Author's Note: And here we are, at the meat of the movie!
Disclaimer per usual – I do not own The Mummy, just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me. Starting with this chapter, I do borrow dialogue from the movie in patches, with minor variations.
"Layla, I want you to go home. Aziza can take you to one of our tribes." Ardeth stands in front of her, and she can tell he is trying his best to intimidate her into compliance, though out of care.
"No." Layla shakes her head. She takes Ardeth's hands in her own before he can argue. "Nowhere will be safe, Ardeth. You know that. And honestly, once he is regenerated, do you not think that the Medjai will be the first targets?" He furrows his brow at her, and she can see that he's at war with himself. She squeezes his hands. "I feel safest here with you and Terence, at least for now. I don't particularly fancy braving the streets right now, and I also want to avoid getting on a horse to go home. I walked here, and I'm certainly not walking back."
He sighs, nodding. "All right, and fair points – after literal fire fell from the sky, I am not sure any of us want to be out there. I had a few very close calls on my way here myself."
Dr. Bey went off to do some additional research on the Book of the Living, so she and Ardeth went to her office, where they are now, Ardeth and Terence both insisting that she get off of her feet for a while. She honestly is at a loss on where to find information on the fabled Gold book – Evy is actually far more knowledgeable on this particular piece of history. But she left with the Americans and Jonathan, determined to find the Egyptologist.
Ardeth hadn't offered to go with them, and they hadn't asked. She can tell that he is wary of them just as they are of him, though it occurs to her from watching Mr. O'Connell that he isn't terribly different from her husband. But now, she can also tell that he is at loose ends a bit. She releases one of his hands, leading him across the room to the sofa that Terence had put in here for her. Ardeth motions to it. "Lie down, little one."
She shakes her head. "You first." He frowns, so she says, "You're clearly, at least to me, exhausted. You're probably going to have to fight an ancient, cursed mummy come to life. I'm just growing a baby, something women have done without coddling for centuries. You need to rest, too, and you take up more room than me and probably want the line of sight to the door, so you first."
He chuckles, holding up his hands in defeat. He had fallen in love with her because of her strong will, not in spite of it, and he loves her even more for it now after having her as his wife for two years. He removes his sword and headdress, placing the sword on the back the sofa. He sits and stretches out on his side, back to the cushions, resting his head on the pillow at the end and holding his arms out. She smiles and lies down with him, snuggling into him as he wraps his arms around her. "Happy?"
She tucks her face into his neck. "Quite." Then, the humorous moment passes. "What's going to happen, Ardeth? I don't want to lose you to this. I cannot do this by myself."
"I'll do everything I can to be here with you, but if I cannot, you'll have Aziza, little one." He tries to comfort her.
"It's not the same." She clings to him. "And I fear that if we cannot stop this monster, we'll all be lost to him or his followers."
He hugs her closer, not saying anything. There isn't much that he can say. He cannot yet concede in his heart that she's probably right. He feels her relax slightly against him, falling asleep as night falls outside, though it's obviously fitful.
He doesn't sleep himself, staying mostly on guard. He feels like they're in the calm eye of the storm, but he's going to enjoy it, however brief if is. He brushes his lips across her forehead and closes his eyes, one arm around Layla and the other moving to rest on the sword on the back of the sofa, ready to protect her if he needs to.
He's dozing a little over an hour later when he hears sounds outside. He doesn't want to wake Layla, but he knows their quiet moment is over. "Little one, wake up." He nudges her gently.
Her eyes blink open, and she peers up at him, her green eyes taking his breath away as much as they always have. Every instinct he has is telling him to take her and get out of here, breaking every oath he's made except the one to her, and the fact that he knows he won't, knows he will stay and fight with her, and by extension his child, in the crossfire almost makes him physically ill.
As if she can read his mind, she stands up and holds her hands out. Pulling him to his feet, she then grabs his sword and hands it to him. "I knew the way of things when I fell in love with you, Ardeth, and you said it yourself – your oath as Chieftain of the Medjai is as much a part of you as anything else. It is who you are, and I love you for it." She lifts the leg of her pants, showing him the knife he gave her, tucked into a sheath in her boot. "We fight. We protect ourselves by protecting the world from this monster."
"You do not have to fight, Layla. That is not expected." He shakes his head.
She turns around, shifting her hair and tunic out of the way, baring her right shoulder. "I got this before we were even married, Ardeth. Do you think I will just stand by when the one thing that our people," she emphasizes the "our", "Are sworn to protect is upon us?"
He lays the sword back down, and he puts his hands on her upper arms, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the tattoo of the Medjai symbol on her right shoulder. It matches the necklace Aziza gave her years ago, but prior to their wedding, she requested a more permanent marker of her commitment to him and the Medjai. She got it at the same time he had her name inked on his wrist. "I love you, little one."
She drops her hair and turns back around, leaning up to kiss him. When his arms go around her back, holding her to him to prolong it, she doesn't mind at all. They separate a moment later when they hear footsteps in the hallway.
Ardeth releases her and goes to put on his sword again, and she picks up his headdress. He's putting it on as Dr. Bey knocks on the doorframe to her office. Layla motions him in. "Terence, any luck figuring out where the other book might be, or if it even exists?"
He shakes his head, entering Layla's office. "No. I need Miss Carnahan; you were right, Layla, in that she probably knows more about this than us. I think she's obsessed with it."
Layla laughs softly. "Yes, she rather is." Layla feels a bit bad about how hard she was on Evy earlier. She's frustrated with her friend, but she knows she could have been a little kinder.
At that moment, they hear the sound of a car outside, easily identifiable because cars aren't terribly common here yet and because most people seem to be hiding out after fire rained from the sky. Ardeth goes to the window and he observes, "We'll get that help now. Miss Carnahan and her friends have returned, but one of the Americans is missing."
He looks back at them, and they all exchange a worried sigh. That doesn't bode well. They head down together to the main floor, and as they get there, Evy, Jonathan, Mr. O'Connell, and one of the Americans, Mr. Daniels as Layla recalls, enter. Layla goes to Evy, who is talking excitedly to Mr. O'Connell about a gold book. Layla joins them, and she says, "Do you think there is a Book of the Living?"
Evy nods. "I do."
Mr. O'Connell says, "All right, help me catch up here, ladies."
"Of course. I need the large stone on the second floor." Evy's words make Dr. Bey's eyes light up, and he motions to them and heads up the stairs with Ardeth, Evy, Layla, Mr. O'Connell and the others following as Evy goes on, "Well, according to legend, the black book the Americans found at Hamunaptra is supposed to bring people back from the dead. Until now, it was a notion I was unwilling to believe."
O'Connell growls, "Believe it, sister. That's what brought our buddy back to life."
Evy nods. "Yes. I'm thinking that if the black book can bring dead people to life –"
Layla finishes, "Then maybe the gold book can kill him?"
They all stop, and Evy replies, "That's the myth. Now we just have to find out where the gold book is hidden."
They all get to the top of the stairs, about to go to the large stone there, when chanting from outside draws them to the window. Both Layla and Evy gasp at the sight of what looks like a horde of zombies armed with torches and weapons, chanting Imhotep's name. Jonathan says, "Last but not least, my favorite plague: boils and sores."
Ardeth takes Layla's hand, saying, "They have become his slaves. So it has begun, the beginning of the end."
Evy shakes her head. "Not quite yet it hasn't. Come on."
They go to the stone block. With help from Layla and Dr. Bey and annoying prodding from Jonathan and O'Connell, the former of which scurries out to get their car ready to go, Evy finally finds the answer, that the book is inside the statue of Horus at Hamunaptra. They can hear the zombie-like people pouring through the doors downstairs, so all of them run, Ardeth tugging Layla along, making sure she doesn't trip.
The car, which Jonathan has started, is small. Evy and O'Connell get in the front, but, with an apology, Layla ends up perched nearly on Dr. Bey's lap, wedged between him and the American, Mr. Daniels, between him and Ardeth. By explanation, she says, "Terence, we need Ardeth able to fight. He can't very well do that if he's worrying over me, can he?"
He snorts and shakes his head. As they all get situated, a small man comes out, clearly not a zombie, and he alerts Imhotep and his slaves of their presence. While they pull away, O'Connell yells at the man, apparently called Beni, that he'll get his. Layla grumbles, "He damn well will," making Dr. Bey snort again.
That leads to a wild ride through the alleys of Cairo. Ardeth and O'Connell have to fight off the slaves essentially throwing themselves on the car. Dr. Bey and Evy also fight as much as they can. Mr. Daniels just tries to get out of the way. Layla herself pushes several of the slaves off of the car, but one pushes her back, holding her as two of them grab Mr. Daniels.
The man yells for O'Connell, and Layla does the same for Ardeth. She finally pushes the slave off of her, sending the poor man crashing to the street, and she lunges towards Mr. Daniels, but she just misses getting a hold on him as he tumbles backwards out of the car. "Mr. Daniels!"
She watches in horror as he is cornered, shooting at the slaves. "We have to help him!" She feels tears spring to her eyes as the slaves part and Imhotep approaches, and she knows they can't save him. Jonathan floors it, and they tear away.
She sinks onto the seat, tears on her face, and Ardeth settles next to her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him. Evy and O'Connell look equally as horrified, and even Dr. Bey mutters, "Damnation," when they hear Mr. Daniels scream.
More slaves jump on the car, and Jonathan loses control, the car slamming into a stone water fountain, and the car is caught. They all get out as the slaves close in on them, O'Connell grabbing one of the torches, holding them back. Ardeth gets her behind him and Dr. Bey as Imhotep comes through the crowd, and Dr. Bey says, "It's the creature. He's fully regenerated."
Imhotep holds his hand out to Evy, speaking in Ancient Egyptian, telling Evy to join him. The man called Beni incorrectly translates, and Evy corrects him and calls him an idiot. Imhotep surveys them all, but his eyes land on Layla. He then says something that make her blood run cold. Even Beni hesitates before he says, "Both his princess and the mother must join us."
Layla looks at Ardeth, eyes wide. Evy mutters, "What mother?" She then looks at Layla, who has a hand on her stomach protectively, and she whispers, "Layla?" Layla just nods, and Evy says, "Oh my God. No. No, Layla."
Imhotep speaks again, and Beni translates, "Take my hands, and I will spare your friends."
Evy says, "Oh dear." She looks at O'Connell. "Have you got any bright ideas?"
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." O'Connell replies.
Evy says, "You better think of something fast, because if he turns me into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after."
Imhotep looks directly at Layla and speaks, Beni once again translating, "Your child will not be harmed. They will be my most loyal follower."
Layla swallows hard, and then she grabs Evy's hand. She looks at Ardeth. "Come for us. He needs Evy and he wants the baby. He won't hurt us." Ardeth looks equal parts horrified and thunderous, but she just says softly, "Nuri, trust us. Please. And come for us." She takes her Medjai necklace off, pressing it into his hand. "I'd rather he not know I'm associated with the Medjai."
He swallows hard, but he nods. He knows she's right about all of it, but that doesn't mean he likes it. He feels ready to tear the creature apart with his bare hands, but he knows that trying will be suicide. O'Connell is clearly less sure of that, because when she and Evy step towards Imhotep, he pulls his gun, saying, "No."
Evy turns, saying, "Don't!" as Ardeth grabs his arm to try and stop him. She goes on, "He still has to take us to Hamunaptra to perform the ritual, and he clearly wants Layla and her baby."
Ardeth says, "She is right. Live today, fight tomorrow."
O'Connell puts his gun away, lowering his torch towards Imhotep. "I'll be seeing you again." Ardeth has to hold the man back as they move away, but his eyes never leave hers.
He says, loud enough for her to hear, "Allahu Ma'ana, little one. I love you, and we will come."
She nods, and she realizes she has tears on her face. "I love you."
Imhotep roughly grabs her arm as they move away, dragging both her and Evy. She hears O'Connell say Evy's name and Jonathan protest something being taken from him. As they go through the crowd of slaves, moving away from the men, in Ancient Egyptian, "Kill them all."
The slaves converge as Evy yells, "No! Let go of me!"
Layla yells the same, actually in Ancient Egyptian, but Imhotep keeps going with a sneering smirk on his face. She hears the sound of a grate being moved, and she then hears the sound of a man screaming in pain as the slaves yell. It's all too much for Layla and her already very-compromised emotions, largely thanks to the combination of this day and her raging hormones. She wilts, fainting, and everything fades to black.
Little does she know that the screaming she heard was Dr. Bey, not Ardeth. As he moves through the sewer with Jonathan and O'Connell, he clutches Layla's necklace and mutters a prayer, both for the soul of his friend and tribesman and for the safety of his wife and their unborn child. All he knows is that he will secure their safety or die trying.
As they emerge from the sewer and O'Connell directs them to the fort in order to get more weapons and another car, he looks at Ardeth. "Your wife is pregnant?"
Ardeth nods as they rush through the now-deserted streets. "Just over three months." He peers at O'Connell. "And you're in love with Miss Carnahan." O'Connell snorts and shakes his head, but Ardeth notes that he doesn't deny it. He looks over at Jonathan, and he's reminded that Evelyn is his sister. "We will get them back, Mr. Carnahan."
"How are you so certain?" Jonathan asks forlornly.
They get to the fort, and he levels a look at Jonathan. "Because we know where they are going, and we know what we need to kill him. He'll regret ever even touching Evelyn and Layla."
O'Connell reaches over, squeezing his shoulder, and it occurs to him that he and O'Connell aren't as different as Ardeth first assumed. The tall American then growls, "Damned right, and I'm going to enjoy killing him."
Ardeth is a man who kills and fights for a cause, but he finds himself in agreement with O'Connell. He has never rejoiced in death before, but if it is Imhotep's death, he will.
X
Layla awakens to the strangest sensation. She feels like she's being held, but when she tries to open her eyes, she closes them again immediately against the sand flying all around her. The word "flying" pings through her head, but she knows she can't do anything about her current situation, so she just wraps her arms protectively around her small bump and tries to relax.
She has no idea how much time passes when it begins to feel as though she is dropping. She wraps her arms closer still, curling her body inward. Suddenly, the sand drops away, but while she sees Beni and Evy drop somewhat unceremoniously to the sand, she's lowered far more gently. She ends up on her knees, the last of the sandstorm that apparently brought them back here blowing her scarves off onto the sand and her tunic askew. She hears Evy say with dread, "Oh my God. We're back."
Out of nowhere, something strikes her face, and she cries out as she is knocked backwards, blinking and gasping in pain. Moments later, Imhotep hovers over her, and he drags her back to her feet as Evy yells at the monster to stop. He spins her and pokes at her tattoo. Then, he holds her near and hisses in Ancient Egyptian. "You dirty Medjai, I shall enjoy turning your daughter to worship me and me alone."
He pushes her back down to her knees on the sand as she feels blood dripping down her face from where the skin split when he struck her. She's about to respond when she hears the sound of an engine. It only takes seconds for her to realize that it's a prop plane. She breathes out, "Ardeth," even as Evy says O'Connell's name and even as she realizes that Imhotep referred to her daughter.
Imhotep looks enraged, and he strides away. Evy comes to Layla's side, and she helps her to her feet. "Layla, are you all right?" She steadies Layla and dabs at the blood on her face. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I didn't know that you're pregnant."
"We didn't tell anyone except Aziza and Terence, Dr. Bey, Evy. And I'm sorry for being so harsh the other day. I was just so upset and scared." Layla shakes her head. She and Evy both look over at the monster in alarm when they hear his voice growing louder, and they both cry out in protest when he creates another sandstorm, this one aimed at the small plane they can now see.
As the plane clearly begins to struggle, Layla drops back to her knees, dizziness overtaking her. When she does, she realizes that neither Beni nor Imhotep bothered to check her for weapons. She files that thought away even as she squeezes her eyes shut and keeps her arms protectively around her body.
Suddenly, the noise stops, and Layla opens her eyes and is shocked to see Evy actually kissing Imhotep. She realizes, though, that it was just to distract him. The sandstorm ends, but she and Evy look on in horror as the small plane clearly crashes. Evy stumbles over to Layla, helping her back to her feet. The younger woman hugs her close and says, "They've survived this far. I'm certain they'll manage to survive that as well."
Evy steps back, and Layla straightens, ignoring the screaming pain in her head and cheek. Evy loops her arm through Layla's, clearly sensing that the hit from Imhotep left her unsteady. Arm in arm, they walk behind Imhotep with Beni, gun in hand, bringing up the rear. As they get into the city, deep underground, at one point they pause, Evy letting Layla rest a moment.
Beni comes up behind them and gives Evy a shove. "Keep moving."
At that, Evy glares at the small man. "You know, nasty little fellows such as yourself always get their comeuppance."
Beni sneers. "Really." Then he looks concerned. "They do?"
Evelyn nods. "Oh yes."
She starts down the stairs, and Layla gives Beni a nasty look and says, "Always," before following Evy, her dizziness slowly being replaced with what she can only think of as rage.
They get to a room where Imhotep ignores them as he clearly begins to prepare for the ritual to bring back Anck-Su-Namun. Evy and Layla lean against a far wall. Evy leans in and, in Italian, says, "Run when you get the chance, Layla. He'll be pre-occupied with me. Please. They're coming. O'Connell won't quit."
Layla shakes her head. "No, Evy, I will not leave you here with them."
"Please, Layla." Her eyes plead with Layla, but then the sound of a gunshot not too far away makes them all look up. Evy says, "O'Connell."
Beni moves closer to Imhotep, and Evy pushes Layla behind them. Layla wants to fight Evy, but she knows it's true that O'Connell is coming. She slips into the darkness, moving quickly back the way they came as she sees Imhotep blowing dust from a jar. She hears rather than sees the sounds of groaning, and it spurs her to break into a run. She hears shooting and yelling up ahead, and then there is an explosion.
Knowing it's insane, she runs towards the sounds. As she rounds a corner, she hears another explosion, and a few moments later, she nearly runs headlong into O'Connell and Jonathan, Jonathan nearly dropping the gold book in his arms. "O'Connell, Jonathan!"
"Layla?" Jonathan stares at her. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, yes. I'll have a black eye and a headache for a bit. Evy is that way," she points back the way she came. "She's fine for now, but that bastard is preparing for the resurrection ritual for Anck-Su-Namun." She suddenly realizes something. "Where is Ardeth?"
O'Connell shakes his head. "He held off the mummies for us." He looks more than a little upset. "There were a lot of them."
Layla nearly collapses, but then she stands up straight. "Do you have any extra guns?"
O'Connell blinks, but then he looks at her with what she can tell is newfound respect. He pulls out two revolvers, and he spins them out to her, grip first. "It's Rick, and they're both fully loaded. Happy hunting, Layla." He nods to her, grabbing another small torch from the wall, lighting it from his and passing it to her. She takes it, keeping the gun in that hand as well.
"Thank you. Now go. Save her, Rick." She nods back. "Jonathan." With that, she takes off down the hall, praying that she'll find Ardeth in something close to one piece.
As she makes her way through the darkened passageways, she follows the sounds of fighting. When she hears a yell and the sound of a sword hitting stone, she knows she's close. Moments later, she skids into a room. Ardeth is there, clearly exhausted and having taken a few hits, with the bodies of mummies littering the floor of the room, more than she can count. But he's still fighting them off, twelve of those damned things left. She lights another torch on the wall and drops hers, yelling, "Ardeth, down!"
His eyes widen, but he complies. She starts firing, and while she can hear that a few shots miss, when the barrels of her two guns are empty, seven of the monsters are on the sand, dead (again). She then hurls the gun at the two mummies approaching her, even as Ardeth calls out to her, resuming his fight against the other three.
Layla leans down and pulls the large knife from her boot, and she swings out wide as the first one gets to her. She gasps as she manages to slice its head clean off, but its body still moves towards her. She spins and delivers a roundhouse kick to its torso, and it flies across the room, slamming into the wall.
The last one comes at her before she recovers, and it gets a bony hand on her neck, pushing her back against the wall. She stabs at it with her knife, but while she lands some blows, she can't get enough leverage to slice it well. The hand on her neck tightens, and black spots dance before her eyes. She stabs at the thing again, but to no avail. Suddenly, though, a blade swings down and cuts off the thing's arm, and she's able to stab it square in the face, the creature falling back with a thud, her knife buried in its head. She gasps in much-needed air, and her vision clears.
Before she can say anything, Ardeth wraps her in a tight hug, his sword hitting the sand beneath their feet. "Are you all right?"
Layla drops her knife, clinging to him. "Mostly, yes."
"Mostly?" He leans away, and his eyes land on the cut to her cheek. He scowls, and he leans back down, picking his sword up again.
She grabs his upper arms. "Stop. O'Connell will take care of your vengeance. He and Jonathan had the book, and they were on their way behind Evy, that Beni man, and the creature." She holds him. "Please. I'd really like to leave this place now. If given a vote, I believe your daughter would like to go, too."
He freezes. "Daughter?"
She shrugs, releasing him. "According to Imhotep. He may be a murderous, psychotic monster, but I sense that he's right about this."
He sheaths his sword, and he drops to his knees, surprising her. He hugs her to him, resting his head against her stomach. She runs her hands gently through his hair, and he murmurs, "Letting him take you was the single hardest thing I ever did, little one."
"Then we have that in common. Going with him was the same, maybe second was watching that plane crash. I did not manage that well." Tears come to her eyes again, and he stands, kissing her gently. He bends, getting her knife for her. As she takes it and returns it to its sheath, a tremor runs through the floor and the walls, and she looks up, her eyes locking on Ardeth's in alarm.
Her torch from O'Connell lays extinguished in the sand, but Ardeth grabs the lit one from the wall. "We need to go. Something happened, but I'd prefer to be outside when we discover what it was. Another tremor roars through the floor and walls as he speaks.
He takes her hand with his free hand, and they run from the room, finding a path that leads generally upward. He tows her with him as they go, and the adrenaline coursing through her propels her forward. "Do you think it's the creature?" She asks as they move.
"I don't know." He shakes his head. "This seems like something different, though." He steers them towards weak light that he sees ahead. They cut through a treasure room. Surrounded by gold, neither of them even look at anything other than the door at the other end. After what feels to her like a near eternity of running, they emerge into the hot, dry air of the desert afternoon.
Ardeth drops the torch as they run, putting some distance between themselves and the ruins. As a tremor ripples the sand beneath their feet, Layla trips. Instead of falling, though, she feels herself scooped up, and he carries her the last hundred feet or so, getting them clear. Instead of putting her down, he sinks down himself, sitting cross-legged on the sand for a few minutes, her cradled in his arm as they watch the city begin to disintegrate before them.
He shakes his head. "I definitely don't think that is the creature. The whole place is sinking into the sand. Someone may have triggered a trap."
"Agreed." She scans the continuing destruction. "Where are the others? Have you seen them?"
"No, not even that little man who was with the creature." He shakes his head again, then focuses on her for a moment. "Are you all right?"
She nods, and he gently places her next to him on the sand before standing up and then holding out his hands to pull her to her feet. "Thank you, little one. I'd gotten a lot of them, but I was fading in there with a lot of them left."
She scoffs. "You even had to save me when I was there to save you, Ardeth."
"You did save me." He smirks. "I'm guessing from the pistols that you ran into O'Connell."
She laughs. "Yes. I pointed him to Evy, and he pointed me to you, giving me the torch, the guns, and a wish for happy hunting."
"I like him." He says simply.
She smiles. "I do too, probably because he's just an American, slightly less intense version of you, you know? All that earnest determination and willingness to die to protect."
He lifts an eyebrow at her. "I think I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment."
"It was meant as one." She nods, then looks at the disintegrating city. "I hope they get out."
"I do as well." He drops a kiss to the drop of her head and then goes over to examine the camels. He sees that several are loaded down with water, and that one has a large bag of gold on it as well. He rolls his eyes, ignoring that one.
He finds a larger one they can use, and he's leading it over to Layla when she says, "Look, Ardeth! It's them!"
He looks where she is pointing, and he sighs in relief. O'Connell, Evelyn, and Jonathan are fleeing the city as it sinks into the sand. He mounts the camel, and he's about to hold a hand out to Layla as she rushes forward, meeting Evy in a hug. "I'm so glad you're all right," Layla says. "I am sorry for abandoning you with him."
Evy shakes her head. "Nonsense. I told you to. Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is –" She hesitates, her hand hovering.
Layla takes it, and she places it on her abdomen as she could tell Evy wanted to do. "She's fine. We all are."
"Thank God. I'm so happy for you, Layla, happy for you both." Evy hugs her again.
A moment later, they jump apart at the sound of a shout, and then they both laugh. Jonathan is holding his chest, and Layla sees Ardeth on the camel, grinning. He obviously started Jonathan, who says, "Oh thank you, thank you very much."
Layla squeezes Evy's hand. "I'm sure I'll see you again soon." Then, she goes over to Ardeth. He taps the camel, and it lowers itself so that Layla can hop on in front of Ardeth.
The animal stands again, and Ardeth looks at O'Connell, who has been joined by Evy. He says, "You have earned the respect and gratitude of me and my people."
Evy and O'Connell both smile and nod, but Jonathan grumbles, "Yes, well, it was nothing."
Ardeth pulls her close, and he looks at O'Connell and Evy again. "May Allah smile upon you always."
He touches his mouth and then his forehead in what Layla knows is meant as a blessing, and she snorts when Jonathan does a sort of imitation and says, "And yourself." They begin to ride away, and Layla hears Jonathan say, "Yes, anytime."
O'Connell calls, "Stay out of trouble."
She hears Jonathan say, "He's just leaving us here. Well, I guess we go home empty-handed. Again."
Layla can't hear O'Connell's response, but she looks back in time to see O'Connell bend down and kiss Evy, who is clearly quite on board with it. She mutters, "Go, Evy!"
Her words make Ardeth look back, and he chuckles. "Took them long enough."
"Where are we heading, Ardeth? Isn't Cairo that way?" She points in a different direction than the one they are going.
He nods. "It is. But there is a tribal camp not far in this direction. I want the healers there to check on you and our daughter, little one. We can then get some rest before I take us home."
She considers arguing, but she realizes that he's right. She'd like to get checked over, and she is completely exhausted. She nods, relaxing against him, the rolling gait of their ride lulling her into a light sleep. Just over an hour later, she surprised but not when Aziza greets them at the camp. Ardeth helps Layla down, and then Aziza wraps her in a tight hug.
She then hustles them both into a tent, fussing over them. Another healer comes in, this one male, and he directs Ardeth behind a curtained area. Aziza then looks Layla over, clucking in disapproval. "What am I going to do with you, my little lily?"
Layla just shrugs tiredly, and she lets Aziza check her over, placing a cool compress on her bruised eye and examining her to check the baby. Once she's satisfied that both Layla and the baby are all right, she directs her to another curtained area. There is a warm tub of water there, and Layla almost wilts in gratitude at the sight.
Some time later, Layla emerges, clean and far less achy and sore, dressed in loose pants and a flowing over dress. She's still exhausted, though. She's greeted by Ardeth, also now clean, with a few bandaged cuts here and there. He's dressed similarly to her, and Aziza points to a bed in the corner of the tent. "Now, rest. Both of you. There will be a celebration tomorrow. You need to be well-rested for it. You needn't emerge again until the morning. I'll have dinner brought in for you later. Until then, little lily, if the baby needs food, there is a basket by the bed, as well as water."
Ardeth looks like he's about to argue, but Aziza holds up a hand, a firm expression on her face. "That wasn't a request, young man. Listen to your aunt. Stay with your wife. Your work is done for the day." Her expression softens. "Please. You both have earned the rest." She places one hand on each of their faces, careful to avoid Layla's bruised and cut cheek. "I'm very proud of you both, my children."
At that, Ardeth relents. "Thank you, Aziza."
Aziza leaves, and they go to the bed in the corner. When they get there, Layla immediately sits, cross-legged with the basket of food in her lap. Ardeth chuckles as she tears into the bread and cheese she finds there, and she glares at him. "Laugh all you want. I haven't eaten since yesterday. I am starving."
He just grins and hands her the water. Twenty minutes later, she feels much better, but the exhaustion is creeping back in. He pulls her necklace from his pocket, slipping it back over her head. Then, he leans back on the bed, and she curls up against him. She expects him to fight sleep, so she's surprised when she realizes that he was the first to nod off. Echoing Aziza earlier, Layla pats her abdomen and whispers, "What are we going to do with your Papa, little girl?"
She then snuggles into him, resting her head on his shoulder. She falls asleep dreaming of a little girl with his strong features and green eyes, and she sighs happily, feeling completely safe, at least for today.