The tribe was awakened by loud shouts. Ekewane and Eiru quickly sat up.
“Strangers!” cried a voice from the reef.
Ekewane’s vision came back to her. The memory of the blood made her feel sick, but she quickly jumped up and ran down to the edge of the reef and stopped.
Out on the horizon there was a large canoe; she knew it was not from her village because the outrigger was on the left hand side.
“These strangers will kill my people!” she thought horrified. She did not see Eiru or Emarr, but felt their presence beside her and felt a little more courageous.
Ekewane looked at the men of her tribe, they were all armed and standing in front of the women and children. She noticed her father, and yet again he was wearing the prestigious armband. She also glimpsed quickly at Emarr, he stood close to her looking grave and clutching his spear tightly.
Nobody spoke, not even the smaller children that never seemed to stop making noises, they were holding tightly onto their mothers.
The large canoe came closer and closer to the reef. Ekewane could see that there were women and children on board. Everyone watched and waited silently. She could imagine the fear of the people on board, just as they felt only a short time before when they had arrived on this island.
Without thinking she left her friends’ side, and walked slowly towards the men still standing on at the edge of the reef, watching intently the advancing canoe. Eiru although afraid, walked slowly behind her, and Emarr never left her side.
When she reached her mother who was standing just behind her father. Her mother turned around, looked at her and nodded. Then she whispered something in her father’s ear.
“They will not harm us!” shouted her father.
The tribe looked at him. Ekewane heard an angry murmur from some of the men, but they did not voice their displeasure.
The people in the canoe were waving anxiously. And then suddenly she waved back, Eiru and Emarr followed her example, soon most of the tribe doing the same. They did not want to irritate the occupants of the canoe - if they had come in peace?
The strangers had come from another island and were welcomed. Many canoes had left the islands because of the long years of drought, just as Ekewane’s tribe had this canoe also lost sight of the others soon after they left.
The strangers settled into the larger established group. The children quickly made friends with the children already on the island, and the adults shared their food, very soon they became part of the tribe.
On the second day after their arrival, a boy came up to them. He was the same age as Emarr, and had the same strong muscular build but was a little taller.
Bagonoun was not as grave as Emarr, he laughed at many of the things the girls said, and seemed to be always happy. The three did not mind him joining their small group. At night he would often talk about the humorous things he did back when he was on his island and their friendship became stronger.
The expedition to the lake organized by the elders was temporarily postponed. Ekewane and her friends often talked about their mystical lake, and Bagonoun was excited at the prospect of visiting this wonderful place.