Ahoti made a rough bucket from leftover pieces of wood, stretching a hide around the inside to make it water-tight for when water was needed in the hut.
Chapter 9
One early morning, Ahoti lay in a deep contented sleep. Amatola wandered down to the lake to swim and bathe. The air was humid with the promise of crisp cleansing rains to pass later in the day.
Sula had just begun his daily journey across the sky when Amatola eased into the fresh water. A misty fog lay peacefully atop the lake but pushed away from her as water rippled around her body.
Ahoti soon woke up. Stretching lazily, he got out of bed, dressed and grabbing his axe, left the hut. He needed to cut wood to start laying it in for the wet season and upcoming winter.
He stood outside the hut, observing Amatola’s fluid motions in the water as she swam. Pride filled him at the sight of her! He could not help but smile. He whistled down to his wife loudly, indicating his departure. She waved in acknowledgement. Both of them glowed with love. Amatola watched Ahoti disappear into the forest.
Later, she emerged from the water, humming to herself. She was ready to start the day.
Glancing down, she noticed a strange shaped rock on the beach. It could be held in her hand and had a very fine, sharp edge on it. She picked it up, thinking she could find some use for it.
Not far from the shore, Amatola noticed an odd scent in the breeze. She could not pinpoint exactly what it was. The hair on the back of her neck rose and her stomach turned over with unease.
Amatola heard a rustling in the leaves behind her. A peculiar growling emitted from the edge of trees close by. She whirled around! Standing on two thickly muscled back legs was an animal the like of which she’d never seen!
Towering over Amatola was a bear-like creature (guntl); a cross between a bear, a snake and a lizard. A most dreadful beast, as large as a baby elephant! It had a honey-colored pelt, furry chest and shoulders that tapered into armored reptilian scales covering its back and legs.
Its feral bright yellow eyes had large, black slit pupils, exactly like snake eyes. Two long fangs protruded from its mouth. It constantly flicked its tongue, long and forked like a serpent’s, in and out of its mouth. Its claws were almost six inches long, sprouting from the ends of six huge paws.
Amatola, riveted with fear, could not move! The bear shuffled up to her, its yellow eyes paralyzing her! Her feet were fastened in place as if frozen; she knew she was in trouble!
Chapter 10
The beast’s snake-like tongue shot from its mouth, wrapping itself around Amatola’s slender neck several times. She grabbed the tongue, trying to pull it away but it began constricting around her throat! Try as she may, Amatola could not breathe!
Amatola was losing consciousness. She knew she was dying. With her last strength, she brought up the sharp edge of the rock her hand. She grabbed the part of the taut tongue reeling out of the animal’s mouth. She quickly sawed through the entire tongue!
The creature roared so loud it shook the trees! Amatola fell to the ground fighting unconsciousness, desperately unwinding the bloody length of tongue still coiled around her throat.
The creature stepped to Amatola, anger and pain shooting from its serpentine eyes. Claws sprung out of the bear’s four mobile paws. It reached to strike her, wanting to tear her to bloody shreds. Amatola closed her eyes, cringing. But the animal’s deadly claws never touched her body. From out of nowhere, an unexpected ally appeared!
Chapter 11
The white panther sprang onto the creature’s scaled back! Unknown to Amatola, the cat and her cubs had been on the other side of the lake drinking water when they caught the scent of Amatola’s terror, along with the scent of the dangerous animal.
The two-headed panther clawed her way up to the bear’s thick neck. With a head on each side of its body, she sank her foot long fangs deep into its shoulders, severing tendon and muscle used to control its upper paws.
The creature howled in pain, blood still spewing from its severed tongue! Instinctively, its arms tried to reach over its shoulders but they were not long enough to grab the agile cat.
In the meantime, two large balls of white fur flashed, attaching themselves by digging their claws deep into the bear’s legs above its pawed feet. They ripped and tore skin and muscle and tendon ferociously, causing a ghastly scene.
Amatola shook herself out of the shock she was in. Racing for the hut, she grabbed her bow and arrows. She dashed back, fitting an arrow as she ran. Standing out of harm’s way, Amatola sited the creature.
She waited patiently for the right moment to release her arrow. It went straight through the animal’s unprotected front pelt, deep into its heart. In an instant, it crumpled to the ground.
The three white panthers carefully disengaged themselves from the dead creature. In the aftermath, Amatola began to shake and shiver. She sank to the ground.
The cats came to her. The two cubs had grown since Amatola last saw them. Nudging her with their four heads to get her attention, they eventually curled up in her lap. The white panther lay down in front of the three of them in a protective position, maintaining watch of the surroundings.
That was the scene Ahoti viewed as he sauntered out of the forest. Dropping his load of wood, he ran to Amatola. He cautiously sidestepped the panther and moved the cubs from her lap. Then he gently lifted her to her feet.
Ahoti looked her over in bewilderment. There was blood and dirt on her from the animal’s tongue and the bodies of the cubs. “Amatola! Are you safe? Are you hurt?” He stammered.
“Oh, Ahoti!” She threw her arms around his neck. “It was awful! I was so frightened! But thanks to these panthers, I am fine.”
Ahoti wrapped his arms tightly around Amatola, surrounding her with his love, making her feel safe. In his embrace, she found the comfort needed to slowly stop quivering. They checked the panthers for injuries, finding none.
They had to roll the creature onto its back together. It was too large for one person to roll over alone. Ahoti got his tools out. He started skinning the front of the animal. He cut huge chunks of meat that he put beside the cats, continuing to feed them until they were full.
When they were obviously content, Ahoti looked into their emerald eyes and thanked them. “I will always be in your debt for what you have done. Thank you for saving my family.”
Amatola cooked the rest of the meat, storing it in the underground room for winter food. Ahoti cut out all the claws, putting them aside in the hut. He was able to skin the creature’s back scales in one large pelt. The pelts were both laid out to dry. Ahoti hauled the rest of the animal into the forest, far away from the hut, leaving it for other animals and birds to devour.
The white panther and her cubs were gone when Ahoti returned. He thanked Edla for the cats. He checked on Amatola to make sure she was still alright. She was resting, regaining her energy. Ahoti cleaned all he could from the path to the lake. Neither of them wanted anything left to remind them of what almost happened to Amatola.
The next day, Ahoti used the front pelt, which was thick and strong, to make them both warm winter cloaks and boots. He covered the scaled pelt in fish oil. He continued to work oil into the scales until they sparkled in the sunlight. The pelt was strong but the scales were soft.
Ahoti made two blankets to drape over the bedroom doors. He made another blanket for their bed. He made Amatola several combs to hold her hair in place. Last, he made an arrow sheath for his baby.
“Ahoti, may I have the creature’s claws?”
“Of course, Amatola. Do what you want with them. You are the one who killed the beast!”
They laughed together, hugging each other. Amatola made two spears. Instead of using arrowheads, she put claws in the ends, making them each a sharp new weapon. She made three necklaces of the remaining claws. She gave one to Ahoti, donning one herself. She kept the last one to give to her unborn child.
They still bathed in the lake because it was warm en
ough. When it got cold, bathing would move inside the hut. For now, they enjoyed the lake together. It was breathtakingly quiet, like a mirror showing all that lay above it.
Amatola was huge with child. She knew it would come any day now. She felt the baby so active in her! “Feel, Ahoti! The child is fighting to get out!”
“I am so proud of you, Amatola! You give me all I ever want in life!” Ahoti put his hand on her enlarged abdomen, smiling when the baby kicked or at feeling a tiny fist pushing against his palm. The child seemed to want out, to be born and live!
Amatola felt the baby’s strength. She excitedly awaited the birth. She did not have long to wait.
Chapter 12
One evening, while bathing in the lake, Amatola felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her tummy. “Ahoti!” She screamed as she bent over, holding her stomach. Ahoti knew it was time. Picking her up, he carried her to the beach, gently setting her down on the blanket.
“I am frightened; please hold my hand,” Amatola begged. She felt water rushing between her legs. She looked up at the two moons as her labor began.
A storm instantly formed in the sky above them, lightning slashing the sky, thunder shaking the very ground she lay on. Strangely, it did not rain. It just continued throwing lightning bolts with thunder roaring through the sky.
The air was thick, hot and hard to breathe. Amatola panted like a wolf. Sweat covered her forehead, face, neck, arms and legs. Her hair was soaked with sweat. Another pain shot through her stomach; she screamed, “Ahoti!” She pushed with all her might.
She could feel the baby; she wanted it out! Amatola squeezed her eyes shut, pushing as hard as she could, falling back on the blanket when it still did not come!
She had a grip on Ahoti’s hand that surprised him as Amatola clenched it every time she pushed. He whispered reassuring, “You are doing so well, beloved!” He whispered other loving words to her, running his other hand over her forehead, face, hair; trying to make her feel safe.
He was kneeling on the ground shaking, so afraid of losing Amatola. Ahoti bent his head, whispering a prayer. “Please, Edla, take care of Amatola! Bring her and our baby through this ordeal alive. I beg you! I cannot live without her!”
Edla must have been listening because the next thing he heard was the smallest cry of a baby!
He looked down at Amatola, seeing the sweat dripping from her forehead into her eyes; her hair was matted all around her. She was smiling into his eyes. She looked more beautiful to him than ever before.
Glancing down, he saw the tiniest baby, trying so hard to make its crying strong; yet sounding like a baby cat (glepa) instead. At the moment of birth, the thunder and lightning ceased. All the forest wildflowers immediately bloomed. The stars became so bright that the couple could not even look at them; it was as if Sula had come to see his new grandchild.
The two moons smiled down at the three on the beach. Tears poured down Ahoti’s cheeks as he picked the baby up, putting it in Amatola’s arms. He took his knife, as she told him to do. Cutting the umbilical cord to separate the mother and baby, he tied off both ends.
Chapter 13
The baby was a girl! Next to Amatola, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Because of the circumstances of her birth, they both knew that it was a very special child.
He watched Amatola begin to feed the baby. When it was full, mother and child fell quickly into a deep sleep. Ahoti kept vigil the entire night, making sure no harm came to his family.
The girl was a child of Edla, born on the eighty-first day of winter. Her name was Kahira (meaning strong one). She was the first child conceived from two tribes uniting as one, which had never happened before. Everything about her was different than the people of either tribe.
Kahira’s beauty was unique. She had large, deep violet eyes sparkling with life, tilting upward on her face. Her ears were tiny half moons around hearing holes, pointing at the top. An upturned nose was over two breathing holes. Her mouth was longer than her mother’s with plush, thick lips that were the darkest purple as her eyes.
Her skin was luminescent pale lavender. Kahira had small scales only from her chest to her belly button. The scales went across her back as well; all the scales sparkled with colors of the rainbow. Her arms, legs and body were long and slender with tiny muscles already beginning to show.
Her fingers and toes were shaped normally. Kahira had dimples in her cheeks with two dimples in her bottom as well. The soft, fuzzy hair dazzled with every hue of purple, from the lightest lavender to the darkest purple, the colors moving constantly when she was in the sun.
Kahira’s birth tattoo put both parents in awe. It was a vibrant red vine that ran up her right leg, across the back... Then down the left leg also! No tattoos had ever been on both legs; only starting on one leg ending on the back.
At the bottom of Kahira’s right ankle, a dark red vine began atop a dark red lightning bolt. Moving upward, on both sides of the vine, were all the wondrous flowers of the forest.
The vine growing up her thighs around her waist showed birds of all kinds and colors, even some they’d never seen before. On her back were millions of stars with the twin moons sparkling in the sky.
At the upmost end of the vine was bright orange Sula. A vine curled to the right of Sula, ending at a long, slender, black stick with a red ruby on top. The vine curling to the left of Sula ended at a gorgeous, silver, magical-looking bird with wings spread; one they had never seen.
The vine growing down her left leg showed animals. Some were known while other were not. Kahira was twice blessed of Edla as she was from two tribes of Edla.
Kahira thrived in the forest, dearly loving both her parents. Her hair began to grow. Her dress was made from a small animal (hin) living by the lake. It was round, soft, furry, blue. The dress covered both shoulders, coming down to above her knees.
As winter was over, spring came. Kahira grew fast, learning to speak early. She was very active; always curiously asking questions; always wanting to walk in the forest or swim in the lake; always wanting to help.
When she was old enough, her parents started teaching her how to survive. Amatola took Kahira with her, teaching Kahira all about herbs and flowers, especially the poisonous ones. She taught Kahira how to weave baskets and rugs from long grasses.
One day, Amatola grabbed a basket, saying, “Kahira! Get a basket; come with me. I am going to teach you how to catch fish for food.” Always ready for an adventure, Kahira jumped up, running to grab her basket. They walked to the lake.
“Kahira, you have to stand quietly in the water.” Amatola taught. “You cannot move around, jump or make any noise that would alarm the fish. As fish swim past your legs, you reach down, grab one and then put it in your basket.”
“Mother, I cannot stand being this quiet and not moving for so long!”
“If you wish to feed yourself, maybe all there is to eat would be fish. You have to learn how to survive.”
But it took so long for fish to come around! Kahira yawned, holding herself motionless. She saw many fish but they were all too far away from her to catch!
She closed her eyes, reaching out to the fish to talk to them. “I am hungry; you are here to help feed me. Come to me so I may eat, but only the largest of you. I do not want to harm the young ones. I only want the eldest that have already had their lives.” As soon as Kahira finished, she was surrounded by many huge fish, all looking up at her unblinkingly.
One by one, the big fish jumped into her hands! As soon as she put one in the basket, another would jump to her. She had ten large fish in less than five minutes! Amatola was shocked, watching fish jump one by one to Kahira.
They both waded out of the water. Kahira silently thanked the fish friends for their sacrifices. That is when her proud parents learned of a unique power she was born with!
Kahira could speak with animals, birds, mammals and even fish! As far as her parents knew, nobody else ever had that power. Kahira thought nothing of
it as she had been born that way.
Ahoti made Kahira as many weapons as he had. Her exquisite bow was smooth, smaller at each end with an intricate Edla carved in the middle. Her arrows were short since she was small but they would still work when she was taught how to use them. Together they would make larger arrows as she grew.
Ahoti also made her an axe. The spear he made had a sharp arrowhead at its tip. Every day her father woke Kahira up, saying, “Come, Kahira! It is time to practice your skills!”
She would jump from her bed excitedly, running to him, ready to begin. She loved learning combat survival skills from Ahoti because they were active fun, allowing her to use her energies to learn. Ahoti loved teaching her because he knew if she ever needed, she could survive on her own.
Ahoti was very proud of her skills and talents, saying “Kahira! You have learned much more than I ever could at your age! You are really good!” She would raise her head high to walk with him back home. She loved the praise he showered on her.
Kahira became a remarkable hunter! The family never wanted for food. Ahoti taught her how to skin the meat and cure the skins. Amatola taught her how to cook meats; stews she could make with other vegetables as well; jerky; smoked meats for when she traveled or had no fresh meats.
Kahira taught herself to pull beautiful feathers from the birds she brought down with her bow and arrows. She made pretty hair ties for herself and her mother. She braided intricate feathers into strings for her father to hang (as she also did) from his tools or weapons.
The years of Kahira’s youth were happy ones. The family laughed together; they were close to one another, loving each other dearly. She soon passed both her parents in skills and talents.
Chapter 14
One night, the family had just eaten their evening meal. Amatola was at the lake cleaning up the dinner utensils. Ahoti was out cutting some extra wood as it had recently become crisply chilly in the evenings, since winter would soon be here. Kahira was in the kitchen cleaning some sugar roots.
She had the window open, enjoying the crisp, clean smell of the night when she noticed an odor underneath the night’s scent. Something was not quite right, a bit foul smelling.