Part XVI
In the Rwalla-Hunud stronghold...
"I wish to see the Medjai," Muhjah-Aji demanded. Her face was expressionless but her eyes shimmered with sorrow that she fought to suppress. She felt a small measure of comfort in the knowledge that her cumbersome headgear partially obscured her face.
"Have you come to admire your handiwork?" the guard asked with a malicious grin, holding open the tent flaps.
Muhjah-Aji ignored the question and ducked inside the tent, bracing herself for the grisly scene that appeared before her. She swallowed against the anguished cry that threatened to spill forth and blinked against the tears that welled up in her eyes.
Reyhan had been stripped down to his pants and tied to a large wooden cross lying on the ground. His lean body bore the marks of additional torture and his dark head had sagged to one side.
A priestess was bent over him and was marking his chest with the sign of the hand, her eyes gleaming with the unholy fires of her obscene religion. She muttered and giggled as she carefully painted it. To Muhjah-Aji's horror she couldn't discern if the priestess' hands were stained from Reyhan's blood or from the dye used in making the symbol.
The other woman glanced up and gave Muhjah-Aji a sly grin. "Ah, the infamous assassin wishes to observe the ceremonial preparation of the Medjai; this is a first," she said. She stood up and nodded her approval as she held up her stained dagger, offering it to Muhjah-Aji. "Come. Place your mark upon the body so all who see it will know of your prowess."
Muhjah-Aji accepted the weapon but her composure faltered when she saw that Reyhan had been cruelly gagged once again. "Leave me," she snapped. "I wish to do this in private, and will invoke a prayer for us to be victorious in battle."
The priestess vigorously bobbed her head making her long mangy tresses whip wildly about her shoulders. "Good, good but I must humbly request something from you. I have seen his eyes and desire them," she said and walked over to Reyhan, grabbing his face with a dirty hand. She jerked it forward and tilted her head to one side as she studied him. "I love his eyes...the color is so powerful, reminding me of the fury of nature or the tempered steel of a sword. Oh yes, I want his eyes."
"Leave me." Muhjah-Aji snapped as thoughts of disfiguring Reyhan's face enflamed her temper.
The priestess raised an eyebrow over Muhjah-Aji's command but hurried past her, stopping before exiting the tent. "As you wish but remember the time draws near. I am sure you have no wish to keep Queen Markunda-Tagwizult waiting," she said over her shoulder and then ducked out of the tent.
"I will always remember," Muhjah-Aji whispered and slowly walked over to Reyhan's side. She knelt down and bowed her head, finally giving in to the gnawing ache in her heart.
Why did this feel so wrong?
There was no honor in what the priestess planned to do to the warrior; it was a pagan sacrificial ceremony designed to inflame the hatred for the Medjai and the lust for battle. Reyhan had been a pawn in the twisted game that her queen had chosen to play, the catalyst for a war designed to bring the inhabitants of the Sahara to their knees.
Queen Markunda-Tagwizult's intention had always been to become the predominant ruler of the desert. Her greedy intentions mocked what Muhjah- Aji had believed to be something good and pure - the friendship between a Medjai, a Tuareg and a Rwalla-Hunud.
Reyhan's life would be among the thousands of lives that would be lost, and Muhjah-Aji knew her that her queen would be satisfied with nothing less than to turn the sands red with blood.
"What have I done?" Muhjah-Aji whispered as the dagger slipped from her hand and slid to the ground, her mind reeling from the ramifications of her actions.
Love for her warrior swelled within her soul and as she stared at his handsome face, she knew that she had to save him. It would earn her scorn and condemnation from her people but she would gladly risk everything, all that she was, so Reyhan would live.
Muhjah-Aji leaned over and roused Reyhan, gently tapping his face. He regained consciousness with a start and his eyes snapped open, his nostrils flaring as he drew in deep, ragged breaths. He strained against the ropes for a moment, and jerked his head away from Muhjah-Aji's hand.
"Reyhan," Muhjah-Aji called softly. She gripped his chin and forced him to look at her, gasping from the hatred that emanated from his eyes. Silently she acknowledged that the priestess had been right – Reyhan's eyes were quite powerful. And the myriad of emotions she saw swirling in their depths bruised her heart.
Reyhan continued to weakly struggle but Muhjah-Aji ignored it as she pushed the gag down from his mouth. "Stop fighting me and listen," she ordered and paled from the intensity of his baleful glare. "I have something to tell you and there isn't much time."
Reyhan's eyes slid closed but opened moments later, defeat lurking within their depths. "Leave me...go away and let...me die," he rasped. "Your betrayal...speaks for you now."
"Stubborn camel," Muhjah-Aji sighed and leaned closer, framing Reyhan's face with her hands. "Listen to me, I have to save you. I'm just not sure how," she almost sobbed.
Reyhan blinked in surprise at Muhjah-Aji's declaration; it changed into wonder as he gazed into the dark depths of her eyes. Her love for him shone through, like the golden rays of sunlight spearing a dark storm cloud; its brilliance transformed her face. She was never more beautiful to him than at this moment and his eyes softened, his heart blossoming with love.
But it was too late; he had already accepted his fate. "I cannot be...saved. I will die this night and...it is my destiny. I do not...wish to die badly."
"No," Muhjah-Aji cried softly. Her hands smoothed back the hair from his face as her mind continued its frantic planning. "We can run away. We could go somewhere so far away that no one will find us. We can do this, I just need to..."
"Listen to me, soghairi," Reyhan sighed and winced from the pain in his ribs. He swallowed against the fear of his impending death and stared at Muhjah-Aji's face, burning the image to memory. "You know...as well as I...we would not get...very far. It is...useless to flee."
Muhjah-Aji shook her head at the remorse and finality in Reyhan's voice as a lone tear slowly trickled down her face. The truth in his words pierced through the belief she could save him, splintering it with ease. She had done her job well and the irony of it was not lost on her. To her people she was a skilled huntress and warrior, yet she had been easily defeated by a warrior whose eyes saw far too much and too deeply.
Voices outside the tent cruelly reminded Muhjah-Aji that there was little else she could do; they were coming for Reyhan. She leaned back and glanced down at the dagger lying on the ground, lifting her gaze to meet Reyhan's pleading one.
"Do it," he ordered hoarsely. "Kill me...now. I would rather die here...and by your hand..."
"Shhh," Muhjah-Aji whispered and pulled the gag over Reyhan's mouth. She bent down and brushed her lips across the fabric. "I swear on my oath I will not fail you. I will find a way to save you but for now, all I can offer is one act of contrition. They will think that it is my mark."
Reyhan watched as Muhjah-Aji held up the bloody dagger and his eyes widened in horror as she raised it above her head. He thrashed about but to no avail; the blade plunged into his infected shoulder. His scream of agony was muffled and mercifully short as she expertly dug the scarab larvae from his body; he lost consciousness moments later.
As he floated towards blessed oblivion, Muhjah-Aji's whispered promise of salvation echoed in his mind.
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Muhjah-Aji emerged from the tent several minutes later and paused for a moment, trying to regain her composure. She hid her trembling hands behind her back and glanced up at the heavens, praying that she had chosen the right path this night.
The guard peeked into the tent and then looked back at Muhjah-Aji. "There is blood all over the place," she stated admiringly. "You have marked the Medjai well and the priestess will be quite pleased."
"How wonderful for the priestess," Muhjah-Aji remarked softly and slowly walked away from the tent...
...away from the warrior who had captured her heart. She wanted to run from the feelings of hopelessness and frustration, away from what she had become. She was no better than the warriors that had gathered around the queen's platform, banging their spears against the ground and chanting for blood.
For Reyhan's blood...
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Suleyman-Tansu leaned forward in the saddle as her horse galloped across the sands, a malevolent smile spreading across her face. She carried her war spear low and against her thigh; her arm ached from holding it. But it was a minor discomfort and one easily dismissed as she gleefully imagined throwing it, impaling a hapless Medjai in the chest.
This was what she lived for – the thrill of the hunt and the heady rush from its conclusion.
This was what she was – loyal to her queen and to the belief that one day all of the desert would be ruled by the Hunud.
And this is what she chose to ignore – a barren, loveless life void of any tenderness, companionship or compassion. She was firmly dedicated to the Hunud, and would never believe that her life could have been so much better.
Her smile widened when the rider at point signaled that they were nearing the Tuareg encampment...
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"What am I to do with you?" Berin murmured as he gently moved Jericho's limp body closer to Dharr's. The air had grown considerably colder since nightfall and although Jericho's body would soon be gripped by fever, it was better for the warriors to lie close together, conserving body heat.
He didn't expect a response and, with paternal tenderness, Berin's large hand smoothed an errant hair away from Jericho's face. He adjusted the blanket across the warrior's shoulders and then turned to Emir who was fighting to remain conscious.
"Will you tuck me...in as well, abu?" Emir murmured. A weak smile skimmed across his face as Berin knelt down by his side, dragging another cover across his legs.
"No bedtime stories for you, ya sahib," Berin replied with a rare display of humor, despite the severity of the situation. "You need to rest. Reinforcements will be arriving shortly to take you back to the city and the ride will be long and grueling. Save your strength."
"Dharr must be taken care of first," Emir stated. He raised himself slightly to look over his shoulder, checking on the younger warrior.
Berin easily pushed Emir down, reluctant to give any credence to his own fears regarding the young warrior's condition. "Take comfort in the knowledge that I will personally attend to him; I swear on my oath."
"The lives of so many rest on your shoulders, ya sahib. We are fortunate that you are so strong." Emir sighed as the overwhelming need for slumber started to pull him under. He fell asleep moments later, his hand still joined with Jericho's and Dharr's.
"La, I am the fortunate one," Berin murmured. He climbed to his feet and looked up at the night sky, its astral palette providing a brief respite from his troubled thoughts. The fate of Reyhan and Nabil was never far from his mind and he was glad that they were safe inside the city.
"Honored Second," Drevick called out as he hurried over to the warrior; Yousef and Jameel followed in his wake. "Stand ready, the sentry reports that we are about to have visitors."
"A great number of visitors," Yousef snorted and Jameel readily agreed.
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A/N – for those who I review, trust me, I shall do so as soon as I can. RL has been extremely hectic this week and I haven't had the chance to do much – not even take a lunch. This chapter wasn't short [winks at Karri] and if you feel the way I do, it was very powerful. Muhjah-Aji has reached a juncture in her life where her actions [as we will see in the next few chapters] will either exonerate or denounce her in the eyes of her people and the Medjai. I have to wonder how you, the reader, will eventually judge her? [smile]
On the shout0uts:
Dawn369 – writing the scene with Jericho and Dharr just seemed to fit. I think it highlighted the deep bond of friendship between them and in the trials to come, that bond will be sorely tested...but hold. And you got me worried about what you plan for the upcoming chapters of "Salvation." LOL
Karri – Lewnis and Tella seemed to be a hit and I'm glad you liked Tella; I picture this small but incredibly strong woman who loves fiercely and deeply. She will protect her son no matter what. But will Lewnis remain faithful to his people when circumstance may call upon him to step outside the familiar boundary as a leader? Thanks for reading.
LadyBug1 – No worries about falling behind, I appreciate you reading and catching up. Emir is coming across as a likeable fellow but try not to chew off all of your fingernails just yet. The stuff is about to hit the fan and you know me; I have my evil reputation to live up to. [evil grin]
The Kidd Mdd – Dharr is out of action for the moment but trust me, I'll write some more about him soon. I like bringing out the human side to my boys as well and I swear that someday soon, I'll be nice and write some lovely romance for them so they can be happy. LOL After reading this chapter, how's that belt holding up? Hee hee Thanks for checking out Berin on my site...if I can find more pictures, I'll get them up asap. And of course, thanks for reading!
SerenaFehr - Jericho doesn't have many faults but I guess if we were to examine what he does have, caring too deeply for those under his command would be one of them. And I'm glad you liked the glimpse with Lewnis and Tella. Does liking them make it harder to hate them if and when the time comes for the old hatred to surface? I always have to wonder about these things. ;-) And shukran all your help, tis greatly appreciated, my friend.
And one last comment before I go - remember my question regarding Suleyman-Tansu and her comeuppance? I haven't forgotten the response to that and trust me, it's coming...oh my yes, it's coming. Thanks!