Thank you all so much for the love on the last chapter!

Hope you'll all enjoy this one.

The next two days passed by quickly and just after sunrise, Elisabeth was already standing on the deck of a paddle steamer. An almost mustard-like coloured vessel, with a large wheel on either side. The trip began at Giza and she was to disembark at Minya, where she'd hopefully get back on track with locating Richard the thief.

However, there was already one issue presenting itself, a problem that went by the name of Samir. The ship was still in the port, but that wouldn't last for long as the captain had given the departure signal about five minutes ago.

Actually, he'd given the signal about ten minutes ago, but Elisabeth managed to stall it for another five. Though now she was certain she wouldn't be able to convince him to delay any longer.

The woman clenched her jaw and leaned over the railing to look at the crowd on the street. A combination of tourists and locals, though most of the people were obviously foreigners. With their arms and hands raised, they were waving goodbye to family members or friends.

A heavy weight fell on her. At first she'd hoped he was just running a bit late, but now there was no doubt about it,- Samir was going to miss the boat.

Had she not been clear about it? Two days, Port Giza, after sunrise. She'd even told him to be on time. Even if the man was not known for his punctuality, he was either always already there or he'd show up at the very last minute.

But that was not this day. Today he was neither early nor on time. Something must have happened,

Not that it really mattered whether or not he would join her on this trip, she was planning on going anyway with or without him. It was the fact that he had been adamant on joining her. For her own safety, he had claimed, which was a ridiculous excuse and he knew it.

No, Elisabeth was convinced the main reason why Samir had been set on coming with her to Minya, was because of Ardeth Bay. The Medjai Chieftain did not trust her, even Samir had said as much and she couldn't really blame the man for the way he perceived her.

The only good thing that was to come out of this, was that nobody would be able to look over her shoulder during this journey. Keeping an eye on everything she would be doing in order to find the American.

Yes, it was better this way. No annoying Medjai to follow her every move or try to convince her to do things differently.

"Miss Borchardt." A deep voice emerged right behind her and Elisabeth let out a scream.

She pressed her hand against her chest and turned around to look at the man who'd scared the living daylights out of her. Of course she knew who it was, recognizing the voice immediately. But that didn't stop the rapid pounding of her heart.

"Mein Gott,-" She breathed. "Chieftain Bay."

Ardeth politely bowed his head, a tiny smirk adorned his face.

"I'm sorry to have frightened you." He told her, though Elisabeth sincerely doubted he meant it.

These Bay brothers really had the tendency to appear out of nowhere. She straightened herself and nodded her head as well.

"You were not someone I was expecting to see here."

"Understandable. You were expecting my brother, I take it?" The Medjai arched an eyebrow and Elisabeth let out a breath.

Apparently Ardeth being here, meant something had indeed happened to Samir. She could only hope it didn't have anything to do with the fact that she'd knocked him out of a window two days ago.

"I was expecting him, yes. I take it he told you where we're headed, considering you're standing in front of me?"

"He did. But do not worry, he will still meet up with you once you reach your destination."

The news surprised her and she automatically frowned. Why was Samir meeting her in Minya, when he'd told her he was coming with her? She assumed he must have left almost immediately after their last encounter. But obviously there had been time for him to meet up with his brother to inform him of their plan.

"You are...disappointed?" It sounded like a question. An odd question. No, she wasn't disappointed, but she was a bit stunned by the news.

"It is just unexpected. That is all." She assured him. "You wouldn't happen to know why he is meeting me there instead of joining me on this voyage?"

"That is obvious." Ardeth replied as he pointed his chin a bit upward. "Because I ordered him to."

Good grief, the man seemed awfully proud of himself. But it wasn't really an explanation as to why the Medjai chieftain had come all this way or why he had told Samir to leave for Minya on his own.

"Samir told me that you do not trust me to hold up my part of our agreement?" Elisabeth paused and looked up at the man before her.

He dropped his gaze and crossed his arms over his chest. "It is merely a precaution."

"A precaution?" She repeated his words. "That does not really answer my question, Chieftain Bay."

For a split second his expression changed and Elisabeth felt a little pleased with herself. It was apparent that Samir's words had rung truth. Even though the Medjai before her had always kept a straight face whenever they spoke, the distrust he had regarding her shone through right at that very moment.

The fact he had sent Samir after her more than once, visited her a few days ago and nearly broke off their contract because she got too close to the truth, were enough ways to show how he truly felt about her.

The loud sound of the boat's horn blasted across the ship and for the second time that day Elisabeth practically jumped out of her skin.

"You scare quite easily, Miss Borchardt." Ardeth commented.

Elisabeth slightly narrowed her eyes as he said that. If she didn't know any better, it seemed he was rather enjoying her skittish behaviour.

"I do believe the boat is leaving Port." She told him shortly.

The Medjai raised his head and looked out onto the horizon. "So it seems."

"Shouldn't you be leaving?"

Swiftly he moved his eyes back towards her. It seemed the man had no plans on disembarking the vessel as of now. That was just what she needed. Instead of Samir, his older brother was planning on following her around for the time being. She honestly hoped she was wrong.

Handling Samir was something she was used to, but Ardeth was a different story. The man was unpredictable. Always showing up when she least expected it. Not to mention the way he spoke to her. One minute it was all business and the next he would make a remark which made it seem as if he was toying with her.

"All in good time." He replied calmly.

Great. This was just great.

A quiet spell fell over the two of them. The German woman really did not know what to say to him and for a split second, she actually missed the company of Samir. With him nothing felt forced, but whether that was because she had known him for so long or because Ardeth made her a bit uncomfortable, she did not know.

Slowly the paddle steamer moved away from the water's edge and towards the centre of the Nile. Elisabeth wondered how the Chieftain was planning on leaving the boat, now that they were officially setting course for Minya.

The question burned on the tip of her tongue but she refrained herself from asking him. Being rude was the last thing she should be doing, even if doing so always seemed to come natural when she was in close proximity of him.

After all, she had managed to do so every time she met the man in person.

"How's his head?" She suddenly asked.

"His head?" Ardeth looked at her with slight confusion.

"The cut above his eye?" Elisabeth traced a line with her finger above her own. "I'm referring to you brother."

Finally recognition appeared on his face, yet his expression still remained puzzled. "Ah, it will heal. These things can happen. Although it has never happened to him before."

That was a rather odd comment and she frowned at him. "What kind of things happen?" She decided to ask him.

"Falling off his horse. Samir is quite a skilled rider, better than me, I must admit."

Fell off his horse? Elisabeth's jaw dropped.

Ardeth suddenly cocked his head an narrowed his eyes. "I was unaware you knew of his wound, Miss Borchardt?"

Oh, she was more than aware. She was the one who had caused it. But it was apparent that Samir had decided to lie to his brother about it. Obviously the whole thing had been quite the embarrassment to the younger Medjai's pride.

A low chortle emerged from her throat and Elisabeth pressed her lips together to stifle the upcoming laughter.

"It seems my brother's misfortune amuses you." Ardeth added as his demeanour once again shifted from relaxation to stiffness.

The woman shook her head, her mouth still pressed together tightly. The desire to reveal the truth was immense. In fact, it might just be the very thing to break the cool atmosphere amongst the to of them.

"Oh, no," She replied to him. "I feel for his,- stroke of bad luck. But I am afraid your brother must have hit his head rather hard, seeing as he probably meant to say the word 'window' instead of horse."

The Medjai Chieftain blinked, even more confused than he had already been. "I do not follow? You are claiming he did not fall off his horse?"

Elisabeth nodded. "Actually, 'falling' is also not entirely accurate. What he meant was, 'getting hit' and then fall."

It was rather funny to see Ardeth trying to visualize what it was she was trying to tell him, and then it seemed he finally understood it.

"Are you saying Samir got hit, which caused him to fall out of...out of a,-"

"Window." She finished for him.

The upper right corner of Ardeth's mouth twitched a little. "That certainly is a different story than I was told."

"In your brother's defence, it was perhaps a bit embarrassing for him to tell the truth."

"It appears you are more familiar with the actual tale than I am." The tall man concluded.

This time Elisabeth couldn't hide the grin forming on her lips. "I'm afraid I also might be the villain in this short story of clumsiness."

Suddenly something changed in Ardeth's demeanour as she revealed the truth to him. His dark eyes rested upon her and they seemed to move up and down for a quick second. His features softened as well as the tone of his voice when he spoke again.

"That all depends on who is telling the story." He simply stated, his lips curling into an actual smile this time.

That feeling of discomfort Elisabeth had felt earlier, somehow managed to find its way back to the surface She tried to kept her gaze focused on Ardeth a little bit longer, but eventually she lowered her head and cleared her throat.

"I think I will retire to my cabin for a moment. If you do not mind, Chieftain Bay?"

It took him a few seconds before providing her with an answer, as if he was actually planning on saying something else. But the Medjai stepped aside and bobbed his head once. "Of course, Miss Borchardt."

She quickly walked away without giving him a final glance. That was until she reached a staircase, where she halted to throw a short look over her shoulder, only to find Ardeth Bay's eyes still staring in her direction.

::::::...::::::

By the time Elisabeth had made it back to the very same location where she'd left Ardeth, the Medjai Chieftain was already gone. She searched around the steamer in every nook and cranny she could think of. But it appeared the man was no longer on the ship.

How he had managed to leave the moving vessel was a mystery. Despite the paddle steamer being slow, she very much doubted Ardeth would have been willing enough to take a dive into the Nile. Surely the amount of robes he wore were too heavy for swimming?

Her conversation with him had made her think. He never really gave her an answer regarding Samir and why he was to meet her in Minya instead of going along with her. Even if it didn't matter in the end, and it was more than likely the reason wasn't important, she still found it rather odd.

The journey would take at least a week until she would reach her destination and having all that time to herself would only be a blessing for the first half of it. After that she would surely get bored, which was what usually happened.

Sitting still was a thing she wasn't good at. She always felt the need to do something. Which was probably another reason for not following into her father's footstep. Taking one's time to carefully uncover tombs, took too much time and patience.

Although technically, the fact that she took artefacts from burial grounds or dig sites, didn't differ that much from Ludwig's profession. But the items she took usually stayed in the hands of Egyptians or Dr. Bey. Except for those few times when one was willing to pay a handsome sum of money.

Eventually, after having giving the search for Ardeth, Elisabeth sat down at one of the small round tables positioned on of the lower deck and took out a couple of documents regarding Hamunaptra. Some reading would surely pass the time for today.

Near Minya

Seven days had passed since Ardeth went to meet Elisabeth Borchardt at Port Giza and some time today she was scheduled to arrive at Minya. He had honestly wondered why she'd bothered to take a ship down the Nile as travelling over land would have been a bit shorter and obviously for more efficient.

There was no doubt in his mind that the woman probably had her reasons for choosing that way of transportation, but it still wasn't a smart one in his opinion. If Samir had known about her plans a little earlier, they could have offered her one of their horses instead, with an escort of course.

After all, their horses were trained for crossing long distances in a day. If done correctly, she could have made it the journey within five day. Perhaps four even. But something told him she probably would have declined his offer.

When Elisabeth had left for her cabin, he had felt relieved that he was finally able to leave the vessel himself. He had quickly walked to the lowest part of the paddle steamer and jumped over the railing into the blue green sweet water.

Had she waited any longer, it would have surely been a long swim back to shore for him. If that had been the case, he wouldn't have been able to leave until the ship would come at a rest at the next port.

He'd gotten aboard the ship on a whim, just before dawn. Honestly, he wasn't sure why he'd decided to meet Elisabeth there, when he could have easily gone to her house instead. Perhaps because he wanted the element of surprise to be on his side. Throw her off guard.

A rather unprofessional move on his part, maybe. But he felt the need to stay one step ahead of her at all times, especially considering she had managed to be a lot quicker than he'd originally expected her to be. Not to mention, the surprised and confused look on her face had pleased him.

"Is there a reason why you are are still here with me?" His younger brother Samir suddenly asked him.

"To make sure she is still on that ship." Ardeth answered almost immediately.

The other Medjai cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. "Your behaviour is beginning to trouble me with each passing day. First you sent me to Minya on my own and then you show up on the exact day she's meant to arrive here. Do you not see what is odd about that?"

"You know why I sent you ahead, because I,-"

"Do not trust her." Samir shook his head. It was the same discussion they had every time their talk turned to Elisabeth, which seemed to be their main subject of conversation nowadays.

There were times Samir wished he had never found out who Elisabeth's father was. Then this would have never happened in the first place and then akhi wouldn't have known about her.

Perhaps it was only his imagination or the fact she had rejected him a few days ago, but to him it seemed as if his brother was beginning to show a different kind of interest in Elisabeth. Though if he were to ask him directly, he would most surely deny it.

Without realizing, he raised his arm and reached for the small bump above his eye. The cut was long gone and the tiny unevenness only a reminder of that unfortunate night.

Samir turned his gaze back to the river and stared into the horizon. The distinct shape of a vessel with two wheels on either side materialized in the distance and the Medjai straightened himself.

"I believe that is her." He said out loud.

The Chieftain followed his younger brother's eyes and nodded once he saw the steamer. "It would appear so."

"I guess this is goodbye, akhi."

His voice sounded anything but polite. In fact, if Ardeth didn't know any better, it was almost as if Samir was glad to finally see him leave Minya.

"You seem very eager to get rid of me." Ardeth arched an eyebrow at his brother's dismissive behaviour.

"And you seem eager to stay." Samir retorted.

The taller man cleared his throat, ignoring the obvious rude tone and implication behind Samir's words. "You are right, there is still much work to be done back home. Let me know as soon as there is more news regarding the American."

"I will. Tirooh wa tigi bis salaama." He said, bidding his brother a safe journey.

Ardeth nodded and threw one last glance at the steamer nearing the port. "Allah yisallimak."

It wasn't until he was finally out of sight, that Samir felt a weight being lifted of his shoulders. This would have been so much easier of Ardeth hadn't bothered to come here today.

The mustard coloured paddle steamer docked slowly and already Samir was walking around to catch a glimpse of Elisabeth. The ship carried about thirty people and no more than that, so it shouldn't take too long for him to spot her.

And then he saw her. Her golden brown hair pinned up in a twist, her cheeks slightly flushed and she appeared to be laughing. What was she laughing at, he wondered.

Then he noticed the gentleman walking next to her. A rather skinny looking fellow, wearing a pith helmet and his eyes stood a little bit too far apart. He was laughing back at her. Samir pursed his lips and headed towards them with heavy steps, just as they were about to disembark.

"Samir!" Elisabeth waved at him, the same smile still adorning her face. The stranger stuck close by her side as she halted in front of her friend.

"That saves me the time looking for you." She exclaimed happily.

But Samir wasn't paying attention to her greeting. He pointed his chin in the other man's direction. "Who is this?"

"Where are my manners?" The guy replied with a heavy British accent. "Jonathan Carnahan. Egyptologist." He extended his hand, only Samir simply bobbed his head.

"Mr. Carnahan is actually one of my neighbours back in Cairo. He lives at the end of the street." Elisabeth explained.

Somehow that piece of information did not comfort Samir at all. He was still eyeing this Jonathan person with a sceptical look. It might have been seen as unfair to judge the man purely based on the fact that he was British.

Quickly the woman cleared her throat, having noticed the annoyed look on her friend's face. "Mr. Carnahan, this is Samir Bay. My long time friend and travel companion."

"Pleasure." Jonathan smiled. "Well, I'd best be on my merry way. But I promise, when I am back in Cairo along with my sister, we will surely swing by for tea."

"Yes, that would be lovely." Elisabeth replied as the man grabbed her hand and placed a swift peck on top of it.

With one final look at Samir, Jonathan Carnahan tipped his helmet and walked of into Minya. But the atmosphere now surrounding the two friends was a cold one.

"I can see you were quite entertained during your trip down the Nile." The Medjai grumbled.

"I was, if you must know." The woman replied. "It isn't my fault that your brother decided to sent you here instead."

That comment stung him more than he cared to admit. Once again he was reminded of the fact his brother was the one who seemed to be making almost all of the decisions.

"It wasn't my place to argue." He admitted. Which was the truth. This was technically a mission and he therefore had to obey the Chieftain of the Medjai.

Elisabeth gave him a look of compassion. It couldn't be easy for Samir to have to listen to his older brother all the time. "I know. If it makes you feel better, I did miss your company during the trip."

Strangely enough, those words did make him feel better. With a deep sigh he took her bag from her and held it over his shoulder. "Let's start our search, shall we?"

Hope you all enjoyed that!

and a warm welcome to Jonathan entering the scene.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time!