Sorry everyone for not updating for awhile. I've been on vacation so i haven't been using my computer very often. But here is the chapter and i hope you like it! I'm writing the next one already so hopefully i can get it out by the end of the week. And a BIG thanks to everyone that has Favorited my story! oh and Happy Valentines Day! To bad that this chapter doesn't have to much of the lovey dovey. SORRY ^-^:

Don't own Red River

Chapter 10: Thebes

A loud clang rang throughout the small underground temple as cold water spread across the stone cobbled floor and leaked through the cracks as Yamanu fumed and raged barely able to cut himself from screaming in frustration. The blood bangle had failed and they where no closer to capturing the girl. The lunar eclipse was fast approaching and the girl was slipping farther away from him. At least last week her body had come closer to his hideaway. It did make it easier to capture her but also very difficult. Ramses didn't let the girl out of his site when they did venture into the capital streets or else she was locked in the mansion that was heavily guarded. Yamanu so wished that he still had his seat of power and would be able to get into Ramses estate with a little more ease than he was having now.

"Master Yamanu." Akil came towards him calmly; his deep monotone voice not even effected by his master's temper. Akil hadn't been punished because he had done his duty but Yamanu so wanted to hit something. Too bad Akil was too beautiful and Badru was out doing whatever he did. "Badru has returned." Yamanu smirked with victory but then Akil's words turned his smirk into curiosity, "and it seems he had good news as well."

"What news can that man possible have that will be good news to me?"

"The girl takes long walks. With only her maid," Badru said coming out of the shadows that he blended well in, "I could easily grab her."

"What maid?" Yamanu asked.

"The plain one." Badru answered and Yamanu just nodded. "They go out and help the people in the slums. It wouldn't be hard to grab her without anyone noticing."

Yamanu thought for a little while, weighing the options and liking the odds. "Very well Badru. You can make yourself useful and get her for me."

"What about the other one?" Badru asked as he cracked his knuckles in excitement.

"I don't care. Kill her if you want." Yamanu said as he turned his back and grabbed his wine goblet, "Just make sure to bring the other one here. Alive."

Badru grinned showing his surprisingly white teeth against his ebony skin, "Very well Master."

0000

"Sayuri," that voice was all it took to make Sayuri catch her breath and have a light blush spring across her cheeks. Sayuri was starting to worry how much she liked having him around; mostly because he wasn't around all the time. Almost every day he went to the palace and had meetings with Pharaoh Horemheb and the other generals. Supposedly there was an uprising up north and there were discussing what to do. Sayuri wanted to know more about it but usually Ramses didn't like talking about his work with Sayuri and was too tired when he got home to have a long conversation.

So Sayuri spent most of the first two weeks they had been here in the estate not really doing anything. Khai would usually go with Ramses so it was usually just the girls that kept Sayuri company. Until one day Ebo went missing from estate. Ebo had come with them and had taken awhile to heal but when he had healed he was easily bored with not doing anything. So when everyone went out to the market, heavily guarded, he would disappear off on his own. Only returning when they were about to leave. He never really did say where he was only once did he say where he went when Sayuri asked him.

"Finding friends around my age, too many adults at that big house," was all he said. Sayuri didn't say anything more about it because she could tell that he got restless in Ramses' home.

But once he had disappeared from the grounds even when they hadn't gone out. Sayuri was worried about him especially when he didn't return for the night. None of the guards thought it anything of his disappearance saying that he was a child and would eventually come back. They weren't worried about a boy that mistress Sayuri had taken up from the streets of Memphis. So Sayuri and Femi snuck out and went to go find him. When they had finally found him he was playing with some children in the street. That is when Sayuri say the other side of Thebes, not the glamorous side but the poor side, the starving side; many families and orphaned children where just barely surviving and sometimes living on the streets and Sayuri wanted to help them.

When she had gone home Sayuri wanted to talk with Ramses about helping the poor families but he was frustrated and exhausted from the discussions.

"They can't make up their minds! You would think that they would remember what happened from the last uprising that wasn't taken care of. Just a bunch of proud aristocrats that don't want their money taken away."

Sayuri decided that Ramses had too much on his mind to worry about everything else. And she knew that he would just assign guards to her every time she went out and they would most likely scare the commoners. She had asked Leila if she wanted to come with her and Femi while they passed out food and clothes but Leila didn't like the idea. Ever since they had come to Thebes Leila didn't want to do much of anything, usually she stayed at the estate unless they went out to shop.

So already for a week and a half Sayuri had been sneaking out for a couple of hours while she said she was napping with Femi and Ebo. They would go to the families and help them by either buying food or clothes. Sayuri loved helping them and being useful.

"She is a beautiful young woman." An old woman commented when to Femi when Sayuri was washing some clothes in a tub by the Nile. "She was pretty before but when she smiles you want to smile with her."

"Yes, she is a wonderful person." Femi smiled as she looked at Sayuri. Some of the children playing in the shallows of the Nile sprayed water her way. Sayuri's laugh rang out and she called to them.

"If you want to get wet how about you come and help me!" She smiled at them. Everyone seemed to watch her, the older women that had come down to wash and mothers holding their children in the shade; trying to avoid Egypt's hot sun. Femi felt proud to be Sayuri's servant and was glad that they had grown closer in the past week, and Femi was able to speak out more even though she still called her Miss Sayuri around everyone. Since Sayuri didn't want to seem like a rich person coming to help them, because as she convinced Femi, she wasn't rich, she was just living with Ramses; not earning any of her money.

"Play with us! Play with us Sayuri!" One of the younger girls with a missing front tooth called, her name was Meri.

Sayuri was just about to tell her that she had to finish laundry but one of the other women washing laundry came over.

"How about you take your turn with the children Miss Sayuri, I think we need a break from them." She said jokingly.

"Are you sure?" Sayuri asked but the children were already pulling her gently out of the laundry bucket asking her again to play with them.

"It's fine. You've done a lot of it already." Another older woman said and Sayuri finally got out of the bucket and when her feet touched the ground she ran after the six children, who scattered in screaming laughter.

On the way back from leaving commoner's houses Femi had to remind Sayuri twice that it was time to go back to the estate until finally she grabbed Ebo by the collar dragged him outside and lead Sayuri as well. She was glad that Sayuri liked them so much but the more they came the harder it was to take Sayuri away from the them and that worried Femi the most. That she would accidently stay to long and Ramses wouldn't know where they were. Most likely making Ramses searching for them or worse, them being found by someone that would not be so nice to two young women on the street at night.

"Lady Sayuri, we shouldn't be leaving so late anymore, you don't want to be caught outside late at night."

"The sun is still up, I don't see night anywhere." Ebo putting in his two cents.

"It is early dusk Ebo; we should be home now and waiting to greet Master Ramses from his way back from court." Femi scolded him but Ebo just made a face but didn't say anything else anymore as he went a little ahead.

"That boy needs to learn some manners." Femi said shook her head slightly disapproving.

"I'm sorry Femi." Sayuri sighed happily, "It is just that I love it out here. Being with children and not having to worry about things. I feel like General Ramses wants me to fill this mold of a high class lady but it just isn't someone that I am . . . and I don't know if I ever will be."

"Lady Sayuri. You don't need to worry. Master Ramses isn't trying to fit you into a mold. He cares for you and wants to give you anything he can to make you happy."

"Maybe he needs to get to know me better. I don't like gift given to me for free. Besides," Sayuri looked down, "I'm going to go home soon." Femi didn't say anything but she did feel sad that Sayuri still wanted to go home. But she could understand a little bit. Having a totally different people and culture thrown at her would make anyone miss home. But she never really talked about it. Femi did ask once if she missed her family but Sayuri had said she didn't have any. She just missed being in this place called Japan. "Plus ever since we came to Thebes he has been busy and is never around." Sayuri said quickly drawing Femi back into the conversation.

"He is very busy My Lady. I've heard a rumor through the servants that the Pharaoh might name him the next Vizier. It is a great honor and responsibility." Femi said but even though she saw curiosity in Sayuri's eyes she could also see that Sayuri missed Master Ramses. No matter how much she tried to hide it. Femi looked around and saw that they were almost out of the commoner district. Ebo was still walked ahead of them. Picking up rocks and tossing them. The sun was very close to touching the horizon and Femi knew they had to get home.

Suddenly a figure came out of the rising shadows and grabbed Sayuri by the arm. A big black hand wrapped around her small arm tightly gripping it like a vise. Sayuri yelled out and Femi turned around to see a huge bald black man clasp a meaty hand around Sayuri's mouth to stop her from yelling. The man's black eyes where small and wild as his white smile revealed a sinister evil. Femi was frozen but when the man started dragging Sayuri away something inside her kicked into action. She charged at the man, "LET HER GO!" she screamed. Badru saw her coming grinned and quickly shoved her aside with one powerful swing of his arm.

"Don't make me kill you-," but he didn't finish his sentence before a rock hit him in the corner of his eye. He roared like an injured rabid lion covering his right eye with his hand.

Femi, through her dazed senses saw that Ebo had thrown a rock at the huge man. But now that his attention was on him Ebo became frozen just like she had been a moment before. Femi scanned the area around her, found a huge rock the size of her fist and aimed it for the giant's head but ended up hitting on the muscled back. He yelled again turned towards her his eyes full of rage. "Ebo! RUN! Go get Master Ramses! GO!" Femi said and watched as Ebo took off in the direction of home.

"You'll pay for that." Badru hissed through his teeth the blood running down his face a grotesque abstract against his ebony skin as his eyes glared at her. Femi looked at Sayuri and found her unconscious Badru had squeezed her middle too hard and drove the air out of her lungs.

Femi knew that this man was going to take Sayuri away and she wouldn't be able to stop it. She could stall the huge man for a little while but not long enough for Ramses to come. So Femi did something that she wouldn't have done for anyone else. She charged the man again grabbed on to Sayuri and held on tight with her whole body. With a split second thought before Badru hit her over the head, she tore a rip on Sayuri's dress so that the tiny beads fell slowly off her dress. Badru's second hit made Femi's sight go black and hazy and the third one to her side made all the strength she had left in her leave her body in one small breath.

The plain servant women fell away from the younger girl with a heavy thump and Badru kicked her twice more knowing that she probably wouldn't survive the beating. "Stupid woman." Badru spit out as he wiped the blood away from his right eye heaved the girl over his shoulder and slipped into the growing shadows.

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