Rossetted Leopard (a Werecat Mate Story Set In Africa)

Chapter 4 Progressive Matrilineal Tribeswoman

Phoka is a sub group within tumbuka tribe. This sub group is known to be well versed in dark arts.

Malawian tribes fall into two categories; matrilineal and patrilineal.

In matrilineal tribes, the family stays in the wife's village, if there divorce the children stay with the woman and in case of parental death of both parents the children move to the wife's family. Patrilineal is the exact opposite of this. In theory, matrilineal tribes are feminist but this is not always the case. Patrilineal tribes are sexist and privilege men over women always.

Ngoni is patrilineal.

Tumbuka is matrilineal (in this book)

Namise- Ner-mee-say is Thumbi's leopard. The name means evening meaning she shifted around evening.

Dingiswayo -dee-ngee (ng like ngle in jingle)-swer-yo

Thumbiko

Last I came here, Werani arranged for me to spar with one of the warriors here. I was able to find him. He had gotten agile and stronger, in the time I had been away. But so had I.

I was pressed between Zaithwa's ankles, thinking of how I would get out of this hold, when a loud growl filled the air.

"Get off her now." My mate growled, his eyes gold. Zaithwa jumped off me and sprinted away.

I got off the grass. "We were sparring. You scared him away. Now he won't spar with me anymore."

My mate lowered his head. "I am sorry. I thought he was hurting you."

"You maviti men can't imagine a woman as a warrior, can you?" I said with a chuckle.

He grinned.

I stepped closer to him and asked him how he was. He answered me and asked me how I was.

"I wanted to ask you if you are free." He said after I responded to his greeting.

Dingiswayo was too polite for his own good.

I nodded with a small smile.

"I would like to take you somewhere."

"Ah I am not ready at the moment. I just rolled out of bed to spar."

"You look good to me." He said with a small grin.

I blushed. "Thanks. But I still need to get ready."

I placed my hand in Dingi's, to quieten my leopard. He smiled down at me. I don't know how Werani got used to the height difference between her and her mate. She was much shorter than me and Sundu was taller than my mate. These maviti men were tall.

"How old are you?"

"I am 24. You?"

"I am 34." I replied.

His eyes widened.

I smirked. "I am joking. I am 23."

"I was shocked. I would have assumed you were a witch to keep so young for a 34 year old."

I leaned forward to let laughter fall out of me. "A witch! Just because I am phoka."

He chortled. "Yeah that would have contributed to my suspicions."

We stopped walking before a hill made of a brown rock. The hill had a large vertical gorge and through it flowed a river. We hiked up the hill. I stopped holding his hand. Namise growled at me for breaking contact. I ignored her.

"I used to come here and jump from side to side." We were standing at the top of the hole the river flowed through. The hill had holes through every side of the gorge. "Do you want to?"

My eyes widened. "In leopard form?"

He nodded with a grin.

"Sure." I shifted into my yellow leopard. He shifted into his large tawny leopard. I understood why Zaithwa had run away, my mate was huge. His large form jumped across the water fall into the other side of the gorge. I followed. The waterfall pulled me down and I feared I might not land where I ought to but I did.

Dingiswayo shifted. "Are you okay?"

I nodded jumping into the lower section. He laughed and followed. We went through all the six partitions. When we finished I shifted. He did too.

"We could jump down." He said.

"I don't know if I can." I said eying the bottom of the waterfall, it was quite the distance.

"You could latch onto my back, if you like." He said.

I straddled my hands around my neck.

"I am going down." He warned me as he leapt. I screamed all the way down but he laughed. We hit the water with a large splash. I let go of his neck. We both swam to the surface through the bubbling water.

"That was scary and exciting." I said wiping water out of my face.

"I am glad you liked it." He grinned. We swam to the rocky bank. There was a mat with food and a valet guarding it. He left when Dingiswayo waved at him and thanked him. There were clothes for both of us. I found somewhere covered and changed into my dry clothes. We sat down and ate our lunch.

"Dingi how did your mother allow you to come here?"

His face dropped. "My mother's mate rejected her because she was married to my father. It snapped her mind. So she was not the most active of mothers."

"OH. Wait I thought your father was her mate."

He shook his large head. "That's Sundu's mother. My mother's mate was a shaman."

I nodded. What was it like to grow up with a senile mother? I was curious. But not wishing to prod my mate on a subject that clearly caused him pain, I kept my questions to myself. I lay down on the mat and starred at the sky. He lay down ensuring there distance between us. I pulled him to me. Our shoulders were touching and our hands were intermingled. Time sprinted like a cheetah, it was soon time for us to return to the village. He escorted me all the way to the hut me and Mika were sharing. Outside our compound, he gave me a sad smile. I knew why he was sad. I did not want to part either. I rose on my toes and pecked his cheek. "I enjoyed today."

"Me too." He grinned. I watched him walk away mesmerised by the way his large shoulders swayed. I turned around, bracing myself for Mika's teasing.

"Look at you being the progressive matrilineal tribeswoman you are and initiating physical contact!" she crowed.

I shook my head and let out a sigh.

Author's Note

What do you make of Dingiswayo?

Please vote and comment.

Thank you for reading.