no sounds other than the distant sounds of the desert and the lapping of the Nile, it was easy to imagine that they had fallen back in time.
"Yes, I imagine that you do." She said with a smile. "My brother thinks I've gone round the bend when I try to tell him that." She confessed.
"Family may love you, but they will not always understand you." Ardeth said, realizing that he was quoting his grandmother.
"Yes, indeed. My family is quite wonderful, but we see things very differently." She confided with a laugh. Ardeth laughed in response.
"You love them very much." He said at last, feeling that his duty was going to be harder now that he had talked to her about this.
"Yes. I do." She said. "In fact, my brother is taking me tomorrow to the Valley of the Kings." She laughed at the incredulous look on his face. "Not to a dig! I would be perfectly useless at that."
"I did not realize I was so transparent." He said with a slight smile.
"Oh, yes quite." They shared a smile before she continued. "No, I wished to see the drawings of the tombs and my brother has a few friends from University who are working on a dig that will allow me into one of the previously discovered tombs."
"That is quite a unique opportunity. And desire. I find that most Westerners are more interested in the gold that they can find and not the beauty of the world around them." Ardeth was debating if he should take her or talk about his plans towards her, when her brother returned. Ardeth could tell that her brother recognized him and he could also tell that her brother did not believe his presence was a good thing.
"Come, Jenny. We must get up early for tomorrow." He said sharply. Jenny started at his tone and frowned at him a bit.
"Alright, no need to be rude. You remember Ardeth Bey who helped me on the way from the boat." She said standing from her seat and motioning towards Ardeth.
"Yes, I remember him." Her brother said, his frown deepening. Nonetheless, he nodded his head in polite acknowledgment before turning to his sister. "Are you ready?"
"I suppose." She rolled her eyes at her brother good naturedly and handed him her chair to carry before turning to Ardeth. "It was very nice to see you again. Shall we see you again in Luxor?" She asked and her brother made an impatient noise. Ardeth bowed to her.
"I shall not remain in Luxor much longer." Ardeth said and was pleased that she seemed disappointed by this news. "I must return to my people." He said at last.
"Well, it was lovely talking to you." She said with a half smile. "Safe journey to your home."
Ardeth did not reply, he merely bowed to them and watched as they walked away until the night seemed to swallow them up. He felt sorrow at his intended path, but now his heart was even more fixed upon it. He went to his horse, gathered his possessions, and mounted up; the night would last long enough to get him over to the Valley of the Kings.
OOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOO
Ardeth had watched as the diggers rose at dawn to begin their work. The two men leading the dig seemed to be respectful of their teams; rising with them and occasionally picking up the spade themselves. He assumed that these must be the friends that Jenny had mentioned the night before.
Two horses appeared to be approaching the camp and the two men in charge called for a break. It was shortly after 8am and Ardeth surmised that the two travelers must've gotten up very early indeed to cross the Nile and arrive at the Valley so early. He smiled as he recognized Jenny's petite figure gesturing emphatically about something.
Ardeth made a note of which horse was hers and where the horses were corralled. He saw them lead her into the tomb of Ramses IV, one of the most beautifully decorated tombs if his memory served him correctly. He waited until all three men left the tomb and the dig began again. Ardeth was pleased to note that the dig site was a bit away from the tomb she was studying. He left his horse behind the dunes and went to collect hers first.
Ardeth had little trouble separating out her horse from the rest. Fortunately, everyone was so busy with what they were working on that they didn't notice him move it behind the dunes with his own horse. Then he went to the tomb. The sight that met him there was much like the night before. She had set up her camp stool and a lantern and seemed to be drawing some of the art on the walls. However, when she went to touch the sarcophagus, Ardeth had to stop her.
"I would be careful with that, the Ancient Ones would at times spread poison on their tombs to prevent tampering with their bodies." She started and turned around, one hand pressed to her chest.
"Ardeth!" She gasped in shock. He bowed and noticed that she looked at him in confusion. "I am surprised to see you; I thought that you were going home?"
"I am sorry that I misled you. I shall not do so again." He said and was saddened by the wary look that came in her eyes. He took a step closer to her.
"My brother says that your intentions towards me are not…are not what they should be." She said at last taking a step back.
"My intentions are noble." He said taking a step towards her. She took another step back, until she bumped up against the wall of tomb, looking a bit like a cornered animal.
"But you're following me." She accused in a soft voice. They stared at each other in low light given off by the lantern. The silence seemed eerie thanks to lantern and surrounded by the surreal images on the wall.
"Last night was a coincidence." He said at last, their eyes never breaking contact.
"And today?" She asked. Ardeth reached out and touched her arm.
"Today, is no coincidence." Before she could do anything more than let out a surprised gasp, he kissed her. Ardeth felt her body stiffen. He stroked her arms lightly with the palms of his hands and felt her slowly begin to relax against him. After a while, he pulled away.
"Oh." She said after a moment pause, her head still tilted up towards him. He smiled down at her closed eyes and raised a hand to stroke her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open.
"I've come to take you home with me to be my wife." He said in a matter of fact voice and watched as her eyes widened in shock and disbelief, before she let out a strangled sounding laugh.
"I- that's ridiculous!" She said at last. Ardeth shook his head.
"No, indeed. We must leave now." He walked towards her things and picked up her book and pencils before handing them to her, where she was slumped against the wall.
"You can't be serious! I can't leave! My family would never allow it." She exclaimed rather more loudly than Ardeth would have liked; her words seemed to echo off the walls.
"I have not come to ask." He said at last. She looked up at him and he grimaced at the fear in her eyes. Before he could continue, there was a scuffling sound behind them and her brother appeared in the lamplight.
"What is going on here?!" He exclaimed outraged at seeing Ardeth.
"Joey, thank God!" Jenny replied and moved towards her brother, but Ardeth caught her arm.
"Let go of my sister." Joey said coldly.
"I have come to take her as my wife." Ardeth said. "Nothing shall stop me."
"Like hell!" Joey replied and moved forward, attack intent on his mind. The fight was over before it began and Joey was lying on the ground stunned. Ardeth grabbed Jenny and began to drag her out of the tomb towards where the horses were waiting.
"No! Please, let me go back!" She sobbed. Ardeth grit his teeth and continued to pull her away. Some of the diggers pointed and yelled at them as they left the tomb when her cries reached them. Ardeth began running, dragging the girl behind him; he whistled for the horses.
He pushed Jenny behind him and pulled his scimitar as the group reached them, causing the diggers to jump back and exclaim rapidly in Arabic. They were not going to risk their lives for some Westerns that they had just met that day! Jenny tried to run forward, but was pushed back by Ardeth.
Then, he heard the whiny of a horse behind him and saw his horse approach; her horse following closely behind. As he swung himself up in the saddle, the girl tried to run again, but Ardeth merely reached out his hand and pulled her up beside him. As soon as they were father from the camp, and he could see that they weren't being followed, Ardeth stopped, worried that the extra weight would tire his horse unnecessarily.
"Please, please! You can still take me back! Please!" Jenny begged. Ardeth merely hardened his heart to her pleas. He helped her mount her horse and grit his teeth at her continued tears.
"Come, we should reach my village by nightfall." He said at last and they rode together in silence towards the Med-Jai village that would now be both their home.
OOOOOOooooooOOOOOOO
Jenny looked across the fire to where Ardeth was sitting and saw that he was staring at her. She wondered how long he had been looking at her before she realized it. Looking around at all the other people that were there- the other girls that had been taken just like her, the warriors- their captors part of her screamed- the young children running around, the older people looking on. She sighed. Even if she knew the way, she didn't think that she would be able to survive on her own through the desert.
Ardeth stared at her across the fire. The flickering of the flames illuminating the tear tracks on her face. He sighed internally at that, wishing that he knew how to take the sadness away from her. He stood up and slowly approached her after she looked back down at her lap. Jenny looked up when she felt him standing over here.
"I am sorry you are unhappy." He said. She felt a painful tug in her heart at his words and was about to answer him sharply when she saw in his eyes that he really was sorry. She lowered her gaze. Somehow, his upset didn't make her feel better, like she had thought it would.
"I…" She trailed off into a shrug, unable to express herself. He took that as an invitation and sat down beside her.
"After tonight, we will be considered wed by the tribe." He said quietly and she looked at him sharply, but was unable to read his face; Ardeth was looking intently into the fire.
"I see." She replied, hating the tremble in her voice that gave away her fears.
Ardeth turned back to her at that and took her hands in his own.
"Do you? Do you really?" He asked and was saddened to see that she had begun crying again.
"I know that it means that we shall a tent. That if I deny you, you will probably…kill me." She replied, whispering the last words. Ardeth cursed in Arabic and pulled her close, even though she struggled against his embrace.
"No! I shall never harm you, this I swear." He insisted and he waited until she stilled in his arms. He half expected her to accuse him of hurting her already by taking her away from her family, but the accusation never came. He loosened his grip slightly and ran his hand over her hair marveling at the softness.
"It means that you are Med-Jai." He waited for a response from her, but she remained silent. "You will be the wife of the chief, and all the other women of the tribe will seek your guidance and judgment for their grievances." He paused, but she did nothing but sniffle a little bit and turn her face into his side. He lowered his voice and continued, running his hand through her hair again.
"You will have a different name." They sat in silence for a long while together. To an outsider, it looked like a loving embrace, but Ardeth knew better. She was allowing him to comfort her because he was the only one she knew. He knew that she did not love him; he feared she never would even though he knew that he already loved her with all his heart. They sat for so long, that eventually he thought she had fallen asleep. He moved to carry her to their tent, when she spoke.
"What is my name?" She asked in a small voice. He looked down at her in his arms and saw that she was looking up at him. She had stopped crying a while ago, but he could still see the dried tear tracks on her face. He wondered what she was thinking, but was unable to read the look in her eyes.
"Jana." Ardeth replied and held her more tightly. He pushed back the door to their tent and set her down. She looked around her surroundings a bit curiously. "It means heaven."
She looked up at him and gave him an assessing look. He looked back at her and tried to let his thoughts come across to her; things he couldn't tell her yet but desperately wanted her to know.
"You are my Heaven…I love you."
She must've seen something in his eyes that set her at ease because he saw her shoulders relax almost imperceptivity before she opened up her arms to him. Ardeth bent to pull her into an embrace catching her lips with his. She pulled her head away slowly and he tried to hide his disappointment, but it was only short-lived as she moved her lips to his ear.
"Tonight, just for tonight…will you call me Jenny?"
Ardeth brushed his cheek against hers and felt a shudder go through her frame. He tightened his grip a little before moving to whisper in her ear…
"Jenny"
End
AN: I had a couple of ideas for a potential sequel, but let me know what you think!