Bast's Warrior

by Walters, Janet Lane;

  “Do you sense trouble on the way?”

  “Trouble always lurks when those priests are involved. They are the source of many problems with their plans to usurp the rule.”

  “Stay safe.” Tuten backed away.

  Once the older man departed Kashe left the tent so Namose could sleep. Kashe set about organizing supplies so those more easily spoiled could be used first. When his brother woke Kashe helped the youth walk. As soon as Namose faltered Kashe helped his brother to the fire.

  Tira joined them. She pointed to the remainder of the stew. “Namose, eat. Then I’ll check your wounds. Tomorrow I’ll show you some easy exercises to prepare you for learning the ways of unarmed combat.”

  The youth’s eyes lit with pleasure. He spooned food into his mouth. “Will you teach Kashe?”

  She shrugged. “Only if he wants to learn. Even if he doesn’t join us by watching he can see what I do.”

  Namose turned to Kashe. “Will you join us?”

  “Not a good idea at the present time. When we complete the quest I’ll be glad to learn a new skill.”

  “Why wait?”

  Kashe filled a cup with water and handed it to his brother. “Drink.”

  “You’re ignoring my question. Why wait?”

  “Learning a new fighting skill will be difficult since I’ll need to break patterns my body has learned to follow. Eat the stew and we’ll walk again.”

  Their days fell into a routine. Namose’s wounds continued to remain free of poison and they healed. He grew stronger. Tira removed the bandages except during their practice sessions. Twice a day they moved through the patterns. While Tira and the youth engaged in their exercises Kashe climbed the rocks to check their surroundings. Horu Ka went aloft during the day. The hawk often returned with lizards and snakes he had caught. He shared with the cat.

  On the fourth day after leaving, Tuten arrived with a fully loaded camel. Kashe reached for the full leather water sacks. “Did you have any trouble/”

  “None. The market was a hive of rumors. Your father posted a reward for Namose.”

  “And me?”

  Tuten shook his head. “You know he hasn’t.”

  A stab of sadness pierced Kashe’s chest. “Just hoped for once he would give me value. We’ll leave at sunset, travel at night and camp during the day.”

  “Bought another panel for the tent.”

  “With three in ours we can use it.” Kashe lifted several sacks and carried them to the fire.

  “There’s beer and pomegranate wine.”

  “Wine?”

  “For Tira.”

  Kashe chuckled. “She might enjoy a change from leather flavored water.” He waved for Tira and Namose to join them. “Tuten has news.”

  Once they settled near the small fire Tuten began his tale. My friend made the purchases and gathered information. The priests of Aken Re are recruiting fighting men. A few malcontents have taken the offer. They’re the kind of men who will desert if they aren’t paid.”

  “Why are they gathering an army?” Tira asked.

  “My friend heard rumors that those priests know where the daughter is hiding. They plan the marriage to Pian to take place two moons from now. They’ve invited all the nomarchs to attend. Following the marriage they’ll use this army to force the people of the Two Lands to worship their god.”

  Kashe leaned forward. “And this is the mob they wanted me to lead.”

  “I’m sure that’s what they want.” Tuten leaned forward. “The priests and the hired men are leaving by barge and chariot for the temple they stole from Toth.”

  Namose groaned. “My fault. I told them about the map.”

  Kashe shook his head. “The map isn’t the entire reason. The wedding is.” He drained his cup. “Everyone should rest. We leave at sunset. The moon is full tonight.”

  For five sun turns they traveled by night and slept during the heat of the day. On the morning of the fifth day they reached a pocket oasis surrounded by rocks and a low cliff. Palm trees clustered around a grassy area where water spouted from the rocks into an oval pool.

  Kashe watched Tira instruct his brother. Though Namose’s movements were an awkward imitation of Tira’s fluid grace Kashe saw the seeds of his brother’s future agility had been planted. With a groan he shoved envy aside. One day he and Tira would meet in a more physical dance.

  When the practice session continued Tuten joined Kashe. “She turns fighting into a dance. She moves with the grace of a jagua. Why don’t you join the pair? To watch you and Tira would be a joy for my eyes.”

  Kashe shook his head. “Not now but one day we will. We must keep our thoughts on the quest.”

  The older man arched a brow. “So it’s like that, is it?”

  Kashe’s face heated. “You see too much, my friend. “Why don’t you try?”

  Tuten’s laughter echoed from the rocks. “This jackal is too old for such contortions. The stiffness of age fills my joints. Have you any clue to where in the Valley the symbols will be found?”

  “Namose thinks clues will be found in the Horu temple.” He explained his brother’s reasoning.

  “Makes sense. Did he tell you about the hidden one we’ll pass on our way to the Valley? They raise hawks there. Has Namose told Tira his theory?”

  “I don’t know.” Kashe glanced skyward. He touched Tuten’s arm. "Look at Horu Ka. See the way he circles those rocks. I think there’s something I should investigate.”

  “Take care.” The older man rose. “I’ll join the fighters and create a diversion.”

  “Good enough.” Kashe sauntered toward the pool. The deep shadows of the overhang hid his movements. With care he slipped around the tumbled boulders until he found a place to climb. Cautiously he placed his feet to keep from disturbing stones or making sounds that would betray him. The shadowed rocks felt cool but where the sun touched the heat was intense.

  He discovered a narrow gap between a pair of massive boulders leading in the direction where the hawk circled. Between steps he listened for sounds.

  When the passage widened he pressed against the wall and slid forward. A ragged circle faced him. A notch in the rock wall overlooked the oasis. Kashe scanned the area and saw nothing. Horu Ka shot high and turned to dive. What did the hawk attack?

  A movement revealed a man dressed in a robe shaded with the colors of stone and shadows. Kashe drew his knife. He dashed across the rubble strewn circle. With the hilt of his knife he struck the stranger behind one ear. The man fell. A strung bow clattered on the ground.

  Kashe used the bowstring to bind the man’s wrists and rolled him over. The hawk landed on the lurker’s chest and used a talon to pull a chain from beneath the cloth to reveal a rayed disc. A priest of Aken Re. What was he doing here? Did he have allies nearby? Kashe pulled the man to his feet. Though his eyes were unfocused the man’s mouth formed a thin line. Kashe pushed him through the passage and half-dragged him into camp.

  Namose and Tira halted their lessons. Bast Ka clawed the priest’s robe. His eyes narrowed.

  “Who are you?” Kashe demanded.

  “I serve Aken Re and answer only to Him. To speak my name would give you power over me.” The accent of a foreigner tinged the priest’s voice. His dark eyes glowed with the fire of a fanatic.

  Kashe leaned over the man. “Why are you here?”

  “I seek the daughter.”

  “On the desert where the nomads roam?”

  “I have been to the clans and found her not. Yet the omens told me she would be there. As I returned I saw your party approach and knew you were enemies.” He pointed to Tira. “She is not the daughter.”

  Kashe laughed. “She is a warrior of Bast.”

  The priest sneered. “Aken Re is the god of all men. Out of the desolate wastelands of the east he called his servants. From the lush valley of another river he drew men to his worship. He bade us carry his name to all men. You and every person who lives in this land must bow to his power.�
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  Kashe scowled. “The people of the Two Lands have no need for Aken Re. Horu, Bast and Toth serve us well.”

  The priest’s face turned scarlet. He fought the bonds. “All men need Aken Re. He is the sun that brings the day and the moon that lights the darkness of night.” With a sudden jerk he broke the bowstring and leaped to his feet. Blood dripped from the cuts on his wrists. He pulled a copper blade from beneath his robe and lunged toward Tira and Namose.

  She pushed the youth behind her. With one of her fierce cries she crouched and then leaped into the air. The knife sliced toward her. The side of her foot caught the priest’s arm. The blade flew into high and landed point down in the sand. The priest scrambled to catch the hilt.

  “Take care,” Tuten shouted. “The knife is poisoned.”

  The priest advanced on Tira. She whirled and caught his knee with her foot. He staggered and fell. The blade sliced his arm. Blood pooled on the sand.

  Kashe kicked the knife away. “Priest of Aken Re, why did you spy on us?”

  The man’s laughter soared to an ear-piercing tone. “Because you were here.” His body shook and his back arched. He screamed.

  Kashe pressed his hands over his ears. The sound died and the body stilled. Kashe turned to his companions. “We must leave at once. Who knows if there are more of his ilk around?”

  Chapter 13

  Tira urged the camel forward. For three nights and into each day they had raced their steeds. Stops were few except to eat hasty meals and to spend the hottest part of the day in the tents. She prayed they reached their destination and end the jolting pace of this riding animal. She groaned. Oh for a drink of cold water rather than the warm fluid in her flask.

  She shifted her position. The saddle felt iron-clad and fashioned to test her tolerance for pain. As the sun rose she searched the horizons for signs of greenery. Kashe insisted they would soon reach the oasis. All she saw were distant cliffs and sand.

  Since the discovery and death of the enemy priest Kashe had pushed the pace as though he feared the man’s ghost rode in their wake. The slosh of her flask matched the camel’s ungainly run. Thirst called for a drink but she refrained. What little water remained must be rationed until they reached a place to replenish their store.

  She straightened. At least she’d learned how to use the prod to control the camel. The embarrassment of having to wait for one of the men to entice the creature to kneel had ended on the second night of this mad dash.

  Tira peered toward the towering cliffs and felt excitement build. The rocks and boulders seemed to have been blown into place by a giant’s breath on the sand. Did Kashe know where they were going? How would anyone scale that massive wall? She had to trust his judgment. What she knew about the Two Lands came from books written about another world and a culture long dead.

  The rocking motion of the beast tumbled her into a dreamy state. She emerged with a start and rubbed her eyes. She had to remain alert lest she lose her balance and take a header. Though loose and easily stirred, sand wasn’t soft.

  Her thoughts turned to the dead priest of Aken Re. How had he found them? Was some kind of magic involved? He’d spoken of coming from the desert and of seeking the daughter. Tira wondered if he had lied. They had found no stray camel or any signs of other men. His robe had provided a perfect camouflage. Now his body lay beneath the sands. If he had companions they wouldn’t find him unless a storm exposed his resting place. Though the gold-rayed disc he’d worn was valuable they had buried the amulet with him. Kashe had feared the medallion was tainted by magic.

  A light breeze lifted sand into a whirling column. As the sand devil grew, Tira tensed. What would they do if they encountered a storm? She’d read how the wind-driven grains could abrade skin from bones. Surely Tuten and Kashe knew ways to protect them from such an occurrence.

  Tira shifted in the saddle but found no ease for her battered bottom. When would they make camp? She needed a practice session to unknot her kinked muscles and to bleed away excess energy. Teaching Namose was fun but she missed having a sparring partner whose skills matched hers. Though Kashe didn’t know her style he was a fighter and could be a worthy opponent.

  She thought of being skin to skin with him. Foolish thought and a futile desire, at least for now. Until they completed the search for the crook, flail and double crown their passion must remain bottled. One day the cork would pop and they would explode like lava from an erupting volcano. She smiled and slid into a daydream.

  The ebony eyes of the priest flashed in her thoughts and destroyed the budding fantasy. Were all the priests of Aken Re fanatics? Did they all come from another country or had they enticed men of the Two Lands to serve their god?

  She urged the camel faster and drew even with Tuten. “When will we make camp?”

  The older man turned his head. “We’re nearly to the oasis. See that spire of rock. The oasis is beyond there.”

  Tira frowned. “It must be small.”

  Tuten laughed. “The distance between the spire and the wall is greater than you think.”

  “I see.”

  “The temple of Horu I told you about when you guested in my house isn’t far from the oasis. Kashe and I will go there. He has a need to see the priests. They’ll also have news about events in the land.”

  “Is visiting the temple wise? Venturing near people brings the risk of discovery by our enemies.”

  “The Horu priests will never serve the enemy. They were among the staunchest fighters when the last pharaoh led the battle to drive the invaders away.”

  “What about the servants who care for the temple and the priests?”

  “Horu temples have no slaves and keep few servants. They share the work among themselves. There is a reason Kashe must visit. You were given your amulet in a temple of Bast. Kashe received his from the hawk. Though the bird is sacred to the god of the skies, a priest must give Kashe’s name to the god.”

  ‘Why?”

  “His father promised him to Aken Re. Kashe must be sure there will be no question of which god he serves.”

  Tira nodded. That was a reason she understood. Her name was known to Bast. She also thought about Namose’s theory of the symbols and how Horu was the only one of the Three not to have provided a clue to the finding. “I want to go with you.”

  Tuten shook his head. “We can’t all go until we learn if they can be of help.” With those words he goaded his camel into a gallop.

  She stared after him. What was this about? Did the priests of Horu dislike women? Since the hawk had brought the scroll Kashe often quoted perhaps the pronouncement showed the god’s prejudices. But the scroll had also held a promise of a time for her and Kashe.

  Kashe’s camel disappeared behind the rock. So did the pack beast, Namose’s and Tuten’s mounts. Her camel’s gait increased. The jolting movement made her fear her spine was being driven into her skull. They rounded the spire. She saw grass and trees. With a little prodding her steed knelt.

  Gratefully she slid to the ground. Until her legs steadied she clung to the saddle.

  Kashe waved. “We’ll camp here for several days. While you and Namose set up camp Tuten and I will go to the temple.” He glanced at the sky. “If they have knowledge to help our search we’ll return for you.”

  “How far must you travel?”

  “We should be there and back before the sun sets,” Tuten said.

  “Do you think it’s wise to split our forces?”

  Kashe stared at the ground. “I must speak my name before the priests with no one present who isn’t sworn to Horu. You belong to Bast and Namose can’t choose one of the Three for another year.”

  Tira had to accept his words as true. “Go and don’t linger.”

  As soon as the two left Tira and Namose unloaded the pack camel and set up the tents. He built a fire. She put a pot of chick peas and dried meat over the flames. Then she went to the small pool that formed where water tumbled over the rocks. She washed her fa
ce and hands and the clothes she’d worn during the trek. How glad she was that the warrior had given her a supply of kilts and breast bands. Once she finished she sent Namose to do the same.

  When the youth returned to the fire, she rose. “Come and practice. We can wash again when we finish.” The look on his face made her want to giggle.

  They left the oasis for the sand beyond the spire. They began with stretching exercises and moved to the basic fighting movements. Namose had mastered them but he remained slow. She glanced at the sky. Vultures circled a dark spot on the ground. An animal? Another priest? She turned to Namose. “Wait here. I want to see what attracts the carrion eaters. Bast Ka will stay with you.”

  As she loped across the rubble strewn ground toward the place where some of the avians had landed she wondered what she would find. As she drew closer she didn’t think the figure was large to be a man but what would a child be doing here? The body lay face down. Dead? Yet the vultures remained at a distance.

  Just as Tira had decided the fallen was dead the figure tried to rise. Tira shouted and ran forward sending the birds flapping into the air. Their squawks of protest hurt her ears and the heavy beat of their wings made them appear like a dark storm cloud. She reached the girl and helped her to her feet. Her arms and legs were scraped and also bore the redness of sunburn.

  She lifted the girl. “Who are you?” A moan was the only answer. The young woman’s lips were cracked. Sand clumped on her robe. Tira lifted the girl and carried her to the camp.

  Who was she? A glance at her burden’s features brought the realization that this wasn’t a child. Was she another person transported from one world to another? Tira’s brow wrinkled. The place where the girl had fallen was near the path Kashe and Tuten had taken. How had they missed her?

  When she returned with the girl she sent Namose for a cup and to heat some meat in water for a broth. Once he’d left she started to remove the girl’s robe.

  “No. No.” The harsh whisper spoke of panic.

  “It’s all right. I’m a friend.”

  The young woman opened her eyes. “Friends. How?” Her brown eyes filled with questions.