Final Disclaimer: Just for the record, can I make it quite clear that the following characters aren't mine: Alex, Evelyn and Rick O'Connell, Jonathon, Imohtep and Anck-su-namun, Ardeth Bay and the Med-jai, Nefertiri and Pharaoh Seti I, and the Scorpion King.
I just borrowed them for the story.
Caitlin stood on the outskirts of the ruined city, on the opposite side to where the Med-jai were just beginning to make a camp. Every thing seemed clear and sharp - she could hear faint sounds from some distance away and see every detail of the desert for miles.
She heard the sound of someone behind her, the tread lighter than that of a man's, and she spun smoothly around, to see the De-nai she'd spoken with the day before. She didn't remember seeing the woman during the battle, but it was clear that she had fought - she was cut in several places, and limped slightly. Her eyes were bright with anger.
"What ever you have done, be sure that there will be repercussions. You have acted with unprecedented stupidity and lack of foresight. You had no right…"
The woman was literally shaking with rage, and surprisingly Caitlin felt no anger at being spoken to as a child. "I had no choice," she said gently. "The risk of the Hesal…"
"What would you know about choices?" the woman spat, and her hand lashed out.
Caitlin caught it smoothly, pulling the woman forwards and dancing to one side, spinning quickly so she was facing her again. The woman stumbled, then turned quickly, her movements almost as fast as Caitlin's. Anger and astonishment were mixed in her face and she eyed Caitlin carefully. Finally she seemed to come to a decision.
"I am leaving tomorrow, and you will come with me. You will begin your training as a De-nai. We'll go somewhere more suitable, I think.
Caitlin could practically hear the unspoken words "somewhere more civilised", and anger flared up in her. "I have no wish to become a De-nai" she said, trying to keep her voice level. She probably should have waited until discussing it with her father, but the woman's arrogance was beginning to grate again.
The woman smiled. "You don't understand. I've decided that you are ready, and the Med-jai are not people you want to live with much longer, if you want to become a warrior. The way they handled things today…"
"I will never become a De-nai." Caitlin's voice was beginning to rise, despite her attempts to stay calm. The woman gave a superior smile, one which faded as she met Caitlin's eyes. Her hand began to slip down to her sword.
There was a blur of movement, and then Jayanora the De-nai was shocked to find that the girl was stood with her sword at her throat. She'd barely even seen her move, and was inwardly frightened by the promise of death in the girl's stone cold eyes. How had she changed so much since the day before? Deciding to end this, she threw herself backwards, her hand reaching for her sword. She rolled, coming to her feet, her sword sliding out, but even as she did the girl's sword flicked around in a circling movement, snapping the sword almost out of her hand, and a booted foot lashed out, catching her on the wrist. She cried out, the sword flying from her hand, and before she could react, the girl's foot dropped and swept her feet out from under her. She fell to the ground, stunned, and Caitlin's sword followed her down, tracking her throat, until Jayanora lay on the floor with the sword tip resting on her throat.
"It is my choice" Caitlin snarled, "and I want you to swear on your position as a De-nai that you will not act against my family, or those I care about, in revenge."
"And what about yourself?" Jayanora inquired.
Caitlin smiled darkly. "I can take care of myself, now."
Jayanora swore the oath, cursing inwardly. She would have to stick by it now - De-nai honour demanded that much. The girl finally let her up, and Jayanora regarded her thoughtfully, the anger fading slowly. She had a feeling that the leaders of the De-nai would still be interested in Caitlin Bay - she was turning into a woman no one would like as an enemy. She gave the girl a brief nod, then turned, vowing to herself that she would set off tonight rather than waiting to tomorrow.
Ardeth headed towards his daughter. A few minutes ago, the De-nai woman had stormed into the camp, looking annoyed, and he'd guessed that she'd been talking to Caitlin. All the Med-aran were now dead, and the Med-jai were making camp and caring for the wounded, so Ardeth had decided he was now free to look for his daughter.
She didn't turn around at his approach, or even seem to know he was there, so he called her name softly.
"Cail"
As he did she seemed to stumble, falling to her knees. He hurried forwards, worrying that she was still weak or injured from earlier. He dropped to his knees beside her, looking at her face. She was deathly pale again, and her eyes seemed black in the evening light.
After the De-nai had left, Caitlin had been gripped by an inner struggle. When she'd seen the woman begin to reach for her sword, she'd known that the De-nai was planning to kill her, obviously deciding that she was more of a threat than an asset, and something inside Caitlin had broken. Memories of battles had flooded up inside her, voices telling her with cold clarity how to defeat the woman. It had taken all her effort just to disarm her, not kill her, her sword resting on the woman's throat.
Once she'd left, Caitlin had tried to fight against the memories rising up, images of different lives and people. Thousands of names and voices had run through her head, all fighting to be heard and remembered, until her father had finally called her, unwittingly breaking the flood of memories and reassuring Caitlin of who she was.
Caitlin looked at her father, and after a moment she smiled weakly, reassuring him that she was all right. Ardeth desperately wanted to know what was happening, but something told him that if he asked, Caitlin might lie, and he didn't want her to do that, so he stayed silent, hugging his daughter in the darkening light. Finally they stood, and returned to the camp.
They'd made camp on the outskirts of the city. The Med-jai had burnt all the bodies, and there'd been little fighting this close to the outside of the city, so it wasn't bad at all. Alex looked at Jonathon, who was asleep on the other side of the campfire clutching something golden to his chest, and smiled.
Caitlin had been sat on a broken wall at the edge of the camp for some time and Alex had been hesitant to disturb her, but now he came to a decision, and stood upright, walking over to her. He sat down next to her, and for a long time they looked out over the moon-lit desert. They were far enough away that he couldn't hear the noise of the camp, and it was peaceful after the noise and sights of the day.
Caitlin shivered, although it wasn't that cold. Whatever she'd seen or done earlier, now she was nothing more than a seventeen year old girl, alone with the young man she liked, and didn't have a clue what to say to him. "Alex" she began, then trailed off as he turned to look at her.
Alex smiled at the girl in front of him. She was hauntingly beautiful. The moonlight turned her face to marble, and her thick hair fell in a curtain around it, hanging below her shoulders and down her back. It was the first time he'd ever seen her with her hair down, and it made her even more captivating. Without a thought he leant forwards and kissed her gently, his fingers wrapping into her hair.
When they finally pulled apart Alex looked at her carefully. She was half shocked, half laughing, dark grey eyes dancing in the moonlight. "I love you" he whispered softly.
In the pale light, Caitlin Bay smiled.
The End
(Ta-daa. That's it. Not going to write all about her meeting the parents, etc, that can wait for another story. (Or, if you want to write it, please discuss it with me first.)
Anyway, if you've read all of this then I'm impressed - that's a prodigious effort on your behalf. Please review this now - even if you've been following it as I write it and you've already reviewed it a couple of times I wouldn't mind a final review of the whole thing.
Thanks.)