Chapter Two

Once the sun had come up, the air turned to fire.  Constance felt her lips dry, catching against each other, the skin cracking and flaking.  Her lipstick was only momentary relief, for the sand from each step of the camels often flicked up in her face and stuck against the make-shift balm on her lips.   She was sure her pale features were flushed a deep red, and her throat caught as she tried to swallow.  Water.  She needed some, now.

Leaning aside her camel, Constance lifted her arm. "Er... excuse me?  Mr. Dethbay?"

Ardeth looked over his shoulder unflinchingly. "My name is Ardeth.  Ardeth, Bay."

"Yes," Constance smiled winningly, though looking red and pale-lipped, it lost its effect.  In actual fact, she looked downright exhausted.  This sight seemed to move Ardeth somewhat and he slowed his camel, waiting for Constance to catch up.  "Mr. Bay I-"  She drifted to silence as Ardeth pulled out a water skin, holding it up to her.   A soft smile touched her face.  "Thank you."

The wet splash of water on her lips was cool relief.  She gulped it back, rolling it around her mouth before sending it down, eyes closed in Elysium.  At least until the water skin was yanked from her hands.  Eyes flashing open, she glared at Ardeth.

"We need to conserve water," he said, putting the stopper in the skin.

Wavering a little, Constance whimpered.

"Mr. Bay," she said, "I'm thirsty."

Placing a hand on her upper arm, Ardeth nodded. "Those that are unaccustomed usually are.  Worry not, Miss Adams.  We will be at Hamunaptra the day after tomorrow."

"Oh," Constance gave a faint nod.  "How wonderful."

Ardeth gave a polite smile, jostling his camel into action with a flimsy long fray-ended stick, Constance's plodding after it.  She winced with uncertainty at it, still frightened of the new mode of transportation.

"How did you meet Mrs. O'Connell?" asked Ardeth, his tone that of business rather than pleasure.

"Uh..." Constance shifted in her saddle, "We went to school together.  Best of friends."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah," interrupted Jonathan, nodding emphatically, "Never heard the end of their antics when Evy came home from boarding school.  Poor Aunt Lila would dress her down till the rafters shook.  Used to drive me up the bloody wall."

Constance blushed.  "Well, we were girls then.  We're women now."

Ardeth stared at the woman a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Evidently."

~~*~~

The extreme weather of the desert wore poor Constance thin.  The biting cold, the burning hot, it had her ragged and dry.   In the camp that morning she brushed at her hair fitfully, pouting into the small hand mirror she had mind to bring with her.

"Honestly," she tutted, "I look a fright!"

"No, ya look natural," Jonathan smiled good naturedly.

"Natural!" Constance sighed.

From across the burnt charcoal pit of where their fire had been, Ardeth sat cross legged, a small pouch against his chest to which he offered small portions of chewed food.

"External appearance is a fleeting mask," he said.  "What is within stays with you throughout time."

"Oh yes," Constance grumbled, pulling at her hair, "But a nice external appearance helps you along more than you think, Ardeth, old boy."

Jonathan winced through the sunlight at Ardeth.  "Say... what *are* you doing there?"

Looking up, Ardeth pulled down the edge of the pouch.  A fluffy unkempt head popped out, large dark brown eyes peering from behind a gaping, panting beak.   At the sight of what was in there, Constance squeaked.

"Oh!"  She crawled on her knees around the fire, forgetting herself.  "Is that a baby bird?!"

Inside the pouch was indeed a small bird.  Its feathers - down and flying feathers - showed its juvenile age, old enough to be away from its mother, but young enough to need constant care.  Its hooked beak gave away its life purpose.

"It is," Ardeth said.  "A young falcon, in fact.  I must rear a new messenger since my last was killed."

Constance's face grew soft.  "Killed?" Ardeth nodded.  "How awful."

"Well you know," Jonathan sighed and scratched behind his ear, "Being a Medjai - it's not easy."

"Oh."

The desert man gazed at the little feathery animal wrapped close to his body, caressing its scalp carefully.

"If you don't mind me asking," she said, "Why have one so young?"

Those dark brown eyes met hers.  "The bird must be bonded to its master, so that it knows who always to return."

She nodded, gazing at the bird too.  She rolled her lips, shifting nervously.  "May I pat it too?"

Ardeth eyed her a long moment, then seemed to relax.  "Yes.  But be gentle."

Smiling sweetly, Constance reached for the downy scalp of the juvenile bird, the large brown eyes of the animal eyeing her cautiously.

"It's a beautiful animal," she said, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Male," Ardeth said.  "His name is Ra-Horakhty.  It means ‘Morning Sun’."

Constance's eyes met that of the bird's.  "How beautiful."   After a moment, the bird seemed to relax, narrowing its eyes at the attention.  Her heart warmed at the little animal, and she leant casually on her propped arm, tilting her head idly.  As she took a long breath in, she noticed a most beguiling scent.  It was the sweetness of jasmine and fine musk, set off by the stiff curl of sandalwood.  She hadn't noticed it at first for the smell of camels and horses, but now, leaning like this, close to... She glanced up, blushing.  She was only a breath away from Ardeth as she met his eyes.

"Uh..." She scooted back, dusting sand from her hands, "It's a lovely bird, Mr. Bay."

"I think so," Ardeth said, smiling shortly before pulling the fabric of the pouch up over the bird's head once more.

Crawling back to her place, Constance pulled out her journal and pen from her bag, her throat suddenly tight.

~~*~~

Time: 7 pm
Date: November 13th, 1934

Dear Diary,

Had a most interesting day today, despite the heat.  That desert rat Mr. Bay took the water away from me before I could have my fill, however.  I was most perturbed!  I don't believe he understood how very thirsty I was!  I thought I was going to die from dehydration!

I haven't had a chance to meditate today.  My energies are most dirty with anxiety and tiredness.  I hope to have a long period of meditation when I arrive at Hamunaptra.  Perhaps then I can get the heaviness of my mortal activities out of my aura.

I have thought upon it further, and I think perhaps I should try a séance at one of the temples in Hamunaptra.  It would be most exciting to channel the spirit of Nefertiti or Tutankhamen!

Mr. Bay proved not to be a total barbarian as I assumed his kind would be.  He cares for a baby bird called Ra... Ra.... I'll find out spelling later and take note.  He has little tolerance for my modern ways, however.  I wonder if he'd ever survive in London for example.  Such a city could possibly make a meal of him!

Jonathan is becoming a little more tolerable now that we're in company.  He can sometimes team up with Mr. Bay to make a joke of something I've done (like dangling from the saddle of my camel by an ankle because the stupid bloody thing sneezed).

Really.  Getting a face full of sand is not that funny.

~~*~~

Cold.  It was damnable.  It bit into her toes and her fingers, despite the layers of clothing she wore.   The sand underneath her, once warm from the day, was now cool and unforgiving.   The fire in front of her crackled and glowed, and she huddled close to it, jaw shuddering in a chatter.  Adjacent from her was a pile of pelts and blankets that was Jonathan, a light snoring lifting from it.  And across the fire Ardeth Bay attended to his friend the juvenile falcon, seemingly quite comfortable in his robes and fabric headpiece.

Clutching her blanket close to her, Constance scowled at the Medjai.  "Aren't you cold?"

Dark brown eyes met hers.  "My clothing is designed for this climate, Miss Adams.  In the heat it keeps one cool, and in the cold it keeps one warm."

She grumbled, teeth chattering audibly. "I can't believe the desert could get this cold!"

"It does," Ardeth said.  "You should feel lucky Miss Adams.  It is a relatively mild night."

"It's terrible!" Constance said, "I could barely concentrate enough to write!"

"You should sleep," said Ardeth, "Let the cold hours pass you by."

The woman rolled her eyes.  "I would Mr. Bay but I'm freezing my frigging arse off!" Ardeth blinked at her outburst of profanity. "I'm sorry," she groaned. "I'm sorry!  I just can barely move for aching in the cold!"

Ardeth rose from his place, taking up his blanket and treading over to Constance.   She eyed him sharply, leaning back as he approached her.

"What do you think you are doing?"

He lifted the blanket, and a brow.  "Keeping you warm, Miss Adams."

Constance yelped.  "What?!  Now you keep back Mr. Bay!!"

"I beg your-"  Ardeth's eyes, clouded with confusion, cleared to a sparkling jocularity.  He chuckled softly, shaking his head.  "You misunderstand, Miss Adams.  Please - sit back a moment."

Shifting backwards, Constance watched as Ardeth cleared a space for her in the sand.   Cupping his hands, he dragged the top layers of sand away, creating a hollow in the ground.   After a moment of this, there was a hollow large enough for Constance to lie in.  He laid her pelt in the bottom of it.

"If you lie in here," he said, "You can feel the sand still warm from the day.   Try it."

Face fraught with doubt, Constance eyed him warily.   Slowly, she crawled into the hollow, wrapping the blankets around her, settling a carry-bag under her head for a pillow in the process.   The warmth from the sun-soaked sand seeped in around her chilled limbs, and she wriggled down into her blankets, gasping with relief.

Another blanket floated down over her, and she frowned.

"But Mr. Bay - you need this!"

Ardeth gave a small smile.  "It is evident you need it more than I.   Sweet dreams, Miss Adams."

She met the desert man's brown eyes, examining the warm candidness there.  It was unaccustomed, but welcome.

"Goodnight, Mr. Bay," she said softly, gathering her blankets up around her and closing her eyes.

~~*~~

Hello From Sunny Hamunaptra – Chapter 3