Disclaimer: The character of Caitlin I claim as my own, but the Med-jai, Ardeth Bay and the "creature" are all from "The Mummy".
12 years after "The Mummy Returns"
Caitlin ran through the ruins of the city, holding hands with some of the young children, and running from the others. Her laughter echoed in the morning air. In doing this, she managed to forget some of the anger that she felt, that her father was once again not there, but instead doing what only the Med-jai, the men, could do- fighting and making a difference. The Med-jai had expanded their duty, so that now they defended against all the horrors and evil that were in this country, and not just against the threat of the creature.
The chasing children caught up with her group, and leapt on them, pulling them to the ground, and a mock fight broke out, accompanied with a lot of children. She rolled in the dust with children ten or more years younger than her, and tried to ignore all the anger she felt. Just then, she heard her name shouted in anger. She shook several of the children off, and looked up to see her "guardian", Jesney, glaring at her in anger. She bit back an "unseemly" curse, and whispered to the children "You should go". They obeyed, disappearing into the ruins, and she came smoothly to her feet.
Jesney looked at her charge in disbelief. The girl's hair fell in strands down her face, where it had slipped out of its plait, her face was streaked with dust, as were her clothes, and her face was unveiled. Although it was not forbidden for a woman to go unveiled, it was considered unseemly. She proceeded to lecture the girl, who stood with her face downcast. You might have thought that she was repentant, had not experience shown Jesney that Caitlin would continue to do what she wanted. When the girl finally lifted her face, the anger and defiance was plain to see. Jesney threw up her hands in despair. "Your father will hear of this" she promised, then spun and stalked away.
Caitlin stared after the woman's retreating back. She knew that she had brought this upon herself, and the sensible part of her wondered why she had decided to run the streets with the younger children. Even as she did, she knew that the answer was that the other girls of her age did nothing more than talk and simper and act in an "appropriate manner", and the young men were no longer the friends of her youth, willing to talk to her and treat her as an equal.
She heard a voice from behind her, and spun to face the speaker. "You should improve the way you behave". It was Dentar. He smiled mockingly at her, and continued smoothly "When you are my wife, I will not allow you to behave in such a manner."
Her eyes widened. "Your wife! If all the grains of sand in this desert turned to gold, and the Creature rose again, and professed his love for YOU, I still would not marry you" she spat. Then she was overtaken with uncertainty, for his father was a great friend of hers. "My father would never make me marry you" she added doubtfully.
Dentar's eyes widened at the mention of the Creature, a subject that no woman ever discussed, then seemed to decide that his ears had deceived him, and she had not spoken of the Creature at all. He smiled superciliously. "I would imagine that your father would be happy to be rid of you. I would be, in his situation".
She stared at him in shocked disbelief, then the anger and humiliation rushed up in her. She took a quick step forwards, and punched him. His eyes widened, and his expression turned to a similar one of shock and disbelief, then he sagged, unconscious, to the floor.
Caitlin stared numbly at the young man, absently rubbing her right hand, which had already begun to ache. She took another step forwards, meaning to check that he wasn't badly hurt, but seemed to see in front of her, not Dentar, but her father, wearing an expression of anger and disappointment, shaking his head. "You are no daughter of mine" The words seemed to echo in her head, and she spun, running not just from what she had done, but from the thought of her father's disappointment. She headed towards her tent.
"The chiefs are going to demand my head. Well, maybe not, but Dentar's father is powerful. Father, my father, what am I going to say to him? Would he really marry me to Dentar?"
The thoughts flickered through her head, until she finally reached the apparent safety of her tent. Inside she stopped, and began to think more calmly. Coming to a decision, she quickly packed her few belongings. She pulled her sword out from where it was hidden. Women should not use or have swords, but she had played with the boys when she had been younger and participated in many mock fights, then when she was older she had pestered an ageing trader she met when they had camped near a bedouin camp for almost a year, until he taught her the finer points of sword play, for, of course, no Med-jai would teach her. The trader had complimented her skill when she finally left, a skill which she knew was due to many generations of Med-jai blood in her veins. She strapped the scabbard round her waist and pulled on a long robe to hide it all.
She hesitated, then quickly wrote her father a short note.
I can't even say that I'm sorry for hitting Dentar, and that is why I must leave. I am sorry if you are disappointed in me, but I can never be what you want me to. Please don't think too harshly of me, and don't worry for me – I can take care of myself.
Please remember that I love you
Caitlin
She folded it, then left it in the tent. She slipped back out into the morning, and darted off into the ruins. This was the one fixed place for the Med-jai, who were divided into several tribes, all under the command of different leaders, and ultimately answering to her father. At any one time, several different groups might pitch camp in the ruins of the city, all trading, and in the case of the Med-jai themselves, exchanging information about dangers with each other.
Rather than taking her horse, for although it was a fine creature, she didn't care greatly for it, the horses were guarded as a matter of course, and the guards would want to know where she was going, she headed to the outskirts of the ruins, among a different camp who would be less likely to know her. The merchant she bought her new horse off seemed doubtful as to why a young, seemingly unaccompanied girl would want to buy a horse, but was unwilling to lose a sale. She mounted smoothly, and headed off in the opposite direction to her destination – Cairo. Once she was a way away, she would turn and head in the right direction, leaving a false trail should her father try to track her.
Fear, excitement and sadness mingled together, and for a second she wished she could turn back, but she didn't, and rode off into the bright morning. She called out "Isis" and moments later her hawk flew down, and settled on her arm. She petted the bird, then transferred her to the saddle in front of her. The horse shied slightly, but settled down after she spoke soothingly. As she headed into the desert, she thought of the look on Dentar's face, and she laughed out loud. Despite everything that had happened, it looked like it would be a fine day.