Well...at least I was not killed with sticks, (As the great Eddie Izzard would say) about the baby. Kit...for you I will write a story where Jonathan and Carol do have a child. Or adopt one. Whatever. Ok? *Giggles* I am happy you like the story. It is close to the end now. K all? Well, I'm off. Enjoy. ~nmgs!
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The next morning, as Ardeth and Tarek began to get ready to leave, Maahir came to them, followed by two warriors.
"Ardeth, I ask that Hamza and Majid accompany you on the rest of your journey."
"Maahir, I don't believe that will be…"
"I insist, my lord, that these two go with you. In case of any more trouble."
Ardeth sighed and looked at the two warriors, then at his brother.
"All right, Maahir, I will take your men with me."
"Thank you, that makes me feel much more safe."
Ardeth and Tarek mounted their horses', and a young boy brought the other two Med-jai horses' of their own.
"Maahir, I thank you for your help and hospitality. You have been too kind to my self and my brother. I hope I will see you again real soon."
"Always, Ardeth. And if you are ever up this way again, my town is open to you and who ever you are with."
Ardeth nodded and smiled. Tarek also thanked Maahir, and with that, the four men rode out of the town, leaving all the waving citizens behind them.
~~
They rode through the desert with ease, making great time through the day. And as where other days they rode, Ardeth and Tarek were silent, today they did nothing but talk. They talked about Emily, Meelesh, the O'Connell's. They laughed about Jonathan. Tarek told his brother about all the things that he had done over the twenty years they were apart. The other two Med-jai stayed silent, but listened at the stories that the brothers told each other. Some of them were rather outrageous, some were simple and sweet, and some were just plain out silly.
~~
"Carol?" Emily said as she made her way carefully down the stairs. "Can you help me make it down? I'm afraid I am going to fall."
Carol, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs looked up and smiled, then hurried up to where Emily was, taking her arm.
"Just go slow, it will take you a while to get your strength back." Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Carol asked, "Now where to?"
"Um…How about the dining room? It must be nice and sunny in there."
"Oh, yes it is." The two women walked through the kitchen and into the dining room. Carol pulled out a chair for Emily, and then sat down next to her. The room was bright and warm, and they had it all to themselves.
"How are you feeling, Emily?" Carol asked.
"Oh…All right I guess. I am still weak and a little sad, but I guess it goes with what happened."
"Well, I know how you feel. After my…well…after it happened to me, it took me a while to get back into the swing of things."
"I just want my husband to be here. I miss him so much…"
"May I ask where he is?"
"He is…helping an old friend. I don't know when he will be back, but I am praying that it is soon."
"Of course you are. Now, your husband…he is an old friend of Jonathan and the O'Connell's, right?"
"Yes, he is. The met…god…about sixteen years ago, I believe."
"Around the time that Jonathan says that they had a run in with a mummy…"
Emily giggled. "Yes, I do believe that is how they met."
"So, you know the story?"
"Yes, I do. Alex told me all about it."
"And you believe it?"
"You don't?"
"Well, with all due respect, I don't think that mummies can just come back to life. It all seems a little…out there for me."
Emily laughed some more. "Well, it may be hard to believe…but…I don't think they are making it up!"
"But your husband…Ardeth, I believe, tell me about him."
"He is…he is everything to me. Strong, powerful, loving. He is the sweetest man I have ever met in my whole life, and if it wasn't for him…I would be dead right now."
"Oh, how sweet."
"No, I'm serious, I would be dead, right now. That's how we met, he saved my life…a couple times. What about you? My lord, I would have never expected someone to marry Jonathan!"
"Well…what can I say? I just fell head over heals for the ol'fool. It just seems so right, being with him. He was a wild one, once, but now he is more toned down. He loves just staying home at nights, with me, and sitting around, laughing, talking, having a good time."
"Well, I am happy to hear that you both are happy."
"Thank you."
There was a long silence, each woman in her own mind, thinking about her husband.
"Carol…I wanted to talk to you about your…um…"
"About what we have in common?"
"I guess you can put it that way, yes."
"What do you want to know sweetheart?"
"Just…if you felt like you failed at something. And how you got over that feeling."
"Doll," Carol began, placing one hand over Emily's, "It is not easy to go through what we did…"
The women talked for two hours, and at the end of it, both felt relieved to have talked to each other.
~~
"She's one hell of a catch, Jonathan." Emily said later, as she sat with Jonathan on the back porch, enjoying the cool afternoon breeze.
"I know, Emily. I know…she is the best thing to ever happen to me."
"How did you meet her?"
"Well, like just about every other night I spent before I met her, drunk off my ass in a run-down London pub. It was about a week after we got back from Cairo and our adventure with Imhotep. So I was sitting at the bar, minding my own business…and these drunken blokes came after me for some money they claimed I owed them. And I didn't know who they were, so I told them as much. This didn't make them to happy, and they attacked me. Well, next thing I know, I wake up in this hospital, broken arm and a lot of bruises, and Evy is standing at my side…crying and cursing at me for my lifestyle. Luckily, the nurse came in and forced Evy out of the room, saying that I needed my rest. And the nurse was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. And that is how I met Carol, she was a nurse at the hospital. We became fast friends…and one day…one thing led to another...and there ya go, I'm a married man."
Emily laughed. "I bet you rethought ever going back to that pub."
"I haven't been back there since."
"Well, I'm happy for you Jonathan. Your life seems to be picking up."
Before Jonathan could respond, Alex came running out the back door, threw a letter into Emily's Lap, and ran back inside. Emily and Jonathan looked after him, puzzled.
Picking up the letter, she saw it was from Ardeth, and it made her smile.
"Whose it from?" Jonathan asked, looking at the strange writing.
"Ardeth..." Emily said back as she opened the letter and began to read it.
"Dearest Emily,
I am so sorry that I am not there with you right now. Don't ask me how I know, but I know about what happened to our baby…and I am so sorry I was not at your side for that. I hate that I have not seen you in over a week. But I have to do this for Tarek. Right now, we are with the tenth tribe of the Med-jai, and we leave tomorrow morning for Damietta, it should take us another two days to get there. After that is all done, I will get to you as quickly as I can. I promise. I love you very much, and I am so sorry I am away from you. It is breaking my heart knowing what you must be going through with out me. I love you, and I will be coming home as quickly as I can. Your husband, Ardeth."
Then, at the bottom, in different handwriting, and in English, there was a small note as well.
"Emily, if Ardeth knew what I was doing he would kill me. Don't tell him I am writing you. I am Tarek, your brother-in-law. And I wish I could meet you. Ardeth talks about you so much it isn't even funny. He really cares about you. You seem so wonderful how Ardeth describes you, and you should see the sparkle in his eye when he talks about you. You are truly special to him, and I hope you know what a great guy my little brother is. I hope one day, in the future, I will get to meet this lovely woman who stole my brother's heart. I wish you all the luck under the stars. I must go before Ardeth gets back. Always, Tarek."
Ardeth's note made her cry and Tarek's note made her laugh. She to wished she could meet this mysterious brother of Ardeth and Meelesh.
"What did it say?" Jonathan asked.
"Just a little note from my husband, telling me he loves me…and that he is coming home soon." She let out a sigh.
~~
Ardeth, Tarek, Hamza, and Majid covered many miles that day, and that night, as they sat around a small camp, Hamza explained to Ardeth how far they were from Damietta.
"My lord, we will get there mid afternoon tomorrow." The young warrior said.
"Good, good. We will have to stay over for the night, will we find a place to stay?'
"Yes, like the Med-jai in Cairo, the Med-jai are well off in Damietta."
"Also very good. Thank you, young warrior."
The Med-jai bowed his head in respect, and then ran off to keep guard with Majid.
"Well, brother, it looks like our time is coming to a close." Tarek said softly.
"Do not worry, Tarek, we will keep in touch."
"I know we will, but still…we have spent…what…a week together so far? I just wish we had more time."
"I know you do, and I do to." Ardeth sat on his bedroll and laid back. "You should rest now, we have a big day tomorrow."
~~
The Med-jai made it to their town quicker then they thought. Reaching the port town of Damietta around noon the next day. As they neared it, though, both Ardeth and Tarek became rather quiet, knowing it would mean they would soon have to part.
Majid found a place for them to stay that night, and a stable for their horses. Dismounting, Ardeth looked at his brother with sad eyes.
"We are here, Tarek. Are you ready?"
"No, I am not. But I am sure that does not make any bit of difference."
Ardeth smiled. "Come, let us go get lunch, for I am very hungry." So the small group walked through town, to a tiny restaurant, where they ate a large meal. They all talked to each other, and enjoyed the company they were in. After lunch, they all returned to the small hotel where Tarek would spend his last night in Egypt.
"I can't believe I am leaving tomorrow." Tarek said as he flopped back on his bed.
"Nor can I." Ardeth sat down on his own bed, after removing his weapons.
"Ardeth…I really need to know this before I leave tomorrow…how do you feel about me? How do you feel about that happened all those years ago?"
"Tarek...I..."
"Please, Brother, tell me."
Ardeth sat and thought for a long time, then he finally spoke.
"I hated you for years. I could not believe what you did…it seemed so unlike you. But you did it…and no one could have changed that. I was so angry at you for what you did…you had such a promising life ahead of you, and you screwed it up. I hated you for that. And then you left me to take over for you, pick up the pieces of our tribe as their new king, and I had no idea what I was doing. For such a long time…I had to struggle to get by as the king of these people. And you could never know how hard it was for me to do that. Especially after Imhotep!
"But then…one day, I guess I just forgot about you and what you had done. I moved on with my life…and then there you were again…in my life. And all the feelings of hatred came back. But I don't hate you now. I was mad then…yes…but now I see that you are my brother, and you are just as human as I. And no matter what you have done, or will do, you will always be my brother. And I will always love you."
Tarek looked at his brother with soft, sad eyes.
"Ardeth, it feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. You could never know how much it pleases me to hear that." He let out a sigh. "I can not tell you how proud of you I am. You are truly a fine king and a fine man. It is clear to me now, that the Med-jai need you to be their king. For I could never do what you have done. You have gone up against the Creature twice, and survived each time. You fought the dark Army of Anubis, and you beat them. I could have never done that. And maybe it was never clear to us twenty years ago, but I was never meant to be king, and you were.
"My little brother, the finest king to ever rule over the Med-jai. I am proud of you Ardeth and I know Father and Mother were both just as proud."
Ardeth smiled. "I am just doing my job."
"Always the humble one." Tarek laughed. "Will you do me a favor, I have written a letter to Meelesh, and I want you to take it back with you."
"Of course."
"Thank you."
~~
That night, Ardeth and Tarek had a privet diner in their room. Then they stayed up talking into the early morning hours. Tarek finally drifted off to sleep, but Ardeth did not. He sat up for another hour and watched his older brother sleep. Sadness fell over him as he realized this was the last time he would see his brother sleep in a very long time. Finally, Ardeth to fell asleep. Dreaming of his wife and son.
~~
The next morning, Tarek and Ardeth silently packed up the few items they had on them. Tarek had signed his documents with his new name, and had them inside a pocket of his Med-jai robe. Soon, he would leave Egypt and the name, Tarek Bay for a long time. But in his heart, he knew he was coming back one day. Ardeth picked up his own few things, for he would leave town as soon as Tarek's boat left.
"Is there an address that I can reach you at?" Tarek said, breaking the silence.
"Yes, there is. Emily set up a PO box in Cairo so she could receive letters from her family. Here," Ardeth wrote the address on a small piece of paper. "It is checked every time we go into Cairo."
"Thanks."
"So, have you decide where you are going?"
"There is war all over Europe, and I do not wish to get myself involved in. I think I might go west…explore other parts of the world."
"As long as you stay out of trouble."
"You know me."
"I know, and I don't want to have to leave my family again to go save your ass."
Tarek laughed. "Well, the next time, you can bring them with you."
It was Ardeth's turn to laugh, but he stopped when he looked at a clock. "Your boat leaves in an hour…" He said softly.
"So, it does. Shall we? I have something I would like to do." He grabbed Ardeth's wrist and started to pull him towards the door.
"Wait...Tarek...your things…" Ardeth protested as he was pulled out the door.
"Relax, we are coming back. I saw something I wanted to do last night, so come on."
Tarek pulled Ardeth out of the small hotel and across the street, into a photography store.
"Do you take pictures?" He asked the old woman behind the counter.
"Yes, Sir, we do."
"How long would we have to wait for them to be developed?"
"About half an hour."
"That quickly? Great, where do we start?"
"Right this way, Sir."
Tarek pulled Ardeth after the old woman.
"What are you doing?" Ardeth asked, nearly tripping over a box.
"Do you really think I am going to let this all pass with out something to remember it by?"
Ardeth sighed as Tarek pushed him in front of a camera that the old woman was sitting up.
"We would like two, please." Tarek told the woman.
"Yes Sir. Of course." The woman finished setting up the camera and told Ardeth and Tarek how to stand. She had them stand next to each other, and have them slightly facing the other. She pulled the camera back a little, so that she could get their weapons, but still have the tattoos on their faces' show up in the photo. She counted to three and took the picture, and then she sat up the flash in the camera again, and took another picture.
"There, if you come back in thirty minutes, I will have the pictures for you." She said as they made their way back to the front of the store.
"And how much do we owe you for them?" Ardeth asked.
"They are free of charge for the Med-jai." The old woman flashed a thin smile.
"Thank you, Ma'am, that is very kind." Ardeth said, flashing her one of his bright smiles.
~~
Thirty minutes later, Ardeth and Tarek walked back into the shop and picked up their pictures. Both were happy for they turned out very well. In both, the brothers stood tall and strong, small smiles on their lips.
"May I have this one?" Tarek asked, picking up one of the pictures.
"Of course." Ardeth said with a smile. Then, together, they walked to the docks of the port town. Both their hearts sank a little bit as they found the boat that would take Tarek away from Egypt.
"Well…here I am. This is where I am supposed to go." Tarek said softly.
"Indeed it is." Ardeth said sadly.
"Don't feel bad, brother, this is the way it is to be. But now, I have ways of keeping in touch with you. And a picture of you so that I will never forget your face."
Ardeth chuckled. "And the same goes for me. You promise that you will write me as soon as you settle down?"
"Yes. I will write you often, Ardeth."
"You better."
They stood in silence for a few seconds, then a load voice yelled, "ALL ABROAD!"
Tarek looked at Ardeth with sad eyes, but then he smiled and reached out, hugging his brother.
"Good bye for now, Brother. I will see you again." He said softly. "Now you go back to your wife and family. And give them my love."
"I will, Brother. I will." Ardeth looked into Tarek's face as the hug broke. "Goodbye Tarek, I will be awaiting the next time I see you."
"Like wise." Tarek picked up the one small suitcase he had with him. "Thank you for all your help Ardeth."
"Always." They hugged one last time, and then Tarek made his was to the ship, walking up the ramp to the deck. Ardeth's heart sunk a little lower as he got one last good look at his brother. Tarek stood tall and stood out in the crowd on the ship. Dressed in clean traditional Med-jai robes, turban wrapped around his head, tattoos showing bright on his face, after being covered up for twenty years. Both Ardeth and Tarek felt that they could be worn with pride now, and they were.
Tarek made his was to the railing of the ship, found Ardeth in the crowd of people on the dock, and waved to him. Giving him a reassuring smile and head nod.
Then, he did something that shocked Ardeth. He touched his heart with one open palm, and then waved it, in ritualistic fashion, toward the sky.
"Harum Bara shad!" He said to Ardeth.
With a smile on his face, the Chieftain of the Med-jai made the same ceremonial sign, and said back, "Harum Bara shad!"
And with that, Tarek disappeared in the crowd of people on deck of the boat. Ardeth stood where he was until the boat pulled away from the port, then, with a sigh, turned back and forced his way through the crowds, but he did not get very far.
"My Lord!" He heard a young voice yell out, turning; he saw Hamza and Majid coming at him, guiding his horse behind them.
"What is it?" Ardeth asked as he took the reins of his horse.
"We thought you would prefer going back to Cairo by boat. It would only take about three days, compared to the six days it would take by horse."
Ardeth smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, I would prefer it."
"Good, we booked you on the next boat out, and you will be able to take your steed."
The young warriors gave him the information Ardeth needed and walked him to his own ship. The boat was leaving right away, so Ardeth said goodbye to the Med-jai and boarded the shop, as a young boy took his horse to the stable on board.
Ardeth went right to his small room and fell back on the bed. After a few minutes, the boat began to move. Ardeth knew it would make many stops along the Nile to pick up more passengers. He did not mind it though, he was happy to be going home.
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The next morning, as Ardeth and Tarek began to get ready to leave, Maahir came to them, followed by two warriors.
"Ardeth, I ask that Hamza and Majid accompany you on the rest of your journey."
"Maahir, I don't believe that will be…"
"I insist, my lord, that these two go with you. In case of any more trouble."
Ardeth sighed and looked at the two warriors, then at his brother.
"All right, Maahir, I will take your men with me."
"Thank you, that makes me feel much more safe."
Ardeth and Tarek mounted their horses', and a young boy brought the other two Med-jai horses' of their own.
"Maahir, I thank you for your help and hospitality. You have been too kind to my self and my brother. I hope I will see you again real soon."
"Always, Ardeth. And if you are ever up this way again, my town is open to you and who ever you are with."
Ardeth nodded and smiled. Tarek also thanked Maahir, and with that, the four men rode out of the town, leaving all the waving citizens behind them.
~~
They rode through the desert with ease, making great time through the day. And as where other days they rode, Ardeth and Tarek were silent, today they did nothing but talk. They talked about Emily, Meelesh, the O'Connell's. They laughed about Jonathan. Tarek told his brother about all the things that he had done over the twenty years they were apart. The other two Med-jai stayed silent, but listened at the stories that the brothers told each other. Some of them were rather outrageous, some were simple and sweet, and some were just plain out silly.
~~
"Carol?" Emily said as she made her way carefully down the stairs. "Can you help me make it down? I'm afraid I am going to fall."
Carol, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs looked up and smiled, then hurried up to where Emily was, taking her arm.
"Just go slow, it will take you a while to get your strength back." Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Carol asked, "Now where to?"
"Um…How about the dining room? It must be nice and sunny in there."
"Oh, yes it is." The two women walked through the kitchen and into the dining room. Carol pulled out a chair for Emily, and then sat down next to her. The room was bright and warm, and they had it all to themselves.
"How are you feeling, Emily?" Carol asked.
"Oh…All right I guess. I am still weak and a little sad, but I guess it goes with what happened."
"Well, I know how you feel. After my…well…after it happened to me, it took me a while to get back into the swing of things."
"I just want my husband to be here. I miss him so much…"
"May I ask where he is?"
"He is…helping an old friend. I don't know when he will be back, but I am praying that it is soon."
"Of course you are. Now, your husband…he is an old friend of Jonathan and the O'Connell's, right?"
"Yes, he is. The met…god…about sixteen years ago, I believe."
"Around the time that Jonathan says that they had a run in with a mummy…"
Emily giggled. "Yes, I do believe that is how they met."
"So, you know the story?"
"Yes, I do. Alex told me all about it."
"And you believe it?"
"You don't?"
"Well, with all due respect, I don't think that mummies can just come back to life. It all seems a little…out there for me."
Emily laughed some more. "Well, it may be hard to believe…but…I don't think they are making it up!"
"But your husband…Ardeth, I believe, tell me about him."
"He is…he is everything to me. Strong, powerful, loving. He is the sweetest man I have ever met in my whole life, and if it wasn't for him…I would be dead right now."
"Oh, how sweet."
"No, I'm serious, I would be dead, right now. That's how we met, he saved my life…a couple times. What about you? My lord, I would have never expected someone to marry Jonathan!"
"Well…what can I say? I just fell head over heals for the ol'fool. It just seems so right, being with him. He was a wild one, once, but now he is more toned down. He loves just staying home at nights, with me, and sitting around, laughing, talking, having a good time."
"Well, I am happy to hear that you both are happy."
"Thank you."
There was a long silence, each woman in her own mind, thinking about her husband.
"Carol…I wanted to talk to you about your…um…"
"About what we have in common?"
"I guess you can put it that way, yes."
"What do you want to know sweetheart?"
"Just…if you felt like you failed at something. And how you got over that feeling."
"Doll," Carol began, placing one hand over Emily's, "It is not easy to go through what we did…"
The women talked for two hours, and at the end of it, both felt relieved to have talked to each other.
~~
"She's one hell of a catch, Jonathan." Emily said later, as she sat with Jonathan on the back porch, enjoying the cool afternoon breeze.
"I know, Emily. I know…she is the best thing to ever happen to me."
"How did you meet her?"
"Well, like just about every other night I spent before I met her, drunk off my ass in a run-down London pub. It was about a week after we got back from Cairo and our adventure with Imhotep. So I was sitting at the bar, minding my own business…and these drunken blokes came after me for some money they claimed I owed them. And I didn't know who they were, so I told them as much. This didn't make them to happy, and they attacked me. Well, next thing I know, I wake up in this hospital, broken arm and a lot of bruises, and Evy is standing at my side…crying and cursing at me for my lifestyle. Luckily, the nurse came in and forced Evy out of the room, saying that I needed my rest. And the nurse was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. And that is how I met Carol, she was a nurse at the hospital. We became fast friends…and one day…one thing led to another...and there ya go, I'm a married man."
Emily laughed. "I bet you rethought ever going back to that pub."
"I haven't been back there since."
"Well, I'm happy for you Jonathan. Your life seems to be picking up."
Before Jonathan could respond, Alex came running out the back door, threw a letter into Emily's Lap, and ran back inside. Emily and Jonathan looked after him, puzzled.
Picking up the letter, she saw it was from Ardeth, and it made her smile.
"Whose it from?" Jonathan asked, looking at the strange writing.
"Ardeth..." Emily said back as she opened the letter and began to read it.
"Dearest Emily,
I am so sorry that I am not there with you right now. Don't ask me how I know, but I know about what happened to our baby…and I am so sorry I was not at your side for that. I hate that I have not seen you in over a week. But I have to do this for Tarek. Right now, we are with the tenth tribe of the Med-jai, and we leave tomorrow morning for Damietta, it should take us another two days to get there. After that is all done, I will get to you as quickly as I can. I promise. I love you very much, and I am so sorry I am away from you. It is breaking my heart knowing what you must be going through with out me. I love you, and I will be coming home as quickly as I can. Your husband, Ardeth."
Then, at the bottom, in different handwriting, and in English, there was a small note as well.
"Emily, if Ardeth knew what I was doing he would kill me. Don't tell him I am writing you. I am Tarek, your brother-in-law. And I wish I could meet you. Ardeth talks about you so much it isn't even funny. He really cares about you. You seem so wonderful how Ardeth describes you, and you should see the sparkle in his eye when he talks about you. You are truly special to him, and I hope you know what a great guy my little brother is. I hope one day, in the future, I will get to meet this lovely woman who stole my brother's heart. I wish you all the luck under the stars. I must go before Ardeth gets back. Always, Tarek."
Ardeth's note made her cry and Tarek's note made her laugh. She to wished she could meet this mysterious brother of Ardeth and Meelesh.
"What did it say?" Jonathan asked.
"Just a little note from my husband, telling me he loves me…and that he is coming home soon." She let out a sigh.
~~
Ardeth, Tarek, Hamza, and Majid covered many miles that day, and that night, as they sat around a small camp, Hamza explained to Ardeth how far they were from Damietta.
"My lord, we will get there mid afternoon tomorrow." The young warrior said.
"Good, good. We will have to stay over for the night, will we find a place to stay?'
"Yes, like the Med-jai in Cairo, the Med-jai are well off in Damietta."
"Also very good. Thank you, young warrior."
The Med-jai bowed his head in respect, and then ran off to keep guard with Majid.
"Well, brother, it looks like our time is coming to a close." Tarek said softly.
"Do not worry, Tarek, we will keep in touch."
"I know we will, but still…we have spent…what…a week together so far? I just wish we had more time."
"I know you do, and I do to." Ardeth sat on his bedroll and laid back. "You should rest now, we have a big day tomorrow."
~~
The Med-jai made it to their town quicker then they thought. Reaching the port town of Damietta around noon the next day. As they neared it, though, both Ardeth and Tarek became rather quiet, knowing it would mean they would soon have to part.
Majid found a place for them to stay that night, and a stable for their horses. Dismounting, Ardeth looked at his brother with sad eyes.
"We are here, Tarek. Are you ready?"
"No, I am not. But I am sure that does not make any bit of difference."
Ardeth smiled. "Come, let us go get lunch, for I am very hungry." So the small group walked through town, to a tiny restaurant, where they ate a large meal. They all talked to each other, and enjoyed the company they were in. After lunch, they all returned to the small hotel where Tarek would spend his last night in Egypt.
"I can't believe I am leaving tomorrow." Tarek said as he flopped back on his bed.
"Nor can I." Ardeth sat down on his own bed, after removing his weapons.
"Ardeth…I really need to know this before I leave tomorrow…how do you feel about me? How do you feel about that happened all those years ago?"
"Tarek...I..."
"Please, Brother, tell me."
Ardeth sat and thought for a long time, then he finally spoke.
"I hated you for years. I could not believe what you did…it seemed so unlike you. But you did it…and no one could have changed that. I was so angry at you for what you did…you had such a promising life ahead of you, and you screwed it up. I hated you for that. And then you left me to take over for you, pick up the pieces of our tribe as their new king, and I had no idea what I was doing. For such a long time…I had to struggle to get by as the king of these people. And you could never know how hard it was for me to do that. Especially after Imhotep!
"But then…one day, I guess I just forgot about you and what you had done. I moved on with my life…and then there you were again…in my life. And all the feelings of hatred came back. But I don't hate you now. I was mad then…yes…but now I see that you are my brother, and you are just as human as I. And no matter what you have done, or will do, you will always be my brother. And I will always love you."
Tarek looked at his brother with soft, sad eyes.
"Ardeth, it feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. You could never know how much it pleases me to hear that." He let out a sigh. "I can not tell you how proud of you I am. You are truly a fine king and a fine man. It is clear to me now, that the Med-jai need you to be their king. For I could never do what you have done. You have gone up against the Creature twice, and survived each time. You fought the dark Army of Anubis, and you beat them. I could have never done that. And maybe it was never clear to us twenty years ago, but I was never meant to be king, and you were.
"My little brother, the finest king to ever rule over the Med-jai. I am proud of you Ardeth and I know Father and Mother were both just as proud."
Ardeth smiled. "I am just doing my job."
"Always the humble one." Tarek laughed. "Will you do me a favor, I have written a letter to Meelesh, and I want you to take it back with you."
"Of course."
"Thank you."
~~
That night, Ardeth and Tarek had a privet diner in their room. Then they stayed up talking into the early morning hours. Tarek finally drifted off to sleep, but Ardeth did not. He sat up for another hour and watched his older brother sleep. Sadness fell over him as he realized this was the last time he would see his brother sleep in a very long time. Finally, Ardeth to fell asleep. Dreaming of his wife and son.
~~
The next morning, Tarek and Ardeth silently packed up the few items they had on them. Tarek had signed his documents with his new name, and had them inside a pocket of his Med-jai robe. Soon, he would leave Egypt and the name, Tarek Bay for a long time. But in his heart, he knew he was coming back one day. Ardeth picked up his own few things, for he would leave town as soon as Tarek's boat left.
"Is there an address that I can reach you at?" Tarek said, breaking the silence.
"Yes, there is. Emily set up a PO box in Cairo so she could receive letters from her family. Here," Ardeth wrote the address on a small piece of paper. "It is checked every time we go into Cairo."
"Thanks."
"So, have you decide where you are going?"
"There is war all over Europe, and I do not wish to get myself involved in. I think I might go west…explore other parts of the world."
"As long as you stay out of trouble."
"You know me."
"I know, and I don't want to have to leave my family again to go save your ass."
Tarek laughed. "Well, the next time, you can bring them with you."
It was Ardeth's turn to laugh, but he stopped when he looked at a clock. "Your boat leaves in an hour…" He said softly.
"So, it does. Shall we? I have something I would like to do." He grabbed Ardeth's wrist and started to pull him towards the door.
"Wait...Tarek...your things…" Ardeth protested as he was pulled out the door.
"Relax, we are coming back. I saw something I wanted to do last night, so come on."
Tarek pulled Ardeth out of the small hotel and across the street, into a photography store.
"Do you take pictures?" He asked the old woman behind the counter.
"Yes, Sir, we do."
"How long would we have to wait for them to be developed?"
"About half an hour."
"That quickly? Great, where do we start?"
"Right this way, Sir."
Tarek pulled Ardeth after the old woman.
"What are you doing?" Ardeth asked, nearly tripping over a box.
"Do you really think I am going to let this all pass with out something to remember it by?"
Ardeth sighed as Tarek pushed him in front of a camera that the old woman was sitting up.
"We would like two, please." Tarek told the woman.
"Yes Sir. Of course." The woman finished setting up the camera and told Ardeth and Tarek how to stand. She had them stand next to each other, and have them slightly facing the other. She pulled the camera back a little, so that she could get their weapons, but still have the tattoos on their faces' show up in the photo. She counted to three and took the picture, and then she sat up the flash in the camera again, and took another picture.
"There, if you come back in thirty minutes, I will have the pictures for you." She said as they made their way back to the front of the store.
"And how much do we owe you for them?" Ardeth asked.
"They are free of charge for the Med-jai." The old woman flashed a thin smile.
"Thank you, Ma'am, that is very kind." Ardeth said, flashing her one of his bright smiles.
~~
Thirty minutes later, Ardeth and Tarek walked back into the shop and picked up their pictures. Both were happy for they turned out very well. In both, the brothers stood tall and strong, small smiles on their lips.
"May I have this one?" Tarek asked, picking up one of the pictures.
"Of course." Ardeth said with a smile. Then, together, they walked to the docks of the port town. Both their hearts sank a little bit as they found the boat that would take Tarek away from Egypt.
"Well…here I am. This is where I am supposed to go." Tarek said softly.
"Indeed it is." Ardeth said sadly.
"Don't feel bad, brother, this is the way it is to be. But now, I have ways of keeping in touch with you. And a picture of you so that I will never forget your face."
Ardeth chuckled. "And the same goes for me. You promise that you will write me as soon as you settle down?"
"Yes. I will write you often, Ardeth."
"You better."
They stood in silence for a few seconds, then a load voice yelled, "ALL ABROAD!"
Tarek looked at Ardeth with sad eyes, but then he smiled and reached out, hugging his brother.
"Good bye for now, Brother. I will see you again." He said softly. "Now you go back to your wife and family. And give them my love."
"I will, Brother. I will." Ardeth looked into Tarek's face as the hug broke. "Goodbye Tarek, I will be awaiting the next time I see you."
"Like wise." Tarek picked up the one small suitcase he had with him. "Thank you for all your help Ardeth."
"Always." They hugged one last time, and then Tarek made his was to the ship, walking up the ramp to the deck. Ardeth's heart sunk a little lower as he got one last good look at his brother. Tarek stood tall and stood out in the crowd on the ship. Dressed in clean traditional Med-jai robes, turban wrapped around his head, tattoos showing bright on his face, after being covered up for twenty years. Both Ardeth and Tarek felt that they could be worn with pride now, and they were.
Tarek made his was to the railing of the ship, found Ardeth in the crowd of people on the dock, and waved to him. Giving him a reassuring smile and head nod.
Then, he did something that shocked Ardeth. He touched his heart with one open palm, and then waved it, in ritualistic fashion, toward the sky.
"Harum Bara shad!" He said to Ardeth.
With a smile on his face, the Chieftain of the Med-jai made the same ceremonial sign, and said back, "Harum Bara shad!"
And with that, Tarek disappeared in the crowd of people on deck of the boat. Ardeth stood where he was until the boat pulled away from the port, then, with a sigh, turned back and forced his way through the crowds, but he did not get very far.
"My Lord!" He heard a young voice yell out, turning; he saw Hamza and Majid coming at him, guiding his horse behind them.
"What is it?" Ardeth asked as he took the reins of his horse.
"We thought you would prefer going back to Cairo by boat. It would only take about three days, compared to the six days it would take by horse."
Ardeth smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, I would prefer it."
"Good, we booked you on the next boat out, and you will be able to take your steed."
The young warriors gave him the information Ardeth needed and walked him to his own ship. The boat was leaving right away, so Ardeth said goodbye to the Med-jai and boarded the shop, as a young boy took his horse to the stable on board.
Ardeth went right to his small room and fell back on the bed. After a few minutes, the boat began to move. Ardeth knew it would make many stops along the Nile to pick up more passengers. He did not mind it though, he was happy to be going home.