They buried Kain the same day he died. They would have buried him with the sword and shield he carried, but the only weapons he had with him were his daggers. The guards allowed him to be dressed in the full former regalia of an Awan General.
There was still a ghost of a smile on his lips. He would have looked as if he was asleep, had it not been for the blood matted in his thick hair at the nape of his neck.
Ahkmenrah himself felt duty bound to to dig the hole in the sand in which Kain was to be buried. Using a shovel like tool he and Kahmunrah dug a decent sized hole. Sabaf then placed a white sheet over the whole of Kain's body before the three of them placed his body in the hole.
Ahkmenrah was just about to suggest that they not put sand on top of Kain, so he won't have to suffer from suffocation. But he then realised Kain was unable to breath now.
A tear slipped down his cheek as he saw the golden sands slowly covering the white sheet. His chest constricted, trying to contain choking sobs ready to rack his whole being.
Slowly the sadness turned to wrath. Looking around he realised that he wasn't the only one who was angry.
All the workers seemed to be present at Kain's humble funeral. They all seemed saddened. But there was something else.
Before Kain's death everyone was plodding through day to day like domesticated ox slaving under the Sumerians. But Kain's death had changed everything. There was anger and wrath in every single one of them. Kain's unjust death was a spark. The spark that would start a firestorm.
Ahkmenrah swore to do everything he could to fan the flames.
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She swept through the night. Despite her white clothing, she managed blend in with the darkness. When she first joined the White Lions she had wondered how one was able to blend in with white clothing. But she soon came to realise it was more for taunting rather than convenience. For the White Lions had enough training that they were able to go anywhere undetected if they pleased. It was as if they were saying "Even though we do everything we can to be noticed, you will never catch us!"
She had all of their weapons tucked in between her clothes. Her heart beat fast. She thought of Ahkmenrah. She remembered how she kissed his cheek. She cringed slightly at the memory but neither of them seemed to mind.
She breathed in the cool night air. But in her heart of hearts she felt something was amiss. Something was wrong. Something had happened.
She couldn't place it. She didn't know why her heart felt that way. But it did.
Finally her steps, as fast as lightning, took her to where the four men stayed. She peeped through the small window. Not bothering to count how many people there were she jumped in.
Seeing a white figure burst into their room it was quite easy to say Ahkmenrah, Kahmunrah and Sabaf were startled. But the cool blue of her eyes gave them a sense of relief. But only for a moment.
Sabra undid the cloth around her face and scanned the room. She seemed to have grown confused.
"Where is Kain?" she asked. Not guessing at what really happened. Maybe he had been transferred to some other hut or workplace.
There was silence.
The hole in heart which she had tried to ignore earlier grew bigger. Indeed there was a sort of gloom in the air. Sabra had only half guessed at what had happened when Ahkmenrah choked out:
"He's dead!"
She couldn't register it at first.
Kain? Dead?
No!
It couldn't be true.
He had taught her so much.
She had been sitting by an oasis. Knife in hand contemplating that old question that tormented her every day since she knew she had the power to take her own life. To be or not to be?
She couldn't decide which one. Indecisiveness. It was one of her many flaws.
"You know you're not getting anywhere sitting like that?" announced Kain with a soft smile on his lips.
"Kain?! I thought you were training..."
"Being the leader's son has its privileges." he announced boldly with a hint of arrogance.
Sabra smiled and rolled her eyes "Don't remind me"
"What are you thinking?" he asked putting an arm around her. She succumbed to his embrace.
"Nothing"
"You're a horrible liar you know that"
Sabra gave an ironic smile as lying was one of her strengths. Just not in front of people who loved her.
"Everything is just so...I mean I'm grateful...but them...Gavriel...I want to see him...I want to see them again."
"Sabra I'm going to tell you something. Something my father once told me. Something his father once told him. Who was told by his father that his father told him that his father..."
"Alright Kain I get it!" Said Sabra through fits of laughter "It's a generational thing!"
"Precisely!" responded Kain grinning. "He told me the importance of life. Life is something indescribable. A valuable treasure that everyone has, be it a beggar or a king. Without life there would be nothing. There would be no love. No laughter. No tears. No joy. No sadness. No anger. No pain. Without life there wouldn't even be death. Life is that powerful. Don't throw it away...no matter what happens you live it to the full. Don't disgrace the Creator's gift. Its an honor, more than an honor."
"Then water must quite powerful." answered Sabra solemnly. "It is after all the foundation of life."
Kain gave her a look. He had never thought of it this way.
"Water is life" concluded Sabra.
"Well in that case..." announced Kain getting up.
"In that case what?" asked Sabra curtly.
Kain picked her up and dunked her in the water in the oasis. The water would have been cool and refreshing had it not been so sudden. She broke through the surface spluttering, her cool blue eyes giving him a steady glare.
"KAIN!" she cried out indignantly.
Laughing Kain bend down near the waters edge, putting his face close to hers he muttered "I only wanted to immerse you fully in life's wonders."
Sabra smiled coolly.
"Bastard!" she accused before pulling him into the waters depths. He came up spluttering and laughing.
The two of them played like children splashing, fighting, playing and talking.
All the while the fatal knife lay forgotten.
Warmth pulled her from the memories. She realised she was crying. She realised Ahkmenhrah was holding her close to his body. She too wrapped her arms tightly around his body, savoring the warmth and comfort while it lasted. Her breathing came out ragged. Tears blurred her vision. Once they receded slightly she saw the blood and scars on Ahkmenrah's body. She had a thought. The scars and blood had something to do with Kain's death.
She wanted to stay in Ahkmenrah's arms forever. She wanted him to never let go of her.
But nothing lasts forever.
Everything will pass.
The time she will spend in his arms will pass.
So will the the pain.
Hopefully.
She had to face what happened. She needed to know what happened to someone who was practically her older brother.
She pulled away and saw Ahkmenrah also had tears in his eyes. Sabaf sat looking down at the floor. Kahmunrah was desperately trying to be calm about it. But his usual cool demeanor was gone.
It hurt to see sadness from people who were usually so jovial. But Kain's death hurt more.
"How?" she managed to choke out.
Ahkmenrah told her everything. Choking and sobbing he told her everything. Where he could not talk Kahmunrah would fill in for him. Where neither of them could venture Sabaf would finish.
There was water in her eyes and fire in her veins once the speakers had fallen silent.
This was it.
This was the last straw as they say.
The Middle East had been plagued by the stories of the White Lion Clan. Recently one member of the clan in particular. They called her the White Lioness. They had assumed she had died some time ago. She had not been seen or heard from.
But Sabra knew The White Lioness had not died. She had only wanted peace. But when that peace had been horribly violated she will fight.
This day marked the Return of the White Lioness.
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Hey I would just like to mention, this update on Ahkmenrah will be the last for this month. I am currently going through a lot and I can hardly find the time to write. I'm hoping things will get better by the end of this month, but I'm not giving up on this story. It's my pride and joy and my baby. Without it I would be totally lost.
Love you and thank you all for 20k.
~Sargun