Part III

"What is this?" Nabil asked as he bent down to pull back one of the flaps of the odd-looking canvas bag.  He frowned at the strange word, "Nike" sewn onto its front cover and sifted through the bag's contents, curious at the exposed titles of various books.   

"It was found near the site where the barranidinyi mara's camp was attacked," Kedar Ishaq replied with an exasperated sigh. 

Kedar took off his turban and shoved a hand through his wild mane of hair.  He glanced at the nearby pallet where Ardeth, his best friend and blood brother, moved restlessly from fever.  Raphael was at his side, diligently trying to keep Ardeth's temperature down and soothing the warrior with a softly sung healing chant. 

Kedar's dark gaze swung back to the warriors that stood around him in a small circle, then down to the object of their concern sitting on the floor between them; the contents of the bag that had spilled out.  Kedar and his warriors had arrived in the encampment an hour ago, bringing with them the pouch and the grim news that several of the bandits had managed to escape. 

As a warrior, Kedar needed to understand what had prompted Ardeth to make such a rash decision in rescuing the woman, the consequences of his actions affecting the Medjai in a way no one had thought possible.  As a friend, he needed to confirm that Ardeth was still alive, the erroneous reports that Ardeth's wounds has been mortal goading Kedar to ride hard to be at his friend's side. 

"Why does Raphael delay?  Ardeth needs to be taken back to the city for proper treatment, any fool can see his condition is deteriorating," Kedar snapped.

"What of the woman?" Zaki Hisham asked. 

He knelt down next to Nabil and pulled out a small manuscript that was titled "Guardian's Spotlight – Interview 1998 with Dr. Zahi Wahass and the Sphinx restoration."  He flipped through a few pages, and then dropped it back into the pouch; his mind troubled by its contents and stood up.  "Let there be no doubt, she is an Outworlder.  Our tribal laws decree that contact with her must be kept to a minimum; in order to keep the harmonious balance between our world and the one beyond, the woman must be returned to her own time.  Who is with her now?"

"She was taken by Sharif to another tent," Berin replied and crossed his arms over his massive chest. 

He refused to examine any of the books or papers, a scowl settling on his handsome face.  His knowledge of time travel was limited, gained from reading the ancient journals and papyrus kept by the tribal scribes.  The Medjai had known about the existence of the parallel universe for thousands of years but it was only in the past fifty years that his people began to take preventative measures.  The lure of the City of the Dead and the wealth of Egypt was proving to be too difficult to ignore, even for those not of this world.  Ramifications were yet unknown if an Outworlder were to exist in their time and recently a sect had been formed to ensure this would not happen. 

"Has a Traveler been summoned?" he asked.

"Aiwa, as soon as we arrived, I had sent a rider," Kedar replied. 

He looked at each warrior within the group, his natural ability as a leader surfacing.  "We all agree our primary concern is Ardeth," he continued, "post a guard for no one to disturb Sharif and the woman, and then inform Raphael we must leave as soon as possible.  We will separate into groups – one to escort Ardeth back to our city and the other will take the woman back to the rift in time."

"There may be a problem," Dharr said and faltered for a moment when Kedar's intense gaze centered on him.

"Elaborate…this problem," Kedar demanded softly.

"The woman…seems to have…" Dharr struggled to explain and looked to Nabil and Berin for clarification.  "From your reports, you stated Ardeth…"

"It would seem that Ardeth has developed an attraction for the woman, and it is mutual," Nabil explained and Berin nodded his agreement.  "After Ardeth rescued her from the bandits, they were found…" he looked over at Berin for help.

"They kissed, for the love of Allah," Berin stated with a heavy sigh.  "There seems to be an attachment or appeal, one of which not even pain could diminish.  Ardeth called for her until he lost consciousness."

Kedar raised an eyebrow in surprise.  "Indeed," he replied softly, mystified and intrigued at his saHib's behavior. 

"The woman seems to be…determined and courageous," Nabil continued and stood up.  "Unlike any mara we have ever known.  She was in the tent when Raphael sealed Ardeth's wounds and yet she uttered not a sound."

"It matters not how she feels, although it does complicate things," Kedar mused and thoughtfully rubbed his chin.  "She must return to her own time and I think we may need Raphael's assistance in order for her to do so."

"What can the healer do?" Dharr asked in surprise.

"She will have to be drugged," Kedar said and placed his turban back on his head.

As he adjusted the face covering so it rested on his broad shoulder, he stared at each warrior, his voice coming out clear and concise.  "It will be the only way to avoid any unnecessary conflict.  From what you have told me, this would seem the best and easiest solution.  Personally I do not like the thought of using such drastic measures but we all must focus on Ardeth.  I will not lose him due to his rash actions; Allah knows the Elders will reprimand him enough upon our return."

"Who will administer the drug?" Zaki asked, the expression on his face troubled, his golden eyes showing concern at the thought of perhaps having to force the woman to ingest it.

"Is there a warrior that she trusts besides Ardeth?" Kedar asked and a silence fell over the group for a moment.

Slowly, the warriors turned to the other side of the tent, where Jameel was faithfully sitting by Makin's side.  Perhaps feeling he was the object of their attention, he looked up, surprised to see them staring at him. 

"Aiwa," Nabil said with a sigh. 

~*~

"Cut it out, mom…don't wanna get up."  Cecelia kept her eyes closed as she swatted at whoever was poking at her, sighing with annoyance.  "Need sleep." 

She rolled on to her side, her body curling up for warmth, burrowing into the warmth of the pallet beneath her as images of her dream came back to her. 

No, not a dream but a nightmare; it had to have been.  If she was lucky enough, maybe she could dream about something else, instead of strange-looking men who dressed in black and spoke Arabic.

"I must say, soghairi," a deep, pleasant sounding and most certainly masculine voice spoke up from her side.  "I have been called many things in my life but never a mother."

Cecelia's eyes cracked open and she gasped in surprise; the interior of the tent was flooded with a warm light and an attractive, young warrior bathed in its golden glow sat by the edge of the pallet. 

Suddenly, the night's events flooded her mind.  "Oh God, it wasn't a dream."

"La," Sharif shook his head, reflections of the light dancing in his eyes. 

Cecelia watched as he took off his turban and dropped it into his lap, running a hand through the dark, thick waves of hair that danced across his brow and flowed down to his broad shoulders.  His eyes were the most wonderful color, dark amber and fringed by long lashes.  His face was clean-shaven and had the same tattoos as the others.  He and his quiet, perhaps reserved demeanor intrigued her and she knew it was rude, but she had to stare at him.  A habit of hers cultivated from childhood, she mentally assessed his appearance, dismayed when her thoughts compared him to another who had certainly captured her attention. 

And maybe her heart. 

"Am I your prisoner?"

Cecelia's question brought a slight smile to his face and Sharif watched as she pushed herself up onto her elbows.  "You are not a prisoner but a guest in our camp."

"What's going to happen to Ardeth?  Shouldn't we be leaving for the nearest city so he can be taken to a doctor?" Cecelia sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the pallet.  She would have stood up but Sharif's sudden silence made her pause.  Why was he reluctant to talk to her?   He seemed uncomfortable, his attention focused on the turban that rested in his lap. 

"What's going on?"

At Cecelia's softly asked question, Sharif looked at her, his expression betraying none of the emotions he felt.  Truth be known, in the short time that he had come to know this strange woman from another time, he admired her quiet and defiant courage.  The reports from Commander Nabil and the other warriors about her actions were intriguing and compelling; her bold actions were not those of a Medjai maiden.  Sharif wished he had more time to talk to her, to understand and of course learn about her world. 

Nevertheless, ever mindful of his duties and obligations to his people, instead he replied, "I will find you something to eat; you must be hungry.  Dawn will be here in a few hours and we must break camp…"

"I want to see Ardeth."

Sharif stood up and Cecelia with him.  He looked down at the woman, for an infinite amount of time, and each knew they were assessing the other, determining strengths and weaknesses. 

"That is not possible."

"You said I wasn't a prisoner here," Cecelia reminded Sharif of his words with a poke in his chest, her eyes flashing with indignation.  "If I'm not one, then let me see Ardeth, if not for one last time.  He saved my life and I owe him my thanks."

Sharif actually bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at Cecelia.  At a few inches over six feet in height, he towered over her and yet, she dared to defy him. 

"I will return shortly with some food," was all he could manage to say.

Suddenly the flaps to the tent were thrown open and Kedar ducked inside.  "Ija, ya saHib.  Haunik ktir la bahas."

With a slight bow, Sharif retrieved his turban and took his leave of Cecelia.  As he stepped through the tent's opening, he distinctly heard her mutter, "You may dress and speak differently from the men that I've known but I see you suffer from what seems to be a universal affliction.  You still don't listen to women."

~*~

An hour before the sun would slowly began its eternal ascent into the sky, chasing away the dark mantle of night, Kedar, Nabil and Raphael supervised the process of preparing and transporting the wounded back to the city.  Those that were able to ride were helped to their horses while those that needed aid were carried. 

Solman was a godsend, his strength an unlimited resource, his patience and care in handling the more severely wounded almost reverent.

There was a rare moment of levity when Solman was asked to help Jericho.  The warrior had suffered an injury to his leg.  While the wound hadn't been life threatening, Raphael didn't want the warrior to put any weight on his leg, thus tearing out the carefully sown stitches.  Jericho adamantly objected to what he referred to as the "special treatment" and tried to defer his care to someone else.

Dharr had almost reached his saHib's side when Solman intercepted him and before anyone could react or object, Solman had hoisted Jericho over his shoulder.  He shrugged his massive body once to adjust to the wounded warrior's weight and turned around to face the astonished Kedar and the healers.

"I carry ya ukh," Solman grunted. "he should not walk.

"For the...love of Allah," Jericho muttered from his vantage point, staring down the backside of the giant. "There is no...need for this..."

"I agree," Kedar answered Solman, his dark eyes twinkling with humor.  "Take Jericho to his horse and then I need you to come back in here for Ardeth."

Solman nodded and turned around too fast, earning him a shout from Jericho about making him dizzy.  As he slowly ducked out of the tent, Kedar turned his attention to Mahir. 

"Did you give the potion to Jameel?" he asked. 

"Aiwa.  And I mixed it myself.  It is quite powerful and should render the woman unconscious within a few minutes," Mahir stated.  "Commander al Fa'ud is accompanying Jameel to the tent and then will help Honored Second al Usama get the horses saddled."

Kedar's attention turned back to Ardeth and he watched as Raphael checked the bandages; thankfully the wounds had stopped bleeding.  "When will he be ready to be moved?" he asked.

"Soon," Raphael replied.  He placed a hand on Ardeth's forehead and frowned; the fever was getting higher.  "It would seem that soon I will have my own fight to wage against time and infection," he murmured and looked at Kedar, the worry evident in his dark eyes. 

"You will not stand alone, healer," Kedar said and came over to stand by the pallet.  He leaned down and placed a comforting hand on Ardeth's good shoulder.  "You will not be alone at all."

~*~

"You must eat and drink," Jameel advised Cecelia and handed her a small portion of food and a water pouch.  "The ride back to Cairo will be long."

Cecelia accepted the items and glanced over at Sharif, who stood watchful by the tent flaps, gazing outside.  "I still don't understand why you don't take Ardeth to the nearest town, like Aswan.  Or if there isn't proper medical help there, then take the train up to the next town and see if you can't fly to Cairo."

Jameel looked at Sharif and the warriors exchanged troubled glances.  Unsure how to answer Cecelia, especially since the means of transportation for the Medjai was primarily horses, then cars and the rare, occasional plane ride.  Jameel pretended not to have heard her suggestions, instead he focused on the uncomfortable task at hand, a duty in which Sharif was privy to and neither warrior had a liking for. 

The sound of riders moving around the camp captured Cecelia's attention and when she looked at Sharif, she saw that he had heard the noise as well and had taken a step outside the tent.  She took a long swallow of water from the pouch and looked at Jameel, smiling to herself when she saw he was just as alert as Sharif.  "What's going on?"

"The camp is being dismantled," Jameel replied and watched as Cecelia took a bite of food and a drink from the pouch; the flatbread was the driest piece he could have found.  Silently Jameel urged Cecelia to take another sip, inwardly wincing as she trustingly complied.

"Then they must be moving Ardeth, I have to see him!" Cecelia scrambled to her feet and would have fallen flat on her face if Sharif hadn't moved away from the tent flaps and quickly caught her.  She felt Sharif's firm hand on her elbow to steady her, and saw that he waited until she had recovered equilibrium, and then took a step backwards.  "Please…" she appealed to both men. 

"That is not possible at this moment," Jameel said.  He avoided eye contact with Cecelia, intent on performing the task of gathering up the last few morsels of the bread and water pouch as his personal excuse.  He shook the pouch experimentally, estimating she had nearly consumed its entire contents.

"Qaddaish biTauwil?" Sharif asked in his native tongue, his gaze resting on Cecelia for a moment. 

"What did he say?" Cecelia asked either warrior, and then turned back to Jameel.  "Why isn't it possible?  I just want to say goodbye to the man, for God's sake." 

She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.  Even as the words passed from her lips, Cecelia knew them to be a lie; she didn't want to say farewell to Ardeth.  God help her, she wanted to go with him to wherever he was being taken and stay by his side. 

"Hi iradi kan na'san qarib," Jameel replied.  He was astonished at Cecelia's behavior and thought by ignoring it, the matter of seeing Ardeth would soon be forgotten.  To his dismay, nothing would deter Cecelia from that subject; she was unmovable as a stone in one of the great pyramids. 

"Now what are you saying?" Cecelia asked Jameel, exasperated.  

"Haidak il-waqt shu baddna na'mil hallaq? Ana Hilif hi rabba Kaman fa'iq wa Zunun ma kull marr daqiqa, ya ukh" Sharif replied with a reluctant grin.  It broke into a smile a moment later when he heard Cecelia's sound of impatience.

"Can you both please stop doing that and talk to me?"

Cecelia's whispered plea made both warriors look at her and she felt her cheeks bloom with embarrassment; being the object of their undivided attention made her feel nervous and yet excited. 

"I just want…," she stopped and swallowed against the emotions that welled up inside of her.  Intense feelings of sorrow if she never got to see Ardeth again battered her heart and at the same time, an odd lethargy began creeping over her body.  "I just want…"

Jameel stood up and reached out a tentative hand to Cecelia.  "What do you want?" he asked gently.

Suddenly, shouts were heard outside and although the vocabulary was in Arabic, Cecelia did pick up one familiar word and it galvanized her into action. 

"I want Ardeth," she answered and darted out of the tent.

~*~

Translations:

Qaddaish biTauwil – How much longer?

Hi iradi kan na'san qarib – She will be drowsy soon.

Haidak il-waqt shu baddna na'mil hallaq? – Then what do we do for now?

Ana Hilif hi rabba Kaman fa'iq wa Zunun ma kull marr daqiqa, ya ukh – I swear she grows more awake and suspicious with each passing moment, my brother

~*~

There was no indecision for Cecelia this time as she ran through the encampment, her eyes steadily fixed on the sight of Ardeth being carried out of another tent on a stretcher.  She disregarded the shouts of Jameel and Sharif from behind her, dodged around other warriors who tried to stop her; ignored the troubling and mysterious wave of dizziness that crashed over her.  She held her side with one hand, sucked in small, short gasps of air and pushed aside the burning stitch in her ribs.  Her goal only a few feet away, she skidded to an abrupt halt when a warrior with a scar on his face stepped into her path, his arms folded across his broad chest. 

Cecelia's eyes widened with astonishment and she promptly said the first thing that popped into her mind as she stared at him.  "God, you are handsome devil."

Kedar's scowl was enough to intimidate even the greenest of recruits, his size and obvious steely strength quite evident in the lines of his muscular body.  Momentarily pleased and taken aback by her comment, Kedar almost considered standing off to one side, astutely guessing the woman's flight would end at Ardeth' s side. 

A rakish grin curved up one corner of his mouth.  "And you appear to be quite stubborn since your disobeying my orders."

Cecelia gasped.  "You're the one that doesn't want me to see Ardeth?"

Kedar nodded his head.  "He is my primary concern, not one mere slip of a troublesome woman."  He almost laughed out loud when he saw the fires of annoyance burn brightly in her eyes.

"Troublesome woman?" Cecelia echoed incredulously. 

She had a sarcastic retort ready to fire back at the warrior but instead wisely held her tongue when she realized a crowd of warriors had gathered around them.  Jameel and Sharif ran up to Kedar's side and Cecelia felt a pang of remorse over the guilty looks on their faces. 

"Samah ana, Kedar," Jameel said, sounding out of breath.  "Hiye a'mal mufaj iHna."

"Laish hi ma mush nayim?" Kedar asked Jameel and Sharif, his tone deceptively calm as he stared expectantly at Cecelia. 

"Ma byimkinni jawab inni," Jameel replied, blushing slightly in embarrassment when he saw the black look of anger on Kedar's face. 

"Belki il sharbat qudra shRal Rair fa'inn nisa," Nabil offered.  He was standing next to Cecelia and hid his smile when he heard her gasp of outrage.  Watching her was becoming a delightful habit, and guessing from the reactions of the others, they liked it as well; there was no deception with this woman. 

"Oh my Gawd…all of you are doing it again," Cecelia groaned.  "Can someone please talk in English here because I certainly don't habla Arabic."

"Shu bismillah amal 'habla' razil?" Dharr asked no one in particular.

"Um, hello?" Cecelia waved to Kedar, then Jameel and the others.  "I didn't realize my intentions of seeing Ardeth one last time would produce a spontaneous convention of black robes and…" she blinked in surprise when another bout of dizziness swept through her.  She put a hand to her head, barely able to finish her sentence, "…and incomprehensible discussion."

"The answer is still…" Kedar started to reply but stopped when Sharif stepped forward.

"I will take you to him," Sharif replied to Cecelia.  He glanced over at Kedar and Nabil, hoping for their approval of his actions and held his breath, waiting for their decision.

Cecelia smiled at Sharif, a slow, lazy grin that curled her mouth up into an almost feline smile of satisfaction. Suddenly she felt goofy, drunk, like she had just consumed an entire bottle of wine and she loved the warmth that was slowly seeping throughout her body. It felt like she was being cradled in a strong pair of arms.  "Schanks," she murmured and giggled at how she slurred that word.

"Mafi Darar fi jayiz hiye la qal masa s-salaama, ya ukh," Nabil spoke quietly to Kedar.  "Ata hiye hada wa Kaman muhimm, ata hada la Ardeth; wa'in nayim, huwa qalb azi la simi hada.  Wa hu iradi fi raHa."

"Ana iradi ittikal intu qaDi fauq hada, ya saHib," Kedar replied to Nabil, and then turned to Sharif, nodding once.  "Wa Salla la Allah inna ittnain a 'mil-li il Haqq Hukm."

~*~

Translations:

Samah ana, Hiye a'mal mufaj iHna – Forgive me, her actions surprised us

Laish hi ma mush nayim – Why is she not unconscious?

Ma byimkinni jawab inni – I cannot answer that

Belki il sharbat qudra shRal Rair fa'inn nisa – Perhaps the drink's power works differently for woman

Shu bismillah amal 'habla' razil – What in the name of Allah does 'habla' mean?

Mafi Darar fi jayiz hiye la qal masa s-salaama – There is no harm in letting her say goodbye

Ata hiye hada wa Kaman muhimm, ata hada la Ardeth; wa'in nayim, huwa qalb azi la simi hada.  Wa hu iradi fi raHa – There is no harm in allowing her to say goodbye.  Give her this and more importantly, give this to Ardeth; although unconscious, his heart will hear her goodbye.  And he will be at ease. 

Ana iradi ittikal intu qaDi fauq hada – I will trust your judgment on this

Wa Salla la Allah inna ittnain a 'mil-li il Haqq Hukm – And pray to Allah that we have both made the right decision

~*~

Thanks to the steady guidance provided by Sharif, Cecelia finally made it over to Ardeth's side and knelt down by the stretcher, her gaze roaming over his features.  Waves of pain would occasionally wash over his face, marring his handsome profile and Cecelia reached out, tenderly stroking a few wisps of hair that obstinately clung to his damp brow.  She peeked down at his shoulder wound, peeling back the edge of the blanket that had been placed over him, holding her breath and grimacing when she saw the blood on the bandage. 

"You saved my life at the risk of your own," Cecelia whispered to him and bent down next to the side of his face, close to his ear.  "I have never seen anything like you; you're brave, not to mention handsome…so different and yet I feel like I should know you.  How can I just say 'thank you' to you when I want to say more?  Ask for more?"

"Ya sitti," Sharif spoke up from behind Cecelia.  "It is time to go."

Cecelia nodded at the warrior and then turned back to Ardeth, bending low and placing a kiss on his warm cheek.  "Would it be wrong for me to wish I could go with you?" She felt an odd feeling of affection flood her heart and she laid her head next to Ardeth's, suddenly feeling very tired.   "Would it be…so bad to want to…"

Sharif caught Cecelia just as she started to slump towards the ground and swept her up into his arms.  Solman had been standing vigilant over Ardeth ever since he had been brought outside and Sharif knew he had heard the entire one-sided conversation.  Both warriors stared at the woman sleeping so contentedly in Sharif's embrace and neither knew what to say at the moment.  He stared down at her face, noticing for the first time how long and dark her lashes looked, curved against her pale cheeks; how smooth and porcelain-like her skin seemed, the shiny curtain of her hair spilling over Sharif's forearm and tumbling to the ground like a silken banner. 

"Ardeth is her heart," Solman stated with his child-like simplicity and youthful wisdom.  

Sharif almost smiled over Solman's unerring observation; his sahib always had a knack for stating the truth in matters, even if it was unwanted or unsolicited. 

A shout from the sentry announcing the arrival of the Traveler into the camp saved Sharif from a response but deep in his heart, he agreed with Solman. 

And knew Cecelia's return to her own world would affect the Medjai for quite some time to come. 

~*~

A/N – Ah yes, I disappear from FF for a few weeks and come back with a scene that's half written in Arabic!  LOL Sorry about that but my intentions were to make the reader as confused and frustrated as Cecelia when the warriors were talking about her and she couldn't understand.  I've put the scene's translations at the end of each scene and hope that doesn't interrupt things too much for you, dear reader and hopefully reviewer.  And please bear with my Arabic?  Here are some more translations and I hope I didn't miss any…*giggle*

Ija, ya sahib.  Haunik ktir la bahas – Come, my friend. There's much to discuss

sahib – friend

soghairi – little one

ya sitti – my lady

Time for the shout out's and thank you to all of you who still remember my characters and story, it is greatly appreciated.  For those of you who lurk, I hope I entertained you for a wee bit.  For those of you who review, glad to see my latest part made you react.  LOL

I'm happy to say I'm on a roll writing and a much needed update for Heroes will be coming soon.  Also, big thanks to Ladybug for allowing me to play with her boys, Kedar and Zaki, to Deana for giving it the once over via a chat, and Tori.  J

Dawn369 – As always thanks for asking, but keep wondering about poor Ardeth…heh heh

Dead-Girls-Watch – Thanks for reading, and I hope you like this chapter as well

Ladybug – Shukran ya hulu sahib for all your help, in more ways than one.  You've helped me keep my sanity and of course, by letting me play with Kedar and Zaki…*puurrr*  What else can a girl ask for?  LOL

Kathy – Hopefully this is the Kathy that was kind enough to email me a few weeks ago, wondering about an update.  Thank you ever so much for thinking of this story and hopefully, you've liked this chapter.

Lori – Sorry this took so long and I hope you enjoy it, wanting to read more.  There are more twists coming, oh trust me on that one…LOL

MarxbrosHaven't 'seen' you around my friend, but then again, I've been scarce myself due to RL issues.  Glad you like Bijan but I wonder…will you still like him in the end?  *evil grin*

Patty – My faithful reviewer, dance in the aisles again, I'm back and I's been busy writing!  LOL

Ruse – glad to be a service for Dr. Hawass' site and of course, I had to mention one of his articles in the opening scene for this part…hee hee 

Marcher – Thanks for the review, glad you liked this so far…gads, I need to read your excellent fic and soon, promise!  *smiles*

Eternal Jade Flame – Welcome and as always, thanks for not only reading but reviewing. I appreciate the feedback and hope I haven't lost your interest with the lapse in how often I update.