The Med-jai Chronicles: Ardeth's Younger Years
The Boys' and the Egyptian Hornets
By Ladybug
Disclaimer: The character of Ardeth Bay is owned by Stephen Sommers and Universal Studios. No infringements intended. All other characters were created and are owned by the author.
This is a series that has been in the making for about a year now. The first two stories have been completed for quite a while and some of you may have read them over on my Oded Fehr fanfic website Weaver Of Dreams. The third story is currently in the hands of my beta and I hope to have it posted for you soon.
And speaking of beta's – a special "Thank You" to Tori for taking good care of me and my boys and for all your suggestions and ideas!
Also wanted to mention that for those of you who read Mommints outstanding Heroes series, she recently introduced one of my warriors into Heroes IV named Kedar Ishaq. This is the series where I created Kedar and you will meet him as a young man – a good friend to Ardeth - and hopefully you come to appreciate the wonderful "Beast" as much as I have along with the twins and Samir.
Rating: PG-13
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Come on, you scarab! Is that all you have to offer me?" Kedar Ishaq blocked a powerful blow and felt it vibrate through his arms right down to his toes. Allah, he needed to quit goading Ardeth like that.
Kedar jumped back quickly and barely swung his scimitar up to knock at his best friend's downward swing. At 6'3" and 245 lbs, Kedar may have been taller and physically stronger than his friend, but Ardeth was swifter and far more cunning. Even at a young age, Ardeth proved to be cunning with a sword and Kedar had the scar to prove it.
When they were each a mere five years of age, they had been playing one of their favorite games, "Warriors and Imhotep" in Ardeth's parents' tent. They had their toy swords, but Ardeth had discovered his father's scimitar and had tried to wield it against his archenemy. And though Amid Bay had quickly snatched the sword out of his son's hands, he was not quick enough, and Ardeth managed to nearly put his best friend's eye out.
Ardeth had been devastated by the accident and Kedar took great pleasure in reminding Ardeth of his guilt in marring his good looks, for now, at the age of twenty, Kedar was indeed a very handsome young man. He was tall, muscular and extremely charming. He had dark brown eyes that could turn nearly black when they were filled with rage or lighten with mirth or deepen with desire – and he had a reputation as a flirtatious rake among the single females of the tribe.
The only discrepancy to be found in his looks was the wicked-looking scar that sliced through his left eyebrow – slashed down across his left eye - to end just above his thick mustache. However, the scar never seemed to hamper his way with the females for long. Once they got over the initial shock of it, he could usually charm several into doing whatever he wanted.
And while the females desired to be near him, the mothers desired to keep their daughters away, but Kedar didn't care. He had no desire to settle down. With that firmly set in his mind, he took great pleasure in flirting outrageously with the females in his tribe, but he always took anything further than that to Rana's in Cairo. There he could have his pick and not worry about wailing mothers.
Ardeth, on the other hand, drew the females like flies without even trying. Even at the young age of twenty, his once cute boyish looks had transformed into a rugged handsomeness. Intense brown eyes, dark hair that hung in curly waves to his shoulders and a neatly trimmed beard that framed full lips – he was indeed a sight for a young woman to behold. Most of the time he seemed completely unaware at how the females of their tribe swooned whenever he was near - as the son of the Med-jai Chieftain, Ardeth knew that he would be sought after – however, most of the time his mind was on his training – his duty.
In a few months, he would turn twenty-one and he would receive the tattoos of the Med-jai in a ceremonial ritual and join the other warriors in patrolling and standing guard over Hamanaptra. It was something that was important to him, for one day he would lead the Med-jai as his father did now and his father's father before him. A Bay leading the Med-jai could be traced all the way back to Pharaoh Seti I. And though Ardeth was very interested in females, only one specifically held his attention and even she was not his main goal at the moment
Both young men were stripped down to their pants and boots. Hard muscles and bronzed skin gleamed with sweat in the morning heat as the two young Med-jai warriors faced off on the battlements. They'd been going at it for over an hour now and Kedar was getting tired.
Suddenly, in an unexpected move, Ardeth swung his scimitar swiftly to the right – drawing his friend's block – at the same time he kicked out his left boot, hooking it behind Kedar's right one and reached out and shoved him hard with his free hand. Kedar landed on his back with a groan, but before he could recover, Ardeth had his scimitar at his throat. "Do you yield?"
Kedar grinned good-naturedly up at his best friend's serious face. "Aiwa, I yield," he answered.
"You know," he continued as Ardeth sheathed his scimitar and offered his hand to assist Kedar up. "One of these days, I shall beat you."
"Keep dreaming, ya saHib," Ardeth smiled in return and gave his friend's arm a hard yank to help him rise from the hard ground. "For it will be the only way you shall ever beat me."
They heard the clanging of swords and turned to watch as the twins – Husam and Humam Kulayb squared off. It was like watching one man fighting against himself before a mirror, except that Husam wore a beard. It was the only way you could tell the identical twins apart. They both were the same height of 5'11" and both weighed 170 lbs. They were a year older than Ardeth and Kedar and had already received their tattoos. They were pranksters – forever getting into trouble with the Commanders in one way or another. They took their duty seriously, but it still did not stop them from having a bit of fun, especially at someone else's expense.
"Who do you think will win this time?"
Ardeth glanced down at Samir Usmi who'd just entered the battlement and came to stand next to him. Samir was the youngest of Ardeth's group of friends. At nineteen, he was boyishly handsome and extremely shy. His blue eyes set him apart from the others and to his dismay, drew him unwanted attention from the female populace. Not that he disliked females, he was simply too shy to deal with them, and so he hid behind his books.
He was the smart one – always reading and seeking to learn more about anything he could. He would much rather wield a book than a sword and the twins liked to tease him that he would one day replace Dr. Bey at the museum. And he very well could. Not all Med-jai males received the tattoos at the Coming Of Age ceremony.
Some of them – like Dr. Bey – rather than taking the tattoos of a warrior, eventually went outside of the tribe to serve in other areas that would benefit the Med-jai. If it were shown that Samir would be more useful in that area than as a warrior, he would be trained and schooled in the customs of the outside world and sent to wherever he was most needed.
He was also a bit on the gullible and clumsy side and Ardeth was forever pulling him out of trouble that the twins had gotten him into. Poor Samir was their prime target in most cases. Not only was he teased for being intelligent, but he was also a virgin and that alone caused him much grief with the twins.
"Maybe they will kill each other this time," Kedar suggested from the other side of Ardeth. "And save us all the headache of having to hear the winner's boasting and the loser's bellyaching."
Ardeth shook his head with a smile. "They would only come back to haunt us and then we would never be rid of them." Kedar tossed his head back and laughed loudly.
"Ardeth."
The Chieftain's son turned towards the familiar voice of the Chieftain himself and watched him approach. "Sabah al khair, Abu (Good morning, Father)," he greeted the older man who was a slightly heavier version of himself.
Amid Bay stopped beside Samir and watched the twins battle each other for a few moments before turning to the three young men beside him. "How long do they usually go?"
"Well, that all depends, ya sidi," Kedar spoke up.
Amid raised an eyebrow in curiosity. The twins never failed to amaze him; they were the only boys he knew that could pull a prank on their enemy before taking them down. They had only begun patrolling and standing watch a few months ago. They'd turned twenty-one – received their tattoos – and tackled their duty like only the twins could . . . with gusto.
Their Commander, Talib Bishr had already told him of their exploits while on watch. One incident in particular happened a few weeks ago when a group of men had shown up at Hamanaptra thinking to dig up Seti's treasure. It was the duty of the Med-jai to guard over the City Of The Dead and to keep out all outsiders. It was their custom to drive them off – to kill, if necessary, in order to protect the secrets of Hamanaptra. But apparently the twins had other ideas.
According to Commander Bishr, Husam and Humam had snuck down before the planned attack and had basically booby-trapped the campsite. Saddle cinches were cut, rifles were disassembled so that they fell to pieces when picked up, and tents were rigged so that they would collapse with the slightest movement. There was so much chaos when the Med-jai finally attacked that Commander Bishr pulled his men back and watched as the strangers fled into the night. The twins had been proud of themselves, but Commander Bishr had frowned upon their prank and had reported them to the Chieftain.
Amid had been amused and had had to fight a smile while Commander Bishr retold the tale. He had not really wanted to punish the twins, for no one was hurt as a result of the prank and it had accomplished what they were there to do, however guarding over Hamanaptra was a serious duty and should be taken as such. So they had each received extra duty and had been forbidden trips to Cairo for two weeks. "Depends on what, ya shabb (my young) Kedar?"
Kedar grinned. "On how deeply in trouble they are with their Ume."
Ardeth snorted while Amid smiled knowingly. "Ah yes, I can see it will then be a long morning for them, hmm?" The young men nodded in agreement, knowing full well that the twin's mother spent most of her time furious with her boys.
"Well, I have a message I need for you to deliver to Dr. Bey in Cairo, Ardeth," Amid continued. "Can you leave right away?"
"Aiwa, Abu. I'll go get changed now." Ardeth grabbed his robes where they were draped over a nearby fence post and headed off to towards his parent's tent.
"Ya sidi, with your permission, may I accompany Ardeth to Cairo?" Kedar asked respectfully.
Amid thought a moment, his eyes still on the twins as they started to show signs of tiring. "Aiwa, Kedar and take those mongrels with you as well," he finally answered with a smile. "I think they have been punished long enough." He winked at Kedar and walked away to prepare the message for Ardeth to deliver.
~*~*~*~*~
Ardeth entered his family's tent, using the robes he still carried in his hands to wipe the sweat from his face and upper torso. He stopped suddenly when he heard feminine giggles to his left and he pivoted quickly to find three sets of eyes staring at his naked chest.
Jumanah Bay, Ardeth's younger sister walked in from the kitchen carrying a tray of tea and dried fruits and glared angrily at her brother when she spotted him standing half naked in front of her friends. "Must you walk around naked in front of my friends, ukh (brother)?"
Jumanah was four years younger than Ardeth. At sixteen, she was as beautiful as Ardeth was handsome – her long black hair hung in a thick braid down the middle of her back, but when it was loose, it was full of the same ringlet of curls that both she and Ardeth had inherited from their father. Where Ardeth's skin was bronzed by the sun and already showing signs of roughness from a combination of hard work and exposure to the weather - hers was a light olive – smooth and soft to the touch. They both had the same high cheekbones, straight nose and full lips, but Jumanah's eyes were almond shaped like their mother's and a more golden brown in color.
"I am hardly naked, ukht (sister)," he answered half annoyed that he was even still standing there, but his sister was right and it was improper for him to stand there half dressed in front of the single females, so he slipped easily into his black robes covering himself. He started to turn away, however, his attention was caught by a certain female presence in the room. He hadn't seen her at first, one of the other girls had blocked his view of her, but now she shifted ever so slightly and it was enough to catch his eye.
Normally, he wouldn't be able to see her face for it was their law that all females covered their faces, especially in the presence of an unmarried male, but she was a guest in his parents' home and therefore the covering was not required unless she left the tent.
Ardeth allowed himself the rare opportunity to look at her - his dark eyes roamed over her lovely face with her soft brown eyes framed by long thick eyelashes. She had very soft feminine features with her high cheekbones and small nose that turned up slightly at the end. Her dimples winked at him as she smiled and Ardeth had to bite back a moan from escaping. Like the other girls, her long silky ebony hair was pulled back in a thick braid that hung down her back.
Karimah Nasir was the daughter of Rashid Nasir, Commander of the Third Tribe and she was also Jumanah's best friend. In Ardeth's opinion, she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen and she never failed to take his breath away. Their eyes met for a brief moment – the knowledge of their mutual interest passed between them.
"Ume!" Jumanah yelled as she set the tray down with a loud rattle. "Ardeth is bothering my guests!"
Ardeth's eyes darkened in anger as they snapped up to clash with his sister's as he heard the voice of his mother. "Ardeth, ya ibney, come here please and help me for a moment."
"Aiwa, Ume," he answered respectfully, then growled at his sister as he passed. "I'll deal with you later, shoeya sheTan (little devil)." Jumanah tossed her head and ignored him. His gaze met Karimah's once more as he passed, giving her a brief nod, then disappeared back towards the kitchen area to assist his mother with whatever it was she needed him for. Most likely it was nothing, merely her way of defusing the situation.
Numa Bay was like that, such a gentle woman, yet strong – never letting them get away with anything. Ardeth adored his mother, he even loved his sister at times, but most of the time he'd like to kill her. Perhaps he could talk the twins into losing her in the tunnels of Hamanaptra sometime. He stopped short, then chuckled softly. La, she'd probably drive even Imhotep crazy.
Ardeth entered the kitchen area and immediately saw his mother sitting at a long table talking with another woman. Numa was a small thin woman, but what she lacked in size, she made up with inner strength. She was a lovely woman, with long silver streaked black hair that was braided and coiled and pinned at the base of her neck. She turned her soft brown eyes on her son and smiled. "Ya ibney, you remember Karimah's Ume, Farida Nasir."
"Aiwa, Marhaba, Saiyida Nasir," Ardeth greeted formally, bowing in respect. He noted that Karimah had inherited her mother's beauty and if not for the age difference, they could be sisters.
"Marhaba, Ardeth. I trust all is well with you?"
"Aiwa," he answered politely then turned to his mother – bending to kiss her cheek. "SamaH ana, Ume (forgive me, Mother), but I can not stay. Abu needs me to deliver a message to Dr. Bey in Cairo and I must get changed."
Numa Bay lifted her hand to cup the side of her son's handsome face and nodded. "Be safe, ya ibney and return home quickly."
"Aiwa, Ume," Ardeth answered and again kissed his mother's cheek. He turned to retrace his steps back through the front room area when Numa's voice stopped him.
"Go the back way, Ardeth. You know how your sister is when she is entertaining her friends."
Ardeth stopped and looked back at his mother over his shoulder and saw the twinkle gleaming in her eyes. "Aiwa, Ume," he smiled and redirected his steps down a hall that led to the bedrooms.
~*~*~*~*~
Several hours later, Ardeth rode his black stallion in silence towards Cairo. Husam and Humam – excited that their punishment was over and could venture into town again - had ridden up ahead to the oasis they'd be stopping at to rest and took Samir with them. Kedar rode quietly beside his friend until he couldn't stand the silence any longer.
"I hear Karimah Nasir was in the village today visiting your sister."
"Haik (So)." Kedar grinned as he watched Ardeth pretend disinterest. For a while now, Kedar had suspected that Ardeth had a soft spot towards his sister's best friend. Anytime a message needed to be delivered or supplies taken to the Third Tribe, Ardeth was usually the first to volunteer.
"So, did you happen to see her?"
Ardeth flashed him an annoyed look. "What does it matter if I saw her or not?"
Kedar laughed. "My, my, my. Aren't we a bit touchy? I was simply asking, ya saHib."
Ardeth pursed his lips together, annoyed that Kedar was seeing right through him.
"Aiwa, I saw her," he finally admitted testily.
Kedar laughed again. "Don't sound so pained, ya saHib. There is nothing wrong with admitting you saw her." Ardeth glared at him, but remained silent. Kedar grinned, his handsome face filled with mirth. "I hear that Haytham Sa'd has been asking about her."
Ardeth's head whipped around, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously. "Who told you this?"
Kedar bit down on his bottom lip to keep from laughing. "I hear he's planning to speak to her Abu soon."
Ardeth suddenly reached over and clamped a strong hand on Kedar's wrist, their horses coming to an uneasy stop. There was a dark dangerous look in his eyes as he looked at his best friend. "If Haytham goes anywhere near her, I will kill him. Karimah is mine."
Kedar's lips spread into a wide grin. "Do not worry about Haytham, ya saHib. I hear that Karimah's heart belongs to only you." He winked at Ardeth and suddenly Ardeth realized that his friend had purposely goaded him into confessing his interest in Karimah.
"Inta dud (You worm)," Ardeth growled and shoved Kedar off his horse. Kedar landed with a hard thud on the sand, then rolled up and howled with laughter. Ardeth watched his friend with a look of disdain. "It would serve you right if I left you here to rot in the sun."
Kedar pushed himself to his feet – laughter still dancing in his eyes. "Ah, but then who would be here to keep you out of trouble?"
Ardeth snorted as Kedar swung back up into the saddle and they continued on. They could see the oasis in the distance and their horses picked up the pace at the smell of water nearby. "You will tell no one of my interest in Karimah Nasir, Kedar."
"I would never betray your trust, ya saHib, but why the secrecy?"
"Because I do not wish to marry now. My purpose in life does not involve a wife at this point and I do not wish to make her wait until I am ready. Besides, she is only sixteen."
Kedar laughed loudly. "Allah, you are a contradiction! You do not wish to make her wait for you, but yet you will kill any other warrior that goes near her! Yes, that should help her decide on someone else." Ardeth glared at him, but said nothing. "And as far as her age is concerned, you know as well as I do that sixteen is not too young. Most of the women of our tribe are eligible for marriage at sixteen."
Ardeth sighed heavily; his shoulders slumped forward in defeat. Kedar knew him too well and made all his excuses sound stupid, even to his own ears. "Ardeth," Kedar continued after his friend continued to remain quiet. "I understand your reasons of not wanting to marry now. You are, after all, the future Chieftain of the Med-jai and much rests on your shoulders, but you should not have to go through that alone. Nothing is written that a chieftain must prove himself before he can have a family."
"I know, Kedar," he finally answered softly. "And perhaps you are correct. Karimah holds my heart and I cannot imagine a future without her, but still, I have not even reached my twenty-first summer yet. I have goals and a duty to my people that I must attend to first. How can I possibly take her as a wife when I'm not even on patrols yet?"
"Aiwa, I can see where that could definitely be a serious problem," Kedar teased. Ardeth shook his head as a small smile played around his full lips.
"You do not understand, Kedar. You have always been carefree with the women-"
"That does not mean I do not understand love and duty," Kedar spoke softly, cutting him off. He reined his horse in to a stop. They were still about a mile from the oasis and the hot sun beat down on them. Ardeth stopped just ahead of him and turned back to see what his friend was doing. "I know you, ya saHib. I know how strong your sense of duty reigns within you, however I also know that you are a man who needs the strong love of a woman behind him. If you feel you must wait until you are wearing the tattoos and are patrolling, then do so. But I suggest not waiting much longer beyond that. Do not torture her or yourself in that way."
"And this is advise coming from someone who flirts with four women at once while luring a fifth one into his bed." Kedar grinned unashamed of his reputation with the females.
"Aiwa, but that is me, not you, and you know I am right."
Ardeth was saved from having to answer when a high-pitched scream filled the air. Ardeth's horse reared up, startled at the sound and he quickly laid a hand on the stallion's neck, settling him. "That sounded like Samir. What in Allah's name have Husam and Humam done now?"
"By the sounds of it, it can't be good," Kedar answered, urging his horse forward. Both men sent their horses into a gallop as they hurried towards the oasis.
~*~*~*~*~
Husam and Humam hobbled their horses and looked around the oasis. It was lush and green and teeming with sounds of wildlife. Samir hobbled his own horse nearby and reached into his saddlebag for some dried meat and dates that he'd brought with him.
"Samir," Husam called out after taking a long drink from his water pouch. "Humam and I want to give you an early birthday present."
Samir looked up, suddenly feeling nervous. Anytime the twins sought to give him anything, it put him on guard. "My birthday isn't for four more months."
"We know, but we still wish to do something for you."
"Don't look so nervous, Samir," answered Humam with a grin. "You will like this present, I promise."
The only difference between the twins was the neatly trimmed beard that Husam wore. It really wasn't worn by choice, but out of respect for their chieftain who asked that one of them do something that would help others tell them apart. They were average looking young men, not overly handsome, but far from ugly. The tattoos that lay permanently across their cheeks and across their foreheads gave them a dangerous look and earned them many long stares and wide berths from foreigners in Cairo. The twins were the oldest of the group having turned twenty-one five months back and were notorious for pulling off pranks on others. Samir was their favorite target.
Husam crossed over to where Samir had sat down on a rock and dropped down into the sand – crossing his legs in front of him. "I have decided that you will not be spending your time at the museum like you usually do on our trips to Cairo."
"I won't?" Samir began wringing his hands together in a nervous gesture.
"No, you won't," Humam answered as he came up to stand behind Samir. "We are taking you with us to Rana's."
Samir's blue eyes widened in fear, his head began to shake back and forth in a furious motion. "Oh no, no, I couldn't possibly-"
Husam held up his tattooed hand to silence him. "Samir, you are nineteen summers now and still a virgin. I know that Humam and I tease you about this, but the fact is that the men of the Med-jai have been going to Rana's for many years to initiate themselves into manhood. It is something you should have done long ago."
"Husam, really, I can't." Samir's boyish face turned bright red under his olive complexion. He was both terrified and excited at the possibility of visiting Rana's. "I wouldn't know what to do."
Husam laughed, reaching over to give cuff Samir on the arm. "Do not worry, ya saHib. The whore will know exactly what to do and she will teach you how to please a woman." His smile began to fade when he saw his brother go on the alert. "What is it, ya ukh?"
Humam shook his head, but didn't stop staring into the thick foliage that was several yards off. "I thought I heard something, but it's probably nothing. You two wait here while I go take a quick look."
"Just be sure and warn us if something jumps you."
Humam looked back over his shoulder and flashed his brother a smile. "I think I will more than likely warn whatever is out there about you, ya ukh." Husam muttered something offensive and Humam laughed as he disappeared into the foliage with his hand resting easily on the hilt of his scimitar.
"Shouldn't we go with him, Husam?"
Husam spared Samir a quick glance before returning his attention to the dried meat and fruit he'd dug out of his saddlebag. "If there is anything out there, Humam can deal with it," he answered with confidence.
Moments later they heard Humam's voice. "Husam, Samir, taa'la hena (come here)."
His food forgotten, Husam stood and quickly moved towards his brother's voice. Samir jumped up and followed, keeping as quiet as he could. Husam moved like a jungle cat, swiftly, but with a quiet gracefulness. Samir had no idea how Husam knew where his brother was, but within minutes they entered a small clearing to find Humam standing on the far side looking up at something in a tree. "What is it?" Husam called out.
Humam looked back over his shoulder with a peculiar gleam in his eye that his brother was too far away to catch and smiled. "Come look at this, it's the strangest looking thing I've ever seen." He knew that it had to be some kind of bee or wasp nest and it was the perfect way to seek his revenge on Husam for sticking the tarantula down in his bedroll their first night on patrol several months back. He'd been waiting patiently for the right time and finally it looked as if his patience had paid off.
Husam and Samir made their way across the clearing to stand next to Humam. Pretending ignorance, Humam poked at a strange looking growth that was hanging from one of the branches with a long stick. "What do you think it is?"
Husam shrugged as he eyed the brown growth carefully. "I haven't a clue, I've never seen anything like it. What do you think, Samir?" When he received no answer, he turned his head to look down at the younger man to see him pale as a ghost beneath his olive skin. He frowned. "Samir?"
Just then the odd shape fell to the ground and broke open. A loud buzzing noise could be heard and the three young men looked down at the ground to see huge black and yellow hornets crawling on the ground, in and around what was left of the broken shape.
"Th-those are E-e-egyptian Ho-hornets," Samir stuttered as he began backing away slowly, his eyes glued to the insects crawling on the ground. "They are deadly – run!"
Humam paled. "Yaha (oh shit)." He spun around as the hornets began to take flight and collided with Husam. "Egry besoraa (run fast)!"
"We have to get to water," Samir yelled, his legs carrying him as fast as he could go. His heart pounded loudly in his chest in memory of what he'd just recently read about Egyptian Hornets. To find a nest of them out here in the middle of the desert was rare, but their sting was worse than a scorpion and they were quite deadly if stung too many times. "It's the only way to escape them."
The twins quickly gained on Samir and passed him, leading the way to the only body of water at the oasis, a small pond. They both skidded to a stop when they heard a blood-curdling scream. Turning back, they saw that Samir had fallen and a few of the hornets had caught up with him. Without thought, Husam ran back with Humam close on his heels. The buzzing was getting louder as the angry hornets drew closer.
They reached Samir quickly and swatted at the few huge black and yellow hornets. One of the hornets stung the palm of Husam's hand as he crushed it – the pain ripping through his hand and up his arm was like nothing he'd ever experienced. He bit back a cry of pain as he hauled Samir up and tossed him over his shoulder and began to run again towards the oasis.
They burst into the clearing where their horses were. Husam kept going towards the pond while Humam quickly let the horses go to fend for themselves. He heard the pounding of horse hooves and turned to see Ardeth and Kedar racing up towards him.
"What has happened?" Ardeth called out, looking around for an enemy of any kind.
"To the pond, quickly. Egyptian Hornets!" Few people in Egypt didn't know what an Egyptian Hornet was. Though they weren't as commonly found as other poisonous insects, their reputation was widely known.
"Oh for the love of Pharoah! Yalla imshi!" Kedar murmured and kicked his horse forward to get to the pond as quick as he could. They could both hear the buzzing getting louder and louder. Ardeth leaned forward as Humam swung up behind him and his stallion leapt forward.
They made it to the pond in time to see Husam and Samir splashing into it and having to lay down in it in order to submerge themselves. Kedar leapt off his horse and smacked it's rear to send it on and fell into the water. Humam and Ardeth slid off Ardeth's horse and ran towards the water, the loud buzzing of hornets right behind them. They hit the water with a loud splash and went under.
After what seemed like forever, they finally were able to rise up out of the water. Ardeth looked around carefully, but the hornets – having lost their targets - had left. Husam helped Samir sit up and noticed several large welts - one on his cheek and the other on the back of Samir's hand. Husam winced in pain when he put weight against his right hand to shift in the water and when he raised his hand up, it was swollen and slightly discolored around the palm.
"Would one of you like to tell me which idiot stirred up an Egyptian hornet's nest?" Ardeth snapped looking from one twin to the other.
Humam shifted nervously beside him and Ardeth turned his dark gaze on him. "Ana asif (I am sorry), ya sidi," he replied guiltily. "I swear I didn't know that it was an Egyptian hornet's nest. I would never endanger my brother or my friends in that way or in any other manner."
Ardeth sighed and ran a wet hand over his equally wet face. He glanced over at Husam who was examining his swollen hand. Ardeth then turned to see Samir cradling his arm. One side of his face was also swelling up quickly, making his features look deformed. "Is there any danger to you, Samir?"
"I non thinth tho," he answered through swelling lips.
"Husam, I want you and Humam to take Samir to the Ninth Tribe - they are an hour's ride from here. Let their healer tend to him and to your hand. Kedar and I will find you there on our return back from Cairo and collect you then."
"Aiwa, ya sidi," they both answered. Even though Ardeth was younger than them by a year and not yet in a position of authority, both warriors respected him and it never occurred to them to disobey. Naturally, they were disappointed in missing out on going into the city, but they both knew it was Humam's fault for what had happened and neither one of them complained of the decision. They were both just happy that no one had been more severely harmed or Allah forbid, killed.
It took some time locating the horses, but they did and a half an hour later, Husam and Humam had their horses ready and prepared to leave with Samir. The swelling in Samir's face seemed to worsen over time and Ardeth was becoming quite alarmed. He approached younger man as he prepared to mount his horse and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"I am worried, ya saHib. Are you certain you are in no danger?"
Ardeth wasn't certain, but he thought that Samir attempted to smile, yet all he saw was a slight twitching of his lips. "Ith wheel bhee fin, R'reth."
Ardeth couldn't help but smile at his young friend. He knew that Samir must be in pain, yet he was keeping up a brave front. "All right, I'll hold you to that." He turned to Husam and Humam as they approached. Samir mounted his horse carefully and waited for the twins to join him. Ardeth raised his hand towards them – palm out then moved it across his chest to place it over his heart. "Allah kan ma'i ma'aya (God be with you)."
The three warriors repeated the hand gesture and said in unison, "Wa ma'i ma'aya (And with you)." They turned their horses in the direction of the Ninth Tribe and moved off at a steady pace.
"Will he be alright?" Kedar asked coming up behind Ardeth as they watched the three friends ride off.
"He should be."
"Well, come on, then. After all that, I need a woman."
Ardeth laughed as the tension eased out of him. "When do you ever not need a woman, Kedar?"
Kedar flashed his most charming smile, his scar giving him the appearance of a dangerous pirate or a frightening nomad. "You make an excellent point, ya saHib."
Ardeth and Kedar swung themselves up onto their horses and turned towards Cairo.
The End (… of course, only until their next adventure!)