Another Time, Another Place
Chapter Three
Departures
*Author's note-and we once again return to Ardeth Bey after a battle. Everyone notice how he's all alone in the last shot of Mummy Returns? Well, we're just going to say that all the warriors are beginning to disperse and they all begin to head back to where they're supposed to be. Again, our warrior needs a little time to think.
Standard disclaimer; if it's in the movie, it's not mine. If you sue me, you won't make any money because I don't have any! Again, the warning. If you're a devout Imhotep/Anck-su-namun fan, what are you doing here? This is not for you. *
**night in the desert**
Ardeth finished grooming his horse and setting up camp for the night. He wished he could have said a more concrete goodbye to the O'Connells, but such was life. Knowing Rick and Evelyn, he'd probably see them again soon. At least Alex was safe. The Creature was defeated, the cult destroyed, and the Scorpion King had been returned to the underworld. He wished he knew exactly what had happened to the Creature. Losing track of him made Ardeth uneasy. Well, the Med-jai would just have to be more vigilant than ever. A haunting voice rose to the back of his mind, asking if the Creature deserved what had happened to him. Ardeth shook his head to dispel the memory and wrapped his blanket around himself.
The sounds of others warriors talking and laughing around the fire seemed miles away. Ardeth had deliberately absented himself from the celebrations, but he was beginning to wish for companionship. The fire was two dunes over and it just seemed like too much effort to get up right now.
A horse's hoof-beats against the sand snapped him out of the doze he had slipped into. Who was out this far from camp? "Mahmoud?" he called. "Alliyan?"
No answer but the wind and the sounds of a horse. The situation was eerily familiar to the night of the Creature's defeat at Hamunaptra.
"Greetings, Ardeth Bey."
He knew that voice; soft, oddly accented, a feel of intelligence, and a silvery, ethereal quality. "Rhianna."
"Indeed. Can you see me?" Her voice was tired.
Ardeth stared around the dunes, peering at where he heard her voice. At last he sighed. "No. Forgive me, Rhianna, I see nothing but moonlight and sand."
"Stars curse it. I'd hoped. Well, it doesn't matter." A few feet away there were sounds of someone settling into the sand and a horse snorting and pawing at the ground. "Peace, Aspen. You know he will not hurt us."
"Indeed I will not." Ardeth was slightly indignant. "I did give my oath." He wrapped the blanket more firmly about himself, wondering how this would play out. Why was the Wanderer here?
"You are restless." Rhianna observed.
"Yes." Ardeth replied. "Why are you here?"
He felt her annoyance, but somehow knew it wasn't directed at himself. "The same reason as last time." She snorted. "And with much the same results, it seems."
Ardeth was curious. "Is it that you are drawn to the Creature's--" he felt icy anger and hastened to appease her without giving in to naming names. "Your friend's location?"
The ice eased somewhat. "Yes, for all the good it does. And where was that place to the north you and your friends were? The place he was restored?"
"London." Ardeth noticed that she tactfully did not name the Creature.
"Hmm. The land almost reminds me of my home during winter." She sounded wistful. "Ai, how I grieve for the past. But what of yourself? Why are you out here alone?"
He pondered her question. Why was he out here alone, away from his warriors? At a loss for any explanation, he shrugged. "Why are *you* out here?"
"Once again, I felt I was needed. It seems my premonitions need to polish their sense of timing."
Her voice was wry and Ardeth couldn't help but smile. His next thought wiped the smile from his face. "Is the Creat- is he still here?" He squinted at the sand, white under the moonlight. Rhianna might be trustworthy, but he'd still feel easier conversing with a visible figure.
"I don't know. And for the record, I'm seated about three meters in front of you and to the left." There was a smile in her voice.
"How--??"
Rhianna laughed. "You were looking rather bewildered. And I've always had a gift for deciphering body language."
"Hmm. I'd still feel more at ease if I could speak with someone visible. How do I know you're not a mummy or one of the undead?"
She laughed. He was startled at how beautiful her laughter was. "Suspicious to the last, hmm? Well, I hasten to reassure you that I am not. You, however, would make quite a fine Atlantian." She teased and he began to chuckle as well. Soon they were both laughing loudly, so loudly that Ardeth didn't hear the footstep of one of his warriors until the man was crouched beside him.
"Sire." The lieutenant, Mahmoud, looked alarmed. "Are you well?"
This put quite a damper on Ardeth's amusement, but seemed to toss Rhianna into further throes of merriment. The lieutenant became even more unnerved, hearing disembodied female laughter from nowhere, and grabbed at Ardeth's arm. "What is it?" Mahmoud gasped, scimitar in hand, attempting to pull his leader to his feet.
"Mahmoud, I assure you I am well." Ardeth pulled out of his lieutenant's grasp and drew the frightened man down to sit in the sand beside him. "And I apologize for startling you. Rhianna?"
Rhianna had recovered from her mirth and sounded uneasy. "I am here."
"That voice!" Mahmoud gasped. "Do spirits haunt the camp?" He twisted in Ardeth's grip, turning to search the dunes for any sign of a speaker.
"Perhaps. I may haunt you for the rest of your days!" Rhianna sounded devilishly amused.
Ardeth rolled his eyes. "Not a ghost, my friend, but an ally and a previous acquaintance." He put a hand on Mahmoud's shoulder to keep him still. "She is the Wanderer."
Mahmoud's eyes were wide with shock. "The legends are true.? Sire, how can this be?"
Rhianna finally decided to give Ardeth a hand. "I am of a previous time, held to the earth by a curse. I mean you no harm, unless you harm me or mine." Aspen chose that moment to snuffle and stamp a hoof. "But my horse doesn't seem to like you very much."
"Sire, is this Wanderer truly an ally?" Mahmoud hissed at his leader. "How do we know she is not in league with the Creature?"
Ardeth winced at the palpable fury Rhianna was emitting and murmured, "She is apparently his friend, but has had the opportunity to cause me harm and has not done so. I deem her to be trustworthy, despite her choices of friends."
"Careful, Med-jai. Other friends of mine could say the same about you." Her voice was guarded.
Ardeth glanced at Mahmoud. The warrior was obviously putting two and two together. What would involving another person in this confidence mean? Still, it was a relief to have someone else hear Rhianna's voice, to reassure him he wasn't hallucinating.
She spoke again. "Is he trustworthy?"
Mahmoud bristled. "Of course I'm-"
"I ask not to offend you, but to secure my safety. What do you think would happen if people were told the Wanderer is out lurking in the desert? I doubt your people would be content to sit by and do nothing."
"Ah." Mahmoud relaxed a bit. "I see your point. With my leader's permission," he glanced at Ardeth, "I vow my silence."
Ardeth gave his lieutenant an approving nod and turned back to Rhianna's general direction. "Mahmoud is my most trusted lieutenant. He will not betray your confidence."
Rhianna's voice held a tired smile. "Thank you. It is good to have people to trust. And, though I regret it, I must be moving on. But I appreciate the conversation. Incidentally, do either of you know anything about falcons?"
Mahmoud shook his head, puzzled, but Ardeth's eyes became sad as well as guarded. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I found some kind of bird, just south of here, carrying a message. I think it's some type of falcon or hawk. My people bred such birds once, but they were a bit different than the one I discovered. You wouldn't happen to know of anyone who uses a winged messenger, would you?"
Ardeth felt hope stirring in his veins. "A falcon with a message in Med-jai script? With white and brown feathers?"
Rhianna's smile was felt by both warriors. "Indeed. He fell out of the sky onto my head. A little the worse for wear, but nothing a few good meals and some rest wouldn't cure." There were sounds of someone getting up, a horse snorting, and fabric being adjusted. "Ardeth, hold out your hands and we'll see if this works. I've been experimenting since we last met, and while progress has been made, I have no idea as to how recent events may effect my abilities."
Hardly daring to believe, the Med-jai extended his hands. Something feathered and heavy was put into them. He felt slender, gloved fingers on his own and a friendly squeezed before they drew away. When Rhianna's hands left his, a slightly battered falcon was visible in his outstretched palms.
"He's had some kind of wound to his wing, almost as though something tore through it at great speed, but I think he'll fly again once the feathers have grown back." There was a sound like someone swinging into a saddle. "Farewell, Ardeth Bay. Mahmoud, remember your silence." The sounds of horse and rider became fainter.
Mahmoud gaped at the pile of feathers in his leader's hands, which emitted a faint cry. The cry of a desert falcon. Ardeth, tears in his eyes, stroked the bird. "Horus?"
Again, Horus called softly and shifted in Ardeth's grip. The rather battered message clip and the slip of paper inside it tumbled down into the sand, winking bronze and silver in the moonlight. Ardeth looked up, gazed around the sand, wanting to thank Rhianna. He saw a shadow moving against the dune that marked where Ahm Shere's pyramid had been and grabbed Mahmoud's arm. "Do you see that?"
Mahmoud squinted in the direction Ardeth was gazing. An ebony horse, a rider, dressed in green with dark hair and pale eyes. "Is that her?"
"I think so." Ardeth replied softly, stroking Horus' feathers. They watched as she slid off the horse, standing before the dune that held the remnants of the Ahm Shere pyramid deep inside. She whispered something, head bowed, and brought her hands together, touching them first to her heart, then her forehead. A moments pause, and the figure mounted the horse once more, riding away.
His lieutenant stared at the figure. "She seems. different. Almost like." Mahmoud shook his head. I can't describe it. It was wrong of our ancestors to curse her." He said quietly.
Ardeth sighed. "Indeed. You may be right."
"What vengeance does she seek? Can her curse ever be lifted?" Mahmoud seemed almost imploring.
"Only the dead know now, my friend." Ardeth shook his head, stroking Horus. "Only the dead know."
**Author's note** Sorry this has taken so long, but life intrudes upon the creative minds of us all. Moving across the country is not good for anyone's muse. The next segment will bring the Med-jai and the O'Connell family together once more. and the O'Connells meet Rhianna. We find out what happened to Imhotep after Ahm Shere, and the Grey One enters the story once more. Let me know if anyone still holds any interest in this story!
*Author's note-and we once again return to Ardeth Bey after a battle. Everyone notice how he's all alone in the last shot of Mummy Returns? Well, we're just going to say that all the warriors are beginning to disperse and they all begin to head back to where they're supposed to be. Again, our warrior needs a little time to think.
Standard disclaimer; if it's in the movie, it's not mine. If you sue me, you won't make any money because I don't have any! Again, the warning. If you're a devout Imhotep/Anck-su-namun fan, what are you doing here? This is not for you. *
**night in the desert**
Ardeth finished grooming his horse and setting up camp for the night. He wished he could have said a more concrete goodbye to the O'Connells, but such was life. Knowing Rick and Evelyn, he'd probably see them again soon. At least Alex was safe. The Creature was defeated, the cult destroyed, and the Scorpion King had been returned to the underworld. He wished he knew exactly what had happened to the Creature. Losing track of him made Ardeth uneasy. Well, the Med-jai would just have to be more vigilant than ever. A haunting voice rose to the back of his mind, asking if the Creature deserved what had happened to him. Ardeth shook his head to dispel the memory and wrapped his blanket around himself.
The sounds of others warriors talking and laughing around the fire seemed miles away. Ardeth had deliberately absented himself from the celebrations, but he was beginning to wish for companionship. The fire was two dunes over and it just seemed like too much effort to get up right now.
A horse's hoof-beats against the sand snapped him out of the doze he had slipped into. Who was out this far from camp? "Mahmoud?" he called. "Alliyan?"
No answer but the wind and the sounds of a horse. The situation was eerily familiar to the night of the Creature's defeat at Hamunaptra.
"Greetings, Ardeth Bey."
He knew that voice; soft, oddly accented, a feel of intelligence, and a silvery, ethereal quality. "Rhianna."
"Indeed. Can you see me?" Her voice was tired.
Ardeth stared around the dunes, peering at where he heard her voice. At last he sighed. "No. Forgive me, Rhianna, I see nothing but moonlight and sand."
"Stars curse it. I'd hoped. Well, it doesn't matter." A few feet away there were sounds of someone settling into the sand and a horse snorting and pawing at the ground. "Peace, Aspen. You know he will not hurt us."
"Indeed I will not." Ardeth was slightly indignant. "I did give my oath." He wrapped the blanket more firmly about himself, wondering how this would play out. Why was the Wanderer here?
"You are restless." Rhianna observed.
"Yes." Ardeth replied. "Why are you here?"
He felt her annoyance, but somehow knew it wasn't directed at himself. "The same reason as last time." She snorted. "And with much the same results, it seems."
Ardeth was curious. "Is it that you are drawn to the Creature's--" he felt icy anger and hastened to appease her without giving in to naming names. "Your friend's location?"
The ice eased somewhat. "Yes, for all the good it does. And where was that place to the north you and your friends were? The place he was restored?"
"London." Ardeth noticed that she tactfully did not name the Creature.
"Hmm. The land almost reminds me of my home during winter." She sounded wistful. "Ai, how I grieve for the past. But what of yourself? Why are you out here alone?"
He pondered her question. Why was he out here alone, away from his warriors? At a loss for any explanation, he shrugged. "Why are *you* out here?"
"Once again, I felt I was needed. It seems my premonitions need to polish their sense of timing."
Her voice was wry and Ardeth couldn't help but smile. His next thought wiped the smile from his face. "Is the Creat- is he still here?" He squinted at the sand, white under the moonlight. Rhianna might be trustworthy, but he'd still feel easier conversing with a visible figure.
"I don't know. And for the record, I'm seated about three meters in front of you and to the left." There was a smile in her voice.
"How--??"
Rhianna laughed. "You were looking rather bewildered. And I've always had a gift for deciphering body language."
"Hmm. I'd still feel more at ease if I could speak with someone visible. How do I know you're not a mummy or one of the undead?"
She laughed. He was startled at how beautiful her laughter was. "Suspicious to the last, hmm? Well, I hasten to reassure you that I am not. You, however, would make quite a fine Atlantian." She teased and he began to chuckle as well. Soon they were both laughing loudly, so loudly that Ardeth didn't hear the footstep of one of his warriors until the man was crouched beside him.
"Sire." The lieutenant, Mahmoud, looked alarmed. "Are you well?"
This put quite a damper on Ardeth's amusement, but seemed to toss Rhianna into further throes of merriment. The lieutenant became even more unnerved, hearing disembodied female laughter from nowhere, and grabbed at Ardeth's arm. "What is it?" Mahmoud gasped, scimitar in hand, attempting to pull his leader to his feet.
"Mahmoud, I assure you I am well." Ardeth pulled out of his lieutenant's grasp and drew the frightened man down to sit in the sand beside him. "And I apologize for startling you. Rhianna?"
Rhianna had recovered from her mirth and sounded uneasy. "I am here."
"That voice!" Mahmoud gasped. "Do spirits haunt the camp?" He twisted in Ardeth's grip, turning to search the dunes for any sign of a speaker.
"Perhaps. I may haunt you for the rest of your days!" Rhianna sounded devilishly amused.
Ardeth rolled his eyes. "Not a ghost, my friend, but an ally and a previous acquaintance." He put a hand on Mahmoud's shoulder to keep him still. "She is the Wanderer."
Mahmoud's eyes were wide with shock. "The legends are true.? Sire, how can this be?"
Rhianna finally decided to give Ardeth a hand. "I am of a previous time, held to the earth by a curse. I mean you no harm, unless you harm me or mine." Aspen chose that moment to snuffle and stamp a hoof. "But my horse doesn't seem to like you very much."
"Sire, is this Wanderer truly an ally?" Mahmoud hissed at his leader. "How do we know she is not in league with the Creature?"
Ardeth winced at the palpable fury Rhianna was emitting and murmured, "She is apparently his friend, but has had the opportunity to cause me harm and has not done so. I deem her to be trustworthy, despite her choices of friends."
"Careful, Med-jai. Other friends of mine could say the same about you." Her voice was guarded.
Ardeth glanced at Mahmoud. The warrior was obviously putting two and two together. What would involving another person in this confidence mean? Still, it was a relief to have someone else hear Rhianna's voice, to reassure him he wasn't hallucinating.
She spoke again. "Is he trustworthy?"
Mahmoud bristled. "Of course I'm-"
"I ask not to offend you, but to secure my safety. What do you think would happen if people were told the Wanderer is out lurking in the desert? I doubt your people would be content to sit by and do nothing."
"Ah." Mahmoud relaxed a bit. "I see your point. With my leader's permission," he glanced at Ardeth, "I vow my silence."
Ardeth gave his lieutenant an approving nod and turned back to Rhianna's general direction. "Mahmoud is my most trusted lieutenant. He will not betray your confidence."
Rhianna's voice held a tired smile. "Thank you. It is good to have people to trust. And, though I regret it, I must be moving on. But I appreciate the conversation. Incidentally, do either of you know anything about falcons?"
Mahmoud shook his head, puzzled, but Ardeth's eyes became sad as well as guarded. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I found some kind of bird, just south of here, carrying a message. I think it's some type of falcon or hawk. My people bred such birds once, but they were a bit different than the one I discovered. You wouldn't happen to know of anyone who uses a winged messenger, would you?"
Ardeth felt hope stirring in his veins. "A falcon with a message in Med-jai script? With white and brown feathers?"
Rhianna's smile was felt by both warriors. "Indeed. He fell out of the sky onto my head. A little the worse for wear, but nothing a few good meals and some rest wouldn't cure." There were sounds of someone getting up, a horse snorting, and fabric being adjusted. "Ardeth, hold out your hands and we'll see if this works. I've been experimenting since we last met, and while progress has been made, I have no idea as to how recent events may effect my abilities."
Hardly daring to believe, the Med-jai extended his hands. Something feathered and heavy was put into them. He felt slender, gloved fingers on his own and a friendly squeezed before they drew away. When Rhianna's hands left his, a slightly battered falcon was visible in his outstretched palms.
"He's had some kind of wound to his wing, almost as though something tore through it at great speed, but I think he'll fly again once the feathers have grown back." There was a sound like someone swinging into a saddle. "Farewell, Ardeth Bay. Mahmoud, remember your silence." The sounds of horse and rider became fainter.
Mahmoud gaped at the pile of feathers in his leader's hands, which emitted a faint cry. The cry of a desert falcon. Ardeth, tears in his eyes, stroked the bird. "Horus?"
Again, Horus called softly and shifted in Ardeth's grip. The rather battered message clip and the slip of paper inside it tumbled down into the sand, winking bronze and silver in the moonlight. Ardeth looked up, gazed around the sand, wanting to thank Rhianna. He saw a shadow moving against the dune that marked where Ahm Shere's pyramid had been and grabbed Mahmoud's arm. "Do you see that?"
Mahmoud squinted in the direction Ardeth was gazing. An ebony horse, a rider, dressed in green with dark hair and pale eyes. "Is that her?"
"I think so." Ardeth replied softly, stroking Horus' feathers. They watched as she slid off the horse, standing before the dune that held the remnants of the Ahm Shere pyramid deep inside. She whispered something, head bowed, and brought her hands together, touching them first to her heart, then her forehead. A moments pause, and the figure mounted the horse once more, riding away.
His lieutenant stared at the figure. "She seems. different. Almost like." Mahmoud shook his head. I can't describe it. It was wrong of our ancestors to curse her." He said quietly.
Ardeth sighed. "Indeed. You may be right."
"What vengeance does she seek? Can her curse ever be lifted?" Mahmoud seemed almost imploring.
"Only the dead know now, my friend." Ardeth shook his head, stroking Horus. "Only the dead know."
**Author's note** Sorry this has taken so long, but life intrudes upon the creative minds of us all. Moving across the country is not good for anyone's muse. The next segment will bring the Med-jai and the O'Connell family together once more. and the O'Connells meet Rhianna. We find out what happened to Imhotep after Ahm Shere, and the Grey One enters the story once more. Let me know if anyone still holds any interest in this story!