Gods and Queens

Chapter Seven

Re'hotpe guided the horse among the tall reeds of the Nile and tried hard not to gag. The stench from the river was so strong, the air was thick with it. Though the bloody water had since washed away, the smell was a lot slower in leaving. He used his mouth to breathe and prayed no firefly would find its way in.

Re'hotpe had dismounted when he realized the poor animal was finding it hard to move in the swampy bank. The howl of the hounds couldn't be heard anymore; he was certain they had lost his scent as his mother predicted. The search dogs had pursued him relentlessly, and it was only when he came close to the bank of the Nile that they stopped.

A stroke of luck was what his escape was.

The memory of his encounter at the palace gate made his heart thump at how close he got to getting caught. His slow ride to the gate didn't draw attention; in fact, the palace was quite deserted. When he sped past two guards close to the gate, they had shouted for him to stop but he was sensible enough not to. He remembered them scampering to action, pulling at their swords and running in his direction with lit torches.

His only saving grace had come in the form of donkeys laden with huge baskets of bread. At the exact moment, his horse reached the gate, a servant was leading the donkeys through with a wooden wagon rolling lazily behind. His bright idea of running into the beasts of burden had made his horse rare back, neigh then buck. Had Re'hotpe not been holding the rein in a death grip, the frightened horse would have thrown him off. Thankfully, the confusion had allowed him to speed past the abandoned gate.

"I pray you'll be okay, mama," Re'hotpe mumbled.

All the way, he had wondered what she was doing or what was happening to her. Why had he agreed to her plan? She was going to die and it was all his fault. Maybe he should turn back and save his mother.

And how would going back help her?
He sighed. If he returned, his mother would be in bigger trouble, and her effort to save him would be in vain. 

The murky water pulled at the cloak he wore and made trudging difficult indeed. He had no clue what the time was but he was guessing it was close to midnight or was it? Hearing a low splash, Re'hotpe gulped and gripped the reins tighter. He knew crocodiles lurked in the banks and depths of the Nile, but he had taken the route Japheth swore had none. When he heard another splash, he shut his eyes and let out a long slow breath.

Keep moving, Re'hotpe. Just keep moving. He kept chanting the words in his mind, hoping to calm his erratic heart. Gulping again, he turned and forced his eyes to adjust to the darkness around the water. What had made the splash? 

As he slogged on with eyes still fixed behind him, he caught sight of ripples in the middle of the river. Re'hotpe concluded a crocodile must be near when his horse huffed in distress. Not wanting to waste a single second, he swiftly mounted the stallion and snapped its rein. If he was to make it out alive, he had to get to dry land fast.

Guiding the animal forward, Re'hotpe hoped he wasn't acting too late. His breathing became harsh pants when his horse struggled to get off the slippery bank.

Move, please move. 

His heart melted when he spared another backward glance. The dark outline of the reptile stood out on the silvery surface of the water. It was huge.

The crocodile's jagged back resembled a log--a large log swimming in his direction. Still gripping the reins, Re'hotpe stared at the approaching predator, eyes wide with terror. How could a crocodile be that big? When he saw the animal was getting closer at a fast rate, he peeled his eyes away.

"Y-you can do it, boy, you can." Re'hotpe patted the horse on the neck and cooed with a shaky voice. He refused to look back, he couldn't get himself to.