Disclaimer: Same old, same old.
Battle
Rebecca came to a halt as Evy
stopped abruptly before her. Evy held
up a hand for silence, tilting her head towards the sounds coming from the room
ahead of them. The unmistakable sound of
metal against metal announced that there was a fight going on. Evy pulled her sai weapons from her belt, as
Rebecca bent and picked up a sword that was lying on the ground, next to the
hand of a dead man. She smiled bravely
as Evy looked back over her shoulder at her.
"You be careful." Rebecca cautioned.
"You too." Evy said, then ducked into the chamber.
Rebecca followed quickly, her
gaze widening at the carnage they encountered. Bodies were strewn everywhere, blood spattered the blades of those still
standing. Her gaze searched for Ardeth
as she and Evy made their way to the stairwell, but she could not make him out
in the melee. She looked back over her
shoulder, whipping around quickly as she saw the man rushing her. Her sword met his with a clang, twisting to
deflect the blow he'd intended for her head into the stone wall, sending a
shower of sparks showering down upon them. His gaze widened in surprise, he'd obviously expected a lower level of
resistance. Their swordplay lasted
several minutes before she managed to land a blow against his arm, causing him
to lose his grip on his sword. He fell
to his knees, and Rebecca brought the hilt of her sword down on the back of his
head, knocking him out cold.
She turned back to Evy,
surprised to see that her friend was already at the stairway that led down to
where she'd hidden the Book of the Dead. Rebecca followed quickly, rushing as she saw Molnar come up behind Evy,
grabbing her friend around the throat as he held a dagger to her neck. Evy swung back hard, digging the blade of
the sai she held into his thigh. He
screamed, releasing his hold as Evy swung back with her foot, landing a hard
kick against the same leg, sending him tumbling down the stairs. He lay at the bottom motionless as Rebecca
and Evy stared down at him, debating whether he was still alive or not. As they looked, Jonathan came up beside the
fallen man, holding his torch above him as he gazed at the still form.
"He looks dead." Jonathan called up, his face streaked with
dirt and blood.
The women came down the stairs,
Rebecca stepping over Molnar's body carefully while Evy gave him a good kick in
the ribs. He did not respond to the
blow, making Jonathan nod with satisfaction.
"Let's find that book." He said, turning to face the sarcophagi.
They didn't find it until the
fifth one had been opened. Rebecca
lifted the book reverently, turning to Evy with a grin.
"It's still locked."
"Ardeth still has the key." Evy reminded her. "Which is probably a good thing."
"Let's burn the damn
thing." Jonathan suggested, holding his
torch towards the book.
He cried out as Molnar brought
his sword down on his arm. Jonathan
fell to his knees, the torch falling from his hand as his other came up to
clutch at his arm, trying to staunch the flow of blood. Evy stepped forward with a snarl, her
weapons gripped tightly. She paused
when Molnar jerked Jonathan's head back, holding the sword to his throat.
"Give it to me." Molnar ordered, holding out a hand. "Come, Rebecca. Get behind me."
Rebecca looked at Evy, nodding
as she stepped past. Molnar abandoned
Jonathan as a hostage, shoving Rebecca as he took the book from her hands. Evy stood poised; ready to act the moment
Molnar turned his back. Rebecca acted
sooner. She took the pistol she had
hidden in her boot, bringing it up against his side as he turned toward her.
"Drop your sword." She ordered softly, her expression
fierce. "I will kill you if you don't."
"That a girl, Rebecca." Jonathan said, his face pale as he staggered
to his feet. "Put the bloody bugger out
of his misery."
Molnar shook with fury. He could not believe this slip of a girl had
bested him yet again. His gaze rose as
Evy raised her weapons in readiness. Two women had halted his moment of glory. He could hear the sounds of battle diminishing, and he knew his
men were also facing defeat. He dropped
his sword, releasing the book as Evy pulled it from his hands.
Ardeth strode into the room, his
gaze widening with surprise when he saw Rebecca holding a gun on Molnar. He shook his head in wonder, knowing that it
would be a long time before she stopped surprising him with her actions. He saw Jonathan was injured, and he jerked
his head toward two of his men; they each provided support to the man as Evy
led him to the stairway, eager to get him aboveground so she could treat his
wounds. More men formed a ring around
Molnar, and Rebecca relaxed her stance, lowering her gun and taking the book
from Evy as she passed by. She stepped
back, her gaze going to Ardeth as he stepped forward.
"You should go." He cautioned, bringing her hand up to his
lips. "You do not want to see what is
to be done."
Rebecca knew what was to be
done. Molnar was going to be
executed. As the leader of the Medjai,
Ardeth must perform this task. Not only
had Molnar broken the sacred laws of the Medjai, he had taken the wife of their
leader. As Ardeth's wife, she knew that
the right to witness was hers.
"I will remain." Rebecca replied, squeezing Ardeth's hand as
she stepped back.
Ardeth met her gaze. He could see that she knew that staying
solidified her role as his wife. He
could see that she knew her actions were letting the men know that she intended
to stay by his side. He dropped her
hand, straightening as he turned to perform the task at hand.
"You dishonor our people with
your very existence." Ardeth said, his
voice cold as he circled Molnar. "You
dishonor me when you steal my wife. For
that alone I would kill you. Both
actions have sealed your fate."
"You do not think I acted alone,
do you?" Molnar asked, his tone mocking
as he met Ardeth's stare. "You may kill
me, but this is not over. Your 'wife'
is not yet safe."
Ardeth could hear the truth in
the words that Molnar spoke. He raised
his sword, preparing to end Molnar's life.
"You can cleanse your soul by
telling what you know." Ardeth
stated. He did not offer to spare his
life, for he knew a dying man would promise anything to live, true or not.
"I would not make it so
easy." Molnar spat.
Rebecca did not wince as Ardeth swung,
severing the head from the body in one clean stroke. She did not waver as the head rolled to lie at her feet. She clutched the book in her arms, staring
at the face of her captor as Ardeth moved forward. The men around him moved to remove the body, preparing to give it
the traitor's burial it deserved. Ardeth
gazed down at Rebecca, a feeling of pride rising in his chest. She had done well, and had fulfilled her
first duty as his bride.
"Come." He said, extending his hand to her. "Let us leave this place."
As they exited the city a man
watched, waiting. It was the same man
that had watched Rebecca in London. His
face did not show expression as he saw that the Medjai had destroyed his first
attempt at raising his Prince. He
pulled back the cover from his head, revealing a face Rick would recognize in a
heartbeat.
Beni.