Chapter 39
Suddenly a hoarse voice drifted across the plain from the other side.
" Little prince, am sure you have seen my gift. That's what will happen to all your little worriors."
The villainous laughter from the other side echoed. To Prince Sepo this was more than good - humoured badinage exchanged across the plain by opposing forces. Two messengers dying for merely to appease the other side's boredom was unacceptable to Prince Sepo.
I had seldom seen him so possessed as I watched him now. Sweat began to pour down his bare torso.
" I have made a big mistake by over estimating their good will." Prince Sepo muttered.
Get ready we are going to war...Kill them all. Everyone who is in the battlefield is an enemy and a threat"
" Are we going to follow them into their line?" Lonki asked.
" If they won't come to us, we go to them, eventually they will meet us half way."
" But going to them can mean more casualties on our side, am talking from experience." Wina told him.
" They have a bigger number of worriors but most of them are recruited civilians, If we are to count the more experienced ones, we have an advantage." Prince Sepo told us.
Lonki gathered all the worriors, it was a marvel to see just how united and synchronized the Kele worriors were.
" As you all know am not a man of many words. That is because I know that mere words can not put courage into a man. Everyman has a certain degree of boldness.
We are all here to fight for our Kingdom's peace again.
Let that drive you.
Pride is but the prospect we face the Kanjis this morning."
His expression was sombre.
"We are to use our weapon today to cut through our path to that peacefully Sekeletu."
This is our beginning.
I was impressed with the calmness he exhibited, even though he was burning with anger. There were cheers from the worriors brandishing their weapons in the air. echoing across the plain. The horn was blown, war drums beaten and it was clear to the other side that , either one of us was going to win the war that day.
Prince Sepo called the worriors to take up formation.Men began to move across the plain at his command with quick determination. Prince Sepo seized my arm with a grip that left a bruise.
" Stay close to me"
In my mind, he needed to stay close to me instead, because when he is hit, am the one going to hurt.
" I won't die, just give me some freedom." I protested.
" This is not like going into the forest to pick herbs and coming home with game, it's different."
I looked at him and scoffed.
" He offered his hand for me to ride on his horse with him."
I looked at his hand before I took it... making it clear I didn't like it. He had a shield and a spear with him and still held the reins of his horse.
The Kanjis had not even one horse, they only had infantry. So they knew how that was going to affect them and so they waited for us to attack them first to reduce their losses.
When the enemies saw the speed our worriors moved with, they waited and waited and waited.
Then suddenly six of their front line, knelt down exposing a line of worriors with bows and arrows. They shot their arrows, taking out a number of our men who where too slow to use their shields to create an umbrella at Prince Sepo's command.
The Kele worriors murmured, roared and clanked their weapons, moving ahead.
Our bowmen did the same, taking aim, with arrows pointing skywards.
" Shoot!" Prince Sepo commanded. Like the Kanjis, we took some of their men out...This was repeated three times before we went deep into the enemy's line. There where wounded people already on the plain.
"This then is war." I told myself.
I stayed close to Prince Sepo.
I was awed and horrified, and yet not frightened.
Fear was pointless
" I shall kill them without enmity." I told myself...
"We all are Nyambe's children."
I jumped off of the horse, fitted my arrow to a bow and drew back the string, taking arm, my heart beating really fast.
I shot my arrow. It went straight in a running man's thigh and come out of the other side.
He groaned, to me he was already out of battle, so I wasn't going to shot him again but while he was down, a Kele worrior went to him and finished him with a spear.
" This is war not a practice session." I heard the man shout.
I stared at my next victim, fitted my arrow and shot...
I had shot many arrows that my arm began to ache.
Men ran madly around us. Metal clanging on metal, worriors shouting. Dead bodies everywhere it was hard to pick out, who belonged where.
A commander from the other side with his spear run to Prince Sepo who had his back to him. From the corner of my eye, I saw the spear approaching him. I picked an arrow from a dead Kanji and taking arm, the arrow flung to the Kanji commander slashing through the man's neck.
Prince Sepo looked at the man and then at me mouthing a "thank you" before he continued slashing through men.
When the second in command saw the dead commander, he came running to me, spear in hand. My blood began to boil when the second in command yelled.
"It's her the woman with 800 elephant tasks on her head."
When the Kanji worriors heard that more came running to me.
This can't be anyone but Princess Mokomena's doing.
I'll kill you all and Kill her.
I wasn't myself anymore something must have taken over me, when I threw my bow across my chest, and slung it over my back and picked a spear.
I flung my spear at a Kanji, embodying itself into his stomach, he folded his back in pain as I pulled it out, into the next Kanji who dropped his spear and clutched at mine.
The smell of blood searing at my nostrils.
I thrust at another, I was about to withdraw my spear when another Kanji thrust their spear into my stomach, I winced.
