Bast's Warrior Read online

  She opened her mouth but she didn’t speak. Instead she cleared her throat. “Then let us depart.”

  What had she been about to say, he wondered. He took his place. “We won’t take the chariot the entire way lest we encourage those sworn to Aken Re.” He grasped the reins.

  Tira stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. The chariot bumped over the uneven ground as the horse moved toward the road. Would they be pursued? If so, anyone following would be part of a day or more behind, especially if they had remained to speak to Tuten. Kashe knew the distance they could travel between stops depended on his endurance and on the horse’s stamina.

  The warmth of Tira’s body and the brush of her breasts against his back brought an awareness of desire he had to suppress. Until the quest ended he couldn’t embrace what shimmered between them. He signaled the horse to turn onto the hard packed road. When Tira’s nipples beaded he searched for a diversion.

  “My father and Pian are convinced you are Bast’s avatar. So does the priest of Aken Re.” She laughed and her body moved on his. Kashe nearly dropped the reins. Definitely not the diversion he wanted.

  “Why would they think that?”

  “Because of the sacred cat. Bast Ka is a rare color. Temple cats often accompany a priestess when she travels in the company of warriors but I’ve never heard of one traveling with a lone warrior. My father and Pian have their idea about your identity. They also wonder what would happen if you died.” Her shudder made him wonder if the others weren’t right.

  “If I die before we find the symbols disaster will befall the Two Lands.”

  The timbre of her voice caused him to gulp a breath. Had she just uttered a prophecy? “What do you mean?”

  “Finding the symbols is why I was sent and is vital to the unity. Even if the daughter is found, without the flail, crook and double crown there will be no true dynasty.”

  Kashe frowned. “Do you think the priests of Aken Re are aware of the need?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. At least he thought she had. He wished he could order her to stop moving. He urged the horse to a faster pace. “We must keep them from learning. Then their plans will fail.”

  “Maybe not. There are enough pictures of the symbols on scrolls. They could make replicas.” He groaned. “I’m sure there are murals on the walls of Toth’s temple.”

  “Could they believe the daughter knows where the symbols are hidden?”

  “How could they think that? From all I’ve heard her mother died giving birth. Who would tell the girl these things?”

  Tira sighed. “They could convince people these things are no longer needed since there is a new god in the land.”

  Kashe shook his head. “The people of the Two Lands are bound by tradition. Change comes slowly. They won’t accept the pronouncements made by the priests of Aken Re without being forced. Everyone knows the story of the days when a daughter from the south and a son from the north were wed and the symbols presented by the gods and goddess.”

  “Are the ones we seek truly that old?”

  “Yes. The flail was Horu’s gift and is the giver of justice. Bast presented the crook and offers protection to the people and the land. Toth brought the double crown. With this the pharaoh has knowledge and authority.”

  “Does –” Tira hesitated. “Why does a dynasty end?”

  What had she meant to say? He didn’t ask. To do so might add more mystery to her identity. “To end a dynasty there can be an abuse of power by a pharaoh. The land can be invaded and the pharaoh killed. A pharaoh can die without a son. Some pharaohs have no will to rule. I’m sure there are other reasons.”

  Tira rested her forehead on his shoulder. “From what the chief priestess told me I believe the objects are hidden in the Valley of the Pharaohs or in the temple of Toth. Three men carried them away. They died before their secret was revealed.”

  “How do you expect to find this hiding place?”

  “Clues were left. I have a scroll that speaks of keys. The next clue may be hidden in Toth’s temple.”

  Kashe shuddered. “Why do you think that? Did something you found in the scrolls Father took from there give you that idea?”

  “Not really. Bast Ka picked two scrolls from the collection. One is a map of the Valley and the other a plan of the temple.”

  “What are the keys?”

  “A cat, a hawk and an ankh used as menats for necklaces. I may need to enter the Valley to find them.”

  Kashe stiffened. “There lies danger. The priests of Aken Re reside there.”

  “Do they have other temples?”

  “Not that I’ve heard. At least none in the Two Lands unless there is a hidden one near the delta.”

  “What happened to the scholar priests?”

  “Many died for they are not fighters. Some escaped and found refuge in other temples. Those of Aken Re were foolish. Toth’s priests keep the records of the dynasties. They record the ebb and flow of the river. They study the skies, make sacrifices and read the omens. Most of the scrolls you saw at the compound were brought from there.” He groaned. “By saving them from destruction my father did one good thing.”

  “Who keeps the records now?”

  “There are other Toth temples. Each of the Three has more than one place.” Kashe frowned. He knew she came from a distant land but her lack of knowledge surprised him. “Didn’t you learn those things during your training days?”

  “I wasn’t trained at the temple. I was called there and given this quest.”

  Kashe’s brow furrowed. Maybe his father was right and she was an avatar. Who summoned her to the temple? Would he ever know the answer?

  Sometime later the horse slowed. The sun shone bright. Kashe glanced at the sky. Well past midday. He looked for a stopping place beside the road where the horse could graze and he could safely lead the animal to the river. Once the horse rested they had to continue.

  Before long he found a spot where acacia trees grew to provide shade. He unharnessed the horse and took it to the river. On his return he looked for Tira. She moved through a series of exercises. Her supple body and the graceful dance stirred his desire. She spun and kicked. When she leaped into the air she flipped and whirled like a dust devil on the sand. She finished and sank to the ground. A few moments later she rose and poured water over her head and wiped her face on one of the linen towels Tuten had added to a pack.

  She dropped to the ground beside him and accepted bread, cheese and dates. Kashe offered her the leather flask of beer. She shook her head and drank water.

  Once they finished the meal Kashe harnessed the horse. They took their places and set out again. They traveled until the moon rose, stopped and slept.

  This routine became the pattern of their days. Though Kashe wanted to rush he kept the horse to a steady pace. One sun turn ran into another. Sometimes they passed farms where workers toiled. Twice they encountered travelers. Each encounter brought a fear they would be remembered and a casual mention would reach the ears of the priests of Aken Re.

  When the road skirted marshy land he noticed Tira’s tension. Twice he brought down birds and several times caught fish. As soon as they passed the marsh her body slumped against his. They rode through several villages where those who tended the flocks and herds lived. He timed their passing so they drove through at night so only a few dogs noticed their presence. One evening he left Tira and the chariot near a village when he went to purchase eggs, onions and cheese.

  Soon they would reach a market town located in another nome. He planned to sell the chariot and horse and purchase camels. Following the river road would bring them to their destination but the closer they came to the Valley the greater the chance of discovery. The time had come to approach their goal from another direction.

  The visit to the village had given him a welcome time away from Tira. His desire for her grew with every hour. In so many ways she was his match. She had none of the simpering ways of his sisters
of the daughters of the other nomarchs he had met. She had none of the servile manners of servant or slave girls who had shared his bed. Tira’s method of fighting fascinated him. He also admired her courage and persistence.

  That evening she removed her sandals for her practice session. Unshod she was quicker and moved like a whirlwind. Finally she sank to the ground to rest before joining him to eat the fish he’d caught.

  “Why no sandals?”

  “This style of fighting is often done with bare feet.” She extended hers. “Notice the outer ridge. Thus the foot is a weapon. I will wear sandals but I wanted one free practice.”

  Kashe nodded. “I understand.” He cut a piece of fish. “We’ll reach a market town tomorrow and remain for several days to prepare for the rest of our journey. I’ll trade the horse and chariot for camels and gear,”

  Her eyes widened. “Camels, but –” Her mouth snapped shut.

  What had she been about to say? These strange silences troubled him. What secret was she hiding? “I suppose you’ve never seen one.”

  “I’ve seen several but I’ve never ridden one. Why can’t we continue the way we are?”

  “Too dangerous. There’s another way to reach the Valley that I believe is a safer route.”

  “Oh.”

  Kashe stared at the flickering flames of the fire. Where had she come from and how had she reached the temple?

  Chapter 9

  Tira sat at a low table in the rear of a dimly lit beer house. The aroma of cooked and raw onions permeated the air. For a moment she allowed herself to dream of deep-fried onion rings. Alas, catsup was unknown here. No tomatoes, potatoes or corn on the cob existed in this place. Her memories of other missing treats were triggered as she sipped warm beer. She yearned for the bite of icy cola, the bitterness of black coffee or the soothing flavor of iced tea. Here there was water, warm milk, beer and wine made from dates, pomegranates or grapes. Was there alcoholism in her future?

  She heard a stir outside and tensed. Was there a back exit that allowed for her escape? Kashe planned to meet her here once he traded the horse and chariot for camels. Another difference from the ancient Egypt she had studied. In that land camels hadn’t appeared for more than a thousand years after the time period she believed she had landed in.

  The noises from outside changed to a dull buzz. She yawned. Two restless nights spent listening to Kashe’s snores had left her muddled. Her eagerness to share the room they had rented in one of the houses hadn’t produced the results she had envisioned. He had slept on the floor leaving the bed for her. She had tossed and turned while fighting memories of heated kisses and the smooth feel of his muscular body. She had tried seduction and caught the scent of his arousal but he had rejected her overtures.

  “We can’t,” he’d said. “There is a prophecy. ‘There will come from afar.’ Those words are carved in my thoughts and so is the admonishment. ‘During the time they work to fulfill their destinies they may not join flesh to flesh. Chaste they must remain until their quest ends lest disaster strike the Two Lands.’ Thus we cannot indulge our lusts.”

  His reasoning made sense if there had really been such a prophecy. He said there was a scroll but he’d given the papyrus to his younger brother. Tira groaned. Her need for Kashe had become an itch impossible to scratch.

  She looked up and gulped. A man stepped into the room. He wore a white robe and on his chest lay a gold-rayed disc. She shrank into the shadows. Was this priest of Aken Re searching for Kashe and her? She needed to leave the beer house and warn him. Could she find him before their presence was discovered? Maybe she should go to the room they had rented. All their provisions were there. If they had to flee how would they survive?

  For what seemed like an eternity the priest studied the occupants of the room. His glance moved past her and she fought the panic rising in her gut. Finally he left. Tira’s shoulders slumped. The release of tension kept her seated. She gulped deep breaths until she was in danger of passing out. Think. Plan.

  She rose and edged to the door. Before stepping outside she scanned the area for the priest. When she didn’t see him she slipped around the corner into an alley. The stench made her gag.

  With caution she crept to the end of the alley and peered into the market square. Women with baskets moved from stall to stall. Vendors shouted their wares. A wave of homesickness engulfed her. Images of store fronts where fruit, vegetables and clothes spilled onto the sidewalks flashed in her thoughts. She could almost smell the spices wafting from restaurants and open apartment windows.

  Her hands tightened into fists. How long would images of a lost world haunt her? She had chosen to come here. She had selected life over imprisonment or death. The world she’d left, like this one, had been full of danger but they were dangers she knew.

  Tira leaned against a wall. Luci, why? Grief for her dead sister battled with anger over the betrayal. Luci had been weak. Had she really believed turning her sister over to the drug dealer would spare her life? That idea had been foolish.

  She pushed away from the wall. Tension built like a forming storm. The priest stopped at every stall. Two men wearing warrior’s kilts flanked him. Fear gathered in the air. These priests of Aken Re sowed terror instead of awe colored by joy.

  Tira edged away from the alley and scurried down the lane between two clusters of houses. She ducked around the corner of the house where she and Kashe rented a room. She glanced back and sat the priest and his guards enter the lane. Tira ran to the rear entrance of the house. She slipped past the family quarters and reached the room she and Kashe shared.

  Would the house owner betray them? She shoved bundles and packs beneath the bed’s platform. Bast Ka rose and stretched. “I must warn Kashe but I don’t know where the animal market is,” she said. “Maybe I should stay here and spy.”

  The feline nipped Tira’s hand and bounded to the window. Tira wondered what had caused the cat to run. She saw Bast Ka speed down the lane. Was the feline seeking Kashe?

  Tira shoved the last bundle beneath the bed. She crept from the room and slid into a dark alcove where she could see the front door. The priest stood outside and spoke to the house owner.

  “It is known you rent rooms in your house. I seek a man and a boy who was stolen from his family. An enemy beat the youth. The evil child stealer took the boy before he could obey his father and enter the ranks of the priests of Aken Re. Have you seen such a pair?”

  The owner shook his head. “My room was taken by a young couple. If this boy is ill, you should seek the physician’s house. He lives in the next cluster.”

  Tira’s tension ebbed. He wasn’t seeking Kashe and her. Then she straightened. Would the priest ask about the couple?

  “I will seek the physician.” The priest turned back. “I will remain in town for several days. Should you see the pair I seek send word to the compound of the nomarch of Sebili.”

  Good, Tira thought. He wasn’t staying in town. She heard the cat’s meow and returned to the room. Horu Ka perched on the window ledge. Bast Ka tugged on one of the sacks.

  Tira shook her head. “What do you want?”

  “Pass the bundles to me.”

  Tira yelped. “Where did you come from?”

  “I heard a priest was in town. Then Bast Ka arrived at the animal sellers. She nipped my foot until I followed. We need to leave.”

  “The priest was here. He doesn’t seek us. Are you sure we must rush away?”

  Kashe leaned on the sill. “He’ll hear about the pair of warriors, one a woman. He’ll hunt us down. We’ll take our things to the animal sellers’, load the camels and head into the desert.”

  Though she wasn’t ready for a camel ride or to venture into the desert Kashe knew more about these priests and their ways than she did. To be captured would end the quest and bring death or imprisonment for them. This time there would be no escape into another world.

  The hawk perched on the end of the bed. Bast Ka paused on the window led
ge and jumped to the ground. Tira pulled bundles and sacks from beneath the bed and passed them to Kashe. After handing him the last one she turned toward the door. “I’ll let the house owner know we’re leaving.”

  “No need. Come this way.”

  “Must we depart like thieves?”

  “We’ve paid for two more nights. We come and go without seeing the owner. If we leave without speaking no one will know we’re gone until he comes for more money. By then no enemy will be able to follow us.”

  She made a face. “Unless the priest seeks us.”

  “There is that.” He held his hands to help her through the window. “We’ll have the rest of today and tomorrow to travel. Though the animal seller might note our direction, once we’re out of sight our route will change.”

  Tira groaned. “I’ve never ridden a camel.”

  He grinned. “We won’t travel beyond sunset.”

  Tira climbed over the sill. Kashe caught her around the waist. She curled her arms around his neck. As she slid to the ground she felt him quicken. She pressed her lips to his. He made no move to release her.

  His scent intoxicated. His tongue flicked her mouth. She tasted his lips and he moaned. Desire built with an intensity she felt would turn them into flames.

  Kashe groaned. “We can’t. The prophecy. He loosened his clasp on her waist.

  “I wish I could see this mysterious scroll.”

  “What I’ve told you is true. If you could ask Namose he would tell you.”

  “He isn’t here.”

  Kashe lifted one of the sacks. “You know I want you but this isn’t the time.”

  Tira frowned. She wished she could believe him but she feared his rejection belonged to her role as a warrior of Bast. She’d seen his mother and talked to his sisters. To them she’d been an oddity. Maybe he felt the same. Maybe he wanted a woman like those he’d seen every day.”

  Reluctantly she stepped aside. For now she would accept his reasons but one day they needed to talk. Maybe then there would be a time for them. She slipped her bundle on her back and hoisted several sacks. Bast Ka walked beside her.