One Life Well and Truly Promised Page 10

  “If the gods are truly with us, everything will be fine,” she assured him, and then paused, nervous about speaking her mind, “but if not... Tunde I want you to promise me something,” she added before falling quiet.

  “All right,” Akintunde replied hesitantly, growing anxious. He could feel her nervousness through his thighs as she straddled him. She leaned down very close, pressing her lips right to his ear.

  “I want you to promise me a life,” she whispered so softly he barely heard her. She slowly sat back up and searched the gloom of the hut warily.

  “Akhila!” Akintunde hissed quietly and also glanced about fearfully. It was strictly taboo to speak of future lives, and a well-known harbinger of ill luck. If an attentive god should hear, whether good or evil, they just might strike you dead so that you could quickly begin the new life you so coveted.

  Akhila flinched, but quickly regained her resolve. “I’m afraid Tunde,” she admitted and then leaned closer and lowered her voice. “They could all be gone…or dead. One life…just one full life…promise.”

  Akintunde paused, straining his senses in an attempt to detect the presence of a god. Of course he failed, but his eyes scanned the interior of the hut quickly nevertheless.

  “I promise,” he mouthed and a wave of dread swept through him.

  “A full life…until we grow old and die together,” Akhila demanded quietly.

  “Yes…I promise…I promise,” he whispered softly and gently pushed her off and stood up.

  “We should go soon,” he said brushing the hair from his eyes.

  Akhila frowned…suddenly fearful. She shook her head. “Tomorrow,” she pleaded. “Let’s give them one more day.”

  “All right,” Akintunde quickly agreed, sighing with relief. He didn’t want to go. The Lowlanders could still be in the area, and if they stumbled upon them, they could well die…or be captured. “Tomorrow then, early, but no more talk that could anger the gods,” he insisted.

  Akhila agreed, happy again. She climbed to her feet, magnificent in her nudity. “I’ll fetch some water,” she said and wriggled into her shift.

  “I’ll start breakfast,” Akintunde replied, joyful that they would have at least one more day together.

  ♀

  They woke early the next morning and took extra care to make sure the fire inside the hut and the smoldering ashes in the pit outside were completely out. They dressed slowly and packed a bit of smoked meat before reluctantly heading off down the mountain. To Akhila the way up the mountain seemed to take a very long time, but she was just working up a sweat on the way down when she started recognizing landmarks and rock formations.

  “I don’t see any smoke,” she said hopefully, gazing in the direction of their village.

  Akintunde nodded and felt a small wave of hope. “We need to slow down and move off the trail,” he added and watched as Akhila scowled. He regretted ruining her mood, but if the village was safe his father would have come for him by now, unless…

  Suddenly a morbid feeling washed over him that his entire family was dead, but the rest of the village was busily repairing the damage from the recent attack. He wavered slightly from the power of the premonition and turned to Akhila, panic-stricken.

  “What?” She asked, alarmed.

  Akintunde shook his head in an attempt to regain his composure. “Nothing,” he finally said, “we need to go slow,” he repeated and struck out toward the southeast. They made their way through a thickly wooded area made up largely of oak and some pine, but as they moved farther down the mountain they crossed fields dotted with pistachio trees, many that were nearly ready for harvest.

  Once through the pistachios, they stumbled on a little used game trail that led directly toward the upper fields, northwest of the village. They were both very familiar with their surroundings now. They’d raced along these trails for years growing up and had hidden from one another in every rocky nook along the way. The area was very quiet…too quiet and they instinctively slowed and moved forward carefully, as if they were stalking game.

  They crept cautiously through a small grove of unattended olive trees until they came to the line of oaks that marked the edge of the upper fields. Everything looked the same as always, but that did not reassure the pair. The fields were empty of life…of human life anyway. There was no one stationed to watch over them. Throughout Akintunde’s young life the fields were carefully guarded at all times, and were never left to the mercy of the wild. Their hearts fell and they glanced briefly at each other. It was a bad sign, made worse when they spotted a family of jacks happily nibbling on the crops, moving with impunity among the cultivated plants. Instinctively, Akintunde pulled his sling from his belt and quickly fitted a stone in the pouch. He started forward, raising his sling arm, but Akhila quickly stopped him. She shook her head silently and pointed in the direction of Susa. The village was not visible from where they stood; it was located farther to the south, nestled in a small valley below, but Akintunde heeded the warning.

  They slowly circled around the fields, keeping well inside the tree line. Their eyes remained glued on the crest of the trail, where it topped a steep embankment before winding down to the valley below. Thankfully the path remained empty, but everything was eerily quiet. When they finally reached the south side of the field they came up against a steep drop off. They could go no further without revealing themselves, so they cautiously inched out into the open field. A group of rabbits and a few deer scattered as they caught sight of the approaching humans. Akhila and Akintunde ignored them. Something was very wrong. They both felt it. The air was thick with calamity.

  The village remained out of sight until they made their way to the very top of the footpath that wound its way down the embankment. There were several small switchbacks near the top but for the most part the path just angled its way sharply down to the buildings that marked the western edge of the village.

  The long house, which should have been visible, was completely in ashes. Wisps of smoke rose lazily into the air from the weak remains of the fire that had destroyed it. Several nearby buildings also showed fire damage, but a few appeared to be completely intact. There was not a hint of movement from below, and the sounds of village life were missing as the wind rustled the leaves in the trees.

  “Come on,” Akhila whispered so quietly Akintunde barely heard her. She grabbed his arm and started down the path, but Akintunde didn’t budge. Akhila stopped when he resisted and glanced back.

  Akintunde shook his head. “No, it’s bad. We should go back to the Onion Hut,” he replied, his voice low and cautious on the wind.

  “I have to see,” Akhila argued.

  “No…it’s bad,” he insisted. “Akhila please!”

  “We’ll be careful,” she snapped, annoyed by his ever-present caution. “Tunde…I need to know. Stay if you must,” she added, shaming him and then started down the path.

  Akintunde followed, as she knew he would. They moved stealthily down the path, their eyes riveted on the village below as they turned to and fro on the switchbacks. They were only a quarter of the way down when the first bodies appeared. At least a dozen dead were scattered about the village streets. Both froze, surprised and aghast despite the atmosphere, but then suddenly Akhila cried out and sprinted down the embankment at a full run.

  Akintunde, surprised by her actions, remained where he was, eyes fixed on the grisly scene. His stomach did a little flip when he recognized one of the twisted, bloated bodies as Akhila’s mother. He gasped and his eyes darted about searching for his own parents, but from this distance he couldn’t identify anyone else.

  “Akhila wait!” He hissed at her, but it did little good and she continued to streak down the steep hillside. Akintunde finally started forward just as she reached the bottom, running fast now. Without even glancing around she raced, her long dark hair streaming out behind her, toward her mother’s body.

  “Akhila!” Akintunde yelled as a feeling of dread washed over hi
m. He started to run along the path, his attention split between the narrow way ahead and his love below.

  “Mother!” Akhila yelled at the very same time and was almost to the body when the first of the Lowlanders appeared from behind the nearest hut. He was a fast, fierce looking man and he was on her before she completely registered his presence. He seized her left arm; his grip strong and unyielding. Akhila screamed and flailed about in attempt to pull free. The man smiled and then called out for help when she nearly squirmed loose. He was large, painted for war, and obviously pleased by his good fortune as he wrestled with the beauty that had so fortuitously appeared.

  Akhila screamed again and tried to pull away, but the man’s fingers dug in tightly. She thrashed about with abandon and tried to fend him off, while he struggled to get his other arm around her. Several times she almost managed to slip out of his grip. Once again the warrior called out in a strange language, obviously he had comrades in the area, but as yet no one else appeared.

  “Akhila!” Akintunde yelled just as she screamed again, this time at the top of her lungs, drowning out his call. As yet her attacker seemed unaware of Akintunde’s presence as he struggled with the feisty girl. Akintunde slid to a stop and pulled his sling from his belt. From his vantage point on the hillside, he had a good view of Akhila and her attacker battling below. They were a bit too far away to call the shot an easy one, still he’d hit jacks and jays from a much greater distance. Without looking his fingers searched his leather bag for a suitable missile. He deftly found a large, smooth river rock and loaded it into the sling without thinking. Akhila was on the ground now, kicking and screaming in an attempt to pull free from the man’s iron grasp.

  His attention was solely on the girl as he released her arm and made to catch one of her long, bare legs. She was young…but not too young. She would make an excellent slave when he and his men were done with her. He finally caught her by the ankle and stood, pulling her leg up high.

  Akhila’s shift fell as the strange man held her nearly off the ground, only the back of her head touching the earth. “Tunde!” she screamed, just as the rock from his sling cracked against the man’s left temple.

  The Lowlander’s head snapped to one side, he went limp immediately and dropped Akhila head first to the ground. The warrior crumpled without a sound and lay unconscious at her feet, blood running bright and red down his wounded forehead. Akhila froze for a second, mesmerized by the sight.

  “Akhila!” Akintunde yelled just as a group of warriors came bounding into view. They were close and closing fast as she hopped to her feet and sprinted back to the path that led to the upper fields. Akintunde was launching rock after rock over her head and toward the Lowlanders, but Akhila dared not stop to see if he’d hit anyone. A lance flew past her head, so close the butt end of it grazed her shoulder, spurring her to run faster.

  “Akhila!” Akintunde yelled again, trying to warn her. He’d managed to down another man with a blow to his leg, but three more were now right on her tail and gaining. He was sure she would make the path, but feared the lead man might catch her as she started up the steep incline. He loaded another rock, but his bag just held the small variety now, only suitable for jays and squirrels…still, he had to try. His sling sang overhead as Akhila streaked closer, the lead man gaining quickly. Tunde launched a missile and immediately knew the cast was too low. For a brief instant he thought it might hit Akhila, which would spell disaster, but instead it whizzed just past her head and struck the lead man in the right knee. He went down with a snarl, but the warrior behind him deftly jumped up and over and continued the pursuit. Akintunde knew however, that it was enough; they would not catch her now before she began to climb the steep hillside.

  Akhila hit the path at a full out run just as Akintunde released his last river rock. He groaned as it sailed wide of the mark. He was vaguely aware of the man he’d just struck in the knee climbing to his feet and limping up the hill.

  “Faster Akhila!” Akintunde yelled from his position and then glanced quickly up the trail, fearing that somehow the Lowlanders had circled around to trap them. Thankfully the way remained clear, and he started to hope that they just might get out of this mess.

  Akhila was thinking much the same thing as she started up the path, still running at top speed. From the time she was a little girl her parents instilled the need to run up the mountain if there was ever trouble, the Lowlanders they assured her, could not keep up in the high altitudes.

  ‘If we can reach the upper fields, we’ll be safe,’ she thought just as a rock struck her in the right shoulder blade. She cried out, but instinctively kept running, faster now and putting more and more distance between herself and her already winded pursuers.

  “Run!” she yelled as she neared Akintunde, his face ashen, even so he did as she bid. Together they turned and sprinted up the steep embankment, quickly outpacing the Lowlanders. Another lance thudded short of her position, but Akhila did not turn back to check on her pursuers. Instead she raced after her best friend just as fast as she could go. When she finally reached the top, Akhila felt an unexpected wave of triumph.

  Tunde was waiting on her, holding out his hand but she waved him away, the movement causing a sharp pain to race up her side.

  “Keep going! We have to keep going,” she exclaimed, her breath coming in short little gasps, which surprised her. Her battle with the Lowlander must have taken more out of her than she realized.

  Akintunde led her across the fields and into the trees. Up and up they ran, but not too quickly, for which Akhila was grateful. They were moving steadily, but not running full out up the mountain. Even so Akhila was very winded, and worried that the Lowlanders might catch them. Normally, with her greater speed, she would be leading the way, but at the moment she was willing to let Akintunde set the pace.

  “Come,” Akintunde encouraged, keeping close and not running ahead. He glanced back often to check on her progress, and for any sign of their pursuers. Akhila did not realize something was seriously amiss until he stopped completely and helped her climb over a fallen tree.

  Akhila took a quick glance behind, annoyed that Akintunde would waste so much time, but thankfully there were no Lowlanders in sight. She was about to snap for him to hurry when she was hit by a wave of dizziness. She quickly realized she actually needed his aid, and fear hit her for the first time.

  “Akintu…” she began, but the effort made her cough violently, and when she pulled her hands away from her mouth they were spotted with blood. She looked up into his eyes for an explanation, suddenly terrified.

  “We can slow down…I don’t hear them anymore,” he told her, holding her arm gently.

  “Tund…Tunde,” she said as she finally managed to clear the log. She risked another glance back but saw no sign of the Lowlanders. Fearfully she reached her left arm around to the place she believed a rock from a sling had struck her, but she could feel nothing.

  “Come Akhila, we have to get you to the Onion Hut,” Akintunde pleaded. “Everything will be fine once we reach the hut.”

  “What is it?” Akhila asked and turned her head as far back as she could despite the pain it caused her. She gasped, utterly surprised when she caught sight of the hilt of a knife sticking from her back.

  “Take it out!” she shouted, terrified and then began coughing once more. Akintunde shook his head.

  “Not yet,” he told her.

  “Take it out!” she screamed again.

  “Come Akhila, we have to keep going,” Akintunde begged, the panic in his voice spurring her into movement. He instinctively knew that if they tried to remove the knife now, Akhila would surely die.

  They continued on in silence for a spell, Akhila stopping to cough up blood from time to time as her mind struggled with the concept that a knife was sticking out of her back. It didn’t seem real to her, and for the most part there was no pain other than a sharp, stinging sensation that ran up her right arm from time to time.

  �
�A dream,’ she thought. ‘That must be it; things like this don’t happen to me.’

  They climbed back up the mountainside as fast as Akintunde dared, and even though Akhila’s speed dropped off steadily, he did nothing to hurry her. Thankfully the Lowlanders remained out of sight, and Akintunde silently hoped they’d broken off pursuit.

  Akhila fell for the first time as they were nearing the barrier of thick sticker bushes. She screamed; the pain suddenly intense. She tried to reach for the knife, but Akintunde stopped her and helped her to sit. He kissed her forehead and then her left eye, her cheek and nose before finally reaching her bloody lips.

  “We’re almost there,” he told her, praying to all the gods to give her strength. “We’re almost home.”

  She smiled weakly up at him, but screamed again as he helped her stand. “Tunde!” she wailed and started to cry. Somehow this scared Akintunde more than anything, and he urged her northward, half carrying her now.

  It seemed a long time before they came to the edge of the brambles and the cliff. Akhila was coughing up blood at an alarming pace now, but still she struggled on, wanting more than anything to see the Onion Hut again.

  “I’ll help you,” Akintunde said and though he tried to hold the thorny branches aside as they passed, by the time they reached the clearing they were both covered in dozens of bloody scratches. Neither however, felt the small wounds or gave them any thought.

  “Home,” Akhila whispered with a halfhearted smile. She leaned on Akintunde heavily now, her legs weak from the effort of climbing the mountain.

  “Home,” Akintunde repeated, fighting the panic that was rising inside of him. He couldn’t lose Akhila. Instinctively he knew he wouldn’t survive if she left him. “We’re almost there,” he encouraged her.

  They struggled across the clearing, completely forgetting the Lowlanders, feeling safe now that they were inside their place of sanctuary.

  “Tun…Tunde,” Akhila said as Akintunde half-carried, half-dragged her across the open field and toward the trees. “A life…” she started but stopped as a fit of coughing threatened to overwhelm her. She sprayed dark red blood all over the bright green grasses at their feet before it finally subsided.