There's A Fine Line Between Coincidence & Fate ✓

Chapter 24

A few streaks of sunlight were peaking in through the gaps in the tent siding, causing me to blink through the intrusion and slowly wake up. I rolled over and felt that the bed next to me was cool. Ardeth had been awake for a while now. Normally he made sure I was awake before he left. I guess I didn't want to cooperate this morning. I got up and changed into one of the dresses that Rahima had made for me, a way for me to assimilate into life with the Medjai. Honestly, I was missing Texas quite a bit these days. We were well into the summer months now and if I thought southern Texas summers were rough, they didn't even come close to what summers were like in the middle of the Sahara. At least the dresses allowed for some air flow.

Rahima had taken to teaching me exactly what was expected of the wife of the Chieftain. Mostly it was just knowing the different traditions of the tribe, seeing the men off when they leave, welcoming them back, being the go between for the other women and the council and most importantly, providing Ardeth with an heir. It was the duty of the Chieftain's wife to be a leader to the other women, someone they could come to if they had any concerns or needs. It was through this that I became closer to Aisha, one of the women who had helped me get ready on my wedding day. I had come to know that she wasn't that much older than me, only twenty-six but she was married to Nasir, and they had four children of their own. She had brought me under her wing and was teaching me the art of healing. As a tribe of desert warriors, the men were constantly coming back with varying degrees of injury and since we were too far from Cairo, the tribe had learned long ago that we needed to be able to handle most injuries ourselves.

It was more complex than I thought it would be, healing. Most of the remedies that we were using were homemade and even the most natural ingredients could cause catastrophic problems if not given in the appropriate amount. Thankfully, Aisha had written down the recipes and those were easy to follow. For the most part, I was healing minor cuts and bruises from incidents around the village. There hadn't been any major problems since we got back from Hamunaptra.

We had gotten word through the new curator at the Cairo museum that Rick and Evy were getting married. They wished for Ardeth and I to attend. Normally, Ardeth wouldn't have agreed to leaving the tribe so soon after returning but Rick and Evy were our friends, so it didn't take much convincing on my part before he agreed. We were leaving for Cairo tonight, hoping to cross most of the desert before the sun rose. I was looking forward to seeing more of Cairo, this time without the fear of mindless goons or regenerating mummies threatening us at every turn. I was excited to get away from the village for a few days.

Ardeth was leaving Aman in command and Nasir would be traveling with us, for extra protection. I was trying not to take that too personally, that he didn't think me capable of defending myself. I tried not to dwell on it too much as we loaded up our horses with our packs as well as an extra horse, to make the load more bearable for everyone. Rahima and Asir came to see us off, small smiles on their faces. "Be safe. Try to return in one piece." Rahima said, that last bit for Ardeth more so than me. He smiled at her before waving at them and leading our small group out of the village and into the open desert. The night was cool, making traveling more enjoyable. I rode beside Ardeth with Nasir behind us, scanning our surroundings, making sure there was no threat.

I was happy we were making this journey on horseback. Ardeth had tried and failed in the months that I had been with his tribe, to get me used to riding a camel and I just could not get the hang of it. The gait was all wrong and I always toppled out of the seat. I could ride a horse better than he could, or at least that's what he told me. But mastering the art of camel riding was beyond my powers. I was pulled out of my inner dialogue when Ardeth turned to me. "We'll stop in a few hours for some rest before continuing on. We're a two days' ride from Cairo and I would like to cover as much of the journey as possible at night." Ardeth informed me.

"Ok. That sounds good." I said, trying my best to cover up my yawn. Ardeth smiled at that. That was something that he had discovered within the first week of our marriage. I loved my sleep and woe to whoever interrupted it. It would take me a while to get used to the nocturnal travelings of our people. We carried on in silence for a while, trying to not draw attention from the other occupants that made the desert their home. Just when I was sure I would fall off my horse from exhaustion, Ardeth and Nasir stopped at a small oasis that appeared in between two sand dunes. I must not have been paying close attention because to me, it appeared as quickly as a mirage would in the heat of the day. They got to quick work putting up two smaller tents and situating the horses for the next few hours.

I did my best to dismount gracefully but sleepiness caused to me to lose whatever gracefulness I possessed, and my left foot got stuck in the stirrup. I almost fell on my ass when I felt Ardeth behind me, grabbing me around my waist in an attempt to keep me upright. I smiled sheepishly at him. "Thank you." I said quietly, leaning into him, finding security and comfort in his presence.

"You're welcome, ya amar," he said fondly, leading me to our tent. I laid down on the blankets that were thrown down for us, waiting for Ardeth to join me. He took off his weapons and outer robe, leaving his loose tunic top and pants on before laying down next to me. I scooched over until I was flush against his side, my head on his chest. He put his arm around me, the other resting on his sword, just in case. I quickly fell asleep to the rhythmic beating of his heart.

All too soon, Ardeth was waking me up, insisting that it was time to break down camp and travel until the sun was too hot. In a daze, I helped gather the blankets and loaded them onto the spare horse. Ardeth and Nasir packed up our tent and cleared the area, removing all trace of us, before we mounted up and continued on our way. We carried on this way for two more days before we could see Cairo on the horizon. We quickened our pace and were in the city at sundown. The Medjai had a residence here for whenever they came into town for business. This is where we were staying for the duration of our visit. I dismounted, excitement for the coming days fueling my actions, and with a nod from Ardeth, handed over my reins and entered the house, moving quickly through each room, making it habitable. I finished in the kitchen, getting a dinner ready for us.