Bast's Warrior

by Walters, Janet Lane;

  “Tira.”

  She jumped. A hand covered her mouth and muffled a scream. She glared. “You returned.”

  Kashe nodded. “I had to learn what happened to my brother and Merin.”

  “Did you?”

  “The priests have them in the temple compound.” He crouched at her side. “Where’s Tuten’s body? I looked and found it gone.”

  She pointed to the low wall she had built. “There was the start of a tunnel. I put him there. I’m sorry he died. Were the priests responsible?”

  “In a way. He had no wounds but he kept rubbing his chest like he was in pain.”

  “His heart must have failed.” There was no other way to explain a heart attack. “What did he tell you?”

  “Grave robbers found Merin and Namose when the pair left the tomb. The men forced the pair to return. Once the men raided the tomb they took Merin and Namose to the temple to claim a reward.”

  Tira released a held breath. “At least they’re safe.”

  “For now but there is a problem.”

  Tira chewed on her lower lip. “Merin and Namose know about the symbols. Will they be forced to talk about our reason for being here?”

  “They won’t harm Merin or even believe she knows anything since she’s but a girl.” Kashe drew a deep breath. “I fear my father will question Namose.” He walked to where she had organized their supplies. “We must leave at once. As soon as day breaks they will seek us. We need to go for the symbols.”

  “They’re here.” She rolled her blanket around her bundle and slipped it onto her back. The sack with the crown dangled from the bundle. “Should we take the water?” She lifted the wrapped crook and flail.

  “No need.” Kashe shouldered three bundles and lifted the sack of food. He caught her hand. “What happened to your arm?”

  Tira told him about the men and the cave. “I think I killed two of them.”

  “We need to find the third.”

  Tira swallowed a rush of acid. “Not necessary. Bast Ka summoned the jaguas. I didn’t wait to see what happened.”

  “I don’t blame you.” He helped balance her bundles.

  “Merin’s jewelry and the necklaces are gone.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me. I’m amazed they left the food.” He entered the passage.

  “How far can we go before dawn?”

  “At least to the temple wall and perhaps the village. We can hide in the rubble near the wall.” He reached the tunnel’s end and climbed to the ground. “Once we pass the village houses we’ll head through the fields and find our barge. You can stay there to protect the symbols. I’ll enter the village and see if I can learn where Namose and Merin are held.”

  “How? You can’t enter the temple grounds. Also, your father and brother might be in the village.”

  “I’ll be careful. There should be rumors and gossip to be heard.”

  Tira followed him through the rocks and rubble. When they reached the temple wall, they paused beside the mud brick structure to drink water and eat some of their food. The sky lightened.

  Tira stared at the wall. If she could climb to the top and use the scroll detailing the temple grounds she might figure where her friends were imprisoned. Though the thieves had taken the map of the Valley they had left the plan of the temple behind. When she and Kashe found the barge she would show him the scroll.

  Chapter 26

  Kashe held up his hand to halt Tira. They had reached the corner of the wall surrounding the temple just as the chanting began. He edged forward and peered into the road. A group of villagers walked toward the temple. From their ordinary dress he believed they were those who worked for the priests. He slipped back to Tira’s side. They had to wait for a time. No reason to chance being seen and their presence betrayed. This part of their trip to find the barge held the greatest danger of discovery.

  Once the people vanished into the compound he signaled Tira forward. As they strode side by side along the road he wondered how much the priests had learned from Namose and Merin. Had his brother been flogged again? This thought troubled him. If so there would be no Tira with her magical knowledge of ways to keep wound fever at bay.

  Palm and acacia trees lined the road on both sides. Rather than remaining on the hardened earth he stepped from the hard packed earth and used the trees for cover. Just before they reached the village they found the barley field. The aromas of bread, onions and cooking meat wafted from the village and tempted him to forget the need for secrecy. He had no coins. Did Tira? When they reached the barge he would ask. Fresh food would be a welcome treat.

  He found a path through the field leading to the canal. He and Tira passed the bridge leading to the other side of the narrow waterway. The voices of the workers rose and fell in cadent calls. Kashe saw a barge tied to a pier. Plover was the name painted on the side. The craft was small enough two could maneuver it. Four would be better, he thought.

  Tira turned to him. “Do you know how to sail?”

  He laughed. “Very well. So does Namose. We’ve used smaller barges for fishing and hunting marsh birds.” He helped her over the side and pointed to the poles for the sails.

  “Can two of us manage?”

  He nodded. “One will control the sail and seek the wind. The other will use the pole to steer.”

  After shedding his bundle and the single sack of food he helped her with hers. He kindled a fire in a small clay brazier and filled a pot with water. “I need to change the dressing on your arm.”

  Tira sat on the deck. “It’s not deep.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Clean the old blood away. Try not to disturb the scab. I’ll keep it covered for another day.”

  Kashe unwrapped the linen. He cleaned streaks of blood and checked for swelling like he’d seen around his brother’s wounds. Finding none he wrapped her arm with clean cloth. He finished and rose. “Wait here. I’ll go to the village for water. When I return we’ll discuss what I’ve learned.” He lifted an empty leather water bag.

  She pulled a pouch from her belt and poured the remaining coins into his hand. “This is the last of what the priestess gave me. Buy some food that’s not stale.”

  “Gladly.” He vaulted over the side of the barge and strolled along the path toward the village. Could he slip into the beer house and learn from the men where Namose and Merin were held? Would he risk meeting his father’s men? Would any of them recognize him? Last night when he’d climbed the temple wall he’d seen so many buildings and knew those he sought could be in any of them.

  In the market he purchased cooked beef, onions, a round of thick bread, boiled eggs and several melons. He listened to the rumors as he filled the water bag at the village well. Though tempted he avoided the beer house when he saw one of his father’s men he knew enter the building. As he moved through the small market square disappointment filled him. He heard nothing about the prisoners taken by the priests. The only thing he heard were low whispers filled with sullen resentment about the presence of the priests of Aken Re.

  On his way back to the barge he skirted a cluster of houses. A scream halted him.

  “No. I won’t.”

  Kashe knew that voice. He moved closer to the house. An angry voice shouted. He knew that voice as well.

  “You will tell me where your brother hides,” the nomarch of Mero demanded.

  “I have.”

  “You lied. Some of my men accompanied a priest and one of the three thieves who captured you. They went to the abandoned tomb. He was not there. If you persist in this stubborn refusal I will order Pian to beat you.”

  Kashe sidled to the window and peered inside. His father loomed over Namose.

  Pian stood near the door with a flail in his hand. “Permit me to punish him. He will talk.”

  The nomarch approached his elder son. “Not until I am sure my way will fail. A day or two without food or water will wear him down. If he doesn’t talk then, you will force him.”

  P
ian slapped the handle of the flail against his palm. “Doesn’t matter if Kashe and that female warrior aren’t found. The priests have the daughter. I will marry her. I will lead the troops.” He laughed. “If the daughter refuses to wed me the halfwit will do.”

  Kashe frowned. Had Merin decided to defy the priests?

  “What happens if she won’t marry you?” Namose asked.

  “We don’t need her though I would enjoy educating her.” Pian strode toward Namose. “We have the jewelry so if she refuses she will die.”

  “You can’t kill her.”

  Pian laughed. “I won’t. The priests will.” He traced a line with the handle of the flail on Namose’s face. “Planning to usurp my place. You’re just a boy and have no skill with weapons.”

  Namose straightened. “I don’t want to rule. Merin said the man who will become pharaoh has yet to come. He will be found on the delta.”

  Pian slapped Namose. “You lie. I have been promised the chair.”

  The nomarch grabbed Pian’s arm. “You are not yet ruler. You are still under my control. Leave Namose to my dealing. I still have need of my youngest son.” He glared at Namose. “Your friend has been advised to heed the priests of Aken Re. Pian is right about her need to obey or die. The priests groom a young woman who can pass as the daughter.”

  Kashe crouched on the ground and leaned against the mud brick building. He wanted to warn his brother to remain silent. Arguments were futile. Did Namose know where in the temple compound the priests kept Merin? Could she be freed? Her marriage to Pian would bring disaster to the Two Lands. Kashe’s hands curled into fists.

  “Father, since my help is unneeded I’ll go to the beer house and await you.”

  Kashe rose and peered into the room. The nomarch cupped Namose’s chin. “Where are Kashe and the warrior of Bast?”

  “As I told you before, in the Valley of the Pharaohs.”

  “They have vanished. Why were they in the Valley? Any treasure belongs to the priests of Aken Re.”

  Namose jerked back and nearly toppled from the backless chair. “Any treasure belongs to the dead since the jewelry and pottery are left to aid in the afterlife.”

  The nomarch snorted. “The priests disagree.” He leaned forward. “Tell me about your favorite brother. You must tell me where I can find him.”

  “I don’t know.” Namose turned toward the window. He gasped.

  Kashe sank to the ground. Would his father come to the window?

  “I must have him and her. The priests want them.”

  “Why? Do they intend to kill them?”

  “Not Kashe.”

  “Tira saved my life when I had wound fever. Why won’t you leave them alone?”

  The nomarch’s sandals clicked on the floor. Coming or going. Kashe tensed and prepared to flee.

  “The priests want your brother’s military expertise. Tuten told me that Kashe is a master of strategy. He is the key to bringing the worship of the one god to this land. The army of Aken Re will punish all who refuse to acknowledge their god as supreme.”

  “He won’t do it.” Namose’s voice cracked. “Kashe will never serve that god. He belongs to Horu. A sacred hawk brought him an amulet naming him as chosen of the god. A dying priest carried his name to the god.”

  “He will obey. The priests of Aken Re take what they want. They are able to know a man’s desire and show him how he can reach his goal. Stay here tonight. In the morning I’ll return and I expect you to tell me what I want to know. Until then you will receive nothing to eat or drink.” The nomarch’s footsteps drew distant.

  Kashe stared into the room. Namose rose from the chair and hobbled to the bed. Kashe slid over the sill and entered the room. “Speak softly.” He held his water flask so his brother could drink.

  Namose swallowed several times. “Are Tira and Tuten with you?”

  “Tuten is dead.”

  “Did the grave robbers kill him when they bashed his head?”

  “No. He followed them hoping to rescue you. He was halted and collapsed when a sharp pain in his chest struck. Tira said his heart failed.”

  Namose groaned. “Merin and I did a dumb thing.”

  Kashe nodded. “Why did you leave the tomb?”

  “She went first. I thought she just went to the ledge. I didn’t think she would try to follow you. When she didn’t return I went after her and we argued about returning. Men heard us. They grabbed her. I wanted to fight but I forgot everything Tira taught me.”

  Kashe patted his brother’s shoulder. “You’re young and this was the first battle you faced. Don’t be ashamed. The next time you’ll remember. What happened after they caught you?”

  “They forced us to show them the unfinished tomb. They were going to hurt Merin so I led them. Tuten stabbed one. One of the men hit him and he fell. They tore the bundles apart and took the jewelry. Then they dragged us to the temple. One of the robbers was a priest. Pian was at the temple. He sent for Father and I was brought here.”

  Kashe pulled a cover over his brother. “I’ll be back.”

  “Can’t I go with you now?”

  “Your disappearance would set off a search while it’s still light.” He moved into the hall and glanced into the main room. Several of his father’s men sat around a table. From the number of beer flasks Kashe believed by sunset the men would be less alert.

  He returned to Namose. “I’ll be here after the sun sets. The guards are drinking. If you pretend to be sleeping when they check I’ll find a way to make it look like you’re still here.”

  Namose nodded. “Pull the cover over my head. That should make faking easier.”

  Kashe settled the blanket loosely over his brother’s head. “Until later. Once you’re on the Plover with us we’ll plan Merin’s escape.” He slipped through the window, gathered the sacks and hurried to the barge.

  Chapter 27

  Tira sat beneath the awning and waited for Kashe to return. Her thoughts bubbled with curiosity. What would he learn? As the sun rose higher and slid toward evening her stomach growled. There were dates in the sack of food they’d brought from the cave along with cheese and flatbread. She could eat them but she was tired of that fare. He’d promised to bring food from the village so she ignored her pangs.

  Uneasiness made her want to pace but the boat wasn’t large enough to give the distance she needed. If she could practice fighting skills some of the nervous energy would dissipate. Except leaving the boat would expose her presence to the people she saw working in the fields.

  Finally she opened the food sack and ate a handful of dates. Time dragged. Oh for a watch or a clock to tell her how much time had passed. Staring at the path of the sun told her of segments of the day but not the minutes and hours.

  As she chewed on the dates, memories of Tuten flashed in her thoughts. Had the capture of Namose and Merin been responsible for his heart attack? Chasing after the thieves had placed a strain on her heart, not to mention what it could have done to the older man.

  She lifted Bast Ka to her lap and stroked the velvety fur. The rumbling purrs brought some easing of her tension.

  She rose and stood at the side of the boat. “Kashe, where are you?” The question went unanswered. She had to do something to keep from imagining dreadful things had happened and she would need to rescue him.

  Just as she was about the vault to the dock she saw a figure striding along the rows of barley. She moved into a crouch. When she recognized Kashe her body relaxed. He climbed over the side of the boat and dropped a leather water bag on the deck. He handed her a sack.

  She grinned. “I smell onions.”

  “Both cooked and raw. There’s bread and meat, too.”

  “A feast. What news?” She spread a cloth and set out the food.

  “I found Namose. My father holds him prisoner in a house at the edge of the village. Merin is in the temple compound. At sunset I’ll bring my brother here. Then we can find a way into the temple complex. Once we f
ind Merin we’re off for Tebes.”

  “What will I do while you’re after Namose?”

  Kashe cut a piece of the round loaf of bread. “The symbols must be guarded. You will wait here.”

  Tira bent her head and ate. Being a spectator didn’t suit her. There had to be something she could do. As she chewed on a piece of savory beef she recalled the plan of the temple the thieves had left behind. There would be a clue that pointed to the place where Merin was held.

  When Kashe retreated beneath the canopy to rest she spread the papyrus on the deck. She ran a finger over the depicted buildings. The temple and the grounds had to be larger than most temples. She studied the smaller buildings. Which one?

  As soon as Kashe woke he prepared to leave. “Stay here. When Namose and I return we’ll make plans.”

  “Why can’t I come with you? No one has come near the boat.”

  Instead of replying he slid over the side. Tira watched him walk away. She glanced at the sky. The sun edged toward the west. If she could climb the wall around the temple grounds she might have a better idea of the location of the buildings. She might even see Merin.

  Tira nodded. She was tired of the boat and being idle. She was tired of Kashe making all the decisions. She donned the mottled robe and left. With caution she made her way among the rows of plants toward the road leading to the temple. Bast Ka followed.

  She reached the end of the gardens and passed the village. When she arrived at the road she ducked behind the line of palm trees. With care she dashed from one tree to the next. Voices startled her. She crouched behind an acacia. A palanquin carried by four men appeared. Tira recognized the nomarch of Mero. Pian and two guards walked beside the older man. She waited until they passed before leaving her hiding place.

  When she reached the wall she searched for a place where she could climb. Surely the nomarch and his older son knew where Merin was held. Tira found a spot where the mud brick had crumbled and provided an easy way to climb. She reached the top and lay on the broad capstone to observe the grounds.