Disclaimer: I own known of the characters from the Mummy, they belong to them lucky people of Universal, or whatever it is. I can only claim rule over the characters you don't recognize.

Princess of the Nile

Chapter 3: At The Giza Pyramids

Ardeth and the warriors watched the party as they went about their business, oblivious to the Medjai warriors sitting on their horses on the dunes above them. It was apparent, from the fact that tents were still being set up and from several, rather childish squabbles that were going on between some of the men over possessions, that the group had only recently arrived. Ardeth watched as one of the men made his way over to a lone horse, its rider, a woman with blonde hair, still on its back. The man stood beside the horse's neck, fiddling with the reins of the animal before reaching over and pulling the woman from the saddle. As soon as the rider had toppled to the sand, the man had grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her up. She followed him silently, leaning slightly so that her hair was not being pulled from her scalp, and held her hands in front of her in such a way that it quickly became obvious to Ardeth that they were tied.

The woman stayed silence as she was pulled into the pyramid that towered over the camp, though she did falter slightly at the entrance before being pulled forcefully in. The man and woman disappeared from view for several minutes, and, shortly before the man left the pyramid, terrified screams came from within. The man paid no notice to them and gestured to several other men, who quickly sprang up and heaved a large stone across the entranceway.

Ardeth turned to the warriors who were watching the scene and their leader and gave a quick nod. The men returned the nodded and drew their scimitars. Another nod from Ardeth and they were all following their leader's horse down the dune to the unsuspecting party below. The battle was quick; the unsuspecting Americans fell quickly to the biting steel of the Medjai's scimitars. Many of the Americans were killed as they made a desperate scramble to pick up weapons or run. Those who did escape would meet a slower end to the sizzling frying pan that was the Sahara, made up of the desert and sun.

As the warriors started to pile up the bodies of the fallen Americans to burn, Ardeth walked over to the pyramid. He could hear the woman on the other side, her sobs echoing around the pyramid passages. Ardeth put a hand to the stone that had been placed before the entranceway, it was very large, no doubt blocking all sun out, and could not be moved by one person. Ardeth turned slightly and signalled to three of his closer men, who quickly came over and helped him push the stone away before going back to help the other warriors. Ardeth drew his scimitar again and entered the pyramid slowly, eyes darting back and forth encase there were more Americans in there as he hunted for the woman.

He was within the pyramid for about twenty minutes before coming across the woman. She was sat with her back to him, hands tied to a large wooden pole placed into the ground, sobs still racking her body so she didn't hear Ardeth as he walked in.

He walked around so that he was facing her and swore. The woman before him had lank blonde hair, though the back of it was matted with old, dried blood. Her clothes were tattered and dirty and there were many bruises on her face and arms. Although her eyes were closed, Ardeth knew that they would be a light blue, and was proved to be right when her eyes opened at the sound of him swear, the fear in them fading slightly once she recognised the man before her.

"Ardeth?" she whispered, her voice hoarse from screaming. Ardeth, still angered by the circumstances under which he had found his friend, merely nodded and moved behind her, slicing the rope that bound her to the pole easily. She rubbed her wrists where the rope had cut into them, turning slightly as Ardeth walked round to face her again, so he could not see her face.

He frowned as she did this, and put one hand gently to her chin and turned her head to face him, tears were rolling down her bruised face, and she struggled against his hand for a moment before pulling her head from his grip and turning it again, so he would not see her cry.

"Emira." He said gently "Emira, look at me." She obeyed meekly, watery blue eyes meeting his brown ones

"I'm sorry." She whispered, Ardeth silenced her apologies with a hand and carefully helped her stand, keeping one hand on her chin to keep her looking at his face.

"Why are you apologising?" he asked, "You have done nothing."

"But-" Emira started

"But if you are apologising about crying." Ardeth butted in, turning slightly to face her as her led her from the room she had been trapped in and into the passage "I wouldn't. It is you're fear." Emira smiled weakly, she had been claustrophobic for most of her life, ever since she had been thrown into a large travelling chest by her mother and left there for two days.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, this time laughing slightly at her second apology, they talked quietly as they walked slowly from the pyramid, Ardeth keeping Emira's attention on him so she wouldn't notice the close proximity of the walls. When they finally broke from the dark passages into natural sunlight, Ardeth freed her hand and she staggered into the pyramid side. Ardeth frowned as she shook.

"You are injured?" he asked

"It's nothing." Emira replied, her eyes closed and breathing heavily. Ardeth shook his head, she had always been like that, wanting to be in good terms with the boys so much that she would always hide the pain she felt. Ardeth reached over and lifted her up, frowning again at the fact that she barely weighed anything. She moved in his arms, trying to protest to him picking her up, trying to show she was fine, but finally gave up in exhaustion, allowing her best friend to carry her to one of the tents left whole after the fight with the Americans.

Next Update: Saturday, 25th February (I promise it)