Amgyptapan

Chapter 3: The Tribe/Meeting Serina

The reply came quickly. It reads as follows:

Dear Amenemhet,

We have received your letter asking for permission to visit. I freely give what you request. The tribe and I eagerly await your arrival. I am curious as to what troubles you, my country-neighbor.

-Chief Shalom

Upon receiving the letter, Pharaoh Amenemhet immediately ordered that the packing commence. Nothile had appointed his favorite priest to stand in for him while he was away. The Madjei General had been appointed to stand in for Amenemhet. The servants were packing supplies for all four of the ones traveling, which would be stored with the two servants accompanying the Pharaoh and High Priest.

"What if you are still away when it is time for the sacrificial planting ceremony?" Nothile's stand-in worried.

"How many times have all eleven of us performed that ceremony?" Nothile asked, an eyebrow raised and his hands on his hips.

"At least five. What if the rest of us mess up and it is my fault?" The priest continued to worry.

Nothile smiled and replied, " I am sure you will do fine! If it will make you feel better, I will see if we can get back in time for me to take over. Besides, the ceremony is not for a month yet."

"Nothile, I believe that we are ready to leave." Pharaoh Amenemhet declared from behind Nothile near the entrance to the temple.

The High Priest nodded. With a final goodbye too his favorite priest, Nothile turned and followed Pharaoh Amenemhet to the courtyard where the chariots were waiting. One was decked out in jewels; Pharaoh's personal chariot. Another was covered with hieroglyphs and belonged to Nothile. A third was ordinary and stocked with supplies for the journey; borrowed by the servants accompanying them.

After making sure that they had everything they needed, the three chariots were off. They raced towards Sudan with a fury befitting their worry for their beloved city. The horses pounded their hooves as fast as their legs would carry them. Day turned into night before the horses tired.

"Pharaoh, I understand that it is vital that we get to Sudan as quickly as possible, but it is dark and the horses can no longer run. If we push them any further, they will die. Then, where will we be?" Nothile reasoned in order for Pharaoh Amenemhet to call it quits until morning.

"You are right." Pharaoh Amenemhet sighed then announced for the servants to hear, "We will rest here for the night and set out first thing in the morning!"

Nothile's first thought was to make sure that his horse was rehydrated. Unfortunately, there was no oasis near, so the High Priest got one of the water provisions, a container to place it in, and poured the water into the container. With that done, he held it for his beloved horse. Our of the corner of his eye, Nothile noticed that the two servants were following his lead.

"Nothile, I swear, you love that horse more than any woman I have seen on your arm!" Amenemhet remarked while the two servants were distracted.

"'Emhet, I do not see why it should be any other way. After all, the women that I occasionally share my bed with only care about my position. My dear Fashes does not care that I am a High Priest. She does not care how much spiritual power I possess. She cares only that I am kind to her, that I give her attention, that I never apply the whip. I would very much like to find a woman like my beloved mare, a woman to love me for me, not my position or my abilities." Nothile replied.

Amenemhet sighed, "I want that for you, my friend. You deserve true love more than anyone I have known."

Nothile hummed in response. Once this was over, he would try harder to find the type of woman he was looking for. The women that occasionally draped his arm...well, he had urges like every other man. Urges had to be quenched, right?"