Army of Sin - Season 3 - Africa and Her Secrets

Episode XVI - Land Of One Thousand Voices

Location: Herto, Ethiopia

Two weeks had passed since her encounter with the deserter Bhagan and still his accusation bounced around in her memory.

You are the one to kill us all! His voice echoed in her mind as though he stood right before her eyes.

No longer, she swore the oath to herself; she would let his words torture her no longer.

Holding the blade of her dagger up to the early afternoon sun, she narrowed her eyes in concentration as she examined the blade for cracks along its edge. Sliding her thumb lightly over the blade, she smiled grimly in satisfaction before lifting the blade to the left side of her head that had already been moistened from the small gourd of water that lay near her feet. Her hair gave way beneath the blade with minimal resistance as she shaved down the side of her head almost level with her scalp. Dusting off any lingering traces of hair, she cupped both hands into the gourd before pouring it over the rest of her head. With both sides now shaven to the height she preferred, Odinga pushed to her feet, dusting off the seat of her hand-stitched pants before making her way.

The remainder of her day passed in a blur as she tried to avoid both encounters with her father and the thoughts of what Bhagan's words implied.

Now as the sun swept low below the horizon, her father simply stood in wait for her at the entrance that lead to the main sleeping accommodations.

He stood tall and proud; the staff made out of smoothly polished bone he held in his left hand was there only for support with matters of a supernatural nature.

"Baba," Odinga greeted as she drew closer, balancing the clay jug of water she had refilled via the well that was fed from the reservoir below.

"We have avoided each other enough for the day daughter," he replied in greeting before holding up a hand to halt her response, "let us walk."

"Shall I carry the water inside?"

"Bring it. We shall give it to the guards at the outpost on our way out."

Odinga gave no resistance, knowing that if both she and he father were leaving the village, that this was indeed of great importance.

Holding the staff at both ends, the Chief's arms never showed any flexion as he simply bent the bones into a sling that ran diagonally across his chest like a sash. Grasping her hand in his own aged one, both father and daughter began there journey towards the Sacred Grounds.

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There was no beaten path which lead to the Sacred Grounds, no clear landmarks that Odinga could discern yet her father guided her as if his body were a divining rod. Their journey was filled with easy conversation between them as they discussed welfare issues of village-members, food supplies and future travels for the party of ambassadors to make.

"We are here," Baba announced, as they stepped free into the clearing of white sand hidden by the dome-like manner in which the tall trees grew.

Immediately Odinga could feel history seeping into her pores as the whispers of her name came on the gentle breeze that passed through the branches.

"Mother?" She called out in earnest, making out the nickname her mother had used only for her.

Little Bee, the words floated through again.

More and more the energy in the air thickened with a force so great that it drove her to the ground. It was not an energy she could fight, not one that Odinga could grab and wrestle into submission and thus she simply pushed her fingers into each ear in an attempt to quiet the sound of hundreds of voices all saying something different.