-Chapter 2: Forever Young-

"Akefia!" she called as she ran across the marketplace.

He turned to see her running to meet him, a big smile on her face. He smiled back. Now he had known her for almost a year now, and they were great friends. Every few weeks she and her father would come back into Kul Elna to sell their goods, of poor and excellent quality, to the villagers. She had explained the merchant system to him in one of her recent visits. 'We sell all kinds of stuff,' she said as he gazed at the plethora of jewelry, art, weapons, and useless knick knacks that people adorned their houses with. 'But most of it is fake.' she whispered in his ear. 'That way, we get money, and people get to adorn their houses with things they think will make them look wealthy. Except here, in your village.'

'Why not my village?'

'Because, as you well know, Kul Elna is a village of thieves and mercenaries. They know what the good stuff is, and the town favorite is weapons.'

'How do you get the good stuff?'

'That's a secret!' she attempted to sound offended, because her father was right there and he wouldn't be too happy about her shoring the secrets of his industry. However, later when they were alone she had told him most of it was bought off of professional thieves.

When she got to him, she explained how her father was doing business with some 'interesting characters' (which was the code for wanted criminals) and told her to be gone for the day and not come back until after sunset. They had the whole day to play together. He was glad, because he had all the free time in the world, and he could find no better way to spend his time with his best friend.

After this brief but happy exchange she proceeded to throw an arm around his shoulder and they walked off through town. She asked him how he had been, and he told her of the small trifles of childhood that he had experienced while she was gone. The few mild encounters with mean kids, which he had avoided with her street expertise (one must be street savvy when one is a girl with no home who visits the big cities of Egypt on a regular basis), a troubling fight that his parents had when Akefia went home with a black eye, and the meaningless gossip about who has a crush on who and what fighting moves such-and-such knows.

When he was finished with his drabble, he asked her about her travels. She went on to tell grand tales of the great cities of Egypt and the adventures one could have in them. Stories of the great palaces and temples, with floors and walls so smooth that one could not believe they were built by human hands, of terrors of a girl alone in a city who had to run errands by herself, and would often end up having to lose a gang of men who had very ill intentions in the twisting streets of Cairo, and of the other children she knew; Iris, daughter of her father's wealthiest customer, Hatsep, a slave girl who brought water to other slave men who built homes and temples 'in the name of the Pharaoh', and of Menes. Her tone saddened when she talked of him, for they wouldn't be friends anymore. When Akefia asked why, she shook her head and told him Menes' sad story. He was an orphan who had struggled to stay alive by himself and now that he was eight he could join a local band of thieves. She didn't like thieves, for they were always trying to get her alone and some had even offered to buy her from her father, an evil glint in their eye. To her relief her father loved her more than anything and he always declined in such a way that they would not become angry. But she was always watchful, for no matter how many times her father declined they always tried to steal her away afterwards. On more than one occasion she had been approached and they had tried to coax her into an ally or abandoned building, for what intentions her father would not tell her until she was older, but she knew that whatever it was it could only be bad. But the point of her story was that Menes was to her lost, and she was sad. He tried to console her by saying he would never be lost to her. She smiled at that. "Do you really mean it?"

"Yes."

"Will you promise?"

"Sure."

By this time they were at their favorite spot just outside of town. It was up on a hill, where a slight cliff face overlooked the village. They hung their feet over the edge and watched Kul Elna and all its people bustle about their everyday lives. She grabbed his hand in hers, and put her other had over her heart. He did the same. She grinned. "Do you swear that you will never ever ever join a gang of thieves and leave me alone?"

"Yes."

"Cross your heart!"

He crossed his heart. Satisfied, she tried to pull her hand away. But he held on. She looked at him with an extremely confused expression. He smiled mischievously. "Do you swear to be my best friend forever and ever and never ever ever leave me?"

She beamed back at him, crossed her heart, and said "Yes!"

They shook once, and dropped their hands, both content in their new agreement.

It was silent for a while, and as the sun set they gazed over the expanse of the village, which to Akefia was the whole world and to her was only part of the grand scheme of things. A very small part, yes, but her favorite. For some reason she liked Kul Elna better than any other place they went, no matter how grand the sights were. She didn't know why, though, she was too young to know when friendship was as strong as theirs that it was special.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" her sudden outcry broke the silence and made him jump slightly. She reached into her band and pulled something out, but before he could see it she hid it behind her back. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

Excited, he did as he was told. He almost thought she had forgotten. When he felt the slim leather in his hands he opened his eyes. In his hands was a leather sheath with the butt of a blade sticking out. He quickly but carefully slid out the knife. It was beautiful, yet simple. A blade made of thin cut rock and a handles of strong wood carved with an intricate design depicting a snake, which lay in a coil that wrapped up the entire handle and rested its head, which had eyes of solid obsidian, at the end of the hilt. It held the earthy-brownish-tan color tone of the flint blade. The moment he saw it he knew that it was an important gift. He looked at her and grinned, no, beamed. She could swear that his pale demeanor was actually glowing for a moment, and she couldn't help but beam back.

"Father said that it was a good gift for a 'strapping young lad.' It's hand crafted, father saw it made. I thought you would like it." He carefully sheathed the blade and threw his arms around her in a tight but warm hug.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Happy seventh birthday Akefia."