Please be gentle with me as this is my first attempt at any Ardeth related
fiction. Please excuse the fact that I have no knowledge of Arabic,
although I do not feel that it is detrimental to the story.
Disclaimer.. Ardeth Bay and all associated characters that appeared in either of the Mummy films are the property of Stephen Sommers, no infringement intended.......only original characters are mine.
Gone but not forgotten.................
Chapter 1.
What should have been relief as Ardeth Bay and his remaining warriors filed back to their villages, was outweighed by a sense of loss and mourning. Many of his warriors had given their lives selflessly in their quest to keep the Anubis warriors at bay. He watched as families were now re-united, as wives ran frantically towards their husbands. He saw the delight in the children's faces as they caught the first sight of their fathers.
He sat atop his horse and watched from a slight distance away, knowing that very soon he would have to speak with all of the bereaved personally and try to justify their grief. This was the hardest part for Ardeth, as he still hadn't properly come to terms with the grief inside his own heart. The memory of the most joyous and saddest day in his life was still too fresh, too raw. The birth of his son and the tragic death of his wife after giving him the most precious gift, still brought him to his knees every time his thoughts led him back there. Although for a woman to die in childbirth in the harsh climate of the desert was not an uncommon occurrence, he was still not fully prepared for it to happen to him. He and Khadija had only six blissful hours together with their son Hamid before she haemorrhaged, and the angel of death swiftly claimed her.
At least the O'Connells had escaped with their lives once again, and for that Ardeth was truly grateful. His thoughts turned to the O'Connell boy Alex, he had certainly turned into a fine boy, a boy any father could be proud of. Ardeth had understood their devastation when Lock Nah and his henchmen had taken him away from them.
Fatherhood, he could not profess to have a great understanding of that role, seeing as his only son no longer lived amongst the Medjai. Telling himself that it was for his own safety offered no comfort for Ardeth. But now, had he been presented with an opportunity to once again re-unite with his son?
Lock Nah was no longer a threat to Ardeth and his people, the very reason his son had been hidden had now been removed at the hands of the one person who had suffered the most from the situation. Ardeth thought back to the very moment his sword had taken the life of his greatest enemy. Although he knew he was going to face one of the grimmest battles in his peoples history, the heavy burden of hatred and helplessness had been instantly lifted from his shoulders as Lock Nah took his final breath.
Ardeth swiftly brought himself back to the present and prepared himself for the task ahead. After he'd visited all the families that had lost loved ones he was going to speak to the elders. In some ways they were more daunting than the grief stricken families he hoped to comfort. He dismounted his horse and strode over to his tent, desperate to wash away the blood and the eerie black dust that was all that remained of their last enemy.
As leader of the Medjai, his status could have afforded him comforts bordering on the regal, but for the past few years he had forgone these comforts, choosing instead to live a simple existence akin to his tribal brothers, so the tent he entered to cleanse his body was no different from the other non-descript rows of tents.
He stepped inside and wearily discarded his weaponry, taking off the bandoliers that hung from his shoulders, stretching his body as he felt the heaviness decrease. Running his hands through his matted hair he strode over to the pitcher of water and poured some into a large bowl. His robes were one by one placed into a large hamper and he now stood in only the black pants he wore underneath. Starting to assess the various cuts and injuries on his body he sighed deeply, wondering if now more settled times lay ahead.
Taking a cloth he washed and cleaned his wounds, paying particular attention to the deep cuts left behind from the mummy that had slashed into his chest and arms in England. The coolness of the water was soothing and soon he had scraped off all the evil from his body. Plunging his head into the refreshing water, he struggled with the tangles in his hair and after some time was satisfied that indeed, he was once again presentable. He dressed quickly in fresh robes, and after combing through his hair he felt ready to face the daunting task that lay ahead.
It had long been a personal tradition of the Bay family to give comfort to the lowliest warriors families first, so as not to cause any friction within the tribe, giving the message that they were all equal in their leaders eyes. He knew the tears shed over loss knew no boundaries, all were equal in grief.
"My Lord, you do us a great honor," said Amina, as she welcomed her Chieftain into her home, bowing slightly and hurriedly covering her face. She was one of the older mothers and kept the tradition of veiling that had all but died out within the younger women of the Medjai.
"Please, do not afford me any compliments, as it is a sad day for us all," Ardeth replied as he entered the widows home, noticing the mask of pain that contorted her children's faces.
"He would have wanted a warriors death," she whispered. "Please, tell me my Chief, did he die with his sword in his hand, was he pained?" she asked, gathering her children to her side.
"He died as a true warrior would have wanted to, he fought bravely and saved other lives with his courage. Think of him with pride Amina," Ardeth said, feeling the familiar lump in his throat as he turned his attention to the children.
"Know this little ones, your father was, and still is a true hero, he was a warrior who died protecting the very thing he believed in, all of you," he said, touching each of the children gently on the shoulders. "Keep him in your hearts and think of him with pride, and when you see the stars in the night sky you will know that he's looking down on you, keeping you safe," he said as he crouched down, lowering himself to their height so as not to intimidate them, not to frighten them. He spent a little while talking to the children, giving them his support. For although he didn't know their father all that well, he had still been one of his warriors, and as such Ardeth would not have him remembered in any less way than say a commander.
As he made his way wearily through the homes of his people, his thoughts once again turned to his son. He would shortly be five years old. Where had the time gone? All Ardeth had of the boy were the six monthly progress reports from his guardian, relayed back to him via one of his men who made the trip twice a year to check that all was well with Hamid. Ardeth, as leader could not travel the great distance, he was needed within his people. If Ardeth had departed for months at a time, it would have been seen as a prime opportunity for others to try and step in his shoes and disrupt the very core of the Medjai race.
A great restlessness had settled on the Medjai over the past few years, due in no small way to Lock Nah's interference and infiltration of the tribes. Ardeth had to some extent quelled the feuds that boiled up all to regularly. His role as peacemaker had become legendary and lately things had begun to settle again. Now, with the demise of Lock Nah, the peace was about to become permanent and he was confident that now was the time to bring his son and heir back home.
"Mother," shouted Ardeth, on entering the tent. "Where are you?"
"Oh, give an old woman a chance to get up will you?" she smiled, coming out of the curtained off sleeping area.
Jamilla studied her son's expression and in her heart knew what he was about to say.
"So," she said. "I take it that now is the time to petition the elders for Hamid's return to us," she said.
"You know my mind now mother?" he questioned with a smile.
"Ardeth, you're my only son, and just like your father did, you try too hard to guard your emotions. I've known your mind on this matter for some time now. The immediate threat is gone, it's only right and natural that you should want your child at your side," she smiled. "I too felt the loss when it was necessary for him to leave us, I felt your loss also, you're part of me, just as he's part of you and bonds such as those can never be broken."
Ardeth's mind wandered to just what she meant about the immediate threat. Was Lock Nah not dead? Was the threat not gone completely? He dismissed her words as a slip of the tongue and continued to speak with her.
"Oh mother, this is the one journey I'm most fearful of. What happens if he cannot love me, over four years have passed since I've held him in my arms. I can't just expect to walk in and pretend the time never passed. And what of his guardian Samia, she's brought him up alone since the death of her father, how could she not have grown so attached to him as to not want to let him leave with a man who is a stranger to him," said Ardeth, shaking his head with worry. The great longing to see his child had always been peppered with doubts as to whether his child would accept him.
"Ardeth, Samia was chosen for a reason," said Jamilla.
"That being?"
"The reason being, that her parents brought her up amongst the Medjai for the first 15 years of her life, until her mother had wanted to return to her homeland after becoming terminally ill. Cassim, her father, being born and bred Medjai asked the elders for leave to escort her home and took Samia with them back to Spain. After Samia's mother passed away, Cassim stayed in Spain, mainly to keep watch on any developments in the European artifacts market, the other reason being to provide a sanctuary for any of his tribe that were considered to be at risk. It was the perfect solution."
"Yes, I can see the logic behind that mother, but why was I not told the full story from the beginning?" Ardeth asked. "And I was never told the exact location of my son, I still don't know."
"Ardeth, I'm sure all of your questions will be answered when you speak to the elders later, they're not so bad you know," Jamilla said, remembering the countless run-ins she had witnessed between them and her son.
Ardeth pondered for a while on what his mother had just revealed to him, it made sense, but at what price, he'd still missed the first years of his son's life and was determined to get to him quickly so as not to miss any more. He knew he'd have to tread carefully, but was comforted by the fact that he was with a Medjai woman. One who he hoped had instilled into his son the values and traditions of his people. The very same people that one day his son would lead.
Ardeth kissed his mother on the cheek and left her tent to go and speak with the council of elders. Jamilla watched as he urgently crossed the compound and hoped that the latest news the elders had received about Hamid, would not send him into a careless rage. Jamilla had been persuaded by the elders not to tell her son about Lock Nah's discovery of Hamid's whereabouts, and to leave it to them to quell the storm that would almost certainly erupt when Ardeth found out.
"Mohammed, It's good to see you my friend," said Ardeth on entering the tent that the elders were now assembled in.
Mohammed was the chief elder and the only one that Ardeth would trust with his life. A few of the others had made trouble for the young Chieftain in the past. Always wanting to promote one of their own sons as a possible consort, at least until Ardeth was considered old enough to take on the huge task himself.
Ardeth's father had been in his fifties when his only son had been born, his wife Jamilla in her early forties. After four daughters they had given up on producing an heir, as had many of the tribe. When his father had passed away, Ardeth was left to take over the reigns at the tender age of eighteen. Many considered this too young for such a huge responsibility, but Ardeth had been prepared from an early age for the task ahead and soon proved his worth. That was fifteen years ago, fifteen long years that had seen the resurrection of unspoken evil, twice, and twice it had been defeated.
Now Ardeth was hoping for happier times for his people, settled times. He hoped the return of his son would lift their spirits and was determined that the elders would not put any obstacles in his way with their old fashioned reasoning.
"Ardeth, sit, please," said Mohammed kindly.
Jameel spoke up first. "Ardeth while you were away, we received some rather distressing news," he said sternly.
Ardeth sat up straight and took a deep breath, hoping against hope that Hamid's name would not be mentioned.
"Although Lock Nah is no longer a scourge on the earth," Jameel continued. "We received word from a contact in Spain that his men had located Samia and your son. The warrior entrusted to take money to Samia and Hamid for their safekeeping hasn't returned."
"How late is he?" asked Ardeth, his voice shaking slightly as the full weight of the information heavied his heart.
"Over a month," came the reply.
"A month?" Ardeth shouted. "A month, and no-one saw fit to tell me," he raged. "I suppose you were all too busy plotting for you sons to take over to give any thought to my son, who, as you seem to so easily forget is the rightful heir."
He paused for a moment and looked at the faces of the elders as the shock of being spoken to in such a manner registered.
"Did you all not witness the attempts on his life as a baby. Did you all not decide that the best course of action until times were less troubled was to send him to a place of safety, with people who you trusted to care for his welfare," he raged. "Was I not the only one against the idea, after all, you all had your children here with you. Not only did I lose a wife, I was then condemned to miss my sons first years, just because of who I was and who he was," he added. "And you, you all stand before me today and tell me that you've known his life could be at risk again, for a whole month."
"Ardeth, Ardeth please, I know this is a shock to you," said Mohammed. "But please, listen to me," pleaded the old man.
Ardeth reluctantly sat down again, his mind spinning with every new thought that entered his head, waiting for Mohammed to speak.
"Ardeth, how could we have got in touch with you when we first knew of this, you were in England remember,"
Ardeth had to admit that the man spoke the truth. "But why, why didn't you inform me of this when I returned to Egypt?" he asked.
"What could you have done Ardeth, would you have deserted the O'Connells and the safety of your people? Would you have gone into battle with the armies of Anubis with a distracted heart, your guard being down, your mind being elsewhere. No, I think not. Instead you would have done your duty with the heavy burden of that knowledge weighing you down, making you vulnerable. Your hatred for Lock Nah clouding your better judgement........?"
Ardeth had to ruefully admit that Mohammed was right, he spoke the truth, for Ardeth knew in his heart that all he had said was right. He looked around at the elders assembled and stood once more.
"I came here to you this day to seek your blessing to bring my son home. I now realize that after what I've just learned that time is of the essence. I will go, with or without your blessing, for I'm not seeking your permission any more I'm informing you of my decision, as your leader."
"Then you'll need these," said Mohammed, passing Ardeth a small leather wrap containing the whereabouts of Hamid and Samia.
"Thank you," said Ardeth truthfully, clasping the old mans shoulder.
"May Allah grant you swiftness of foot in your quest my Chieftain," said Mohammed. "Bring him back to us, safe and well and we'll all sleep easier in our beds, as I know will you at last."
Ardeth left the tent and ran to his own. Throwing things into a large rucksack, he quickly accumulated everything he would need for the long journey ahead. His mother appeared behind him and uttered just one sentence.
"Bring my grandson home safely."
"Don't worry mother," he said as he mounted his horse. "The next time you see me I'll have him rightfully back by my side."
Disclaimer.. Ardeth Bay and all associated characters that appeared in either of the Mummy films are the property of Stephen Sommers, no infringement intended.......only original characters are mine.
Gone but not forgotten.................
Chapter 1.
What should have been relief as Ardeth Bay and his remaining warriors filed back to their villages, was outweighed by a sense of loss and mourning. Many of his warriors had given their lives selflessly in their quest to keep the Anubis warriors at bay. He watched as families were now re-united, as wives ran frantically towards their husbands. He saw the delight in the children's faces as they caught the first sight of their fathers.
He sat atop his horse and watched from a slight distance away, knowing that very soon he would have to speak with all of the bereaved personally and try to justify their grief. This was the hardest part for Ardeth, as he still hadn't properly come to terms with the grief inside his own heart. The memory of the most joyous and saddest day in his life was still too fresh, too raw. The birth of his son and the tragic death of his wife after giving him the most precious gift, still brought him to his knees every time his thoughts led him back there. Although for a woman to die in childbirth in the harsh climate of the desert was not an uncommon occurrence, he was still not fully prepared for it to happen to him. He and Khadija had only six blissful hours together with their son Hamid before she haemorrhaged, and the angel of death swiftly claimed her.
At least the O'Connells had escaped with their lives once again, and for that Ardeth was truly grateful. His thoughts turned to the O'Connell boy Alex, he had certainly turned into a fine boy, a boy any father could be proud of. Ardeth had understood their devastation when Lock Nah and his henchmen had taken him away from them.
Fatherhood, he could not profess to have a great understanding of that role, seeing as his only son no longer lived amongst the Medjai. Telling himself that it was for his own safety offered no comfort for Ardeth. But now, had he been presented with an opportunity to once again re-unite with his son?
Lock Nah was no longer a threat to Ardeth and his people, the very reason his son had been hidden had now been removed at the hands of the one person who had suffered the most from the situation. Ardeth thought back to the very moment his sword had taken the life of his greatest enemy. Although he knew he was going to face one of the grimmest battles in his peoples history, the heavy burden of hatred and helplessness had been instantly lifted from his shoulders as Lock Nah took his final breath.
Ardeth swiftly brought himself back to the present and prepared himself for the task ahead. After he'd visited all the families that had lost loved ones he was going to speak to the elders. In some ways they were more daunting than the grief stricken families he hoped to comfort. He dismounted his horse and strode over to his tent, desperate to wash away the blood and the eerie black dust that was all that remained of their last enemy.
As leader of the Medjai, his status could have afforded him comforts bordering on the regal, but for the past few years he had forgone these comforts, choosing instead to live a simple existence akin to his tribal brothers, so the tent he entered to cleanse his body was no different from the other non-descript rows of tents.
He stepped inside and wearily discarded his weaponry, taking off the bandoliers that hung from his shoulders, stretching his body as he felt the heaviness decrease. Running his hands through his matted hair he strode over to the pitcher of water and poured some into a large bowl. His robes were one by one placed into a large hamper and he now stood in only the black pants he wore underneath. Starting to assess the various cuts and injuries on his body he sighed deeply, wondering if now more settled times lay ahead.
Taking a cloth he washed and cleaned his wounds, paying particular attention to the deep cuts left behind from the mummy that had slashed into his chest and arms in England. The coolness of the water was soothing and soon he had scraped off all the evil from his body. Plunging his head into the refreshing water, he struggled with the tangles in his hair and after some time was satisfied that indeed, he was once again presentable. He dressed quickly in fresh robes, and after combing through his hair he felt ready to face the daunting task that lay ahead.
It had long been a personal tradition of the Bay family to give comfort to the lowliest warriors families first, so as not to cause any friction within the tribe, giving the message that they were all equal in their leaders eyes. He knew the tears shed over loss knew no boundaries, all were equal in grief.
"My Lord, you do us a great honor," said Amina, as she welcomed her Chieftain into her home, bowing slightly and hurriedly covering her face. She was one of the older mothers and kept the tradition of veiling that had all but died out within the younger women of the Medjai.
"Please, do not afford me any compliments, as it is a sad day for us all," Ardeth replied as he entered the widows home, noticing the mask of pain that contorted her children's faces.
"He would have wanted a warriors death," she whispered. "Please, tell me my Chief, did he die with his sword in his hand, was he pained?" she asked, gathering her children to her side.
"He died as a true warrior would have wanted to, he fought bravely and saved other lives with his courage. Think of him with pride Amina," Ardeth said, feeling the familiar lump in his throat as he turned his attention to the children.
"Know this little ones, your father was, and still is a true hero, he was a warrior who died protecting the very thing he believed in, all of you," he said, touching each of the children gently on the shoulders. "Keep him in your hearts and think of him with pride, and when you see the stars in the night sky you will know that he's looking down on you, keeping you safe," he said as he crouched down, lowering himself to their height so as not to intimidate them, not to frighten them. He spent a little while talking to the children, giving them his support. For although he didn't know their father all that well, he had still been one of his warriors, and as such Ardeth would not have him remembered in any less way than say a commander.
As he made his way wearily through the homes of his people, his thoughts once again turned to his son. He would shortly be five years old. Where had the time gone? All Ardeth had of the boy were the six monthly progress reports from his guardian, relayed back to him via one of his men who made the trip twice a year to check that all was well with Hamid. Ardeth, as leader could not travel the great distance, he was needed within his people. If Ardeth had departed for months at a time, it would have been seen as a prime opportunity for others to try and step in his shoes and disrupt the very core of the Medjai race.
A great restlessness had settled on the Medjai over the past few years, due in no small way to Lock Nah's interference and infiltration of the tribes. Ardeth had to some extent quelled the feuds that boiled up all to regularly. His role as peacemaker had become legendary and lately things had begun to settle again. Now, with the demise of Lock Nah, the peace was about to become permanent and he was confident that now was the time to bring his son and heir back home.
"Mother," shouted Ardeth, on entering the tent. "Where are you?"
"Oh, give an old woman a chance to get up will you?" she smiled, coming out of the curtained off sleeping area.
Jamilla studied her son's expression and in her heart knew what he was about to say.
"So," she said. "I take it that now is the time to petition the elders for Hamid's return to us," she said.
"You know my mind now mother?" he questioned with a smile.
"Ardeth, you're my only son, and just like your father did, you try too hard to guard your emotions. I've known your mind on this matter for some time now. The immediate threat is gone, it's only right and natural that you should want your child at your side," she smiled. "I too felt the loss when it was necessary for him to leave us, I felt your loss also, you're part of me, just as he's part of you and bonds such as those can never be broken."
Ardeth's mind wandered to just what she meant about the immediate threat. Was Lock Nah not dead? Was the threat not gone completely? He dismissed her words as a slip of the tongue and continued to speak with her.
"Oh mother, this is the one journey I'm most fearful of. What happens if he cannot love me, over four years have passed since I've held him in my arms. I can't just expect to walk in and pretend the time never passed. And what of his guardian Samia, she's brought him up alone since the death of her father, how could she not have grown so attached to him as to not want to let him leave with a man who is a stranger to him," said Ardeth, shaking his head with worry. The great longing to see his child had always been peppered with doubts as to whether his child would accept him.
"Ardeth, Samia was chosen for a reason," said Jamilla.
"That being?"
"The reason being, that her parents brought her up amongst the Medjai for the first 15 years of her life, until her mother had wanted to return to her homeland after becoming terminally ill. Cassim, her father, being born and bred Medjai asked the elders for leave to escort her home and took Samia with them back to Spain. After Samia's mother passed away, Cassim stayed in Spain, mainly to keep watch on any developments in the European artifacts market, the other reason being to provide a sanctuary for any of his tribe that were considered to be at risk. It was the perfect solution."
"Yes, I can see the logic behind that mother, but why was I not told the full story from the beginning?" Ardeth asked. "And I was never told the exact location of my son, I still don't know."
"Ardeth, I'm sure all of your questions will be answered when you speak to the elders later, they're not so bad you know," Jamilla said, remembering the countless run-ins she had witnessed between them and her son.
Ardeth pondered for a while on what his mother had just revealed to him, it made sense, but at what price, he'd still missed the first years of his son's life and was determined to get to him quickly so as not to miss any more. He knew he'd have to tread carefully, but was comforted by the fact that he was with a Medjai woman. One who he hoped had instilled into his son the values and traditions of his people. The very same people that one day his son would lead.
Ardeth kissed his mother on the cheek and left her tent to go and speak with the council of elders. Jamilla watched as he urgently crossed the compound and hoped that the latest news the elders had received about Hamid, would not send him into a careless rage. Jamilla had been persuaded by the elders not to tell her son about Lock Nah's discovery of Hamid's whereabouts, and to leave it to them to quell the storm that would almost certainly erupt when Ardeth found out.
"Mohammed, It's good to see you my friend," said Ardeth on entering the tent that the elders were now assembled in.
Mohammed was the chief elder and the only one that Ardeth would trust with his life. A few of the others had made trouble for the young Chieftain in the past. Always wanting to promote one of their own sons as a possible consort, at least until Ardeth was considered old enough to take on the huge task himself.
Ardeth's father had been in his fifties when his only son had been born, his wife Jamilla in her early forties. After four daughters they had given up on producing an heir, as had many of the tribe. When his father had passed away, Ardeth was left to take over the reigns at the tender age of eighteen. Many considered this too young for such a huge responsibility, but Ardeth had been prepared from an early age for the task ahead and soon proved his worth. That was fifteen years ago, fifteen long years that had seen the resurrection of unspoken evil, twice, and twice it had been defeated.
Now Ardeth was hoping for happier times for his people, settled times. He hoped the return of his son would lift their spirits and was determined that the elders would not put any obstacles in his way with their old fashioned reasoning.
"Ardeth, sit, please," said Mohammed kindly.
Jameel spoke up first. "Ardeth while you were away, we received some rather distressing news," he said sternly.
Ardeth sat up straight and took a deep breath, hoping against hope that Hamid's name would not be mentioned.
"Although Lock Nah is no longer a scourge on the earth," Jameel continued. "We received word from a contact in Spain that his men had located Samia and your son. The warrior entrusted to take money to Samia and Hamid for their safekeeping hasn't returned."
"How late is he?" asked Ardeth, his voice shaking slightly as the full weight of the information heavied his heart.
"Over a month," came the reply.
"A month?" Ardeth shouted. "A month, and no-one saw fit to tell me," he raged. "I suppose you were all too busy plotting for you sons to take over to give any thought to my son, who, as you seem to so easily forget is the rightful heir."
He paused for a moment and looked at the faces of the elders as the shock of being spoken to in such a manner registered.
"Did you all not witness the attempts on his life as a baby. Did you all not decide that the best course of action until times were less troubled was to send him to a place of safety, with people who you trusted to care for his welfare," he raged. "Was I not the only one against the idea, after all, you all had your children here with you. Not only did I lose a wife, I was then condemned to miss my sons first years, just because of who I was and who he was," he added. "And you, you all stand before me today and tell me that you've known his life could be at risk again, for a whole month."
"Ardeth, Ardeth please, I know this is a shock to you," said Mohammed. "But please, listen to me," pleaded the old man.
Ardeth reluctantly sat down again, his mind spinning with every new thought that entered his head, waiting for Mohammed to speak.
"Ardeth, how could we have got in touch with you when we first knew of this, you were in England remember,"
Ardeth had to admit that the man spoke the truth. "But why, why didn't you inform me of this when I returned to Egypt?" he asked.
"What could you have done Ardeth, would you have deserted the O'Connells and the safety of your people? Would you have gone into battle with the armies of Anubis with a distracted heart, your guard being down, your mind being elsewhere. No, I think not. Instead you would have done your duty with the heavy burden of that knowledge weighing you down, making you vulnerable. Your hatred for Lock Nah clouding your better judgement........?"
Ardeth had to ruefully admit that Mohammed was right, he spoke the truth, for Ardeth knew in his heart that all he had said was right. He looked around at the elders assembled and stood once more.
"I came here to you this day to seek your blessing to bring my son home. I now realize that after what I've just learned that time is of the essence. I will go, with or without your blessing, for I'm not seeking your permission any more I'm informing you of my decision, as your leader."
"Then you'll need these," said Mohammed, passing Ardeth a small leather wrap containing the whereabouts of Hamid and Samia.
"Thank you," said Ardeth truthfully, clasping the old mans shoulder.
"May Allah grant you swiftness of foot in your quest my Chieftain," said Mohammed. "Bring him back to us, safe and well and we'll all sleep easier in our beds, as I know will you at last."
Ardeth left the tent and ran to his own. Throwing things into a large rucksack, he quickly accumulated everything he would need for the long journey ahead. His mother appeared behind him and uttered just one sentence.
"Bring my grandson home safely."
"Don't worry mother," he said as he mounted his horse. "The next time you see me I'll have him rightfully back by my side."