The Following Morning

The morning after the birth of Gann, Art could do naught but stand over his son's cradle and smile. The occasional thought of Argus finding him and his family would run through his mind, but it was only ever a temporary thought. If Argus found them, then he found them and Art would fight to defend his wife and child. If he didn't, then he didn't.

Looking over at Thebe, still exhausted from giving birth the previous night, the Young Gael smiled. Both her and the infant were fast asleep and Niall was laying upon the bed, his eyes open a little. Walking over to the bed, Art sat upon the floor and stroked the caracal's cranium.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Art thought of where he and his family could go if Argus did indeed find them at Malia. Kemet, Egypt as the Achaeans called it, was a possibility. The first Ramesses had lifted the edict that had expelled the Gaels from the Double Kingdom so it was definitely a thought. There were many peoples in Kemet: Asiatics, Nubians, Libyans, even the current royal family was descended from immigrants, coming from the region near Avaris, a place with a large Asiatic population. There were others such as merchants and their families who had come to live in Kemet permanently such as Syrians, Mitanni, Hittites and even Cretans. A Gael, a mainland Achaean and their child would certainly be a new addition to the kingdom's populace.

Where else? The land of the Hittites where Tudhaliya IV ruled? To Assyria where Tukulti-Ninurta was king? He had no idea, perhaps it would be safest to just stay on Crete, call the Palace of Malia home.

Opening his eyes, Art thought wherefore not? This was home and it would be home for as long as possible. Perhaps Argus would leave Crete completely, but still the question remained, how did Argus know that he and Thebe were here on Crete? Who told him?