ANCIENT SONG

chapter 2

Ekene was leading the pack of shirtless men who were coming down the sterp clise to the river
He was tired,the days hunt was tedious cause he had to prove to Emeka and chima that he was still the mastet of the forest and no one could take that medal off his neck
'Why don't we stop at the river,i want to wash up' chima said he was not as cheerful as always,his brows were furrowed in anger as he brushed past Ekene

Ekene laughed heartily 'Or do you mean you want to wash away the shame that you couldn't catch anything today eeh' Ekene teased. Chima sent him an angry grimace but that didn't deter ekene who kept teasing about how he let a big rabbit of his grab in fits of laughter

'Ekene stop it,it's not even funny' chima said squeezing his face to show his displeasure

Ekene stopped on his tracks making the others halt

'We all know you're bad at hunting na chima it is no news' Ekene interjected smiling so widely that his dimples showed as he combed his locks with his fingers

'That's enough ekene you're teasing the poor man to death' Emeka scolded ekene lightly tapping at his shoulders

Chima hissed loudly
'Emeka leave him,at least what am bad at is hunting and not at getting respectable maidens' chi added tsking loudly as he started walking down the path down the stream

Ekene looked at the both of them,that was not the first time he had heard such comments
Everyone in the village either hinted on it or told him straight up to his face

'Chi are you referring to me' he asked breaking into an half run to catch up with the two laughing men walking
Emeka laughs was thunderous and ekene felt like punching him in his guts

'I do not know,or do you find it hard to get respectable maidens?' Chi asked asked as he feigned ignorance then breaking into a run

'Come here o chima,so you're among the villagers claiming that i go after young widows and defiled maidens ehn?

'Uhm Ekene remind us again do you not?' Emeka threw at him laughing again this time in muffled sounds
As he joined chi in his half run

They ran till they got at the stream
Emeka took off his clothes and dropped his catch close to a small rock and dived into the brownish waters chima followed suit
Ekene didn't want to swin so he sat and watch the two men splash water on themselves,just then his eyes caught a speck afar,it was lying on the ground,was it a person he thought
He got on his feets and moved closer to see what or rather who it was he saw her hair then her pale skin

'Emeka,chima' he shouted across his shoulders 'come and see' he added
They came closer and gasped
Ekene didn't want to turn her around it was obvious she was naked as the day she was born and it would be embarrassing to do such

'Emeka your wrapper' he pleaded
Emeka handed him his shoulder wrappers
'Look away' he ordered both men as they complied
He wrapped her up,she was cold and pale maybe she had been out there for way too long
But where was she from,chiolu,umunze or maybe even as far as ichinta but the thing was that she bared no mark
His days in battles had made him a quick detector of person
With their marks or painting on their faces he could tell where a person was from but this one had nothing

Emeka sensing his thoughts added
'Maybe she's from the other tribe'

Ekene shook his head not agreeing to it
She looked like them
He balanced her on his arms as she pooled like a baby,she was cold against his hot skin,small against his big muscular body and that realization sent shivers through him
'Taking her home or to the palace' chima asked him

'I don't know,she has to wake up and say where she is from and by the gods she's not going to wake up to the elders and igwe looking at her like she is for sacrifice and especially not like this half clothed' he spat having an overwhelming feeling to always protect her.he didn't know this feeling it was strange
She stirred and turned in his arms he clenched his teeths as he made way to the path leading to the village.