Evie gasped at the thought of Ardeth dying. She couldn't believe it as she
walked towards the outskirts of the tents.
She gazed out onto the vast desert, wondering where the travellers all were until her sight came to several figures laying on the desert floor.
Her eyes opened wide when she saw two people were clothed in black. The third appeared to be a horse, its belly rising up and down.
She watched as the smaller of the two figures tried to drag the obviously larger figure across the sand. She squinted her eyes to see the Spire on the sand beside them in Isis' mouth.
"Iscantil! Ayanna! Come quick! It's Ardeth and Catlanda!" cried Evie as she started to run.
Ayanna and Iscantil came running out of their tents to see Evie running out into the desert for the small group in the distance. They ran over to them as well to see Catlanda struggling to drag Ardeth in the direction of the tents in front of her.
"Help," she quietly said to them.
The two Medjai women took Ardeth away from her as Evie started to help her. Isis stayed closeby her with the Spire. Geb also stayed nearby them as they hurried back to the camp as quickly as they possibly could.
***
The older women placed Ardeth in a bed on his side once they got into Iscantil's tent, which was the closet one.
The two grimly looked at the stab wound in his leg and whip wounds on his back.
"We have to stop the bleeding immediately," Ayanna told her friend, who nodded.
***
Rick, Sharak and Marok were almost at the tribe. There was a silence between the three of them on the long and slow trek. On horses behind them, were Tarnay and Altaram, bound, gagged and blindfolded.
"We're almost there. Then we'll get to see how Ardeth is doing," Sharak said.
"Of course. The guy's been through a lot. He's been hurt both physically and mentally both now and a few months ago," Rick told him, refering to that incident in London.
"Yes, yes that. He was almost fully healed until this happened," replied the Medjai in an angry voice and turning his head away.
Rick watched him carefully and narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"What's wrong? Is there something you need to tell me?" Rick asked him.
"No, it's nothing really," rmumbled Sharak.
"Sharak, say whatever you need to say. I've been around you too long to know that you will not be quiet about this once he leaves," Marok told him.
"Wise beyond your years. Yes, I would like to say something Rick O'Connell. You nearly got us killed back there. I know Catlanda had the situation under control after the fact, I still do not like the way you simply gave the Spire over to her, knowing she would have much powere at her fingertips," Sharak said.
Rick became angry with this statement.
"Listen Sharak, I know you're the second-in-command and all that but I think you desperately need a reality check. Ardeth's my friend. Now I'm not going to see him get killed over something so unimportant when you think about it," Rick replied.
Marok's eyes widened in surprise as the two before him were locked in a staring contest.
"Calm down, both of you. You're acting like children. I'm not asking you to become friends, just don't go at each other's throats. I'm worried about Ardeth just as much as both of you. Please get along until we get back to the tribe at least," Marok told them, his horse walking between theirs and continued on towards his home.
The two watched at him in amazement.
"Imagine, he's my younger brother and he's telling ME what to do," Sharak sighed as they continued on.
***
Catlanda watched as the two women tended to Ardeth. His leg was wrapped up in bandages and so what his entire torso from the whip lashes. His eyes were closed and his breathing heavy. A blanket covered his body.
"He's in bad shape Cat. He's lost quite a bit of blood again. All we can do now is wait and see what happens," Iscantil told her granddaughter as they stood by his bed.
Catlanda sat down by the bed and placed her good arm on the side, looking at the man she called father. Tears started to fall down her face.
"Why does it have to be like this Grandmother? Why does he have to be harmed protecting me?" she wondered, Isis walking up behind her.
She crawled in beside her master and whimpered.
"Evelyn will be in after a while to see him so don't be surprised when she does come in," Iscantil told her as she put a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder.
Catlanda nodded as she continued to watch Ardeth sleep soundly. She never noticed Iscantil walk out of the tent.
***
The three men rode into the Medjai camp to be greeted by Evie.
"Evelyn. How's he doing?" Rick asked her as he climbed off the horse and walked over to her.
"Not good. They're not sure what's going to happen yet. The tribe doesn't even know what happened to him yet although there will be asking soon. I know it," Evie replied as they hugged each other.
"Let's go see him then," Rick suggested to her and she nodded.
***
Catlanda was still there when they walked inside.
"Hi," she dejectedly said.
"Catlanda, this must be hard for you," Rick told her as he knelt by her.
"Hard? You think it's hard to cope with this? He hurts all over and I can feel it. He was even hiding some of his injuries again, which is like him sometimes so I don't have to worry and he suffers quietly through the pain because of it," she snorted.
"He has? Where?" wondered Evie. "There's the lashes, the stab wound in his leg. Then there's that wound across his shoulders..."
"He has bad bruising on the upper part of his legs, right here," she interrupted, pointing near the groin area.
Rick shuddered as she did so.
"That must have hurt and it explains why he wasn't walking properly," Rick muttered to himself.
He gave her a hug.
"He'll be alright. Just wait and see," he whispered in her ear.
"I hope so," she agreed as she stroked Isis' head.
TBC...
She gazed out onto the vast desert, wondering where the travellers all were until her sight came to several figures laying on the desert floor.
Her eyes opened wide when she saw two people were clothed in black. The third appeared to be a horse, its belly rising up and down.
She watched as the smaller of the two figures tried to drag the obviously larger figure across the sand. She squinted her eyes to see the Spire on the sand beside them in Isis' mouth.
"Iscantil! Ayanna! Come quick! It's Ardeth and Catlanda!" cried Evie as she started to run.
Ayanna and Iscantil came running out of their tents to see Evie running out into the desert for the small group in the distance. They ran over to them as well to see Catlanda struggling to drag Ardeth in the direction of the tents in front of her.
"Help," she quietly said to them.
The two Medjai women took Ardeth away from her as Evie started to help her. Isis stayed closeby her with the Spire. Geb also stayed nearby them as they hurried back to the camp as quickly as they possibly could.
***
The older women placed Ardeth in a bed on his side once they got into Iscantil's tent, which was the closet one.
The two grimly looked at the stab wound in his leg and whip wounds on his back.
"We have to stop the bleeding immediately," Ayanna told her friend, who nodded.
***
Rick, Sharak and Marok were almost at the tribe. There was a silence between the three of them on the long and slow trek. On horses behind them, were Tarnay and Altaram, bound, gagged and blindfolded.
"We're almost there. Then we'll get to see how Ardeth is doing," Sharak said.
"Of course. The guy's been through a lot. He's been hurt both physically and mentally both now and a few months ago," Rick told him, refering to that incident in London.
"Yes, yes that. He was almost fully healed until this happened," replied the Medjai in an angry voice and turning his head away.
Rick watched him carefully and narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"What's wrong? Is there something you need to tell me?" Rick asked him.
"No, it's nothing really," rmumbled Sharak.
"Sharak, say whatever you need to say. I've been around you too long to know that you will not be quiet about this once he leaves," Marok told him.
"Wise beyond your years. Yes, I would like to say something Rick O'Connell. You nearly got us killed back there. I know Catlanda had the situation under control after the fact, I still do not like the way you simply gave the Spire over to her, knowing she would have much powere at her fingertips," Sharak said.
Rick became angry with this statement.
"Listen Sharak, I know you're the second-in-command and all that but I think you desperately need a reality check. Ardeth's my friend. Now I'm not going to see him get killed over something so unimportant when you think about it," Rick replied.
Marok's eyes widened in surprise as the two before him were locked in a staring contest.
"Calm down, both of you. You're acting like children. I'm not asking you to become friends, just don't go at each other's throats. I'm worried about Ardeth just as much as both of you. Please get along until we get back to the tribe at least," Marok told them, his horse walking between theirs and continued on towards his home.
The two watched at him in amazement.
"Imagine, he's my younger brother and he's telling ME what to do," Sharak sighed as they continued on.
***
Catlanda watched as the two women tended to Ardeth. His leg was wrapped up in bandages and so what his entire torso from the whip lashes. His eyes were closed and his breathing heavy. A blanket covered his body.
"He's in bad shape Cat. He's lost quite a bit of blood again. All we can do now is wait and see what happens," Iscantil told her granddaughter as they stood by his bed.
Catlanda sat down by the bed and placed her good arm on the side, looking at the man she called father. Tears started to fall down her face.
"Why does it have to be like this Grandmother? Why does he have to be harmed protecting me?" she wondered, Isis walking up behind her.
She crawled in beside her master and whimpered.
"Evelyn will be in after a while to see him so don't be surprised when she does come in," Iscantil told her as she put a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder.
Catlanda nodded as she continued to watch Ardeth sleep soundly. She never noticed Iscantil walk out of the tent.
***
The three men rode into the Medjai camp to be greeted by Evie.
"Evelyn. How's he doing?" Rick asked her as he climbed off the horse and walked over to her.
"Not good. They're not sure what's going to happen yet. The tribe doesn't even know what happened to him yet although there will be asking soon. I know it," Evie replied as they hugged each other.
"Let's go see him then," Rick suggested to her and she nodded.
***
Catlanda was still there when they walked inside.
"Hi," she dejectedly said.
"Catlanda, this must be hard for you," Rick told her as he knelt by her.
"Hard? You think it's hard to cope with this? He hurts all over and I can feel it. He was even hiding some of his injuries again, which is like him sometimes so I don't have to worry and he suffers quietly through the pain because of it," she snorted.
"He has? Where?" wondered Evie. "There's the lashes, the stab wound in his leg. Then there's that wound across his shoulders..."
"He has bad bruising on the upper part of his legs, right here," she interrupted, pointing near the groin area.
Rick shuddered as she did so.
"That must have hurt and it explains why he wasn't walking properly," Rick muttered to himself.
He gave her a hug.
"He'll be alright. Just wait and see," he whispered in her ear.
"I hope so," she agreed as she stroked Isis' head.
TBC...