Tale of the War Dancer

Chapter Fifteen

     There was no sign of the Desert anymore, just a wide expanse of water. She remembered seeing her home, the Savannah semi desert lands between the plateau twin hills as she paddled across the river four days ago. She watched from a distance, hoping perhaps she would see the figure of her mother, or father, or brothers.
It's good I didn't see them. They can't know the mission I'm embarking on. She thought to herself.

It had been five days already, and Yara could see no sight of land. She fought the urge to turn back, the constant fear of drowning and never being found. She repeated the verse Tara had taught her continuously, hanging on the thread of hope that the Almighty will deliver her to her destination safely.

Only the Almighty knows what awaits me there, Yara thought to herself

She had been taught how to paddle a canoe, but not on such wide Waters. The sight of it terrified her. Leaving Harsia, the river was narrow. Now it was so wide she couldn't see the ends of it.
Yara tried her best to shake off the thoughts. Her stomach growled. She looked in her basket. There was only one piece of bread left.
She sighed.

I need to fish, but there's nothing to make a hook, she thought to herself.
Her shoulders and arms began to hurt from the paddling. She felt hopeless.

What possibly led me to embark on this journey without weighing it out first?
She sighed again.

She thought about the Almighty. He helped her when she needed to find the secret passage way. But she wasn't exactly sure what to pray for, she didn't know if she would ever get to her destination, or if she should go back while she still could.
But somehow, she still kept paddling.

After a few hours, she saw a forest emerging from the distance.

Tyrakh, finally!
The sight of land gladdened her heart and she suddenly felt a mix of relief and a rush of adrenaline which made her paddle faster. She couldn't wait to get to land.

"It looks so green. Never have I ever seen these many trees clustered in one place like this. Magnificent!" She muttered under her breath.

After what seemed to be close to an hour, Yara arrived at the river bank, thankful to the Almighty for finally arriving. She got out of the boat and dragged it to the river bank. Then she took out her belongings and paused to take in the magnificent view of the Rainforest.  Then she smiled and began the second phase of her journey into the forest.

The trees of the Rainforest were tall and the environment smelt fresh. The winds here were softer, more merciful to her nostrils. She felt...alive.

Yara moved cautiously, not knowing what to expect from a forest so thick. From the lessons she was taught, the rainforest is a jungle, where humans are prey.
Her stomach grumbled, she needed food.

Yara looked around, not knowing what exactly to look out for. Her eyes fall on a tree with fresh fruits at a distance and immediately she recognized it.

Mangoes.

She walked towards the tree. Once she arrived, she dropped her belongings. Hanging her basket on her shoulder, she began climbing the tree. There was a cluster of red ants making their way down the tree, she avoided them as best she could.
Soon, she gets to a height where she could easily pick the mangoes and she picks a few. Then she ventured back down the tree.

Yara leaned on a tree trunk. She took out a small dagger that was strapped to her thigh and began peeling the mangoes.
      Back in Prudas, mangoes were a luxury. They were not grown on Harsian lands either. To get a mango, one must have at least a silver coin. But here she was, eating mangoes for free.