Disclaimer: Ardeth, Alex, Jonathon, Med-jai, Nefertiri, Pharaoh Seti I - aren't mine.
Encounter One
Alex saw Ardeth return back to the 'camp', but there was no sign of Caitlin. He scrambled to his feet and headed off to where he'd last seen her – standing on the ridgeline looking out over the desert. He could see her clearly despite the gloom of the night. She was stood with her back to him and so he tried to make some noise as he walked towards her so he wouldn't startle her. She didn't turn round, or say anything, so he said tentatively "Caitlin".
She jumped, spinning round and stumbling backwards as she fell off balance. He leapt forwards and caught hold of her arms, steadying her. She looked up at him, then pulled away, moving so that they stood a distance apart. He smiled ruefully. "You really don't like me, do you?"
"No! I mean yes, I think. I don't…" she stammered. He looked at her in surprise. Since they'd met he didn't think that he'd ever seen her flustered. She looked surprisingly vulnerable, stood there in the moonlight. After a moment she seemed to relax slightly, although she was still looking at him warily. She lifted her left hand to brush a strand of hair that had fallen out of the plait, but he got there first, gently smoothing it back behind her ear. She stiffened again and he dropped his hand, but regarded her thoughtfully. His instincts said that she did like him, but she actually seemed to be scared, or at least nervous, and so he decided not to push it.
He gestured back the way her father had gone. "Is everything all right?" He waited for a moment, but she didn't answer. He wasn't sure if she'd even heard the question. "Caitlin?" he said questioningly.
She looked blankly at him for a moment, then said "Cail".
"What?"
"Everyone who knows me calls me Cail. I'd like it if you, I mean…" She fell silent and looked back out over at the desert, muttering something to herself that Alex was fairly sure she wouldn't say in polite company.
"Cail" he repeated. "I like it". She looked back at him and he nodded, trying to reassure her that he was serious.
Caitlin smiled, then pulled in a deep breath. When she spoke again she seemed to have regained the self-control she'd shown in the desert, a control which was strikingly similar to her father's. "Everything will not be 'all right' for a while, I think. What I have done…" He still didn't know exactly what she'd done, although he guessed that she'd left home with her father's approval. Which isn't at all like me, he thought wryly. She must really be upset, if she's allowed her control to slip this much.
Then Caitlin turned and headed back towards the camp. Alex wondered if she wanted him to come along, or if she was trying to get rid of him, but after she'd taken a few steps she turned back, looking at him with a slight frown. He grinned cheerfully and walked to join her.
Encounter Two
A couple of minutes after Caitlin and Alex walked into the camp Ardeth stood up and left, heading in the direction they'd come from. Jonathon hauled himself upright and wandered over to join him, looking down over the desert. When the silence became too deep he began to talk randomly, discussing anything that came into his head. A better judge of character and situation than most people realised, although Evy and Rick had finally come to terms with it, he knew that Ardeth would talk when the time was right, and more that he needed to talk. Jonathon had expected him to be furious, but instead he just looked defeated, even desperate.
"I tried so hard" Ardeth's voice was low and he didn't look at Jonathon. "When her mother died I swore that I would protect Caitlin, I would keep her away from any harm. I fear that I've pushed her into becoming this."
Jonathon nodded. "I know what you mean. Evy was so determined that Alex wouldn't turn out like Rick and me, or at least the way she thinks we are. The minute he left their house he started going off the rails. Teenage rebellion, or that style of thing. But he's turning into a good boy, or even a good man. I've spent some time with your daughter now, and I'd say she's going to turn into something special." He hesitated, then said "Besides, I think Alex has fallen in love with her."
Ardeth went still, then spun around, beginning to yank his sword out of the scabbard. "Hey, now, hold on a second" Jonathon babbled, grabbing hold of his wrist and hanging on for dear life.
"He has no business with my daughter" snarled Ardeth. They wrestled for a moment longer, then finally separated. Jonathon panted for breath, eyeing Ardeth warily.
"He hasn't got any 'business' with Caitlin. All he's done is compliment her a bit. He's as honourable as I am."
Ardeth struggled to keep frowning, but then began to laugh quietly instead. "My friend, I trust you with my life, but if I had a sister I would not let you within the same country as her." Jonathon scowled irritably, waving his hands as if trying to dismiss the insult.
"Feeling better?" he asked finally, looking sideways at Ardeth, who nodded.
"I just don't want any harm coming to her. I fear we are all going to die if we fight the Med-aran. This place is so dangerous, and she is still young."
Jonathon clapped him on the back. He couldn't think of anything to say about the last remark, so decided to be reassuring about something else instead. "Alex won't do anything to hurt her. The lad's well and truly smitten. Besides, if you're so worried, why don't you send her home?"
"Do you honestly think she would go?" Ardeth smiled ruefully, but Jonathon was sure he was hiding something.
"Come on" he said cheerfully, slinging his arm companionably around Ardeth's shoulders. "Let's go and be sociable".
Encounter Three
Caitlin, Alex, Ardeth and Jonathon sat in a semi-circle on the floor. Jonathon lounged against some rocks, looking strangely comfortable, while the other three all looked rather stiff and uncertain. No one was talking, even Jonathon seemed to have run out of inane babble.
Both Ardeth and Caitlin turned at a faint sound coming from the path leading up the ridge, and Ardeth came smoothly to his feet while Jonathon sat upright and Caitlin, who'd been sat cross-legged, shifted so she was now on her knees. She frowned at the sight of a woman being escorted by two Med-jai - a woman who was armed despite apparently being a desert-born. She also noticed that the Med-jai seemed to almost be ignoring the woman, not looking directly at her.
The woman took a few steps forwards, nodding briefly at Ardeth, then looked directly at Caitlin. "We need to talk" she said simply, then stood there, waiting. Caitlin looked uncertainly at her father, who hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. Caitlin hesitated herself before climbing to her feet. The woman turned without a word and set off down the path. Caitlin hurried after her, her curiosity roused. They followed the path all the way down to the desert floor, then stopped. The woman looked at Caitlin, then moved swiftly.
Up at the camp Alex began to jump to his feet at the unmistakable sound of a hand hitting flesh. A hand gripped his shoulder, pressing him effortlessly back down, and he looked up to see Ardeth's grim face. He frowned, beginning to argue, but caught sight of his uncle urgently shaking his head, and reluctantly decided to stay silent. Ardeth's hand remained where it was for a moment longer, then he patted Alex on the shoulder and moved away, sitting back down next to Jonathon.
For a moment Caitlin lay on the floor, then hauled herself back to her feet, gently touching her cheek with her hand. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?" demanded the woman.
"No" she replied simply, "but I expect that I'm about to find out".
The woman gave a short laugh. "Your father didn't even know you'd gone missing until your damned hawk appeared with a cheerful little message about how he shouldn't worry because you were fine."
Caitlin frowned. "I left a note" she began to protest.
"And that would have been fine except that your father hasn't been anywhere except this desert for the past few weeks. Because of… all the trouble it was decided that he wouldn't be told about it until everything was sorted out. No point in worrying him further. As it was, he was ready to give all this up and go looking for you."
"My father would never abandon his duty"
"Are you really sure?" The woman looked amused, and Caitlin hesitated. He wouldn't, would he?
She decided to change the subject. "Who are you? I'd swear you're desert-born, but we're not allowed to be warriors, if we're female."
"Are you sure?" the woman asked again.
Caitlin scowled. "Yes, I'm sure. My father told me that no woman could become a warrior, only men…"
"Did he?" the woman interrupted.
Getting extremely close to becoming very angry, Caitlin opened her mouth to assure this stupid woman that yes, she was sure, when she came to a sudden realisation. "No" she breathed. "He told me that no woman could become a Med-jai. I just assumed…" Again she was disgusted with herself at her lack of perception.
The woman nodded with satisfaction, as if a particularly unintelligent student had finally got the right answer. "So, who are you?" Caitlin asked uncertainly.
"I am part of an ancient, very secret society, known as the De-nai." The woman broke off with a sharp laugh. "That's the same line I've heard some Med-jai use before to explain who they are, except that the Med-jai must be the worse kept secret ever. Every other local in this whole country knows who they are."
"But no one knows who you are" Caitlin prompted.
"That's right." The woman looked consideringly at Caitlin. "How much do you know about Pharaoh Seti I, and his daughter?"
Caitlin smiled at the question, similar to what they'd been asked earlier, and replied "I know a little. The daughter was called Nefertiri, wasn't she?"
The woman nodded. "After the death of Seti she became the Pharaoh in her own right." Caitlin shrugged, as the woman seemed to be expecting some kind of surprised response. She knew that a few women had become Pharaohs, even researchers and historians not of this country and culture knew that.
"Nefertiri was trained in the art of fighting," the woman continued "but she was only allowed to use it for the purpose of entertainment. When she became the Pharaoh her views about women fighting were obviously different, and she created, in secret, the De-nai. Women who were trained not only to fight, but also in the ways of negotiation and diplomacy. Nefertiri felt that the Med-jai had failed, and so the creation of a different type of … bodyguard was necessary."
Something about the woman's tone made Caitlin look closely at her face. "You mean that they were assassins" she said flatly.
"Sometimes, when the occasion called for it. Men are no good at work which requires secrecy or tact." The woman's tone was not apologetic, or accusing. "We have expanded a lot further than the Med-jai, and we have a lot more power. We are not tied to Egypt, following the fate of one man, or Creature."
Caitlin bridled at the description of the Med-jai. They were so much more than that. Hadn't they fought the army of Anubis, and done countless other things? The woman was so arrogant, and dismissive, that Caitlin was half tempted to walk away. Instead, she asked shortly "So, what does this have to do with me?"
"You know something about reincarnation? Most of the time people are reincarnated into bodies and situations that are completely different from their original lives. However, sometimes they return to a … appropriate place. Since you were young it has been confirmed that you are a reincarnated De-nai, and, as such, might be useful."
"Me?" Caitlin was startled. "But I…"
"You have had one year of half-hearted sword training, and a little bit of practice when you were younger" the woman interrupted "and yet you are fair bid to becoming a master of the sword. That is not due so much to skill on your part, as the ability to remember, even unconsciously, the training you had before." As Caitlin began to protest, the woman cut her off sharply. "We have people who know these things. There is no doubt."
Caitlin looked at her, wide eyed. "There were so many things I didn't know about…"
"We have barely touched the things you don't know, child. By the time you have become a full De-nai, and gained some experience, you may be told some more. We are a people who have existed for thousands of years, of course we have many secrets."
The woman's tone held contempt, and was irritatingly patronising. Caitlin clenched her fists. Remember the way she moved, Caitlin reminded herself. You do anything and she can hit you harder and faster than anyone you've met, past life training or not.
The woman had begun to speak again. "However, despite your abilities, we have not seen one sign that you were ready to be introduced into the De-nai. Running away like that was sheer stupidity."
"So why are you telling me about the De-nai now?" Caitlin was at the very end of her self-control.
The woman shrugged. "The De-nai would like to have you, if you prove that you are worthy, and it was thought that knowing about us might spur you to become a little more sensible. Besides," she added almost carelessly " if you tell anyone, it will not be too much of a problem."
Caitlin saw the unspoken threat in the woman's eyes - if she told anyone without permission she would be dead within days, maybe even hours. "Does my father know of the De-nai?"
"Yes. The Med-jai have been useful on occasion, although their handling of certain events has often been close to inept. Jentar, for example…"
"And he knows that you want me to become De-nai?" That might explain the look in his eyes earlier, the resignation and almost hopeless anger.
"Yes. He was informed of our decision when you were much younger."
Sweet gods, did the woman not realise exactly how arrogant she sounded? She began to turn. "I must speak with my father"
The woman reached out, catching her arm and holding it with a lazy strength that was both frightening and offensive - it was as if Caitlin was hardly even worth the effort. "Now that you know what you need to know, you can go home."
"I will go if my father orders me too."
The woman gave another short laugh. "You really don't understand, do you, child? The power your father has is extremely restricted, the Med-jai are more or less subservient to the De-nai. I am the one who is telling you to return, and you will…"
"Caitlin" She wrenched her arm from the woman's grip and took several steps forwards. She was unusually tall, both for her age and a woman, and as she stood in front of the De-nai she towered over her. "My name is Caitlin" she repeated through gritted teeth, "and I will only go back on my father's orders. I have sworn to be guide to Jonathon and Alex and I bear responsibilities towards them.
"And I'm in love with Alex O'Connell" Her eyes widened as she added the last statement. Why had she said that? It wasn't true, she was sure she wasn't really in love with him, she was almost certain…
The woman was looking at her with narrowed eyes, then she laughed mockingly. "Now that's all we need".
"I'm staying" Caitlin said firmly, then turned and ran up the path, heading back to the top of the ridge.
When she reached the top she looked for her father. He was over by Jonathon and Alex, stood up and looking at her with a mixture of concern and anger. She moved quickly over to him, and looked him in the eye. "I want nothing to do with the De-nai." He frowned, his eyes examining her face, and she repeated "Nothing".
He smiled, the first real smile she'd seen in a long time, and, although they were usually an undemonstrative people in public, she stepped closer, hugging him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding tightly, and they stayed like that for a long moment. Finally she released him and took a step back. "Do you want to go somewhere so you can shout at me?" She gave him a sheepish smile, one she'd seen Alex use on Jonathon out in the desert.
Ardeth laughed, reaching out and brushing a stray lock of hair off her forehead. The gesture was so familiar, he'd done it ever since she was young. "I'm tempted" he admitted "but would it really do any good?" She laughed, shaking her head.
Ardeth's expression turned serious. "Will you go home now?"
Caitlin shook her head again. "I can't. I want to stay. I…" she glanced quickly over at Alex, before pulling her gaze away.
Ardeth followed her gaze, and smiled ruefully. "It's all right. I understand." Looking at him, she realised that he did. "Well, if you're going to stay, you're going to have to fight. Why don't you show me how good you are with that sword?" He led her off, heading back down the path.