SAMBA YACINE

CHAPTER 9

He walked for hours and it started to feel like he might not have taken the right path to home, after all. The further he went, the more trees he saw as if he was getting deeper into the savannah. There was no sign of life anywhere except for the dry bones that some animal had left of their prey. Samba had to get back to civilization as soon as possible if he didn't want to end up as a pile of bones too.

Just when he started to believe that he was lost, he heard the sound of something approaching. It was a carriage, he was certain of it. Samba stopped and listened. The sound was coming from the south. He rushed toward that direction, praying that he wouldn't miss his chance. Maybe someone in that carriage would be able to show him the way back to the city or even better, take him there if he was a generous soul.

He ran for a few minutes before seeing it. Samba jumped out of the trees and propelled himself in the middle of the carriage's path. The coachman gasped in stupor but had the reflex to pull on the reins and stop his two horses. They neighed and threw their hooves in the air. Samba covered his face with his fine arm but luckily, he was standing at a safe distance. Barely.

"Are you insane?!" The coachman said, jumping off of his seat. "I could have killed you. What kind of behavior is it to jump in front of a running carriage like that? Do you wish to die?"

"I-I apologize." Samba tripped over his words, realizing that he really escaped a close death. "I was desperate."

"Desperate?"

"Yes...Could you please show me the way back to the kingdom? I think I am lost."

The coachman eyed him suspiciously. Granted, it was weird to run into someone in the woods at such an hour.

"You are on the right path." He said nonetheless. "You just have to keep on walking straight. Follow this path but I'm warning you, there is at least one hour of march before you can reach the first house."

Samba sighed. He was exhausted and couldn't imagine himself walking for another hour. His feet would not be able to hold him up for that long. He looked at the man with pleading eyes. The latter frowned and quickly voiced his refusal even though Samba didn't have the time to ask him anything yet:

"I cannot take you anywhere, son. I'm on duty and I must not be distracted."

The boy's shoulders slumped. At the same time, he heard two distinct knocks coming from inside the carriage. The coachman's eyes widened before he rushed toward the side door. Samba was standing too far away to see who was inside the vehicle. Clearly someone very important. The carriage was made out of ebony wood and the horses were strong, properly fed.

He heard whispers, a faint conversation between the coachman and the passenger but Samba couldn't make out what they were saying. Yet, a few minutes later, the door to the carriage opened and a woman stepped out without any help from the coachman.

She was tall and lean except for her hips that were gracefully emphasized by her tight leather pants. Samba felt instantly humbled in front of her. He noticed the long leather coat on her shoulders, embroidered with gold and silver thread. She walked slowly in his direction. Her thick curls were tied into a low puff that made her facial features sharper. She was intimidating to say the least but not in a bad way. Samba knew she was someone to respect, someone with a great amount of power...But also, she was far from being a tyrant, despite all of her privileges.

She was now standing right in front of him, the scent of jasmine taking control of his senses.

"Look at me." She commanded after a short silence.

Samba obeyed and met the most perfect and disconcerting set of eyes he'd ever seen. They reminded him of those of a deer, soft in a way that made him want to keep the lady safe. At the same time, those eyes proved that they'd also seen many things in life. They shone with maturity and wisdom despite her youthful appearance. Samba quickly realized that the woman in front of him didn't need protection; she was strong enough to look after herself.