One Life Well and Truly Promised Page 2

  “Remember!” She hissed and gave his left arm a hard squeeze. Akintunde nodded and tried to smile reassuringly but it came out a grimace, luckily his mother was already admiring the surrounding gardens.

  ‘Beautiful’ Nari thought as a young servant girl approached from the main house. Because of her dark complexion, Nari took the girl to be a valley slave and felt a twinge of envy. It would be nice to have a house slave to help with the work.

  “Welcome,” the girl greeted, her accent thick and heavy. “Come. Mistress is waiting for you by the fountain,” she added and took Nari by the hand. She gently pulled her along the walk and away from the entrance to the house. Nari sighed; she would have loved to see the inside of such a fine home.

  The young slave girl led them around the south side of the building and through an exquisite rock garden. Nari noted that the girl was very careful to stay on the large stepping stones that pointed the way and avoided the polished white rock that made up the bed of the garden. Well-manicured plants and flowers dotted the hard, white landscape and nicely accented the deep red of the adobe wall. As she followed along, Nari also stepped carefully, but she could hear Akintunde jumping from one stone to the next carelessly behind her. She considered scolding him but before she could do so they rounded a corner. Ilana was there, sitting with Akhila in the shade, guarded from the sun by a small but intricately designed gazebo. Ilana rose, smiling as Nari approached nervously, her son still skipping haphazardly from stone to stone behind her.

  “Welcome to our home,” Ilana greeted kindly and motioned for Nari to have a seat in one of the cushioned, wicker chairs that adorned the gardens. Nari swallowed a giggle at the thought of sharing an afternoon with the High Priestess. Without thinking she reached back and pulled Akintunde to her side. She was utterly terrified that he would say or do something to ruin the honor being bestowed on their family.

  Akintunde and Akhila stared at one another shyly, as Nari cautiously settled onto a cushion stuffed with lamb’s wool. She perched on the very edge of the seat; as if afraid it might break, but she gradually relaxed when it became obvious the flimsy looking chair would hold her weight. She marveled at the soft seating and the smooth twisted wooden arms.

  “Oda bring our guests some refreshments,” Ilana commanded and the young slave quickly left to do as she was bid.

  “Your boys are growing fast,” Ilana commented as they waited. Nari swelled with pride. The thought that the High Priestess of the village was watching her children left her a bit giddy, but in truth Ilana paid close attention to everyone under her care. Susa, though far from large, had grown into a settlement of nearly three thousand people, large enough to hold some sway over the mountainous area where it was located. Still, it was not so large that the High Priestess could not keep track of the comings and goings of most of its inhabitants.

  “Ye…yes they are,” Nari answered and cringed at her banal answer. Her mind was suddenly so completely blank that she feared the High Priestess had cast some nefarious spell upon her.

  “Relax,” Ilana whispered her words almost a command, but then she reached across and lightly touched the back of Nari’s hand to soften her speech.

  Nari giggled and then cringed once more.

  “Mother,” Akhila pleaded, while fidgeting about nervously. Nari glanced down at the girl and smiled; she had her mother’s look, and more. She was truly beautiful.

  Akhila gripped her mother’s arm tightly, clearly restless, though Nari was quick to note that her eyes rarely left her son, and even when they did they quickly returned, as if the sight of him was a growing addiction the young girl could not best. It made her think of Hiral as a young man, and her own youthful addiction. The thought made her heart hop happily in her chest, and she flushed pink at the possibilities.

  Ilana finally laughed at the “Dance of Impatience,” her daughter was performing. “All right Akhila you may show Akintunde around…don’t be too rough,” she added and Nari’s mood fell as she was reminded of her son’s behavior the previous day.

  “Come Tunde,” Akhila ordered happily and bolted from the gazebo like a condemned prisoner mistakenly freed. Akintunde hesitated for just a moment, allowing his mother time to reach out and grab his wrist. She gripped it tightly and pulled him close. When he turned, she glared at him harshly, and though she said nothing, he felt the warning deep in his bones and shivered.

  “Tunde…” Akhila repeated, clearly impatient, so Nari gave her son’s wrist one last squeeze. She finally released him just as Oda returned with a pitcher of something tinted pale green.

  Free, Akintunde followed Akhila with noticeably less enthusiasm than the girl leading him displayed; after all he had two older sisters. He distinctly remembered how they played at house, forcing him to be the baby, while they were always the mother or the doting aunt. Of course when he was younger, he played along willingly, but now that he was older such activities would be intolerable. As if to confirm his fears, Akhila led him around the back of the house, across a private patio and through an arched doorway that led inside.

  Akintunde groaned, disappointed that they would not in the very least be playing outside, but he heeded his mother’s silent warning and followed the girl into the house. Akhila led him through an open breezeway and down an exquisitely tiled hall that would have left his mother breathless, but Akintunde paid no mind to the fine décor. Finally, she turned and entered a large airy room that left him speechless. It was a room conjured from his dreams, a room created to satisfy his deepest male desires. It was a room filled with every conceivable kind of weapon. Swords, shields and spears all adorned the walls. Axes, lances and knives littered every piece of furniture and covered every flat service with the glint of bronze. Plus there were bows, arrows, slings and war clubs of all sizes strewn carelessly across the floor. Everywhere Akintunde looked there was a new, sharp edge to sweetly seduce his innermost yearnings. It took him several long moments to realize that amidst this fairyland of death was a bed. It sat along the far wall, buried beneath three or four large shields and a host of spears. It was completely hidden until Akhila pushed a shield aside and sat down. It was a bed all right; a large bed in fact, and from the flowery designs of the coverings…a girl’s bed. It slowly dawned on Akintunde that this was a bedroom…Akhila’s bedroom.

  “This…this is your…”

  “Let’s go hunting,” Akhila interrupted suddenly, astounding Akintunde far more than she had the previous day with the kiss.

  “Wha…” he started, his mouth curiously dry.

  Without answering Akhila picked up a bronze war helmet. She unceremoniously slipped it on her head and then gathered up a silver shield and a long wooden spear tipped with a wicked bronze head. She turned and faced her guest. Her expression was wild and fierce, as if daring him to laugh, but Akintunde had no such inclination and now found her strangely alluring.

  Oddly, the helmet was a near perfect fit for the young girl, but the shield was clearly too heavy and she strained to keep it in position. Embossed with a black three-headed snake, the silver shield was gorgeous, but even so it was all out of proportion for Akhila, and much too large for her youthful frame. Her face was a mask of concentration as she fought to hold the shield in place while keeping the tip of the spear off the floor.

  Akintunde frowned, the spear was obviously too long for her to ever hope to wield with any real skill. In all, Akhila should have looked preposterous, a child pretending at adulthood, but Akintunde saw nothing laughable about her appearance. In fact, for the first time in his young life he found someone of the opposite sex beautiful, truly beautiful, and was nearly overcome with the splendor of her form. She was breathtaking.

  “Come on,” she told him, her impatience returning. “Pick a weapon.”

  Akintunde’s knees were weak with joy, and his hands were shaking as he selected a short sword just his size. He pulled it from its leather scabbard and admired the sleek, shining blade, feeling suddenly invincible and very brave
, then Akhila dropped her shield with a loud clang and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

  “We won’t be needing shields,” she told him and carefully placed a helmet on his head. It was bronze and surprisingly heavy, but Akintunde felt more the warrior with it in place. “And a sword won’t do. We’re hunting beasts…not Lowlanders.” Akhila informed him, and snatched the sword from his grip and dropped it on the floor. After a moment of contemplation she chose a pair of short, sharp javelins. She held them up for him to inspect, as she discarded her long spear. “This is better,” she commented and handed one to Akintunde, who took it happily, even while mourning the loss of the sword.

  “Let’s go…food supplies in the city are low,” she stated confidently, though Akintunde was sure there was not an actual shortage, after all, it was late summer and the harvest promised to be very good…at least according to his father. Without a thought, Akhila grabbed his hand and pulled him from the room. Akintunde went along gladly. This was not the activity he was expecting, but it was the type he relished.

  “Mother we’re going up the mountain!” Akhila hollered from the breezeway and they raced across the stone garden trying to make the front gate before any objection could be made.

  “Akhila!” Her mother yelled and Akintunde’s heart fell. “Stay close to the walls and be back before dark.”

  “Yes Mother,” Akhila replied then winked at Akintunde and pulled him out the gate and into the streets.

  “Race you to the city gates,” Akhila challenged and without waiting for an answer streaked off down the road, heading up to the northern gates. Akintunde smiled and started after her. He was a very fast runner and fully expected to catch her quickly, but his helmet was far too large and bounced about painfully on his head. Still, he was loath to take it off, so continued on; at least until it shifted so much he couldn’t see where he was going. He reached up and turned the heavy thing around just before slamming into the back of a two-wheeled cart. Finally, with a twinge of loss, he yanked the helmet from his head, but by that time Akhila was far ahead of him. Even so Akintunde raced after her, javelin in one hand and helmet in the other. He gained ground, but she was panting happily at the gates when he arrived.

  “I thought you’d be faster,” she commented as she caught her breath.

  Akintunde frowned; sure that he could beat her in a fair race. “The helmet’s too big. I couldn’t see,” he explained.

  Akhila nodded with mock understanding and sauntered through the gates without glancing at the pair of guards stationed there. “If we’re chasing Roe I expect you to do better,” she replied. “Come,” she commanded and Akintunde followed willingly.

  “Stay close to the gates,” one of the guards told them, “and don’t go beyond the river,” he added, but the children ignored him and quickly moved off into the forest and were lost from view.

  The area north of Susa was not as cultivated as the southern and western stretches; still there were several large groves of pomegranate trees. Akhila weaved her way through the orchards without even noticing her surroundings, but Akintunde, who lived in the western portion of the village, rarely visited the northern fields. It was an unfamiliar area, which only added to the excitement and mystery of the journey.

  Akhila led him along a well-traveled path. She moved rapidly, at nearly a jog, not trying to move stealthily since it was highly unlikely that any Roe deer would wander so close to the village. No, their prey would be higher up the mountain and deeper in the woods. Even so, Akintunde was a little dubious about encountering any of the elusive beasts this late in the day.

  He happily trailed after the girl however, thoroughly enjoying himself as he scanned the nearby trees for any sign of prey. When the roar of the river reached his ears he was surprised that they’d come so far already, even so, Akhila showed no indication she was going to stop, or even slow down. They traveled parallel to the waterway for a good fifteen minutes until, without warning, Akhila moved off the main trail and headed west on a much narrower track. She slowed and crouched as she walked. Akintunde, his heart beating faster, mimicked her.

  “I spotted deer sign on the banks of the river here before,” she explained in a whisper. “They use this trail all the time.”

  Akintunde could see right away that Akhila was correct. There were numerous deer tracks in the wet earth, along with tree squirrel, jacks and what looked to be wolf. The tracks of the large predator made Akintunde slightly nervous despite their proximity to the village. Wolves were not deer; they would come right to the gates if they were hungry enough.

  “Wolf,” Akintunde whispered and pointed to the sign.

  Akhila turned and smiled. “Scared?” She asked.

  Akintunde frowned. He hated to be baited. “No, just pointing it out in case you missed it.”

  “Hmmph,” the girl responded. “I didn’t miss it,” she told him. “Father says I’m an excellent tracker.”

  Akintunde didn’t know what to say to that, so he remained quiet as they moved closer and closer to the tumbling river. They crept slowly forward until they finally reached the high bank. Together they peeked out of the heavy foliage and down to the river. It was loud and narrow, rushing and roaring around a host of boulders.

  “Wow!” Akintunde blurted and Akhila frowned.

  “What?” She asked, slightly peeved. The banks of the river were empty, no deer in sight.

  “It’s fast here,” Akintunde explained. “I’ve only seen it slow and calm…farther downstream.”

  Akhila nodded. “That’s after the falls,” she replied and pointed. “They’re that way,” she added with a nonchalant wave. “Come let’s go farther up the mountain. There’s a ford where Roe cross.”

  She moved back down the narrow track until they came to the main trail once again and without hesitation she turned upstream and strode confidently away from him.

  Akintunde paused for a moment, eyeing her back nervously. They were moving too far from home and he was sure his mother would beat him if she found out, but Akhila did not stop and did not turn around. He couldn’t let her go alone…unprotected…so without another thought he turned and raced after her.

  Akhila spun at the sound of his footsteps and smiled at him. Akintunde’s heart thumped in his chest as he smiled back.

  “How far?” He finally asked.

  Akhila shrugged. “Just a bit,” she replied and eyed Akintunde closely, searching for fear. Akintunde however, was busy checking the sky through the trees. Everything was blue, but young as he was, Akintunde knew these mountains. Storms could come up with surprising speed. He’d hate to get caught this far from shelter if the heavens opened. If he showed up at home wet and muddy he’d be in trouble for sure.

  Akhila led him farther and farther away from safety however, until she unexpectedly veered off the main trail once more and pushed through a thin layer of bushes. Akintunde frowned, unable to see any sign of a game path, but he followed just the same. Fifty paces farther on however, a thin track appeared and then became more distinct; still it was obvious it was rarely used by man or beast.

  “We won’t find anything on this…” Akintunde complained.

  “Ssshhh,” Akhila hissed. “It’s a secret path, only the Roe and I know about it,” she told him confidently. Akintunde rolled his eyes but held his tongue. Akhila sunk to a crouch once more and crept forward. Akintunde played along, but he was sure the slim trail was little used. After ten tense minutes of stalking they once again reached the river’s edge, but this time the bank was much lower, just a few feet above the water’s edge. The river was still narrow, but not quite as fast. However, there were several swirling eddies that made their way around a pair of large boulders. Even slower, the river was very loud and Akintunde frowned, absolutely positive that deer did not use this place as a ford. Both children took a moment to watch the turbulent torrent.

  “I can’t believe I swim in this river just down the way,” Tunde admitted softly and then absently bent and retrieve
d a long branch from the undergrowth nearby. Without preamble he heaved it into the water and they both watched as it hit with a splash and then quickly tumbled downstream, spinning and banging into rocks as it was swept away.

  “After the falls, the river calms. Father says Delah, the river goddess, is dazed from the leap, so she moves more slowly,” Akhila explained knowingly.

  Akintunde nodded at the clearly obvious reason, while Akhila turned and hunted for another stick. It didn’t take long, and with a toss it too was tumbling down the waterway. The two youngsters looked on, fascinated...another stick soon followed and another after that.

  “Let’s see if we can get one to go through that narrow passage,” Akintunde suggested and pointed out toward the center of the river where two large boulders forced the central channel to squeeze between them.

  “I can do that easy,” Akhila boasted, but her first attempt banged off the nearest boulder and swirled around the passage.

  “Close!” Akintunde shouted and threw in another stick for his first try. It looked to be a good throw but the lightweight twig got caught up in a cross current and was pulled well away from the narrow goal.

  “Ha!” Akhila goaded and flung in her next attempt. It was just as wide and both children knew at once that it had no chance of floating through the small, fast moving channel. They were correct.

  Akintunde spent a bit more time searching for just the right stick and found a thick piece, about the length of his arm. It was much heavier than the last, and he felt it would do better once in the water.

  “Come on!” Akhila shouted impatiently, wanting her turn. Akintunde smiled but took his time. He was very good with the sling and throwing rocks. He almost always hit his target, and he took a moment to assess where he wanted the stick to land.

  “Throw!” Akhila insisted and he finally let it fly. The stick was heavier than he judged and his throw fell just short of his target. Still, the branch bobbed to the surface and raced toward the narrow passage, but instead of floating between the boulders, it struck the rock on the far side, hung suspended for a moment and then disappeared around the other side.