Chapter One
Sikonyeli shook his muscular shoulders. Standing at over six foot six inches, he was one of the chosen induna's of the royal guard. Sikonyeli was proud. He had reason to be, considering his strong proven battle record. A formidable warrior with considerable respect, which he'd earned in battle. And he carried the scars and memories with him.
He adjusted his feathered headdress and turned around to look over his men. They'd follow him anywhere. He trusted their loyalty totally, could feel it. The disciplines he'd imposed on them over the years had paid off. His leadership was unchallenged. They moved as one body and it all came with experience. This was something the young Induna's still had to learn.
At his neck hung the most prized Zulu award, the 'iziqu' necklace. Awarded only by the King to exceptional warriors for bravery. Made from small blocks cut from willow sticks and then threaded into a necklace. On his right arm he also wore the coveted 'ingxotha' bronze armband, also awarded to him by the King for his loyalty and high standing.
His weapon of choice was the 'Ikwa' long blade stabbing spear. More commonly known as the 'assegai'. A hideous blade of some eighteen inches in length and roughly two and a half inches wide, set into a robust wooden shaft, two feet six inches long. Designed originally by the legendary King Shaka for close quarter combat, which culminated in the deadly under arm stab.
Sikonyeli had mastered the art and continually instructed his regiments with ruthless proficiency. Parry and thrust, parry and thrust. On and on it went until every warrior under his command was an efficient and disciplined killing machine.
Only skilled Smiths, selected by the King himself, were entrusted with the manufacture of stabbing spears. Iron ore was carefully collected from surface deposits and smelted in clay forges with the aid of skin bellows. The blades were then skilfully hammered into shape, tempered with fat and razor sharpened on special flat stones before being set into the wooden shafts.
Each shaft was then glued with strong vegetable glues and bound with wet cane fibres. A tube of hide, usually cut from a calf's tail was rolled over the join and allowed to shrink.
Sikonyeli had personally supervised the manufacture of his spear with the King's permission. Normally only the King reserved the right to distribute spears. Warriors had to earn them.
Sikonyeli also carried an assortment of 'iWisa' knobkerries tucked into the rawhide thong around his waist. He used them as throwing weapons and they were also excellent for defence. Sikonyeli could down a rabbit at fifty paces or smash in a man's skull. He seldom missed.
The knobkerries were highly polished strong sticks with wicked, heavy bulbous heads. He carried his main knobkerrie in his left hand with his shield. Used primarily as a back-up weapon in case he should ever lose his spear.
The most visible part of his armoury was his cowhide 'umbumbulozo' shield, which was three feet six inches long and at least two feet wide. The shield was strengthened with a single stick secured to the back by a double row of hide strips, threaded through slits carefully cut in the actual shield and held by a small handle.
Sikonyeli knew from experience that if he soaked the shield in water and then inclined the shield at an angle he could deflect a rifle bullet at a distance of over two hundred metres away. The effectiveness of the shield against traditional throwing spears was equally as good.
Sikonyeli's shield was almost white in colour. The majority of his regiment had a combination of red shields and red and white shields, as they were all married men. Sikonyeli was proud of his shield. It had taken a long time for him to earn a white shield, a colour that was traditionally only reserved for Kings and generals or exceptional, proven warriors on the battlefield.
