Chapter 4D
“Shit.” She said, looking down at the foreign object then back up at Khepri. “Ok, I know this looks bad.”
“Sarah, don’t move.” Khepri said, moving toward her. “Maybe we still have time to get you help. If you take the knife out now you could bleed to death.”
There is just no getting around this one. Sarah thought to herself.
“Look, I didn’t want to tell you this before…” She said with a sigh.
“Shh, don’t talk.” Khepri said solemnly as if Sarah was going to delve into some kind of romantic confession. “You need to save your strength. I can carry you back to the village and we can get the doctor.”
“That really won’t be necessary.” Sarah said as she held out one hand to stop Khepri from picking her up, and used the other to extract the knife.
Khepri gasped and looked on in wonder. The blood that she had expected to come gushing out was nowhere to be seen. She then lifted the shirt to examine the wound, but only found smooth skin. She even touched it just to be sure her eyes were not deceiving her. There was a soft intake of breath from the face above, but no other reaction. Sarah had just been stabbed, yet there was no wound to be found. She looked up into the girl’s eyes and saw some form of remorse.
“I told you I wasn’t brave.” Sarah said, sadly. “It’s easy to sacrifice yourself in order to save others when you know you’ve got nothing to lose.”
“But you’re back; you have scars from the tiger...” Khepri said, trying to understand.
“I’m only impervious to mortal wounds.” Sarah explained. “I can be hurt, I just can’t die.”
“What are you?” Khepri asked before she could stop herself.
Apparently I’m a freak. Sarah thought when she saw the nervousness in Khepri’s eyes.
“I’m complicated.” Sarah said. “And I know you’ve got every right to tell the other’s about me, but I’d really rather you didn’t. I promise I’ll tell them at some point, but bringing it up right now might lead them to think I’m some kind of beefed up vampire.”
I’m pretty sure neither of us want that label hanging over our heads. Khepri thought.
“I promise I’ll keep your secret.” Khepri asked, caressing the skin her hand had been resting on. “Does it hurt?”
“Definitely not right now.” Sarah said, swallowing hard as the butterflies in her stomach started to flutter in full gear.
Khepri looked into her eyes and moved her free hand up to Sarah’s face. Her thumb stroked her cheek gently as she held her eyes.
“I’m glad you’re ok.” She said, moving her face closer to the girl’s. She truly meant it.
“Me too.” Sarah said, her eyes moving from cool, blue orbs to moist, soft lips.
Khepri was so close now; Sarah could feel her breath on her lips. She was torturing her with her pace, and just before the time traveler was about to take the reins, a painful moan could be heard coming from behind her. Both women stopped their movements. Khepri looked toward the man behind Sarah, and Sarah looked up to the sky.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” She cursed her luck and made her way over to the man’s horse. “I’m starting to think this mortality thing comes with some kind of kissing inhibitor” She said softly to herself as she rummaged through his things looking for some rope.
Once she found it she made her way over to him and tied his hands behind his back. He grimaced in pain as she tightened them, and then began to speak.
“Shit, woman, what did you do to me?” He asked.
“Obviously a lot less than I should have done.” She said through gritted teeth before lifting him to his feet.
“Didn’t I stab you?” He asked.
“His head injury must be causing delusions.” Khepri said, with a wink to Sarah.
“Probably so.” Sarah said with a knowing smile as she started to push her attacker along. “Of course I would have preferred it caused him to be knocked out for a few more minutes.”
“Me too.” The warrior said softly, leaning in to Sarah’s ear then moving back to grab the horse’s lead.
“No! I’m sure of it.” He said. “I stabbed you right after you sliced my fuckin calf. Which, now that I mention it, is hurting like a bitch.”
“Are you seriously complaining right now?” Sarah asked. “You just tried to kill and kidnap us!”
“Well sure, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I’m limping and you are, for some reason, trying to keep me alive and take me back to camp.” He said.
“You know he makes a good point.” Khepri said as they continued to walk. “Why are we taking him back to camp? He deserves to die for what he tried to do to you.”
Sarah sighed and moved over to rip some of the fabric off the prisoner’s shirt.
“Because I don’t kill people.” She said as she tied the cloth around the wound to try to stop the bleeding. “If the Amazons decide to execute him then that’s their affair, but I’m just not ready to take a life.”
This made the man laugh out loud.
“See that’s why yours is the weaker sex.” He said. Again with that simple, non-threatening tone. “You bitches just think too much about these things. And don’t think I’ve forgotten about that fucking knife going into your gut and not doing what it was supposed to. I can see the rip in your shirt.”
“Do you realize that you’ve got a lot more important things to worry about?” Sarah said. “Like the fact that you’re about to be at the mercy of a bunch of man hating women who now have every right to kill you.”
“And I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it, right now I want you to tell me about that cast iron stomach you got there.” He said.
Khepri pulled her aside and whispered to her.
“He’s going to be a problem, Sarah.” She said. “If you want to keep your secret, he’s gonna have to die. Let me take care of it.”
Sarah looked in her eyes and knew she was absolutely serious. She then looked to the object of their conversation and moved closer to him.
“Have you ever done this before?” She asked, seriously.
“What, been beat up by Amazons?” He asked, confused. “Hell, no! I try to stay away from you crazy females.”
“Ok, number one, I’m not an Amazon.” Sarah said, annoyed. “And number two, I meant have you ever captured people and sold them to slavers?”
“What the hell does that matter?” He asked as if she’d just inquired about the price of eggs in China.
“Jesus Christ, you’re driving me crazy.” She said, running a hand through her hair. “Just answer the God damn question: have you ever done this before?”
He rolled his eyes then did as he was told.
“No. Some slavers came by my house a couple of weeks ago and they threatened to kill me and burn the place down if I didn’t start collecting for them. Being that I like myself and my house, I decided to do what they said. And that’s why we’re now having this lovely conversation while my boot fills up with blood.” He explained with a smile.
“Well it’s gonna fill up a whole hell of a lot more unless we get one thing straight right now.” She said soberly. “So far you don’t have the fact that you stuck a knife in my gut going against you. Keeping that to yourself may end up saving your life in the end; it sure as hell will save it now.”
“Well why didn’t you just say so?” He replied. “I know how to keep a secret. Now come on, let’s go and get me some stitches.”
As he limped ahead Sarah looked on in awe then followed him.
“I know this is gonna sound crazy.” She said to Khepri. “But for some reason, I actually hope they don’t end up killing him.”
Khepri looked at her as if she’d grown a third eye.
“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head back there?” She said, investigating Sarah’s skull for herself as they headed back to add yet another complication to a situation that was already out of control.
To be continued…
“Sarah, don’t move.” Khepri said, moving toward her. “Maybe we still have time to get you help. If you take the knife out now you could bleed to death.”
There is just no getting around this one. Sarah thought to herself.
“Look, I didn’t want to tell you this before…” She said with a sigh.
“Shh, don’t talk.” Khepri said solemnly as if Sarah was going to delve into some kind of romantic confession. “You need to save your strength. I can carry you back to the village and we can get the doctor.”
“That really won’t be necessary.” Sarah said as she held out one hand to stop Khepri from picking her up, and used the other to extract the knife.
Khepri gasped and looked on in wonder. The blood that she had expected to come gushing out was nowhere to be seen. She then lifted the shirt to examine the wound, but only found smooth skin. She even touched it just to be sure her eyes were not deceiving her. There was a soft intake of breath from the face above, but no other reaction. Sarah had just been stabbed, yet there was no wound to be found. She looked up into the girl’s eyes and saw some form of remorse.
“I told you I wasn’t brave.” Sarah said, sadly. “It’s easy to sacrifice yourself in order to save others when you know you’ve got nothing to lose.”
“But you’re back; you have scars from the tiger...” Khepri said, trying to understand.
“I’m only impervious to mortal wounds.” Sarah explained. “I can be hurt, I just can’t die.”
“What are you?” Khepri asked before she could stop herself.
Apparently I’m a freak. Sarah thought when she saw the nervousness in Khepri’s eyes.
“I’m complicated.” Sarah said. “And I know you’ve got every right to tell the other’s about me, but I’d really rather you didn’t. I promise I’ll tell them at some point, but bringing it up right now might lead them to think I’m some kind of beefed up vampire.”
I’m pretty sure neither of us want that label hanging over our heads. Khepri thought.
“I promise I’ll keep your secret.” Khepri asked, caressing the skin her hand had been resting on. “Does it hurt?”
“Definitely not right now.” Sarah said, swallowing hard as the butterflies in her stomach started to flutter in full gear.
Khepri looked into her eyes and moved her free hand up to Sarah’s face. Her thumb stroked her cheek gently as she held her eyes.
“I’m glad you’re ok.” She said, moving her face closer to the girl’s. She truly meant it.
“Me too.” Sarah said, her eyes moving from cool, blue orbs to moist, soft lips.
Khepri was so close now; Sarah could feel her breath on her lips. She was torturing her with her pace, and just before the time traveler was about to take the reins, a painful moan could be heard coming from behind her. Both women stopped their movements. Khepri looked toward the man behind Sarah, and Sarah looked up to the sky.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” She cursed her luck and made her way over to the man’s horse. “I’m starting to think this mortality thing comes with some kind of kissing inhibitor” She said softly to herself as she rummaged through his things looking for some rope.
Once she found it she made her way over to him and tied his hands behind his back. He grimaced in pain as she tightened them, and then began to speak.
“Shit, woman, what did you do to me?” He asked.
“Obviously a lot less than I should have done.” She said through gritted teeth before lifting him to his feet.
“Didn’t I stab you?” He asked.
“His head injury must be causing delusions.” Khepri said, with a wink to Sarah.
“Probably so.” Sarah said with a knowing smile as she started to push her attacker along. “Of course I would have preferred it caused him to be knocked out for a few more minutes.”
“Me too.” The warrior said softly, leaning in to Sarah’s ear then moving back to grab the horse’s lead.
“No! I’m sure of it.” He said. “I stabbed you right after you sliced my fuckin calf. Which, now that I mention it, is hurting like a bitch.”
“Are you seriously complaining right now?” Sarah asked. “You just tried to kill and kidnap us!”
“Well sure, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I’m limping and you are, for some reason, trying to keep me alive and take me back to camp.” He said.
“You know he makes a good point.” Khepri said as they continued to walk. “Why are we taking him back to camp? He deserves to die for what he tried to do to you.”
Sarah sighed and moved over to rip some of the fabric off the prisoner’s shirt.
“Because I don’t kill people.” She said as she tied the cloth around the wound to try to stop the bleeding. “If the Amazons decide to execute him then that’s their affair, but I’m just not ready to take a life.”
This made the man laugh out loud.
“See that’s why yours is the weaker sex.” He said. Again with that simple, non-threatening tone. “You bitches just think too much about these things. And don’t think I’ve forgotten about that fucking knife going into your gut and not doing what it was supposed to. I can see the rip in your shirt.”
“Do you realize that you’ve got a lot more important things to worry about?” Sarah said. “Like the fact that you’re about to be at the mercy of a bunch of man hating women who now have every right to kill you.”
“And I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it, right now I want you to tell me about that cast iron stomach you got there.” He said.
Khepri pulled her aside and whispered to her.
“He’s going to be a problem, Sarah.” She said. “If you want to keep your secret, he’s gonna have to die. Let me take care of it.”
Sarah looked in her eyes and knew she was absolutely serious. She then looked to the object of their conversation and moved closer to him.
“Have you ever done this before?” She asked, seriously.
“What, been beat up by Amazons?” He asked, confused. “Hell, no! I try to stay away from you crazy females.”
“Ok, number one, I’m not an Amazon.” Sarah said, annoyed. “And number two, I meant have you ever captured people and sold them to slavers?”
“What the hell does that matter?” He asked as if she’d just inquired about the price of eggs in China.
“Jesus Christ, you’re driving me crazy.” She said, running a hand through her hair. “Just answer the God damn question: have you ever done this before?”
He rolled his eyes then did as he was told.
“No. Some slavers came by my house a couple of weeks ago and they threatened to kill me and burn the place down if I didn’t start collecting for them. Being that I like myself and my house, I decided to do what they said. And that’s why we’re now having this lovely conversation while my boot fills up with blood.” He explained with a smile.
“Well it’s gonna fill up a whole hell of a lot more unless we get one thing straight right now.” She said soberly. “So far you don’t have the fact that you stuck a knife in my gut going against you. Keeping that to yourself may end up saving your life in the end; it sure as hell will save it now.”
“Well why didn’t you just say so?” He replied. “I know how to keep a secret. Now come on, let’s go and get me some stitches.”
As he limped ahead Sarah looked on in awe then followed him.
“I know this is gonna sound crazy.” She said to Khepri. “But for some reason, I actually hope they don’t end up killing him.”
Khepri looked at her as if she’d grown a third eye.
“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head back there?” She said, investigating Sarah’s skull for herself as they headed back to add yet another complication to a situation that was already out of control.
To be continued…