The trek up the mountain was an arduous one. This Queen climbed ever upwards as if she were on a calming stroll. Ikinya, not one to be outmatched by a woman, even a hadithi woman, struggled to keep, but struggled even more to look as if he were equally not bothered by the climb.
“You waste too much of your energy on appearances boy. It would serve you better to focus on the terrain than on your composure.” Teleza commented as she strode ahead. Ikinya was annoyed. Was there nothing he could best this beastly woman at?
The climb went on until Ikinya cold see the inky black of the night begin to glow the ethereal pink of the morning through the canopy of the trees. It was then, in the coming light of day, that he saw their destination. Hidden amongst the trees was a large compound of what looked like several interconnected huts. The thatching on the roof was superior than any Ikinya had ever seen. In the far end of this compound was a long-hut, built taller and wider than the others and raised from the ground like an alter. This truly was the home of a queen. The compound was by no means empty. Men could be seen moving about and preparing for the new day.
“She has returned!” a man could be heard calling as the two entered the compound. Quickly, men emerged from their huts, lined the walls of the compound and knelt to the ground at the appearance of Teleza. Ikinya marveled at the men. These men were large, strong and made for battle. They were all obviously warriors trained to protect their queen. Their sizes and shapes varied, but he could tell by various tribal markings that most, if not all, of these men were of the Ziwa and Baharini respectively. At first glance, it appeared that they were living peacefully together. Ikinya was offended by such treachery. What Ziwa warrior could live peacefully with the Baharini?
“Gathii!” The hadithi woman called pleasantly out, and one of the men stood. He stood near the height of Ikinya, but his build was much larger. Ikinya wagered that this man must be a heavy laborer of some sort.
“I am here my queen” the man said at his approach. He waited and Teleza offered her his hand. He took it and placed a reverent kiss to the center of her open palm.
“This is the man I spoke to you about Gathii. This is the man who murdered my beloved Wekessa”. Ikinya felt more than saw the heated glare of every man in the compound. This King Wekessa must have meant a very great deal to his people. Ikinya considers what might be the punishment for killing a well loved leader.
“What will you have me do with this filth?” Gathii asked, seeming more than pleased to be the deliverer of this sentence.
“He will replace my Wekessa, but first he must learn. I will leave him in your hands Gathii. I trust you will see to his learning well.” Gathii glared in the direction of Ikinya. He obviously took no pleasure in Ikinya’s arrival.
“Of course great one” he replied grudgingly. The hadithi woman was not ignorant to his displeasure.
“Gathii, it is my wish that you welcome him into the fold of brothers in a way deserving of what has brought him to us.” A sinister smile curved the lips of the man.
“It will be the pleasure of I and my brothers to offer this warrior such a welcome.”
Ikinya did not at all like the sound of that.
“I will take your weapons fool.” Teleza said, offering her empty palm. Ikinya looked hesitant to give them up. “Do not fear, they will not be lost to you. I will keep what you hold dear in my home. You can retrieve them when you are worthy to enter through my door.” Diffidently, Ikinya handed over his sword and spear to the hadithi woman.
“These are beautiful; too beautiful for a foolish boy. I will leave you to your teacher now. Do try and learn something.” She stepped away and brandished the weapons, swinging and thrusting them both with the ease of a seasoned warrior.
Just as when she approached, every man in the camp knelt to the ground as she passed and sauntered away to her raised home and disappeared inside. Ikinya stood alone and watched in awe, trying to piece together what exactly had transpired in his life and how he might try and survive it. Before the thoughts can form completely in his mind, Ikinya is struck across his head from behind. A burning pain raced through his skull, binding and dizzying him. Only be his sense of touch can he tell that he had fallen to his knees at the assault.
“Lesson one,” he could scarcely hear the voice of the one called Gathii, “When our beloved queen approaches or leaves us, you kneel.”
Ikinya was not one to take a blow and not answer. With the speed of a panther he was on his feet and primed to pounce. Every muscle in his fit and agile body was taught and responsive. He saw then that it was not just Gathii that he would have to contend with. All of the men present slowly moved towards him, 11 of them at his count. Ikinya had been outnumbered before, but never outdone, at least not until the hadithi woman. He would not back down.
“Our queen has called this man correctly. He truly is a fool!” A man called out, mocking Ikinya. He could not single out from where the man’s voice came.
“Let the first man brave enough to confront the great Ikinya approach!” he bellowed, already angered at having been caught off guard by Gathii. That he would repay him for soon enough.
The 11 men moved in synchronized patterns about him, all sliding in and out of his site and back and forth between one another. It was as if they were weaving a pattern with their bodies. Their movements were serpentine and disorienting at the least. Ikinya could not figure which man was posed to strike him first. Their constant movements, steady, patterned, and low to the ground, were difficult for him to follow. Soon, the glistening of sweat off of their many backs was glinting like bright lights in his eyes.
“Let this be your next lesson then foolish one. It is never about the first man, the last man, or any man in between. It is always about the whole, never the small pieces. This will undoubtedly be your undoing.” Ikinya recognized this voice as Gathii, but before he could locate it, the group was upon him.
True to his valor, Ikinya fought hard against this thing, this group of men who moved as one. He could not see from where a single strike originated, despite his best efforts. Though he fought with the skill of a seasoned Ziwa warrior, he felt like a child flailing blindly in the dark though the sun was now high in the morning sky. Some hits landed, others did not. Ikinya only hoped that one had made its way to Gathii, whom he’d immediately decided to hate and blame for his predicament.
Of course the woman had power, how could she not with warriors like these weak enough to fall under her hadithi spell? Blow after to blow, Ikinya struggled to stay on his feet, then on his knees, and finally to stay conscious. For the second time in a very short period, Ikinya lost a fight and surrendered to welcome calm of unconscious.
When finally he came to consciousness, Ikinya was greeted by dark night sky and her many painted lights. He did not dare move, but lay there in the dark looking up at the familiar sky. The planting season was in full force now in his native Ziwa. Never on any of his many pilgrimages into battle had Ikinya been still long enough to miss his home, or its customs.
Now, he lay still in the dark, trying to remember the fertility dances the women of his home would do in their bright face paints and patterned gowns. It all seemed like a distant dream to him, and his current situation felt like a haunting nightmare. His bodies aching told him that he had indeed been attacked by 11 men and he had certainly lost. His lip felt busted open and his body ached from heavy bruising. Though he had certainly been beaten and left lying in the dirt by a large group of men, Ikinya felt as if he’d endured little more than the firm whipping of an angry father or teacher. An attack like that should have left him disabled.
Ikinya listened for any noise in the darkness and slowly bent his toes. He then dared to slowly stretch and wiggle his digits, just to make certain they were all still there. How had he not been killed or even more seriously injured? Nothing made any sense. At the moment, all Ikinya knew is that it was dark and he was alone. There was no better time to sneak away from this compound, and if possible off of this miserable, cursed mountain. Slowly, and with great effort to be silent, Ikinya hopped onto the balls of his feet, careful not to even upset the sand and gravel at his bare feet into protest.
“A lovely night for a walk brother” A voice said from behind. Ikinya froze in his place. This was the voice of Gathii.
“Have you come to try and finish what you and your strange warriors began with me?” Ikinya asked boldly, without even a hint of fear in his voice.
“What was begun this morning is already finished. I’m sure that one who calls himself the Great Ikinya is not to complain about receiving a mere child’s beating after a crime so great as killing our chief brother?” Ikinya had not thought that far, He had in fact killed one of their own, and threatened their queen, even attacked her. In his home, he’d have been given a painful death for such treachery.
“If you are truly finished then allow me to leave here in silence and darkness. I will find my way through the forest and be of no more trouble to your people.” Gathii offered a weak smile to the man.
“I cannot do this for you brother. Our queen has spoken and you are to replace Wekessa. Leaving is not an option for you brother warrior.” Ikinya turned to face the man speaking to him. In the darkness he could see the darkened, swollen skin around Gathii’s left eye.
“I see that I at least left some mark in my struggle.” All Ikinya gathered was hat he still owed this man a blow.
“No brother, this I received during my training while you slept here in the sun.” Gathii chuckled and rubbed the skin around his eye. “I must warn you, the forest is the last place you want to be at night. This is the place from where our queen rose from the darkness. It is believed that others have tried and succeeded to follow in her path. More than just forest creatures dwell beyond our gates. It is safest here or in the village below, but never alone in the forest, not at night.”
Ikinya considered the warning, and further considered that trying to make it through any unfamiliar terrain in his condition in the dark was a poor idea.
“Come brother, I must show you to your new home.” Gathii continued, offering Ikinya his back having no fear of an attack. Ikinya followed, being much in need of a place to rest aside from the hard ground. He was sure pebbles had lodged themselves in skin so deeply that they’d never come out as it was.
Gathii led him to a thatched hut, part of the large interconnected compound. Inside there was a bed, large enough for a large man, a small table and two seats. The space was considerably large, but had little room inside.
“I hope this will suit you. This was my home the last time the sunset here. Since Wekessa has left us, I have been moved into his station and you will take my dwelling. You are welcomed to add anything to your dwelling that you can build or barter for amongst the brothers.” Ikinya scoffed. He was a warrior, not a carpenter. This hut would likely stay just in the same condition until he could affect his escape.
“Why do you call me brother? I am no brother of yours, and I have greatly wronged your people.” Ikinya asked, not understanding this culture. He came from a culture of warriors and war. This behavior was strange to him.
“I call you brother because you have been deemed one of the twelve by our queen. You are most welcomed with us, though many of the brothers may take time to warm up to you. Wekessa was well respected here and his dearest friends will not take to you quickly.”
Ikinya found this man odd. Earlier he had been angry and more than willing to inflict his judgment upon him. Now he was friendly, kind even.
“What is the calling of this twelve? Do you serve as your queens guards?” Ikinya finally asked. Certainly every man there was strong and in his prime. They were all fit soldiers that any man would be proud to have follow him.
“Teleza hardly needs protecting” Gathii began, wearing what could only be a smile of great pleasure. “You have been given a great honor, despite your crimes. You have been named one of the twelve husbands.”
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