Kahira's Destiny Read online

  The hut was locked by a very strong rope made from a vine found in the forest. The vine, tightly braided into a rope, was left in the sun to shrink and tighten, making it quite strong. But it did not deter Ahoti.

  He pulled his knife from his hair, sawing at the rope. It took time, but the rope began to shred enough to cut it in half. Pulling it from the door, opening it a crack, Amatola ran crying into in his arms.

  Ahoti put his arms around her, feeling how small and delicate she was. He knew that all he wanted in life was to love and protect this woman. He pulled her closer, whispering in her ear, “Which hut is yours, beloved?”

  Amatola showed Ahoti the way, leading him through the shadows. At the doorway, he watched like a hawk, surveying the area. She entered the hut, immediately letting out a small shriek.

  Ahoti reacted instantly when the noise escaped her lips. In a flash, he was in the room ready to attack! Amatola was shocked! She was NOT alone!

  Chapter 5

  “Jaisyn!” She whispered, tears filling her eyes. Amatola’s little brother, Jaisyn, who had been hunched down as if studying her favorite things, now stood. His face was stern, his eyes unwavering. Only the slightest tremble at his mouth indicated his distress for the situation he now found himself in.

  “Amatola?” Jaisyn glanced at Ahoti then back to his sister. “What are you...?” His words were stifled by the heaviness in the air. He was torn. As the Prince, though young, he had always followed his father in important decisions and matters of law. But he knew in his heart that his sister, being the soul that she was, did not deserve death.

  Ahoti, seeing no immediate threat to them, abruptly began to pack Amatola’s belongings. Amatola could not move. She wanted to rush to her young brother and embrace him! But his loyalty to the Chief was undeniable. She feared he would yell out.

  Jaisyn stepped toward her. His composure did not change, but she noticed a softening in his eyes. “I want to speak with you, Amatola.”

  “There is so much to say to you, Jaisyn.” Amatola said. “I have to go! I love you. But I will not give up my life just because I am to have a child with the man I love. He is a good man! We belong together, regardless of what tribe we are each from.”

  “I know, Amatola.” Jaisyn’s eyes showed sadness as if remembering something. His face took on the anguish of a young boy about to lose his nurturing sister, his only sibling. Amatola reached out to him as he dug his face into her bosom. A few moments later, Jaisyn looked up at Amatola.

  “I do not believe either Father or Ahoti’s father and brothers want either of you dead!” His voice trailed off. “But even though our fathers ARE Chiefs, their hands are tied. They cannot go against the Elders.”

  “And our hands are tied as well. We will not stay to be murdered for what we believe in.” Amatola sighed, hugging Jaisyn and kissing the top of his head. “I will never forget you, dear Jaisyn. I will always love you! Please do not forget me either?” He hugged her hard and followed her outside.

  Abandoning the hut, Ahoti shouldered Amatola’s belongings with his own. They hurried into what was left of the night like thieves, walking, sometimes running over the plains. They wanted to get as far away from both tribes as possible.

  The couple finally could go no further. Ahoti found a ravine filled with very long grasses to sleep on. Both needed to gather their strength. They ate Amatola’s dried meats the next morning while traveling. Every night they lay in a bed made of grasses; every morning, they ate dried meats and berries on the move.

  The couple continued to travel on the plains. Being somewhat of a myth and taboo to both plains and forest dwellers, neither wanted to run into cave dwellers. Since plains dwellers were to the east, forest dwellers were to the southeast with cave dwellers basically to the west, they decided to go north, having no knowledge of what laid in that direction.

  Ahoti and Amatola walked through spring and summer. They ate meat that Ahoti killed. When he brought down a large animal, they set up a fire circle, pulling grasses away until the area was bare. Ahoti was a good hunter; neither went hungry. Amatola had her fire rock to build fires. They held hands as they walked, so happy to have escaped, blessed with the chance of a life together.

  There were now two large blankets made from the furry skins of animals Ahoti killed. Their bed now had a blanket over it, using the other blanket for warmth. Sometimes, the couple would stay several days. Ahoti killed and cleaned his prey while Amatola cooked it. They had plenty to eat plus smoked meat and jerky to carry on their journey. Neither knew where they were going nor did they care, as long as they were together.

  On one such time while Ahoti was hunting, Amatola had a fire going, cooking meat he had already brought down. She heard a swishing noise coming from the plains grasses but could see nothing. Amatola stood and searched the area around her. She spotted a place not far from her where the grasses seemed to be disappearing like something invisible was moving steadily toward her.

  She pulled her knife, crouching down but ready to spring if necessary. On the other side of the fire where Amatola had pulled out the grasses to make the fire pit, she watched as a white panther (ooglot) emerged. It was looking straight at her!

  Chapter 6

  This creature was a huge, muscular plains animal. Its shoulders came to the top of Amatola’s head! Its two heads each had two bright emerald cat eyes. The two mouths had fangs almost a foot long; the whiskers were immediate death, if touched.

  As a child, Amatola learned about the white panther. Even at that time, it was a rare endangered species. Catching sight of a white panther was considered lucky, there were so few of them left. One sad strange fact about them was they could have two cubs, only once in their lifetimes, always one male and one female.

  The white panther stopped stalking, staring at the fire where the meat was cooking, then at her. It looked fierce!

  Amatola crept slowly to where her sleeping herbs were bound in a bag. If she could get them into the cat’s face, it would fall asleep, not being a threat any more. She grabbed a handful of powder, her hunting knife in the other hand. Her eyes never left the panther’s glare. The cat suddenly leapt in the air and pounced at her, claws unsheathed.

  Immediately, she threw the powder into the panther’s face, lunging to the ground. The cat sailed gracefully over Amatola’s body, landing close on her other side. Sinking to the ground, the affected head closed its eyes helplessly and fell asleep.

  With half the body paralyzed in sleep, the second head seemed hazy, frightened. It snapped and snarled, saliva dripping from its fangs as it struggled to mobilize itself. Amatola raised herself to her feet, checking to make sure she was not hurt. She was shaking from head to toe. She felt pity for this rare creature. In any other circumstance, it would be exquisitely alluring.

  Amatola took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. What had come over the animal? She alone was not a threatening presence to the powerful animal. She put her hand out to calm the large, frightened head. The cat stopped snarling, looking around in confusion.

  Amatola lowered herself to the ground to be less threatening. She got as close as she could to the cat without putting herself in harm. It seemed mesmerized and watched her intently. Amatola brought her hand, palm up, to her mouth, blowing the leftover sleeping herbs there into the cat’s eyes. The powder was quickly absorbed. Its head lowered, its eyes fluttering shut.

  No sooner was the animal unconscious when Amatola heard a distant noise. Something more was moving in the grasses!

  Chapter 7

  Amatola cautiously moved into the grasses where the panther had emerged. She could distinctly hear the whimpering mewing of cubs! In two large paw prints pressed in the nearly flattened grasses, she found two tiny baby panthers! They were so new their eyes had not yet opened.

  Their four little heads bobbled as they blindly searched for their mother. Amatola realized the white panther had only been looking for food and protecting her cubs. She gently carried the cubs to the sl
umbering mother, setting them down to snuggle up against her.

  The cubs were too young to make it without their mother’s guidance and protection. Amatola pulled the meat out of the pot and laid it on the ground next to the enormous cat.

  Soon Ahoti came. He was in awe as he listened to Amatola’s exciting story. He was so glad that she was not hurt! He was proud that she was able to handle the situation without killing the mother cat.

  When the sleeping powder wore off, the white panther woke up with her cubs nestled closely against her body. Sniffing them, she smelled Amatola’s scent. She stared at Ahoti and Amatola, sitting on the other side of the fire, as far from her as possible, showing they were not a threat to her or her family.

  The two-headed cat ate the meat on the ground beside her cautiously. She was watchful of Amatola and Ahoti as she woke the cubs up, cleaning them with her tongues. She fed the cubs.

  Placing them on her back, she ambled off into the grasses opposite where she had entered. Amatola and Ahoti watched the cubs settling into their mother’s silky white fur, gripping her coat with tiny claws so they would not fall off.

  The next morning, the couple decided to start moving again. Ahoti noticed Amatola’s pregnancy was starting to show. He made sure she rested and ate well.

  As the couple moved on, Amatola spotted something far ahead to the right of where they were walking! She pointed ahead to the darkened area rising from the flat plains. “Look! I want to see what is there.”

  “All right, Amatola.” Ahoti smiled down at her. They walked all that day. At dusk it came into view. It was a forest unlike any forest either had ever seen. It started where the plains ended. Upon investigation, neither could see where it ended.

  The trees were different, too. Besides pine trees, there were other trees, giant ones with huge leaves. Yet another tree grew high with vine-like stems falling from the upper parts almost to the ground. The vines were covered with small silver leaves and many colored flowers, similar to Earth’s weeping willow.

  Ahoti put his arm around Amatola’s waist. They glanced around the forest. It was magical with the two moons shining silver shafts through the tree tops. “This is the place, Ahoti! I had a dream we would live here.”

  “Then this is where we will have our home.” Looking into her eyes, Ahoti smiled. He felt good standing in the forest. No evil or anxiety. He saw joy swirling in Amatola’s multi-colored eyes, glad he was able to give her this happiness.

  Both of them cut and carried long plains grasses into the forest but they stayed close to the plains. Mixing grasses with sweet-smelling pine needles on the forest floor, the bed was covered with a strong skin so the needles could not pierce through it. They slept with a wonderful pine aroma drifting around them.

  When they woke up, they walked through the forest, looking for a place to build a home.

  The ground was covered with hundreds of different colored wild flowers bunched together. There were berry bushes, thick with juicy berries of various colors; yellow, red, blue, purple.

  There were thick sugar roots (peji) that Amatola pulled. She pulverized the roots until they were a sweet powder used for sugar. Amatola found many healing herbs growing in clumps.

  She glanced to the right of a vine tree, saying, “Ahoti, stop! This is the place in my dream where we make our home. Right there!” She pointed to an open area beside the vine tree and a large lake.

  Chapter 8

  The first thing Ahoti did was start looking for rocks! When he found the right sized rocks, Amatola carried them back to the clearing. He found one he was specifically looking for, shaped in a rough triangle. It was about eight inches long, thinner than usual rocks.

  Ahoti climbed a huge boulder, sitting down on it with his legs spread. He rubbed the small rock back and forth on the large one, slowly at first then faster and faster. Soon sparks were shooting off the two rocks as they were filed against each other. Ahoti continued until he felt the small rock was sharp between the two points of the odd triangle.

  Amatola cut several vines from a tree further in the forest, removing all leaves and flowers. She braided them tightly together, making several long ropes she set out to dry. Finding a tree with boughs lower to the ground than the others, Amatola picked a strong, thinner bough, sawing at it with Ahoti’s knife.

  Soon it was on the ground with Amatola busy cutting away all of its branches. The piece of wood was about as round as her arm and as long as from the ground to her knees. Whittling up and down the wood until all rough bark, leaves and stumps were gone, she had a very smooth, white piece of wood. That, too, was put down to dry.

  Both of them were tired, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep that night. They awoke refreshed, stretching, smiling at one another. “Good morning, wife! Did you sleep well? How do you feel?”

  “I slept wonderfully in your arms! I feel very well, my heart.” Amatola smiled at him, eyes glittering like rainbow dewdrops in the sunshine. Both grinning, they sat together to eat.

  Then Ahoti walked to the items on the ground, picking up his rock, a strand of rope and the piece of wood Amatola had whittled. Nodding his head in an approving manner, he put the end of the wood to the point of the rock, tying the rope over and around it in a pattern that made them so tight together, they were like one.

  “A fine axe, wife,” he said, grinning at her as she flushed with pleasure. He held his hand out to her, helping her to her feet. “Let’s get started with wood for the hut.” He took his new axe with two ropes. They walked into the trees.

  They did not want tree stumps around the hut, spoiling the view. They went into the woods until Ahoti stopped at some large, old trees. Picking a tree, Ahoti sliced a long strand of bark from it. Moving in a circular direction around the tree, he sliced from as far up as he could reach down to the ground.

  Once getting the huge piece of bark, he laid it in the sun to dry, starting to cut the next piece of bark. Ahoti continued until he had completely stripped the tree, then he set to chopping it down. When it was on the ground, he cut off the attached limbs close where they joined the tree.

  He cut long, flat pieces of wood, roughly like lumber. Two branches of about the same size were whittled until they would not give splinters when held. Ahoti and Amatola lifted the largest piece of bark. Putting it between the two branches, tying them together on each side with rope, they made a sled-like platform.

  All the wood left was packed onto the sled. Ahoti stood between the branches, holding one in each hand. He walked back to where they would build their hut. After eating, Ahoti rested, watching Amatola make a large square on the ground with two smaller ones on each side of it.

  Taking his axe, she sat on the ground, using the axe to break the ground inside the square.

  She pulled out the ground until there was a hole about five feet down. Then moving to the next place, she repeated the process.

  Ahoti unloaded the sled; he traded places with Amatola. While he hewed out the square, she loaded the sled with the ground pulled up, taking it off to dump it. It took five days to finish digging the square, moving the dirt away.

  Next, Ahoti took one of the pieces of wood he had split into boards. He shoved it flat into the ground. The next board was placed beside the last until the five foot square hole had a covered wood floor. The walls of the square were made with long pieces of tree bark.

  Getting walls up around the floor in the ground, Ahoti used more boards to cover the underground room. He made a trap door inside the hut’s front door in the main room floor. Opening it, he made steps out of boards down to the underground room.

  Placing each piece of bark beside the others firmly into the ground, Ahoti built the hut’s outside walls. Where the other two squares joined the larger one, he continued the walls on around the smaller squares.

  Several trips had to be made to large trees in order to get what was needed to surround the hut’s three rooms. Work on the hut continued through the end of summer and half of fall. But the hut
was sturdy when it was finished.

  The underground room was a storeroom; also a place of refuge in an emergency such as bad weather or enemies. They did not think there would be a need for that, but it was a great place to store herbs, food, medicines, drinking water, weapons, tools and anything else needing to be stored.

  The main room had a wooden floor atop the storeroom. There were two windows cut roughly from the bark on two outside walls. As all the animal hides Ahoti hunted for food had been cured, two of them could be stretched around the windows to keep the cold out when it became necessary. But while the weather was nicely warm, the windows were open to look out of to see the forest around them or the lake at the hut’s side.

  On the back wall of the main room that connected to the two other rooms, Ahoti built a fire pit over a stone protective covering on the floor. Above the pit, the roof had a smoke hole.

  The pit was centered between the three rooms. Part of it was built into each of the smaller rooms but the main part was in the main room. They could cover the doors of each room so that when it got cold, they could get heat from the fire pit.

  The main room held a table with three chairs, several wall shelves with a wooden counter-top for chopping meats and vegetables. There was a tub for bathing or washing dishes. Pulling the plug drained the water out of and away from the hut.

  The two smaller rooms were bedrooms. Ahoti built a fine, strong bed frame of wood. Amatola gathered armfuls of long plains grasses. She made a mattress from skins stitched together on three sides. Stuffing it with grasses until the mattress could hold no more, Amatola stitched up the last side. The mattress fit snugly in the bed frame. A large window overlooked the lake.

  The other bedroom was, of course, for the baby. Ahoti made a smaller bed frame while Amatola made the mattress. It sat against a wall with a window overlooking the forest. A pelt pulled tightly across the open side of the bed assured the baby would not fall out of it. When the child got older, the side could be taken off, making a regular bed.