Chapter Eighteen: Body Warmth
They made as much speed as they could, but the track meandered, sometimes going uphill and sometimes down. The shadows were lengthening into evening as they passed a small grassy mound, surrounded by palm trees.
“This looks like a good place to spend the night,” Laylos said.
“We should try to reach the upper road, where we might find an inn,” said Huy.
“I’m tired,” said Laylos. “And we are not even sure where this path is leading us.”
Kiya saw that her aunt’s face was grey with exhaustion. “I think we should stop here,” she said.
“It will be cold out in the open,” said Huy. “I’ll expect a bit of body warmth to keep away the night chill.”
He looked meaningfully at Laylos who replied, “I’m sure the donkey will oblige. In the meanwhile I have brought plenty of sheets.” She pulled thickly-woven linen sheets from a bag on Enno’s back. “It will be hard on the ground. I wish I could have brought the mattress as well.”
"And the wash trough," joked Huy as he helped her lay out the sheets.
With both of them busy, it fell to Kiya to look after Dennu. “We are going to stop here for the night,” she said. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired and sore,” he said. “I’ll need help to get down from the donkey.”
Kiya held his waist to steady him as he dismounted and he responded by wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He did not release her when his feet were on the ground and she had to support him in a tight embrace as they walked to the others.
Laylos looked worried. “You are still very weak, Dennu.” She hurried to help Kiya sit him on the sheets.
“I am weak with hunger,” he said. “I hope you have brought something to eat.”
“Of course,” said Laylos. She unloaded a bag from the donkey’s back. “You bring the beer, Huy.” Laylos searched in the bag and brought out a loaf and dates.
“I recognise you,” said Dennu as he took a piece of bread from her. “You are the woman who used to work in my father’s kitchen when I was a boy.”
“You are right,” she said.
“You gave me food then.” He grinned at her. “I was fond of you. Sometimes I imagined that you were my mother.” His face clouded. “But then you left me, just as my real mother had done.”
“I married and went to look after my parents, who had grown old.”
“I was upset at your leaving.” Dennu sulked.
“Laylos has saved your life,” said Kiya, “and has had to abandon her home and business as a result.”
“I will return soon enough,” said Laylos. “Come now, let us eat and admit that we all enjoy a bit of adventure.”
Huy, who was handing around goblets of beer, laughed. “You always were a plucky one, Laylos. I could tell your niece some stories about the old days.”
“Please refrain,” said Laylos. “She shows me too little respect already.”
They ate and drank and watched the shadows merge into night. Too tired for conversation they sat in silence until Laylos turned to Dennu. “We must redress those wounds of yours before we sleep,” she said. “Sit still, Dennu, while I unwrap the bandages.” He groaned in protest but removed his tunic and allowed Laylos to carefully pull away the blood encrusted linen. “You rub the salve in, Kiya, while I get clean dressings.” Laylos handed Kiya a jar of ointment.
Kiya scooped healing salve from the jar and looked at the deep wheals in dismay. Blood clots and bruising made them look worse now than before and she touched the damaged flesh with reluctance. “Am I hurting you?” she asked.
“No, you have lovely, soothing fingers,” he said.
Laylos returned with the bandages. “At least there’s no sign of infection,” she said. “With any luck you won’t even have a scar.”
“I wouldn’t mind a scar or two,” said Dennu, twisting his head around to try to see his back.
“Stay still,” said Laylos and she swiftly wrapped the strips of linen around his torso.
“It’s time for bed,” said Huy. “We must rise at first light.”
They lay in a row on the sheets while Huy arranged the rest of the linen on top of them. Kiya watched him working, dark against the star-lit sky and thanked all the gods that might be listening for sending him to help them on their journey. She felt the warmth of Laylos on one side of her and Dennu on the other. Beyond them was the peaceful sound of Enno cropping grass.
“Good night, Kiya, dear,” Laylos said. “Sleep well.”
“Good night,” said Kiya and, despite the hardness of the ground, she slept.
Kiya woke to daylight. Dennu had shifted in his sleep and rolled towards her, his arm bent across her body and his hand resting on her breast. She gently pushed him onto his back and felt his forehead. His fever had gone and his skin had a healthy glow. His eyes opened and, with startling swiftness, he seized her hand and pressed the palm against his lips. She pulled away.
“Don’t ruin my dream,” he said and slid his arm around her waist, drawing her towards him.
“You are not dreaming,” she said. “You’ve been ill and now you have recovered.”
“A proper kiss will make me feel even better.”
“What’s going on?” Laylos sat up and stared at them.
Dennu released Kiya and looked up at her in dismay. “This dream is getting overcrowded.”
“It’s no dream, Dennu,” said Huy, who had woken on the other side of him.
“Oh, yes. I remember,” said Dennu. “You saved me from my father and we are now fugitives. I wish it had been a dream." He sat up. "Why are we on an island?”
An island? Kiya looked around and saw, to her dismay, that the Nile had risen in the night and they were surrounded by water.
“We’ve camped too close to the river!” shrieked Laylos.
“I told you last night that we should try to reach the upper road,” said Huy. He leapt to his feet. “Come on, let’s get going before the flood rises any further.”
Enno was still cropping grass and, as Kiya scrambled from the bedding, she wondered if he had slept at all or whether he had spent the night eating. She helped Laylos pack away last night’s picnic while the men rolled up the sheets and tied them to the donkey. When they were ready, they led Enno to the edge of the short stretch of shallow water that lay between them and the road.
“No need to get our feet wet,” said Dennu. He knelt, muttered an incantation and then struck the surface of the water hard with the edge of his hand as if intending to part it. They waited for something to happen, but the blow merely rippled the water. Dennu was visibly embarrassed by his failure. He tried again, but the magic was not there.
“Come on, we are wasting time,” said Huy. He led the donkey into the flood and the others followed.
Kiya had been so distracted by Dennu’s attempts at sorcery that she barely noticed the log that floated at the water’s edge. A sudden movement caught her eye and she turned to see that the log had come to life. It raised itself upon short legs then raced towards them in a cascade of water. She stood ankle-deep in the flood, frozen by the shock of the attack.