Chapter One
It was the harvest season and the Nile had flood leaving the farms abundant with supplies. It was a time of intense labour with people working from sunrise to sunset, reaping the wheat to be collected by the women who followed them, gathering up the sheaves into baskets. On that one sultry afternoon, Anck-su-namun, daughter of Hapu, a wheat farmer, and was known for her celestial beauty, suddenly stopped her gathering due to a sharp pain in her chest. Underneath the dirty linen dress she wore she pulled out the silver pendant of a symbol of Isis, divine mother of life and sorcery. It had been chafing again. Akila, her mother saw that her daughter had stopped and questioned her,
"Anck, why have you stopped? We have much to do before Atum passes over the sky. Our family needs the money from this grain."
"Oh mother, this (pendant) is giving me pain, please let me take it off."
"Anck-su-namun," Akila said with an unyielding voice, "you know you are not allowed to take it off, it was a gift from someone of great importance, and you are to leave it on"
"Yes mother…" Anck-su-namun cringed and replaced the pendant underneath her garment.
While working, Akila felt numerous pangs of remorse. Anck-su-namun did not deserve the life she had, she should belong in a palace, adorned in gold and waited on by servants, instead she was labouring in the wheat fields, oblivious of the life she could have had. However it was the wish of Anck-su-namun's real mother, whom came to Akila's home in the middle of the night seventeen years ago. It was on the most mysterious night. The wind in the air sang of excitement, the birds flew around with glee. The loud banging on the door woke Akila and Hapu, who rushed to great their visitor. The stranger, whom was concealed by a long hooded robe held a wrapped bundle in their arms. The aura around the woman was mystical and spoke with a voice that melted like honey. She pleaded for her baby daughter to be taken care of; for fear that the baby would grow up in a corrupt environment. Wrapped around the babies blanket was the silver pendant which Anck-su-namun wore around her neck. The stranger told the couple Anck-su-namun was to wear the pendant, for she was to become a devote follower of Isis. From that day on, Akila swore to always love the baby girl as her own and raised her in their humble environment, abiding by the wishes of the mysterious woman.
The hard labour from the harvest finally came to an end, and was time for Hapu to leave his farm and to journey to the city of Thebes to sell his wheat to the granaries. Upon hearing about the journey, Anck-su-namun pleaded with her parents to allow her to accompany her father, as she wanted to visit the great temple of Isis and see the city as she had never been. After much contemplation, Akila and Hapu agreed in letting her go. Akila was not enthusiastic in letting her go to the city, for she feared the child would corrupt her untainted soul.
It took the party a week to travel by donkey to reach the granaries in Thebes. Anck-su-namun was overwhelmed by the grandiose and monumental structure of the city. In the high-rise were the tops of the colossal oblisques (sp?), temples and palaces. Wide-eyed she wondered through the busy bazaar with merchants bargaining and selling their goods. She was amazed by all the activity she did not realize she had walked right into a middle aged woman.
"Oh my," she gushed, " I am so sorry, I have never been to Thebes before… and I.. I'm sorry." She stuttered. The woman scrutinized her very carefully before asking, " What is your name dear?"
"Anck-su-namun, daughter of the wheat farmer hapu mame,"
"Where are you from?"
"From a farm in Coptos mame"
"thank you Anck-su-namun," and with that the lady disappeared into one of the bazaar huts.
Anck-su-namun continued her way towards the temple of Isis, which was situated in the center of the city. From across the other side of the center square, Anck-su-namun was able to hear the hymns from the temple of Osiris. Interesting idea to put the temples of husband and wife gods near each other, she thought to herself.
The temple of Isis was itself majestic. The façade was engraved with images depicting the winged Isis in a vibrant royal blue, gold and red. As she walked through the main entrance, Anck was captivated by the copious amount of columns, each depicting the mysteries surrounding Isis. She placed herself infront of a statue and began to pray. Anck allowed herself to become completely engulfed by the hymns and the strong smell of sandalwood and lotus, that she lost track of time.
One priestess gently touched her shoulder, arousing Anck from her deep meditation.
"The public prayer area must close now, I am afraid you must leave," the priestess stated. When Anck-su-namun looked up at her, she became suddenly overcome with a sense of piety. She could feel a sense of power, a sense of spirituality that she had never sensed in anyone before. Feeling as if unwelcome, Anck-su-namun ran out of the temple. In her running she did not care to notice the person she bumped into on the way passing the temple of Osiris, however they noticed her….. they were captivated by her slight figure, her long wavy black hair her large brown eyes and the golden glow of her skin. How they wanted to call out to her to tell her to stop, she would never know……
Back in the temple, the high priestess, who had seen the whole event approached the priestess.
"Who was that?" she questioned,
"Some farm girl, I am not sure,"
"That was not just a farm girl, I am sure you felt it"
"yes, yes I did.."
end of chapter one, hope its not too horrible! Please review
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