There's A Fine Line Between Coincidence & Fate ✓

Chapter 2

The trek to the village took most of the night. Luckily my horse was up for the task because I was just too damn exhausted from my fight with that man on the boat. By morning we were there. The women took one look at the state of me, Evy and our nightgowns and quickly ushered us over to a tent, insisting we needed new clothes. Evy looked excited at the prospect of new clothing. I, however, was much more skeptical. I hardly ever wore anything brand new. Growing up on the frontier meant that Momma made our clothes. I think in my whole life I only had one dress that was bought at a store and that was the dress that they baptized me in as an infant.

They put Evy in a black dress made out of some sheer fabric with high boots and a face covering made of the same fabric as the dress. Around the part that covered her nose was a gold trim and hanging down from that was gold beading. She looked like a princess. The ladies took one look at my eyes and immediately pulled out a midnight blue version of what Evy had on. "This will go perfectly with your eyes," they told me. After pulling down over my head and gently placing the face covering over my head, they stood back admiring their work. One of them gave me a comb in an attempt to get my unruly curls in check. It worked well enough that when they showed us a mirror, I didn't recognize myself.

"Margaret, you look beautiful!" Evy exclaimed.

"Not as beautiful as you do Evy." And I meant that honestly. No man would dare look in my direction with Evy in the same room. I still couldn't help feeling like a princess though. I had never owned something so fancy and exotic. The cut was a little lower than I was used to but if Evy was comfortable in it, I could learn to be too. I thanked the ladies who had helped us with a shy smile. Stepping out into the sun, the ladies of the village escorted us back to Jonathan, whom I had learned during the journey here was Evy's older brother, and Rick.

The way Rick looked at Evy when we walked up confirmed to me that no one would notice me while she was around, which was ok. Back home, my younger sister, who was only 2 years younger than me and much more attractive, was constantly being asked to accompany young men on a walk after church on Sunday. Compared to her, and Evy, I was plain looking. Momma always would tell me that my eyes were the only striking thing about me and hopefully whoever ended up with me would be so wrapped up in them that they could forgive my smart mouth. Thinking about Momma got me thinking of Jack. I hoped that he had made it off the boat. As his twin, I hoped that if anything had happened that I would feel it somehow. But the desert was a cruel, unforgiving place and I couldn't bring myself to get my hopes up.

In our absence Jonathan had been able to acquire camels for the others. I walked over to one of the food merchants. "Do you have any apples?" I inquired.

"It'll be 3 pounds for a dozen." He told me. I wasn't going to barter for a lower price. Out here in the almost middle of nowhere I had no idea what business was like for him. Placing the apples in the saddle bag and mounting up we all set out, Rick in the lead with Evy next to him, Jonathan and I in the middle, and our smelly warden bringing up the rear. Kind of fitting if you ask me, since he definitely smelt like one.

We continued on this path for the next two days, only stopping briefly at dusk to eat and sleep for a few hours. Rick and I took turns keeping watch. I wasn't sure what he thought would find us, but his weariness was rubbing off on me. Back home, ruffians and coyotes were enough to make you want to keep watch over everyone on cattle rides but out here, with a whole lot of nothing in every direction, I didn't know what has Rick so tightly wound. After the sun had gone down on the second day, most of our party was asleep. Jonathan had managed to find his way to the back of the pack with the warden. Evy was asleep, slumping against Rick who kept gently pushing her upright to keep her from falling. I couldn't help but giggle when her camel started mouthing off while Rick attempted to keep it quiet so it wouldn't wake her. My giggle was cut short by the sound of neighing in the distance.

Rick looked back at me, alarmed. I shook my head, letting him know that it wasn't my horse that made that noise. Looking around, we both noticed a group of ten figures on top of one of the many plateaus overlooking the valley we were going through. "Do you think they're the same ones that we fought on the boat?" I asked Rick, worried that we would have to deal with them again so soon.

"It wouldn't surprise me. But I don't think we need to worry about them right now. If they wanted to engage now, they would already be on us." There was a familiarity in Rick's eyes when he looked up at them that worried me. Where had he seen these guys before? I didn't want to push him for answers, especially not with most of our traveling party asleep so I decided to let it go for now, putting it in the back of my mind for later research. I turned back around and just as quickly as they had appeared, they were gone.

Morning dawned bright and early in the desert. As much as I loved Texas with its wide-open skies, nothing could beat this sunrise. There were more colors in the sky than in any painting I had ever seen. Off in the distance I could see a group of riders heading our way. I got nervous, placing my hand on the pistol at my side just in case it was the men who attacked the boat. As they got closer, I could hear someone calling out orders. It sounded like... "Jack?!" I yelled frantically.

"Peggy?" I heard Jack yell back. Urging my horse into a gallop, I crossed the desert and quickly dismounted. Jack was there and pulled me into a hug, sighing in relief. "I thought you were dead."

"I thought you were dead. I couldn't find you in the aftermath of the attack. I guess I ended up on the wrong side of the river." By this point both parties had caught up with us. Bernard looked relieved to see me. I gave him a small smile in greeting. Daniels also looked happy to see me which made me wonder just how badly Jack laid into him in the days since we were separated.

Turning to face Rick, Jack nodded his head in thanks. "Hey O'Connell, don't forget our bet. First one to Hamunaptra gets five hundred dollars, cash." Daniels yelled over to him. "One hundred of that is yours if you help us get there first." He said that part to Beni, their guide.

Looking over at Rick, I could see that his attention was to the horizon line. "What's going on?" I whispered to him.

"We're about to be shown the way." As the sun started rising higher a mirage-like effect came over the horizon, revealing an ancient city.

"Will you look at that?" Jack said in awe.

"Can you believe it?" This came from Daniels.

"Hamunaptra." Bernard exclaimed, not that any of us needed that clarification.

"Here we go again." Poor Rick. He didn't sound pleased at all to be back here. With that, we all took off. I was a good rider. I was on a horse before I even learned how to walk. But nothing could prepare me for breakneck racing through the desert. It didn't feel right underneath my horse. Like at any moment her legs would give out and we'd both be in trouble. So here I was at the end of the pack, perfectly content to just mosey on into the city. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being followed. If I was being honest, I had felt like this since last night when we saw those figures on the cliff.