The Lost Tribe: Maliha the Wanderer (Book 1)

Her Tribe

                   
"Concentrate Maliha."

The husky voice of Makula infiltrated through Maliha's calm and made it impossible for her to focus.

"If you can hear me, then you aren't focussed enough."

The woman's snappish tone droned on as she spat at Maliha, and Maliha could hear every word proving that Makula was right. She wasn't concentrating but how could she, when the sun was beating down on her body and forcing large rivulets of sweat to glide down her skin? She was sweaty and hot and she felt disgusting. Added to her bodily discomfort, was the fact that the tribe were being themselves, loud and boisterous. As she kept her eyes closed and sucked breath after breath of hot sweltering air, her frustration grew.

How was she supposed to focus when all she could hear was the noise of those around her? Children screeching, adults chatting, animals chewing... It was too much; her senses were bombarded by noise and Makula's rants were not helping.

"Maliha."

Maliha's eyes snapped open in a mutinous glare.

"How am I supposed to concentrate when everyone is so loud?" She growled forcing the growing strands of her hair from her eyes.

What had once been short blunt strands now hung in thick waves around her face. Her hair was still nowhere near as long as it would need to be to show she was interested in taking a partner, but it had come heaps and bounds from what it had once been. Her hair was thicker and shinier, it curled around her ears in subtle waves, making her face appear softer than it had in quite some tone.

Makula's deep sigh pulled Maliha from her musing.

"What are you focusing on?" She questioned.

"I am trying to be still. To be calm." Maliha murmured softly, her voice imitating how she was attempting to feel inside.

"Silly woman," grunted Makula.

"You do not heed my words." Her finger wagged in Maliha's face as she reprimanded her heavily.

Maliha's face burned at the snickering that Makula's words caused. They tried to be quite but Maliha could hear their laughter and it only compounded her embarrassment further.

"T'la," snapped Makula. "I don't imagine you two will fare any better on your first try."

Both Darsan and Enzo's snickering abruptly halted at Makula's heavy reprimands. The old woman was in top form, not one person was free from her berating. Once they had been heavily chastised Makula's intense gaze focussed back on Maliha.

"Now, show me how you listen."

The elderly woman had told her to close her eyes and listen to the energy, how the hell was she supposed to listen to the energy when everyone was so loud?

Maliha huffed a puff of air out before sliding her eyes closed and trying to still the noise around her. Her heart thudded in her ears as she tried to close out the noise of the tribe and listen to the world and energy around her.

"Stupid." Makula's snappish tone was accompanied by a sharp flick to Maliha's ears which had her jerking forwards.

"You do not listen with these." Makula grunted before moving her hand to hover above Maliha's face.

"You listen with this." She tapped lightly on Maliha's forehead.

Maliha remained confused, not understanding how her brain was supposed to help her with tapping into her dahasmani and the energy of this world.

"You do not shut out the noise, you embrace it. Energy is not still, it is alive and vibrant."

Makula's fingers pointed down to the ground and in the ruddy sand a small green plant began to take form, slowly growing towards her fingers. Once the plant was large enough, Makula clasped Maliha's fingers and made her feel the plant, feel its energy.