The Queen's Belt

Chapter 10: The Hunt

Mounted on Sturakos, Swaseeia and Vicky were following the sounds of tiny bells attached to Chiwos's legs. They approached a plain where Chiwos was chasing a hare. The bird was so close to the hare that it was just ready to grab it when the hare did an unexpected strategic maneuver. When Chiwos's talons were inches away from it, the hare suddenly stopped, turned around to face its attacker, jumped up in the air avoiding the raptor's claws and ran in the opposite direction.

Chiwos gave a disappointed chirrup and continued hunting its naughty quarry, which, despite the bird's speed and persistence, decided not to die today. Chiwos turned around and within seconds managed to catch up with the rascal. When Swaseeia and Vicky approached the scene, Chiwos was well in the process of enjoying the meat from the hare's breast.

"See that?" asked Swaseeia, "I have to be very fast. I can't allow her to get full, or she'll fly away and never come back."

"She won't?"

"No. Raptors are not like dogs or horses – they have no loyalty. They only follow the food. Chiwos stays with me as long as I provide food for her. I like falcons – they are like us: independent, strong, fast and merciless when necessary."

Swaseeia called the bird away from its prey to her arm, rewarding her with meat tidbits. Chiwos was chirruping loudly with satisfaction as she was eating from Swaseeia's hand.

"You did well today, Chiwos," said Swaseeia tenderly.

"I must say," said Vicky excitedly, "I didn't know hares could do something like that. I mean wow, to turn around toward the raptor like that and then run in the opposite direction?! Incredible!"

"No," agreed Swaseeia, "I hunted all my life, but I haven't seen anything like it before either. But Chiwos did well even with the wind not to her advantage when she turned."

"Hm," murmured Vicky, who felt that she needed much more knowledge about falconry in order to produce any valuable remark to this detail.

"Pity Serahwe didn't see Chiwos hunting today," Swaseeia went on praising her bird, "she won't believe me when I tell her."

Vicky and Swaseeia found a sunlit clearing and were now seated on the grass for a quick rest.

"Speaking of Serahwe," said Vicky, "it's been a while since I wanted to ask you: why is she so different from the rest of the women in the camp?"

"Different? Serahwe is not different, she is one of us."

"Yes, I know, but that's not what I meant. I mean she looks so different: she is the only one who has black hair. You see?"

"Oh, I understand," said Swaseeia nodding, "That's because she was not born in the camp. She came from a slave trader's ship."

"Oh?" said Vicky anticipating more details from Swaseeia.

"When I was a girl," began Swaseeia, "back when my grandmother ruled our tribe, she took me with her to buy some slaves once."

"Slaves?" interrupted Vicky, "I haven't seen any slaves in your camp."

"No, we don't have them anymore because Skeleiei rules the camp now. Skeleiei doesn't trust slaves, so she ordered not to keep them anymore. But back when my grandmother was alive, the camp had a lot of male slaves."

"Wait a minute," Vicky interrupted again, "so are you saying you are Skeleiei's daughter then?"

"Yes, now stop interrupting and listen," answered Swaseeia impatiently. "So one day my grandmother took me with her to buy new men for the tribe, but that day Tabbitti had other plans for us," continued Swaseeia, who as far as Vicky could judge was the only woman in the camp with a flair for storytelling. "While grandmother was busy looking at some slaves, I noticed a slave girl of my age. There was something about her, something in her dark eyes that I just felt that she belonged with us. I said it to my grandmother, but she didn't pay any attention to me. I was passing by this girl when I felt her hand touching the handle of my akinakes. She looked at me and then at my weapon as if begging me to give it to her. She had this sorrow in her eyes – I don't think I've ever seen so much sorrow in one pair of eyes as I saw in hers. I felt sorry for her and secretly passed my akinakes to her. Even with her hands tied, she managed to hide it beneath her blouse.