Midnight Shrub

Chapter 1- Nabila

The sun was descending to kiss the earth goodbye, and the skies were of blazing fire orange and custard yellow hue. As the wind blew my hair lazily, I sat on the wooden chair playing with a stick on the earth.

Ahead of myself, I could see a group of girls gathered in a circle dancing under the palm tree. They seemed to be celebrating something as I heard one of them talk about a proposal from her half life. I grinned as I watched one of her friends imitate the guy and tease her, they all laughed in unison as she went on one knee and tease the soon to be bride. Finding your half life is often over hyped. Yes, your half life is the person you're meant to spend the rest of your life with. I wonder what the deal is with it though. I have no issue with the fact that there might be no half life for me. I'd probably just get sold to one rich man eventually, family problems. Sigh, little does she know this joy was not going to last. I recognize the 'bride-to-be', a maiden betrothed to the greatest yam seller in the north.

Now, the girls began to stomp their feet in rhythm with each clap while they sang a familiar song in the northern language. I sang along in my heart. Though I cannot remember the last time I joined a circle of girls like that, I miss it. I even caught myself swinging my legs to the rhythm of the song as it echoed up to where I'm sitting. I was drawn back suddenly when a figure blocked my sight. His feet were almost twice my size. There was only one person I knew that could have the audacity to interrupt my escape from reality. 

 "You missed training again," Tau said, folding his hands, looking at me, while standing tall and handsome in his training uniform.

"And you missed me again, my dear friend". I said sticking out my tongue.

"And you are ignoring my question, but let's pretend that I did miss you."

"I'm going to agree because your ego might fall off the cliff" I laughed.

I made room sliding over so he could sit down too, but he just remained standing. I can't deny that he is hard to miss. Judging from the girls' giggles over his shoulder I could tell they were crushing on him already. Tau has that effect on girls. I shot them blazing glares and they looked away.

"So, what brings you here again?" he said as he squatted to my eye level with those concerned honey coloured eyes boring into my soul. I couldn't ignore his question again.

"If I knew the answer, I would have told you." This time I didn't lie nor I wasn't ready to tell anyone what has been running through my head.

It had been 6 weeks since that day and I kept on wondering what was going on. I needed someone I could trust to help me explain why I had dreamt and why a small mark had appeared on my back. Yes, I hid it very carefully thanking my stars for making it appear on an easily concealable spot. I prayed every night that it would disappear but another appeared this morning, bigger than the last. I dreamt again last night. Since then I have been seeing things too. I have had a few vivid visions of events that already happened in the past. This raises troubling questions about my birth. The marks have to be some sort of mistake. I even considered peeling it off my skin this morning.

Mama always said the marks always represented the southerners of Nijiria. She told me the marks were called birthmarks, signifying the birth of a true southerner. They were the only ones who could see as the eyes of the gods. They had visions of events that are about to happen, could predict a person's next move with a single glance and sometimes saw beyond the physical. But after the blind night, we hadn't heard of or even seen one. Even if they were found, on the spot, they must be killed. But I am not a southerner, I am from the north. 

I am a northerner.

"Nabila" I snapped back to reality. "Where have your thoughts travelled to?" Tau complained. 

"I'm sorry," I say quietly, "what did you ask again?"  I can't blame him for rolling his eyes.

"I said, are you going to at least come for the training tomorrow?" he begged. Whenever Tau begs me; he tends to whine like a child who has not sucked breast milk for a day.

"Training has been quite uninteresting for me without you; I can't tease or compete with anyone there. Besides, the CROWN is closer than we think and we need to prepare. Also, I haven't been able to"

"Fine" I laugh at his whines. He is right.

 Tau and I had been friends since the day we competed against each other two years ago. He 'was' the best warrior and also almost every girl's dream in camp. Boys at the camp always wanted to be his friend and girls tried to steal his heart. I can't deny being one of those girls, but life has a way of biting us hard doesn't it? I got into the 'best-friend zone'. Even the guards respect him and flock his way. He had the title of number one until our second year in camp, the day he lost to me. Since then we have not only been rivals but very good friends. 

Tau had always been secretive about his life outside the camp and his family but I knew he was a noble like me because of the respect he gets around here. I didn't care about his background or his world outside these four walls of the camp. The only thing he ever told me about himself was the girl he was in love with. I teased him for being so corny about it but I was envious. Deep down, I want to gouge her eyes out and deliver them to Tau in a box but who knows, He might still reject me after she's gone. Why? Because he is an EASTERNER! gods! How much I hate this stupid rule banning inter-tribe marriage. At least Tau was sure he loved this girl. I didn't even know what I wanted. The only goal I had was to get to camp. And now my next goal is to win the crown and have a seat on the council. Perhaps then I can change certain laws starting with this inter-tribe marriage thing. Being a rule of the gods, it will probably be difficult to change. 

Enough of your past beyond the walls.

Become one of the CHOSEN FOUR.

Win the Crown.

"Okay let's go Tau" I jumped up, dusted off the dirt on my skirt and wore a fake smile. Reality waits for no one.

"Before we head back to our hostels, please let's head to the market first. I want to buy yam and pepper soup ingredients" he said, keeping his gaze to the ground. Before he could utter the next word.

Who is she, I asked pitying the poor soul that was to perform wife duties. Tau being a flirt always loves the attention he receives from these toothpick airheads that believe they are women.

"Must everything be about a woman?" he cocks his head "you really think that lowly of me?"

"Please, if it has to do with food then yes, it is about a woman." I laughed and readjusted the strap of my satchel.

"Sorry but not sorry, I'm the one cooking."

"And who is the evil soul that gave you the idea of burning down the camp? I always knew you planned to be an arsonist."

Tau smile widens, confident in himself, "Nabila" he laughs, "I came up with the idea because I wanted to cook for my lovely husband who hasn't trained with me for the past two days now."

"Sending me to an early grave?" I frown, already picturing the poison he wants to feed me. The last time he boiled water, I remember his name being off kitchen duties.

"Just stop complaining and let's go," Tau said, pasting a smile on his face and ruffling my hair.

"Okay."

 I hate it whenever he does that, he knows how hard it is for me to style it.

There was this uneasy feeling I felt for a split second there though and it was hard to shake off.

I couldn't help but look at him one last time. I didn't want to believe what I dreamt of last night until I found answers and I need them fast before anyone finds out. 

"Tau do you think-?" I couldn't ask the question.

"What?" 

"Never mind I asked that, let's leave before it gets too late." 

"What?" He stopped and gave me that worried look. I hate it whenever he gives me that look.

"It's nothing really, I will tell you when I've figured it out a little" 

"Now, let's go," I said while pushing him forward. "We're going to get things at a high cost if we don't go soon".