In the depths of the jungle

Chapter one Healing Powers

Kira

I was thirteen years old when my powers as a healer were discovered. I remembered perfectly how I used my skills for the first time.

My mother died two years ago, but she taught me the importance and the use of plants and herbs since I was little. But because I was educated as a warrior our healer was Lenobia. She was from another Clan; from the Chukclan.

She had lighter skin than the rest of us, more olive coloured. But she wasn't only different from the outside. It fascinated me that she was always so calm. She never got angry, acted like an elder and never had a weapon.

After my mother died and whenever my warrior education allowed it, I spent a lot of time with her. One day we were cooking leaves and made ointments out of them. Suddenly a men; Liam stormed into the living room, carrying a girl in his arms, It was his sister and my best friend Flora. We looked up from our work at the same time and I stared at the two of them. There was blood streaming down her arm what looked like a bad animal bite.

"Put her on the bed" Lenobia said calm.

Liam was breathing heavy and he looked terrified, what was really rare for him. As he put her down as carefully as he could, Flora took a sharp breath and her face was pulled into a mask of pain. I felt pity for her, she was as old as me; we grew up together. But I had to ignore this feeling, if I was distracted by my emotions I wouldn't be able to make the right decisions. "What happened? Tell me how she got hurt" Liam took a deep breath:

"We went hunting, but as we found our pray it was already dead, because a big mikubwa (wildcat) killed it. We wanted to back down, because we would never steal food from the animals, but it seemed that she thought exactly that. Flora shot an arrow but missed. I threw a knife but it only matched its leg, what only made her mad. The Mikubwa jumped and tore flesh out of Floras arm. I took my long dagger out and cut its throat. I pulled it away from her but the wound didn't look sober. I carried her over my shoulder after I put the animal out of its misery."

But before he ended Flora was suddenly bleeding even more. "Hold her!" Lenobia ordered. I garbed her around her waist and her left shoulder. Liam walked towards us and wanted to help me, but Lenobia looked at him with a warring glance. "I think you should wait outside"

"No, she is my sister! I will stay!" He said stubborn.

"Leave! Now!" She didn't raise her voice but there was a strictness in it I rarely heard. I would not dare to disobey  her now. I looked him in the eyes and tried to say that Flora was in good hands. First his face was hard but than his eyes softened. He bowed with his right hand over his heart and went out.

"Kira take the rope and tie her on the bed around her waist." Her voice was completely calm again. I took the rope from under the bed and made a tight knot. I knelt beside her and tried to calm her. Lenobia came back with long bandages, she started to wrap several layers around her arm starting almost at her shoulder making it tighter as she went on.