Chapter 15 The Old Pr-aa
The Old Pr-aa
Zahra leaned against a tamarisk tree, tucking her fabric and prayer beads back into her bag. She sighed and relaxed, glad for the morning sun on her face. Those traveling to the feast by chariot were filling the roads, and Zahra hugged her bag, waiting for Namir to show.
She didn’t have to wait long. Namir came barreling down the road on Victory, passing her as he saw her. Ramses rode on another horse and slowed down as Namir circled back.
Zahra stood and lifted her bag to her shoulder, teasing him with a smile. “What took you so long?”
Namir grinned, pointing his thumb at Ramses. “Ramses had to get ready.”
Ramses assumed a confused expression as he approached on his horse. Namir signed to Ramses, and Ramses grinned and laughed. “You took longer than I.”
Zahra smiled at him. She was glad to see him alive.
Namir slid off his horse, holding Victory’s reins. “I was fetching your father. I have moved him out of the city, and I have my most trusted medjay guarding him.”
“Thank you.” Zahra’s forehead creased. “I am surprised you came with only Ramses, especially after last night.”
“The assassins only attack at night.” Namir gestured to Ramses. “Besides, Ramses could take on all seven if he wished it.”
Ramses laughed from atop his horse. He inclined his head toward Zahra. “I am Ramses, but I am told you already knew that.”
Zahra nodded. “Yes. I am Zahra.” She glanced at Namir, who was smiling at them both. “But you already knew that.”
Ramses nodded. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Zahra.” He turned to Namir. “Which village are we going to?”
Namir turned to Zahra. “Last night, you said that your cousin could help us.”
Zahra hesitated. “He can, but he will be busy working until tonight. My family is celebrating the blood moon later today in their village south of Inebu-hedj, and he will be there.”
“Then we shall wait in the city until then.” Namir offered her his hand. Zahra was surprised by the gesture, but she took it, and he lifted her onto his horse with ease.
Ramses got Namir’s attention and signed. Namir nodded and signed in reply.
Zahra watched in fascination, holding onto the cloth she was sitting on as he got on the horse. “Can you teach me?”
Namir glanced back at her in surprise. He smiled. “Another day.” He secured her bag to the horse with a rope. His eyebrows raised when he saw her holding onto the cloth. “You can hold on to me.”
Zahra looked down, hiding a blush, as she wrapped her arms around him. The sweet smell of honey drifted into her nostrils, and she fought the sudden urge to breathe the scent in. “I am ready.”
Namir urged the horse forward, and Zahra’s hair flew behind her as Victory ran. As soon as they left the city, he slowed down. Zahra watched the road with interest, smiling at Ramses when he appeared in her line of sight. Namir took a path that led to the marketplace of Inebu-hedj.
The marketplace was bustling with people when Namir and Ramses finally came to a stop next to a stable. Ramses talked to the owner of the stable as Namir helped Zahra down.
“We will stay in the marketplace until closer to sunset,” Namir explained, pulling his hood more over his head. “My uncle would too easily detain me if I remained at the pr-aa.”
Zahra nodded in understanding. “We wouldn’t want that.”
Ramses finished, and the man took the horses into the stable.
“There’s an old necropolis nearby,” Ramses said as he approached them. “We can rest there.”
A necropolis. Zahra had not visited one of Aur’s graveyards for many years, not since her father still lived under Bahiti and Darius’s roof. The thought of walking among the dead made her skin crawl, and she dug her nails into her arm as a feeling of dread overcame her.
Namir spoke from beside her. “Zahra, we don’t have to go there if you don’t wish to.”
Zahra looked at him in surprise. His gaze shifted from her arm to her face, his features inquisitive and worried.
“We should go,” she said. “Your uncle’s medjay will be less likely to look for you there.”
Namir rubbed his neck. “I suppose that is true, but we should get some food before we do.”
Ramses stepped forward, gesturing to himself. “I will get us something to eat and catch up with you.”
Namir looked at Ramses in confusion. “Why would we—?”
Ramses signed to him. Namir nodded and smiled. “Of course. We will see you shortly.”
Zahra hurried to fall in step with Namir as they strode away from Ramses and the stable house, her gait much shorter than his. “What did he say?”
Namir’s mouth hung open for a second before he responded, his tone less confident. “He said that my uncle would be looking for the two of us, so it would be better if he went alone.”
Zahra considered him for a moment before looking forward. “I suppose you two would know best.”
There was an obvious relief to Namir’s stature, which piqued Zahra’s curiosity.
They followed an old path covered in weeds.
Zahra had never heard of a necropolis southeast of the city.
She had thought the only one near Inbeu-hedj was the one west of the city, where only members of the royal family were buried.
She supposed, like Illahun, there were smaller graveyards where farmers and servants were buried, but she did not imagine it would be as close to the river as this one was.
The ground here was fertile, and trees and other plants were likely to disturb the graves of Aur’s people.
They came to a fallen log in the path. Namir hurried his footsteps, stepping across the log with ease before offering his hand to Zahra with a smile. “Here, let me help you.”
Zahra smiled, took his hand, and jumped over the log. “Thank you.”
He inclined his head to her. “Of course.”
Silence fell between them as they walked in step again.
It became clear to Zahra that Namir had slowed his pace, perhaps to allow Ramses more time to catch up.
Her thoughts went to Ramses. She had been wary of him before, but now she saw how fiercely he cared for and protected Namir.
He was more than Namir’s personal guard. He was his friend.
Zahra looked at Namir. “Does Ramses know about the spell?”
Namir jumped at her voice. “Of course he knows. I have known him since I was a child. There are no secrets between us.”
Zahra waited a moment before asking her next question. “Have you told him what happened yesterday?”
Namir hesitated. “No, not yet.” He let out a sigh. “Most mornings, I update Ramses on what has happened, but I could not bring myself to tell him the truth today.”
That was understandable. Zahra had never told her father about his death in the pr-aa. He and Ramses both were better off not knowing.
“I will be more careful in the future. The gardens are not safe.” He paused. “And it is not safe for you to come out with me at night either. Once we are finished with your cousin, I will have a medjay take you to your father.”
Zahra recalled the fire in the medjay’s eyes last night, and the way Namir had held her after she was stabbed.
Despite Namir’s good intentions, she did not think she would be safe with anyone until her curse was broken.
If she could find a place to hide by herself, she might be able to escape the keres.
Zahra was surprised to notice Namir studying her face. She cleared her throat, looking ahead. “I believe we are here.”
Namir’s focus shifted to the landscape in front of them, and he nodded. “Yes, I think so.”
The necropolis, as Zahra suspected, was as lush as the Pharaohs’ Gardens.
It hardly differed from the forest of trees and bushes behind them, but what was left of the path ran through it, breaking off to pass by old stone tombs.
Most of the tombs had crumbled and fallen over from trees or other plants growing through them.
“I have never seen this place before,” Namir remarked, walking ahead of Zahra.
Zahra trailed her hand over a stone from a fallen tomb. Words were engraved in it, though it was in a form of Hieratic she had never seen before. There was a symbol in Badari on the side, indicating this was a tomb of a noble.
If this was a necropolis for nobility, why was it so poorly taken care of?
Namir tilted his head in front of another tomb. “I wonder how old this place is.”
“Centuries.”
Zahra’s head shot up toward one of the tombs still standing. On top of it was perched Katerina.
“Oh, your eagle friend is back.” Namir chuckled. He clearly did not hear her speak, yet he waved to her as if he had. “Do you remember me? You dropped a shoe on my head.”
Katerina ignored him, staring straight into Zahra’s eyes.
She lifted her wings, and with a mighty push, she took off into the air.
As her wings touched the sky, the world turned dark.
The necropolis and Namir disappeared from sight, replaced by trimmed plants and walkways lined with stone.
Night swept across the light blue sky, and the world was lit up by twinkling stars and a bright moon.
Zahra sucked in a breath, stumbling backward. What was this place?
Katerina looped in the sky before flying above the trees.
Zahra ran after her. “Wait. Katerina, wait!”
The Iteru roared in the distance, and the buildings she saw were made of sticks and reeds rather than mud brick. Katerina disappeared behind some trees, and Zahra came to a stop by a building, catching her breath.
The building was large and made of stone, and it had colorful columns with Badari covering them. Long tapestries hung outside it, depicting Re and Nebthet standing triumphant over a great snake. The symbol of the Pharaohs were displayed repeatedly over the columns and walls.
Zahra stepped back in awe. This was the pr-aa of old.