Winter's Tree

4 - A Different Kind of Lesson

Ayessa dropped her spear as the sharp rap of wood crossed her knuckles.

She shook her hand and glared at Makaro. "That stung."

Makaro ginned at her. The same grin he had had as a boy. "Good."

Annoyed, she sprang forward and grabbed for his spear. Startled, he tried to wrench it out of her hands, and stumbled off balance when she suddenly let go again. She used the opportunity to hook her foot behind his legs and sweep him off his feet.

He tumbled into the newly thawed mud, landing on his backside with a splat.

It was Ayessa's turn to grin, but she barely had time to gloat.

With a flick of his wrist, he spun the spear and brought it around behind her, knocking her of her own feet and into the mud with him. The water, having been snow only a few days past, was icy cold, and it made her gasp.

Makaro chuckled. "Not so clever now, eh, Chieftain's daughter."

She clicked her tongue and flung a glob of mud at him. He tried to fend it off with his spear, but the mud struck him right below the eye.

Tossing his spear, aside, he thrust both hands into the mud and scooped up a handful in each. Ayessa tried to roll to her feet to escape him, but he was too quick, grabbing her ankle with one hand and pulling her back down where he smeared the remaining handful on her head. Laughing, she brought up her own handful of mud and pushed it into his other cheek.

They were close now, their breath almost mingling and something in Makaro's eyes changed. They became more serious and the hand that had been grappling her, was now still, resting on her thigh. In that moment, all she could see were his eyes and all she could feel was his hand, radiating warmth up through her core and into a secret center that only came alive around him. Then he looked away and removed his hand, suddenly embarrassed. He rolled to his feet and when he turned to face her, his smile was back as it was before, as if the moment before had never happened.

Confused, Ayessa got to her own feet and tried to return the smile. It felt brittle, like ice over snow-covered fields.

It was not the first time such a moment had passed between them, but always, as quick as it came, Makaro would dust it off and send it back. She wondered what would happen if he didn't. The thought frightened her as much as it excited her. He was her closest friend, but in those moments he became something else.

"Perhaps you two would like to find a tent?" a voice interrupted.

Ayessa blushed and looked up to meet Obu's gaze, before looking away again. Obu was not without mirth, when met around the fire at night, but during the day, in the field, or on the hunt, he demanded a certain gravity. Beside her, Makaro shifted his feet.

"No?" Obu said when neither of them spoke. "Good. We will continue. But not together I think. Oyeka, come, work with Makaro. Ayessa, go to Eshemwa."

Ayessa grimaced as she bent to retrieve her spear. It would not even be a lesson with Eshemwa, it would be a drubbing. Obu knew that, that's why he was sending her to him. It was a different kind of lesson.

Eshemwa stood waiting for her, not far off, spear held almost casually in one hand, the butt grounded in the mud. He would be easy to dismiss as indolent if not for his eyes. Hard, angry eyes. He watched her approach, flicking his gaze from head to toe. She was like a rabbit who had walked into a wolf's den. She fought the urge to swallow.

Clutching the spear in her hand, she barely had time to take the first form when he struck. She only just got her spear up in time to block the blow, wood vibrating beneath her fingers from the impact. He struck again, and again, and each time, her reactions were slower until finally he clipped her on the shoulder, sending her sprawling back into the mud. He pushed the butt of his spear into her chest.