Well, not such a long wait this time. The weekend is coming to an end, and
shortly, we'll be back with Imhotep and Beni. And that means more
Anck/Imhotep scenes.
Reviews!
Terreis: Nope, that's Rick for ya, though. I've found that the quiet moments are as much fun to write as the fight scenes (or the kissing scenes). More Rick/Evy coming up this chapter, as well as a little reconciliation.
Sailor Elf: Yeah, with Rick and Ardeth, it's three steps forward, two steps back. And Livvy keeps doing what she wants to do. I think the adults were bad. Sheesh!
LilyLynn: Hi, sweetie, glad you're enjoying it! I've got more Rick/Evy in this chapter, as well as a subversion of one of my favorite Evy lines from the first movie. However, now that Evy and Rick are becoming established, I'll probably spend a little more time with Imhotep and Anck, and see how that love story plays out.
Carmina Burana: What a cool name! 'O Fortuna' is one of my favorite pieces of music. And I'll do my best to keep it up.
On with the story!
Part Fifteen
People reach a certain point where 'I'm sorry' ceases to matter. When it becomes just another word, without any meaning. . .especially coming from particular people. Thus, when Rick said softly, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," Ardeth merely shrugged. Any anger was long gone. He was too tired to be angry, too tired to care. There was work to be done, and he just didn't have the energy to talk to Rick right now.
"It no longer matters," he replied, "we have work to do." He never turned around to look at his brother. Ardeth was aware, somewhere in the back of his mind, that Rick probably wouldn't allow this to let go. He just didn't care. And what was worse, he wasn't even sure why he was angry in the first place. It was just the way Rick was. How could one be angry with a person for just being himself?
As to be expected, Rick didn't let it go. He strode over to where Ardeth was grooming Diablo, grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, snarling, "Dammit, yes, it does matter! I. . ." He stopped, his eyes widening and his mouth opening and closing. Curious at to what could have such an effect on his fearless step-brother, Ardeth turned around. . .and stared. Both brothers left one thing out of the equation during the confrontation.
Diablo. While it was established during the last two days that Diablo would only take certain riders, neither brother banked on the fact that Diablo would be protective of those humans he considered his own. The horse was obviously not happy with Rick for grabbing Ardeth. . .and as animals often do, sensed that the sandy-haired brother was responsible for the unhappy mood of his human. With that mystery solved, Ardeth looked back at his step-brother. Rick stared back at him, obviously unwilling to take his eyes off Diablo.
"I would suggest you remove your hand from my shoulder, brother. Diablo seems to consider me one of his humans, but I am not sure if he will allow me to control him," Ardeth said quietly. Rick nodded slowly and very carefully removed his hand, eyeing Diablo all the while. Ardeth turned back around, trying to calm both the horse and himself. He had faith that Rick wouldn't try anything, not with Diablo's sudden protective streak.
"We gotta get this settled, Ardeth," his brother said quietly. Ardeth smiled, without any real humor. Did they? Why did they need to settle this? Why now? Why not later? When he didn't speak, when he didn't react, Rick continued hesitantly, "I know I screwed up. I wasn't thinking, Ardeth. Maybe I should say that differently. The only thing I was thinking about was saving Evelyn from more embarrassment."
Still, Ardeth didn't turn around. He was actually afraid of turning around. Not that he would 'cave,' and it would all be forgotten. No, he was afraid of the rage which Rick's words brought, and confused about the source of that. So Rick mentioned the kiss between himself and Celia the previous night. Why was that such a problem? *Because it was not something I was ready to share.* The words were there almost immediately.
Now he felt Rick's hand on his back, and Ardeth asked, "Why? Why mention the kiss? Cannot I have some time to enjoy the memory, before you make it public knowledge?" Ardeth froze. He didn't mean to ask that. He didn't want to let those words pass his lips, and allow Rick to realize just what those words meant to him. But now the barrier was breached, and Ardeth could not stop himself. He added, "Do you wish to create problems where they do not exist, brother? Why could I not have that brief time of happiness?"
At that, he turned around to face Rick, who was staring at him with a stricken expression. Ardeth shook his head, not sure if he was disgusted with himself for allowing this to happen, or with his brother, for selling him out like that. The young chieftain continued after a moment, his voice almost hoarse from trying to suppress his fury, "You told me this morning that you resent Celia. . .do you also resent me?"
It was a fair question, from Ardeth's perspective. He wasn't so sure that Rick agreed, but right now, he didn't really care. For several moments, his brother's jaw worked, until finally Rick blurted out, "What the hell kind of question is that? Do I resent you?" He sounded downright incredulous, and Ardeth wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. And he would not get the opportunity to find out, for the creaking of the door and a shadow in the stables alerted both brothers to company.
Evelyn Carnahan looked at them both uncertainly, saying softly, "The children are on their way down here, with my brother and my roommates. Matt and Cass are coming back this afternoon, just in case. And Galen asked me to make sure you both were in one piece." Ardeth almost smiled. Strange, how easily Galen Ferguson took his involvement with Galen's younger sister. He tried to put himself in the position of the resident, and failed miserably. He had two younger sisters, around the same age as Celia. And the thought of Acacia and Aleta was enough to make him homesick.
Acacia was a widow at the age of twenty-one. . .her husband died when the Book was stolen. She had a small son, and put all of her energies toward raising little Darius. Ardeth knew the other warrior well, of course. But when his brother-in-law was courting Acacia, Ardeth was paying more attention to his duties as a chieftain than anything else. He regretted that now. He regretted it deeply.
But now was not the time to think more on that. He couldn't afford to indulge in being homesick, which was what would have happened if he thought more about Acacia and Aleta. Instead, he quietly followed Evelyn from the stables. At least, he started to. However, as he passed Rick, his brother grabbed his arm once more, saying very softly, "This isn't over, Ardeth. We'll talk more later." Ardeth merely nodded. What else was there for him to do?
. . .
Until she walked into the stables to retrieve the stepbrothers, Evy never really thought about how it felt, being caught in the middle of something. There was no argument raging when she entered the stables. . .at least, not one that consisted of raised voices. But the tension was very high between O'Connell and his step-brother, and for the first time, Evy had an idea of how Celia felt when she was caught in the middle of an argument between Evy and Anck.
She wondered if she should tell her roommate that, then decided not to. Celia was very sensitive to mood changes. . .she would pick up on the tension between the two brothers without any help from Evy. Still, perhaps it would be a good thing to remember the next time Anck seemed to be aching for an argument. . .hold her breath and wait until the third roommate was gone before indulging Anck's desire for a confrontation.
They were coming down the hill now. . .Jonathan, Galen, Anck and Celia. Ah. It seemed that Galen's friends would be here later in the morning. Without the three roommates, there would be four adults to oversee the riding. . .perhaps Matt and Cass would arrive while the girls were fixing the picnic lunch. Evy was quite looking forward to that. One thing she missed while she was at college was the chance to fix meals.
One thing they came to realize over the last several months. . .each of the girls was good at something, when it came to food preparation. Well. . .even outside of food preparation, they were each good at *something.* Even if it didn't seem particularly practical. Evy was a good cook. Anck was the adventurous one, always looking for new recipes to try. And Celia was a favorite with the children, because she had a sweet tooth and let them indulge theirs. When she could, she baked cookies for her roommates. Unfortunately, the three girls didn't usually get the chance to use their skills.
By combining their abilities. . . Evy stopped and examined that thought more carefully. Was there a life lesson here for her as well? She smiled in spite of herself, in spite of the tension still resonating from the two young men behind her. Before she came down here, Jonathan took her aside to impart a little older brotherly wisdom to her. Before her mother died, the two Carnahan women had the Talk. . .but this was more about drinking and being responsible.
Anck, it seemed, fulfilled the promise she made to Celia the night before, and showed only Jonathan the tape of Evy getting drunk. Or, to use Anck's more blunt verbage. . .'getting drunk off her ass.' Evy thought briefly about requesting that Anck not be so vulgar, then thought better of it. They were getting along better today, perhaps because of Evy getting so drunk the night before. Or more to the point, because of their conversation while Evy was hungover.
In any event, Jonathan was both proud of his little sister for doing something so unpredictable, but he was also worried about her. He wanted her to be happy, and he didn't want Evy to think that getting drunk would solve any problems. He knew for a fact it solved nothing, and Jonathan didn't want Evy to learn that particular life lesson the hard way. . .the way he did. She promised that the previous night was a fluke, and she had no intention of getting drunk again. Which was true enough.
She hated the hangover, and the overwhelming sense of embarrassment when she realized that O'Connell saw her drunk. Scratch that. She wasn't just embarrassed, she was utterly mortified. And that was, in part, what caused trouble between O'Connell and his brother. O'Connell was trying to protect her from her embarrassment, so he put his brother in a bad position. Just how bad a position, Evy didn't realize, until Jonathan explained it to her.
Her brother explained that Galen Ferguson could have easily made this last day at the ranch utterly miserable for Ardeth, once Galen learned of the kiss between Ardeth and Celia. He could have been an overprotective sort, the kind who wouldn't have cared that Celia started the kiss. Somebody kissed his little sister, impugning her honor, and that someone would pay. And granted, Galen was very protective of Celia, but he wasn't unreasonable. However, Ardeth had no way of knowing that. . .nor did Rick O'Connell.
Further, Evy learned that Jonathan liked to use his clown reputation as a shield. Clown, carouser, village idiot. . .take your pick. If people didn't take you seriously, they were more inclined to lower their guard with you. It was a trick Jonathan learned years earlier, and used to its best advantage. That was how Jonathan realized during the last few days that Ardeth was fighting his attraction to Celia, every step of the way. He was uncomfortable with the way his body reacted when he was around her.
Poor boy, Evy said, forgetting that 'boy' was three years older than herself. However, Jonathan nodded his agreement and explained that Ardeth was, by nature, a private person. He probably mentioned to O'Connell about the kiss, seeking guidance. (Evy chose not to inform him that O'Connell witnessed the kiss firsthand. It didn't seem to matter) And his brother used that information to direct attention away from Evy. It was a betrayal. Perhaps a small betrayal, but a betrayal nonetheless.
And yet, Evy couldn't stay angry with him. No one ever did anything like that for her. Not even her brother, who would have willingly died to protect her. Did O'Connell think she was worth the sacrifice? And a sacrifice *was* made. He sacrificed a bit of his relationship with his brother to protect Evy. Would her roommates do the same for her? She couldn't see Anck sacrificing anything in her relationship with Celia to protect Evy, and Celia. . .
Was a big question mark. Though they lived together for more than a year, there were still so many things about her American roommate that she didn't know. Like, what Celia would sacrifice in order to protect Evy. The young English girl didn't doubt her roommate's loyalty. She just didn't know how far Celia would go to protect her, and it wasn't a feeling Evy liked. So yes. Though she was angry with O'Connell, she was also oddly touched.
She was also scared, because it made it all the harder to fight her growing attraction to him. Evy simply didn't have the time or the energy to deal with an attraction of this magnitude. There were so many things she wanted to do in her life, and she wasn't sure how a man would fit in that life. Especially a man like O'Connell. Worse yet, she feared she didn't have the strength to continue to fight her attraction to her. That, in and of itself, took a great deal of energy.
"You still mad at me?" O'Connell asked. While she wasn't looking, he stepped up to walk at her side. She looked at him, not sure how to answer. This wasn't like talking to Celia or Anck. Oh drat the man! O'Connell continued when she didn't answer, "I'll take that as a 'yes.' Well, if it's any consolation, you're not alone in that. . .I was sure Diablo would tear me apart a few minutes ago." He nodded at the horse walking sedately beside Ardeth.
Diablo? The so-called 'devil-horse' whom Ardeth and the children tamed the day before? That Diablo? O'Connell ducked his head, explaining, "Seems Diablo has decided that my little brother is one of his humans. He figured out that Ardeth was. . .well, he figured out that I made a jerk out of myself, and when I grabbed Ardeth's shoulder, Diablo let me know, in no uncertain terms, that he didn't like that one bit."
Evy couldn't help herself. She giggled. O'Connell just looked at her, asking, "Something funny, Miss Carnahan?" Evy ducked her head, still grinning. She was trying to imagine the scene in the stables when O'Connell grabbed his brother's shoulder.
"I was just imagining," she choked out, trying to stifle her giggles, "the look on your expression when Diablo did whatever he did." O'Connell glared at her. . .at least, he tried, but his eyes were twinkling. Evy was no longer paying attention to the dark-haired young man in front of them. . .in truth, she was no longer aware of anyone else but herself and O'Connell. His blue eyes were sparkling with mischief and something else.
Evy's breath caught in her throat, as she recognized that something else. Desire. The girl swallowed hard. Especially when O'Connell said in a low, husky voice that sent chills down her spine and along her arms, "You know. . .you never did finish what you started last night. Miss Carnahan." What she. . .oh. OH! Evy found herself blushing, but she couldn't look away from the bright blue eyes.
"No," she agreed in a somewhat breathy voice, "I did not. Nor did I take you up on your kind invitation." O'Connell blinked, as if in surprise, and Evy explained with a grin, "My dear roommates decided to show me the videotape last night. I asked Anck how much money it would take to convince her to never show that to anyone. She informed that it was more money than I had. . .however, she also informed me that Celia made her promise not to show it to any adults who weren't here last night."
"That was nice of her," O'Connell murmured. His face was closer now, and Evy realized with a thrill that he meant to kiss her. For once, her objections about her attraction to O'Connell deserted her. This man, this handsome, exciting man, wanted to kiss her. And why not? Why should Anck and Celia have all the fun? Evy tilted her head back, to receive the kiss, closing her eyes at the same time. His arms closed around her, drawing her near, and then. . . .
She melted into his arms as their lips met, and Evy could feel her brain shutting down. And the first to fall silent was that annoying voice which told her that this couldn't end well. Evy could have stayed like that forever, but an entirely too familiar voice called out, shattering the moment, "HEY! You two, break it up!" O'Connell pulled back with a growl, and he glared at the owner of the voice. As soon as Evy's brain started working, she glared as well.
But Anck just smirked, saying as she passed Evy and O'Connell, and headed toward the stables, "Turnabout is fair play, Mr O'Connell." The pair looked at each other, and Evy sighed. But the expression in her companion's eyes told her that this was far from over. They would finish this. Soon. It was a promise, and Evy silently swore that she would hold O'Connell to that promise. Right after she finished kicking Anck's butt for interrupting!
. . .
*Ay, that was fun,* Anck decided with an evil grin as she sauntered past her glaring roommate and O'Connell, *but next time, I think I should do something even more outrageous.* What, she didn't know, but she was sure she could think up something. Later. The others were coming a little more slowly, since the children were coming with them. She thought briefly about accompanying Ardeth, but right now, he looked like he wanted to be left alone.
She didn't know him well, but in some ways, he was much like Celia. The best thing to do in a situation like this was. . .well. . .just to leave them alone. So, instead of running the risk of making his bad mood worse, Anck sauntered into the stables. Diablo was with Ardeth, so she chose to take Orion out. He was a little on the skittish side, but he was young yet. Might be a good horse for Celia, now that she thought about it. On the other hand. . .Celia liked to surprise her. Especially when she decided to kiss Ardeth.
That just made Anck smile again, with pride this time. Her roommate really kissed a man. Anck heard the term 'sinfully sexy,' and it seemed to apply as well to Ardeth Bey as it did to Emmett Tepper. Yes, her roommate. . .her shy, quiet, but fierce roommate kissed a man best described as 'sinfully sexy,' and if Anck knew Celia at all, it wouldn't be the last time. She led Orion out of the stables, still grinning.
The other adults were heading into the stables behind her, and Anck drew up along Ardeth. Diablo would nudge his shoulder every few seconds. . .sort of a Diablo version of a lick. Anck once heard Galen call a dog-lick 'puppy first aid.' Apparently, head-butting a human's shoulder was the equivalent for a horse. Difference being, a dog didn't tend to knock one over when administering 'puppy first aid,' which was entirely likely with a horse.
Celia was heading in the opposite direction, so Anck felt safe in slipping her free arm around Ardeth's waist. He looked at her, startled by her approach and by the contact. She gave him an easy smile, saying, "I thought I would break up the party behind you, amigo." He looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes narrowing as he beheld the glares directed at Anck, and the girl added, "They were playing suckface. I broke up the party."
Ardeth turned back to face her, and Anck saw his lips twitching. . .as if he was trying not to smile. The young man asked, "Turnabout is fair play?" Anck nodded with an impish grin, and Ardeth went on, "I am not sure why I am angry with him. He is merely being what, and whom, he has always been. It is foolish to be angry with him for that." Anck rolled her eyes, but didn't swat him. She was afraid she would knock his remaining sense out of his head.
"Why? Oh, let me see here. . .first, he interrupted a kiss he had no business interrupting. I've watched you and my roommate dance around your attraction to each other from the first time you met, and it was annoying me. Life is too short for such foolishness, amigo," Anck replied, casting a quick glance over her shoulder. One by one, the adults were leading horses from the stables. Celia was leading Starbright, with the ever- present Livvy at her side. The American girl was watching her with a thoughtful frown, and Anck winked at her best friend, mouthing, 'trust me!' Celia just rolled her eyes, but Anck noticed she also nodded.
Satisfied that her roommate wouldn't intervene, Anck continued, "Then he had no business shooting his mouth off earlier, about that kiss. Yes, I knew about it. Celia told us. . . told me, I should say. She's never been in this position, never been attracted to someone who feels the same about her. . .I think she was un poco frightened." Anck realized when Ardeth looked at her quickly that she was mixing her Spanish and English together again, but neither mentioned it. Probably because Ardeth did the same thing. Instead, she asked, "Do you think Celia betrayed you by telling me?"
"La," came the definite answer. No hesitation, nothing of that sort. Okay. This was a good thing. Ardeth added, as if defending his position, "You are her friend, her best friend, her sister. And, I would suspect that you have more experience than Celia does in such matters. It is to be expected that she would tell you about such things." *Well,* Anck thought, *that answers that. I should tell him that he has no need to defend himself from me.*
"Si. And that is the difference. Celia told me about the kiss because she was scared and happy, and needed to tell someone. O'Connell told everyone about the kiss because he was trying to distract people from Evelyn's embarrassment. The difference is in the intent. You ask why be angry with someone for being themselves. I tell you, of course you are angry. What O'Connell did hurt you. And I suspect, it is not the first time," Anck replied.
As she expected, Ardeth merely shrugged, answering, "We are very different people, Anck-su-namun. My brother. . .I do not expect my brother to think as I do. He cannot. Yes, he has lived among the M. . .among my people for eight years. But he comes from a different place than I do. It is foolish to be angry with him, and resent him, because those differences between us are caused by the differences in our lives."
Anck returned, "I come from a different place, a different situation than Celia, and the same is true of Evelyn. They both try to see things from my point of view. Does that mean I should not try to see things from their perspectives? Do the differences in our three lifestyles mean that my perspective is superior to theirs? Of course not. Merely different. Why do you work so hard, trying to be fair to O'Connell, when he doesn't give you the same courtesy?"
That silenced Ardeth, but it gave her no pleasure. She wasn't trying to score points here. Just reminding him that he wasn't wrong for being angry. At last, he asked softly, "Where did you learn such reasoning? Among my people, young warriors seldom think in such terms." Anck raised a brow. Young warriors? What did he think he was, old? Then something else occurred to her. He spoke of those young warriors as if he was somehow apart from them. Was there was far more to Ardeth Bey than even she and Celia guessed?
Anck answered, "When I came here last year, I had a huge chip on my shoulder. Nothing my roommates did mattered. If Celia tried to help me, she was an arrogant American who thought she was better than me. And Evelyn was a snobby Brit. My mother finally got fed up with my attitude during a phone call home, and told me that if anyone was arrogant, it was me. I demanded that others look at my point of view, but not once did I try seeing things from theirs. It shocked me so much, I tried it. . .imagine my surprise when everything seemed different."
She smiled, shaking her head, and added, "Not that everything magically got better. But, it did force me to grow up a little. I see the same thing when I look at you and O'Connell. Why is that? Why do you accept such behavior from him? It goes far beyond family, I think. My mother, she taught me about family. But she also taught me that there were limits. She had a sister. Paula was her name. And Tia Paula had a daughter my age. My cousin's name was Meela, and we were more like sisters than cousins."
Ardeth seemed to grow more alert, but Anck dismissed it from her mind. Instead, she continued, "When Meela and I were fourteen, our mothers had a terrible argument. Tia Paula did the one thing Mama couldn't forgive. She endangered my cousin, and when Mama confronted her. . .Mama wished to protect Meela. Instead, Tia Paula took Meela and left Guatemala. I wrote letter after letter to Meela, telling her how much I loved her, and that she would never be without me. Teenage dramatics. And letter after letter was returned to me."
She paused, remembering that ancient hurt when she realized that Tia Paula's rage at her sister was spilling over to her niece and her daughter. Anck was sixteen years old when she finally gave up, and that was the beginning of her attitude. After a moment, she continued, "We just found out recently that Tia Paula and Meela eventually settled in Egypt. That's where my tia died, too. . .and I do not know what happened to my cousin."
Ardeth ducked his head, and Anck put her hand on his forearm, saying softly, "I do not wish to make you uncomfortable, Ardeth Bey. Family disputes are always uncomfortable, for everyone. But there are limits to what even siblings should bear. I think Mama's greatest regret, especially after she learned that Tia Paula was dead, was that Meela and I suffered for their argument. She regretted losing touch with her sister, but that was a choice my aunt made."
Ardeth was silent for several moments, then said softly, "I was thirteen when my father died. He was the chieftain of our people. . .but he was still my father. The following year, my mother remarried Nathaniel O'Connell, bringing his fifteen year old son Rick into the family as well. It was not an easy match. . .my mother had five children of her own, and Rick was burning with resentment. He resented my mother, resented his father for marrying her and betraying his mother's memory. . .he thought. He resented my brothers and sisters and I."
Ardeth took a deep breath, then went on, "This continued for a year. When I was fifteen, the village was attacked. I actually remember very little of what happened. I do remember throwing myself toward Rick, to protect him, and unbearable pain. Like I was being torn in half. Then darkness. When I woke up, Rick was with me. He looked so. . .guilty. It was my choice. But he swore that he would never leave my side. And for seven years, he has kept that promise."
The girl almost asked him what difference that made. But the others were joining them, and only a blind woman would have missed Celia's worried expression. On second thought, while a blind woman couldn't have seen her friend's expression, it was a very reasonable bet that she would have picked up on the tension. Instead, Anck gently patted Ardeth's shoulder and said softly, "I hope he is worthy of your loyalty." She didn't add, 'but I doubt if he will.' After all. . .she couldn't tell the future. She couldn't even say for sure if her cousin was living or dead.
. . .
Curiously, during his conversation with Anck-su-namun Cortez, Ardeth felt his anger and frustration with Rick drain away. It was as if reminding himself of that long-ago injury reminded him also of the sacrifices Rick made for him during the last seven years. But before he had time to tell his brother of that, the children were ringing around them and it was time for the last riding lesson to begin.
Still, he found time to make eye contact with Rick as he mounted the horse led by Anck, adding a half smile, and hoped Rick understood that it was all right now. Then his attention was back on the horse and helping a teenaged girl to mount behind him. Livvy was riding with Celia, the little girl chattering away, and Ardeth deeply hoped the child didn't ask Celia if he kissed her. Where did these children get such ideas? He shook his head and asked his passenger, "Are you ready?" Her answer was to tighten her arms about his waist.
Ardeth set off at a canter, wishing that he was riding Diablo. For all that he was supposedly a 'devil-horse,' Diablo was very gentle with children. It was as if he realized that he carried inexperienced riders. This horse, on the other hand, was young and skittish. He would have to be very careful during the ride. Both children and animals sensed tension easily, and the last thing Ardeth wanted was to spook either.
He forced himself to relax, as much as he could, though his gut clenched with anxiety. The life of a chieftain was never easy, but Ardeth never faced challenges like the ones he faced this weekend. Today was the last day of a special weekend for these children, and he didn't want anything to go wrong for any of them. Further, his passenger, Kate, was a little afraid of horses. Something else animals could sense.
As fate would have it, however, it was neither his passenger nor his own anxiety that was to cause Ardeth such grief on this afternoon. The young man saw motion in the grass, and felt the horse panicking. Ardeth's attempts to calm the animal weren't quite enough, and Orion reared up and back, almost sending both Ardeth and Kate from his back. Again, Ardeth tried to calm the horse, but the grass moved yet again.
At the same time, Kate panicked and screamed. Startled by the sound, the horse reared back once more. . .and this time, he succeeded in throwing both riders. Ardeth managed to kick free of the stirrups, then twisted his body so that he took the brunt of the fall. He groaned as his entire right side impacted with the ground, and his vision grew gray around the edges. For a few moments, Ardeth's world was a mixture of black and gray as he struggled to remain conscious. He heard shouting, the panicked whinny of a frightened horse, then a gunshot.
It was the gunshot that brought him back fully to his senses, and he found himself cradled in Kate's arms. She was crying and gasping that she was sorry. Then Rick was crying out his name, literally pulling him from Kate's arms. The teenager fell back, but was caught by Evy. Rick was staring down at him, terror etched into his features, and somewhere through the pain currently reverberating through his side, Ardeth found a smile for his brother.
"Let's get him back to the house. I'll check him over first, make sure he didn't break any bones, then if it's clear, you and I can carry him back together, O'Connell," Galen Ferguson said. Rick nodded, but he didn't seem inclined to let go of Ardeth. Galen continued, pretending not to notice this fact, "Celia, can you take Orion back to the stables? I promise, we'll take good care of Ardeth." The young chieftain managed to turn his head toward Galen's voice, and saw not only their host, but Celia. She stood beside the still-frightened horse, a gentle hand running up and down his neck.
Her other hand held a rifle. The source of the shot? Galen said, evidently seeing Ardeth's puzzled expression, "Celia fired off a shot after Orion was secured. . .Matt and Cass should be here by now, and that's our warning to each other." That made sense. . .but where did she get the rifle? Ardeth didn't even remember seeing a rifle earlier. He closed his eyes, not entirely worried about the questions, or getting any answers.
"Hey now, no sleeping on the job," Rick chided, and Ardeth forced his eyes back open. Rick added, looking more relieved than was really necessary, "That's better. Celia is taking Orion back to the stables. I'm gonna roll you on your left side, so Galen can make sure you didn't hurt yourself too badly." Ardeth nodded, not trusting himself to speak, and carefully, both Rick and Galen rolled him until he rested on his other side.
With unexpectedly gentle hands, Galen checked down his right side and along his back for broken bones. Ardeth would have been able to tell, under normal circumstances, but these were hardly normal circumstances. Galen finally said, "Nothing's broken, and I've found no back or spinal injuries. He can obviously feel his legs and arms, but we should be careful carrying him up to the house any how."
"We heard the shot, Galen, what happened?" an unfamiliar voice asked as Galen and Rick carefully helped Ardeth sit upright. The pain caused by the change in position almost took Ardeth's breath away. When he could finally focus his attention once more, another man was kneeling in front of him. He looked to be a bit younger than Galen, with black hair and dark eyes. He had a golden tone to his skin, and Ardeth wondered a bit fuzzily if he was Native American. The man said with a gentle smile, "I'm Mathayus. Think you can walk?"
"I. . .will. . .try," Ardeth promised, adding, "and my name is Ardeth." Mathayus smiled at him, then slipped his hands under Ardeth's arms. He counted 'one, two, three,' and on 'three,' he and the other two men pulled the chieftain to his feet. Ardeth couldn't help the groan that broke free, but he was standing upright, and he was still conscious. He almost groaned again when he saw the distance he had to walk. He needn't have worried about making the entire distance. His support had other ideas.
Galen said softly, "Just lean on us, kid, and we'll do the hard part. Matt, walk ahead a little, just in case." Matt nodded, releasing Ardeth, and together, Galen and Rick helped Ardeth up the incline. Step by painful step. . .until Ardeth's legs could take no more, and his body gave up. He sagged between Galen and Rick, and Matt stepped in. Galen suggested, his tone reminding Ardeth of the healers back in the Med-jai villages, "Matt, take his legs. . .Rick and I can handle his torso."
It took Ardeth a few moments to process what he was saying. They would carry him up the hill. . .or what remained of the hill. How humiliating. Rick said softly, "If you're worried about the girls, don't be. Matt's girlfriend Cassie is staying with the kids, and so is Jonathan. Anck and Evelyn went with Celia, to take care of Orion. The only ones who are seeing this are Matt, Galen, and me. . .and I ain't about to tell anyone about this. Neither are they." Ardeth relaxed for the first time since the fall.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them next, they were at the top of the hill and approaching the house. Matt said, "You two can handle it the rest of the way?" Ardeth thought briefly about reminding the other man that he was still conscious, then chose not to. He didn't have the energy, and he wanted to save what energy he had to healing. He couldn't very well stop Imhotep and protect the girls if he was still fighting off the effects of his injuries.
"Yeah, just get the door. Rick, check and see if the girls are coming. I'll need their help. Matt, after you get the door, go on back down to help with the riding. Not for too much longer, just give the girls time to start lunch. I know Rick will want to stay here," Galen replied and Matt nodded, holding the door open. At Ardeth's side, the chieftain heard his brother murmur, 'don't even think about getting rid of me.'
Ardeth answered in an equally soft voice, "I would not dream of it, ya ahi." Galen led him to the davenport and eased him down. Rick sat down beside him. Neither brother spoke. At the moment, it wasn't necessary. When he was a young boy, perhaps about the same age as his two baby sisters, Ardeth remembered hearing about an American song. Some of the lyrics were 'words get in the way.' It was so terribly true.
. . .
Everyone was shaken, if not by seeing Ardeth and Kate fall, then by seeing the young man half-carried back to the house. For her own part, Celia was still trembling when she clicked the safety on her rifle and set to taking care of Orion. A part of her wanted to be angry with Kate for panicking, but the more reasonable part reminded Celia that Kate was trying to overcome her fear of horses. And overcoming one's fear was never an easy thing.
But. . .her heart almost stopped when she saw Ardeth falling. Celia never really believed that. Maybe she was too practical. Or maybe she just never witnessed an accident involving someone important to her. Yes, Jason could have died two years earlier. However, Celia wasn't physically there at the time. This time, she *was,* and she saw Ardeth hit the ground. It didn't occur to her until she raced up the incline, rifle in hand, that he twisted his body in midair, so he would take the worst shock of the fall.
"I think it surprised Ardeth. . .the rifle, I mean," Evy said suddenly, startling Celia. The American girl looked around wildly, now remembering that her roommates accompanied her. Anck was being very quiet, but a glance at her friend showed the other girl's concern. Evy added, "I suppose he didn't see Galen give it to you. For some reason, I keep forgetting he isn't familiar with Galen's habits." In spite of herself and her continuing worry for Ardeth, Celia's lips quirked in wry amusement. No, that certainly was true.
"You've never explained that, querida. . .why your brother carries a rifle with him when he goes riding. I know he doesn't hunt," Anck observed. Celia nodded as she caressed Orion's neck once last time. In a way, Galen's reasoning for the rifle followed the expression she saw in Ardeth's eyes when he heard the echo of the rifle shot. While she was at the top of the incline when she fired the rifle in the air, it took her a matter of seconds to return to the others.
And when she did, she saw Ardeth flinch. . .followed by heart wrenching relief. He was afraid harm came to Orion. . .afraid they had to put the horse down. Celia explained softly as she led her two friends from the stables, "It goes back to something that happened when Galen was nineteen. We were in Oklahoma, visiting the town where my grandfather grew up, and Grandpa took Galen riding. I stayed back at the house, to keep Gran company. Anyhow, there was an accident, and Grandpa had to put Galen's horse down. Ever since then, Galen's ridden with a rifle or a pistol. Just in case."
She paused, then added, "That's one reason, at least. The other reason is, so long as Galen has a rifle or a pistol, he has a way to call for help. The sound of shots being fired will usually bring people running, and if he's run into trouble. . .I mean, let's face it. Having a cell phone will only go so far." Both roommates laughed, though Evy still looked a little green around the gills from the first part of the story.
"I never thought of it in that respect, but I see his point. You were alerting Mathayus and Cassandra that they were needed," Anck observed and Celia nodded. Yes. There was an awkward pause as the trio headed to the doors, made even more awkward when Rick O'Connell appeared suddenly. Celia felt Anck draw closer to her, and sensed her roommate glowering at him. That was interesting. . .since when did Anck feel like she had to protect Celia from him?
Celia never had the chance to ask the question, for the man said, "Galen sent me down to make sure you girls were coming. He said he might need your help." Celia nodded, and O'Connell added a bit awkwardly, "Ardeth should be okay. Your brother didn't find anything other than bruises. Probably just needs to rest a while. I. . .I think your brother will insist on the clown show now, to take the kids' minds off the accident. You'll look after him?"
Before answering him, Celia told her two roommates, "Go on ahead. I'll be right there." Evy looked first at O'Connell, then at Celia. She looked worried, but didn't as she was asked. Anck, however, continued to glower at O'Connell from her position beside Celia. The younger girl said softly, glancing over her shoulder at her friend, "Trust me. It's okay." Anck was still for a long moment, then she nodded. She squeezed Celia's shoulder, then followed Evy up the incline toward the house.
Celia looked back at O'Connell, who asked, "Since when she decide that I'm the enemy?" The girl shrugged and O'Connell added, "All right, I haven't exactly been Mr Charming. Whether I like it or not, I think my brother's falling in love with you. . .he just won't admit to it. The way I see it, I have one of two choices. A) I could be an ass and refuse to accept it. Or b) I could accept it and move on. And I've been enough of an ass to last me a while. So I'll make a bargain with you."
Celia raised her eyebrows. This should be good. O'Connell continued, "I'll back off and keep my mouth shut the next time I catch you two in a liplock. I've never made a secret of what I think, and honestly, I'm still not sure if you're good enough for my brother. He's never been in love, and he's a little on the innocent side. So. I'll back off, and let the two of you deal with it as you see fit. But I want something in return."
"Let me guess. . .this something else has something to do with Evy?" Celia questioned, folding her arms over her chest. O'Connell looked both stunned and chagrined, and the girl continued, "You forget, O'Connell, I have an older brother. Galen's several years older than I am, but I've seen him when he's smitten with a girl. It's the same way you react whenever you're around Evy. My grandpa would have said both your butts got hit with Cupid."
"I'm not gonna ask, I don't wanna know, I've got nasty images floating in my head already. Yeah, you're right. It has to do with Evy. I want to. . .I wanna know if I've got a chance with her. I think I do. But I'll have an even better chance if her roommates aren't running me down. I want you to promise that you'll stay out of things between us," O'Connell replied. Now Celia felt her eyebrows climbing into her hairline.
"What makes you think that any of us interfere in the others' love lives? Evy's nineteen years old. . .she's my roommate, not my daughter. She makes up her own mind. Trust me, O'Connell, I have a hard enough time managing my own life, much less someone else's. You want my word that I won't interfere between you two? You got it. But here's another promise. You break my roommate's heart, and you'll wish you'd never been born!" Celia fired back.
Celia honestly wasn't sure how she would do that, but details weren't important right now. The important thing was, Rick O'Connell had to understand that the girls of Two Twenty Navarre would defend each other. If he hurt Evy, Celia would put her two cents in, and if Celia was involved in any way, so was Anck. Just call it a roommate chain reaction. O'Connell nodded slowly in understanding. He replied, "Okay. Fair enough. And here's a warning of my own. Break my brother's heart, and I'll destroy. . ." His voice trailed off as he tried to think of something that wouldn't hurt Evy.
Celia decided to spare him the trouble, saying, "I got it. Now. Shall we go see about your brother and reassure Anck and Evy that we didn't kill each other, or should we stand around like a pair of idiots, making threats about things which will probably never come true?" O'Connell stared at her, his jaw slack. . .and then he laughed. But it wasn't a laugh of derision. Instead, it almost sounded like. . .admiration.
"You know, if it weren't for the fact that you took up for that little weasel Beni, I think I could actually like you, Celia Ferguson. You aren't in the least bit afraid of me, are you?" O'Connell asked as he guided her from the stables, his hand in the small of her back. Celia shrugged. She really wasn't sure how to answer that. Did O'Connell scare her sometimes? Yeah. Or more appropriately, 'oh hell, yes, he scared her at times!' He was bigger than she was, and stronger, and he didn't always think before he spoke. And when he lashed out in one of his blind rages, he scared her.
But she wasn't *afraid* of him. She shook her head slowly, saying, "No. I'm not afraid of you. Yeah, you scare me sometimes. It's called 'self-preservation,' Mr O'Connell, you're a lot bigger than I am. But I'm not afraid of you." She paused, gauging the man's mood, then decided to take a chance. She continued, "And I would think that my defense of Beni would work in my favor."
O'Connell just looked at her in surprise. . .no, that wasn't surprise. That was pure astonishment, and he asked, "And just how would you figure that?" Celia didn't answer first. They were walking up the incline, and just ahead of them, she could see her two roommates. Every few minutes, Anck would cast a look over her shoulder. Even from this distance, Celia could see her friend's obvious concern.
She replied, "Mr O'Connell, there is no correlation between the size of my body and the size of my intelligence. I hear what people say about Beni. I know he's considered a weasel. But he's my friend, and I will defend him. I will stand by him. Maybe he betrayed you. I don't know. But I do know that he's never betrayed me in the year I've known him. He hasn't given me any reason to withdraw my loyalty from him."
Now understanding dawned in the man's eyes and he said, "And if you're willing to defend a little weasel like my little buddy Beni, then you'll be equally willing to defend Ardeth." Celia noted the way he spat out the words, 'my little buddy Beni,' but kept silent. That was a losing argument, and she knew better than to get into those. She did it too many times while she was growing up. Instead, she nodded. Celia would think later about his assertion that Ardeth was falling in love with her. For now, it was enough that they reached a consensus.
. . .
Once they got back to the house, their jobs would change. They would be getting a picnic lunch ready for the children, while Ardeth rested and Rick O'Connell entertained the children. That was something Galen decided almost immediately. Ardeth and Kate's fall scared all of the children, and Galen wanted their last memories of this weekend to be of fun and laughter. All too soon, they would be returning to real life, with even more uncertainties than most children had in their own lives.
So, things would go ahead as scheduled. Or as the saying went, the show must go on. That was, of course, Rick O'Connell even survived long enough to entertain the children in his clown costume. That was why Anck glanced over her shoulder ever so often. If there was even the slightest bit of distress on her roommate's all-too-expressive face, Anck was fully prepared to kick his ass clear into the next decade.
But instead, the pair were engaged in an intense conversation, and Anck relaxed. They both looked serious, but hardly upset, angry, distressed, or even annoyed. At her side, Evelyn murmured, "Keep looking back at them, Anck, and you may annoy Celia." Anck glared at the other girl, but Evelyn didn't back down. She continued in a low tone, "I know you only wish to protect Celia, but she can handle herself with Rick O'Connell. She's done it before."
Anck remembered the confrontation between the two Americans in the food court. . .was it earlier in the week? How odd. She replied, "Si. Pero ella es mi amiga."* At Evy's blank look, Anck realized she spoke in Spanish. The girl shook her head, and explained, this time in English, "I know that. I know she can handle O'Connell, and I know she's done it before. But she's my friend."
A sad smile touched Evelyn's lips, and she replied, "And you protect your friends. You and I aren't so very different in that respect, Anck-su- namun. We just have different ways of doing it. You hold nothing back. You have no idea how to hold back, and there are times when I envy you that. But I have my own way of protecting my friends. And I don't believe Celia requires any protection from O'Connell."
It was on the tip of Anck's tongue to ask if Evy felt that way because she was so attracted to Rick. Why she didn't ask that question, Anck wasn't sure. Maybe because during the last week, she and Evy got along so well. . .so much better than usual, and Anck didn't want to spoil it. Instead, she conceded, "Perhaps you are right. But I cannot stop being what I am, Eva. None of us can. So, you take care of our roommate in your way, and I will take care of her in mine."
Evy hesitated, then nodded. The two girls continued to walk along in silence for several moments, then Evy asked, "Do you think Celia will tell Ardeth about Neil Grady?" Anck looked at the other girl quickly, wondering how Evy knew that topic of conversation came up that morning between herself and Celia. Evy just huffed with exasperation, continuing, "Please, Anck, give me credit for some intelligence! Celia's afraid for us, because of that dreadful little man, and she's coming to care greatly for Ardeth. Of course she would be concerned for him as well. And if Celia has one great flaw, it's that she's too honest for her own good."
Coming from Evy, that was something of a surprise. . .Miss Straight Arrow herself. However, Anck didn't waste much time thinking about it. Instead, she replied, "I think she will. For all her spunk, Celia's greatest weapon is her intelligence, and she knows that. Ardeth's best protection against that hijo de puta is knowing about him. . .although, I really don't think Ardeth has anything to worry about. This Grady is a coward, picking on girls half his size."
Evy countered, "That makes him more dangerous. Even to someone like Ardeth. . .because that's the only way a person like Grady could beat someone who is both physically and mentally stronger. They cheat." Anck inclined her head in agreement. Yes, it was something she saw often. What surprised her, though, was that Evy would realize that. Her roommate added with a wicked smile, "Then again, that's the thing about payback. Whatever Grady does to Ardeth, if he does anything to him. . .the payback will be twice as bad. And there will be payback. . .nasty little fellows like that always get their comeuppance. Always."
Her eyes narrowed and her face screwed up as she spoke the last word. Anck barely held back a laugh. She knew Evy wouldn't appreciate being laughed at. Instead, she replied, "Yeah, payback's a bitch. But I really don't think Grady would go after Ardeth. I mean, look at the hombre! He's tall and he *looks* intimidating. We both know that Beni's a weasel, but he's not stupid. And Grady would have to be stupid to mess with Ardeth."
Here again, Evy surprised her. The other girl acknowledged with a nod, "In a fair fight, yes. Ardeth could beat him easily. But I've not been impressed with Grady's sense of fair play. I've no doubt that he would cheat to win. Especially if. . .well, you see, I spoke to Jonathan about this situation, the day after we found out about it." Anck stopped in her tracks and stared at Evy, her mouth agape. The other girl said somewhat impatiently, "Oh, do close your mouth, Anck! Jonathan would know more about men like Grady than I would!"
She had a point there. Anck liked Jonathan. Really, she did. But. . . She shook her head, and asked, "All right, then what did Jonathan tell you about situations like this?" She used Evy's own intonation, a fact that wasn't lost on the other girl. Evy glared at her, but Anck didn't back down. She could appreciate that Evy wanted her older brother's input. And Jonathan was involved in this, if only peripherally. But. . .
Anck had no more time to think about it, for Evy replied, "You see, Jonathan told me that he's known people like Neil Grady before. He's loathe to call them 'men,' and so am I. In any event, my brother's known people like this. They're little people. . .people with small hearts and small minds. But Grady. . .my brother detests people like that. They try to destroy whatever they want most."
Anck tried to follow that reasoning. Why would you try to destroy what you want? She could understand how people could destroy something they detested, or didn't understand. But destroy something they wanted. . .and something they wanted most? That she didn't understand. It seemed Evy didn't either, for she added almost apologetically, "Yes, well, I never said it made any sense. Jonathan thinks Neil Grady attacked Celia because he felt threatened by her. And he felt threatened by her, because he was drawn to her."
It still didn't make sense to Anck. Why would you try to destroy someone to whom you were attracted. But at the same time, she could see what Evy was trying to tell her. Evy and Jonathan feared that Grady would go after Ardeth, because he wanted Celia and Ardeth showed more wisdom than Grady did. He might struggle with his attraction to her, but he wouldn't try to ruin her life, the way Grady did. He would feel threatened by Ardeth, and that was what made him dangerous. Anck shivered. She didn't like that idea one bit!
Nor did Evy. Anck could see it in the other girl's eyes. After a moment, Anck asked softly, "Then I suppose the best thing for us to do is. . .just watch both of their backs? Should we bring O'Connell into this? For all that he's a boorish jerk, I think he actually loves his brother." Too late, Anck remembered that her other roommate was attracted to that 'boorish jerk.' She got another reminder when she noticed Evy's dark eyes flashing dangerously. Uh-oh. Anck knew that expression, and knew she would be lucky if she got off with a tongue-lashing.
"At least he isn't my professor," the other girl bit out. It was Anck's turn to glare at her roommate, though her heart wasn't really in it. She should have seen that coming. And she did. But for some reason, that didn't stop her from flinching at the remark. It was bad enough that she told the girls about her first encounter with Emmett Tepper, but for them all to be in his class together? That was even worse.
The two were silent for a long moment. At last, Anck said, "Touché. Now, let's get back to the important discussion. I'm fairly certain that Celia will tell Ardeth about Neil Grady. What you and I must decide is, should we tell O'Connell?" Anck didn't want to. She didn't trust Rick O'Connell, but at the same time, she couldn't deny that he loved his brother. On the other hand, once again, was it their story to tell?
Evy agreed, for she replied, "Not yet. We may be making a mountain out of a molehill, and there's no reason to hit the alarm button if it's not necessary." Anck relaxed. Good. Then she and her roommates would relax and enjoy the rest of the day. That was all they could do, really, wasn't it? Soon enough, they would go back to real life. . .back to papers and studying and pop quizzes. Enjoy this time while they could.
In the weeks that followed, Anck would look back on that weekend with fondness. . .not only because of the hours of laughter and relaxation, but because the worst thing in her life at that time were papers and pop quizzes. That weekend was the beginning of the end for her remaining innocence.
Reviews!
Terreis: Nope, that's Rick for ya, though. I've found that the quiet moments are as much fun to write as the fight scenes (or the kissing scenes). More Rick/Evy coming up this chapter, as well as a little reconciliation.
Sailor Elf: Yeah, with Rick and Ardeth, it's three steps forward, two steps back. And Livvy keeps doing what she wants to do. I think the adults were bad. Sheesh!
LilyLynn: Hi, sweetie, glad you're enjoying it! I've got more Rick/Evy in this chapter, as well as a subversion of one of my favorite Evy lines from the first movie. However, now that Evy and Rick are becoming established, I'll probably spend a little more time with Imhotep and Anck, and see how that love story plays out.
Carmina Burana: What a cool name! 'O Fortuna' is one of my favorite pieces of music. And I'll do my best to keep it up.
On with the story!
Part Fifteen
People reach a certain point where 'I'm sorry' ceases to matter. When it becomes just another word, without any meaning. . .especially coming from particular people. Thus, when Rick said softly, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," Ardeth merely shrugged. Any anger was long gone. He was too tired to be angry, too tired to care. There was work to be done, and he just didn't have the energy to talk to Rick right now.
"It no longer matters," he replied, "we have work to do." He never turned around to look at his brother. Ardeth was aware, somewhere in the back of his mind, that Rick probably wouldn't allow this to let go. He just didn't care. And what was worse, he wasn't even sure why he was angry in the first place. It was just the way Rick was. How could one be angry with a person for just being himself?
As to be expected, Rick didn't let it go. He strode over to where Ardeth was grooming Diablo, grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, snarling, "Dammit, yes, it does matter! I. . ." He stopped, his eyes widening and his mouth opening and closing. Curious at to what could have such an effect on his fearless step-brother, Ardeth turned around. . .and stared. Both brothers left one thing out of the equation during the confrontation.
Diablo. While it was established during the last two days that Diablo would only take certain riders, neither brother banked on the fact that Diablo would be protective of those humans he considered his own. The horse was obviously not happy with Rick for grabbing Ardeth. . .and as animals often do, sensed that the sandy-haired brother was responsible for the unhappy mood of his human. With that mystery solved, Ardeth looked back at his step-brother. Rick stared back at him, obviously unwilling to take his eyes off Diablo.
"I would suggest you remove your hand from my shoulder, brother. Diablo seems to consider me one of his humans, but I am not sure if he will allow me to control him," Ardeth said quietly. Rick nodded slowly and very carefully removed his hand, eyeing Diablo all the while. Ardeth turned back around, trying to calm both the horse and himself. He had faith that Rick wouldn't try anything, not with Diablo's sudden protective streak.
"We gotta get this settled, Ardeth," his brother said quietly. Ardeth smiled, without any real humor. Did they? Why did they need to settle this? Why now? Why not later? When he didn't speak, when he didn't react, Rick continued hesitantly, "I know I screwed up. I wasn't thinking, Ardeth. Maybe I should say that differently. The only thing I was thinking about was saving Evelyn from more embarrassment."
Still, Ardeth didn't turn around. He was actually afraid of turning around. Not that he would 'cave,' and it would all be forgotten. No, he was afraid of the rage which Rick's words brought, and confused about the source of that. So Rick mentioned the kiss between himself and Celia the previous night. Why was that such a problem? *Because it was not something I was ready to share.* The words were there almost immediately.
Now he felt Rick's hand on his back, and Ardeth asked, "Why? Why mention the kiss? Cannot I have some time to enjoy the memory, before you make it public knowledge?" Ardeth froze. He didn't mean to ask that. He didn't want to let those words pass his lips, and allow Rick to realize just what those words meant to him. But now the barrier was breached, and Ardeth could not stop himself. He added, "Do you wish to create problems where they do not exist, brother? Why could I not have that brief time of happiness?"
At that, he turned around to face Rick, who was staring at him with a stricken expression. Ardeth shook his head, not sure if he was disgusted with himself for allowing this to happen, or with his brother, for selling him out like that. The young chieftain continued after a moment, his voice almost hoarse from trying to suppress his fury, "You told me this morning that you resent Celia. . .do you also resent me?"
It was a fair question, from Ardeth's perspective. He wasn't so sure that Rick agreed, but right now, he didn't really care. For several moments, his brother's jaw worked, until finally Rick blurted out, "What the hell kind of question is that? Do I resent you?" He sounded downright incredulous, and Ardeth wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. And he would not get the opportunity to find out, for the creaking of the door and a shadow in the stables alerted both brothers to company.
Evelyn Carnahan looked at them both uncertainly, saying softly, "The children are on their way down here, with my brother and my roommates. Matt and Cass are coming back this afternoon, just in case. And Galen asked me to make sure you both were in one piece." Ardeth almost smiled. Strange, how easily Galen Ferguson took his involvement with Galen's younger sister. He tried to put himself in the position of the resident, and failed miserably. He had two younger sisters, around the same age as Celia. And the thought of Acacia and Aleta was enough to make him homesick.
Acacia was a widow at the age of twenty-one. . .her husband died when the Book was stolen. She had a small son, and put all of her energies toward raising little Darius. Ardeth knew the other warrior well, of course. But when his brother-in-law was courting Acacia, Ardeth was paying more attention to his duties as a chieftain than anything else. He regretted that now. He regretted it deeply.
But now was not the time to think more on that. He couldn't afford to indulge in being homesick, which was what would have happened if he thought more about Acacia and Aleta. Instead, he quietly followed Evelyn from the stables. At least, he started to. However, as he passed Rick, his brother grabbed his arm once more, saying very softly, "This isn't over, Ardeth. We'll talk more later." Ardeth merely nodded. What else was there for him to do?
. . .
Until she walked into the stables to retrieve the stepbrothers, Evy never really thought about how it felt, being caught in the middle of something. There was no argument raging when she entered the stables. . .at least, not one that consisted of raised voices. But the tension was very high between O'Connell and his step-brother, and for the first time, Evy had an idea of how Celia felt when she was caught in the middle of an argument between Evy and Anck.
She wondered if she should tell her roommate that, then decided not to. Celia was very sensitive to mood changes. . .she would pick up on the tension between the two brothers without any help from Evy. Still, perhaps it would be a good thing to remember the next time Anck seemed to be aching for an argument. . .hold her breath and wait until the third roommate was gone before indulging Anck's desire for a confrontation.
They were coming down the hill now. . .Jonathan, Galen, Anck and Celia. Ah. It seemed that Galen's friends would be here later in the morning. Without the three roommates, there would be four adults to oversee the riding. . .perhaps Matt and Cass would arrive while the girls were fixing the picnic lunch. Evy was quite looking forward to that. One thing she missed while she was at college was the chance to fix meals.
One thing they came to realize over the last several months. . .each of the girls was good at something, when it came to food preparation. Well. . .even outside of food preparation, they were each good at *something.* Even if it didn't seem particularly practical. Evy was a good cook. Anck was the adventurous one, always looking for new recipes to try. And Celia was a favorite with the children, because she had a sweet tooth and let them indulge theirs. When she could, she baked cookies for her roommates. Unfortunately, the three girls didn't usually get the chance to use their skills.
By combining their abilities. . . Evy stopped and examined that thought more carefully. Was there a life lesson here for her as well? She smiled in spite of herself, in spite of the tension still resonating from the two young men behind her. Before she came down here, Jonathan took her aside to impart a little older brotherly wisdom to her. Before her mother died, the two Carnahan women had the Talk. . .but this was more about drinking and being responsible.
Anck, it seemed, fulfilled the promise she made to Celia the night before, and showed only Jonathan the tape of Evy getting drunk. Or, to use Anck's more blunt verbage. . .'getting drunk off her ass.' Evy thought briefly about requesting that Anck not be so vulgar, then thought better of it. They were getting along better today, perhaps because of Evy getting so drunk the night before. Or more to the point, because of their conversation while Evy was hungover.
In any event, Jonathan was both proud of his little sister for doing something so unpredictable, but he was also worried about her. He wanted her to be happy, and he didn't want Evy to think that getting drunk would solve any problems. He knew for a fact it solved nothing, and Jonathan didn't want Evy to learn that particular life lesson the hard way. . .the way he did. She promised that the previous night was a fluke, and she had no intention of getting drunk again. Which was true enough.
She hated the hangover, and the overwhelming sense of embarrassment when she realized that O'Connell saw her drunk. Scratch that. She wasn't just embarrassed, she was utterly mortified. And that was, in part, what caused trouble between O'Connell and his brother. O'Connell was trying to protect her from her embarrassment, so he put his brother in a bad position. Just how bad a position, Evy didn't realize, until Jonathan explained it to her.
Her brother explained that Galen Ferguson could have easily made this last day at the ranch utterly miserable for Ardeth, once Galen learned of the kiss between Ardeth and Celia. He could have been an overprotective sort, the kind who wouldn't have cared that Celia started the kiss. Somebody kissed his little sister, impugning her honor, and that someone would pay. And granted, Galen was very protective of Celia, but he wasn't unreasonable. However, Ardeth had no way of knowing that. . .nor did Rick O'Connell.
Further, Evy learned that Jonathan liked to use his clown reputation as a shield. Clown, carouser, village idiot. . .take your pick. If people didn't take you seriously, they were more inclined to lower their guard with you. It was a trick Jonathan learned years earlier, and used to its best advantage. That was how Jonathan realized during the last few days that Ardeth was fighting his attraction to Celia, every step of the way. He was uncomfortable with the way his body reacted when he was around her.
Poor boy, Evy said, forgetting that 'boy' was three years older than herself. However, Jonathan nodded his agreement and explained that Ardeth was, by nature, a private person. He probably mentioned to O'Connell about the kiss, seeking guidance. (Evy chose not to inform him that O'Connell witnessed the kiss firsthand. It didn't seem to matter) And his brother used that information to direct attention away from Evy. It was a betrayal. Perhaps a small betrayal, but a betrayal nonetheless.
And yet, Evy couldn't stay angry with him. No one ever did anything like that for her. Not even her brother, who would have willingly died to protect her. Did O'Connell think she was worth the sacrifice? And a sacrifice *was* made. He sacrificed a bit of his relationship with his brother to protect Evy. Would her roommates do the same for her? She couldn't see Anck sacrificing anything in her relationship with Celia to protect Evy, and Celia. . .
Was a big question mark. Though they lived together for more than a year, there were still so many things about her American roommate that she didn't know. Like, what Celia would sacrifice in order to protect Evy. The young English girl didn't doubt her roommate's loyalty. She just didn't know how far Celia would go to protect her, and it wasn't a feeling Evy liked. So yes. Though she was angry with O'Connell, she was also oddly touched.
She was also scared, because it made it all the harder to fight her growing attraction to him. Evy simply didn't have the time or the energy to deal with an attraction of this magnitude. There were so many things she wanted to do in her life, and she wasn't sure how a man would fit in that life. Especially a man like O'Connell. Worse yet, she feared she didn't have the strength to continue to fight her attraction to her. That, in and of itself, took a great deal of energy.
"You still mad at me?" O'Connell asked. While she wasn't looking, he stepped up to walk at her side. She looked at him, not sure how to answer. This wasn't like talking to Celia or Anck. Oh drat the man! O'Connell continued when she didn't answer, "I'll take that as a 'yes.' Well, if it's any consolation, you're not alone in that. . .I was sure Diablo would tear me apart a few minutes ago." He nodded at the horse walking sedately beside Ardeth.
Diablo? The so-called 'devil-horse' whom Ardeth and the children tamed the day before? That Diablo? O'Connell ducked his head, explaining, "Seems Diablo has decided that my little brother is one of his humans. He figured out that Ardeth was. . .well, he figured out that I made a jerk out of myself, and when I grabbed Ardeth's shoulder, Diablo let me know, in no uncertain terms, that he didn't like that one bit."
Evy couldn't help herself. She giggled. O'Connell just looked at her, asking, "Something funny, Miss Carnahan?" Evy ducked her head, still grinning. She was trying to imagine the scene in the stables when O'Connell grabbed his brother's shoulder.
"I was just imagining," she choked out, trying to stifle her giggles, "the look on your expression when Diablo did whatever he did." O'Connell glared at her. . .at least, he tried, but his eyes were twinkling. Evy was no longer paying attention to the dark-haired young man in front of them. . .in truth, she was no longer aware of anyone else but herself and O'Connell. His blue eyes were sparkling with mischief and something else.
Evy's breath caught in her throat, as she recognized that something else. Desire. The girl swallowed hard. Especially when O'Connell said in a low, husky voice that sent chills down her spine and along her arms, "You know. . .you never did finish what you started last night. Miss Carnahan." What she. . .oh. OH! Evy found herself blushing, but she couldn't look away from the bright blue eyes.
"No," she agreed in a somewhat breathy voice, "I did not. Nor did I take you up on your kind invitation." O'Connell blinked, as if in surprise, and Evy explained with a grin, "My dear roommates decided to show me the videotape last night. I asked Anck how much money it would take to convince her to never show that to anyone. She informed that it was more money than I had. . .however, she also informed me that Celia made her promise not to show it to any adults who weren't here last night."
"That was nice of her," O'Connell murmured. His face was closer now, and Evy realized with a thrill that he meant to kiss her. For once, her objections about her attraction to O'Connell deserted her. This man, this handsome, exciting man, wanted to kiss her. And why not? Why should Anck and Celia have all the fun? Evy tilted her head back, to receive the kiss, closing her eyes at the same time. His arms closed around her, drawing her near, and then. . . .
She melted into his arms as their lips met, and Evy could feel her brain shutting down. And the first to fall silent was that annoying voice which told her that this couldn't end well. Evy could have stayed like that forever, but an entirely too familiar voice called out, shattering the moment, "HEY! You two, break it up!" O'Connell pulled back with a growl, and he glared at the owner of the voice. As soon as Evy's brain started working, she glared as well.
But Anck just smirked, saying as she passed Evy and O'Connell, and headed toward the stables, "Turnabout is fair play, Mr O'Connell." The pair looked at each other, and Evy sighed. But the expression in her companion's eyes told her that this was far from over. They would finish this. Soon. It was a promise, and Evy silently swore that she would hold O'Connell to that promise. Right after she finished kicking Anck's butt for interrupting!
. . .
*Ay, that was fun,* Anck decided with an evil grin as she sauntered past her glaring roommate and O'Connell, *but next time, I think I should do something even more outrageous.* What, she didn't know, but she was sure she could think up something. Later. The others were coming a little more slowly, since the children were coming with them. She thought briefly about accompanying Ardeth, but right now, he looked like he wanted to be left alone.
She didn't know him well, but in some ways, he was much like Celia. The best thing to do in a situation like this was. . .well. . .just to leave them alone. So, instead of running the risk of making his bad mood worse, Anck sauntered into the stables. Diablo was with Ardeth, so she chose to take Orion out. He was a little on the skittish side, but he was young yet. Might be a good horse for Celia, now that she thought about it. On the other hand. . .Celia liked to surprise her. Especially when she decided to kiss Ardeth.
That just made Anck smile again, with pride this time. Her roommate really kissed a man. Anck heard the term 'sinfully sexy,' and it seemed to apply as well to Ardeth Bey as it did to Emmett Tepper. Yes, her roommate. . .her shy, quiet, but fierce roommate kissed a man best described as 'sinfully sexy,' and if Anck knew Celia at all, it wouldn't be the last time. She led Orion out of the stables, still grinning.
The other adults were heading into the stables behind her, and Anck drew up along Ardeth. Diablo would nudge his shoulder every few seconds. . .sort of a Diablo version of a lick. Anck once heard Galen call a dog-lick 'puppy first aid.' Apparently, head-butting a human's shoulder was the equivalent for a horse. Difference being, a dog didn't tend to knock one over when administering 'puppy first aid,' which was entirely likely with a horse.
Celia was heading in the opposite direction, so Anck felt safe in slipping her free arm around Ardeth's waist. He looked at her, startled by her approach and by the contact. She gave him an easy smile, saying, "I thought I would break up the party behind you, amigo." He looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes narrowing as he beheld the glares directed at Anck, and the girl added, "They were playing suckface. I broke up the party."
Ardeth turned back to face her, and Anck saw his lips twitching. . .as if he was trying not to smile. The young man asked, "Turnabout is fair play?" Anck nodded with an impish grin, and Ardeth went on, "I am not sure why I am angry with him. He is merely being what, and whom, he has always been. It is foolish to be angry with him for that." Anck rolled her eyes, but didn't swat him. She was afraid she would knock his remaining sense out of his head.
"Why? Oh, let me see here. . .first, he interrupted a kiss he had no business interrupting. I've watched you and my roommate dance around your attraction to each other from the first time you met, and it was annoying me. Life is too short for such foolishness, amigo," Anck replied, casting a quick glance over her shoulder. One by one, the adults were leading horses from the stables. Celia was leading Starbright, with the ever- present Livvy at her side. The American girl was watching her with a thoughtful frown, and Anck winked at her best friend, mouthing, 'trust me!' Celia just rolled her eyes, but Anck noticed she also nodded.
Satisfied that her roommate wouldn't intervene, Anck continued, "Then he had no business shooting his mouth off earlier, about that kiss. Yes, I knew about it. Celia told us. . . told me, I should say. She's never been in this position, never been attracted to someone who feels the same about her. . .I think she was un poco frightened." Anck realized when Ardeth looked at her quickly that she was mixing her Spanish and English together again, but neither mentioned it. Probably because Ardeth did the same thing. Instead, she asked, "Do you think Celia betrayed you by telling me?"
"La," came the definite answer. No hesitation, nothing of that sort. Okay. This was a good thing. Ardeth added, as if defending his position, "You are her friend, her best friend, her sister. And, I would suspect that you have more experience than Celia does in such matters. It is to be expected that she would tell you about such things." *Well,* Anck thought, *that answers that. I should tell him that he has no need to defend himself from me.*
"Si. And that is the difference. Celia told me about the kiss because she was scared and happy, and needed to tell someone. O'Connell told everyone about the kiss because he was trying to distract people from Evelyn's embarrassment. The difference is in the intent. You ask why be angry with someone for being themselves. I tell you, of course you are angry. What O'Connell did hurt you. And I suspect, it is not the first time," Anck replied.
As she expected, Ardeth merely shrugged, answering, "We are very different people, Anck-su-namun. My brother. . .I do not expect my brother to think as I do. He cannot. Yes, he has lived among the M. . .among my people for eight years. But he comes from a different place than I do. It is foolish to be angry with him, and resent him, because those differences between us are caused by the differences in our lives."
Anck returned, "I come from a different place, a different situation than Celia, and the same is true of Evelyn. They both try to see things from my point of view. Does that mean I should not try to see things from their perspectives? Do the differences in our three lifestyles mean that my perspective is superior to theirs? Of course not. Merely different. Why do you work so hard, trying to be fair to O'Connell, when he doesn't give you the same courtesy?"
That silenced Ardeth, but it gave her no pleasure. She wasn't trying to score points here. Just reminding him that he wasn't wrong for being angry. At last, he asked softly, "Where did you learn such reasoning? Among my people, young warriors seldom think in such terms." Anck raised a brow. Young warriors? What did he think he was, old? Then something else occurred to her. He spoke of those young warriors as if he was somehow apart from them. Was there was far more to Ardeth Bey than even she and Celia guessed?
Anck answered, "When I came here last year, I had a huge chip on my shoulder. Nothing my roommates did mattered. If Celia tried to help me, she was an arrogant American who thought she was better than me. And Evelyn was a snobby Brit. My mother finally got fed up with my attitude during a phone call home, and told me that if anyone was arrogant, it was me. I demanded that others look at my point of view, but not once did I try seeing things from theirs. It shocked me so much, I tried it. . .imagine my surprise when everything seemed different."
She smiled, shaking her head, and added, "Not that everything magically got better. But, it did force me to grow up a little. I see the same thing when I look at you and O'Connell. Why is that? Why do you accept such behavior from him? It goes far beyond family, I think. My mother, she taught me about family. But she also taught me that there were limits. She had a sister. Paula was her name. And Tia Paula had a daughter my age. My cousin's name was Meela, and we were more like sisters than cousins."
Ardeth seemed to grow more alert, but Anck dismissed it from her mind. Instead, she continued, "When Meela and I were fourteen, our mothers had a terrible argument. Tia Paula did the one thing Mama couldn't forgive. She endangered my cousin, and when Mama confronted her. . .Mama wished to protect Meela. Instead, Tia Paula took Meela and left Guatemala. I wrote letter after letter to Meela, telling her how much I loved her, and that she would never be without me. Teenage dramatics. And letter after letter was returned to me."
She paused, remembering that ancient hurt when she realized that Tia Paula's rage at her sister was spilling over to her niece and her daughter. Anck was sixteen years old when she finally gave up, and that was the beginning of her attitude. After a moment, she continued, "We just found out recently that Tia Paula and Meela eventually settled in Egypt. That's where my tia died, too. . .and I do not know what happened to my cousin."
Ardeth ducked his head, and Anck put her hand on his forearm, saying softly, "I do not wish to make you uncomfortable, Ardeth Bey. Family disputes are always uncomfortable, for everyone. But there are limits to what even siblings should bear. I think Mama's greatest regret, especially after she learned that Tia Paula was dead, was that Meela and I suffered for their argument. She regretted losing touch with her sister, but that was a choice my aunt made."
Ardeth was silent for several moments, then said softly, "I was thirteen when my father died. He was the chieftain of our people. . .but he was still my father. The following year, my mother remarried Nathaniel O'Connell, bringing his fifteen year old son Rick into the family as well. It was not an easy match. . .my mother had five children of her own, and Rick was burning with resentment. He resented my mother, resented his father for marrying her and betraying his mother's memory. . .he thought. He resented my brothers and sisters and I."
Ardeth took a deep breath, then went on, "This continued for a year. When I was fifteen, the village was attacked. I actually remember very little of what happened. I do remember throwing myself toward Rick, to protect him, and unbearable pain. Like I was being torn in half. Then darkness. When I woke up, Rick was with me. He looked so. . .guilty. It was my choice. But he swore that he would never leave my side. And for seven years, he has kept that promise."
The girl almost asked him what difference that made. But the others were joining them, and only a blind woman would have missed Celia's worried expression. On second thought, while a blind woman couldn't have seen her friend's expression, it was a very reasonable bet that she would have picked up on the tension. Instead, Anck gently patted Ardeth's shoulder and said softly, "I hope he is worthy of your loyalty." She didn't add, 'but I doubt if he will.' After all. . .she couldn't tell the future. She couldn't even say for sure if her cousin was living or dead.
. . .
Curiously, during his conversation with Anck-su-namun Cortez, Ardeth felt his anger and frustration with Rick drain away. It was as if reminding himself of that long-ago injury reminded him also of the sacrifices Rick made for him during the last seven years. But before he had time to tell his brother of that, the children were ringing around them and it was time for the last riding lesson to begin.
Still, he found time to make eye contact with Rick as he mounted the horse led by Anck, adding a half smile, and hoped Rick understood that it was all right now. Then his attention was back on the horse and helping a teenaged girl to mount behind him. Livvy was riding with Celia, the little girl chattering away, and Ardeth deeply hoped the child didn't ask Celia if he kissed her. Where did these children get such ideas? He shook his head and asked his passenger, "Are you ready?" Her answer was to tighten her arms about his waist.
Ardeth set off at a canter, wishing that he was riding Diablo. For all that he was supposedly a 'devil-horse,' Diablo was very gentle with children. It was as if he realized that he carried inexperienced riders. This horse, on the other hand, was young and skittish. He would have to be very careful during the ride. Both children and animals sensed tension easily, and the last thing Ardeth wanted was to spook either.
He forced himself to relax, as much as he could, though his gut clenched with anxiety. The life of a chieftain was never easy, but Ardeth never faced challenges like the ones he faced this weekend. Today was the last day of a special weekend for these children, and he didn't want anything to go wrong for any of them. Further, his passenger, Kate, was a little afraid of horses. Something else animals could sense.
As fate would have it, however, it was neither his passenger nor his own anxiety that was to cause Ardeth such grief on this afternoon. The young man saw motion in the grass, and felt the horse panicking. Ardeth's attempts to calm the animal weren't quite enough, and Orion reared up and back, almost sending both Ardeth and Kate from his back. Again, Ardeth tried to calm the horse, but the grass moved yet again.
At the same time, Kate panicked and screamed. Startled by the sound, the horse reared back once more. . .and this time, he succeeded in throwing both riders. Ardeth managed to kick free of the stirrups, then twisted his body so that he took the brunt of the fall. He groaned as his entire right side impacted with the ground, and his vision grew gray around the edges. For a few moments, Ardeth's world was a mixture of black and gray as he struggled to remain conscious. He heard shouting, the panicked whinny of a frightened horse, then a gunshot.
It was the gunshot that brought him back fully to his senses, and he found himself cradled in Kate's arms. She was crying and gasping that she was sorry. Then Rick was crying out his name, literally pulling him from Kate's arms. The teenager fell back, but was caught by Evy. Rick was staring down at him, terror etched into his features, and somewhere through the pain currently reverberating through his side, Ardeth found a smile for his brother.
"Let's get him back to the house. I'll check him over first, make sure he didn't break any bones, then if it's clear, you and I can carry him back together, O'Connell," Galen Ferguson said. Rick nodded, but he didn't seem inclined to let go of Ardeth. Galen continued, pretending not to notice this fact, "Celia, can you take Orion back to the stables? I promise, we'll take good care of Ardeth." The young chieftain managed to turn his head toward Galen's voice, and saw not only their host, but Celia. She stood beside the still-frightened horse, a gentle hand running up and down his neck.
Her other hand held a rifle. The source of the shot? Galen said, evidently seeing Ardeth's puzzled expression, "Celia fired off a shot after Orion was secured. . .Matt and Cass should be here by now, and that's our warning to each other." That made sense. . .but where did she get the rifle? Ardeth didn't even remember seeing a rifle earlier. He closed his eyes, not entirely worried about the questions, or getting any answers.
"Hey now, no sleeping on the job," Rick chided, and Ardeth forced his eyes back open. Rick added, looking more relieved than was really necessary, "That's better. Celia is taking Orion back to the stables. I'm gonna roll you on your left side, so Galen can make sure you didn't hurt yourself too badly." Ardeth nodded, not trusting himself to speak, and carefully, both Rick and Galen rolled him until he rested on his other side.
With unexpectedly gentle hands, Galen checked down his right side and along his back for broken bones. Ardeth would have been able to tell, under normal circumstances, but these were hardly normal circumstances. Galen finally said, "Nothing's broken, and I've found no back or spinal injuries. He can obviously feel his legs and arms, but we should be careful carrying him up to the house any how."
"We heard the shot, Galen, what happened?" an unfamiliar voice asked as Galen and Rick carefully helped Ardeth sit upright. The pain caused by the change in position almost took Ardeth's breath away. When he could finally focus his attention once more, another man was kneeling in front of him. He looked to be a bit younger than Galen, with black hair and dark eyes. He had a golden tone to his skin, and Ardeth wondered a bit fuzzily if he was Native American. The man said with a gentle smile, "I'm Mathayus. Think you can walk?"
"I. . .will. . .try," Ardeth promised, adding, "and my name is Ardeth." Mathayus smiled at him, then slipped his hands under Ardeth's arms. He counted 'one, two, three,' and on 'three,' he and the other two men pulled the chieftain to his feet. Ardeth couldn't help the groan that broke free, but he was standing upright, and he was still conscious. He almost groaned again when he saw the distance he had to walk. He needn't have worried about making the entire distance. His support had other ideas.
Galen said softly, "Just lean on us, kid, and we'll do the hard part. Matt, walk ahead a little, just in case." Matt nodded, releasing Ardeth, and together, Galen and Rick helped Ardeth up the incline. Step by painful step. . .until Ardeth's legs could take no more, and his body gave up. He sagged between Galen and Rick, and Matt stepped in. Galen suggested, his tone reminding Ardeth of the healers back in the Med-jai villages, "Matt, take his legs. . .Rick and I can handle his torso."
It took Ardeth a few moments to process what he was saying. They would carry him up the hill. . .or what remained of the hill. How humiliating. Rick said softly, "If you're worried about the girls, don't be. Matt's girlfriend Cassie is staying with the kids, and so is Jonathan. Anck and Evelyn went with Celia, to take care of Orion. The only ones who are seeing this are Matt, Galen, and me. . .and I ain't about to tell anyone about this. Neither are they." Ardeth relaxed for the first time since the fall.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them next, they were at the top of the hill and approaching the house. Matt said, "You two can handle it the rest of the way?" Ardeth thought briefly about reminding the other man that he was still conscious, then chose not to. He didn't have the energy, and he wanted to save what energy he had to healing. He couldn't very well stop Imhotep and protect the girls if he was still fighting off the effects of his injuries.
"Yeah, just get the door. Rick, check and see if the girls are coming. I'll need their help. Matt, after you get the door, go on back down to help with the riding. Not for too much longer, just give the girls time to start lunch. I know Rick will want to stay here," Galen replied and Matt nodded, holding the door open. At Ardeth's side, the chieftain heard his brother murmur, 'don't even think about getting rid of me.'
Ardeth answered in an equally soft voice, "I would not dream of it, ya ahi." Galen led him to the davenport and eased him down. Rick sat down beside him. Neither brother spoke. At the moment, it wasn't necessary. When he was a young boy, perhaps about the same age as his two baby sisters, Ardeth remembered hearing about an American song. Some of the lyrics were 'words get in the way.' It was so terribly true.
. . .
Everyone was shaken, if not by seeing Ardeth and Kate fall, then by seeing the young man half-carried back to the house. For her own part, Celia was still trembling when she clicked the safety on her rifle and set to taking care of Orion. A part of her wanted to be angry with Kate for panicking, but the more reasonable part reminded Celia that Kate was trying to overcome her fear of horses. And overcoming one's fear was never an easy thing.
But. . .her heart almost stopped when she saw Ardeth falling. Celia never really believed that. Maybe she was too practical. Or maybe she just never witnessed an accident involving someone important to her. Yes, Jason could have died two years earlier. However, Celia wasn't physically there at the time. This time, she *was,* and she saw Ardeth hit the ground. It didn't occur to her until she raced up the incline, rifle in hand, that he twisted his body in midair, so he would take the worst shock of the fall.
"I think it surprised Ardeth. . .the rifle, I mean," Evy said suddenly, startling Celia. The American girl looked around wildly, now remembering that her roommates accompanied her. Anck was being very quiet, but a glance at her friend showed the other girl's concern. Evy added, "I suppose he didn't see Galen give it to you. For some reason, I keep forgetting he isn't familiar with Galen's habits." In spite of herself and her continuing worry for Ardeth, Celia's lips quirked in wry amusement. No, that certainly was true.
"You've never explained that, querida. . .why your brother carries a rifle with him when he goes riding. I know he doesn't hunt," Anck observed. Celia nodded as she caressed Orion's neck once last time. In a way, Galen's reasoning for the rifle followed the expression she saw in Ardeth's eyes when he heard the echo of the rifle shot. While she was at the top of the incline when she fired the rifle in the air, it took her a matter of seconds to return to the others.
And when she did, she saw Ardeth flinch. . .followed by heart wrenching relief. He was afraid harm came to Orion. . .afraid they had to put the horse down. Celia explained softly as she led her two friends from the stables, "It goes back to something that happened when Galen was nineteen. We were in Oklahoma, visiting the town where my grandfather grew up, and Grandpa took Galen riding. I stayed back at the house, to keep Gran company. Anyhow, there was an accident, and Grandpa had to put Galen's horse down. Ever since then, Galen's ridden with a rifle or a pistol. Just in case."
She paused, then added, "That's one reason, at least. The other reason is, so long as Galen has a rifle or a pistol, he has a way to call for help. The sound of shots being fired will usually bring people running, and if he's run into trouble. . .I mean, let's face it. Having a cell phone will only go so far." Both roommates laughed, though Evy still looked a little green around the gills from the first part of the story.
"I never thought of it in that respect, but I see his point. You were alerting Mathayus and Cassandra that they were needed," Anck observed and Celia nodded. Yes. There was an awkward pause as the trio headed to the doors, made even more awkward when Rick O'Connell appeared suddenly. Celia felt Anck draw closer to her, and sensed her roommate glowering at him. That was interesting. . .since when did Anck feel like she had to protect Celia from him?
Celia never had the chance to ask the question, for the man said, "Galen sent me down to make sure you girls were coming. He said he might need your help." Celia nodded, and O'Connell added a bit awkwardly, "Ardeth should be okay. Your brother didn't find anything other than bruises. Probably just needs to rest a while. I. . .I think your brother will insist on the clown show now, to take the kids' minds off the accident. You'll look after him?"
Before answering him, Celia told her two roommates, "Go on ahead. I'll be right there." Evy looked first at O'Connell, then at Celia. She looked worried, but didn't as she was asked. Anck, however, continued to glower at O'Connell from her position beside Celia. The younger girl said softly, glancing over her shoulder at her friend, "Trust me. It's okay." Anck was still for a long moment, then she nodded. She squeezed Celia's shoulder, then followed Evy up the incline toward the house.
Celia looked back at O'Connell, who asked, "Since when she decide that I'm the enemy?" The girl shrugged and O'Connell added, "All right, I haven't exactly been Mr Charming. Whether I like it or not, I think my brother's falling in love with you. . .he just won't admit to it. The way I see it, I have one of two choices. A) I could be an ass and refuse to accept it. Or b) I could accept it and move on. And I've been enough of an ass to last me a while. So I'll make a bargain with you."
Celia raised her eyebrows. This should be good. O'Connell continued, "I'll back off and keep my mouth shut the next time I catch you two in a liplock. I've never made a secret of what I think, and honestly, I'm still not sure if you're good enough for my brother. He's never been in love, and he's a little on the innocent side. So. I'll back off, and let the two of you deal with it as you see fit. But I want something in return."
"Let me guess. . .this something else has something to do with Evy?" Celia questioned, folding her arms over her chest. O'Connell looked both stunned and chagrined, and the girl continued, "You forget, O'Connell, I have an older brother. Galen's several years older than I am, but I've seen him when he's smitten with a girl. It's the same way you react whenever you're around Evy. My grandpa would have said both your butts got hit with Cupid."
"I'm not gonna ask, I don't wanna know, I've got nasty images floating in my head already. Yeah, you're right. It has to do with Evy. I want to. . .I wanna know if I've got a chance with her. I think I do. But I'll have an even better chance if her roommates aren't running me down. I want you to promise that you'll stay out of things between us," O'Connell replied. Now Celia felt her eyebrows climbing into her hairline.
"What makes you think that any of us interfere in the others' love lives? Evy's nineteen years old. . .she's my roommate, not my daughter. She makes up her own mind. Trust me, O'Connell, I have a hard enough time managing my own life, much less someone else's. You want my word that I won't interfere between you two? You got it. But here's another promise. You break my roommate's heart, and you'll wish you'd never been born!" Celia fired back.
Celia honestly wasn't sure how she would do that, but details weren't important right now. The important thing was, Rick O'Connell had to understand that the girls of Two Twenty Navarre would defend each other. If he hurt Evy, Celia would put her two cents in, and if Celia was involved in any way, so was Anck. Just call it a roommate chain reaction. O'Connell nodded slowly in understanding. He replied, "Okay. Fair enough. And here's a warning of my own. Break my brother's heart, and I'll destroy. . ." His voice trailed off as he tried to think of something that wouldn't hurt Evy.
Celia decided to spare him the trouble, saying, "I got it. Now. Shall we go see about your brother and reassure Anck and Evy that we didn't kill each other, or should we stand around like a pair of idiots, making threats about things which will probably never come true?" O'Connell stared at her, his jaw slack. . .and then he laughed. But it wasn't a laugh of derision. Instead, it almost sounded like. . .admiration.
"You know, if it weren't for the fact that you took up for that little weasel Beni, I think I could actually like you, Celia Ferguson. You aren't in the least bit afraid of me, are you?" O'Connell asked as he guided her from the stables, his hand in the small of her back. Celia shrugged. She really wasn't sure how to answer that. Did O'Connell scare her sometimes? Yeah. Or more appropriately, 'oh hell, yes, he scared her at times!' He was bigger than she was, and stronger, and he didn't always think before he spoke. And when he lashed out in one of his blind rages, he scared her.
But she wasn't *afraid* of him. She shook her head slowly, saying, "No. I'm not afraid of you. Yeah, you scare me sometimes. It's called 'self-preservation,' Mr O'Connell, you're a lot bigger than I am. But I'm not afraid of you." She paused, gauging the man's mood, then decided to take a chance. She continued, "And I would think that my defense of Beni would work in my favor."
O'Connell just looked at her in surprise. . .no, that wasn't surprise. That was pure astonishment, and he asked, "And just how would you figure that?" Celia didn't answer first. They were walking up the incline, and just ahead of them, she could see her two roommates. Every few minutes, Anck would cast a look over her shoulder. Even from this distance, Celia could see her friend's obvious concern.
She replied, "Mr O'Connell, there is no correlation between the size of my body and the size of my intelligence. I hear what people say about Beni. I know he's considered a weasel. But he's my friend, and I will defend him. I will stand by him. Maybe he betrayed you. I don't know. But I do know that he's never betrayed me in the year I've known him. He hasn't given me any reason to withdraw my loyalty from him."
Now understanding dawned in the man's eyes and he said, "And if you're willing to defend a little weasel like my little buddy Beni, then you'll be equally willing to defend Ardeth." Celia noted the way he spat out the words, 'my little buddy Beni,' but kept silent. That was a losing argument, and she knew better than to get into those. She did it too many times while she was growing up. Instead, she nodded. Celia would think later about his assertion that Ardeth was falling in love with her. For now, it was enough that they reached a consensus.
. . .
Once they got back to the house, their jobs would change. They would be getting a picnic lunch ready for the children, while Ardeth rested and Rick O'Connell entertained the children. That was something Galen decided almost immediately. Ardeth and Kate's fall scared all of the children, and Galen wanted their last memories of this weekend to be of fun and laughter. All too soon, they would be returning to real life, with even more uncertainties than most children had in their own lives.
So, things would go ahead as scheduled. Or as the saying went, the show must go on. That was, of course, Rick O'Connell even survived long enough to entertain the children in his clown costume. That was why Anck glanced over her shoulder ever so often. If there was even the slightest bit of distress on her roommate's all-too-expressive face, Anck was fully prepared to kick his ass clear into the next decade.
But instead, the pair were engaged in an intense conversation, and Anck relaxed. They both looked serious, but hardly upset, angry, distressed, or even annoyed. At her side, Evelyn murmured, "Keep looking back at them, Anck, and you may annoy Celia." Anck glared at the other girl, but Evelyn didn't back down. She continued in a low tone, "I know you only wish to protect Celia, but she can handle herself with Rick O'Connell. She's done it before."
Anck remembered the confrontation between the two Americans in the food court. . .was it earlier in the week? How odd. She replied, "Si. Pero ella es mi amiga."* At Evy's blank look, Anck realized she spoke in Spanish. The girl shook her head, and explained, this time in English, "I know that. I know she can handle O'Connell, and I know she's done it before. But she's my friend."
A sad smile touched Evelyn's lips, and she replied, "And you protect your friends. You and I aren't so very different in that respect, Anck-su- namun. We just have different ways of doing it. You hold nothing back. You have no idea how to hold back, and there are times when I envy you that. But I have my own way of protecting my friends. And I don't believe Celia requires any protection from O'Connell."
It was on the tip of Anck's tongue to ask if Evy felt that way because she was so attracted to Rick. Why she didn't ask that question, Anck wasn't sure. Maybe because during the last week, she and Evy got along so well. . .so much better than usual, and Anck didn't want to spoil it. Instead, she conceded, "Perhaps you are right. But I cannot stop being what I am, Eva. None of us can. So, you take care of our roommate in your way, and I will take care of her in mine."
Evy hesitated, then nodded. The two girls continued to walk along in silence for several moments, then Evy asked, "Do you think Celia will tell Ardeth about Neil Grady?" Anck looked at the other girl quickly, wondering how Evy knew that topic of conversation came up that morning between herself and Celia. Evy just huffed with exasperation, continuing, "Please, Anck, give me credit for some intelligence! Celia's afraid for us, because of that dreadful little man, and she's coming to care greatly for Ardeth. Of course she would be concerned for him as well. And if Celia has one great flaw, it's that she's too honest for her own good."
Coming from Evy, that was something of a surprise. . .Miss Straight Arrow herself. However, Anck didn't waste much time thinking about it. Instead, she replied, "I think she will. For all her spunk, Celia's greatest weapon is her intelligence, and she knows that. Ardeth's best protection against that hijo de puta is knowing about him. . .although, I really don't think Ardeth has anything to worry about. This Grady is a coward, picking on girls half his size."
Evy countered, "That makes him more dangerous. Even to someone like Ardeth. . .because that's the only way a person like Grady could beat someone who is both physically and mentally stronger. They cheat." Anck inclined her head in agreement. Yes, it was something she saw often. What surprised her, though, was that Evy would realize that. Her roommate added with a wicked smile, "Then again, that's the thing about payback. Whatever Grady does to Ardeth, if he does anything to him. . .the payback will be twice as bad. And there will be payback. . .nasty little fellows like that always get their comeuppance. Always."
Her eyes narrowed and her face screwed up as she spoke the last word. Anck barely held back a laugh. She knew Evy wouldn't appreciate being laughed at. Instead, she replied, "Yeah, payback's a bitch. But I really don't think Grady would go after Ardeth. I mean, look at the hombre! He's tall and he *looks* intimidating. We both know that Beni's a weasel, but he's not stupid. And Grady would have to be stupid to mess with Ardeth."
Here again, Evy surprised her. The other girl acknowledged with a nod, "In a fair fight, yes. Ardeth could beat him easily. But I've not been impressed with Grady's sense of fair play. I've no doubt that he would cheat to win. Especially if. . .well, you see, I spoke to Jonathan about this situation, the day after we found out about it." Anck stopped in her tracks and stared at Evy, her mouth agape. The other girl said somewhat impatiently, "Oh, do close your mouth, Anck! Jonathan would know more about men like Grady than I would!"
She had a point there. Anck liked Jonathan. Really, she did. But. . . She shook her head, and asked, "All right, then what did Jonathan tell you about situations like this?" She used Evy's own intonation, a fact that wasn't lost on the other girl. Evy glared at her, but Anck didn't back down. She could appreciate that Evy wanted her older brother's input. And Jonathan was involved in this, if only peripherally. But. . .
Anck had no more time to think about it, for Evy replied, "You see, Jonathan told me that he's known people like Neil Grady before. He's loathe to call them 'men,' and so am I. In any event, my brother's known people like this. They're little people. . .people with small hearts and small minds. But Grady. . .my brother detests people like that. They try to destroy whatever they want most."
Anck tried to follow that reasoning. Why would you try to destroy what you want? She could understand how people could destroy something they detested, or didn't understand. But destroy something they wanted. . .and something they wanted most? That she didn't understand. It seemed Evy didn't either, for she added almost apologetically, "Yes, well, I never said it made any sense. Jonathan thinks Neil Grady attacked Celia because he felt threatened by her. And he felt threatened by her, because he was drawn to her."
It still didn't make sense to Anck. Why would you try to destroy someone to whom you were attracted. But at the same time, she could see what Evy was trying to tell her. Evy and Jonathan feared that Grady would go after Ardeth, because he wanted Celia and Ardeth showed more wisdom than Grady did. He might struggle with his attraction to her, but he wouldn't try to ruin her life, the way Grady did. He would feel threatened by Ardeth, and that was what made him dangerous. Anck shivered. She didn't like that idea one bit!
Nor did Evy. Anck could see it in the other girl's eyes. After a moment, Anck asked softly, "Then I suppose the best thing for us to do is. . .just watch both of their backs? Should we bring O'Connell into this? For all that he's a boorish jerk, I think he actually loves his brother." Too late, Anck remembered that her other roommate was attracted to that 'boorish jerk.' She got another reminder when she noticed Evy's dark eyes flashing dangerously. Uh-oh. Anck knew that expression, and knew she would be lucky if she got off with a tongue-lashing.
"At least he isn't my professor," the other girl bit out. It was Anck's turn to glare at her roommate, though her heart wasn't really in it. She should have seen that coming. And she did. But for some reason, that didn't stop her from flinching at the remark. It was bad enough that she told the girls about her first encounter with Emmett Tepper, but for them all to be in his class together? That was even worse.
The two were silent for a long moment. At last, Anck said, "Touché. Now, let's get back to the important discussion. I'm fairly certain that Celia will tell Ardeth about Neil Grady. What you and I must decide is, should we tell O'Connell?" Anck didn't want to. She didn't trust Rick O'Connell, but at the same time, she couldn't deny that he loved his brother. On the other hand, once again, was it their story to tell?
Evy agreed, for she replied, "Not yet. We may be making a mountain out of a molehill, and there's no reason to hit the alarm button if it's not necessary." Anck relaxed. Good. Then she and her roommates would relax and enjoy the rest of the day. That was all they could do, really, wasn't it? Soon enough, they would go back to real life. . .back to papers and studying and pop quizzes. Enjoy this time while they could.
In the weeks that followed, Anck would look back on that weekend with fondness. . .not only because of the hours of laughter and relaxation, but because the worst thing in her life at that time were papers and pop quizzes. That weekend was the beginning of the end for her remaining innocence.