The next morning, I got up as the sun was coming out and went to my dresser and pulled out a tight fitting skirt, it didn't look tight, but it allowed me to move more freely in case anything happened. I also pulled on a gray tank top and a black and gray stripped cardigan and a gray scarf, as I knew I would need it. I pulled on my black boots and then finally, I brushed my long black hair and twisted it up into a messy bun on top of my head, and put a navy blue headband in.
I grabbed my bag and walked to my door and then into the living room to wait on my brother. Finally, 15 minutes later, he came out with his bag and gunnysack. "And it takes women a long time to get ready." I said, shaking my head. We walked out the door, I went to the stables and got my horse out and then we walked down to the port, where I could hear a similar voice.
"Personally, I think he's filthy, rude and a complete scoundrel. I don't like him one bit."
"Anyone I know?" My brother asked, with me trailing behind him.
"Oh… Um… Hello." She said.
"And this is Aaliyah Massari, my-" He got cut off, as I got noticed.
"Aaliyah!?" I just then noticed the woman was Evelyn Carnahan, my cousin. Well, I be dammed, it was a small world after all.
"Ali!" Jonathan said.
"Hi Jon." I said.
"You know them?" My brother asked.
"Yes, they're distant cousins of mine on my father's side.
"And how do you know him?" Evy asked.
I gave a small smile. "Remember that brother I mentioned?" I asked, continuing when she nodded. "Well this is him, Rick." I said, patting my brother's shoulder. She then just looked speechless.
It wasn't until a few years ago that my mother and I pieced together that they were distant cousins of mine. We asked around and learned that my grandfather's, aunt was only half Medjai, never living in the tribe, but instead, raised by her father and stepmother. Don't ask how we found out, it took a while, it was covered up pretty good, considering her father wasn't Medjai at all.
Jonathan grabbed my brother's arm and shook his hand. "Smashing day for the start of an adventure, eh, O'Connell?" He asked.
My brother quickly searches around his pockets, "Yeah, sure, smashing." He said, and relaxes as he pulls out his wallet, and then putting it back in. I then tune the boys out as I looked over the water, watching as some smaller boats went past, I turned back to everyone as Evy starts talking.
"Mister O'Connell, can you look me in the eye, and guarantee me this is not some sort of flimflam? Because if it is, I'm warning you –" Evy starts off and I shook my head, sighing, knowing my brother would not like what she was saying, and I was right. He got closer and stared straight at her, and she didn't back away or flinch, I was impressed.
"You're warning me? Lady, my whole damn garrison believed in it so much, that without orders, we marched halfway across Libya and into Egypt to find that city. All we found was sand and blood. I'll take your bags." He said, reaching down to get them and then walked onto the boat.
Jon turned to look at Evy. "Yes, yes, you're right, filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel, nothing to like there at all." He said, and Evy shot him a glare, and he just grins at her.
"It's good to see you two." I said, hugging each of my cousins, but I need to go find my brother." I said, walking up the gangplank and onto the boat, and leading my horse to the stables on board that was supplied.
Later that night, on my way to the barge to join Evy, my messenger bag still over my shoulder, I saw Jonathan playing poker with the Americans, rolling my eyes, I hit him in the head on my way past, and smiled to myself when I heard him complain. "Ow! Aaliyah, what was that for?" he asked, I just ignored him as I walked over to Evy and leaned with my back against the rails.
"How's it been going?" I asked her. She gave me a soft smile.
"Pretty good I suppose, the curator tried to stop me from going on this trip though." She said, turning to look at the water once more. I realized just then the curator had to be part of the Medjai order, from what was instilled in me, only they-we, were like that.
"And Jonathan keeps being infuriating." She said. I nodded.
"Yeah, I can understand that one." I said, thinking of my brother. Not even 20 minutes later, after Evy had gone back to her book, when I saw my brother walk into the barge. He dropped his gunnysack on the table, totally startling Evy. He made a face before quickly turning it into a smile.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya." He said.
"The only thing that scares me, Mister. O'Connell are your manners." She said.
"Still angry that I kissed ya, huh?" He asked her and I raised an eyebrow at my older brother, he looked at me and shrugged.
"If you call that a kiss." She said.
Rick sat down and opened up his gunnysack, and starts pulling out things. I lightly rolled my eyes. My brother has always had a thing for guns, and, me over here, I only had my daggers, and my sword, which I barely used anymore, but I still knew how to use it. "Am I missing something here? Are we going into battle?" Evy asked.
I was lost in thought and I missed part of my brother's words until I heard: "There's something out there, you know, something under that sand." And I had to nod at that, there was, but at least he didn't know what.
"Yes, I'm hoping to find a certain artifact, a book, actually, my brother thinks there's treasure. What do you think is out there?" She asked. I mentally snorted. "Evil." I thought, at least that's what my father told me, I never experienced something there firsthand like my brother did, however.
"Evil. The Tuaregs and the Bedouin believe that Hamunaptra is cursed, they call it, "the doorway to hell." He said. Ahmar is Ossirion, I remembered.
"Passageway to the underworld", actually." Miss. Smarty-Pants said, I rolled my eyes. This was an interesting conversation between them for sure.
"I don't believe in fairy tales and hokum, Mister O'Connell, but I do believe that one of the most famous books in history is buried out there, The Book of The Living. It's what first interested me in Egypt as child. It's why I came here, sort of a life's pursuit." She stated. My brother was still cleaning his guns.
"And the fact that they say it's made out of pure gold, makes no never mind to you, right?" He asked.
Evy looked surprised. "You know your history." She said.
He lets off a little shrug and looks at her. "I know my treasure." He said.
Evy gets up and hesitates, "By the way… Why did you kiss me?" She asked. Rick shrugged both his shoulders, not looking up from his guns.
"I was about to be hung. It seemed like a good idea at the time." He said. I could see my cousin's eye widen and she stormed off, furious, to the camels. He looked up. "What… What'd I say?" He asked. I sighed and put my head in my palm and shook my head.
"Smooth Rick, smooth." I said. "I'm going to go see my horse." I said, walking away and going to see my stallion, Abrar (Pronounced ab-raar). It meant pious, kind and righteous in Arabic.
Suddenly, a bunch of people clothed in black robes, gray sashes, bandoliers, and navy blue scarves and turbans. My eyes widen, I knew exactly who these men were. Medjai. I groaned. "This is what happens when you let your older brother get you into this mess." I muttered under my breath. I heard my brother's guns going off and I sighed. "Wonderful." I muttered.
"Aaliyah!" He called for me. I knew exactly what he was going to say, another Medjai warrior had entered the stable where my horse was, and I heard my starting down the other way. I pushed the warrior behind a stack of hay bales.
"If you don't stay down, my brother will kill you." I told him in Arabic.
"Why are you helping me, when I'm trying to kill you?" He asked.
I sighed and pulled up my sleeves, showing him the tattoos on my arms and his eyes widen and he was in shock.
"Aaliyah, what are you doing?" Rick asked, coming into the stable, I had already quickly was undoing everything that was holding Abrar in.
"Just getting Abrar out." I said, having already smelled the smoke. He nodded.
"Well hurry up." He said, rushing back out. I opened the stall door and got Abrar out and was about to leave, when I heard the warrior speak up from behind me.
"Shokran (Thank you)" He said. I nodded and led my horse to the edge of the boat, somehow managing to get us both in the water. I spotted my brother and led Abrar over to everyone.
"Hey O'Connell! Looks to me like I got all the horses!" A man named Beni, as Rick informed me said.
"Hey Beni! Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!" Rick yelled back.
Beni scoffed and then looked up at the stars and then kicks the water, cursing in Hungarian. I looked over at the boat that was now slowly sinking and then noticed the warrior getting off on the way other side of the Nile.
Third Point of View:
The warrior that Aaliyah Massari let go, managed to get to the men on horseback waiting for word, he particularly looked at Ardeth Bay, and Saleem Massari, who had taken back over the position of commander after his son's death, since no one else would.
"Tarek, what happened?" Ardeth asked.
"O'Connell and the others all escaped sir, the rest of the warriors, dead. I would have lost my life too, if not for." He cut off, trying to piece the words together, with a glance at Saleem, he turned back to look at his chieftain. "I think I've found Aaliyah Massari sir." He said.
This piqued the interest of Ardeth and Saleem and the surrounding commanders. Aaliyah was the granddaughter of Saleem and if she had not have been taken away from the tribe, she would still be betrothed to Ardeth.
"Are you sure Tarek?" Ardeth asked.
The older warrior before them nodded. "I'm absolutely positive that the girl is Kahlil's ((Pronounced: kah-LEEL)) daughter, I saw her tattoos. She saved my life, she could've let her brother kill me, but she didn't." He said.
"Brother?" A commander asked.
Tarek nodded. "Yes, O'Connell is her half-brother." He stated.
The Chieftain nodded after a few minutes. "Very well, we'll keep an eye on them, but no one is to harm the girl, nor force her into anything, we'll let her make her own decisions." He said at last, after conferring with Saleem about his granddaughter. "Good work Tarek." He said. Tarek mounted his horse and then they left.