Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize do not belong to the authors. Some of the ideas were inspired by Xanthia Morgan's wonderful fic, Brother of My Soul.

A/N: This story is coauthored by Rina and Shade—we hope you enjoy it! Many thanks to Taracinablue for betaing this for us. A trailer made by Rina is available from my profile.

Chapter One: First Meetings

Ardeth stared around him in wonder, never having seen so many people or buildings packed into such a small area. This was the young man's first experience in a city, and the sensory overload was almost too much. His father knew of his curiosity about the foreigners that were coming into Egypt, and allowed him to come here to learn a little more about the people he would have to defend Hamunaptra from.

The fourteen-year-old turned to ask the two warriors sent to guard him where they were going, only to find them several dozen feet away, pushed back by the crowd. Alarmed, Ardeth started making his way towards them, only to have a large hand close around his arm. He turned, finding himself face to face with a man taller than his father, and the man was glaring at him.

"Little desert brat, you shouldn't have come here!" The man's other hand lashed out, and only years of training prompted Ardeth to duck. He tugged free from the man, and glanced back for his escort. The crowd had pushed them out of sight. He was alone.

Gulping, the young man turned back to his assailant, and raised a calming hand. "Please, good man, let us discuss your quarrel calmly," he said, head high, pleased he had managed the English so clearly.

"Well, look at this! The savage knows how to speak!" The man's gaze told Ardeth that he would not listen to reason. He shook his head briefly indicating the direction in which the boy's guards had been enveloped by the townsfolk. "Oh no, you won't be able to hide behind them." He threw a fist at Ardeth to meet only empty air. And again, with the same result. And again. Beginning to get frustrated, he tried to back Ardeth against a vendor's stand. The vendor tried to protest and ward the two away from his inventory, but the thug tossed him aside like a rag doll. He whined from where he lay, but was unwilling to die for the produce display he tended. He scampered away down the alley. The brute continued to advance on Ardeth.

Backing away from the man, Ardeth's eyes widened when he ran into the wood. The man lunged, and the boy ducked into a roll, getting out of the way. There was no way that he could win in hand-to-hand combat against this enraged giant, so the boy ducked into the crowd, hoping to find his way back to the other Med-jai.

As the vendor raced down the alleyway, he nearly bowled over a young boy. Just barely sidestepping the vendor, the boy fell back against the wall and looked on as the man, without stopping, continued his sprint away from the plaza. Rick's attention only stayed with him a split-second longer before he heard a crash of pottery in the bazaar the vendor had been running from. His head spun towards the noise and he rolled his eyes a moment before breaking into a run towards the plaza to see what had happened. And this day started out so quietly, he thought mournfully before he burst out of the alley and into the sunlight. A few yards away, he saw a burly man trying to untangle himself from a tarp and various shards of broken bowls and water jugs and a boy, about his age maybe, running towards the small crowd of onlookers.

The look of rage on the man's face when he finally emerged was enough to slightly startle even someone like Rick. He had lived in Cairo all his life and it took a lot to get to him. Then, red-faced, the brute followed after the boy. Rick took off hot on his heels. This was not going to end well, and he didn't want someone's death on his conscience this early on in the day.

Highly aware of the man chasing him, Ardeth ran through the crowd, using all the skills he had learned from his training to dodge and move unpredictably. Spotting a small alley, the boy glanced over his shoulder to make certain that his attacker wasn't following him, only to slam into someone else. Winded, the boy laid still on the ground, trying to get his breath back, then gracefully rose to his feet.

"My apologies," Ardeth said to the man he had run into, and turned to run again. A hand caught the collar of his tunic, and swung him around. The boy swallowed hard, and did his best to keep his face impassive as his attacker tightened his grip on the cloth.

His new attacker pulled him closer then, grasping his tunic firmly with both hands, lifted him off the ground entirely. Spit splattered onto Ardeth's face as the man shook him roughly. "You think you can simply apologize and walk away from me?" he bellowed.

Ardeth's eyes narrowed and he used the sleeve of his robe to wipe off his face. "Release me at once," he commanded, authority clear in his voice. His other hand crept towards his scimitar, as he prepared to defend himself. Then the giant from earlier finally found them, and came running up, panting and furious. Ardeth sighed. His trip to the city was not going very well.

With a look of irritation, the first thug walked over to the one holding Ardeth aloft. "Hand over the boy. I have first claim to him."

"Fah," the other man spat in his direction. "You can have him when I am finished teaching this boy a lesson."

The hue in the thug's face that had gone down slightly now that he had been able to catch his breath brightened again as he sputtered angrily. "That boy made a fool of me in the bazaar--"

"Pfft! That must have been a feat," the other said mockingly before turning to shake Ardeth again. More enraged by this man's words than even the gall Ardeth's people had to merely approach the gates of Cairo, the giant began to hurl all the vilest insults he knew upon him, insults which were returned in kind. Ardeth, still caught in the newcomer's tightly clenched fists, was in the crossfire as tempers began to rise.

"This is not good," Ardeth murmured in his native language, glancing between the two men. Still dangling several inches above the ground, the boy glanced around, trying to find some way out of this situation. Father will never allow me to leave the safety of the Garden city again- not until I'm old and wrinkled.

Rick, hearing the yelling, came to a screeching halt just shy the alley. Looking down the path, he saw the two thugs as they started to trade insults, apparently fighting over who had dibs on beating the boy to a bloody pulp. Stinks to be him, Rick thought as he tried to figure out what to do. They weren't that far down the narrow alleyway. He'd be able to get in there quickly, but the more pressing question was would he be able to escape again with the boy's hide and his own still somewhat intact?

There weren't many blunt or sharp objects to use as weapons, none that would be of use anyways. And he knew against two men, each roughly twice his weight and height; his fists wouldn't even be able to get one person out alive. The men started to get in each other's faces, Ardeth still trapped between. If he was going to do something, he had to do it now! That's when he saw it.

Alleys like this were almost always drenched in shadows, even during the day. But there were times of the day when some sunlight touched the space in between these two buildings. The awnings kept what little of the desert sun it could from filtering into the houses, bringing its oppressive heat with it. But at this hour, each of these awnings was rolled up against the wall by a line connected to a pulley and a small wooden hand crank. One such awning was behind the combatants.

Rick grabbed a small vase from the ground and chucked it at the fragile crank. The rotten old wood gave beneath the force of the blow, letting gravity pull the beam down and away from the wall, rotating around its pivot point to hit both brutes on the crown of their heads. Stunned momentarily, both grabbed their heads and yowled in pain. Ardeth fell to the ground also a little bewildered, his attackers' screams still ringing in his ears. Suddenly another hand grabbed him.

Frightened at having yet another person grab him, Ardeth threw himself into a backwards roll, coming up crouched and poised on the balls of his feet. He found himself facing a white boy not much older than he was. "Who are you?" he blurted, forgetting the lessons on how to make an impressive sight.

"Will you come on? We don't have time for that!" Rick urged. Not even waiting for a response, he yanked on his fistful of Ardeth's robe to half-drag him down the alley.

Stumbling after the other boy, Ardeth finally managed to catch his balance, and ran beside Rick, trying to get his robes free. In seconds, they were out of sight of the two men, and far into the depths of the dark alley.

Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, Rick saw the even darker shadows of a doorway. His mind raced with information he had garnered early on in his childhood exploring the back ways around Cairo's city streets. The family that lived here was out working for the British in an archaeological dig, so the house was empty. He skidded to halt and grabbed his companion's tunic, wrenching Ardeth inside and back to where Rick was between him and the doorway. He knew Ardeth could probably see well enough in the dark and motioned for him to stay low in the shadows as they waited for the two men to pass.

Immediately realizing what the plan was, Ardeth slipped out of his outer robes, tossing them over his companion's shoulder. The white shirt the other boy was wearing would stand out even in these dark shadows, and all of Ardeth's clothing was the traditional black they wore outside of the Garden City.

Rick looked at the robe, confused for a second, and then nodded his thanks. Hearing footsteps, both cringed even further away from the door. Rick had to concentrate for a moment before his heart rate and breathing began to slow. He noticed with a momentary hint of surprise that the other boy's breathing had already returned to normal.

Ardeth stayed very still, pressed against the doorway, and tilted his head slightly to let his hair fall forward, obscuring his face. The two men were still arguing loudly as they hurried through the alley, trying to find Ardeth again.

Not until the footsteps and raised voices passed and then receded into the distance did Rick relax from a crouching posture to more of a slump against the wall, sighing wearily. "Lucky for us, they were as dumb as they looked."

Ardeth stood as well, rubbing his arm from where the first man had grabbed him when this whole adventure began. He inclined his head to the other boy. "I thank you for helping me. You saved me from at least a beating, and possibly a murder attempt."

He nodded and then gave his companion a sideways look. "Yeah, well, not too many people in this town are too welcome to outsiders." He shrugged. "I should know." He took a moment to peek out the door to make sure they were truly gone before, satisfied, he let himself slide to the ground.

"What is your name?" Ardeth asked, sitting down beside the older boy. In a few minutes, he would have to go look for the Med-jai warriors he was supposed to be with, but at the moment, he didn't feel like risking his life again by leaving this little sanctuary. "I am Ardeth Bey."

"Rick O'Connell," he answered, reaching out to shake his hand.

Clasping the other boy's hand, Ardeth smiled at him. "So, O'Connell, do you live in this place?" the boy asked, taking his robe back and sliding it on.

"Yeah, well, kinda. I stay at the orphanage over near the museum at the center of town." Rick watched to gauge Ardeth's reaction.

Ardeth nodded, and guessed from the look on Rick's face that the orphanage was a sensitive topic. So, with an effort, he reigned in his curiosity. "Why did you save me? Most people I met outside of my tribe care very little about others."

"Well," Rick's mouth quirked into a smile, "the first guy you ticked off?" Ardeth nodded. "He did the same thing to me about four years ago. Only no one came to my rescue." He shook his head ruefully. "Not a good memory to relive, either as the victim or the witness."

Ardeth winced in sympathy. "Yes, I think I can imagine. Well. I'm certain that the men I came into the city with are thoroughly alarmed by now at my disappearance. I ought to try to find them."

"Okay," Rick said as they stood, clasping his hand once again. "Hey, stay out of trouble," he said as a friendly farewell.

"You as well, my friend. Thank you again for your help." Ardeth strode briskly to the entrance of the alley and paused there, glancing around. He hoped to spot either of his two bodyguards, but couldn't see them. Instead, he caught the eye of one of the red-clad temple guards--the mortal enemies of the Med-jai. Ardeth groaned softly when he saw the man's eyes narrow. His face markings were as obvious as his black robes with silver markings. And the temple guard would know what the extra marking on Ardeth's forehead meant--that he was the son of the king of the Med-jai.

Muttering under his breath, the boy backed into the shadows of the alley, wondering what to do now.

A second after Ardeth had, Rick had left the apartment headed back the way he had come. It was almost time for lunch, and he had slipped away before breakfast so he wouldn't be ambushed by the local bullies who usually lay in wait for him. He wasn't too fond of the way they had targeted him of all the misfits raised in the orphanage. But he did tend to stick out like a sore thumb where ever he went. But he paused as he saw Ardeth standing at the head of the alley, then take a pace or two back. Without a sound, he walked closer to see why his new friend hesitated. Gazing over his shoulder, he saw the man in red robes. He couldn't explain why, but instantly, he became wary. He tapped Ardeth lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, who's that guy?"

Nearly jumping out of his skin, Ardeth took a shaky breath and clamped down on his fear. He restrained himself from rolling his eyes when he realized it was Rick who had surprised him. The older boy could certainly be quiet when he tried. "That man is one of the temple guards. Mortal enemies of my tribe."

Rick nodded. "Then I take it he wasn't one of the guys that came with you." From what he could tell of Bey, it seemed like his people didn't do anything without planning the matter through. "Did you have a spot to meet with them in case something went wrong?" Rick asked, though he had to wonder what was so important about Bey that he needed an escort.

Ardeth sighed. "No, they didn't have a chance to point out any landmarks to me before we were separated, and this is my first time in a city." Pushing his hair back away from his face, the boy considered the problem. "I will make my way back to the edge of the desert, where we left the horses."

"Wait," Rick said, gripping Ardeth's shoulder so he wouldn't walk away just yet. "If that guy is your 'mortal enemy', then it's no coincidence he's here the same day that you are. I've lived in this city all my life and I have never seen him or any of his kind here before. Isn't it possible that his buddies are outside the city waiting for you to come out?"

"That . . . complicates matters. If that is so, then it may not be a coincidence that I was separated from Amir and Falti-el." With a heavy sigh, the boy leaned against the wall.