Tomb Raider: The Legacy

Chapter 14: Return

Every return is sad in some way. Lara was more than used to it. The only one jumping in excitement was Jean, since for the first time, he had access to Loanna's underground tomb, now finally unwarded, with nothing blocking his way. Apparently, the function of that sacred sanctuary had definitely ended. No more messages. No more secrets. It was wide and ready for human plunder.

The French Egyptologist made the arrangements at full speed. In just a few hours he contacted the medievalists that would cooperate, gave away the dig's rights to a specialist in Middle-Ages Egypt, and was reassured in contenting himself with the merits of the discovery. Not for a moment thought about Kurtis' opinion on it, nor did he bother to ask about the message that Loanna had delivered or why Anna and Lara seemed so downcast.

Not because he was a bad person, though. Simply, the man had many things in his head at that time, and he overflowed with enthusiasm.

(...)

Yes, the return to Cairo hotel was sad, but Lara was determined not to be mad at her daughter – for Anna refused to speak about what had happened beyond the forbidden threshold, or the delivered message. Apart from the intense pains of her first menstruation, she didn't look hurt or suffer anything physical.

She's shocked, thought Lara, looking at the girl lying on her side on the room's couch, curled up, clutching her lower abdomen with a pained expression, whatever she found out. Well, she wouldn't achieve anything by forcing her to talk. Lara wasn't that kind of mother either.

In the end, no action for her that day, although of course, sweat and sand had also stuck to her body - that was Egypt, even in winter. So, without further delay, and without bothering Anna anymore, she began to undress.

"This gonna be always be like this?" The girl complained behind her back, with a trickle of voice.

Lara knew what she meant. "It will get easier." She replied. "The first years are usually quite painful, but there are treatments. You don't have to suffer. In time, you'll get used."

"Bollocks." Anna growled in response.

Naked, Lara approached the damask bathtub - which, being a luxury hotel, was in the room's centre of the room - and began to fill it with hot water. Sitting on the edge, she proceeded to undo her braid. "You should bathe yourself too." She suggested.

"While bleeding? Gross!"

"Hygiene is doubly important in that case." The British explorer stepped inside the bathtub and, finding it to her liking, she submerged in the water, releasing a sigh of pleasure.

Anna was still curled up on the couch, but her mother noticed she was looking at her through the strands of hair partially covering her face. "Could you help me with my hair?" Lara said, lifting a strand of her long loose hair. She knew well that Anna never resisted it - she adored combing her.

The girl looked at her mother for a moment, then, sighing, got up and went to her. Lara suppressed a smile when seeing her slowly stumbling and with a disgusted look. Who could forget first blood's discomforts? Truly, it was an annoyance.

Throwing her head back, Lara let Anna slowly untangle her hair while adding salts to the hot water. After a while, she murmured: "We've always trusted each other. Why don't you trust me now?"

Anna took a long time to answer. "You haven't told me why you fought with Dad, I don't tell you what Lady Loanna told me."

Lara raised an eyebrow. "Blackmail? You should know me better, darling. What happens between your father and me are adult issues. On the other hand, what Loanna has told you can affect us all."