No Matter How Far

6. The Child Stealer

He strode into the chamber of the captains and the high commander of the Nowan Murukisé. Tafari remained standing on the spot he stood so many years before and left his seat at the table empty. Udo's sharp eye flickered to the open seat before locking onto Tafari. The other captains swiveled their heads towards him. Without order given or look exchanged, every man at the table stood. They bent slightly at the waist in a shallow bow holding their hands folded over their hearts.

"All honor to Tafari Okoro," they said in unison, then returned to their seats. Tafari gave each man a bow in return. Udo's eyes never wavered from him. His face was an expressionless mask.

"You have done well," Udo boomed. Like sudden thunder on the savannah, the man's voice, "You have brought yourself great honor. You have brought this company great honor. Your name will be sung for generations." Udo paused, studying Tafari. "Are you done?"

Udo made the questions sound more like a statement. Tafari dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

"I have achieved everything I have set out to do. These bones grow tired. Now I must go and accomplish my final task and seek my true purpose. I have waited long enough. I now only want a reward truly worth having."

Tafari looked up hesitantly. A smile cracked the stone planes of Udo's face.

"The woman who holds your heart will have a husband of great worth. You will give her many strong sons." Udo stood up and swept down the table towards Tafari. Placing a mammoth hand on Tafari's shoulders, Udo practically lifted him to his feet. "Your contract with us has been completed thousand times over. At your will, you may leave us. Will you head south to your home?"

Tafari nodded.

"If you would honor us by listening to one last request."

Udo became stone again. The rooms seemed to get colder as if clouds blocked the sun. Tafari thought it was a trick of his mind, but the captains around the table gave a visible shiver.

"For my brothers, all you need is to ask," Tafari said warily. The other men exchanged furtive glances, shifting around in their seats. "What is it?"

"You will travel cross country to your homeland, yes?"

Tafari slowly nodded his head. The huge man ran a hand over his bald head. Udo glanced back at the others. Was he unsure? They squirmed under the gaze, no one meeting his eye. Impossible! It could not be worry that cracked Udo's stony face. The shock of seeing that expression on such an unflappable man-caused Tafari's knees to feel weak. His stomach churned, and he thought he might vomit. The other captains, battle-hardened men, rarely showed any hints of emotion but compared to Udo, they were as mercurial as a rabble of hyenas. For Udo to even hint at emotion was beyond disconcerting. It was downright blasphemous.

"We received news. Not news. Barely more than whispered rumor."

The giant dragged himself back to his chair with careful deliberation as if weighing his following words. Instead of taking his seat, he pressed both fists down on the table with so much force that the knuckles turned white. Tafari feared for the structural integrity of the table, but the man just dropped his head and slumped his shoulders.

"Not far from your home, a rumor has reached the Ma'ké's ears. Of course, the Ma'ké would not care for incidents so far from his border or the borders of his allies, but this...." Udo looked up. Tafari stepped back reflexively, stifling a gasp. Udo's one eye was always a bright chip of amber that glowed with resolve. Now it barely masked his fear. "Something of great horror. Something that even so far away, if true, cannot be ignored."

"A maye'iku, a necromancer?" Tafari hoped with all his heart that was the case. As strange as it might sound. He had dealt with necromancers before. Scars etched into his skin were his reward from the last encounter with one of those twisted men. Scars and his life. Difficult indeed, even others as skilled as he would hesitate at the challenge of facing someone who twisted death into their own designs, but it was far from impossible. Tafari hoped that was the issue. He wished for it, trying to make himself believe that the years had softened Udo to such a task, which was why such a great man looked so afraid. However, the man's gaze did not falter, and the fear Udo attempted to hide glowed. Tafari silently pleaded to the Great Ancestor with all hope that his friend had turned coward.