Simamukele

2

The sun rose only to find that Simamukele and the entorauge had long awakened before it.

They stood by the river waiting for the mist to dissipate. Simamukele was growing more and more impatient and she kept pestering her mother.

"Why can't we just teleport through the water. The river runs through the village right?" She asked her mother.

The others kept quiet with their heads bowed.

"I'm older and wiser than you and teleportation is a very dangerous, even for me. The cargo you are escorting is far more delicate, it wouldn't survive the journey." Her mother explained.

Simamukele continued to sulk.

When they were able to see through the mist, they boarded the boat.

"Oh I forgot to mention that you will be traveling via the forest!" Her mother called out as she waved.

Simamukele stood up abruptly. She disturbed the boat's balance and the two girls almost fell off the boat.

"The river is the fastest way though!" Simamukele yelled back.

"The fastest; meaning the easiest; meaning the most probe to danger. You have to divert!" Her mother's lips didn't move.

She heard her voice in her mind.

"I almost died in that forest. I vowed never to go back." She also replied telepathically.

"That is not your choice to make, however, you almost died because you are stubborn. Learn to silence your mind and listen."

"You mean lay down my life?" The only sound that came from Simamukele was a scoff.

"In life you are the most important being and yet you are so insignificant; This is one of those times when you are insignificant and the next person is much more important." Her mother said.

Her mother dissapeared from view and from her mind. Simamukele was welcomed by the sounds of rows against water. The members of the entorauge asked no questions and focused on the road ahead.

Halfway through their journey in the river, they rowed towards the river bank. Only those who were gifted could see the 'safest' entrance to the forest.

The forest was home to the indigenous trees that were used for herbs and medicine.

The forest was much more dangerous to normal people people, but it wasn't the safest place for the Gifted people either. At least they were able to sense the danger.

The forest was unkind, even to those who were kind to it, and to those who were unkind, it unleashed it's wrath upon them.

Those who died in the forest belonged to it. Their bodies became manure for the plants and they souls became scarecrows.

Simamukele paced up and down infront of the entrance. The entaurage waited in anticipation for her instructions.

"We can do this." She breathed out heavily. The was little to no conversation in her self assurances.

She felt her windpipe clogging up as she remembered the day she almost died.

That day she had been tasked to go find and bring leaves from a special tree. She was told that she would know the tree when she saw it. The task was part of her initiation process. Every initiate had to go through it. She had seen her fellow innitiates coming back battered and bruised. Some even lost organs and limbs. Some didn't even come back at all.

She dreaded each day as her time to leave quickly approached.

She was escorted and left alone at an entrance. She contemplated running away but she saw her mother's disappointed face in her mind so she quickly ran through the entrance.

Her speed startled the forest and it began to attack. The tree she seeked was straight ahead of her. The path to it was clear and leafless. It looked to have been treaded upon so many times. It seemed too easy but she walked anyway.

She lifted one leg but the other didn't budge. She looked at it and she saw that it was entangled by a root, wet and slimy but it's grip was very tight.

The root pulled her down under into the mud. More roots entangled her arms and another one strangled her.

I will make it out of here!

She chanted over and over again as she fought against the roots that were overpowering her.

She closed her eyes and went to her mind. Her mother came first but she ignored her and went to her guides. She thought it was over but when she opened her eyes, she was by the river bank back at home.

That's when she first learners of water teleportation.

**

She came to to a halt.

"I can't do this." She told them.

They entourage didn't say anything but she could feel their disbelief.

"Our lineage depends on it." She heard her mother's voice in her mind.

"Damn this telepathy." She cursed under her breath.

"The challenge wasn't to see if you could bring back a herb or not. It was a test for your mind. Your mind is the strongest and yet the most feeble part of you. The forest challenges your mind. You have a strong mind my child, you just lack self-belief." Her mother informed her.

"Damn these riddles." She cursed again.

"I think you get it." Her mother said.

She could tell that her mother was smiling wherever she was.

"Okay. Let's go." She said and the entorauge followed behind her eagerly.