☆°~• "A warrior fights with courage, not with anger."•~°☆

My eyes narrowed menacingly as he approached us. My grip tightened round the beautifully designed spear I held in my right hand. My mind could only chant one thing, over and over again, ‘Kill him.’

It was no surprise that Zithaka would attempt to ‘send a message’, one that had my messenger, Yariiwa with a knife to his throat as he was violently being dragged towards me like a dying goat yet to be slaughtered. Anger, it was raging within me like a thunder storm and the closer they got to me, the more it intensified. It seemed he was adding fuel to a flaming furnace; the irony being it would consume him.

“Where is your, diplomatic Queen?” He sneered, mockery carved into the word, ‘queen’.

Vikali’s hand immediately caught my arm, his eyes clouded with concern before he spoke. “My queen, let us do what we were trained to do, the king will have our heads if he is to find out you battled these savages especially...” his eyes trailed down to my slightly swollen stomach. “Especially in your current condition.”

“Yariiwa has a knife to his throat; his life is my current concern.” My voice was rough, forcing its way through my clenched jaw as anger began tugging at my muscles urging me to defend Yariiwa. “I will not stand and watch!”

“The queen, where is she? Or would she rather watch me slain her messenger?” his voice grated my ears once more as the man approached us.

Vikali’s eyes firmly held my gaze; concern along with small runes of pride swam through his chocolate orbs. “Very well, my queen.”

I raised my left hand, which caused the five warriors, including Vikali to stay behind me as I began to walk towards the man holding a knife Yariiwa like a coward. He had no similar features to Makhosi, his skin was a darker shade of oak brown making his skin resemble charcoal along with his stubby stature clothed in thick muscles and tribal markings. This couldn’t be Zithaka and yet I found it within me to question the man. “Zithaka?”

His dark eyes began tracing every inch of my body as a sickening smirk cracked from his thick lips before he spoke, “Sincere apologies, my queen, Zithaka could not make it however he sends me, Chirambo to settle our disputes.”

My grip tightened round the spear, it was becoming surprisingly difficult to keep myself at bay, struggling between giving into my emotions and becoming nothing more than a puppet at the mercy of my anger and yet he continued to wearing out my thin patience, it was what he was sent to do.

“Your reputation precedes you but your beauty is even more stunning, I’m sure Zithaka would have absolutely loved to have the privilege of meeting you.” His smirk grew into what I supposed would be a smile, but it resembled a snarling wild dog with sharp teeth bearing at its enemy.

“But it seemed he had more important matters.” His statement caused his smile to widen as he pressed the dagger further against Yariiwa’s neck before his obsidian coloured eyes met mine.” Which means he’d leave the dirty work to me.”

I knew what would come next, time itself had slowed down allowing anger to hold the reigns of my body, it seemed like I could do nothing but watch as my body reacted to the scene before me. Chirambo had no intention of slitting Yariiwa neck instead he preferred to kill him slowly, the inhumanity of the rebels; a torturously slow inevitable death and just by the malice swirling in his eyes, I knew he was going for the spine.

“Remember that the spear is not a weapon Nohereka, it is merely an extension of you.” I could hear Makhosi’s voice guiding me through each movement. My feet shifted causing the weight of my body to fall onto the heels of my feet. “It’s like dancing, my queen, always on your toes.”

My body lunged forward as Chirambo drew back his dagger. In that moment nothing but the life of Yariiwa mattered. His battered body sprawled out of view as my elbow shoved him out of the way, Chirambo had barely missed his target and yet the tip of his dagger had slightly pierced through the skin of my chest.

“Focus, my queen, the enemy is always watching.” Makhosi words echoed throughout my ears.

Chirambo and I were now head to head. His dagger was clenched in his right arm as we began to circle each other. His eyes were glued onto my movement; calculating, assessing and premeditating my moves.

“They said your combat skills were commendable, but they are nothing more than phenomenal.” Chirambo’s voice caused the anger in me to pulsate through every vein in me; he was taunting me trying to make me use my emotions.

“Assess your opponent, my queen, search for weaknesses in their stance and use them to your advantage.” Makhosi’s deep baritone voice instructed me from the shadows of my dark and rage filled mind.
Chirambo’s stature was slightly tilted to his right, indicating that he had an injury on his left leg. He immediately lunged for me determined to disarm me causing my body to instinctively duck, as if he expected that response his right foot rammed into my lower back causing me to fall flat on my face and my spear to tumble out of reach.

“A woman can only achieve so much, my queen. Personally I think you should’ve stuck to the traditional role of a woman; child bearing.” Chirambo mocked as he slowly circled my fallen frame. “I thought you’d give me a bit of a challenge, my queen. They said you were almost as good as the king, perhaps it was just an exaggerated compliment.” He said thoughtfully his finger tapping his chin before his foot slammed into the soft flesh of my stomach causing me to groan.

I could feel the disappointment in Makhosi’s voice. “The ground is never the enemy, it is your friend. Never be ashamed to find yourself on the ground use it to your advantage, remember to always level the playing field.”

It was the realisation that sent my feet crashing into his left leg and him crumbling down to his knees. Pain was etched into his face as he struggled to recover his dagger; I had successfully targeted an old wound and his fallen frame had levelled the playing ground. His focus had now shifted allowing me to pounce on his bulky frame and straddle him whilst slamming my fist into his face. Each blow was fuelled by the anger that consumed me; from disrespectful council men down to outside rebels that questioned my leadership. Numbness began to cripple my balled fists and yet I couldn’t stop, I didn’t want to stop.

Vikali’s distant calls along with Chirambo’s moans and groans of pain were falling on deaf ears. All I could hear besides the flaming rage thundering across my mind like the spirit of death was a small almost inaudible request from the man I loved, Makhosi, “Stop. I want you to remember the difference between a good leader and a great one. What is the difference my queen?”

“Self control, it is self control.” I answered, realising my lack of control.

My eyes could do nothing but take in the brutal scene before me; Chirambo’s bloodied face, awkwardly twisted ankle and swollen broken nose as well as the blood stained hands, my anger had done this, I had done this.

“My queen, are you hurt? Does anything feel out of place or broke? Are you okay?” Vikali asked whilst frantically assessing every inch of my body.

“I’m fine Vikali, I’m fine.” I assured him as my gaze met his which caused him to nod his head in acknowledgement. The rest of the lead warriors had surrounded Chirambo’s fallen frame, his groans of pain were still audible and yet I found it within me to put an end to his suffering.

“Leave him be.” I called out to them.

“But my queen, we must hold him captive as – “Kurawone, the leader of the warriors had began explaining before I interrupted him by lifting my left hand, immediately silencing him mid sentence.

“Take him to Mazimele along with Yariiwa, I want him well taken care of, all his wounds  patched up like any other member of this tribe, and also Kurawone make sure no one sees him and I mean no one, word must not get to the council let alone the tribe. Make sure Yariiwa gets the best of care and as soon as he recovers tell him to report to me.” I instructed him whilst using Vikali’s shoulder to support my aching muscles; it was one of the many disadvantages that came with pregnancy.

I slowly shuffled towards Chirambo; this would be my last address to him and the best way to send Zithaka a message just as impactful as the one he sent for me. “Tell Zithaka I am a woman of honour, I had every reason to kill you and yet I didn’t you’re living proof of my mercy. Remind him that if your rebels step foot onto this land uninvited or without permission you will be slaughtered on sight. And that the next time he threatens any person’s life from this tribe, he need not fear Makhosi as much as he will fear me because his blood will be the last thing he sees.”

“Kurawone, I want you to personally deliver him to the rebel camps make sure he gets there safely I want you back here before dawn breaks.” My voice was smooth but my speech was slow, drenched in fatigue and all I wanted to do was curl up in the soft bed.

“I will do so my queen.” Kurawone responded before he slumped Chirambo over his shoulder and disappearing into the woods heading towards Mazimele’s isolated hut, leaving me to shuffle towards the royal quarters with Vikali’s constant ramblings and offers to carry me back to my hut, but before we could even begin what seemed to be a pilgrimage back home another messenger arrived.

His small frame immediately dipped as he approached me, I could feel the anxiety clawing through my weak muscles and I couldn’t stand to hear what he would say next.  Beads of sweat were racing down his cedar wood coloured skin as he began panting for air.

“Spit it out!” I growled at him, my body wasn’t handling this fatigue very well along with the ever growing anxiety and fear of the unknown.

“My queen, the war has been won. The army will be here by dusk tomorrow. The king sends his regards, specifically asking me to mention that his promise made was a promise kept.”

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Hey guys, I'm so sorry for a late update but I tried to make up for it by giving you guys more to read. I hope you like it. Please take care and enjoy Christmas.

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