I just knew.

So many things were running through my mind during that attack. Protect Evie, try not to get myself killed. Jonathon could take care of himself. Evie, I wasn't so sure about. I just knew that it was my... duty, since I don't really believe in destiny, to protect her.

Then there was that guy. I don't know what his name was, and hell, that didn't even matter. There was just that spark, that little feeling that told me I had seen this guy before. The last time I was here, probably. That had to be it. I don't believe in this past life crap anyways. So I *had* to have seen him up on the ridge three years ago. That could be the only explanation for it. This guy was a good leader, I had to give him that.

Still, it didn't change the fact that if they got the upper hand, the sands of Hamunaptra would once again be red with blood. Those skeletons we passed on our way in were mute testament to the fact that these people were willing to protect whatever was buried out here at whatever cost. My garrison passed several old skeletons on our first expedition, and I doubted that the Bedouins were responsible for those corpses. So, it had to have been these guys, whoever they were.

I remember Jonathon's shout like he was screaming it now. He ran towards me, a man on horseback chasing after him. I was up on higher ground, higher visibility, but it also brought me eye to eye with several of the attackers. I waited until Jonathon had run past me and I jumped, dragging the guy to the ground. He drew one of those scimitars, I had seen just what damage those damn blades could do, and so I shot it out of his hands just to save my neck. The sound of someone coming up behind me on horseback drew my immediate attention, and I shot the guy about to dice me in two. When I had turned back, I could see the distant sadness in the other guy's face, so I figured that *this* was the guy to deal with. He drew that other scimitar and batted the gun out of my hands. He took a swipe at my chest, so I did the only rational thing: I rolled, stuck a stick of dynamite into the fire, lit it, and then waved it around. In the firelight, I got my first good look at my adversary. In that brief second where our eyes met, we both felt the feeling of having known each other before... long before. It was like that one single moment almost dragged itself on forever. I knew that he could no more kill me than I could him, and the bonds of a tenuous friendship... no, *brotherhood* were formed.

Once he and his men rode off, I was still left with that feeling. I tried very hard not to think of it, and I didn't, for a while. But now here I sit, gazing into the fire, Evie passed out beside me. I have to smile. She is absolutely... fantastic is the only word I can think of. I know that the potential for a good fighter is in her, just waiting to be tapped, and.. damn O'Connell, you're falling in love with her. She was just supposed to be a contract, not someone you could actually visualize spending the rest of your life with, but it looks as if something beyond my control wants us together. I mentally shrug and scan my eyes over our little campsite. It looks as if the raiders are keeping their word about not killing anybody else.

The raiders. Damn, that gets me thinking about that feeling again. If anyone asks me to explain it, I can't. All I can say is that I just knew.

--The End