Hamanaptra And Those Damn Bugs

By Ladybug

Disclaimer:  The character of Ardeth Bay belongs to Stephen Sommers and Universal Studios.  No infringement intended.  All other characters are property of the author.

Rated:  PG-13

A/N:  Special thanks to my beta, Tori for catching all my errors.  :-)

Summary:  Ardeth and Kedar are trapped inside Hamanaptra.  Will they get out alive?  Please R&R!

~*~*~*~*~

"What do you think?"

It was late, just past midnight.  Ardeth and Kedar stood just on the outskirts of their village reading a message.

"It is obviously a prank the twins have cooked up," Ardeth answered his friend.  "Why else would we be summonsed to Hamanaptra in the dead of night just before our induction into the warrior sect?"

Kedar frowned and shook his head.  "But this message is not addressed to us, Ardeth.  It is to you and it isn't signed."

Ardeth looked it over carefully once more.  The message simply read,

 AB - Meet me after midnight tonight down at Hamanaptra.  I have some important information for you

"I found it on the floor in my room, and the handwriting is very much like Humam's."

"I do not like this."  Kedar spoke gruffly lifting his head to look into the night desert.

Ardeth shook his head.  "It is only the twins, Kedar.  This is very typical of them and you know it, especially with tomorrow night coming up."

"Still," Kedar responded softly, his dark eyes carefully searching out anything that might be out of place.  "I am uneasy about this."

Ardeth laid a hand on Kedar's shoulder, drawing his friend's attention.  "And I will not discount your unease, ya saHib.  We will go with caution."

A large figure came out of the darkness, hesitated then started to pass them by.  "Zaki?"  Ardeth recognized the young man immediately.  Zaki Hasim was three years younger than Ardeth and Kedar but was taller and heftier.  He had a maturity about him that belied his age and with the beard he had recently added, he looked much older than 18.

"Aiwa, ya sidi," Zaki replied as he turned back to the two.

"Is everything all right?"  Ardeth had always liked Zaki.  He tended to be quiet and watchful, and never hesitated to step forward when help was needed.

"Ya ume is not feeling well and abu sent me to get the healer," he answered softly, his golden brown eyes taking in everything.  He had heard bits and pieces of the conversation as he had drawn closer to the two friends, but he was not an eavesdropper and he as well as everyone else in the tribe were well aware of the twins pranks.  He prayed constantly that they would never turn their focus on him.

"SamaH ana, Zaki," Ardeth gestured with his hand for him to continue on.  "I did not mean to detain you.  I hope it is nothing serious."

Zaki smiled and nodded his head.  "Shukran, I am sure it is nothing."  His golden eyes met Kedar's dark gaze and the two acknowledged each other with a nod.  "Good night," he said and continued on his way.

Ardeth and Kedar watched Zaki disappear into the night.  "He would fit in well with our group," Kedar finally spoke breaking the silence.  "Why have we never included him?"

Ardeth shook his head.  "Zaki has always kept to himself.  I believe his best friend is from the Tribe of the Tenth."

"Isn't that where his ume is from?"

"Aiwa," Ardeth answered.  "Come on, let us see what the twins have planned for us."

Kedar stared off into the darkness where Zaki had disappeared for a moment longer then started off after Ardeth.  "I think we should invite Zaki along with us the next time we head to Cairo."

Ardeth looked over his shoulder at Kedar.  "That sounds like a good idea."

Kedar nodded with a grin.  "If anything it would give Husam and Humam a new target to focus on."

Ardeth snorted and nearly choked in his attempt to remain quiet.  "Some how I do not think that Zaki would appreciate that too much," he commented softly once he caught his breath.

"You are probably right," Kedar chuckled softly,  "But I like Zaki and I think he would be good for Samir."

"Samir?" Ardeth frowned in confusion.  "How would he be good for Samir?"

"Zaki is big and strong," Kedar reasoned.  "I've seen him on more than one occasion defending the younger guys from the older ones.  Samir is the twins favorite target and I think he would watch out for Samir if he was apart of our group."

Ardeth nodded his agreement.  "This is true and it would certainly be a relief to not have to constantly worry about what those two will do to Samir next."

~*~*~

Half an hour later, Ardeth and Kedar quietly made their way through the City Of The Dead.  They had avoided the guards on duty and were carefully searching for Husam and Humam.

"Where in the name of Allah are they?" Kedar grumbled after about fifteen minutes of stumbling around in the darkness.  There was very little moonlight and it made it hard to see.

"Look," Ardeth suddenly stopped and pointed.  "Over there – at that entrance – can you see it?"

Kedar's eyes followed the direction Ardeth pointed and saw what appeared to be a burning torch within one of the normally sealed entrances into Hamanaptra.  "How did they get one of the doors opened?" he murmured quietly.  "I thought they were all sealed."

"They are," Ardeth answered just as quietly.  "But they are not that difficult to get open."

Looking around to make certain they were not seen, they quickly made their way over to the entrance.  "You know," Kedar began as Ardeth ducked inside the entrance.  "If we get caught your abu is going to kill us."

"Then I suggest," Ardeth threw a smile over his shoulder.  "That we don't get caught."

Kedar chuckled softly and stepped through the entrance.  Almost immediately a strong sense of foreboding clenched in his gut.  He saw Ardeth disappear around a corner and panic nearly seized him.  "Ardeth," he whispered harshly.  "Something is not right."

He ran forward after his friend.  He couldn't explain the feeling – no, it was more than a feeling, it was a necessity – that they had to get out!  "Ardeth!"  He yelled, not caring who heard him now.

"Shshshhh!"  Ardeth stepped back from around the corner, staring at Kedar as if he'd gone nuts.  "What's the matter?"

"We have to get out!"  Kedar reached out to grab his arm.  He would drag Ardeth if he had too.

"Kedar-"

His reply was cut off when movement behind them drew their attention.  Both young men spun around to see the large stone slab used for a door being pushed back into place.  "La!"  Kedar bellowed as he raced to the entrance.  Ardeth was right behind him, but they did not reach the entrance in time.  The stone slab that was used to seal off the entrances slid into place with a thud and would not budge when they tried to push it back open.

"They must have blocked it," Ardeth said as he stepped back.

"I will kill them," Kedar growled as he gave the slab one last shove.  It didn't budge.

"I do not think the twins are responsible for this, Kedar."

Kedar turned his dark gaze on his friend.  Ardeth was looking around to see if there was another way to move the door.  "Who else could it be?  Who else would send that message?"

"I do not know, ya saHib," Ardeth answered.  "But I cannot believe that Husam and Humam would risk our lives in such a way.  It is one thing to summons us here for a little initiation prank, but they would not lock us in here with no way out."

Kedar took a deep breath to calm himself.  He had never been inside Hamanaptra, but he had heard the stories.  Things happened here – mysterious, unexplainable things – he did not wish to be locked in here.  "So what the hell do we do now?"

Ardeth gave his friend a sideways glance before turning back to the sealed entrance.  "First thing we must do is remain calm."

"I am calm!" Kedar practically bellowed then shoved his hand roughly into his hair as he began to pace.

Ardeth shook his head with an amused smile.  He was amazed that he could even smile with the situation they were in, but as he had told Kedar – they must remain calm - panicking over this would not help.

Stepping away from the sealed entrance, Ardeth looked down the long passageway.  "We will have to search for another way out."

Kedar sighed and rubbed at his face with his hands.  "I was afraid you were going to say that."

Ardeth drew the torch from its holder in the stonewall and held it out so it lit up the darkened passageway ahead of them.  "It will be fine, Kedar," he told his friend in attempt to calm him.

Kedar took another deep breath and rolled his shoulders.  He drew out his scimitar and held it steady before him.  "Let the creature try something," he growled.  "I am ready."

"I do not think it will be the creature we will have to worry about," Ardeth replied softly, drawing out his own scimitar.

"What then?" Kedar asked, his dark eyes shifting to his friend.

"Scarabs."

As if on cue, a loud skittering noise filled the passageway then all was silent again.

"Yaha!"  Kedar grumbled under his breath as both warriors started down the long passageway.

~*~*~

Slowly, cautiously they made their way through the passageways, periodically lighting torches that were set in the holders in the walls as they went.  Occasionally they peaked inside a chamber, but mainly they kept to the passageways, looking for another way out.

"We are lost, aren't we?"

"Probably," Ardeth answered as he held the torch high.  They had come to a cross passageway and it was time to decide which direction to head.

Kedar grumbled under his breath and noticed some interesting gold bug-shaped figures embedded into the wall.  "What do you know of this place, Ardeth?  Has your abu told you much of its history?"

Ardeth glanced over to see his friend reaching out to touch the gold scarab.  "Enough to know you should not touch that."

Kedar jerked his hand back suddenly and a skittering sound echoed through the passageway.  "Son of a…" his voice faded as he straightened up and stepped quickly away from the wall.  "I hate that sound."

Ardeth looked around passageway; the sound seemed to come from all around them.  "Aiwa," he answered softly.  "Let us hope that it remains only a sound."

Kedar's dark eyes shifted to look at his friend.  His hand gripped the handle of his scimitar tightly.  Every Medjai knew about scarabs and what they could do.  It was a horrifying way to die and Kedar would rather face down an army of Tuaregs – hell, he'd rather face down Imhotep himself - than to deal with those damn bugs.

Kedar kept close to Ardeth as they turned down a different passageway.  He guarded their back, looking behind them constantly, staying alert for any possible attack.  Quietly, Ardeth began to relay to his friend what he knew of Hamanaptra.  As the future Chieftain of the Medjai there were things that Ardeth knew that others did not, such as where the mummified body of He Who Shall Not Be Named was.  He was also privy to a map of the City.

"However, I have only seen the map once," Ardeth sighed a bit frustrated.  "I have a vague recollection of some of it and I kind of know where we are and where we are heading, but I am not for certain."

They stopped at another cross passageway and Ardeth leaned up against the wall to contemplate which direction to go next.  They had been walking for what seemed like hours, carefully marking their path so they would know where they had been.

"Well," Kedar began with a weary smile.  "I would rather be trapped here with you and your vague recollections than with anyone else, ya ukh."  Then taking the torch from Ardeth, Kedar ducked his head inside a chamber that was off the passageway they had come down.  The walls were smooth and lined with hieroglyphs.  Kedar felt as if he'd been time warped back into the ancient days of Egypt when Pharaoh's ruled the lands and the Egyptian gods were worshiped.

"Amazing," he whispered to himself.  It was truly beautiful and he could only stand in awe of the history that was revealed.

He started to brush a thick layer of dust off one of the stone tombs that he assumed held a sarcophagus of some ancient person when a thump and a muffled groan came from the passageway.

"Ardeth?"  Kedar felt his heart slam in his chest as he hurried from the chamber back out into the passageway.  Ardeth was frantically grabbing at his pants, his eyes wide with fear.  "What is it?"  He asked rushing forward to help his friend.

"Scarab," Ardeth bit out between clenched teeth as his pants dropping around his ankles.  Immediately, Kedar saw a large lump moving swiftly up Ardeth's leg.  "Your dagger…" Ardeth groaned, his hands frantically trying to stop the scarab from progressing upward.  "Get… it out!"

Kedar moved swiftly, dropping his scimitar and grabbing his dagger from its sheath at his side.  The torch too landed on the ground beside them as Kedar dropped to his knees.  With quick precision, he jabbed the tip of his dagger into Ardeth's upper thigh, opening up his flesh.  When the scarab appeared, Kedar flicked it away.  Ardeth collapsed to the ground as Kedar snatched up the torch again and thrust it towards the scarab, burning the bug to a crisp.

Kedar raised the torch and looked around, making certain that there were no more.  An eerie unexplainable wind whipped down the passageway bringing with it an equally eerie moan then was gone.

A string of harsh Arabic curses spilled forth from Kedar's mouth as he spun around to attend to Ardeth.  "What in the name of Allah happened?"

Ardeth lay on his back, his forehead beaded with sweat.  His eyes were a bit unfocused as he tried to gather his thoughts.  "It came out of nowhere, wedging itself into my boot before I could stop it."

Kedar wiped the blood from Ardeth's leg as best he could.  "I will have to cauterize this, ya saHib."

Ardeth nodded, his eyes drifting closed.  His nostrils flared out as he drew in a deep breath.  Kedar held his dagger in the flame of the torch until it nearly glowed a fiery reddish orange then he held it over the wound in Ardeth's leg.  "Ready?"

Ardeth nodded, his hands clenched in fists, his jaw tight in anticipation of the pain.  Kedar placed the blade against the wound; the smell of burning flesh assaulted his senses as Ardeth bit back a groan of pain.

Ardeth fought off the darkness that threatened to overcome him.  The pain of the searing hot blade against his leg was excruciating, however for as long as he lived, he would never forget the near paralyzing fear that filled him when he realized that a scarab had burrowed into his flesh.

Kedar pulled the dagger away and then tore off a long strip from the bottom of his robe.  He wrapped it around the wound and tied it off tight.  "We need to get you to the healer before infection sets in," he stated quietly, his dark eyes looking up and down the darkened passageway.

He also noticed that the torch was beginning to dim.  "This will not last us much longer," he added, picking up the dimming torch.  He looked down at Ardeth who was trying to push himself up into a sitting position.

"You must… go on," Ardeth finally managed.  His leg throbbed with pain and he knew he would slow them both down.  "Find a way out of here."

"I will not," Kedar answered brusquely.

"Kedar-"

"La, Ardeth," Kedar cut him off with a wave of his hand.  "I will not leave you here."

"Then as your future Chieftain, I order you to continue on without me."  Somehow he didn't think it would work – not on Kedar – but he had to try.

Kedar turned his dark eyes on his best friend.  They darkened in anger until they were coal black, the scar slashing across the left side of his face giving him a harsh look.  "Tell me something, ya sidi," he began, his voice harsh with his barely controlled temper.  "If the roles were reversed, would you leave me here?"

Ardeth sighed, his right hand rubbing against his injured leg in an attempt to ease the pain.  He shook his head, his dark eyes meeting Kedar's.  "You know that I would not," he answered softly.

"Then do not ask it of me," Kedar bit out.  "You are more to me than just my future Chieftain, Ardeth.  You are my best friend – my brother.  If we manage to escape this nightmare, we will do it together."

Ardeth had been ready to be left behind, his instincts telling him that this was the best course of action, however, his heart warmed at Kedar's fierce loyalty to their friendship.  He was right; they were as brothers – a bond of friendship that went beyond mere flesh and blood.  He lifted his hand and Kedar grasped his arm in a firm grip, their eyes meeting in silent understanding.

Kedar nodded once then released Ardeth's arm.  He rose up and moved to Ardeth's side to assist him in standing.  He slipped beneath Ardeth's shoulder and used his strength to help him gain his feet.  "Lean against me, ya saHib and I will get your pants back up."

Ardeth did as Kedar suggested and braced himself against his larger friend.  Kedar leaned over and eased Ardeth's pants back up, careful not bump against his injury.  "It horrifies me to know it is you pulling my pants up rather than a beautiful mara."

Kedar snorted as he straightened up, a smile easing away the worry and concern on his young face.  "And it worries me to know that you are contemplating a beautiful mara pulling your pants up rather than down."

Ardeth chuckled softly, shaking his head.  Of all the people he could get trapped within Hamanaptra with, he was glad it was Kedar.  His friend was a paradox, a young man of extremes.  He had a temper that could rival the gods and Allah help anyone who was at the receiving end of it, yet he was also a very happy, charming, easy going young man who loved women.  And women loved Kedar.  He was trustworthy, dependable and fair with all he came into contact with and Ardeth had a feeling that one day Kedar would serve him well as a Commander.

Kedar left Ardeth leaning against the stonewall while he collected his scimitar and slid it into the sheath at his side.  Walking over to a fresh torch that they had lit a short time ago, he slid it out of its holder in the wall and turned back to Ardeth.

"Which direction?" he asked as he approached his friend.  He took Ardeth's arm and guided it around his neck so he could shoulder most of his friend's weight.

Ardeth thought for a moment, then pointed left.  "That way, I believe.  There should be another way out in that direction."

Kedar nodded and with careful, but steady steps, they continued on their way.

~*~*~

A short time later, they reached a chamber at the end of a long passageway.  "In there," Ardeth pointed.  "There should be a way out in there."

Kedar helped Ardeth over to a pile of large rocks and eased him down to sit.  Straightening up, he moved to light several torches within the chamber before returning to Ardeth and handing him the torch in his hand.  "The door will be sealed, but you should still be able to work it open," Ardeth informed him as he watched Kedar approach the large slab of stone that was set within the chamber wall.  "The seal is not so much to keep anyone out, but is used to let us know if anyone has been tampering with it."

Kedar studied the section of wall for a long moment, running his hands over the seams where the slab door slid into the wall, sealing the entrance.  He murmured softly to himself trying to work out in his head the best way to get the door open.  He couldn't exactly slam his shoulder into it – if he didn't break his collarbone – he'd definitely knock himself senseless.

Ardeth rolled his eyes and shook his head.  "Kedar, for once you are putting too much thought into this," he teased his friend.  Kedar was widely known for his 'act first, question later' way of doing things.  "You should be able to give the door a hard shove – the seal should break easily enough and it is just a matter of shouldering the door out of the way."

Kedar turned his dark eyes on Ardeth and glared at him.  He said a few choice words in Arabic that caused Ardeth to laugh then he turned back towards the door and shoved hard.

Nothing… the door didn't budge.

"Yaha," Kedar growled.  He tried again, putting all his weight behind it.

Again, nothing.

"This cannot be happening!" he bellowed.

The booming sound of his voice echoed throughout the chamber.  Loud chirping, skittering noises filled the room causing Kedar to spin around, his eyes wide, looking wildly around for the scarabs that made the sound.  Ardeth, forgetting about his injured leg, rose quickly to his feet, but then immediately collapsed to the ground with a groan, pain etched in his features.

Seeing no scarabs about to attack, Kedar hurried to Ardeth's side and checked the poorly bandaged leg.  "It is bleeding again," he commented gruffly as he moved swiftly to stop the blood that was seeping through the material wrapped around Ardeth's thigh.

"The… door," Ardeth ground out between his clenched teeth.

"Is blocked," Kedar answered as he tore off another strip from his robe to wrap around Ardeth's leg.  "I do not understand, Ardeth.  Who are these men who have trapped us in here and how are they able to move around Hamanaptra without being seen by the Medjai?"

"I do… not… know, ya saHib," he answered a bit breathlessly.  "But we must… keep trying… keep looking… for a way out."

Kedar finished tying off the makeshift bandage and raised his eyes to meet those of Ardeth's.  "We will, ya uhk," he answered, determination coloring his tone.  "If I have to face off with Imhotep himself, I will get us out of here."

Ardeth smiled weakly as Kedar moved to help him to his feet.  "I do not believe we will have to face the creature, however, this place is still filled with danger we cannot see – curses and booby-traps - and if we are not careful, we could easily lose our lives."

Kedar nodded his understanding as they left the chamber.  "Where to now?" he asked, his dark eyes taking in everything in the passageway.

"Back down that way," Ardeth indicated with his hand the way they had come.  "That last crossway we passed, there is another passage leading to a possible exit that I believe they would not know of."

"They shouldn't have known about the ones they blocked," Kedar growled softly as he assisted Ardeth down the passageway.

Ardeth nodded his head, considering that fact for the first time.  "This is true," he responded thoughtfully.  "Whoever is responsible for this must have been studying Hamanaptra for a while before luring us in here."

"Not us, ya saHib… you," Kedar reminded him.  "That message was meant for you."

Ardeth sighed softly, guilt filling him.  "SamaH ana, ya saHib – for getting you into this."

Kedar snorted.  "Lucky for you that I am, or you would be scarab bait by now."

Ardeth chuckled softly thinking how true that statement really was.  "Shukran, Kedar," he suddenly said, his smile fading from his face.

They stopped walking, their eyes meeting as an understanding passed between the two young men, then Kedar nodded.  "Ahlan wa sahlan," he answered.

"Wait," Ardeth said suddenly when Kedar would have continued on down the passageway.  Kedar stopped, a dark eyebrow raised curiously in question.  Ardeth reached for the dagger at his side and drew it out.  "We should have done this long ago, ya ukh."

Before Kedar could guess his intent, Ardeth drew a line across the palm of his hand with the point of the dagger.  Blood seeped up from the wound as he turned the dagger and handed it to Kedar, hilt first.

Taking the dagger without hesitation, Kedar also brought the sharp blade down across the palm of his hand.  Balancing himself with his other hand against Kedar's shoulder, the two men grasped hands, blood mingling.

"You are now blood of my blood," Ardeth spoke the ritual words.  "And I offer you my allegiance, my loyalty and my friendship until death parts us. My sword is at your command and I will protect your life with my own. You are my brother and should you ever be in trouble, I will go to the ends of the earth to find you."

Kedar repeated the words that would forever bind them together as blood brothers.  It was an oath that needed not have ever been spoken between them, their friendship already running deep.  But even so, completing the ritual would make it binding within the Medjai should anything ever happen to one or the other – it would be honored.

~*~*~

"How long do you think we've been down here?" Kedar asked as they sat in a large chamber.  They had been walking for a quite a while and after Ardeth stumbled the third time, Kedar had brought them to a halt for a brief rest.

Ardeth shook his head, leaning back against the stonewall, his eyes closed.  His injured leg was stretched out before him, where he sat on the ground; the other was bent up at the knee where his arm rested against it.  "I would guess that it is nearly dawn."

"How long do you suppose before someone realizes we are missing?"

"I would think not long once it is seen we have not shown up for sparring practice."

Kedar rubbed at his face.  He was tired and hungry and at that very moment, he wanted nothing more than to curl himself around the soft warm body of a mara – any mara – he didn't care who as long as they were willing.

"They will never find us, Ardeth," he finally spoke, his voice sounding defeated.  "No one will think to look for us here."

"We must cling to hope, Kedar," Ardeth sighed.  "We must-"

A loud whispering sound suddenly echoed through the room, as if many voices where being carried on the wind.  Kedar's head snapped up, his eyes alert as he quickly rose to his feet.  "What in the name of Allah was that?"

He helped Ardeth to stand before drawing out his scimitar.  Again the loud whispering sound echoed through the large chamber followed this time by a mysterious breeze.  Kedar began to chant an ancient prayer of protection under his breath as he circled around the chamber, looking everywhere for where the sound could have come from.

"We must keep moving.  The exit I told you about isn't too much further away," Ardeth spoke hurriedly.  His eyes shifted nervously as he hobbled after Kedar towards the passageway.

Suddenly a loud rumbling sound began shaking the ground.  Kedar and Ardeth both looked at each other then Kedar hurried towards the passageway disappearing from Ardeth's sight as he continued to hobble forward slowly.

Kedar reached the passageway and looked up one way and then down the other, seeing nothing at first.  The rumbling sound increased in volume and instinct took Kedar to his left, racing down the passageway until he skidded to a halt as the ground in the middle of the passageway began to grow upward, dirt and sand piling on top of each other as the mound grew higher and higher.

Kedar watched fascinated, his dark eyes glued to the growing mound several feet in front of him.  His nostrils flared, his breathing coming in quick bursts.  Seconds later, scarabs began pouring out through the top of the mound.  Hundreds of them spilled out and rushed forward towards Kedar.

"Ir-raHman Allah," he breathed and turned to run.  His heart slammed in his chest as Ardeth appeared in the passageway ahead of him.  The chirping sounds of the chasing scarabs were nearly deafening as he put on a burst of speed.  "Run!"

Ardeth's eyes grew large at the sight he saw coming up behind Kedar, he turned to do as Kedar said, but by then Kedar was already there, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him with him.

It didn't take Ardeth long to figure out that if Kedar continued to drag him, they would both be killed.  "Let me go, Kedar," he commanded over the noise of the scarabs.

Kedar ignored him, his grip on his friends arm tightening as he dragged him down a different passageway.  "Kedar," he tried again, his jaw clenched against the pain in his leg. "You must-"

"La!" Kedar growled, his dark eyes blazing with anger.

Ardeth felt his heart sink.  Kedar was stubborn and he knew that they would either survive together or they would die together.  He turned his head to look back and his heart nearly leapt out of his throat.  They were nearly upon them, mere inches away.

Suddenly, Ardeth was jerked to the side, Kedar changing direction and dragging him into another chamber that had a flight of stairs leading upwards.  To the left of the stairs was a huge gaping hole with a large lone stone slab seemingly resting in the middle in mid-air.

"Jump!"  Kedar bellowed and without hesitation, he gathered his strength and launched them both through the air.

They landed on the stone slab hard and for a moment, Ardeth couldn't breathe.  But then Kedar's body hit hard next to him with a grunt and rolled away.  Ardeth nearly panicked when he saw Kedar continue to roll across the surface without slowing down.  "Kedar, la!"

Pushing the pain in his leg aside, he leapt for his friend, grabbing his arm just as Kedar slid off the other side of the slab.  There was a sickening thud and a loud pop as Kedar's body hit the side of the column.  He was unconscious and Ardeth knew he would not be able to hold on to his friend for long.  Even now, the dead weight of Kedar's body was causing him to slip from Ardeth's grip.  "La!" Ardeth groaned between clenched teeth, hanging over the edge, trying desperately to hold on to Kedar's arm.

A loud tearing sounded as the sleeve of Kedar's robe separated from the shoulder and with a cry of anguish; Ardeth watched his best friend's body slip away from him to disappear into the inky darkness below.

He lay there on his stomach, staring into the murky darkness for what seemed like forever.  Then rolling over, Ardeth closed his eyes, his arm coming up to drape across his forehead as he fought the sorrow that swept through him.  "SamaH ana, ya ukh," he whispered softly.  "Qidir Allah 'ata inta salam."

~*~*~

It was early when Amid Bay stepped out of his tent.  He was in a good mood for it was his son's birthday and he would be initiated into the warrior sect along with Kedar Ishaq that evening during the ritual ceremony.

Already, Ardeth was showing signs of becoming a good leader and Amid couldn't have been prouder.  He was also thrilled with Ardeth's choice of a bride, though no official offer had been made, nor had Ardeth spoken with Karimah's abu, but he was pleased all the same.  Karimah would make Ardeth a fine wife; she was strong, beautiful and caring.  She came from a good family as well.  But most of all, his son was in love.  He could see it in Ardeth's eyes when he spoke of her – he could hear it in the tone of his voice – and that pleased him more than anything.

Amid started off across the village, but stopped when he heard his name being called.  He turned towards the voice and saw Sharif Ishaq hurrying towards him.  "Amid," he called out.  "Have you seen Ardeth this morning?"

"La," Amid answered with a shake of his head.  "Is something wrong?"

Amid's Second-In-Command came to a halt before his Chieftain and frowned.  "I do not know.  Kedar did not sleep in his bed last night and no one seems to know where he is."

"The boys have been out all night before, Sharif.  I hardly think-"

"I know, Amid, but Kedar always tells us if he's going to be out.  He knows better than to worry his ume and we have not seen or heard from him since dinner last night.  He said he would be with Ardeth, but never indicated that he would be out all night."

Amid nodded and turned back towards his tent.  "All right, ya saHib.  Let us go talk to Ardeth.  Perhaps Kedar fell asleep in his room – he's done that before."

Both men approached the tent and Sharif followed Amid inside.

"Well, that was quick," Numa Bay quipped as she looked up from her cleaning to see her husband entering the tent.

"Have you seen Ardeth or Kedar this morning, ya habibti?"

She shook her head and smiled at Sharif.  "Sabah al khair, Honored Second," Numa greeted him then turned her attention back to her husband.  "I'm sorry, but I have seen neither of them," she answered.  "Though it is very unusual for Ardeth to sleep this late, I assume he is still in bed."

Amid nodded then headed across the tent towards where Ardeth's room was located with Sharif on his heels.  "Kedar did not sleep in his bed last night, nor did he indicate that he would be out all night," he informed her.

"Oh," Numa frowned in concern following them.  "I'm sure he's fine.  You know how those boys are sometimes.  They probably just lost track of time last night and he fell asleep in Ardeth's room."

"That was my thoughts as well," Amid answered as he disappeared down the hall.

Jumanah came out of her room as her father approached Ardeth's room.  "He isn't in there, abu," she said before he could pull the privacy flap back.

Amid stopped and turned to his daughter.  "Have you seen him or Kedar?"

"La," she answered with a shake of her head.  "Not since last night and as far as I know, Ardeth never came home."

Amid's eyes widened in surprise.  "He didn't?"  Turning around, he pulled the flap back and stepped into Ardeth's room.  Sure enough the bed was made – untouched.

"Jumanah, did Ardeth say anything to you about where he and Kedar might be or what they would be doing?"

Amid stepped back out into the hall to look at his daughter.  "La," she answered and shook her head.  "I overheard him telling Kedar about a message he received from the twins, but I don't know what it was about or where they went after that."

Amid sighed and nodded his head.  "Well, that explains it," he said turning to Sharif.  "I'm sure the twins are up to something.  Both Ardeth and Kedar are to go through tonight's ceremony.  I'm sure they pulled some kind of prank on them last night."  Directing his Second back down the hall, they headed for the exit.  "Let us find them and ask them where Ardeth and Kedar are."

~*~*~

"Kedar will kill you both."

Husam ignored Samir's comment and continued to "doctor" Kedar's saddle.  He and his twin bother Humam and their friend, Samir were down at the stables, where the twins were putting part of their prank to work.

Humam looked up from where he was helping his brother and shrugged his shoulders.  "It will be fine, Samir.  It's just a prank."

"I agree," came a new voice.  All three young men looked up to see Zaki approach to see what they were doing.  He nodded, "Kedar will kill you both… that is if he hasn't broken his neck before hand."

"We've done this before and no ones been seriously hurt," Husam answered thoughtfully, but then he grinned.  "But you are probably right.  Kedar will kill us."

Zaki smiled and shook his head as he walked away to retrieve his horse once more thanking Allah silently that Husam and Humam were not his close friends.  He didn't think he would survive it.

~*~*~

Ardeth lay on his back fraught with guilt and sorrow.  Kedar had risked his own life to save his and when Kedar had needed him in return, he'd failed his friend.

Memories flooded his mind – memories of Kedar, of them growing up together.  They'd always been inseparable as children.  Getting along amazingly well for two people who were so different in personality, but both had proven to be incredibly loyal and the pain of his loss radiated through him.

Ardeth lay still for a long time before he finally attempted to move.  He pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked around the dim chamber he was in.  The scarabs were long gone, unable to reach him where he was, thanks to Kedar.

Ardeth raised a hand to rub at his tired eyes.  He was beginning to think that possibly Kedar was right.  No one would ever think to look here.  The message had not been from Husam and Humam, therefore, no one would know he was trapped inside the walls of Hamanaptra.  Whoever had arranged this would get their wish.

He also realized that there was no way he could get off the slab of stone he sat on.  Not with his injured leg.  The chasm between him and the other side was wide enough that it would be difficult even if he was not injured.  It had been Kedar's great strength and forward momentum that had gotten them both across.

He was trapped, injured and had no water or food.  It would be a slow miserable death and Ardeth began to wish that the scarabs had gotten him after all.

~*~*~

Pain.

It was the first thing he became aware of and the intensity of it nearly caused him to black out again.

Kedar moaned, his shoulder throbbed and his head felt as if a herd of wild horses had run across it chased by a nest of those Egyptian Hornets.  He tried to move, then immediately wished he hadn't.

A wave of nausea hit him and he wretched, the movement momentarily blinding him from the explosion in his head.  He sucked in his breath and tried to focus, tried to remember what had happened – why he was here – and why was he in so much pain?

"Kedar!"

He heard his name, the voice familiar.

"Kedar, damn it, answer me!"

A pain filled moan was all the familiar voice got.

"Alhandullallah, you are alive!"

"Ardeth?" Kedar clenched his jaw as a sharp pain stabbed at his head.

"Aiwa, ya saHib," Ardeth answered from somewhere above him.  Kedar had yet to try and open his eyes.  "I thought I had lost you.  You fell – I do not know how far down you are - but when I tried to grab you to keep you from falling you hit the side of this stone slab I'm sitting on and I heard a loud pop."

Kedar took several deep breaths, trying to settle the nausea in his stomach.  He tested his throbbing shoulder and realized that it was pulled out of joint.  That would explain the loud pop, he thought.  "My… shoulder is… dislocated," he managed through clenched teeth.  A deep breath, then, "And my… head…" he cut off as sharp shards of glass seemed to penetrate his brain.  His breath sucked in in a low hiss and he fought to remain conscious.

"Kedar?" Ardeth called out from above him.  "Stay with me, ya saHib.  You most likely have a concussion and you need to stay awake."

"I will… try," he breathed softly, swallowing past his dry throat.

"Talk to me, Kedar," Ardeth demanded.

"It… hurts my head… to… talk."

"I am sorry, ya saHib, but you must remain conscious.  I am not down there to help you, the only way I know you are awake is if you talk to me."

Kedar released a shuddering breath, his whole body aching now.  He finally managed to pry his eyes open, only to slam them shut once more when the earth seemed to tilt on its axes and his head pounded.

"Kedar!" Ardeth snapped suddenly.  "Fight it, stay awake and talk to me!"

A string of nasty Arabic curses came up to him from the darkness below causing Ardeth to smile.  "And what in the name of Allah will I talk about?" Kedar snapped back and immediately regretted the action.  He understood what Ardeth was trying to do, but it still did not help the pain in his head as he struggled to fight back the darkness that tried to consume him.

"Tell me about Adiva."

Kedar's mind went blank.  Of all the things Ardeth could suggest for him to talk about, Adiva had never entered his mind.  "Why?"

Ardeth laughed.  "Because, you are fond of her and I want to hear about her."

Kedar frowned.  "Why?"

Ardeth rolled his eyes.  "For Allah's sake, Kedar, you sound like a two year old."

Ardeth laughed again at the sharp Arabic retort that drifted up to him.  "I do not know what I can tell you about Adiva that you do not already know, Ardeth."

"You like her, aiwa?"

Silence.  Then, "Aiwa, I like her," Kedar answered slowly, trying to figure out what Ardeth was getting at.

"She is your favorite at Rana's isn't she?"

Kedar took his time answering, not liking the direction this conversation was going.  "Aiwa," he finally answered.  "She is my favorite, but-"

"And from what I can see," Ardeth continued, cutting him off.  "Adiva really likes you as well.  Have you ever considered-"

"LA!" Kedar's booming voice echoed throughout the room.  It was followed by a low groan as his head splintered and began to pound again.

"Kedar?  Are you all right?"  Ardeth peered over the edge of the slab and looked down in the darkness below him, but could see nothing.

It took Kedar several minutes before he could answer, but finally the pain subsided.  "I am fine."  His voice sounded hoarse and tired.

Relieved at hearing his voice, Ardeth pushed away from the edge and rolled back over onto his back.  "So why can there be nothing between you and Adiva, Kedar?  I know that it is not because she is a whore."

"It is not her, Ardeth, it is me.  I have no desire to fall in love – ever."

Ardeth frowned.  He knew his friend enjoyed all women, he knew that Kedar enjoyed playing and flirting, however, this news that he never wanted to fall in love was new to him and he didn't understand it.  "Why, ya saHib?  Do you not wish to have a family someday?  A son to carry on the Ishaq name?"

Kedar was an only child.  After he was born, his abu and ume had tried several more times to have a child, but had met with failure.  If Kedar chose not to marry and produce an heir, then the Ishaq name would die out with him.

Kedar sighed, he raised his hand to touch his temple and found it wet and sticky with his blood.  "I did not say I did not want a family someday.  It is just not that important to me.  I am content with my life, Ardeth.  I am content with what I receive from the willing nisa I meet, I do not need more… I do not want more."

Ardeth thought back, trying to remember an event that might have caused Kedar to think the way he did.  He came from a good family.  His abu and ume were wonderful people and loved him very much.  "I do not understand," he finally spoke softly.

Kedar did not answer, he was lost in the recent memories of stumbling across some information he had not been meant to find.  It had been a few weeks ago, Kedar and Ardeth had made a trip to Cairo to deliver a message to the curator at the museum.  While Ardeth was delivering the message, Kedar had made a quick trip to the market for his ume.

What he stumbled across was his abu - in the arms of another woman – an English woman with blonde hair and soft blue eyes.  He had quickly moved out of sight, before his abu could see him.  He watched as they moved off together, hand in hand towards the hotel.

Kedar had followed, unbelieving that his abu would do this to his ume.  She would be devastated if she knew, he had always thought his parents to be madly in love and it broke his heart to find out otherwise.  He followed them into the hotel and when they disappeared into a room, he had turned back and questioned the man at the counter.

"Aiwa, ya sidi," the employee had answered; his hands trembling slightly in fear of the dark look on Kedar's face.  "The mara comes here several times a year and always meets with the same warrior."

It was then that Kedar had decided he would never allow himself to fall in love.  He and his abu were like two peas in a pod – they not only resembled each other in looks – but in personality as well.  If his abu was capable of straying from a mara he professed to adore, then he would be capable as well.  He did not want that burden of hurting a mara in such a way.  He would rather remain single and enjoy all nisa than to settle with one he thought he loved and then break her heart when he could not remain faithful.

"Kedar?" Ardeth's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Ya abu is having an affair," he finally stated softly.

At first Kedar didn't think he said it loud enough for Ardeth to hear, but then his friends compassionate reply drifted down to him.  "I am sorry, ya saHib.  How long have you known?"

"A few weeks," he replied and went on to tell Ardeth how he'd discovered the dalliance between his abu and the English woman.

"So, your abu does not know you know?"  Ardeth asked when Kedar had finished.

"La, nor will I confront him on it."

"Why?  Perhaps if you spoke-"

"La!" Kedar growled angrily.  "What's done is done.  There is nothing that I can say or do to him that will change that.  It cannot be undone, Ardeth, so leave it be."

Ardeth sighed softly.  He would let it go for now - knowing his friend was hurting from more than just an injury – knowing that Kedar's anger stemmed from growing bitterness.  He wasn't sure what he would do if he ever discovered his own abu was having an affair.  "All right, Kedar," he spoke softly.  "But you know I am here if you ever need to talk."

Kedar was silent for a long moment then he finally answered, "I know, ya saHib.  Shukran."

~*~*~

"Husam!  Humam!"

Both warriors leapt to their feet as their Chieftain and his Second-In-Command entered the stable.  Samir's blue eyes widened in surprise and fear as he backed away, afraid he would be accused of being involved in the twins latest plot of 'fun'.

"Aiwa, ya sidi?" Husam answered, his brother moving to stand next to him at Amid and Sharif approached.

"Where is Ardeth and Kedar?" Amid asked as he stopped before the two young warriors.  "I was told you two saw them last night?"

Both Husam and Humam frowned, shaking their heads.  "La, ya sidi, we have not seen either of them.  We parted with them before supper last night, but did not see them afterwards, nor have we seen them this morning," Husam answered respectfully.

Amid studied the two brothers carefully.  He knew they would not lie to him, they may cause trouble with their pranks and jokes, but they were good lads and fiercely loyal to the Medjai.

"So, neither of you sent them a message to meet you late last night?" Sharif asked carefully.  He too, knew the twins would tell the truth and real fear began to settle in the pit of his stomach.

"On my honor, ya sidi," Husam answered, his brown eyes meeting Sharif's.  "Neither Humam or I have seen or heard from Kedar or Ardeth since before supper last night.  We sent them no message to meet us."

"Ya sidi?" Samir spoke up as he stepped forward.  "Are Ardeth and Kedar in some kind of trouble?"

Amid turned his worried gaze on Samir and shook his head.  "I do not know, Samir," he answered truthfully.  "No one has seen them since last night and Jumanah says she overheard the two talking about receiving a message from the twins."

"I swear to you, ya sidi, that Humam and I sent no message to Ardeth or Kedar to meet us last night.  I admit that we have some things planned – a few pranks in honor of their induction into the warrior sect - but so far we have done nothing more but what you see here."  Husam spread his hands out to indicate the saddles and various other equestrian tack that sat on the ground at their feet.

Amid turned his gaze back to Husan and nodded.  "I believe you, ya ibney," he answered softly then turned to Sharif.  "We will need to gather a search party immediately."

"La twakhidna, ya sidi."

Amid and Sharif turned to find Zaki towering over them.  "Aiwa, Zaki, what is it?"

"I believe I know where Ardeth and Kedar are," he answered quietly.

~*~*~

Half an hour later, every available warrior was combing the ruins of Hamanaptra looking for any signs that Ardeth and Kedar had been there.

"Are you certain of this, Zaki?" Amid asked the young man.

"Aiwa, ya sidi," he answered.  "I had not meant to eavesdrop, but I was passing right by them and they were discussing meeting the twins here at Hamanaptra."

"The twins claim they never sent any message and I believe them," Amid stated, his eyes carefully searching over the City of the Dead.  "Therefore I can only assume that one of our enemies managed to slip past our defenses and plant the note, luring them here."

"Ya sidi," a warrior called as he ran up to them.  "All of the entrances into Hamanaptra have been blocked."

"Ir-raHman Allah," Sharif Ishaq breathed.  "That could only mean-"

"That they are both trapped inside," Amid finished, his heart beginning to pound.  "Remove the blocks," he ordered quickly.  "And tell the men to prepare to go search within the city."

"Aiwa, ya sidi," the warrior answered and immediately turned to carry it out.

~*~*~

"Do you think they are looking for us yet?"

Ardeth stared up at the solid stone ceiling and sighed.  "Most likely, but no one knew we were coming here – they would not think to look."

Kedar was silent for a moment.  "What about Zaki?" he asked suddenly, an idea forming in his head.

Ardeth caught on to Kedar's thoughts and rolled over onto his stomach, his head appearing over the edge of the slab moments later.  "Do you think Zaki overheard where we were headed?"

"I don't know," he answered.  "But we can hope."

"Can you see me at all, Kedar?" Ardeth asked suddenly.  "I cannot see you and I cannot tell how far down you are from me."

"Aiwa," Kedar answered.  The nausea had finally subsided and he was able to open his eyes without the world tilting crazily.  "I can see you, barely.  I am maybe 20 to 25 feet below you.  I cannot see anything around me and I dare not move."

"That is probably wise," Ardeth answered and sighed.

"Have you spoken with Karimah yet, Ardeth?"

Ardeth felt a smile twitch the corners of his mouth.  "La, I have not."

"Why not?"

"Because I have not had the time to make a trip to the Third in the past few months," he answered simply.

"You do not make the time is more like it," Kedar grumbled.  "Promise me," he demanded.  "Promise me that if we get out of this alive, that you will stop wasting time and go talk to her – make your intensions known to her."

Ardeth laughed loudly.  "This is coming from someone who has no desire to fall in love."

"This is not about me, damn it.  I do not need love to survive, you do," Kedar snapped, his headache and throbbing shoulder making him more short tempered than usual.

"You need it more than you think, ya saHib," Ardeth whispered softly.  "You just need the right mara to give it to you."

Kedar ignored the comment, refusing to be drawn into a conversation about something he had no use for.  "Will you promise me?"

"Will it get you off my back?" Ardeth teased.

Kedar felt a smile tug on his lips for the first time in several hours.  "Aiwa, for the moment."

"All right, I promise," he answered, meaning it.  "I have been meaning to get over there anyways.  Contrary to what you think, I have not been putting it off."

"Good," Kedar answered satisfied.  "She will be good for you, Ardeth."

"I'm glad you approve."  There was no teasing in that statement.  Ardeth meant every word.

A very muted, far away sound drifted into the chamber where they were.

"Did you hear that?" Kedar suddenly asked.

They both went still, holding their breaths as they listened to the silence.  It came again… voices, several voices.

"Hulu Allah, I think they are searching for us down here," Ardeth whispered, then suddenly he was yelling loudly, trying to get the warriors attention.

The sound of Ardeth's voice echoed loudly through the chamber and Kedar had to clasp his hands over his ears to keep his head from exploding with pain.  As it was, a low moan slipped between his clenched teeth when he unexpectedly raised his injured shoulder – the excruciating pain nearly making him black out.  However, he didn't care.  If it got them out of this Allah forsaken place, then Ardeth could yell all he wanted.

There were loud shouts and the sounds of running feet.  "Ardeth?"

"In here!" he shouted back, trying to lead them by following his voice.  He had no idea how to direct them, he wasn't even certain where he was.

Suddenly several Medjai warriors appeared from the passageway.  "Alhandullallah, we have found you!" one said as he stepped into the chamber.

"Faruq," Ardeth called the lead warrior.  He forced himself to stand up, ignoring the pain in his leg.  "We will need help.  My leg is injured and I cannot jump across.  Kedar is about 20 feet or so below me, his shoulder is dislocated and he has a concussion."

"Aiwa, ya sidi," Faruq turned and barked some orders in Arabic to the warriors behind him who promptly disappeared.

~*~*~

Several hours later found both Ardeth and Kedar in the Healers tent.  Ardeth's leg had been thoroughly cleaned and healing herbs applied with a new bandage.

Kedar finally rested peacefully, his shoulder back in place, his arm secured against his chest to prevent movement and his head wrapped.  Every hour Abia – one of the healers – would wake him and receive a few growls for her troubles.

Both Aesha Ishaq and Numa Bay had been in to check on their sons.  Once they were assured that both would live, they left with promises to return with some food and drink.

The twins and Samir came to visit as well as Zaki.  They boasted on how Zaki was the one who knew where both he and Kedar were.  Zaki tried to make light of it, embarrassed by the attention, but Ardeth gave him a heartfelt thank you, telling him that if it weren't for him, he and Kedar would have most likely died down there.

After awhile Amid and Sharif came in to talk with him as well, chasing the boys away.  Ardeth chuckled softly at the horrified look on Zaki's face when the twins turned their attention on him and dragged him off, going on about what good friends they were going to become.  Sharif made a quick check on Kedar, who was finally sleeping once more then joined Amid with his son.

"How do you feel, ya ibney?" Amid asked.

"Exhausted, but glad to be out of there."

Amid placed his hand on Ardeth's shoulder and squeezed lightly.  "I am proud of you, Ardeth.  Not many could have survived a night down there."

Ardeth shook his head, his gaze drifting over to his sleeping friend.  "I could not have done it without Kedar, abu.  He saved my life… twice."  Shifting his attention to Sharif, he added, "He nearly lost his life saving mine.  I couldn't ask for a better best friend or a more loyal warrior."

Sharif nodded and smiled.  "Shukran, Ardeth.  I am very proud of Kedar as well."

"Kedar and I made a blood oath while we were down in Hamanaptra," he told them both.  "Will you make sure that it is noted by the Council, Abu?"

Amid nodded.  "Of course," he answered, then asked, "Ardeth, do you still have the message that you received asking you to go to Hamanaptra?"

"Aiwa, I believe it is in one of the pockets in my robe."  Ardeth pointed over to a pile of black clothes a few feet away.

Sharif walked over and retrieved the message from Ardeth's clothing and handed it to Amid.  Amid stared at it for several seconds without opening it before looking over at Ardeth.  "Where did you find this?"

"On the floor in my room."

Amid closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips.  "SamaH ana, ya ibney," he whispered.  "This message was meant for me."

"What?"

Amid took a deep breath, guilt filling him.  His son and Kedar had nearly died because of a message that had been meant for him.

"I received this message yesterday afternoon, but had not opened it.  Your ume asked me to retrieve something out of your room and it must have fallen out of my pocket while I was in there."  Amid opened the message and read it silently.

"AB," Sharif pointed out.  "Amid Bay or Ardeth Bay.  I can see where Ardeth might have thought it was for him."

Amid nodded as he folded the message and tucked it into a pocket.  "And with his and Kedar's induction into the warrior sect coming up, it was natural to assume it was from the twins."

"Do you know who sent it, abu?" Ardeth asked.

"Could be any number of enemies, Ardeth.  The Medjai have many, but I will look further into this," Amid answered.  "You get some rest.  The ceremony will be postponed for a bit until you and Kedar are back on your feet."

Amid reached out, his hand catching Ardeth around the back of his head and drew him to his chest, dropping a kiss to the top of his son's head.  "Ana Alhandullallah that you and Kedar are safe, ya ibney."

He pulled away and gave Ardeth a smile and a nod.  Sharif stepped in and grasped Ardeth's arm in the way of the Medjai.  "Shukran, Ardeth," he said.  "I couldn't ask for a better friend for my son."

Ardeth shook his head, memories of the night before springing to mind.  "I'm afraid it was more Kedar being a friend to me.  I wouldn't have made it through that if not for his stubbornness."

Sharif smiled in understanding, knowing full well the stubbornness in his son.  He released Ardeth's arm then stepped away to check on Kedar once more.  Ardeth watched him go, watched how tenderly a father brushed a few stray strands of hair from his sons bandaged forehead, and Ardeth knew that despite Sharif's infidelity, he loved his family.  He hoped that Kedar could come to terms with it some day and realize that he could control his own destiny.

"Get some rest," Amid commanded his son once more.  "I'll come by and check with you later."

Ardeth nodded with a tired sigh.  He sank down into the pillows, got comfortable then closed his eyes.  Moments later, he was asleep.

~*~*~

Later that evening, Zaki slipped into the Healer's tent and sank into a chair next to Ardeth's pallet.  He fidgeted a moment, deep in thought, started to rise up and leave, but then flopped back in the chair with a desperate sigh.

"What is it, Zaki?" Ardeth asked, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.  He was leaning back on the pallet with pillows pilled behind him.  His eyes had been closed, dozing, when Zaki had come in, but the big warriors nervous movements had told him someone was next to his pallet.

Zaki swallowed then leaned forward.  "You have to help me, Ardeth."  His golden eyes had a wildness to them and they darted over to the tent entrance before coming back to settle on Ardeth's face.

"I will if I can," Ardeth answered, trying not to laugh.  He suspected he knew what Zaki was about to ask next.

"Husam and Humam," Zaki began, wringing his large hands together.  "They will not leave me be.  They follow me everywhere, they keep telling me what great friends we are going to be and then they get this look and they whisper to each other while looking at me.  It makes me nervous, Ardeth.  Tell me what to do?  How do I make them stop?"

Ardeth choked down his laughter by coughing.  Zaki glared at him, but held his tongue.  "SamaH ana, Zaki.  I do not mean to laugh at you.  It is just their way of telling you that they like you."

"I do not want them to like me, Ardeth," Zaki grumbled.  "I have seen the way they like you, Kedar and poor Samir."

Ardeth started to respond, but it was Kedar who spoke up from behind Zaki.  "It is too late for that, ya saHib," he said from where he lay on his pallet, a full blown smile on his face.  "You saved our lives and this is Husam and Humam's way of telling you that you are one of us now."

Zaki turned, frowning.  "One of you?"

"Aiwa," Kedar nodded his head slowly.  "You are apart of our circle of friends now and while you will have to put up with the twins antics, you will also benefit from their loyalty as well as mine, Ardeth's and Samir's."

Zaki hesitated.  While there were some around the village he considered a friend, his best most trusted friend was Talib and he lived far away at the Tribe of the Tenth.  He had always been sort of a loner here and the thought of being included with Ardeth, Kedar and their group of friends warmed him.

"So, what do you say, Zaki?" Ardeth asked drawing the young man's attention back to him.  He raised his arm up, holding his hand out to Zaki.  "Join us?"

A friendly smile parted his lips and Zaki nodded, reaching out to clasp Ardeth's arm with his.  "It would be an honor," he answered.  "Shukran."

"The honor is ours, Zaki, and for the record, I do not want you to think we are only doing this because you saved both Kedar and I from a certain death.  Kedar and I had been discussing inviting you to join us before we were trapped in Hamanaptra."

Zaki nodded, his cheeks flushing lightly beneath his beard.  "Shukran, Ardeth."  Not knowing quite what to do now, Zaki rose up to leave.  "Is there anything I can get for either of you?"

"Aiwa, a mara," Kedar answered straightfaced.  "From Rana's and be quick about it."

Zaki paled as he tried to find his voice.  His golden brown eyes shot over to Ardeth who was grinning from ear to ear.  "I pray that was a joke," Zaki spoke softly, his eyes shooting back over to Kedar.

"Ajab," Kedar groaned.  "Do not tell me you are a virgin!"

Zaki turned beat red and ducked his head.  "La, I have already visited Rana's."

"Alhandullallah!" Kedar sighed.  "It is bad enough that the twins are trying to deflower Samir."

Zaki could feel the heat in his cheeks, but he couldn't help but smile.  "I have heard," he answered looking from Kedar to Ardeth.  "I must go."

"Good night, Zaki," Ardeth smiled.

"Good night, Ardeth."

"Be gone with you then, you giant ox," Kedar grinned teasingly.

"Good night, Kedar," Zaki returned the grin.  Respectfully, he gave a slight bow to the healer who was nearby, watching over her two charges, then turned and left.

"How long before he dumps the twins on their asses?" Kedar asked.

"Zaki is a pretty patient guy, I'd give him a week."

Kedar grinned over at Ardeth.  "I just hope I'm there to see it."

"Me too," Ardeth answered.  "Me too."

The End

~*~*~

Ahlan wa sahlan – You're welcome

Qidir Allah 'ata inta salam – May Allah give you peace

La twakhidna, ya sidi – Excuse me, sir

Alhandullallah – Thank God