“See to them. Hide the crown and leave them. Your fighting skills may be needed.” He dashed away.
Tira was torn between grabbing the symbols and following him or hiding them. In his haste he could have been seen. She peered outside and stared at the shadows. Kashe’s flight seemed to have gone unnoticed. She returned inside. The scent of their lovemaking permeated the air.
She moved the stones and fitted the crown behind them. If she carried the symbols to the tomb she would have no way to defend herself. After drawing a deep breath she built the wall higher by a few rocks.
Bast Ka appeared. The cat tugged on Tira’s robe as if urging her to hurry. She slipped from the cave. After learning what had happened at the hiding place she would return and retrieve the results of the quest.
Chapter 24
Kashe raced after Horu Ka. In his haste to reach the unfinished tomb and his companions he tripped over some stones and fell to the ground. His cheek scraped a boulder. Holding back a cry of pain and surprise he remained on his knees and tried to control the fear roiling in his gut. Caution was needed. He rose and checked his surroundings. He saw no one. He heard no sound that signaled trouble from prowling men. Light from the moon ebbed and flowed as clouds scudded across the sky. Why had Merin screamed?
He stared at the hawk and wished the bird could talk. The animal companions had vanished the moment Tira had stood on the ledge holding the crown. He’d thought the pair had vanished because the quest had ended. He had been wrong.
Kashe moved forward with more caution and less of the panic that had pulled him from Tira and the cave. They had been freed from the terms expressed in the scroll Horu Ka had delivered with the amulet. Or had them been fooled into believing their role had ended with the recovery of the flail, crook and double crown. The words of the scroll were burned into his thoughts. She had come from afar. He was of the Two Lands. They had remained chaste until the symbols were in their hands. They had completed their quest.
Kashe jogged between a pair of jagged rocks. His belief in the completion of the quest wavered. With a blinding stab the words of the dying Horu priest sliced into his head. Protect the daughter. Kashe groaned. He had promised. Did that mean he had undertaken a second quest? Had he erred when he’d allowed joy and love to erase all memory of that promise until now? He didn’t know what to believe.
He stumbled and regained his balance. There had been no more cries after the scream that had startled Tira and him. What did that mean? He could imagine grave robbers finding the tomb and fighting with the others. Were they prisoners? Were the thieves waiting to ambush Tira and him?
Though he wanted to think Merin’s cry had been one unheard by others and his race to the rescue had been for no reason he knew in his gut there was trouble. The cry had been too clear for whatever had happened to have occurred in the tomb. He needed to know why Merin had left the shelter.
Had the lovemaking destroyed all they had gained? Their joining had shown the depth of his feeling for Tira. Each touch, every kiss and the spoken words had come from his heart. If they had mistaken the ending of the quest the fault was his. Her part had ended. The goddess had given Tira a task and he had been sent by Horu as a helper.
He paused to catch his breath. He should have considered the future of the Two Lands and not his own with Tira. The fear he’d felt when he’d lowered her into the chamber where serpents had coiled to strike had been strong. Her safe return had raised elation. His jaw clenched. Tira’s quest had ended but had his?
The graying sky heralded the coming dawn. He reached the boulders leading to the hiding place and listened for sounds. When none were heard he climbed to the ledge. With stealth he crept down the passage. Light from several saucer lamps created dancing shadows on the wall.
When Kashe edged into the chamber he muffled an angry shout with his fist. Signs of a struggle were evident. The sacks of food had been dumped and some of the contents trampled. The bundles had been searched. Namose, Merin and Tuten were gone.
He lit a torch. Holding the flaming brand close to the floor, he stooped to examine several dark spots. He touched one with a finger. Still wet and tacky. The attack had occurred not long ago. He followed the trail. Who had been injured? He reached the end of the tunnel.
Bast Ka leaped to his side. Tira followed. “What happened?”
“There was a struggle. Someone was hurt. Our friends are gone. Come and look. Maybe you can see more than I did.”
She bent to touch a spot of blood. “I think this happened after Merin screamed.”
Kashe handed her the torch. “I’ll follow the trail.” He slipped from the ledge.
“I’ll go with you.”
He shook his head. “Wait here. They might escape and return to the tomb. If they do we must be ready to leave. See how much of our supplies remain.”
She knelt at the edge of the rock lip. “What about the symbols? They’re still in the cave.”
“They should be safe for now. Are they more valuable than my brother, my friend and Merin?”
Tira flinched. He groaned. He hadn’t meant to snap but her obsession with the symbols irritated him.
“Perhaps they are, but remember the symbols were my quest. Without them I could become a prisoner or even die.” She paused. “Could the capture of our friends be a final test?”
“You could be right.” He dropped to the ground. “You can return for those objects. If Namose or Merin are forced to talk the priests will come for us and you will fail.”
Tira rubbed her arms. “I don’t want that to happen.”
Kashe looked up. “Then we must succeed. Follow my plan and don’t take another rash step. I’ll follow the blood trail.”
Tira sighed. “I still think we should remain together but I will see what I can do here.” She looked at the sky. “The symbols will have to remain in the cave for the present. The sun rises soon and the priests will be astir. Be careful.”
Kashe slowly followed the trail of blood. He nearly tripped over the body of a man wearing a dark robe. The gash on the man’s calf made Kashe believe the blood he’d found in the cave belonged to this thief. What next? He could return to the tomb but he needed to learn if his companions had been captured and where they were. Perhaps he could stage a rescue.
He continued angling toward the temple wall. Ahead he saw a second body. This one wore a mottled robe. Kashe darted forward and crouched beside his friend. “Tuten, who did this to you?” He ran his hands over the older man’s face. Tuten’s skin held an ashy hue. His flesh felt warm, not the clammy cold of death. “My friend, what happened to you?”
The older man stirred. His eyes opened. “Grave robbers. A priest. Came.”
“How did they find you?”
“Chest hurt. Slept. Merin crept away.” He sucked a breath. “Namose followed. Both captured. Men forced them to tomb.” White lines appeared around his mouth. “Tried to fight. Stabbed one. Hit me.” He gasped for breath. “Stunned. Roused and followed.”
“What happened to Namose and Merin?”
“Temple.” Tuten grimaced and rubbed his chest.
“Why?”
“Reward. Jewelry.”
“What barge is ours?”
“Plover. Canal. Last dock.” Agony filled his eyes. “Live. Destroy Aken Re. Honor Horu, Bast, Toth.” His mouth twisted. His hand slipped to the ground.
“Horru. Horru,” the hawk cried.
Kashe felt sorrow well inside. He bowed his head. “Horu, god of the skies, spread your wings and carry this warrior to the afterlife.” He gulped a breath and fought to control his grief. “Those priests will pay. Your death lies on my shoulders.”
A hand touched his arm. With a raised mace he whirled. The weapon spun in an arc. He saw Tira and dropped the heavy implement.
“Is he dead?” she asked. “Did they kill him?”
Kashe shook his head. “No wound other than a lump on his head. He spoke of pain and rubbed his chest. This is my fault. If I ha
dn’t asked him to help Namose Tuten would have stayed at home.”
Tira crouched beside him. “He chose to stay. Before we climbed the cliff I told him to sell the camels and return to his house.” She brushed her hand over Tuten’s face and closed his eyes. “He believed helping us was his way of serving Horu.”
Kashe turned away and blinked tears from his eyes. “I will avenge him. He was my tutor and friend.”
“More, I think. To him you were the son he never had.”
Kashe rose. He walked away.
“Where are you going?” Tira asked. “We can’t leave him here for the jaguas to savage.”
Kashe turned. “His being here is my fault. My brother is missing and that’s my fault, too.”
Tuten had been the only one who had understood why Kashe had wanted to serve Horu. His chest ached. More tears threatened but he wasn’t a child to cry over death. He would grieve in silence. As long as the priests of Aken Re threatened to destroy the gods of the Two Lands he would work to see them gone. Kashe stumbled toward the temple wall.
Chapter 25
As Kashe vanished among the rocks Tira’s shoulders slumped. She knew how grief could make a person act in strange ways but she feared Kashe ran toward danger rather than away from her. He blamed himself for all that had recently occurred, a foolish idea. They had done nothing wrong. If Merin and Namose had remained in the tomb none of this would have happened. The five companions would have the symbols and be on the way to Tebes.
She pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle any sound she might make. What would she do if Kashe failed to return? She didn’t know this land. She had no idea of the boat’s name or how to sail across the river. Most of her coins were gone leaving her too few to pay someone to transport her. She knew nothing of Tebes or of the temples of the Three. Panic flowed through her thoughts and kept her pinned in place.
Tears trickled down her cheeks. Tuten had been kind to her. He’d sheltered her in his home. He had remained to help though she had urged him to go home. No matter what Kashe thought she couldn’t leave Tuten for the priests to find or for the jaguas and vultures to tear apart. The first notes of the morning chants spurred her into action. She dashed to the unfinished toms and returned with a blanket.
After wrapping Tuten’s body she dragged him toward the hiding place. She felt thankful he wasn’t a huge man. During the trip she made detours around boulders. Twice she stopped to clear small rocks from the path.
The chanting stopped. She crouched behind a boulder and watched a group of priests leave the temple. When they vanished she continued to pull Tuten’s body/
By the time she reached the chamber she sank to the ground. Though she should return to the ledge to watch the priests and make sure they didn’t go near the hidden symbols she couldn’t move.
Anger rolled through her body. Guilt followed in its wake. Why had she believed finding the crook, the flail and the double crown signaled the end of the quest? Once she’d held the crown, triumph had geyesered and sent her into Kashe’s arms believing all restraints on their joining were gone.
Love had betrayed her again. Just as Luci had acted selfishly Tira knew she had done the same. Would Kashe and she be able to overcome what their lovemaking had cost? She yawned and pinched herself in an effort to remain awake. Her thoughts drifted between what was and what should have been.
Tira gasped. She had dozed. The torch had burned out. Only the flickering flame of a single saucer lamp remained. She lit another torch and examined the walls of the tomb. She noticed on one side wall a place where the opening for a tunnel had been started. She dragged Tuten’s body across the stone and fitted him into the space. Then she carried rocks and stones to build a wall.
“Rest well Tuten, warrior of Horu. May you find peace and joy in the afterlife.”
Those words released the tears she’d held inside. She curled on her blanket and allowed memories of the short time she had known the older man to flow. Bast Ka curled beside her. The cat’s rumbling purr brought comfort. For a time Tira drifted in memories. When the tears ceased she washed her face and walked to the end of the tunnel. She peered at the sky. The sun had reached midday.
They symbols would have to wait until the sun set. She studied the groups of priests roaming through the Valley. None approached the cave where the symbols lay. She prayed none would stray in that direction and force her to take an action that could add to the danger she and Kashe faced.
Heaving a weary sigh she returned to the chamber. She took a sack and sorted through the spilled food. Once she had gathered what little could be saved she cut slices of hard cheese and took several pieces of flatbread. She carried her spoils to the ledge.
Where was Kashe? If he’d been captured she needed to know. Could she mount a rescue?
Another group of priests left the temple. She watched their progress among the boulders. When they strode along the cliff past the cave where the symbols hid she tensed. They continued past and the tension seeped away. The white robed men paused near the place where the avalanche had tossed rocks and boulders from the crook’s hiding place.
Knowing there was nothing more to be done she returned to the chamber. She sorted through the bundles and wrapped four with blankets, clothes and clothing. She saved a pack for the crown.
A sigh of regret arose. Not only was Merin’s jewelry gone but the three collar necklaces had been taken. Did the thieves who had captured Namose and Merin take them to sell? Had the priests seized them?
Once all was in order she returned to the ledge and waited for the priests to return to the temple. The moment the chanting began Tira climbed to the ground. She planned a course of action if Kashe failed to return. Having no other choice she would take the symbols and somehow travel to the Bast temple where she’d awakened and this adventure began.
With caution she moved across the Valley. Shadows gathered and the moon rose. Each time she heard a sound or saw a shadow thicken she hid for fear they were signs of grave robbers. Bast Ka flitted ahead and returned to warn her with tugs on the robe’s hem. Finally she neared the cave.
A bark of laughter startled her. “They’ll pay well for these things.” A gruff voice held a note of triumph.
“Why give them to the priests?” The second man’s voice rose thin and reedy.
How many were there? If just two she stood a chance or wresting the symbols from them. She groped on the ground for a fist-sized rock.
“Don’t you understand what we’ve found?” A third man’s voice held a trace of the accent she’d heard from the priest who had accosted Kashe in Mero.
“What do you mean?” the first speaker asked.
“These things are shown on the temple murals as being in the possession of the pharaoh.”
“So.”
“The priests of Aken Re, the sole god of the world, wishes to name the one who will rule.”
Definitely three men. Tira slipped toward the opening and peered inside. She must retrieve the symbols. Why had Kashe forgotten their purpose for being here? There was no time to return to the tomb to see if he had returned. These men would vanish with the flail, crook and crown.
One of the men approached the entrance. “I’ll keep my share of the spoils.”
Tira pressed against the rough cliff wall. She waited until the burly man passed her. She smashed the rock against his head. He fell. The crook clattered to the ground.
“Clumsy oaf,” the man with the foreign accent said. “If he has damaged the crook Hebu, beloved of Aken Re will be angry.”
“What do you mean?” the man with the reedy voice asked. “The priests have no claim on what we’ve found.”
While the men argued Tira jumped over the fallen man and ducked into the cave. She attacked the pair. One of the men threatened his companion with a knife. He whirled to face her. Thankfully she had practiced fighting while wearing the cumbersome robe. She caught the thin man across the throat with the side of her hand. His shout ended in a gurgle.
The knife man laughed. Remembering the poisoned blade carried by the priest Kashe had discovered in the rocks above the oasis she slid to the side. Her opponent lunged. Tira jumped back and fell over the body of the downed thief. A line of pain ran up her arm.
She rolled away and bounced to her feet. Once again she lashed out, this time with a foot. She caught the knife wielder’s arm and sent the blade into the air. The man charged. When he was inches away she pivoted. He plunged past and slammed into the wall. She paused to catch her breath, then stuffed the crown into a sack and grabbed the flail. She moved to the opening.
The brightness of the moon forced her to shade her eyes. Her foot brushed the first man’s leg. He groaned. Tira grabbed the crook and hid in the shadows cast by an overhang. With Bast Ka as a guide Tira moved from boulder to boulder. She heard the click of sandals on the stone and froze.
Bast Ka yowled. One of the jaguas landed near the sacred cat. Bast Ka rose on hind legs and made a growling sound. The tri-colored feline bounded toward the cave where the symbols had been hidden. Tira didn’t wait for sounds of confrontation. She scurried from shadow to shadow until she reached the unfinished tomb.
Once inside the chamber Tira slumped on her blanket. Her retrieval and escape had been fortunate. The slash on her arm throbbed. She removed the robe and used water from one of the leather bags to clean the wound. Using light from a freshly lit torch she checked to make sure no shreds of cloth remained in the cut. She had been lucky no large blood vessel had been severed. Once the area was clean and dry she wrapped a strip of linen around her arm and used her teeth to tie strips around the dressing. With a weary sigh she drank water sweetened with honey and ate dates and cheese.
She dragged her blanket into a corner. Where was Kashe? Nearly a day had passed since he’d run off. Once again she worried about what to do if he didn’t return. He wanted to take the symbols across the river to Tebes. Though the idea was a good one she had no knowledge of the area. Her decision to make the trek to the Bast temple in Mero was the best alternative. Though she wanted to remain awake she lost the battle.
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