Ardeth was watching Heterity breathlessly. How to explain the strange rush of feelings the new memories have brought him? How to talk about all this newly-acquired knowledge and the effect it had on him? Heterity looked straight in his eyes and narrowed hers, as if she was trying to read inside them.
"You remember." She whispered smiling
"You made me remember. With the song." Ardeth said confused.
"No. I didn't. I didn't even sing. What song?"
Ardeth was getting even more confused but he noticed a strange sparkle in the woman's eyes, as she cocked her head to the right. He realized what was happening. " You are teasing me!" He said slightly angered. In all his life nobody has ever teased him like that. In his present life anyway. The truth was he didn't feel so bad about it. He finally cracked a smile.
" I guess I got away with it." Said Heterity who has been watching the emotions following each other in his face. She smiled herself with a strange smile, which moved only the right side of her face, but illuminated both her eyes. "Teach me your language." She said still smiling.
Soon afterwards she knew the vital words she would need. Yes, no, some greetings, attack, retreat, run, some polite phrases widely used in Arabic. She also decided that as soon as she could speak Arabic, she would learn English too. She was a quick and eager learner and her accent was fluent. Ardeth was very satisfied. After a while she stopped the lesson and moved to the opening, wanting to check on the weather. She came back smiling.
"The Khamsin is already over." She said happily.
" Yes but it may start again very soon." Ardeth said frowning slightly. The truth he would never admit was that he wasn't yet able to give up on being alone with her, and put up with delivering the news and of course give an account to the council.
" You need to tell your people that they are safe." She said calmly but sternly, obviously understanding what was going on in his mind.
Ardeth bent his head in shame realizing that he had acted selfishly, momentarily forgetting his duty. He saddled the horse without talking, while he felt her eyes following him. When he finished he turned at her waiting for her to get on the horse.
"Come on. I know that you can mount." He moved to help her but she shook her head at him, and jumped elegantly on the stallion like she had no way at all. He recalled that Heterity hated being helped at things she could do on her own. He jumped on the horse himself and they started, in the silence of the night using the stars to find their way. The sky was unbelievably clear and it was very cold. Heterity was shivering. Ardeth took his outer robe of and put it around her. It was torn at some points, but it still kept her warm. She fell asleep on his shoulder during the journey. He made a shortcut to Hamunaptra, and when the sun started to rise, he could see the small oasis by which the Med-jai lived. It wasn't really important, but some healthy palm-trees and two wells with clear, plentiful water were giving life to the place. He knew he would have been spotted by now. He glanced again at the sleeping woman and then thought about the happy prospect of announcing that safety was back and there was another person they could trust and take help from.