Night had fallen hours before in the Royal City, and in the Temple of Neith all was silent. Moonlight filtered down through the clouds illuminated the alabaster interior of the temple with a pure silvery light. The only dark spots were the gifts of food, and gold left by petitioners before the tall, glowing statue of Neith. A woman flew into the main area of the temple, collapsing before the statue of Neith, in tears.
"My lady, I beg you to allow my daughter to live… she is only a baby. Her life has barely begun!" Burying her face in her hands, she began to cry, her whole body racked with her sobs. Slowly, ever so slowly, they began to subside, and she lifted her tear and kohl stained face to look into Neith's. "Forgive me, Opener of Ways… and please allow my daughter safe passage through Duat into the realm of the gods, if it is indeed your will that she leave us." She whispered through pale lips, as she raised her dark hands to Neith.
There was a soft whimper from the front of the statue, and the woman immediately rose to her feet, going forward to discover the source of the noise. Instinctively, her hand curled around the dagger that was hidden beneath her arm, under her linen cloak. Climbing the alabaster steps slowly, she discovered at the base of Neith's statue a bundle of white linen cloth, and touching the corner; she realized that they were funeral wrappings woven for a pharaoh. "What in the world…" she whispered, as she reached with shaking hands to unwrap the cloths. There, buried in the folds was a tiny, whimpering baby. "Oh you poor thing…" she cried out, lifting it up into her arms. After a quick examination, she realized that this little one was a girl, with no identification beyond the funeral wrappings. Tearing her gaze away from the tiny child, she rose to look into the face of Neith's statue. "Thank you, my lady." She whispered. "I have no doubt that this little one is from you, and of you." Bowing her head respectfully, the woman backed down the stairs until she stood on the ground.
"Tadinanefer!" A voice called out, and the woman turned to face the source of the voice, her face tight and resigned.
"Yes, Paniwi?" she replied, facing the breathless woman who ran to her side with tear trails down her face.
"Priestess, your daughter-" the younger woman began, as more tears leaked from her dark eyes to cover her cheeks with their saltiness.
Tadinanefer sighed, and hung her head. "-Has passed from this world, into the next." She was surprised at how easily these words sprung to her lips.
Paniwi's eyes widened, and she gasped. "How did you…" she began before trailing off and looking to the statue of Neith. "Oh…" she whispered, and bowed to the statue.
"Who have you told of Zahra's death?" she asked, breaking Paniwi out of her thoughts.
"No one, I thought it best that you know first. Should I have?" Paniwi cocked her head to the side, and stared up at Tadinanefer. "Tadinanefer, what are you holding?" her eyes were huge as she looked at the sleeping child in her friend's arms.
"Have you truly never seen an infant before?" Tadinanefer cocked an eyebrow at the shorter woman, gazing down at her skeptically.
Paniwi's cheeks immediately flushed crimson as she stuttered. "I mean…where did it- how- what…?" she trailed off into silence.
"Neith." Was the only reply she received, as Tadinanefer was engrossed with the child in her arms, and so they lapsed into silence.
After a few moments, Paniwi spoke again, hesitantly. "What are you going to do with her?" Her dark eyes were still wide, and she was winding the cloth of her robe in between her hands.
"I am going to raise her as though she were my own child, and twin to Amoun. She will follow after me as High Priestess of Neith." Tadinanefer rubbed her nose to that of the sleeping infant in her arms and the little one opened her eyes. Her mother smiled, as the girl reached up with a chubby hand trying to touch her face.
"Tadinanefer, her eyes are the color of the Nile…" Paniwi gasped, coming closer to see clearly. When she looked up to Tadinanefer's face again, her eyes were filled with wonder. "This little one is of the gods."
"Why else would she be wrapped in funeral wrappings, lying before the statue of Neith in her temple and found by her high priestess on the very night of her daughter's death? Paniwi, there are too many coincidences." Tadinanefer continued to stare into the child's eyes, totally entranced by their color.
Slowly, Paniwi nodded her dark head. "I agree with you, sister. Neith has indeed sent this little one to you." Reaching over, she reverently touched the downy hair on the little ones head with her forefinger. "I will prepare take Zahra to the chambers to be prepared for burial."Paniwi turned and slipped down the hallway.
"Thank you." Tadinanefer whispered, her eyes dark with sadness, as she stared after her friends retreating figure. Turning her gaze again to the child cradled against her breast, she whispered. "By the power given to me by Neith, Opener of the Ways, Protector of the Pharaoh, Osiris, and the dead, I name you Asenath, beloved of Neith, for she is the one who sent you to me."
Alya awoke with a gasp, her chest heaving and sweat sliding down her back. She placed a hand against her chest, trying to calm her racing heart, all the while trying not to wake her sisters.
When Miriam woke, Joash did as well and immediately wrapped his arms around her, trying to calm his frightened wife.
Across the camp, Ardeth left the confines of his tent, with a blanket where he lay under the stars but sleep was long in coming.