Ekewane - The Sorceress Page 10

  Chapter 10

  The Tribes

  The group quickly surrounded the three and even the children were silent. Ekewane could feel her heart pounding in her chest; she had still held out the slight hope that the adults had not missed them. When they were back on their island, she would stay with friends and other relatives and sometimes not see her parents for days, but here things might now be different.

  “Where have you been?” asked angrily her father.

  “We went to fetch water, and walked a little further than we thought, and got lost,” she explained.

  She did not think telling the truth would be the best solution at this time.

  “All of you together to fetch water?” he asked, eyeing Emarr suspiciously.

  “No, Eiru and I went, and Emarr noticed we were missing and followed our tracks in case we got lost,” she replied sincerely, because this part was the truth.

  “You have been gone three nights, where did you go?” he continued questioning.

  Ekewane looked at Eiru and Emarr they both stood there silently looking at the ground. Ekewane felt anger rising, they had returned safe didn’t they? The adults shouldn’t make her friends feel so guilty, it was her fault, they only wanted to help her in case she got into some problems, which she did of course, she thought, but these details she would never tell.

  “We found a large beautiful, sweet water lake, full of milk fish and surrounded by mango trees,” she said triumphantly, hoping that this news would lessen the adults’ anger.

  It seemed to work! The members of the tribe started whispering excitedly amongst themselves.

  Erangue looked gravely at her and weighed up this last piece of information, then turned to the rest of the tribe and said, “We will find out more information about this lake later tonight, now we must continue to fish.”

  It worked! Ekewane thought thankfully, even though she knew she had not yet been excused, but the worst was over.

  Emanear then embraced her. Eiru’s mother also embraced her daughter and looked relieved, she had noticed her missing and was worried. Ekewane looked around to see where Emarr was, and saw him walking silently away with his father and she wondered where his mother was, but did not have time to think any more of Emarr, because her mother was speaking to her and she returned her attention to what she was saying.

  “You will come with me to collect the plants we need for our medicine,” and handed her a basket woven from the coconut leaves, and although Ekewane felt very tired she did not argue. She knew that her mother was teaching her the secrets and magic that had been handed down from her grandmother, and her mother before, since time began. She wanted to learn, because she knew that one day, like her mother, people would come to her for help. She remembered the strange spirit seen in the fire, and wondered if she should ask her mother about it, but decided not tell anyone.

  Late that night the three sat in their familiar spot on the shoreline, not speaking just looking at the other children play. Emarr was sitting on the ground a little distance from them looking preoccupied.

  Two girls sat only a short distance away from them playing ‘string figures’. The string was made of plaited human hair. Some figures were made using four or five loops, but some figures were more complicated and 23 handspans of string was used. Each girl looped the string between her fingers making complex patterns. The girls took it in turns and chanted a story whilst using the figures to illustrate their story.

  Groups of boys were engrossed playing marbles with the tomano nuts. It looked very peaceful, but Ekewane knew she would be called to speak again to the tribal adults and she felt guarded.

  The two girls stopped their game and walked over to Ekewane and Eiru.

  “You think you are better than all of us don’t you?” sniggered the prettier of the two girls. The other girl just giggled.

  Ekewane knew their names they were Emet and Iud. Emet was very pretty, her long black wavy hair reach down below her waist, and her skin was a beautiful smooth gold. Ekewane often watched Emet and thought her vain. She was the daughter of Ramanmada, another head of the elite Ramaoide class. Ekewane knew that one day their new island would be divided. Emet would eventually inherit her mother’s land, as was the custom in their tribe. The women of the tribe would own the land and coconut trees, although the men would leave their weapons, canoes and tools to their sons. The land would usually be passed down from mother to daughter; the oldest daughter inheriting the larger portion of their land. Emet would become very wealthy, and she knew that many young men of the village wanted to marry her.

  Iud was the taller of the two girls. She was not as pretty or graceful as Emet, but followed her around looking as if she were grateful for Emet’s friendship.

  Ekewane looked at Emet shocked, not understanding what she had meant.

  “You are like your father always thinking you are above everyone else. The rest of the tribe thinks you are just a silly girl!” With that they walked away laughing.

  Ekewane felt her eyes swell with tears. She did not understand. Eiru held her hand and said nothing. Emarr nearby noticed the encounter and silently got up and sat next to her without saying a word. Ekewane felt better with Eiru and Emarr by her side; they were her friends. But she did not understand why the two girls disliked her; she had done nothing to offend them.

  She did not have time to dwell on the unpleasant encounter, because she could see one of the adults, Dobague, walking towards them. Ekewane felt her heart thump, and knew they had been summoned. The three friends got up and slowly walked back with him.

  When they arrived to where the adults of the tribe were sitting around a large fire, they sat down. Ekewane looked at her friends, they looked just as fearful as she was, so she concentrated on the fire in the middle and not look at anyone.

  “Tell us about what you saw in the mountain?” said a man’s voice.

  Ekewane opened her mouth, but could not speak; Emarr having become aware of her apprehension started explaining.

  She could hear his voice as from a distance tell the elders about the dense forest, high pinnacles, but she noticed that he too did not say anything about the incident of her falling into the deep hole. Emarr then went on explaining about the lake. His voice was becoming fainter and fainter, a murmur in her head.

  She kept her eyes fixed on the flickering flames, and then without warning the red flames turned into blood, she could not look away and watched horrified.

  Her vision seemed to zoom out from the patch of blood and saw many of her people lying on the ground all with the same sickly red blood oozing from wounds on their bodies. She looked more carefully and saw that spears and other weapons caused the wounds. Her vision desperately searched the scene to see if she could see any of her family and friends, her heart was now beating faster and faster she could not stop the loud pounding in her ears.

  Ekewane felt her body being lightly shaken. Even before she awoke, for she felt she had fallen into a deep trance as she had seen some of the other sorceresses of their village, and felt afraid, because she had had no control over her body or the spirit world. She heard her mother’s comforting voice from a distance.

  “Ekewane, wake up,” crooned her mother. Ekewane slowly opened her dazed eyes and felt confused.

  Her mother helped her sit up whilst Ekewane looked around frightened. The images from her nightmare were still vivid in her mind.

  “Ekewane did you see something in the flames?” asked her mother.

  Ekewane did not answer but looked at her startled, had her mother also seen those terrible scenes?

  “You mustn’t worry, they are the images the spirit world have sent to you. Have you seen them before?”

  Ekewane hesitated for a few minutes until she could formulate the word in her mind, “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Did you see images in the fire?” Her mother looked at her intently and Ekewane felt uncomfortable.

  “You have strong magic in y
our blood, it comes from my mother, her mother and all mothers before them. I cannot see images, but I know when something will happen, whether it is a good or evil spirit. My grandmother often told me about her mother, she too could see the pictures like you. They are of what will come. You have inherited more powerful magic than me.” Then she smiled. “Don’t be afraid of the spirit world, they are not your enemies.” And with that she hugged her and walked away.

  Ekewane looked around still confused and fearful. She was sitting inside her hut and wondered how she got there. She was trying to re-live her last memory when Eiru put her head inside the hut.

  “Are you all right?”

  Ekewane nodded and then Eiru disappeared. She could hear her whispering in the nearby bushes, and then silently came back and lay beside her.

  “Emarr was worried.” And with that she turned over on her side and went to sleep. She did not ask Ekewane about the strange occurrence, she would tell her when she was ready, Eiru thought as she drifted off to sleep.

  Ekewane lay down again, and the tears ran down her face. She was not frightened anymore at what she had seen, but she knew that a lot of suffering was ahead for her and her people.