At first I thought he was testing me, drawing those images in the sand. I turned my head away, praying he did not know about my indiscretions. But he sighed and turned away, giving up on me. I saw him walk towards the walls, looking around the room with disinterest. It was by that time, apparent he wasn't going to take me as his wife, but he was also not going to send me back to my father. He had made the first move, and unless I did something in return, we would sit in an uncomfortable silence for the remainder of the night. I was now certain that he was not here to test me, I was even suspicious that he had not been sent by Ra. Well, fairly certain. But if I was ever going to take a chance, this was the moment.

I leaned down to his scribble on the soft floor. It was wrong, with strange marks along the pyramid. I corrected it, erasing the marks and adding the circle above, just like the symbol I had seen many times in the catacombs. Looking up, I saw Daniel excitedly kneeling beside me again, pointing to the symbol. I said something in his tongue, but again I could not understand it. He stuttered for a moment, before pointing to the symbol, then his eye. Had I seen it? He'd asked. Grateful that we had finally communicated, I smiled and pointed to my own eye and nodded. Yes, I'd seen it. He reached out his hand, and for the first time that night I did not hesitate to follow him.

We journeyed in stealth down to the catacombs, careful not to be seen by any of my people. I held Daniel's hand the entire way, leading him carefully through the city, pointing out steep drops or low window hangings. He certainly did not notice such things, preoccupied by his soft muttering and continuous gazing at the stars. A heat crept into my skin, caused by his warm hand gripped in mine and the soft puff of his breath, so close to my neck. Despite this, I was able to lead him to the entrance of the catacombs. It appeared to be nothing more than a wall, but if pushed in the right place, a section would slide away, revealing an opening. I did not fear being caught, as it was in the very depths of the city, a place forgotten by many and visited by no one. I did not hesitate to step into the black depths of the tunnel, and Daniel pleased and surprised me by following immediately.

A lit torch soon made the caverns more visible, and he searched each one excitedly, muttering as he went. I watched the firelight dance across his fair hair, and in the rims on his face. I found myself smiling without knowing it. But he was soon finished, and came over to me gesturing to the rooms. Is this it? I understood him to say. The smile left my face. These few caverns were all that was left, after a small cave-in the previous year had blocked off most of the tunnels. At the time, I did not have the heart to remove the stones and unbury it. But with Daniel standing there, out of breathe and looking longingly at me, I knew I had to show him. I wanted to show him, I realised. I wanted him to know my deep hidden secret, wanted him to share it with me.

I led him over to the entrance of the buried tunnel. Gesturing to the pile of rocks that filled the doorway, I began to move them away. Daniel rushed to help me. It took us many hours, but finally the cavern was accessible. I knew his would please him, these tunnels, they had many more symbols and stories than the others. The muttering began again, but it was louder than before and I thought I began to recognise some of the words. I followed him deeper into the tunnels, listening intently to his voice.

"Taparef?" I asked, recognising it as the word for water.

He looked at me, stunned. I said it again, and he repeated the word slowly, adjusting his pronunciation. He moved to the far wall, gesturing to the drawing of a group of people. "Ninjid, nigid?" he asked.

I paused for a moment. "Nedah". Tribe.

He moved on, and I followed him, teaching him my tongue. He knew most of the words, I was surprised to find, he just needed help to be able to pronounce them. Hours must have passed, but it felt like mere minutes as we wandered through the catacombs, and Daniel learned to speak with me. I was not surprised to find out he was merely human, I had long since suspected my new husband was not a god, or even a messenger. He had come through the Chappa-aii in Ra's pyramid, from a planet called Earth. I did not understand most of what he talked about, points-of-origin and space and constellations.

But what he told me of Ra shattered all of my most sacrad beliefs. I knew I should condemn his blasphemy, refuse to believe it, but there was such honesty in his voice. He showed me the inscriptions on the walls, the drawing of the alien being, and the people being brought through the Chappa-aii. I knew it was true, and understood why my ancestors had kept this place, perhaps hoping that one day we would remember the truth. But somehow, it did not seem so difficult to face, with Daniel standing beside me, saying he was sorry for what had happened to my people.

He told me of his world then, about the wondrous things he had seen. Enormous, deep reserves of water that stretched out for thousands of miles, so huge that I could not even imagine so much water in the one place. Mountains and rainforests, huge cities with millions of people and tall buildings that reached to the sky. He was a scholar, he told me, someone who studied the past. I learnt so much of him that night, as we sat in the sand and he told me about his family, his life, his work. In turn I told him of my people, scattered across Abydos, about Nagada and my father and brother. I confided to him about my mother, about her love for me and how I came to know the place below the city. I remember he took my hand and said he knew what it was like to grow up lonely. I remember being one again captivated by his eyes and the gentle, caring man I now saw beneath them.

It was close to dawn when Daniel's people found us, with the help of my brother and an over-eager mastage. But they didn't seem as excited by the caverns as Daniel had. The one I soon came to know as O'Neill at first appeared disinterested, then angry as Daniel told them what he had told me. I couldn't follow their conversation in Daniel's tongue, but by the tone of his voice and body language I could tell the man didn't like Daniel very much. He had told me earlier that the men who came with him were soldiers, trained to fight and defend. He was simply a scholar, there to find a way to get them back to their own planet. Secretly, I thought it would not be so terrible if Daniel could not find a way. But O'Neill barked out some vicious-sounding words and they left the Catacombs.

I followed them to the gates of the city, the hood of my robe drawn up over my head to evade the morning chill. Dawn was coming, and Daniel was leaving. I warned him to be careful, not daring to ask where they were going or if he would return. He slipped away from me, in the dim light of the morning, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. I didn't have the courage to tell him how I really felt. So I bid him farewell at the gates and watched him be pulled away from me. He looked back, and thought I saw the sorrow I felt him his eyes. But O'Neill shouted for him and it disappeared as he walked away.

"Sha'uri" my father greeted me as I returned home. "Where have you been, where is your husband?" The concern was in his eyes, I knew he had been confused about Daniel. I did not have the heart to tell him our marriage had not been consummated – that Daniel had not even considered it. That was one subject we had not discussed down in the catacombs. I could not give my father an explanation – it confused even me. I was ashamed that my wedding night had been as chaste as a night spent between brother and sister.

I told him not to be worried, that my husband and the other messengers had gone into the desert. He seemed somewhat apprehensive about this, as to what the men would report back to Ra. I tried to alleviate his fears, but felt the same fear in my heart. We had all heard the wind and sand blow in the desert, signalling the return of our god. And Daniel was walking right into his clutches. I was skittish that morning, unable to complete my chores properly. My father saw past my façade, and questioned me endlessly about Daniel. But I could not say what had really happened, what Daniel had told me. I wasn't that I didn't believe him, it was that I believed my father would not. Disobedience of the gods was punished severely, and my father kept a close eye on all of us. Although it would pain him, he would be forced to punish me, and Skarra, too. Banishment was the most likely outcome. Kasuf was a good leader, above all else. He would punish us the most harshly, because we were his kin. He must put the laws of our people above his family.

I managed to avoid most of his questioning, claiming fatigue, and he left me alone. By then it was close to midday, and I retreated inside to avoid the heat of the sun. But I was brought out again by the sound of thunder and the screams of my people. From the sky fire rained down, destroying our buildings, striking people all over the city. I ran blinding, trying to find my father and brother amidst the desolation and flames. For a moment I cursed Daniel for bringing this down upon us, believing for a second that he was wrong, that Ra was showing to us his power as a god. But it was only for a moment, before I realised that Ra's punishment meant that he had found Daniel and his men. I feared the worst.

I ran to the gates of the city, still searching for my family. I found Jamila, my young cousin, lying wounded in the sand. I knelt and took her into my arms, trying to wipe the blood from her face. She was still alive, but only barely. She was too injured for even our most powerful drugs to heal. I could do nothing but hold my young friend while life slipped away from her. I wanted to shed tears for her, for all the friends and relatives that lay dead or dying around me. I wanted to wish that Daniel and his friends had never come to Abydos, but I could not. That was how my brother found me, in the sand, cradling Jamila in my arms. He wanted to know what happened, and why. I was short with him, but I was secretly glad that he had gone out into the desert. At least he was alive, and safe.

"What happened to Dan-yel?" I asked. Skarra did not speak, but the look on his face was all the answer I needed. I knew that my husband was dead. I could barely move when Skarra went in search of our father. Tears flowed freely from my face as I thought of Daniel. I prayed that it had been an honourable and quick death, as I had heard many stories about the brutalities of the Anubis and Horus guard. I could not bear to think of what they might have done to my sweet and gentle Daniel. Although he had never been mine, not really. The pain of his rejection, of knowing that he did not want me as a wife, paled in comparison to the utter despair I felt for his death. Having never been in love, I had no idea what the feeling was like, but the pain that brewed inside me was indescribable. I couldn't call my feelings for him love, but the way we had talked the night before, the way he had looked at me and shared his deepest secrets, it seemed close. But he was gone.

A fresh anger stirred within me. Ra had deceived us into worshipping him, into calling him a god when he was no more than a parasite. My entire life had been in servitude to him, I had seen my family toil in the mines, I had seen many die of exhaustion and exposure to the naqaudah mineral. All to further Ra's own power. We gave him the gifts of our own enslavement, gave him the power he so desperately craved. It had to stop. I journeyed down to the catacombs, where Daniel and I had spoken the first true words of understanding. In the torchlight I fingered the drawings on the walls, finally knowing what they meant. This was the gift Daniel had given me, the knowledge of my people's history, to understand what had gone unknown for thousand of years.

It was many hours before Skarra and his friends found me, but by then I had already decided. I told the boys what Daniel had told me, and why we must do something to stop it.

"Sha'uri, it cannot be true" Skarra said.

"Do you not feel it in your heart brother?" I replied. "Our ancestors kept this for us, because they knew someday we would understand".

"But Ra will punish us further" Nebeah cried.

"He will send even more fire from the sky, and cover the city in darkness!" Rik'tal chimed in. The boys all started to cry fearfully about what Ra could do to us, shouting over the top of one another. I knew all too well the fate that awaited us should we fail. But I was heartened by the news that Daniel was still alive, and even more spurned on to follow through with my plan. I turned to my brother for help, for reassurance, and was not disappointed.

"Stop!" he cried to his friends, silencing them instantly. "Sha'uri is right. We can no longer live as slaves to a false god".

"The men's weapons are still in the city" I said, relieved that I had his support. "We must create enough of a diversion for them to escape tomorrow".

"I know where the weapons are" Skarra nodded. "I have seen how they activate them".

"Then we may have a chance".

Our plan was flimsy at best, and relied on mostly luck. It was lucky that Daniel saw the light flashed by O'Neill's fire contraption, that he understood our plan. It was even more lucky that we were able to escape without being shot. We fled to the mountains nearby, where I knew there were caverns enough to house us. It was often a resting point on a caravan journey across the desert, and perfect for our needs. I attended to Daniel's friends, but was distracted. My husband and O'Neill were still in the desert, and there was a vicious sandstorm outside. I was beyond relieved when they were found by Skarra and his friends.

I gave Daniel water, as he was clearly affected by the storm. I did not understand the harsh words spoken between him and O'Neill, but I knew there was an issue between them. So I left Daniel alone for the most part, so he could talk to O'Neill, but also because I feared to be alone with him. After coming to terms with my strong feelings for him when I thought he was dead, I found it difficult to face him now, knowing he was alive and did not feel the same way. I had still not admitted, not even to my brother, the true nature of our marriage, and my lies were exposed soon enough.

They were teasing him good-naturedly about doing woman's work, as I walked in on him. I knew then that Daniel realised something was wrong. I fled into the adjourning room, beckoning to him to follow me, away from the curious shepherd boys. Trying to prevent myself from looking upon him, I busied myself with grinding flour for the morning meal. He sat on the ground opposite me.

"Married?" he asked gently.

Glancing at him briefly, then turning quickly away, I tried to explain myself. "Do not be angry. I did not tell them". While I found it hard to imagine Daniel becoming angry with me, I was so frightened he would pull away, and I would be left without even his friendship.

"Tell them what?"

He really did not understand our ways, I realised. He had not realised that I had been given to him as a wife. But I was still ashamed of the entire situation, and had to force out my next words. "That you did not…want…me" I said, bowing my head and focusing on the mortar in front of me. He was still for several moments, before I felt his hand move to cup my chin. I stared wide-eyed at him, struck by the depths of emotion contained in his face. He leaned in towards me, and I closed my eyes as his lips met mine in a gentle kiss.

It was a sweet, almost chaste, but a well of emotion bubbled up inside of me as I realised the implications of his actions. He cared for me, too. When he pulled away he looked almost embarrassed, a rosy hue painting his pale cheeks. I must have looked confused, because he immediately launched into an explanation.

"Sha'uri" he said, taking my hand in his. "This must be confusing for you. You see…on my world….uh, I mean….I didn't realise that – oh, I'm no good at this". He turned away, frustrated. It amused me that a man who, once he spoke my language, had talked for hours about every possible subject, could be reduced to silence so quickly. Seeing that he was not going to make the next move, I threw away my doubts and moved closer to him, tentatively taking his hand back.

"You did not understand".

He sighed. "No".

"But you do now?" I asked, running my fingers along his palm.

"Yes".

"I did not understand". I tried to control the emotion in my voice. "The way I felt when Skarra told me you were dead. You had rejected me, but I still wished…" I trailed off, unable to put into words my feelings.

"The customs of my people are different" Daniel said softly. "When two people decide to marry, it is because they both wish it. I didn't mean to hurt you – but I never could have taken advantage of the situation".

I touched his chin, a mimicry of what he had done earlier, and drew his gaze to my own. "And now?" I asked. "What do you wish, Danyel?"

He swallowed heavily, and I felt his eyes sweep over me. "I don't know" he replied hesitantly.

I shifted closer to him, and his arm moved around my shoulders to accommodate my body next to his. "There is every chance that we will fail tomorrow, Danyel. I want you to know that should we all die, I still would not regret you coming here". I stroked his cheek lightly with my fingers. "I may never again have the chance to say this to you Danyel. But I would wish for you". I could not gauge his reaction, his feelings guarded between those bright blue eyes, but, knowing that by the next day I could be dead, I took a chance and kissed him. The intensity with which returned my kiss startled me, as his arms moved to capture me in a tight embrace. When he finally broke away we both were breathless, and I could clearly read the look in his eyes. My fingers moved to his lips to silence the words I knew he was about to speak. I did not need to hear them.

I simply took his hand and led him to the makeshift bed I had made up with mastage hide. He lay down with me, keeping his arms in a tight embrace around my body. I looked upon his face as his eyes fluttered closed, fatigued from his time in Ra's palace and in the desert. I did not fear the dawn, for I knew it came with an equal promise for hope and victory as it did for death. Laying my head on Daniel's chest, a strange feeling of peace enveloped me as I feel asleep to the gentle, rhythmic sound of his breathing.