Oh...this is where I get evil to Em. Dont hate me, it was something I wanted to do to her. *Ducks at anything flying at her head.*
By the way, are there thunderstorms in Egypt? I would have to think so...but they couldnt be often. But hey, if there not...mummies cant come back to life either. So....thats how stories go, right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"See that?" Ardeth said, pointing to a large group of dark clouds, "Storms coming."
"So, it is. Looks bad to." Tarek said, nodding his head. "Yes…think we should stop? Might get really bad in there."
Ardeth looked around as he thought. They were about five miles from the nearest town, and that was the town in front of them. It could get really bad if they stopped somewhere in the desert, for the clouds looked like they held much thunder and lighting.
"We should continue on, try and reach the next town and find shelter there, I don't want to be caught out here when that storm hits." He said finally, turning his head towards his brother.
~~
Emily stared at the clouds, they were still rather far away, and the storm would not likely hit Cairo until late afternoon. She thought about her husband, and wither or not he would get caught in it at all. She tore herself away from the windows and crossed to the kitchen sink, where Rick was washing the morning's dishes. She picked up a towel and started to dry the clean dishes.
"So, where's Ardeth?" Rick said, scrubbing a plate.
"He's helping an old friend."
"I thought we were his only friends." Rick said with a smile.
Emily sighed and picked up a plate and began to dry it. "So did I."
He noticed this and looked at his friend worried. "Is he ok? When will he be back?"
"He's fine, as far as I know. And he should be gone for about two weeks. It is going to kill me being away from him for that long."
"Don't worry Emily, he can take care of himself, and will get back to you as soon as he can."
"I sure as hell hope so, he doesn't even know about the baby."
Before Rick could respond to this, Evy popped into the kitchen holding an envelope.
"Luv, I almost forgot, we got this in our mail box the other day, it's addressed to you." She handed the package to Emily, who recognized the writing instantly.
"I didn't recognize the writing, lucky it had some English on it."
"Whose it from?" Rick asked.
"Rick! That's not polite!"
"What? I saw that weird writing, I want to know!"
"It's all right, really." Emily said, opening the letter, "It's from Ardeth. He must have dropped it off before he left Cairo."
"He was here and didn't stop by? That's a shame!" Evy said.
Emily read the letter, understand all that the strange words said.
"Dearest Emily,
I am so sorry that I will be away from you for so long, but I can not turn my brother away. I promise I will be back to you as quickly as I can. It is so hard to believe that Tarek is back in my life. Especially after all that he has done to my family and people, but he is still my brother, and I can not turn my back on him. I will be thinking of you every second I am away, and praying that you and Tom are ok. Please give him a hug for me. Oh, how I wish I could give it to him myself. I will make this time up to you, somehow, I promise. I love you, and I will always be around you in heart and spirit. See you soon, Ardeth.
Ps, give the O'Connell's and Jonathan my love. I hope that this time, nothing strange happens. Like every time we get around those people."
Emily sighed softly and read the letter over and over, until she finally folded it back up and placed it back in the envelope.
"Ardeth sends you all his love." She said.
"What kind of writing is that?"
"It is a special kind of writing we came up with, only he and I know how to read it. It is a cross between Arabic, Hebrew, and English, along with some of our own special symbols."
"OH!" Evy exclaimed, "That is just so sweet!"
"Yeah…it is." Emily said softly.
~~
Ardeth and Tarek ran into the storm as they were about two miles away from the nearest town. Lighting and thunder boomed over head, and the wind blew strongly, bringing up sand like tiny bullets.
"We are close!" Ardeth yelled through his mask, "Do you think you can make it?!"
"Yes!" Tarek yelled back, franticly trying to put on his own mask.
They rode off, pushing their horses as fast as they could, franticly trying to close the gap between them and shelter. Looking over, Ardeth saw that Tarek had fallen behind.
"Tarek!" He turned his horse around, and began to ride back to his brother, whose horse was going wild. Ardeth grabbed on to the horse's reins, pulling Tarek's horse into his own.
"Hold on!" He yelled as he tied one horse to the other. "We have to get there! Quickly!"
Thunder crashed right over their heads, causing both men to jump. Once the reins were secured, they rode off again, pushing their horses even faster then before.
It took them ten minutes to get into town, but when they finally did, both Ardeth and Tarek were beyond relieved. Ardeth found a small, abounded stable and lead the horses' in. Both men jumped off their horses, and then huddled together, listening as the lighting and thunder went off all around them. Ardeth had not see such a bad thunderstorm since he was in London, seven years before, trying to save Evy from the Creature and his followers.
To the Med-jai, thunderstorms were a bad omen, the worst the storm was, the worst whatever was going to happen. All the tragic events in Ardeth's life had been preceded by some sort of thunderstorm, and as this one crashed over his head, he could only think about that bad it would bring him.
~~
"Emily!" Alex called, pouncing into the library, where Emily sat reading Tom a book.
"Yes?"
"Whatca doin'?" He hoped over to where the two were sitting, and sat down next to them, a huge smile on his face.
Emily and Tom both giggled. "Why, I am reading to my son. That is what I'm doing."
"Neat! Can I join in?"
"Sure!" She laughed some more. Taking turns, they both read to Tom, until he drifted of into a light nap on his mother's lap. Smiling down at her son, she gently ran her fingers through his soft, curly black hair.
"He's four?" Alex asked quietly.
"Yeah, he will turn five in about…gosh…six months."
"He's a cute little bugger, that's for sure."
"As were you at his age, I bet."
"Hey! I still am!"
Emily laughed gently, and looked over at her young friend.
"How you been, Alex?"
"I've been really good. I am doing great in school, doing well enough to come down here for a year of school abroad. I have some great friends…and…everything is wonderful."
"How about a girlfriend?"
Alex blushed lightly. "Well…now that you mention it…I don't HAVE a girlfriend…but I am looking…"
"Looking at…?"
Alex turned even redder. "SO! What about you?"
"Don't even try and change the subject on me, young man, I know what someone is trying that trick on me."
"Have you seen Sama since you have gotten here?"
"No...why…OH! Really?"
Alex blushed even more. "Don't tell anyone though…I would get teased by everyone!"
"Don't worry Alex, your secrets safe with me."
"So, really, what about you? How have you been?"
Emily adjusted Tom on her lap, thought for a minute, then said, "Perfect. Everything has been great. I am so happy with Ardeth and the Med-jai. I am one of them. And even though life gets a little boring at times, I am still just so…happy to be there. Ya know? I am so happy I am a part of that life."
Alex smiled. "That's good. You know…I would love to go back out there one day."
"Oh, don't worry, you will. Ardeth is going to flip when he sees how you have grown. My god boy, you are taller then him!"
"Well, I'm not child anymore."
"Blame it on your mother's death." Emily said softly.
"Oh, believe me, I do." The 15-year-old said back.
~~
That day was leisurely for both those in Cairo, and for Ardeth and Tarek, who had been stuck in the stable for the majority of the day. The two men just sat in the back of the stable, away from the slightly spooked horses, and stayed silent. Ardeth did not know the time, but he felt it had to be around one or two, when he looked over to find his brother sleeping. With a sigh, Ardeth adjusted his weight and leaned his head back against the wooden wall, thinking about Emily and what she was up to.
~~
Around the same time, Emily stared out the windows of the kitchen, eating her small lunch, and thought about her husband in the same way. The storm was much closer to Cairo now, and would most likely hit them in the next hour.
"Luv!" Evy said, walking into the kitchen, "Do you want to go to the market with me real quick?"
Emily looked out the window, then back at her friend. "I don't know, it's getting close."
"Oh...we will be back by the time it hits. Come on, we never got to do it last time you were here. Please?"
With a sigh, Emily stood. "Oh, alright. But I am warning you right now, I can't go anywhere with out at least two bodyguards, Ardeth's orders."
"That's fine dear, I can handle that."
The two women crossed to the door, and Emily called out to Hajeb and Sabi to come with them.
~~
"Man, I wish I had these guys with me all the time." Evy said, as they walked through the market. Everyone stepped out of the way for the four, out of fear of the two towering Med-jai warriors that followed the two women.
"Believe me, it gets old after a while, yeah, its nice having them around, but I have not left my city alone once in the time that I have been there."
"Well, Ardeth just wants to protect you."
"Yeah, I know. But you've seen me fight."
More people stepped out of the way for the small group as they made their way to a tiny fruit stand.
"Good day, Mrs. O'Connell." The man at the stand said in a think voice.
"Good day to you, Mr. Balli. I would like your freshest Mangos please."
"For you, the freshest anything." He said as he began to pick through a pile of mangos. The air was think and muggy, and Emily fanned herself off with a tiny fan. She suddenly gasped, causing everyone to look at her, and her hand shot over her stomach.
"Did it move?" Evy asked, placing her hand on Emily's stomach. Indeed it did move, and it moved again, causing small movements against Evy's hand. She smiled happily.
"OH! What a shame Ardeth isn't here…I would love to see how he acts with Tom."
"He is like a child when they are together. It is really quite funny, but it is very cute. Tom is the apple in Ardeth's eye, he just loves that little boy. I am hoping that this one is a girl. To see how he acts with her."
"Oh…I pity the man that tries to take out Ardeth's daughter."
"Sadly, I do to!" The women laughed as they went on their way, making a few more stops. Finally, as they were walking home, a large clap of thunder clapped over head, causing the group of four to jump. Looking up, they all saw lighting streak across the sky. They quickened their steps, and got home as fast as they could, as more thunder crashed around them.
"My word." Evy said as she entered the house, followed by Emily, Hajeb, and Sabi. "I have not seen a storm like that in seven years!"
"You know, thunderstorms are very rear out here, and are considered a bad omen to the Med-jai." Emily said.
"Really?"
"Yeah, every time a thunderstorm hits, something horrible happens."
"Like?"
"Well, Ardeth told me that there was a small thunderstorm about a week before the first time Imhotep was raised from the dead. And he told me about the thunderstorm in London, the second time he Imhotep was brought back, said it was a vicious one to. Then, about two and a half years ago, another thunderstorm hit, and the commander, and his family, of the sixth tribe of the Med-jai was killed in a horrible way."
"Oh my god…so…do you think that this one will bring about something bad?" Evy asked, eyes wide.
"They always do." Emily said back softly.
~~
"What do you think will happen?" Tarek asked, turning to Ardeth.
"I do not know, Tarek, but I do fear it." Ardeth said back, softly.
"You? Fear something? That's not right."
Ardeth couldn't help but hear his wife in his head.
"Family life has made you soft, Ardeth." His wife had told him once, running her hand through his hair.
Sadly, it was true. But he felt he had no more need in being the hardened warrior he was for the 33 years he didn't know Emily. Now, he was 38 and had a family to take care of, and life had become, well, rather boring for his people. Nothing exciting ever happened to them, no one bothered the City of the Dead, all the bandits had stayed away from the Med-jai, with the exception of those who tried to take over their well. That was the first battle he had been to in over a year, and to call it a battle, was doing it justice. While the bandits had fought back, they were not a match for the seasoned warriors of his people, and they were all quickly cut down.
"I am capable of fear, I have a family now. I need to fear for them." He said finally.
"You are a true king then, my brother."
They sat a little while in silence. The distant sounds of the storm that had, by now, passed over them, the only thing they could hear.
"We should leave soon, Tarek. The storm is headed in the opposite direction of us."
"As you wish, Ardeth."
An hour later, the two men left the small stable that gave then shelter in the storm, and rode through the small town they had come to, stopping once for some more food. Then they rode on, not stopping until late that night. They made a small fire and sat in the silence, each in his own thoughts.
~~
"What way did they go?" The tall, gruff man asked a small shop owner. The small man pointed. Abdul-Qadir, the tall gruff man nodded his head, as he turned to face the four men who were on top of horses behind him. "He says that Tarek went left town about 4 hours ago, dressed as a Med-jai, and riding with another Med-jai."
"Master Qadir, do you think we should stop for the night?" One man asked.
"No, we will ride on, that fool has stayed out of my hands long enough, I will get him tonight, and I will kill him tonight." Abdul-Qadir mounted his own horse. "They can't be that far away, look for camp fires."
His men nodded their heads, and the group of five rode out of town, into the night.
~~
After diner, Emily sat on the back porch, enjoying the lighting that crashed around Cairo. It was late, and she knew it, but she did not care that much. Tom and Alex, who had become fast friends, were playing some sort of game with Carol and Jonathan. While Meelesh, Rick, and Evy hung around the living room, talking about something.
Emily placed her scared right hand over her belly, rubbing her skin softly with her thumb.
"Whatca thinking about?"
Emily turned her head at the voice, seeing Rick next to her.
"Oh…you know, the normal stuff a queen thinks about."
"I would have no idea what that is." Rick flashed a smile.
"Basically, how hard I am going to kick Ardeth's ass for leaving me alone for so long."
Rick chuckled. "In that case, I have an idea about what you queens think about." He held out his hand. "Its getting late, Come on inside."
Emily took his hand and stood, but as she did, a sharp pain shot through her stomach, and she doubled over, holding on to her midsection.
"Emily?" Rick asked, concerned.
Another jolt of pain flashed through her like lighting. She let out a soft cry.
"Emily…what's wrong. Em, tell me!"
She doubled over more as yet more pain shot through her.
"My baby…" she said softly. Rick's eyes grew in shock and he bent down to her.
"There is something wrong…Rick…get Mee…AGH!" In a flash of lighting, both of them saw the blood that appeared on Emily's pants.
"Oh my god…" Rick gasped. He turned and ran part way in to the house.
"EVY! MEELESH! Come quick! Something's wrong with Emily!" He yelled, then ran back out to Emily, who was now on the ground, crying out in pain.
"Emily…Emily…we have to get you inside, do you think you can walk?"
She shook her head through her tears, her face twisting in pain. Rick gently took her right arm and placed it around the back of his neck, and swung his other arm under her knees. With a grunt, he picked her up, stumbling a little. At this time, Evy and Meelesh had run to the door.
"Oh my god…what's going on?" Evy asked as Rick stepped past her, making a quick dash for the guestroom.
"There is something wrong with her baby…and she is bleeding." He said as he kicked the door open. Evy ran in and ripped the blankets off the bed, and grabbed some towels, and placed them over the sheets. Rick placed Emily down on the bed, and she curled up into a fetal position, crying out in anguish.
~~
In his dream, Ardeth watched in horror as his sister ran to his wife, looking in shock at the blood on her pants…and he could hear his wife's cries.
"There is something wrong with the baby."
~~
Meelesh looked over her sister-in-law, but already knew what was happening. Emily was having a miscarriage. She turned to Evy and Rick, eyes wide, and told them what was going on. When Emily heard the word, "Miscarriage" she cried out. Rick, whose eyes were already wide in the horror of it all, had to get out of the room.
"I'll…I'll…go call…the doctor…" He bolted out of the room as Meelesh began to yell commands at Evy, and started to undo the top of Emily's blood soaked pants.
~~
The dream went on, and in it, Ardeth watched as a middle-aged doctor ran into the room where Emily was, and began to help Meelesh with whatever she was doing. He could see lots of blood, and hear the painful cries of his wife. The images flew at him in a mess, the blood…his wife's tears…his sister saying, "There is nothing we can do, the child is dead." He heard that over and over in his dream, along with the cries of Emily. It was all he could take.
"NO!" He screamed, siting up in a daze, chest heaving, and breaths deep and quick. His sudden out burst scared the hell out of Tarek, who was sitting next to him.
"Ardeth! What is it?" He said, looking at his younger sibling with fear in his eyes.
"Emily…oh no…Emily…no…" Was all Ardeth got out, tears forming in his eyes.
~~
For an hour, Rick sat in the library with Alex, Tom, Jonathan, and Carol. No one said a word…they just sat there, staring at each other. Alex held Tom on his lap, gently rocking him back and forth, Carol sat hand in hand with Jonathan, and for a while Rick paced back and forth, but now he was sitting next to his son.
They had not heard a thing about Emily's condition, but all except little Tom, knew what the outcome of it was. Emily had lost the child.
~~
"You dreamt what?" Tarek asked, handing Ardeth a canteen.
"Emily…she…she was pregnant…and she…lost the baby." Ardeth choked out, ignoring the large lump that formed in his throat.
"Do you think this is true?"
"I…I don't know…it all seemed so real…my poor Emily…"
Tarek placed a strong, reassuring hand on his brother's back.
"I am sure Emily is just fine…and that what you had was nothing more then a bad dream."
"I am praying to Allah that is right." Ardeth said softly, staring into the small fire.
~~
"We need to get you cleaned up." Meelesh said softly, sitting next to a crying Emily. She did not respond, she just cried and curled up.
"Emily…"
"My baby…" More tears flowed out of her.
Evy came back into the room, for she had left to tell everyone the news. Although she couldn't get the words out, they all saw the expression in her eyes. Carol had started to cry, and Jonathan had wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. Alex put his head down sadly, looking at Tom, Rick stood, and punched the back of a chair, cursing under his breath. As for little Tom, he stared at the reactions of everyone and couldn't understand what was going on, all he knew was that his mommy was hurt.
"Em…come on…can you stand?" Meelesh said softly, placing a hand on Emily's hair.
"I lost my baby…"
"I know, darling, I know." She started to sit Emily up, but the crying girl pushed her away.
"I can do it myself…" She said though tears. Emily crawled off the bed, her right hand landing in a tiny puddle of blood. She gasped and pulled her hand away. Somehow, she made it across the room, into the bathroom, and then broke down again, sinking next to the tub on the floor. Meelesh and Evy ran in, and helped her into the tub. They carefully removed the remaining clothing she wore, all of witch, even her bra, were bloody. Evy turned on the faucet and held her hand over the water, until the water turned warm, then she grabbed the stop for the drain.
"No…turn on the…shower. It will be better for her, so she is not soaking in the blood…" Meelesh said.
Evy nodded and turned a knob, a second later, the water fell out of the showerhead, over Emily. Who was still crying, her hands clawing at her stomach.
"Please…" She said softly, "Please leave me…"
"Emily…I don't think…"
"GO!" Emily snapped. Meelesh and Evy looked at each other. As she stood, Evy closed the shower curtain. Emily heard the door close, and then heard only the water falling from the showerhead. Her tears had now stopped flowing freely, and she just laid there, letting the water flow over her in a daze.
~~
Evy could not believe what had happened. One minute, she was having a pleasant conversation with Meelesh, the next she was being informed that Emily had a miscarriage. Now, she was standing in her guestroom, bloody, looking around, she saw the blood soaked sheets and towels.
"In my tribe," Meelesh began, "When a woman loses a baby in this way, we burn the sheets and all that was connected to the lost baby…"
"Take them." Evy said, dazed and confused. "Take them…and burn them."
"I will need your clothes as well…"
"I will have them for you in a little bit." With that, Evy ran out of the room and upstairs, finally collapsing in the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom, she could no longer hold in her tears. A minute later, Rick entered, and sat down next to his wife, holding her and whispering, "It's all going to be ok."
~~
Emily laid in the shower until the water turned bitterly cold, but even then, she didn't turn if off just yet. Though she had no strength, she had managed to clean her self up a little bit, scrubbing the blood off her legs, thighs and other parts of her body. She felt tired and horrible, and all she wanted to for Ardeth to come through the bathroom door, pull back the curtain, and tell her everything was going to be ok, because he was there.
The door did open, and someone did pull back the curtain, but instead of Ardeth Bay, she got Meelesh Manaheemi. She reached over and turned off the water, feeling it as she did so.
"Oh my…Em…it's ice water…"
"I don't care…" Came the soft reply.
Meelesh helped Emily sit up, and then helped her out of the tub, she handed her sister-in-law a towel, a robe, and a soft slip.
"I will be back in about five minutes, do what you have to do." Meelesh said softly. Emily nodded and smiled weakly at her. Meelesh left, leaving Emily to dry off and dress.
~~
Meelesh helped Emily up the stairs and into her own bedroom, and helped her into the bed. Emily climbed in between the sheets, weak and tired.
"Meelesh…why…why did I lose the child?" Emily said, tears coming to her eyes.
"I don't know, Emily, I really don't know." She said softly, petting Emily's hair. They both turned as the door opened, and Evy, who had changed, and Alex, who held Tom in his arms, entered.
"Mommy!" Tom yelled as he hopped out of Alex's arms and into his mothers.
"Tom!" Emily whispered as she held her son tight, the tears spilling finally.
"You two rest, you both need it." Meelesh said softly, standing. Both she and Evy left the room, but Alex crossed to the bed and sat down next to Emily. He smiled sadly and brushed some hair out of her eyes.
"You have always been strong, Emily." He said softly. "Please, don't give up know."
Through her tears, Emily sat up and hugged him, and said, "You are beyond your years Alex."
Alex patted down her hair and said, "Blame it on the death of my mother."
For the first time, a small chuckle came out of Emily. She laid back down and took Alex's hand, giving it a little squeeze.
"Now, you rest Emily, you need it." He said softly as he stood up. He gave her one last sad smile, and left the room, closing the door behind him.
By the way, are there thunderstorms in Egypt? I would have to think so...but they couldnt be often. But hey, if there not...mummies cant come back to life either. So....thats how stories go, right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"See that?" Ardeth said, pointing to a large group of dark clouds, "Storms coming."
"So, it is. Looks bad to." Tarek said, nodding his head. "Yes…think we should stop? Might get really bad in there."
Ardeth looked around as he thought. They were about five miles from the nearest town, and that was the town in front of them. It could get really bad if they stopped somewhere in the desert, for the clouds looked like they held much thunder and lighting.
"We should continue on, try and reach the next town and find shelter there, I don't want to be caught out here when that storm hits." He said finally, turning his head towards his brother.
~~
Emily stared at the clouds, they were still rather far away, and the storm would not likely hit Cairo until late afternoon. She thought about her husband, and wither or not he would get caught in it at all. She tore herself away from the windows and crossed to the kitchen sink, where Rick was washing the morning's dishes. She picked up a towel and started to dry the clean dishes.
"So, where's Ardeth?" Rick said, scrubbing a plate.
"He's helping an old friend."
"I thought we were his only friends." Rick said with a smile.
Emily sighed and picked up a plate and began to dry it. "So did I."
He noticed this and looked at his friend worried. "Is he ok? When will he be back?"
"He's fine, as far as I know. And he should be gone for about two weeks. It is going to kill me being away from him for that long."
"Don't worry Emily, he can take care of himself, and will get back to you as soon as he can."
"I sure as hell hope so, he doesn't even know about the baby."
Before Rick could respond to this, Evy popped into the kitchen holding an envelope.
"Luv, I almost forgot, we got this in our mail box the other day, it's addressed to you." She handed the package to Emily, who recognized the writing instantly.
"I didn't recognize the writing, lucky it had some English on it."
"Whose it from?" Rick asked.
"Rick! That's not polite!"
"What? I saw that weird writing, I want to know!"
"It's all right, really." Emily said, opening the letter, "It's from Ardeth. He must have dropped it off before he left Cairo."
"He was here and didn't stop by? That's a shame!" Evy said.
Emily read the letter, understand all that the strange words said.
"Dearest Emily,
I am so sorry that I will be away from you for so long, but I can not turn my brother away. I promise I will be back to you as quickly as I can. It is so hard to believe that Tarek is back in my life. Especially after all that he has done to my family and people, but he is still my brother, and I can not turn my back on him. I will be thinking of you every second I am away, and praying that you and Tom are ok. Please give him a hug for me. Oh, how I wish I could give it to him myself. I will make this time up to you, somehow, I promise. I love you, and I will always be around you in heart and spirit. See you soon, Ardeth.
Ps, give the O'Connell's and Jonathan my love. I hope that this time, nothing strange happens. Like every time we get around those people."
Emily sighed softly and read the letter over and over, until she finally folded it back up and placed it back in the envelope.
"Ardeth sends you all his love." She said.
"What kind of writing is that?"
"It is a special kind of writing we came up with, only he and I know how to read it. It is a cross between Arabic, Hebrew, and English, along with some of our own special symbols."
"OH!" Evy exclaimed, "That is just so sweet!"
"Yeah…it is." Emily said softly.
~~
Ardeth and Tarek ran into the storm as they were about two miles away from the nearest town. Lighting and thunder boomed over head, and the wind blew strongly, bringing up sand like tiny bullets.
"We are close!" Ardeth yelled through his mask, "Do you think you can make it?!"
"Yes!" Tarek yelled back, franticly trying to put on his own mask.
They rode off, pushing their horses as fast as they could, franticly trying to close the gap between them and shelter. Looking over, Ardeth saw that Tarek had fallen behind.
"Tarek!" He turned his horse around, and began to ride back to his brother, whose horse was going wild. Ardeth grabbed on to the horse's reins, pulling Tarek's horse into his own.
"Hold on!" He yelled as he tied one horse to the other. "We have to get there! Quickly!"
Thunder crashed right over their heads, causing both men to jump. Once the reins were secured, they rode off again, pushing their horses even faster then before.
It took them ten minutes to get into town, but when they finally did, both Ardeth and Tarek were beyond relieved. Ardeth found a small, abounded stable and lead the horses' in. Both men jumped off their horses, and then huddled together, listening as the lighting and thunder went off all around them. Ardeth had not see such a bad thunderstorm since he was in London, seven years before, trying to save Evy from the Creature and his followers.
To the Med-jai, thunderstorms were a bad omen, the worst the storm was, the worst whatever was going to happen. All the tragic events in Ardeth's life had been preceded by some sort of thunderstorm, and as this one crashed over his head, he could only think about that bad it would bring him.
~~
"Emily!" Alex called, pouncing into the library, where Emily sat reading Tom a book.
"Yes?"
"Whatca doin'?" He hoped over to where the two were sitting, and sat down next to them, a huge smile on his face.
Emily and Tom both giggled. "Why, I am reading to my son. That is what I'm doing."
"Neat! Can I join in?"
"Sure!" She laughed some more. Taking turns, they both read to Tom, until he drifted of into a light nap on his mother's lap. Smiling down at her son, she gently ran her fingers through his soft, curly black hair.
"He's four?" Alex asked quietly.
"Yeah, he will turn five in about…gosh…six months."
"He's a cute little bugger, that's for sure."
"As were you at his age, I bet."
"Hey! I still am!"
Emily laughed gently, and looked over at her young friend.
"How you been, Alex?"
"I've been really good. I am doing great in school, doing well enough to come down here for a year of school abroad. I have some great friends…and…everything is wonderful."
"How about a girlfriend?"
Alex blushed lightly. "Well…now that you mention it…I don't HAVE a girlfriend…but I am looking…"
"Looking at…?"
Alex turned even redder. "SO! What about you?"
"Don't even try and change the subject on me, young man, I know what someone is trying that trick on me."
"Have you seen Sama since you have gotten here?"
"No...why…OH! Really?"
Alex blushed even more. "Don't tell anyone though…I would get teased by everyone!"
"Don't worry Alex, your secrets safe with me."
"So, really, what about you? How have you been?"
Emily adjusted Tom on her lap, thought for a minute, then said, "Perfect. Everything has been great. I am so happy with Ardeth and the Med-jai. I am one of them. And even though life gets a little boring at times, I am still just so…happy to be there. Ya know? I am so happy I am a part of that life."
Alex smiled. "That's good. You know…I would love to go back out there one day."
"Oh, don't worry, you will. Ardeth is going to flip when he sees how you have grown. My god boy, you are taller then him!"
"Well, I'm not child anymore."
"Blame it on your mother's death." Emily said softly.
"Oh, believe me, I do." The 15-year-old said back.
~~
That day was leisurely for both those in Cairo, and for Ardeth and Tarek, who had been stuck in the stable for the majority of the day. The two men just sat in the back of the stable, away from the slightly spooked horses, and stayed silent. Ardeth did not know the time, but he felt it had to be around one or two, when he looked over to find his brother sleeping. With a sigh, Ardeth adjusted his weight and leaned his head back against the wooden wall, thinking about Emily and what she was up to.
~~
Around the same time, Emily stared out the windows of the kitchen, eating her small lunch, and thought about her husband in the same way. The storm was much closer to Cairo now, and would most likely hit them in the next hour.
"Luv!" Evy said, walking into the kitchen, "Do you want to go to the market with me real quick?"
Emily looked out the window, then back at her friend. "I don't know, it's getting close."
"Oh...we will be back by the time it hits. Come on, we never got to do it last time you were here. Please?"
With a sigh, Emily stood. "Oh, alright. But I am warning you right now, I can't go anywhere with out at least two bodyguards, Ardeth's orders."
"That's fine dear, I can handle that."
The two women crossed to the door, and Emily called out to Hajeb and Sabi to come with them.
~~
"Man, I wish I had these guys with me all the time." Evy said, as they walked through the market. Everyone stepped out of the way for the four, out of fear of the two towering Med-jai warriors that followed the two women.
"Believe me, it gets old after a while, yeah, its nice having them around, but I have not left my city alone once in the time that I have been there."
"Well, Ardeth just wants to protect you."
"Yeah, I know. But you've seen me fight."
More people stepped out of the way for the small group as they made their way to a tiny fruit stand.
"Good day, Mrs. O'Connell." The man at the stand said in a think voice.
"Good day to you, Mr. Balli. I would like your freshest Mangos please."
"For you, the freshest anything." He said as he began to pick through a pile of mangos. The air was think and muggy, and Emily fanned herself off with a tiny fan. She suddenly gasped, causing everyone to look at her, and her hand shot over her stomach.
"Did it move?" Evy asked, placing her hand on Emily's stomach. Indeed it did move, and it moved again, causing small movements against Evy's hand. She smiled happily.
"OH! What a shame Ardeth isn't here…I would love to see how he acts with Tom."
"He is like a child when they are together. It is really quite funny, but it is very cute. Tom is the apple in Ardeth's eye, he just loves that little boy. I am hoping that this one is a girl. To see how he acts with her."
"Oh…I pity the man that tries to take out Ardeth's daughter."
"Sadly, I do to!" The women laughed as they went on their way, making a few more stops. Finally, as they were walking home, a large clap of thunder clapped over head, causing the group of four to jump. Looking up, they all saw lighting streak across the sky. They quickened their steps, and got home as fast as they could, as more thunder crashed around them.
"My word." Evy said as she entered the house, followed by Emily, Hajeb, and Sabi. "I have not seen a storm like that in seven years!"
"You know, thunderstorms are very rear out here, and are considered a bad omen to the Med-jai." Emily said.
"Really?"
"Yeah, every time a thunderstorm hits, something horrible happens."
"Like?"
"Well, Ardeth told me that there was a small thunderstorm about a week before the first time Imhotep was raised from the dead. And he told me about the thunderstorm in London, the second time he Imhotep was brought back, said it was a vicious one to. Then, about two and a half years ago, another thunderstorm hit, and the commander, and his family, of the sixth tribe of the Med-jai was killed in a horrible way."
"Oh my god…so…do you think that this one will bring about something bad?" Evy asked, eyes wide.
"They always do." Emily said back softly.
~~
"What do you think will happen?" Tarek asked, turning to Ardeth.
"I do not know, Tarek, but I do fear it." Ardeth said back, softly.
"You? Fear something? That's not right."
Ardeth couldn't help but hear his wife in his head.
"Family life has made you soft, Ardeth." His wife had told him once, running her hand through his hair.
Sadly, it was true. But he felt he had no more need in being the hardened warrior he was for the 33 years he didn't know Emily. Now, he was 38 and had a family to take care of, and life had become, well, rather boring for his people. Nothing exciting ever happened to them, no one bothered the City of the Dead, all the bandits had stayed away from the Med-jai, with the exception of those who tried to take over their well. That was the first battle he had been to in over a year, and to call it a battle, was doing it justice. While the bandits had fought back, they were not a match for the seasoned warriors of his people, and they were all quickly cut down.
"I am capable of fear, I have a family now. I need to fear for them." He said finally.
"You are a true king then, my brother."
They sat a little while in silence. The distant sounds of the storm that had, by now, passed over them, the only thing they could hear.
"We should leave soon, Tarek. The storm is headed in the opposite direction of us."
"As you wish, Ardeth."
An hour later, the two men left the small stable that gave then shelter in the storm, and rode through the small town they had come to, stopping once for some more food. Then they rode on, not stopping until late that night. They made a small fire and sat in the silence, each in his own thoughts.
~~
"What way did they go?" The tall, gruff man asked a small shop owner. The small man pointed. Abdul-Qadir, the tall gruff man nodded his head, as he turned to face the four men who were on top of horses behind him. "He says that Tarek went left town about 4 hours ago, dressed as a Med-jai, and riding with another Med-jai."
"Master Qadir, do you think we should stop for the night?" One man asked.
"No, we will ride on, that fool has stayed out of my hands long enough, I will get him tonight, and I will kill him tonight." Abdul-Qadir mounted his own horse. "They can't be that far away, look for camp fires."
His men nodded their heads, and the group of five rode out of town, into the night.
~~
After diner, Emily sat on the back porch, enjoying the lighting that crashed around Cairo. It was late, and she knew it, but she did not care that much. Tom and Alex, who had become fast friends, were playing some sort of game with Carol and Jonathan. While Meelesh, Rick, and Evy hung around the living room, talking about something.
Emily placed her scared right hand over her belly, rubbing her skin softly with her thumb.
"Whatca thinking about?"
Emily turned her head at the voice, seeing Rick next to her.
"Oh…you know, the normal stuff a queen thinks about."
"I would have no idea what that is." Rick flashed a smile.
"Basically, how hard I am going to kick Ardeth's ass for leaving me alone for so long."
Rick chuckled. "In that case, I have an idea about what you queens think about." He held out his hand. "Its getting late, Come on inside."
Emily took his hand and stood, but as she did, a sharp pain shot through her stomach, and she doubled over, holding on to her midsection.
"Emily?" Rick asked, concerned.
Another jolt of pain flashed through her like lighting. She let out a soft cry.
"Emily…what's wrong. Em, tell me!"
She doubled over more as yet more pain shot through her.
"My baby…" she said softly. Rick's eyes grew in shock and he bent down to her.
"There is something wrong…Rick…get Mee…AGH!" In a flash of lighting, both of them saw the blood that appeared on Emily's pants.
"Oh my god…" Rick gasped. He turned and ran part way in to the house.
"EVY! MEELESH! Come quick! Something's wrong with Emily!" He yelled, then ran back out to Emily, who was now on the ground, crying out in pain.
"Emily…Emily…we have to get you inside, do you think you can walk?"
She shook her head through her tears, her face twisting in pain. Rick gently took her right arm and placed it around the back of his neck, and swung his other arm under her knees. With a grunt, he picked her up, stumbling a little. At this time, Evy and Meelesh had run to the door.
"Oh my god…what's going on?" Evy asked as Rick stepped past her, making a quick dash for the guestroom.
"There is something wrong with her baby…and she is bleeding." He said as he kicked the door open. Evy ran in and ripped the blankets off the bed, and grabbed some towels, and placed them over the sheets. Rick placed Emily down on the bed, and she curled up into a fetal position, crying out in anguish.
~~
In his dream, Ardeth watched in horror as his sister ran to his wife, looking in shock at the blood on her pants…and he could hear his wife's cries.
"There is something wrong with the baby."
~~
Meelesh looked over her sister-in-law, but already knew what was happening. Emily was having a miscarriage. She turned to Evy and Rick, eyes wide, and told them what was going on. When Emily heard the word, "Miscarriage" she cried out. Rick, whose eyes were already wide in the horror of it all, had to get out of the room.
"I'll…I'll…go call…the doctor…" He bolted out of the room as Meelesh began to yell commands at Evy, and started to undo the top of Emily's blood soaked pants.
~~
The dream went on, and in it, Ardeth watched as a middle-aged doctor ran into the room where Emily was, and began to help Meelesh with whatever she was doing. He could see lots of blood, and hear the painful cries of his wife. The images flew at him in a mess, the blood…his wife's tears…his sister saying, "There is nothing we can do, the child is dead." He heard that over and over in his dream, along with the cries of Emily. It was all he could take.
"NO!" He screamed, siting up in a daze, chest heaving, and breaths deep and quick. His sudden out burst scared the hell out of Tarek, who was sitting next to him.
"Ardeth! What is it?" He said, looking at his younger sibling with fear in his eyes.
"Emily…oh no…Emily…no…" Was all Ardeth got out, tears forming in his eyes.
~~
For an hour, Rick sat in the library with Alex, Tom, Jonathan, and Carol. No one said a word…they just sat there, staring at each other. Alex held Tom on his lap, gently rocking him back and forth, Carol sat hand in hand with Jonathan, and for a while Rick paced back and forth, but now he was sitting next to his son.
They had not heard a thing about Emily's condition, but all except little Tom, knew what the outcome of it was. Emily had lost the child.
~~
"You dreamt what?" Tarek asked, handing Ardeth a canteen.
"Emily…she…she was pregnant…and she…lost the baby." Ardeth choked out, ignoring the large lump that formed in his throat.
"Do you think this is true?"
"I…I don't know…it all seemed so real…my poor Emily…"
Tarek placed a strong, reassuring hand on his brother's back.
"I am sure Emily is just fine…and that what you had was nothing more then a bad dream."
"I am praying to Allah that is right." Ardeth said softly, staring into the small fire.
~~
"We need to get you cleaned up." Meelesh said softly, sitting next to a crying Emily. She did not respond, she just cried and curled up.
"Emily…"
"My baby…" More tears flowed out of her.
Evy came back into the room, for she had left to tell everyone the news. Although she couldn't get the words out, they all saw the expression in her eyes. Carol had started to cry, and Jonathan had wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. Alex put his head down sadly, looking at Tom, Rick stood, and punched the back of a chair, cursing under his breath. As for little Tom, he stared at the reactions of everyone and couldn't understand what was going on, all he knew was that his mommy was hurt.
"Em…come on…can you stand?" Meelesh said softly, placing a hand on Emily's hair.
"I lost my baby…"
"I know, darling, I know." She started to sit Emily up, but the crying girl pushed her away.
"I can do it myself…" She said though tears. Emily crawled off the bed, her right hand landing in a tiny puddle of blood. She gasped and pulled her hand away. Somehow, she made it across the room, into the bathroom, and then broke down again, sinking next to the tub on the floor. Meelesh and Evy ran in, and helped her into the tub. They carefully removed the remaining clothing she wore, all of witch, even her bra, were bloody. Evy turned on the faucet and held her hand over the water, until the water turned warm, then she grabbed the stop for the drain.
"No…turn on the…shower. It will be better for her, so she is not soaking in the blood…" Meelesh said.
Evy nodded and turned a knob, a second later, the water fell out of the showerhead, over Emily. Who was still crying, her hands clawing at her stomach.
"Please…" She said softly, "Please leave me…"
"Emily…I don't think…"
"GO!" Emily snapped. Meelesh and Evy looked at each other. As she stood, Evy closed the shower curtain. Emily heard the door close, and then heard only the water falling from the showerhead. Her tears had now stopped flowing freely, and she just laid there, letting the water flow over her in a daze.
~~
Evy could not believe what had happened. One minute, she was having a pleasant conversation with Meelesh, the next she was being informed that Emily had a miscarriage. Now, she was standing in her guestroom, bloody, looking around, she saw the blood soaked sheets and towels.
"In my tribe," Meelesh began, "When a woman loses a baby in this way, we burn the sheets and all that was connected to the lost baby…"
"Take them." Evy said, dazed and confused. "Take them…and burn them."
"I will need your clothes as well…"
"I will have them for you in a little bit." With that, Evy ran out of the room and upstairs, finally collapsing in the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom, she could no longer hold in her tears. A minute later, Rick entered, and sat down next to his wife, holding her and whispering, "It's all going to be ok."
~~
Emily laid in the shower until the water turned bitterly cold, but even then, she didn't turn if off just yet. Though she had no strength, she had managed to clean her self up a little bit, scrubbing the blood off her legs, thighs and other parts of her body. She felt tired and horrible, and all she wanted to for Ardeth to come through the bathroom door, pull back the curtain, and tell her everything was going to be ok, because he was there.
The door did open, and someone did pull back the curtain, but instead of Ardeth Bay, she got Meelesh Manaheemi. She reached over and turned off the water, feeling it as she did so.
"Oh my…Em…it's ice water…"
"I don't care…" Came the soft reply.
Meelesh helped Emily sit up, and then helped her out of the tub, she handed her sister-in-law a towel, a robe, and a soft slip.
"I will be back in about five minutes, do what you have to do." Meelesh said softly. Emily nodded and smiled weakly at her. Meelesh left, leaving Emily to dry off and dress.
~~
Meelesh helped Emily up the stairs and into her own bedroom, and helped her into the bed. Emily climbed in between the sheets, weak and tired.
"Meelesh…why…why did I lose the child?" Emily said, tears coming to her eyes.
"I don't know, Emily, I really don't know." She said softly, petting Emily's hair. They both turned as the door opened, and Evy, who had changed, and Alex, who held Tom in his arms, entered.
"Mommy!" Tom yelled as he hopped out of Alex's arms and into his mothers.
"Tom!" Emily whispered as she held her son tight, the tears spilling finally.
"You two rest, you both need it." Meelesh said softly, standing. Both she and Evy left the room, but Alex crossed to the bed and sat down next to Emily. He smiled sadly and brushed some hair out of her eyes.
"You have always been strong, Emily." He said softly. "Please, don't give up know."
Through her tears, Emily sat up and hugged him, and said, "You are beyond your years Alex."
Alex patted down her hair and said, "Blame it on the death of my mother."
For the first time, a small chuckle came out of Emily. She laid back down and took Alex's hand, giving it a little squeeze.
"Now, you rest Emily, you need it." He said softly as he stood up. He gave her one last sad smile, and left the room, closing the door behind him.