CHAPTER TEN

Three hours later, the warriors went back to the camp, tired but refreshed from the bath they had also taken in the Nile. They were surprised to find the table neatly arranged. Jean was pouring fresh water into the glasses and Ahmad was serving the plates. The smell of stew made everyone's stomach growl, while the sight of Jean cooking it by the fire was enough to leave them with their mouths hanging open.

"Oh, you are back! Go make yourselves comfortable and then come back. Dinner is ready." She announced cheerily.

The men did as she told them, but Ardeth and his grandfather stayed with her.

"You didn't have to do this, Jean," mumbled Ardeth.

"I know, but I wanted to. And Ahmad here was such a sweetie, helping me that I didn't have to go through too much effort."

"You are a good woman," sentenced Ahmed. "We are happy to have you with us."

"It's my honor to be here, sir," she simply said.

The warriors returned and sat by the table. When everybody was sitting, they prayed and then everybody started eating with fruition.

"This is awesome, Jean. You should consider staying with us permanently."

She laughed. "Thank you, Tarek. But I don't deserve all the credit, Ahmad helped me a lot."

The young man was glowing. "Don't say such things, Jean, you were the one who did most of the job."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Let's just say it was teamwork." Then she stood and refilled plates and glasses, refusing to accept any help. When they were done, Jean cleaned everything with Ahmad's help.

The full moon rose over Hamunaptra, bathing the city with its supernaturally brilliant light and even though she couldn't see much of the city from where the camp was, Jean felt something in the air that made her shiver. Quickly, she went to sit by the fire, where she had seen Ardeth sitting all alone.

"Hey…"

"Hello, Jean."

"It's pretty cold out here," she said, rubbing her arms.

"Yes, it is. Jean… what you did tonight… I have no words to thank you enough." He looked at her and she felt lost in those dark pools.

"It was nothing, I told you I wanted to. They… you all work too hard. Sometimes you deserve to be pampered."

"Some of us haven't had the cares of a woman for a long time and this surely comforted us. Take Ahmad, for an instance; he hasn't seen his mother in six months. He has only been within rude men like us. No wonder why he follows you like you were his life," he finished with a smile.

"Wow, I had no idea… What about you?"

"My mother died some time ago. And I am not used to being 'pampered' by a woman. These men are all my life," whispered the warrior.

"I'm sorry, Ardeth. Haven't you considered getting married?"

"I will when I find a woman willing to marry a man who spends six months a year in the desert and the rest of them traveling, or willing to live like this," he pointed to the tents. "And I will when I fall in love."

Jean, not knowing what to say, gently touched his hand. Most of the warriors had gone to sleep, but they stayed there, watching the stars.

"There is too much pressure on me to get married and no one understands I am not interested right now." He sounded burdened and Jean tried to make him smile.

"But I bet you wouldn't have trouble finding a woman… "

"No," he replied calmly. "Actually, I find it tiresome when women throw themselves at me constantly." Jean's eyebrows raised in amusement. "It is true. I have certainly had my fair share of offers, but none of them have been tempting enough to lure me from the desert."

"But if you don't have any children, who will be Chieftain after you?"

"Tarek's children, I suppose. He is courting a young woman back in Cairo. Her name is Sheelah. Trust me, when I see them I feel old, almost outdated."

Jean smiled. "How old is he, 24?"

"23, actually. He has the same age I had when I became Chieftain."

"You were only 23???????" Was Jean's question, voiced in an awed tone.

"Yes, my father was killed in an attack and suddenly and without wanting to, I was the leader of twelve Med-jai tribes," he stated shaking his head. The fire and the moon played in his hair and cast their light on the warrior.

"That must have been a huge weight on your shoulders," she whispered sympathetically.

He stopped gazing at the sky and looked at her. "More than you will ever imagine. I was so afraid that I could barely breathe. I didn't even have time to grieve my father before having to deal with the responsibilities that my position involves. Tarek and Oded, my other brother, didn't seem to understand me; they were too young to know what I was going through. My mother… she just shut herself out of our lives and I felt as an orphan. Then, six months later she died. I didn't cry, you know? To me, she was already dead for she had left me when I needed her the most. My grandfather says she died out of love, but I can't help wonder why she loved me less than she loved my father." His eyes filled with tears. "That is why I never cried," he finished, his voice shaking a little.

Jean had tears in her eyes as well, as she leaned towards Ardeth and hugged him. He held on to her so tight she was almost out of breath.

"I know it is selfish to think this way…"

"No, it is not, Ardeth," said Jean looking deeply into his eyes. "You needed a mother or someone to lean on…and you didn't have one."

"I didn't, and that made me turn to my job as a Med-jai as a way of escaping my own thoughts and feelings. I spent my days in a semi-conscious state of mind, ignoring my brothers and focusing entirely on my labor. I thought it was helping me… at least I didn't cry every night. But, on the other hand, it was draining me, leaving me empty on the inside. One night, I couldn't take it any longer and left the tribe riding Quicksand. I traveled through the desert for five days, and then I felt I was ready to go back. I don't know quite well what happened to me during those days, but I guess I reconciled with my own pain and I was reborn. I returned and became really close with my brothers and then… well, here you have me."

A smile crossed his face and put one in Jean's. Her smile lit up the night like the moon at its fullest.

"You know? I have never told any of this to anybody before, but it is really easy to talk to you… thank you for listening."

"Thank you for confiding me this, Ardeth."

"Before you came, I had never enjoyed the company of a woman before… not in this way, at least." He smiled with a mischievous glimpse in his dark eyes.

Jean laughed. Ardeth was perplexed. In all his years he had led a serious life where he was trained and raised to be devoid of most emotions so that he was able to serve his task as Med-jai leader. He had never had a female companion to laugh or to cry with and the half girl and half woman that was sitting by his side, solemnly gazing at him and comforting him was making his rough façade change.

All the women he had previously been with had only been interested in his body. Or in his rather large bank account, But Jean didn't know that and hadn't given any signs of the first, so it meant she was there as his… friend? He liked the idea, but now that he looked at her seeing her the way she really was, all he could do was hate the other women he had known.

Sensing the depth of his mood, Jean looked at him more attentively. For the first time she saw the vulnerability in his eyes, and felt his loneliness; it was just that it was part of his duty to guard his emotions. She stood up, lending him a hand. "We should go to sleep."

He took it and joined her. Both walked to the tent, where Ahmad was guarding.

"I will change and I will come back," he said.

Jean entered, followed by Ahmad. "Do you need anything Jean?"

"No, thank you. You can go to sleep."

"Is my Lord going to sleep here tonight?" Asked the boy and blushed immediately.

"Yes… look, Ahmad, I don't want you to get the wrong thing out of this… " Started Jean.

"No, Jean," he cut her in, "I've heard you scream in your dreams and I know that's why he sleeps here. And if that's not the reason why, it's none of my business."

Jean patted his back. "You can rest now, Ahmad. Good night."

"Sleep well."

He left the tent and Jean changed into her sleeping clothes. She slid into the bed and waited for Ardeth. He didn't take too long and he entered smiling. Then he slowly lay in bed next to Jean.

"You know what I've just realized?"

"Tell me…"

"I am supposed to battle someone whom I barely know about."

"I will tell you the whole story tomorrow." He pulled up the blanket, in order to cover Jean against the night chill. "I hope you won't be cold during the night."

She turned to face him. "I won't."

"I'll stay here, Jean, the whole night. So, sleep well... no nightmares!"

With the last forces she had left, Jean smiled and drifted off to sleep. Ardeth turned off the lamp and watched her sleep, immerse in his thoughts.

During the night Jean was awakened by a soft moan beside her. It was Ardeth. Alarmed, she sat in bed.

"Ardeth, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing, go back to sleep." He tried to hide his tears.

She looked at him, a caring look in her eyes. "Is it because of what you told me tonight?"

He sighed, "Yes…"

Jean hesitated for a split-second, and then she put her arms around his shaking shoulders, making wordless, comforting sounds deep in her chest and her hands caressing his soft hair. Ardeth clutched at her as if he were drowning.

"It is alright to cry, Ardeth, it's alright," she whispered into his silky hair.

He wiped his eyes and smiled at her shakily.

"I guess even us Med-jais have to have a cry sometimes," he said with a laugh that was almost another sob. "Thank you."

"You are welcome…I just hate to see you suffer. But I know, even though we've just met, that you're very strong."

"That would explain the tears, I imagine?" he said, more sharply and acerbically than he'd intended.

"Where's it written that having emotions is a sign of weakness? You'd rather be permanently pissed off at the world and calling it strength?"

"You are right… and you are very lovable, Jean. Thanks for everything. We must sleep now."

"I know, good night."

"Good night Jean." He kissed her softly on her cheek. She smiled in the dark and he closed his eyes as Jean rested her head on his chest. He could sense her starting to relax and he did too until they both fell asleep.