The Mummy Fanfic - "Marks"
Title: Marks
Fandom: The Mummy
Pairing: Ardeth Bay/Jonathan Carnahan
Author: Nanuk Dain
e-mail: nanukdain@gmx.net
Rating/Genre: PG-16/Slash
Warnings: totally fluffy, very very mild angst
Word count: approx. 3.300
Prompt: viper
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be either, even though that's a real pity. I'd do great things with them... XD
Series: Sequel to “A never-ending Dance”
Beta: My wonderful friend minionofsekhmet.
Comment: Set about a year after the events of “A never-ending Dance”. I've made a manip that goes with this fic, so here's the link if you're interested: http://nanuk-dain.livejournal.com/17169.html
Summary: Alex satisfies his curiosity.
Written for the smallfandomfest , prompt: viper
**********
London, Carnahan Mansion, Christmas 1934
“Uncle John?”
Jonathan looked up from the book he'd been reading and found Alex standing next to the sofa, a curious expression on his face. “Hey Alex.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” Jonathan agreed and put the book aside. He was surprised by Alex' uncharacteristic hesitation. “What is it?”
Alex reach out to tap Jonathan's right arm, directly above his wrist. “What does that mean?”
Jonathan didn't need to look down to know what the boy was talking about.
***
Egypt, in the desert, late 1933
It had been about half a year since he made his decision to stay in Egypt. The night had been pleasantly cool, the soft wind brought fresh air into the tents and relief for the inhabitants. Jonathan lay cuddled up against Ardeth's side, their naked bodies touching from head to toe, slightly wet from their lovemaking, the sweat just beginning to dry and cool their skin. Jonathan was pleasantly exhausted, entirely satisfied after having seen Ardeth lose control and give up into their joining. He loved it when the Med-jai let go of his cool, when the fierce warrior transformed into an equally fierce lover who craved to be filled and felt no shame showing what he wanted. Jonathan had never expected to be the active one in this relationship, but he had found out pretty soon that while Ardeth also liked to take him, the Med-jai truly loved to be taken himself.
“There is something I wish to ask you, Jonathan.” he heard Ardeth's voice enter his musings.
“Hmm?” he was just too drowsy to concentrate on speaking.
“I will need to explain some things first.” Where his head rested on Ardeth's chest, Jonathan felt him take a deep breath. “The Med-jai follow the beliefs of the ancient times, merged with some of the new faiths. Our code of honour is millennia old and still as strong as it was back then. One of the oldest traditions is something we call the Warrior's Bond.”
Ardeth paused for a moment, as if he was thinking about how to continue. “It is believed to be stronger than marriage, but it doesn't happen often. It is a bond for life entered by two warriors, a vow that is equivalent to a traditional wedding. It is unbreakable, a bond forged on the battlefield, a trust deeper even than love. It means you know the best and the worst of your partner. It means to support and accept support from the one who holds your soul.”
Jonathan felt all the drowsiness slip away, he knew exactly what Ardeth was trying to tell him. He raised his head from the Med-jai's chest and propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes finding and holding the warrior's. He looked up at the beautiful face that he knew better than his own, every tattoo, every crease, every wrinkle. The way the corners of the full lips lifted when Ardeth laughed, the way his eyes sparkled when he smirked or gleamed when he was angry. Ardeth was everything he was not, fierce, strong, honourable - a warrior to the core. After a very long moment of silence, Jonathan said very quietly, “But I am no warrior.”
Ardeth frowned, then he raised his hands and cupped his lover's face. He looked straight into Jonathan's eyes, face open and sincere. “I have gone through hell with you. Twice. You are more of a warrior then many men who know how to wield a sword.”
Jonathan felt his throat grow tight with emotion. He knew Ardeth meant every word he said, but he still wondered why the Med-jai had chosen him. He didn't see in himself what Ardeth saw, didn't understand why the fierce warrior wanted the coward Englishman who'd rather take the easy path than to face trouble. Jonathan lowered his gaze, he didn't want Ardeth to see his self-doubt. “What will your people say? What about an heir?”
“My people will respect my choice.” Ardeth said with utter certainty in his voice, his hand touched Jonathan's chin to make him look up. “I am the leader of all Med-jai and if I choose to enter a Warrior's Bond, they will accept it as they would accept a marriage. And concerning my succession, I will name my heir when the time has come, it does not have to be my own son.”
“Why do you want me?” Jonathan hated how insecure and desperate he sounded, but now that he had blurted it out, he couldn't take the question back.
“Because you are the other half of my soul.” Ardeth replied without even the slightest hesitation, his voice steady and firm, his expression sincere, his eyes gentle and loving. “There is no other choice for me and there has never been.”
Jonathan swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. He had never been the object of such honest love. Of course, Evy loved him, but they were brother and sister, that was different. And Evy had her own family, she didn't need or want her brother around all the time. But when he looked into the dark eyes of the Med-jai, he knew that Ardeth wanted him, really wanted him to be around for the rest of their lives. It was an amazing feeling, making him light-headed and humbling him at the same time.
Jonathan smiled, gave Ardeth a quick kiss and got up to get the water carafe. He needed a moment to gather his thoughts, to regain his composure, and this was a good opportunity. “Do you want some, too?”
“No, thank you.” Ardeth watched him attentively from the bed. Jonathan knew the Med-jai was good at reading him, so he turned to pour himself a cup and drank it in one gulp.
“So...” Jonathan drew out the word as he turned to face the warrior. “How does this bond work?”
“It is tradition to announce it to the families first, then to the tribe. There will be celebration with feasting and dancing, much like a marriage.” Ardeth explained with a smile playing around his lips. “But the most important is the ceremony of the ritual tattoo.”
“A tattoo? Me?” Jonathan exclaimed, utterly surprised and quite sceptical. “Well, I certainly like them on your body” - he saw Ardeth hiding an ambiguous smirk at that - “but on me, I think it would look rather ridiculous. I don't have your impressive look to go with it.”
“This is not about looks, Jonathan.” Ardeth shook his head. He got up, approached Jonathan to stand behind him and took his right hand. His fingers gently traced the white skin of his wrist, making Jonathan shiver at the touch. “It is a symbol of union, comparable to a wedding band, only that it is permanent and can never be taken away from you.”
“And what will it look like?” Jonathan had to pull himself together to speak, it was too easy to lose himself in the touch.
“It will be two vipers which start here” - fingernails gently scratched the skin on the underside of Jonathan's wrist, close to his palm - “and coil around your arm on both sides” - Ardeth traced the invisible tattoo up to the top of his lover's arm - “and meet here, entwining their bodies, facing each other.”
Jonathan felt his whole body react to Ardeth's touch, to the low, soft growl of his voice and the hypnotising image his fingers drew on Jonathan's skin and in his mind. He could practically see long bodies of the snakes on his skin, winding around his wrist and he liked what they'd stand for. Suddenly the idea of a tattoo on his own skin didn't appear to be so strange any more.
“One of us will wear it on the right arm” - Ardeth's hand closed around Jonathan's right wrist - “the other on the left arm” - he took Jonathan's free hand, set it on his left wrist and Jonathan immediately curled his fingers around it - “to mark us as mates, as equal parts of an unbreakable bond.” Jonathan shivered pleasantly when he felt Ardeth step up even closer behind him so that their bodies touched over their whole length, then he felt the Med-jai's lips on his neck, nibbling the sensitive skin. “I will be marked as yours. You will be marked as mine.”
Ardeth raised Jonathan's wrist to his mouth, closed his lips over the place where the pulse raced and kissed the sensitive skin.
“Jonathan Carnahan, will you accept me as yours?” he asked, his voice a rough, soft grumble. “Will you be mine?”
Jonathan knew there had always been only one possible answer. He tightened his hold on Ardeth's left wrist and leaned back against the taller frame of the Med-jai. “I will.”
***
Jamila was not the least surprised when Jonathan and Ardeth told her about their decision the next morning. She only smirked in a way that told Jonathan exactly from whom her son had inherited that expression, then she offered them her best wishes, enfolded Jonathan in a surprisingly strong embrace and told him she'd accept him as her son. Jonathan was deeply touched, he hadn't expected her open acceptance, her friendly words or her warm smile. It made him really miss his own mother for the first time in decades, she would have gotten along with Jamila very well.
The same evening, the Med-jai of Ardeth's tribe were told about their leader's decision in a public meeting in the centre of the encampment and Jonathan waited in anxious silence for their reaction. He wanted to believe Ardeth's words, but there was some doubt left in his mind, deeply ingrained by growing up in a society that would never accept his love. Instead of the reserved tolerance he had expected, the Med-jai broke out in loud cheers when Ardeth announced their bond. The celebrations were set for the next evening and Jonathan was astonished to find that Ardeth and himself were completely excluded from any preparations. The men around Bakal banished them into their tent and ordered them to stay there for the day . When Jonathan asked Ardeth about it, he just laughed and told him that it was a tradition and that the Med-jai saw it as a gift to the bonding couple. He had seen it in happen at every marriage and in every of the twelve tribes.
In the evening, several men came with special clothes and helped Ardeth and Jonathan to dress according to the rules. Then, they were escorted into the central meeting tent where Bakal and Mahir were waiting with two trays with needles, inkwells of different colours, cloths and water bowls. Jonathan looked at the instruments and wondered if it hurt a lot to get tattooed. He hadn't given the pain any thought before, but now that he saw the sharp needles, he couldn't help it. He had never been fond of pain.
In a large circle around them sat the commanders of the other eleven Med-jai tribes, greeting them with respect and more than one smiled benevolently. Ardeth bowed to the commanders, formally thanking them for their acceptance of his future bondmate, and Jonathan repeated the ritual just as Ardeth had explained it to him. Then they sat down opposite of each other in the centre of the circle and Bakal and Mahir approached with the trays. Jonathan watched as Mahir pushed up the wide sleeve of the ritual tunic and went to work, first drawing the pattern of the tattoo with black ink on Jonathan's white skin with a quill, then he took up a needle. Jonathan forced himself not to flinch when the tip first pierced his skin, the pain still bearable. Then the Med-jai took up a quick rhythm, thrusting the tip of the needle into the skin again and again, only stopping to take up more ink.
First it hurt terribly, then the pain subsided to a prickling sensation that spread over his whole arm, not pleasant, but not really painful either. Every time the needle pierced his skin after a short break, Jonathan felt a new surge of this prickling feeling, but he couldn’t tell the single stings apart anymore. From time to time, Mahir stopped his work to wipe away the blood that oozed from where the skin had been perforated, then he continued with utter patience and an incredibly steady hand.
Jonathan looked over to Ardeth who sat opposite of him, Bakal working with the same care and concentration on his wrist. The old Med-jai ran a cloth over Ardeth's bloodied skin and when it was removed, Jonathan saw the horned heads of two vipers, facing each other, their bodies entwined, then separating to wind around the wrist on each side. Bakal had been working in the underside of Ardeth's wrist where the snakes' bodied met again, and he was just about to start on their conjuncture. When he let his gaze search his lover's face, Jonathan found Ardeth watching him with these intense eyes of his, happiness, pride and love clearly visible in them.
Once Bakal and Mahir declared their work finished, they held up Ardeth's and Jonathan's arms for everybody to see before they cleaned away the remaining blood and put clean white bandages on the fresh tattoos. The rest of the evening was passed in feasting and dancing, just as Ardeth had promised, and Jonathan felt overwhelmed by the people's open friendliness. He was accepted as a part of the tribe, now that his bond with Ardeth was officially confirmed. He was teased about the night that was to come, sometimes with rather dirty jokes, but he didn't mind the least. He smiled broadly and felt a surge of proud possessiveness every time he saw the white bandage on Ardeth's wrist, knowing it was his mark underneath the cloth.
Early one morning, about four days later, Ardeth first removed Jonathan's bandage, then his own. It had been very strange to look at the dark lines on his fair skin, but then the Med-jai had taken Jonathan's right hand in his left and Jonathan had noticed that the tattoos were so perfectly executed that they met where their arms touched, almost looking like one. It was that precise moment, he remembered, that it became a part of him.
***
London, Carnahan Mansion, Christmas 1934
“Basically, it's something like the wedding rings of your parents.” Jonathan explained after a long moment of silence and looked down at the two entwined snakes coiling around his wrist and up his arm. Alex traced them with his finger, fascinated by the richness of detail.
“That's so much cooler than rings.” the boy said wholeheartedly. “If I had the choice, I'd prefer to have a tattoo.”
Jonathan couldn't help laughing. “It's not that easy, chap. You'd have to enter a Med-jai Warrior Bond to get it.”
“Like you and uncle Ardeth?”
“Exactly.”
“Are all the Med-jai as cool as uncle Ardeth?”
“Nah, Ardeth is the coolest.” Jonathan grinned. Alex seemed to have a certain fondness of the word 'cool' lately. “But there are some pretty awesome warriors in our tribe.”
“I think I'd find someone for a Warrior’s Bond, then!” Alex said, obviously fully convinced of what he was saying. “All the girl I know are stupid anyway. They're whiny cowards, and they don't like anything I like.”
“And that makes you give up on girls?” Jonathan asked with a shake of his head. “There's more to them, believe me. Just look at your mom, she's not whiny, and she's certainly no coward.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Evy interrupted them when she entered the room with a plate of chocolate covered Christmas biscuits in her hand. When you speak of the devil, Jonathan thought and grinned.
“Biscuits!” Alex shouted enthusiastically and jumped up from where he had been sitting on the floor next to his uncle.
“Oh no, you'll wait until your father and Ardeth are back.”
“Mooooom, please!” the little boy begged and eyed the biscuits.
“No chance, Alex.” Her voice left no room for doubt that there was no way to get a biscuit. “They'll be back any minute, you'll be able to wait that long.”
“Can I have one?” Jonathan asked innocently and gave her his best charming smile.
She happened to be immune. “No, Jonathan.”
Just then they heard the front door open and the voices of Rick and Ardeth filled the hallway. Alex ran out of the room and Evy just shook her head with an exasperated sigh before she followed. Jonathan got up from the sofa, casually passed the table where the now unprotected plate stood and nicked two biscuits on his way out. He put one in his mouth and chewed it appreciatively and hid the other one in his hand.
“Hey champ!” he heard Rick say the moment he entered the hallway. The American took off his thick winter coat and gave Evy a kiss. Alex greeted him with a huge smile before he turned to the bags and boxes his father and Ardeth had brought in. Jonathan passed Alex on his way to Ardeth and handed him the biscuit with a conspiratorial grin. The boy grinned back and quickly put the biscuit in his mouth before his mother could see it.
“Welcome back.” Jonathan greeted the Med-jai and enjoyed the sight of his slightly tousled hair. It made the warrior look incredibly hot, in Jonathan's humble opinion.
“What are you and young Alex up to, now?” Ardeth asked with a smile, one eyebrow raised quizzically. When he shed his heavy cloak, Jonathan could see the two snakes tattooed around his left wrist, an exact mirror image of the ones on his own right arm.
“Oh, nothing.” the Englishman replied innocently. He stepped closer to the Med-jai, took hold of his left arm and teasingly gentle traced the familiar pattern of the entwined vipers while he raised his head to get a kiss. It lasted only a moment, but he couldn't resist teasingly sliding his tongue into the warrior's mouth before he pulled back.
“Chocolate.” Ardeth stated and licked his lips. “You've been stealing chocolate again.”
“Shhh!” Jonathan quickly looked at Evy to see if she had heard anything. “Don't say that too loudly or I will be deprived of biscuits for the rest of our stay!”
Ardeth chuckled and look over to Alex who watched them with a curious gaze. “And you've probably been in this, too, haven't you?”
The boy gave him his best innocent smile. “I would never do that, uncle Ardeth.”
“Of course not.” Ardeth said dryly and let his gaze shift back and forth between nephew and uncle, both with their most charming expressions on their faces. “Well then, I can only advise you to proceed with a warrior's stealth. If you get caught, nobody will be able to help you.”
He gave a pointed glance in Evy's direction before he turned towards the bags. He lifted a large box and walked past them.
“Oh, and bring me one too, next time.” the Med-jai added with a grin and followed Rick in the direction of the storage room.
Alex stared after the retreating figure. “He's so cool.”
“Of course he is.” Jonathan replied with a grin. “He's mine!”
*** THE END
Fandom: The Mummy
Pairing: Ardeth Bay/Jonathan Carnahan
Author: Nanuk Dain
e-mail: nanukdain@gmx.net
Rating/Genre: PG-16/Slash
Warnings: totally fluffy, very very mild angst
Word count: approx. 3.300
Prompt: viper
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be either, even though that's a real pity. I'd do great things with them... XD
Series: Sequel to “A never-ending Dance”
Beta: My wonderful friend minionofsekhmet.
Comment: Set about a year after the events of “A never-ending Dance”. I've made a manip that goes with this fic, so here's the link if you're interested: http://nanuk-dain.livejournal.com/17169.html
Summary: Alex satisfies his curiosity.
Written for the smallfandomfest , prompt: viper
**********
London, Carnahan Mansion, Christmas 1934
“Uncle John?”
Jonathan looked up from the book he'd been reading and found Alex standing next to the sofa, a curious expression on his face. “Hey Alex.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” Jonathan agreed and put the book aside. He was surprised by Alex' uncharacteristic hesitation. “What is it?”
Alex reach out to tap Jonathan's right arm, directly above his wrist. “What does that mean?”
Jonathan didn't need to look down to know what the boy was talking about.
***
Egypt, in the desert, late 1933
It had been about half a year since he made his decision to stay in Egypt. The night had been pleasantly cool, the soft wind brought fresh air into the tents and relief for the inhabitants. Jonathan lay cuddled up against Ardeth's side, their naked bodies touching from head to toe, slightly wet from their lovemaking, the sweat just beginning to dry and cool their skin. Jonathan was pleasantly exhausted, entirely satisfied after having seen Ardeth lose control and give up into their joining. He loved it when the Med-jai let go of his cool, when the fierce warrior transformed into an equally fierce lover who craved to be filled and felt no shame showing what he wanted. Jonathan had never expected to be the active one in this relationship, but he had found out pretty soon that while Ardeth also liked to take him, the Med-jai truly loved to be taken himself.
“There is something I wish to ask you, Jonathan.” he heard Ardeth's voice enter his musings.
“Hmm?” he was just too drowsy to concentrate on speaking.
“I will need to explain some things first.” Where his head rested on Ardeth's chest, Jonathan felt him take a deep breath. “The Med-jai follow the beliefs of the ancient times, merged with some of the new faiths. Our code of honour is millennia old and still as strong as it was back then. One of the oldest traditions is something we call the Warrior's Bond.”
Ardeth paused for a moment, as if he was thinking about how to continue. “It is believed to be stronger than marriage, but it doesn't happen often. It is a bond for life entered by two warriors, a vow that is equivalent to a traditional wedding. It is unbreakable, a bond forged on the battlefield, a trust deeper even than love. It means you know the best and the worst of your partner. It means to support and accept support from the one who holds your soul.”
Jonathan felt all the drowsiness slip away, he knew exactly what Ardeth was trying to tell him. He raised his head from the Med-jai's chest and propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes finding and holding the warrior's. He looked up at the beautiful face that he knew better than his own, every tattoo, every crease, every wrinkle. The way the corners of the full lips lifted when Ardeth laughed, the way his eyes sparkled when he smirked or gleamed when he was angry. Ardeth was everything he was not, fierce, strong, honourable - a warrior to the core. After a very long moment of silence, Jonathan said very quietly, “But I am no warrior.”
Ardeth frowned, then he raised his hands and cupped his lover's face. He looked straight into Jonathan's eyes, face open and sincere. “I have gone through hell with you. Twice. You are more of a warrior then many men who know how to wield a sword.”
Jonathan felt his throat grow tight with emotion. He knew Ardeth meant every word he said, but he still wondered why the Med-jai had chosen him. He didn't see in himself what Ardeth saw, didn't understand why the fierce warrior wanted the coward Englishman who'd rather take the easy path than to face trouble. Jonathan lowered his gaze, he didn't want Ardeth to see his self-doubt. “What will your people say? What about an heir?”
“My people will respect my choice.” Ardeth said with utter certainty in his voice, his hand touched Jonathan's chin to make him look up. “I am the leader of all Med-jai and if I choose to enter a Warrior's Bond, they will accept it as they would accept a marriage. And concerning my succession, I will name my heir when the time has come, it does not have to be my own son.”
“Why do you want me?” Jonathan hated how insecure and desperate he sounded, but now that he had blurted it out, he couldn't take the question back.
“Because you are the other half of my soul.” Ardeth replied without even the slightest hesitation, his voice steady and firm, his expression sincere, his eyes gentle and loving. “There is no other choice for me and there has never been.”
Jonathan swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. He had never been the object of such honest love. Of course, Evy loved him, but they were brother and sister, that was different. And Evy had her own family, she didn't need or want her brother around all the time. But when he looked into the dark eyes of the Med-jai, he knew that Ardeth wanted him, really wanted him to be around for the rest of their lives. It was an amazing feeling, making him light-headed and humbling him at the same time.
Jonathan smiled, gave Ardeth a quick kiss and got up to get the water carafe. He needed a moment to gather his thoughts, to regain his composure, and this was a good opportunity. “Do you want some, too?”
“No, thank you.” Ardeth watched him attentively from the bed. Jonathan knew the Med-jai was good at reading him, so he turned to pour himself a cup and drank it in one gulp.
“So...” Jonathan drew out the word as he turned to face the warrior. “How does this bond work?”
“It is tradition to announce it to the families first, then to the tribe. There will be celebration with feasting and dancing, much like a marriage.” Ardeth explained with a smile playing around his lips. “But the most important is the ceremony of the ritual tattoo.”
“A tattoo? Me?” Jonathan exclaimed, utterly surprised and quite sceptical. “Well, I certainly like them on your body” - he saw Ardeth hiding an ambiguous smirk at that - “but on me, I think it would look rather ridiculous. I don't have your impressive look to go with it.”
“This is not about looks, Jonathan.” Ardeth shook his head. He got up, approached Jonathan to stand behind him and took his right hand. His fingers gently traced the white skin of his wrist, making Jonathan shiver at the touch. “It is a symbol of union, comparable to a wedding band, only that it is permanent and can never be taken away from you.”
“And what will it look like?” Jonathan had to pull himself together to speak, it was too easy to lose himself in the touch.
“It will be two vipers which start here” - fingernails gently scratched the skin on the underside of Jonathan's wrist, close to his palm - “and coil around your arm on both sides” - Ardeth traced the invisible tattoo up to the top of his lover's arm - “and meet here, entwining their bodies, facing each other.”
Jonathan felt his whole body react to Ardeth's touch, to the low, soft growl of his voice and the hypnotising image his fingers drew on Jonathan's skin and in his mind. He could practically see long bodies of the snakes on his skin, winding around his wrist and he liked what they'd stand for. Suddenly the idea of a tattoo on his own skin didn't appear to be so strange any more.
“One of us will wear it on the right arm” - Ardeth's hand closed around Jonathan's right wrist - “the other on the left arm” - he took Jonathan's free hand, set it on his left wrist and Jonathan immediately curled his fingers around it - “to mark us as mates, as equal parts of an unbreakable bond.” Jonathan shivered pleasantly when he felt Ardeth step up even closer behind him so that their bodies touched over their whole length, then he felt the Med-jai's lips on his neck, nibbling the sensitive skin. “I will be marked as yours. You will be marked as mine.”
Ardeth raised Jonathan's wrist to his mouth, closed his lips over the place where the pulse raced and kissed the sensitive skin.
“Jonathan Carnahan, will you accept me as yours?” he asked, his voice a rough, soft grumble. “Will you be mine?”
Jonathan knew there had always been only one possible answer. He tightened his hold on Ardeth's left wrist and leaned back against the taller frame of the Med-jai. “I will.”
***
Jamila was not the least surprised when Jonathan and Ardeth told her about their decision the next morning. She only smirked in a way that told Jonathan exactly from whom her son had inherited that expression, then she offered them her best wishes, enfolded Jonathan in a surprisingly strong embrace and told him she'd accept him as her son. Jonathan was deeply touched, he hadn't expected her open acceptance, her friendly words or her warm smile. It made him really miss his own mother for the first time in decades, she would have gotten along with Jamila very well.
The same evening, the Med-jai of Ardeth's tribe were told about their leader's decision in a public meeting in the centre of the encampment and Jonathan waited in anxious silence for their reaction. He wanted to believe Ardeth's words, but there was some doubt left in his mind, deeply ingrained by growing up in a society that would never accept his love. Instead of the reserved tolerance he had expected, the Med-jai broke out in loud cheers when Ardeth announced their bond. The celebrations were set for the next evening and Jonathan was astonished to find that Ardeth and himself were completely excluded from any preparations. The men around Bakal banished them into their tent and ordered them to stay there for the day . When Jonathan asked Ardeth about it, he just laughed and told him that it was a tradition and that the Med-jai saw it as a gift to the bonding couple. He had seen it in happen at every marriage and in every of the twelve tribes.
In the evening, several men came with special clothes and helped Ardeth and Jonathan to dress according to the rules. Then, they were escorted into the central meeting tent where Bakal and Mahir were waiting with two trays with needles, inkwells of different colours, cloths and water bowls. Jonathan looked at the instruments and wondered if it hurt a lot to get tattooed. He hadn't given the pain any thought before, but now that he saw the sharp needles, he couldn't help it. He had never been fond of pain.
In a large circle around them sat the commanders of the other eleven Med-jai tribes, greeting them with respect and more than one smiled benevolently. Ardeth bowed to the commanders, formally thanking them for their acceptance of his future bondmate, and Jonathan repeated the ritual just as Ardeth had explained it to him. Then they sat down opposite of each other in the centre of the circle and Bakal and Mahir approached with the trays. Jonathan watched as Mahir pushed up the wide sleeve of the ritual tunic and went to work, first drawing the pattern of the tattoo with black ink on Jonathan's white skin with a quill, then he took up a needle. Jonathan forced himself not to flinch when the tip first pierced his skin, the pain still bearable. Then the Med-jai took up a quick rhythm, thrusting the tip of the needle into the skin again and again, only stopping to take up more ink.
First it hurt terribly, then the pain subsided to a prickling sensation that spread over his whole arm, not pleasant, but not really painful either. Every time the needle pierced his skin after a short break, Jonathan felt a new surge of this prickling feeling, but he couldn’t tell the single stings apart anymore. From time to time, Mahir stopped his work to wipe away the blood that oozed from where the skin had been perforated, then he continued with utter patience and an incredibly steady hand.
Jonathan looked over to Ardeth who sat opposite of him, Bakal working with the same care and concentration on his wrist. The old Med-jai ran a cloth over Ardeth's bloodied skin and when it was removed, Jonathan saw the horned heads of two vipers, facing each other, their bodies entwined, then separating to wind around the wrist on each side. Bakal had been working in the underside of Ardeth's wrist where the snakes' bodied met again, and he was just about to start on their conjuncture. When he let his gaze search his lover's face, Jonathan found Ardeth watching him with these intense eyes of his, happiness, pride and love clearly visible in them.
Once Bakal and Mahir declared their work finished, they held up Ardeth's and Jonathan's arms for everybody to see before they cleaned away the remaining blood and put clean white bandages on the fresh tattoos. The rest of the evening was passed in feasting and dancing, just as Ardeth had promised, and Jonathan felt overwhelmed by the people's open friendliness. He was accepted as a part of the tribe, now that his bond with Ardeth was officially confirmed. He was teased about the night that was to come, sometimes with rather dirty jokes, but he didn't mind the least. He smiled broadly and felt a surge of proud possessiveness every time he saw the white bandage on Ardeth's wrist, knowing it was his mark underneath the cloth.
Early one morning, about four days later, Ardeth first removed Jonathan's bandage, then his own. It had been very strange to look at the dark lines on his fair skin, but then the Med-jai had taken Jonathan's right hand in his left and Jonathan had noticed that the tattoos were so perfectly executed that they met where their arms touched, almost looking like one. It was that precise moment, he remembered, that it became a part of him.
***
London, Carnahan Mansion, Christmas 1934
“Basically, it's something like the wedding rings of your parents.” Jonathan explained after a long moment of silence and looked down at the two entwined snakes coiling around his wrist and up his arm. Alex traced them with his finger, fascinated by the richness of detail.
“That's so much cooler than rings.” the boy said wholeheartedly. “If I had the choice, I'd prefer to have a tattoo.”
Jonathan couldn't help laughing. “It's not that easy, chap. You'd have to enter a Med-jai Warrior Bond to get it.”
“Like you and uncle Ardeth?”
“Exactly.”
“Are all the Med-jai as cool as uncle Ardeth?”
“Nah, Ardeth is the coolest.” Jonathan grinned. Alex seemed to have a certain fondness of the word 'cool' lately. “But there are some pretty awesome warriors in our tribe.”
“I think I'd find someone for a Warrior’s Bond, then!” Alex said, obviously fully convinced of what he was saying. “All the girl I know are stupid anyway. They're whiny cowards, and they don't like anything I like.”
“And that makes you give up on girls?” Jonathan asked with a shake of his head. “There's more to them, believe me. Just look at your mom, she's not whiny, and she's certainly no coward.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Evy interrupted them when she entered the room with a plate of chocolate covered Christmas biscuits in her hand. When you speak of the devil, Jonathan thought and grinned.
“Biscuits!” Alex shouted enthusiastically and jumped up from where he had been sitting on the floor next to his uncle.
“Oh no, you'll wait until your father and Ardeth are back.”
“Mooooom, please!” the little boy begged and eyed the biscuits.
“No chance, Alex.” Her voice left no room for doubt that there was no way to get a biscuit. “They'll be back any minute, you'll be able to wait that long.”
“Can I have one?” Jonathan asked innocently and gave her his best charming smile.
She happened to be immune. “No, Jonathan.”
Just then they heard the front door open and the voices of Rick and Ardeth filled the hallway. Alex ran out of the room and Evy just shook her head with an exasperated sigh before she followed. Jonathan got up from the sofa, casually passed the table where the now unprotected plate stood and nicked two biscuits on his way out. He put one in his mouth and chewed it appreciatively and hid the other one in his hand.
“Hey champ!” he heard Rick say the moment he entered the hallway. The American took off his thick winter coat and gave Evy a kiss. Alex greeted him with a huge smile before he turned to the bags and boxes his father and Ardeth had brought in. Jonathan passed Alex on his way to Ardeth and handed him the biscuit with a conspiratorial grin. The boy grinned back and quickly put the biscuit in his mouth before his mother could see it.
“Welcome back.” Jonathan greeted the Med-jai and enjoyed the sight of his slightly tousled hair. It made the warrior look incredibly hot, in Jonathan's humble opinion.
“What are you and young Alex up to, now?” Ardeth asked with a smile, one eyebrow raised quizzically. When he shed his heavy cloak, Jonathan could see the two snakes tattooed around his left wrist, an exact mirror image of the ones on his own right arm.
“Oh, nothing.” the Englishman replied innocently. He stepped closer to the Med-jai, took hold of his left arm and teasingly gentle traced the familiar pattern of the entwined vipers while he raised his head to get a kiss. It lasted only a moment, but he couldn't resist teasingly sliding his tongue into the warrior's mouth before he pulled back.
“Chocolate.” Ardeth stated and licked his lips. “You've been stealing chocolate again.”
“Shhh!” Jonathan quickly looked at Evy to see if she had heard anything. “Don't say that too loudly or I will be deprived of biscuits for the rest of our stay!”
Ardeth chuckled and look over to Alex who watched them with a curious gaze. “And you've probably been in this, too, haven't you?”
The boy gave him his best innocent smile. “I would never do that, uncle Ardeth.”
“Of course not.” Ardeth said dryly and let his gaze shift back and forth between nephew and uncle, both with their most charming expressions on their faces. “Well then, I can only advise you to proceed with a warrior's stealth. If you get caught, nobody will be able to help you.”
He gave a pointed glance in Evy's direction before he turned towards the bags. He lifted a large box and walked past them.
“Oh, and bring me one too, next time.” the Med-jai added with a grin and followed Rick in the direction of the storage room.
Alex stared after the retreating figure. “He's so cool.”
“Of course he is.” Jonathan replied with a grin. “He's mine!”
*** THE END