The Land Of the Nomads
1066 Words
Nancy slowly opened her eyes and saw a thatched roof made of dried hay. Where was she? She turned her head over her shoulders and saw a wall made of clay.
With little of strength left in her, she stood to sit. She could still feel the pain she encountered as a result of the fall from the cliff waterfall. She might have hit her back on a rock at the depth of the waterfall or so, she can't tell.
It can't be the bottom because the depth was really deep. She almost died there as that was her first time breathing underwater. Living under the wolf dynasty, her pack avoided mass quantities of water because they did not like to get wet. They were beings with little knowledge of how to swim.
She took another good look around. Convinced that she had relaxed in a mud house, she decided to take a walk outside to see what had happened after she fainted and where she was.
Holding her head, which ached in any robust movement of her body, she limped outside the mud house.
Covering her eyes to block the sun's rays as she stepped outside, she heard people chatting but didn't know what it was about.
She scooped the curtain covering the doorway to the right side and saw a group of people not more than 200.
They wore brown silk clothes and had scarlet red paintings on their faces. A mark from the left chin to the ears and so as the same on the right side of their faces. These people seem very friendly.
This explains a lot to her. She would have been dead if not for them.
She gently walked through their midst and did not rush her footsteps so she would not trigger the pain she was still feeling.
The Nomads paused their routines and stared at her. Feeling shy, Nancy proceeded further but she had no idea where she was going. She was sure the strangers wouldn't talk to her.
Nancy found a stone ahead and sat on it. The Nomads took their eyes off her and started minding their business. “Finally,” she said to herself.
An old woman approached her and said
“My daughter, welcome!”. Nancy stood to look at the woman, who looked familiar.
“Where do I know you from? Nancy asked the old woman with a confused face.
“We haven't met before my child”, the woman replied.
“Perhaps, you've seen me in your dreams” the woman revealed.
“What do you mean?” Nancy questioned.
“Come with me!”. The old woman gestured to Nancy with her right hand pointing in a direction.
“All the answers you are looking for, you will soon see and know”, she told Nancy as they walked up the hill to a cave covered with green grass.
The cave was dark so the old woman lit a fire torch and moved a little bit further to the inner cave.
They arrived at a dead end and Nancy was frightened.
“Don't be afraid, my child,” the old woman assured her. Reaching her pocket, the old woman fetched sand from a neatly wrapped leaf.
With a small quantity of sand in her hand, she blew it against the wall they were facing. Drawings then started to mysteriously appear on the wall. Nancy was awed by what she just saw.
“What is it? she questioned.
“A prophecy!”, the woman replied.
She was still not getting the hang of what she was seeing so the two got into a deep conversation.
Nancy: What prophecy?
Old woman: Long ago, the founders of this village prophesied about the coming of a human who would bring unity between humans and werewolves.
Nancy: Werewolves? How do you know about them?
Old woman: Werewolves and Nomads once lived in unity right here in these woods.Until there was a famine and the wolves devoured many of my people to save themselves from dying as a result of hunger.
My people fled and the survivors discovered an ancient flower called the pelican flower. It grew right here in this very cave.
Nancy: Where is it? What happened to it?
Old woman: After discovering its effective power of repelling wolf blood, we planted it in the open sun and cultivated it. We got more of the pelican flowers and planted them at our borders to repel wolves and save our people.
Nancy: That explains a lot, I saw some flowers with attractive petals on my way here. Once I got close to one, I sneezed continually and started feeling dizzy.
Old woman: That's just because you are of wolf blood.
Nancy: I hope I wasn't, I couldn't even save my dying mom, and my dad was nowhere to be found.
Old lady: I understand and I know how it feels to watch your loved ones die. My daughter died because of those wolves but Zika was different!
Nancy: Wait, you know my father?
Old lady: Yes my child!
“How old are you? Nancy perplexedly asked.
Old lady: Haha, you did not let me finish my story. The flower also had another amazing feature. It denies old growth in humans. It preserves our skin and bodies from aging.
I am 327 years old, my dear.
Nancy opened her mouth wide as she stared at the old woman in shock.
Old woman: Let us go, you need to have some rest. I will tell you the rest of the story tomorrow.
She held Nancy's hands and they walked out of the cave. Nancy was still pondering over what she heard in the cave.
As they walked through the midst of the Nomads, Nancy caught the gaze of a handsome young man in the crowd. He had bows and arrows.
Nancy concentrated on her path and walked with the old woman back to her hut. Still with the picture of the handsome young archer in her mind, she questioned,
Nancy: Who is the archer?
Old woman:Khalood, my grandson!
The two had a long conversation in the mud hut as Nancy kept on asking questions about her origin. She only knew what had happened before the worst tragic event of her life.
It was a day that will stick in her mind forever.
- Writer
