Chapter 2 part 1 The hunt

The night had arrived and the city had seemed to be dying down from its hype, I had left Hathor at home and marched on to my hut but on this night I lay outside my hut in the sand looking up at the stars admiring their beauty.

To be honest I was missing Hathor and her little quirks that made her more adorable to me, like how she tried to stop me from getting hurt, and on her showing the willingness to give her life to protect me from pain.

The night sky was extremely beautiful with so many glittering stars I wished she could lay besides me and watch it.

I had been laying down for almost an hour when I heard the light foot steps of someone approaching, I didn't bother moving there was no light to spot me so I just set there in wait, after several seconds had passed a figure stood directly above me with her long hair open and draping me in darkness even though it seemed unlikely to me I knew it was Hathor only she would approach me so daringly.

I stared up at her and then she said "sorry to disturb you I just missed you already and needed to be with you so I just walked straight to you."

I was smiling back at her the night skies beauty seemed to have vanished she simply had a beauty to her that was beyond physical beauty it overwhelmed me and intoxicated me, I had never been this blissfully happy in all my life and suddenly everything I had been through seemed worth it just to meet her.

She lay down next to me and looked at the stars and pointed her finger up to a huge bright star and said "to me you as eye catching as that star but beyond that you mean more to me then anything ever and for as long as we are together I will never let you get hurt because if you are ever hurt I will be hurt inside like you can't believe."

Her compassion in the statement had stunned me and I replied "Don't worry about what you said earlier I understand that you shy and you never have to worry about any harm coming to me, nothing truly hurts me I simply heal and am made a new I just want to spend the rest of my life by your side because you heal what scars no one can see within me."

I peered at where she was and noticed her staring back at me then she suddenly exclaimed "I see your scars in every word you say to others, I can hear the tears in your voice and lastly I can feel the fire of anger burning inside you. I hope the family we have together brings you comfort and happiness that lasts you till eternity."

I reached out my hand to her and she held my hand and we looked up at distant twinkling stars laughing and talking till we fell asleep.

We had laid there all night and we both had slept in the open on the ground beneath the sky, the morning sun had crept up onto the horizon and we had both just woke up realizing that the day had already begun.

Hathor got up and had a bag with her she then rushed of into my hut and changed up into her clothes and groomed her hair I set outside the hut patiently waiting for her so I could also dress up.

Hathor got out of the hut and grabbed my arm hugging it as tightly as she could and then whispered "I love you more than anything you can imagine."

My heart had melted away and I wished I could reply but I was to scared to disappoint her with an answer unworthy of how I felt about her.

I looked at her shivering with nervousness and she simply laughed at me like a small child, she knew I was lost for words and had decided to laugh at me to break the tension I felt.

She once more whispered "the way you look at me makes me feel loved in a way I never knew existed, there are likely no words to describe how you love me so don't try to express it with words just keep staring at me with that look and I will always know I'm truly loved."

The best part of Hathor was that she never needed to lie to me she was bluntly honest even calling several of my outfits hideous when she saw them knowing they were worth more then the entire kingdom due to the metals used in making them.

Eventually she had me wear my padded black iron shirt, uniquely enough the inside had stuffed cotton to make the outfit more comfortable and several layers of iron thread on the outside it appeared black as the metal treatment to make it had blackened the steel.

Hathor and I had gone into the city to tell her father she was with me and he had already figured out that I was with her and said "provided you 2 behave with honour and dignity I don't mind her going to you at night."

I explained to him that we had dozed off starring at the stars enjoying just being in each other's company, her father seemed to have faith in me just like the Pharaoh.

Hathor had decided to go hunting with me today and despite it being extremely messy I swore not let any harm befall her.

Her father laughed at the fact that his daughter would go hunting because every time he took her hunting she grew impatient and messed up the hunt.

I had walked on down the to the noble court and tried to find more contracts with the nobles for special hunts and then finally I was off to my hut.

The hunt had started and Hathor did exactly as I told her she may have been in a dress but she moved so silently it was almost unbelievable, finally we had come up on a herd of buck and I set my spears out aiming where they would be thrown once I was ready.

I had carefully scoped out all my targets and earlier explained to Hathor not to move unless I told her to as it would scare the animals and make her the target of a predator.

I was now ready all 12 spears were perfectly placed and my sword was ready for the final kill I stood up griping 2 spears and 2 buck spooked starting the herds response as they fled I hit the leader forcing them to change direction carefully hitting each buck perfectly under its leg where the skin would not be of use.

All 12 spears had been launched and I sprung up heading to the open to claim my kills when I noticed Hathor jumping up to assist me with the lion as it noticed her it changed direction my heart fell and I sprinted as fast as I could jumping between the lion and Hathor plunging my blade through my chest into the lions face Hathor was before me with a look of shock and the lions teeth were in my back, it's claws had shattered the sides of my rib cage and I still managed to hold its crushing weight of Hathor.

Blood poured from my mouth and nose and the lions blood poured over my back.

My eyes searched Hathor from top to bottom making sure she had not been harmed fortunately for me no blood had messed her clothes.

I pulled my sword out of my chest and the lion seemed to crash down on me I turned around and laid the lion out so it's blood would not stain its fur.

I had finally caught and killed all 12 buck and started dragging them back to the spot where I had killed the lion Hathor was still in shock it seemed, her expression was that of someone experiencing terror.

The heavy haul took me several hours to drag back and Hathor was silent not saying a word.

My injuries had all just finished healing and I spoke "I'm sorry I couldn't speak while my chest was damaged it really hurts and I tend to cough up blood like that, I should have told you about the lion but it was too late into the hunt. I swear I will never let you get hurt so long as I can stop it."

Hathor burst into tears and fell down straight onto the ground I dropped the haul and grabbed her gently and begged her "please, please, please I beg you to forgive me for being so careless!"

She looked me in the eye and exclaimed "I hurt you I swore to never let you hurt and I caused you pain, you should find a better wife I'm unworthy of you! Never shall I watch you hurt again!"

As she finished saying it tears rolled down her face and I realized she was fearless but watching me get hurt was her nightmare.

This was a love beyond the ordinary her feelings were truly transcendent.

I knew in my heart how unworthy I was of her having her love I too felt bad that I had brought her into harms way, even if we're mortal I would have jumped before her and the lion sacrificing my own life.

I replied "You are far to valuable to me I will never be worthy of you and you will always be the woman worthy of my heart."

Hathor did not respond to me she simply stood up sobbing and followed me.