Hey my fans that have stayed with me through my long dry spell of not writing anything. I'm so happy that people have written reviews and I guess I went with the battle. It isn't super great so please don't judge to harshly. And you will be happy to know that after this point chapters should be coming out more frequently. Not once a year.

Don't own Red River.

NOTE: Sorry about the confusion with the bad guy's name. From now on it will be writing as MENTIS.

Chapter 18: The Warrior's End

Ramses clenched his hand and his horse shifted underneath him. Khai tensed but did nothing, awaiting his general's orders. "Damn that Mentis!" Ramses shouted.

With the dawning light Mentis had taken his troops and started towards the Kamahi camp without consulting Ramses at all. Ramses knew that all Lord Mentis wanted was the glory of defeating the Kamahi in a short amount of time. The Pharaoh would award him and that was something that made Ramses stomach role.

"Do you have orders?" Khai asked. Already Ramses soldiers were getting ready for battle.

"We will follow Lord Mentis. When the situation is handled I will deal with Mentis." Ramses said. Khai relayed the orders.

"What about the Lady Sayuri General Ramses?" Khai asked.

Ramses gazed at the rising smoke from the camps hideout. His felt his chest tightened. "Find her. We have to find her."

Cries filled the area as horses galloped down towards tents and swords clashed together. It was on the far side of the encampment but the sound carried. The moaning of dying men mingles with the shouts of soldiers overtaking the campsite. Soldiers had already started burning the tent farthest away from their leader tent and the stink wafted into the air.

Sayuri followed Kahotep and Eli out of the tent and saw Egyptian soldiers running down men and women, their swords raised high in the air. The smell and sight made her stomach turn uneasily, threatening to dispel her breakfast. This wasn't a battle, it was a massacre.

One of Kahotep's men had his horse saddled and ready to go. He mounted and many men followed suit. The Kamahi might not have been expecting the surprise attack, but they quickly prepared themselves to fight.

"Stay inside Sayuri. It should be safe," Kahotep yelled to her as he rode away to defend his people.

Sayuri stood frozen, as her heart tore into tiny pieces. She looked off into the distance as saw a soldiers swinging their swords and men, women, and children alike splattering their blood across the desert sand. She had never seen this much blood, heard so many scream, or smelt burning flesh that made her eyes water.

"My Lady," Ebo came to stand next her, putting his hand in hers, "What should we do?" Ebo's hand was shaking. Sayuri looked down at him, seeing his frightened but determined face helped Sayuri focus.

"We need to help the others get to safety. Stay out of sight and see if you can find everyone that is hiding. Bring them here to Kahotep's tent. It is furthest away from the fighting and behind the lines."

Ebo looked at her, took a deep breath, and nodded, "What about you my lady?"

Sayuri quickly went inside the tent and retrieved a sword. It was a little heavy but it would do. She brought it out and clutch it tightly, "I need to find Ramses and make him stop this."

She didn't want to imagine that this was all Ramses doing. She knew back when she was with him that things might have turned up this way but seeing women and children being slaughtered without being able to defend themselves; that was wrong.

"But these solders don't look-,"

"I know," Sayuri finished Ebo's thought. She didn't recognize any of the soldiers in the distance of the banner that flew, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. She knew that Ramses had been assigned to finding the Kamahi tribe and she knew he would be looking for her, "But he has to be here."

Ebo looked at her one last time before he disappeared around the back to find other's that he could bring back to Kahotep's tent. Sayuri took a deep breath, she had to find Ramses and stop all of the bloodshed.

She stuck to the edge of the tents as she made her was closer and closer to the fighting. People were fleeing in away from the fighting and she directed as many people as she could to Kahotep's tent. As she rounded a corner a yell caught her attention. She lifted her sword just in time to block a strike intended for her head. The Egyptian soldier smirked and thrust at her again.

"Where is General Ramses?" Sayuri demanded as she swerved away from the blade.

The soldier laughed. "Probably behind the lines sniveling like a baby, that's what generals do." He clashed his sword against hers and she pulled away. Sayuri knew the weight behind the sword would kill her if she let him get that close.

His words disturbed Sayuri. There was no way Ramses would be hiding in the back lines. It wasn't like him. She had to get passed this soldier and find Ramses herself or find Khai or any of the other soldiers that she might recognize and could take her to Ramses. She parried the soldiers thrust. He was cocky, thinking that he could easily beat a woman into submission. How wrong he was.

Sayuri turned and did a side sweep right into his side- he went down and didn't rise. Sayuri felt the bile rise from her stomach as the soldier's twisted face burned into her mind. Before the contents in her stomach heaved out she heard the scream of a woman. She looked to see one of the women being overtaken by another soldier. She rushed to help her.

'I need to find Ramses and stop all of this,' Sayuri thought as she ran towards the throngs of battle, trying to stay away from the men battling each other.

Ramses had joined the battle but he didn't like the way Lord Mentis' men killed anyone in their path, burning tents and people too slow to get out of the way. His jaw clenched when he thought of Lord Mentis, hanging in the back of the lines with his officers, letting the soldiers do as they wished. Already Ramses had been pulling Lord Mentis' soldiers back and replacing them with his own. They would finish this quickly and hopefully with fewer massacres. Desperately he looked around and sent a quick prayer to the gods to make sure she wasn't harmed.

"What are you doing here?" Kahotep shouted from his horse, he already had a deep gash on his shoulder but he still battled alongside his men. He had seen Sayuri along the fringes of battle and he couldn't believe it. There was a streak of blood on her cheek and her dress was spattered with it but it didn't look like any of it was hers. "I told you to stay away from the battle," Kahotep knew they wouldn't win but at least he could by time so the tribe could escape.

Sayuri looked at Kahotep and quickly ran to him. She had torn her dress up to her thighs, making it easier for her to move. Her arms shook with exhaustion while her mind whirled, the battle seemed to hit a small lull, and many of the soldiers she hadn't recognized were pulling back for some reason and the Kamahi were able to regroup and form a battle line.

Kahotep repeated his question to her when she reached his side. Again he was amazed at her. She looked like a goddess that had taken down demons.

"I must find Ramses, he will end all of this," The fires still burned on the outlining tents. She didn't see Kahotep's frown. "I've sent all the people I could find towards your tent. Ebo has them all gathered together so that they can escape. Kahotep," She touched his leg her eyes imploring, "Please, if you surrender Ramses might show your mercy, especially when he finds that you took care of me-,"

Kahotep pulled away from her his grey eyes cold like steel, "Do you really think the Kamahi surrender? We fight until no one stands!" he shouted and his warriors answered with the same war cry.

"Kahotep – please- just listen!" Sayuri tried to reason.

He looked down at her, "Go back with the women Sayuri, you might think you know your General but I don't want to see you hurt." He called for Eli, "Bring her back and take a few men with you and take our people deeper into the desert."

"Brother-"Eli tried to argue but stopped when Kahotep glared he nodded. He dismounted from his horse and went to Sayuri.

"We'd best listen Sayuri," He grinned but it didn't reach his eyes, "Brother always knows what's best."

"No – wait!" Eli pulled her away as one of his men held the reins to his horse. "Eli – you don't understand! If Ramses sees me unharmed he will accept your surrender! Please Eli!" Eli grabbed her arm and swung her around, his eyes looking hard like chipped stone. They glistened with unshed tears and his mouth held a stubborn frown.

"You don't understand Lady Sayuri!" He yelled, which took her by surprise he was always such an easy going man. Sayuri looked around at the handful of men that followed; all of their faces were grim as well.

"What-," She started.

"Kamahi do not surrender. It is dishonorable to surrender to the enemy, especially Egyptians," he spit out the word, "Kahotep wants to give the rest of the tribe a chance." His voice chocked and he didn't continue. Sayuri looked around to see the other men with grim expressions and she finally understood.

"No," Sayuri whispered, "T-that can't, he can't," She could tell by their expressions that they all knew what was going to happen. There was no way the men would survive the next wave of Egyptians.

"My lady," Ebo came running towards them when they reached the camp. There was only a handful of the Kamahi tribe left and they were all ready to go. The wounded were on horses or litters while women children and elders carried heavy packs on their backs. "I did what you asked. What's going to happen next?"

Ebo looked confused; he wasn't sure if they were staying with the Kamahi or if they were going back to the Egyptians. Sayuri looked down to them her chest feeling like ice, hard and heavy, as she looked at the people that had taken her in and helped her. She hadn't realized that things would come to this; it wasn't what she thought when they had first stepped into the desert off the Nile. She didn't want any of this – all she wanted was to go home.

"Lady Sayuri. We have to get moving." Eli was grasping her elbow.

'If I go with these people now Ramses will chase them.' Sayuri thought. She couldn't let that happen. They had been kind to her – most of them and she wouldn't let them get killed because of it. She pulled away from Eli.

"No, I can't," She told him. She twisted away from his grabbing hands and grasped the reins of a nearby rider-less horse. "Ebo," She called to the young boy and pulled him up in front of her turning the horse. She could already hear the war cries as the battle started again.

"You might not believe in surrender but I do!" Sayuri told Eli quickly as she whirled away and toward to the battle.

Ramses knew that this was the last stand the Kamahi wished to accomplish. They would not exceed. Ramses felt pity towards the once proud tribe of Kamahi and again felt rage against the state of the Egyptian empire. Just because the tribe did not bow to the Egyptian laws, they were to be exterminated and it was Ramses job to fulfill.

"General? We are ready." Khai rode next to him. They were both in the first lines, ready to face the Kamahi. Ramses wanted to be close so that he could quickly search for Sayuri. He hadn't seen her among the dead which gave him great relief. Ramses nodded and they charged forward.

Sayuri felt like she would never reach the battle in time. The horse she rode was already tired but it still raced to her destination. Its cream colored sides streaked with stress as the flaxen mane whipped at Sayuri's cheeks. Ebo clung on tightly not liking to be on horses.

Sayuri saw the two side slam charging at each other. She leaned down and grabbed a broken spear. "Hold on tight Ebo and don't look up okay?" She told him as she rode towards the two sides. Never in her life would she believe she was going to ride between enemies in the hopes that they wouldn't shoot.

She shouted a harsh cry as she lifted the spear into the sunlight as the horse's mane flew about her.

Many of the soldiers that had remember the battle would say the Isis had descended and stopped the battle in its tracks. Her long black hair mixed in with the white mane of the horse. The horse's mane was long and flowing looking like wings on the young women as she thrust a spear into the air – making the light shine of the metal. It made everyone stop and gap at the wonder – or stupidity- of the warrior women crossing the battlefield. Ramses recognized Sayuri right away and galloped his horse towards her, interrupting the wonder of the moment. Once again the battle commenced, and Sayuri knew she had failed.

She was mixed into the fighting, trying to find her way out of the fighting and protecting herself and Ebo that clung his dark frame onto hers.

She looked around and saw a pocket of freedom she raced to it. The horse underneath her – probably to the point of exhaustion – was still able to bypass the enemies and bring Sayuri to relative safety. But what greeted Sayuri in the clearing was something that hit her heart more painfully than any blade.

Ramses wanted this to end quickly, as he sought out the leader of the Kamahi. He found him as Kahotep slashed down one of the foot soldiers. Ramses races towards him sword raised and ready. Kahotep turned and saw the General race towards him. He recognized him from one of the raid he did on the enemies weeks ago. If he killed him, he should be able to shock the Egyptians enough for his tribesmen to escape.

"Ramses," He shouted and clashed his sword against Ramses.

They parried and thrust at each other from their horses. No one interfered and some even watched. This was the fight that would end the battle. Horseflesh collided as the warriors locked swords. Ramses freed his first and slashed at Kahotep.

Kahotep cried out and fell from his horse. Instead of cutting him down when he was on the ground Ramses dismounted from his own horse and waited for Kahotep to stand before engaging again. This impressed Kahotep who believed that all Egyptians where cowards, hiding behind their empire's power.

"You fight honorably," Kahotep gasped as the men danced around each other.

"As do you Kamahi leader. I am sorry to do this." Ramses commented as he thrust towards Kahotep.

Kahotep was too late with his blade, Ramses rammed it deep and true. Kahotep fell and Ramses lowered him to the ground. The Kamahi were great warriors and it was a great honor to fight with one.

Kahotep gasped a cough, "Lady Sayuri was right, you are different." Blood trickled from his mouth.

"No!" Sayuri cried and dismounted from the horse, collapsing near Kahotep, "No, please Kahotep!" Tears created streaks down her face.

Ramses stood back in shock, having not realizing she was so close by.

"Kahotep," Sayuri cried and tried to stop the flow. It was useless, he was fading fast.

"You are a wonderful woman Sayuri," He touched her hair. "Please," he coughed again. His breath came as a whisper and Sayuri had to lean closer to hear. "Take care of my people." Then the light faded from his eyes.

Sayuri sobbed.

After a minute strong arms pulled her away from the body. Blind with tears Sayuri fought against the warmth of the arms. "NO! It isn't fair!" She cried and pounded on the wide chest.

The battle had ended.

Well I hope everyone likes it. Again, sorry it took soooooo long. I was feeling guilty but I finally just sat down and wrote it down. Sorry if it isn't that great. But no worries fans, the next chapter should be out soon(ish). It is a little short but I wanted to put this one up (sorry for grammar mistakes – probably the farthest thing from my mind with this chapter) and start the other one off fresh.