Warrior Heroes: The Pharaoh's Charioteer Read online

  Finn woke, throat parched and sore, as the sky began to lighten with the first approaches of dawn. He looked over at Nefi, who was snoring softly, and rubbed his eyes in astonishment. Beyond where she lay, the ground fell gently away, sloping down towards the desert floor. Except it wasn’t the desert he could see. Unknowingly, they had stopped at the end of the range of hills and ahead, in plain sight, lay a lake. It was surrounded by a belt of vegetation that was dotted with small clusters of mud-brick houses and beyond its opposite bank, rising up out of the desert, was a fortified town.

  Gently, he shook Nefi awake and pointed. As soon as she saw the oasis she leapt to her feet.

  “We should get down there for water now. The later we leave it the more people will see us.”

  They folded their blankets up and draped them over the horses’ backs, then clambered up and began to pick their way down towards the oasis. They were about half way down when the slope steepened and the horses became extremely anxious. Nefi slipped to the ground and Finn was about to follow suit when he caught sight of a young lion, watching from a rock to the side of them. Worse, the horses saw the lion at the same moment. Both of them whinnied and reared, and Finn was thrown onto the rocks as they bolted. He landed awkwardly and let out a yelp of pain as his foot cracked against hard stone.

  The lion, tail swishing, stayed on its perch.

  Nefi rushed to Finn’s side and helped him up. Finn looked around at the lion in panic.

  “Don’t worry about him,” she soothed. “They don’t usually attack, as long as you keep out of their way. Can you walk?”

  Finn took a single tentative step and yelped again.

  “Come,” said Nefi, putting Finn’s arm over her shoulder. “We’ll walk together.”

  The lion watched with lazy interest as they hobbled away, and although he did not follow them, Finn once again found himself looking nervously over his shoulder at regular intervals.

  “What are we going to do?” he croaked, all moisture in his mouth now long gone.

  “The first thing is to get water,” said Nefi. “Then we can think further ahead.” Neither of them voiced their concerns, though they had plenty. Their greatest problem was that one of them couldn’t walk and the horses had run away. How would they get back to Thebes?

  By the time they reached the edge of the lake, the sun was beginning to float up from the horizon, warming the air almost immediately. They drank deeply and washed the dirt from their faces, and slowly they began to feel a little more alive. Finn washed his bad foot, squeezing it and poking at it gingerly. At no point on the way down had he felt like he was going to be able to walk off the injury and he knew that it was likely he had fractured a bone.

  “So, what are we going to do?” Finn asked again. But before Nefi could answer they heard a young voice behind them.

  “Have you travelled from far?” The voice belonged to a boy of eight or nine years. He had a curved stick, a bit like a boomerang, in one hand and a pair of dead birds in the other. “I was hunting with my throwing stick and I saw you walk down. Did you sleep in the hills?” Nefi nodded.

  “Then you should come with me. My mother will give you food. You want food?” Nefi and Finn looked at one another. They had little choice but to trust the boy. They needed food, and here was someone offering it.

  “Where do you live, little one?” Nefi asked.

  “Hey! I’m not so little. I killed the food you’ll eat, remember that!” he replied. “I’m Caro by the way, and I live in the village on this side of the lake.”

  Caro kept up a steady chatter as he led the hobbling pair towards one of the groups of mud huts that Finn had noticed earlier, and presently to a door and into one of the houses.

  “Mother! Travellers!” Caro shouted as Finn and Nefi glanced around. They were in a modest but clean room with rush matting on the floor. Off to one side there appeared to be a kitchen, and to the rear some sort of garden area. It came as a surprise to Finn when he noticed stairs up to another floor. Caro’s mother came down and looked at her new guests warily.

  “They came from the hills, Mother. The boy has hurt his foot and they don’t have any food.”

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “We were travelling with friends near Thebes,” said Finn quickly, going on to explain that their camp had been attacked and he and Nefi had escaped on horseback. He didn’t mention the kidnapping.

  “So you are Egyptian then?” the woman asked. There seemed little point trying to offer a different story, and they both nodded.

  “Caro,” she said to her son, “go and find your father out in the fields and tell him that I need to speak to him but do it quietly. Don’t tell anyone about our guests just yet.”

  Finn could have hugged her, and she saw the relief in his and Nefi’s faces.

  “Well, whoever you are you have suffered and you must rest here and let me feed you.”

  She began busying herself with food preparations and the two travellers settled down on floor cushions. Finn realised that rescuing Arthur and Thami was almost impossible now, but they had made it to the oasis, they were in sight of the fortress and so all was not lost. When Caro’s mother placed a bowl of something rather similar to porridge in front of him, he began to feel that things were looking up.

  They were half way through their meal when Caro returned with his father, who seemed remarkably relaxed about having two strangers as guests in his house. He listened carefully as Caro and his wife explained what they knew of the travellers and said nothing for a while when they had finished.

  “There is a rumour,” he said at length, “that two Egyptian prisoners were taken in the desert last night and brought to the fortress.”

  EXTRACT FROM WARRIOR HEROES BY FINN BLADE

  WHO DID WHAT?

  Of course most people in ancient Egypt were not princes and did not live in palace complexes! Here is a list of social groups, starting with the smallest and most elite, and ending with the one that included the largest number of people.

  1.Pharaoh – He was believed by many to be a living god, in touch with the other gods who controlled the universe and who decided when the Nile would flood, and therefore when to bring famine and when to bring prosperity.

  2.Nobles and priests – The priests helped the pharaoh to honour the gods properly to help protect the people. The pharaoh’s government was made up entirely of nobles. Really the priests and nobles were like extensions of the pharaoh’s authority.

  3.Soldiers – Commanded by the pharaoh, soldiers were the next extension of his power, fighting off outside threats, stopping internal uprisings and, during times of peace, supervising the great building projects of Egypt.

  4.Scribes – Running an empire required the Egyptians to develop into skilled accountants and organisers. The scribes were the people who kept all the records and wrote everything down to make sure that affairs were kept in order.

  5.Artisans and merchants – They made and traded things other than crops.

  5.Farmers and slaves – They did the hard work of growing all the food that Egypt relied on for life and wealth.

  CHAPTER 7

  By the middle of the third day, Arthur and Thami had a rope that was easily twenty metres long. They had taken turns at the top of the stairs through each night, watching and waiting for the guards to fall asleep and give them a chance to escape, but the men seemed too well drilled for that.

  “If Shaharqo is a prince then why doesn’t he do something?” Thami grumbled, kicking out at the half-destroyed carpet.

  “You have to admit it’s very risky for him,” said Finn. Shaharqo had been convinced that they were all victims of the high priest’s schemes and he said he would help if he could. But it was clear that the general’s mind was made up and he believed Egypt had no stomach for war. Unless the boys could escape, the Nubians would try to blackmail the pharaoh and the result would be a bloody war that would condemn Thami to a never-ending, restless, guilt-ridden afterlife
.

  This dark circle of thoughts was broken by the sound of footsteps above them. Thami and Arthur leapt to their feet. Other than a silent guard who crept down the stairs twice a day to give them food and drink they had seen nobody since Shaharqo’s visit. Arthur prayed that it would be the prince returning with a plan, and for a moment he thought his prayers were answered as Shaharqo appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

  Thami began to speak but Shaharqo held up his hand to silence him. The prince’s expression was cold and hard, and behind him followed four guards.

  “The general wishes to speak with you once more,” said Shaharqo as the guards took up their places behind the boys, one man holding each arm. Arthur’s mind spun as they retraced their steps along the fortress wall and through the town to the same small courtyard where they had first encountered their captor. What had changed? Did the general want to question them more about the high priest? Could they talk him round, or could this be their opportunity to escape?

  As before the general sat on a raised platform. In fact the only difference to the scene was the addition of a large and very intimidating battle mace. Arthur couldn’t take his eyes off the huge, spiked club. Suddenly his throat felt very dry.

  “The news is not good,” the general began. “The pharaoh has refused our terms, and he has sent word that should I fail to release you, he will interpret my actions as a declaration of war.”

  Arthur looked over at Thami, but the prince remained silent and his face revealed nothing.

  “It is possible that what you have told me about the high priest is correct,” the general went on. Arthur could hardly believe his ears. “All I heard when you spoke earlier was a prisoner bargaining for his release. But I admit I should have considered your advice more carefully, Prince Shaharqo.”

  “Well you have it in your power to put a stop to all this…” Shaharqo began, though he trailed off as the general shook his head wearily.

  “There is too much honour at stake now. We took the boys hostage; we sent the demands for the pharaoh to pay tribute. If we back down now we will be weakened for generations. The armies on both sides are being mustered. It has to be so.”

  Thami and Shaharqo began to protest, but the general would not listen.

  “I brought you here simply to tell you that you will be held hostage for the duration of the war. Guards, take them back.”

  The boys were marched in stunned silence back to their cell. Shaharqo stayed behind after the guards had climbed back up out of the tower.

  “Don’t give up hope,” said Shaharqo. “This can still be stopped. We just have to find a way of exposing the high priest as the snake that he is.”

  “That man is using me as a way of starting a war,” Thami growled. “Snake? I’ll feed him to the snakes!” Arthur and Shaharqo let him carry on in this way until his rage subsided.

  “But if I can find a way to get you back to Thebes,” Shaharqo said eventually. “Would you be able to denounce the high priest?”

  When Shaharqo returned that night, the boys were surprised to see him dressed not as a prince or a soldier but as a rather shabby commoner.

  “We could persuade the pharaoh if the high priest were to admit his own guilt,” said Shaharqo before either of them could comment. “But that will not happen.”

  Thami and Arthur had spent hours discussing how they would go about proving that the high priest had lied to everyone. They knew that simply telling the pharaoh was not enough. At the moment there was no proof. If Thami suddenly reappeared in Thebes and denounced the high priest, the priest would simply say that the Nubians had made up a ridiculous story as a way of pulling back from the conflict. Result? War as planned. Nefi had overheard someone she thought was the high priest talking about ‘taking him’? Too vague.

  “However there is one other way,” said Shaharqo. “If the pharaoh heard the full story of the high priest’s deceit from the Nubian point of view, if we can identify our own spies and show how the high priest tricked them to provoke war, it is just possible that we will prevent it.” The Nubian prince placed the three bags on the floor, opened them, and began sifting through the contents: food, water skins, cloaks and blankets.

  “Are you going to let us escape?” Thami asked, not quite daring to believe his eyes.

  “He’s not just going to let us escape,” said Arthur, looking at the three bags. “He’s coming with us!”

  “And I have another surprise for you,” said Shaharqo, beaming at them. “But you’ll have to wait until we get beyond the wall for that.” The sudden change in their circumstances was a lot to take in and the boys sat and listened, slightly in awe, as their captor-turned-saviour described his plans. There was a cart and horses waiting a short distance away from the fortress and, all being well, by the time anyone noticed their absence they would already be in Thebes.

  “Does anyone know what you are doing?” Arthur asked.

  Shaharqo shook his head. “I have soldiers loyal to me who have helped me with arrangements but they asked no questions. There are no guards upstairs for this watch, and although they might suspect that this is in order to let you escape, they do not know that I am going with you.”

  Thami began to suggest more details of their strategy once they got to Thebes, but Shaharqo cut him off.

  “We will discuss these things once we are safely away from this fortress, yes?”

  Thami nodded, and extended his arms to embrace Shaharqo and Arthur at once.

  “Whatever happens, we are all brothers now,” said the Egyptian. “And we have a war to stop!”

  They put on their cloaks, grabbed a bag each and Shaharqo led them up the stairs and out into the night. The air was cool and clear, the stars bright, and the boys were fizzing with nervous energy. They followed Shaharqo along the fortress wall and down onto the street below where he pointed at three buckets placed at the bottom of the wall.

  “One each,” said Shaharqo. “They have nets in them. We are fishermen heading down to the lake.”

  Hooded now and covering their faces as they scurried through a labyrinth of lanes and alleyways, the boys carried their bags and buckets after Shaharqo, and soon they saw they were approaching a fortified gatehouse. For a moment the boys’ hearts sank as they saw that the huge gates were bolted shut, but as they approached a guard looked them up and down and then, without saying a word, opened a small door that formed part of one of the gates. They stepped through, the door closed behind them, and they were free.

  It was all Arthur could do not to laugh out loud with relief, but he kept his cool and set off after Shaharqo along the road that led down towards the lake. At first the road was empty but after a while they saw a band of around twenty Nubian soldiers coming towards them. The man at the front of the band turned his head as they drew level and seemed about to speak, but then decided better of it and the danger passed.

  They smelled the wet mud and the reeds before they saw the lake in the dark, and then they followed the road that ran directly alongside the lake for a while. Shaharqo stopped beside a small thicket of trees and emitted a low whistle. From somewhere behind the trees they heard horses, harnesses and wheels and a moment later a man emerged, leading two horses and a large cart.

  “The night is young,” said the man.

  “And the oasis is old,” Shaharqo replied, keeping his face well covered. The man nodded, happy with this response, and handed the reins over to the prince before disappearing back into the night. Shaharqo climbed onto the cart, the two boys stepped up behind him, the horses turned their noses east, and the journey back to Thebes began.

  CHAPTER 8

  They veered away from the lake, staying close to the line of hills that Finn and Nefi had ridden along the top of. Shaharqo explained that the hills would guide them most of the way to Thebes, and that a steady trot through the night should be enough to get them across the desert before dawn. Arthur suggested that they take shifts driving the horses while the others slept but Sh
aharqo told them to stay awake for now. This seemed odd to Arthur, but the reason soon became clear. Barely five minutes after leaving the lake, Shaharqo brought the cart to a stop and sent out another low whistle.

  A young boy emerged from behind a boulder, beckoning to somebody behind him. Two cloaked, shadowy figures followed the boy towards the cart, one hobbling badly and leaning on a shepherd’s crook. Arthur and Thami trusted Shaharqo but still they tensed as the strangers approached.

  “Thami!” one of them called out softly in a familiar voice. “Help your sister up, you lazy old donkey!” The two hobbling figures stopped behind the cart and pulled their hoods back. To Arthur and Thami’s utter delight, they found themselves staring down at Nefi and Finn.

  “I told you I had a surprise for you!” said Shaharqo as the siblings hugged one another. “But hurry! We must get to Thebes undetected, and we must stop this war before it has started.”

  “Yes, we must go!” said Thami.

  “Goodbye, Caro!” Nefi called as the cart began rolling. “Thank you.” But the boy had already disappeared and everyone settled down in the back of the cart. Thami told his sister and Finn about all that had happened since their capture, and about their plan to expose the high priest.

  “But what about you?” Arthur asked when Thami had finished. “How did you end up here?”

  Finn told the story of their overnight journey along the hilltops, pausing, embarrassed, at the part where the horses bolted.

  “So I carried him down to the water’s edge,” said Nefi, picking up the story much to Arthur’s amusement. She soon had the whole cart laughing with her exaggerated impressions of Finn’s yelps and moans.