“Old woman! Where are you, old woman?
Answer me!” A voice bellowed from the front room. She immediately knew
who it was. She took her time making her way through
the curtain to find Maton and two of his cronies standing by the fire.
They were armed with clubs and axes. By the expressions on their faces,
she could tell they had a more sinister purpose for being here than
asking for a hunting spell. She knew why they’d sought her out, and
hardened herself. “Watch your tongue, Maton. I do not like
your tone,” she informed their leader. “I demand to know where my daughter has
gone,” Maton ordered. “Give me the information I seek.” “I do not know where she’s gone,” the
medicine woman replied coolly. It was the truth. She had only given
Pellera and Oron her blessing and advice. She had no knowledge of what
they did after they left. However, Maton refused to listen. “You do know, old woman. Cortab saw them
leave here not long ago. Where were they going? To the treeber home
compound?” Aunty Vo did not attempt to hide her
disgust. “I did not say I hadn’t seen them. Only that I do not know
where they went after they left.” “Why were they here in the first place?”
The man continued to irritate her. “You know I am not obligated to tell you
anything. What I do or say to those who seek my help is sacrosanct. But
this one time I will tell you they were seeking my blessing on their
union. Something you had no intention of giving. Now go away and leave
me in peace.” She turned to exit the room. She never
expected Maton to lunge for her and grab her arm with bruising fingers. “Tell me what I want to know!” he hotly
demanded. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Let me go,
Maton. I am telling you nothing more, and bullying will not work on me.”
She glanced at the other two, who’d retreated to the front door flap to
watch in uncomfortable silence. “If you continue to follow this man, you
will be met with death. Heed my warning.” The fingers squeezed more tightly, making
her wince. “You are a cruel and unjust man, Maton.
Your forthcoming death will be beneficial to this tribe’s welfare.” The man paled but he remained absolute.
“Are you threatening me?” She never flinched. “Are you? Don’t forget,
Maton, I have the ears of the gods, and they have mine. They’ve
whispered of your demise, and they are taking delight in it. Go look for
your precious child…before it’s too late.” “What do you mean by that? Before it’s too
late?” He gave her arm a shake. “Maton?” One of the men by the doorway
interceded. “Maton, we need to hurry if we’re going to make any sort of
headway before dark.” Aunty Vo gave him her best shadowy smile.
One she knew struck fear in men’s hearts whenever she graced them with
it. “Yes, Maton. You’d best hurry. Your hours are numbered.” Her soft prophecy had the effect she was
seeking. The man shuddered, and he removed his hand. “Hours? You mean years,” he tried to
correct her. “No, Maton. You heard me correctly the
first time. Your time among the living is being measured in hours. I
strongly suggest you to put them to good use, beginning with trying to
make amends with your own flesh and blood before it’s too late.” Jerking her arm from the man’s grasp, she
left the outer room where she soon heard the men depart. After wrapping
the few precious items she could not bear to leave behind, she bundled
them in a sling and placed it over her head where it rested on one
shoulder and across her body. Tying a flask of water and a bag of food
around her waist, she grabbed her bowl of light and began her journey
through the deep recesses of the caves where she would find shelter.
There, she would wait out the aftermath of
the flooding rains, and the devastation they would bring. |