The Ancestors Speak

Ife, Northwest Africa

After asking around all day, Aminata, Joaquin, and Adefolake were led to the High Priestess Olamide. Her skin was mocha, her eyes dark brown. Her head was covered in a white head wrap. Her twists spilled out the front of the wrap as she stood in her shop looking at the three, “She said you’d come,” Olamide spoke with a smooth firm alto.

“Who?” Aminata asked with a sense of urgency.

“My daughter. She encountered the girl you’ve been searching for.”

“Yande,” Aminata gasped, “she is my daughter. Where is she?”

The woman looked over her shoulder, “Adesanya, come," she called out to the girl.

She emerged wearing a similar all-white gown and head wrap. She smiled, “Yes, I can feel your energy. You are Yande’s parents.” She walked carefully with a stick. Her mother helped her find a seat.

Joaquin eyed the young girl, “Do you know where Yande is?”

“I do not.”

His face saddened.

“Don’t be sad, father of Yande, the most powerful witch ever to come out of Ife.”

“What can you tell us?” asked Aminata desperately.

“For many years, it was believed that a high priestess would bless a pregnant witch with powerful gifts. Gifts so amazing that other witches would bow to her or him.”

“Yes, when I was pregnant with Yande, I received that blessing.”

“The truth is, the high priestess doesn’t give the blessing. They only reveal who the person is. The gift is in the blood. You come from a powerful line of witches. Yande doesn’t even know the extent of her powers.”

“Nneka thought that I stole the blessing.”

“She is a stubborn person. She wants the gift. Even if I had been born with the gift...she would have most likely tried to find a way to take the gift from me,” said Adesanya sadly.

Their eyes widened. Aminata looked at the mother, “So you’re not?”

She shook her head, “The night I found Adesanya, she was in the forest. I realized that the child was born without sight. Many people who have children with defects leave them to die in the woods. It was a tragedy. I took the child and raised her as my own.”

“What does she want with our daughter? Is it money?” asked Joaquin.

“If it were that simple, she would have contacted you already. She wants power. She wants the gifts that Yande possesses,” replied Adesanya.

Adefolake's face washed with worry, “She would not dare attempt a transfer of power ritual.”

It was quiet for a moment. Adesanya nodded, “The ancestors have told me she has been planning this for over a decade. She has all the elements in place, and now she is here in Ife, and she has Yande.”

Joaquin shrugged, “So the worst thing is that she will take Yande’s powers. Is that such a bad thing? We wanted Yande to have a normal life anyway.”

Aminata cried. Olamide spoke, “Part of the ritual is to drain the witch's blood as you eat the heart.”

He gasped.

“Help me find my brother, and I will help you find your daughter. He is the key to ending Nneka’s horrible plan," Adesanya said.

********

Kwento and Max stopped at a local spot for food. As they sat eating, Max saw a man with golden skin; his curly hair was cut short. The man spoke in Latin. He remembered the scripture as the man recited it, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child...”

Kwento looked over his shoulder, “Eh, what is that fool babbling about?”

“He’s not babbling. Those are the teachings of the bible. He is Christian.”

Kwento shook his head, “He is a traitor. He once believed in the Gods. He went away to Spain and returned trying to convert people.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“It is if people do not want it. I respect your right to believe in this Savior. You should respect my right to honor my gods.”

Max remained quiet. Kwento stood. “I’ll be right back. There is something I must do. Do not leave this spot.”

Max nodded. He watched Kwento walk away toward a group of men. Max sighed. It was so hot in Ife. He wanted to rip off his clothes. He missed being in Rome. He desperately wanted to return. He sat thinking about his former estate; he remembered his beloved father. He recalled how they used to walk the vineyards in the early mornings. His father died suddenly months ago, leaving a hole in Max’s heart.

Max felt a presence. It was heavy. Suddenly, a woman sat in front of him. He stared at her. He knew from her off gaze that she couldn’t see. “How may I help you?” he asked nervously.

She smiled and reached for his hand. He felt a tingle. He heard his ancestor whisper. “She is your sister.”

His heart jumped; he pulled back. He stood, backed into several people, and hurried off. As he made his way through the crowd of people, he was snatched by Joaquin. He took him away. They ended up back at Olimade's home.

Max protested, “Why have you taken me? My mother will not like this.” He squirmed in his seat.

Aminata eyed him, “Your mother has taken my daughter. A child for a child.”

He gulped, “My mother would never do such a thing.”

“You don’t know your mother very well,” Aminata replied.

“Nneka has lost her way. She lost it many years ago. The night she killed the witches of the covenant and the high priestess who revealed that Aminata was carrying the child with remarkable powers.”

Max made a face, “Have you all gone mad? What are you talking about? ****, witches? That is heresy.”

“Hersey? Where you live but not here in Ife, where we have our customs and beliefs,” said Aminata.

“My mother is no witch! My Father would not have married a witch.”

Joaquin scoffed, “I married a witch. She is a person just as anyone else.”

“You are no Christian. You should have had that woman burned alive. If my mother took your daughter, she did it for a good reason.”

Joaquin slapped his face. Aminata grabbed him, “No. We are not these kind of people. We only want our daughter back.”

He walked away to calm himself. Adesanya pleaded, “What can you tell us? Where is your mother?”

“Our mother, you mean?”

“She only gave birth to me. She left me to die because I wasn’t born perfect.”

He suddenly felt sick in his gut. My mother is a monster, he thought. “I want to help you, but how?” he asked.

“Take us to the location where your mother is staying. I’m sure Yande is there. Have you noticed anything strange?”

He thought about the morning when they ate breakfast. A servant had a tray with food and water. He carried it away from the kitchen. He told them.

“Then she is there,” replied Aminata.

“I beg of you...please don’t hurt my mother. I have already lost my father.”

She sighed, “If I don’t kill her, the village will ask for her head. She had my father and my nephews murdered.”

He knew the reality was grim. His mother’s fate was sealed just as his ancestor warned him. “I cannot just take you to where my mother is. You must let me return to the market. Kwento is the only one who knows the way. You can follow us.”

Aminata cut his ropes. Joaquin disagreed, “How do we know he won’t warn his mother or this Kwento.”

Aminata sighed, “It’s a chance we have to take. Either way...tonight I’m getting our daughter.”

******

Scandinavia

Ida grew more suspicious. She went to Yana’s room and noticed some of her things were gone. She returned to the main room. There she saw the older gentleman. He informed Ida that the Seer was gone and that one source saw Revna and Yana leave the village with a man.

She scratched her head. “This is truly odd,” she said to herself.

Little did she know things were about to get even odder. The horn blew. Ida was on alert.

A young man around sixteen years old hurried into the hall, “Lady Ida, there are ships with men. They are approaching.”

“Are they friendly?”

“I don’t believe they are. They have archers at the ready. What shall we do?”

Ida stood tall, “We will fight.”

He smiled and hurried to find others.

Ida quickly donned her battle gear. Mary watched with a disturbed face, “What should we do?”

Ida tossed her an axe, “Defend yourself. We will fight, and if all else fails, there is a secret route out of the village we can take.”

*******

Max wandered back to the place where he was left. Kwento hurried over to him, “Where did you go?” he asked angrily.

“I, I went for a walk I got lost.”

He saw the bruise on his face, “What happened here?”

“It’s nothing. I fell.”

Kwento shook his head, “When I say to stay here...that means here...not wandering off there or there.”

Max nodded. He followed Kwento. As they made haste, Aminata and the rest followed discretely. Little did Kwento know that he had two groups following him.

******

Travel didn’t do Yana well. She spent most of the day with her head hanging off the side of the boat. By the time darkness arrived, she was at the stern; she lay weak and dehydrated. Revna covered her with a blanket, “We should arrive by morning,” she reassured her.

Yana’s eyes closed. All she wanted was to be on land, but for the moment, she welcomed sleep. Once Yana fell into a deep sleep, Revna left her side. She found Sif staring out into the darkness. He looked back, “Did you know King Knud’s men were waiting nearby to stage an attack on your village?” he asked suspiciously.

“What?” she replied as she fidgeted, “If I had known—”

He chuckled, “I know you, Revna. When you want something bad enough, you’ll do anything to get it won’t you?”

She gulped. He remembered when Revna became infatuated with Sven. She wanted him badly, but Sven was already deeply in love with Ida. So Revna paid Sif to impregnate her. Then she got Sven drunk and made him believe they had been together.

Months later, when Sven was ready to marry Ida, Revna showed up with a full belly. This ruined Ida and Sven. Sven being the honorable man that he has always been, married Revna. She miscarried after three months and was not able to get pregnant again.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He grinned, “Change of plans.”

“What do you mean? We have to get to land soon. Yana is pregnant with Jarl Sigurd’s child; she is not well.”

“We are still going to Poland. But, we will remain there until Jarl Sigurd returns. He will pay a fair price for the return of his wife.”

“What are you talking about, Sif?”

He pulled her close and kissed her rudely. She pulled away. “I have a friend in Poland. They will house us as hostages. Word will get to Jarl Sigurd in due time. Once a ransom is paid, we’ll be free. And you and I will have a nice cut of the payment.”

She smiled.

“I thought you’d like that.”

She touched him below, “I love it.”

He sat on the floor. Revna hiked up her skirt and sat on his cock. She humped slowly. There were a few men still awake rowing the ship. They continued to row the ship despite the soft moans they heard. Sif pulled Revna’s hair as he shot his load into her sweet spot.

*****

The ocean was vast. In the darkness, it was hard to tell where the sky began and the ocean ended. It felt as if one was sailing into an unknown abyss. The ships were well on their way. The waters were calm. Jarl Sigurd couldn’t shake his uneasy feeling. He was supposed to be resting as Sven watched over the men.

He went to where Sven sat at the head of the rowers, “I’ll take over.”

“You should rest,” Sven said encouragingly.

“I would, but it seems rest will not cooperate with me.”

“Are you worried?”

“I don’t know what it is. Just a feeling. Maybe it’s nothing.”

Sven stood and let Jarl Sigurd take his place. “I’m sure by the morning, you’ll be more settled.”

His hands grabbed the handles of the oars. He pushed and then pulled. The methodical motion of rowing and the energy needed to move the ship were sufficient to keep his mind at ease.

******

Scandinavia

Hours went by. They did all they could, but too many lives had been lost, and it was time to retreat. Ida and several of the villagers escaped through a wooded path. They could hear the men that attacked the village shouting and singing merrily.

The young man who led a fierce fight alongside Ida asked, “Who were those men?”

Ida’s mind flashed to a man she fought. There was something about him that seemed so familiar. She sighed, “I am not certain, but I’ve seen their banner before. It was many years ago.”

They marched on until they found a spot to camp, “We should stay here and rest. We are all tired. We will need our strength for the long journey ahead,” the young man suggested,

“You’re right young Magnus. You fought well today. Your father would be proud.”

He smiled, “It was an honor fighting by your side and under your command.”

She touched his shoulder, “In the morning, we will seek help from my uncle. He has boats. We can sail to Kattegat and seek help from Lady Freya.”