Chapter 2 part 2 The attack

By the time we arrived back at my hut it was late afternoon and neither of us had eaten as yet.

I quickly rushed inside and got her some food to calm her down but she still kept crying her tears stained her face.

As she sat eating I quickly gutted each kill sorting it into sets and loading it onto my cart the skins were in perfect condition and the meat was just right I had cleaned the lions skin best of all to remove my blood from it.

By the time I was done the sun had begun setting and Hathor had calmed down and just smiled at me like a small girl.

She was not her usual self and I felt just as bad about the situation.

I dragged my cart on all the way to the city and to my surprise the Pharaoh and Hathor's father had been waiting at the gate.

The Pharaoh exclaimed "you both alive I feared that lion had got you the notice had only been put up after you left!"

I smiled and replied "I got the lion so no need to be stressed I'm so sorry I got back so late Hathor was a bit shaken up when the lion tried to go for her. I got enough supplies for the city for the rest of the week."

Hathor passed a look at me that scream liar it made me feel all giddy inside.

The Pharaoh and I spoke of the hunt and I lied to him about how I killed the lion to the best of my ability.

The night was marked by a feast provided by several families who had lost family to this fierce lion it's skin was presented and the feast was the reward.

The meat had been traded to several nearby meat stalls and they seemed happy to have this meat.

I had kept several cuts of meat for myself back at my hut.

Hathor was still not herself several men had stared at her without her even taking notice or shouting.

I felt so sad at this I didn't want to see her like that, the moment the feast had ended I tried to head straight for her but the Pharaoh had caught me and wanted to talk.

The Pharaoh had lead me out to the street and spoke "Allumic I understand the luck you and Hathor have falling in love the way you did but it looks like you don't understand how this works then again I have no idea but from what I learnt from my parents I know that such strong love can be truly dangerous because both people want to see the other happy and would change who they are to achieve that happiness. Today Hathor isn't shaken at the fear for her life but at the fear you would get hurt and she would lose you. Please just go up to her and apologize for being so irresponsible."

I stood there with a feeling of dread knowing what she had seen was terrifying but when imagining the roles reversed I could barely imagine the terror I'd go through.

Hathor was walking home already and I ran up to trying to catch up when I heard her whimpering from crying, as soon as I caught up I noticed her cheeks were swollen, eyes blood shot and noose red.

I grabbed her into a hug and we both dropped down falling into each other.

It was late and the streets were empty except for guards who paced the streets for everyone's safety, Hathor just kept crying without stopping and as we set there her father passed by with this look of joy on his face like if he was happy we had each other.

After several minutes Hathor had finally stopped crying and I picked her up carrying her home, as I did she stared at my face with this embarrassed joyful expression and I could tell she wanted to kiss me.

My heart was throbbing so hard I wish I could do something to make her happy, finally I reached her home and embraced her one last time before turning and walking back to my hut when I heard her say "please stay!"

I froze in my tracks and turned wishing I could and darted straight to her giving her a hug when I heard her father say "you welcome to Allumic!"

I had never entered into any nobles home in the entire city and as I stepped in I noticed the open format of the building the entrance was wide open with weapons along the walls and then lead to a passage that split 3 ways from what I could tell one passage lead to the sleeping quarters and the other 2 lead to the kitchen and entertainment area.

Hathor caught my hand and pulled me to the balcony of the house which overlooked the wall and the river she whispered to me "wait here." And dashed of into the house.

Her father had come out onto the balcony and said "when I was your age if the girl I loved asked me to stay I would have betrayed all honour and kissed her without any fear but you proved that you love her too much. My boy I'm happy she has you of all people I have seen such intoxicating love once before it makes me jealous."

I looked back at him and was about to reply when I saw Hathor carrying pillows to rest on.

Hathor's father turned towards the torches and put them out as she set the pillows as a bed. It was clear she intended for us to lay in the open and look at the stars.

I had laid back onto my pillows and looked up at the sky.

Hathor also laid back into her pillows.

Hathor and I had laid there for what seemed like an eternity before she spoke "I'm sorry for what happened today I've never felt like this in my life its so scary, I just want to cure that pain you feel I see it in your eyes all the time. Today when I saw you get hurt I saw the pain in your face and to you it seemed like nothing, it scared me to know I only add to your pain and that it's only going to get worse over time as you will protect me just to be hurt more and more."

I looked up at the sky and spoke "I have been alone for so long because everyone I care for dies and with you that's not going to change, if you are immortal somehow you will simply be subject to this cursed existence and I wish it on no one. You just talking to me makes the pain inside me fade away and makes me happy so please if you ever in danger jump behind me so that I can keep you around longer so that you keep me happy like this."

After several minutes I turned and looked over at her she was staring at me with her normal smile it seemed as if the pain in her was healed and that she was feeling better.

I watched her for hours till she finally fell asleep and I put a blanket over her so that she would be comfy and in her sleep she said "Horas I love you, you are my world."

My eyes had teared up hearing how she thought of me and I now realized why she was so sad all day she had seen me get physically broken and she knew it was her fault for not listening to me.

I had drifted of into deep slumber watching Hathor.

The morning hadn't arrived as yet when I felt something brush up against my side, before I even opened my eyes the snake had bitten me.

It was poisonous and I looked over to Hathor noticing a cat had caught the snake poised to attack her.

I grabbed the snake that had bitten me and snapped its head right off.

The area around the city was infamous for these snakes and a bite would give anyone a fever even me but in my case the poison would leave me sick for a day or 2 while anyone else would be dead by the evening.

I grabbed Hathor's arm and shook her slightly to let her know what had just happened, she slowly woke up and I noticed there were several more snakes approaching I jumped up and started killing them rapidly but I was just a little too slow I had gotten 2 more bites.

Hathor looked over at me and noticed the dead snakes. The snake bites were apparent on my arm and feet Hathor rushed to her torch looking at the floor covered in blood and dead snakes.

I quickly spoke watch your step and make sure you don't step on their fangs.

I rushed into Hathor's house and kept killing snakes till I reached my sword but at this point I was already getting a fever and it was clear someone had done this.

As I approached the main bedroom I killed 4 more snakes and had woken the entire house the poison was effecting me and as I killed the last snake I collapsed with fever and all I remembered was Hathor catching me.

I had woken up several hours later with several people around, Hathor was on my right and next to her stood her father as I looked around I noticed that several guards were in the room and the Pharaoh too was here.

As the Pharaoh and Hathor's father noticed me wake up a look of shock spread across their faces, my body was sweaty and I was drenched in sweat as I set up I noticed that next to me were guards who were bitten.

The Pharaoh grabbed my arm and exclaimed "by the grace of the gods you alive, unfortunately 6 guards lost their lives in this attack and you were definitely the target. We need to get you to the court for your protection."

I stood up wobbly and dizzy with everyone wondering what I was up to, I headed over to the fallen guards and stood over the first guard and said "may your spirit be avenged and justice be served on those who harmed you."

I stubble over and got back to my feet grasped my sword and walked towards the door with a look of anger I knew the only people who would dare attack me were the foreign nobles who visited the city.

I kept my gaze away from Hathor as she had watched my body degrade once more into what would have been death.

I was angry that innocent people were harmed in my stead and worse still that they had almost harmed Hathor.

My rage was beyond comprehension the feeling of almost losing her and the harm I brought near her just added to the rage.