Isobeau, Ruis, Artio and Ursel, took turns along jogging back the way we’d come to see if there were any signs we were followed. We walked where the woods and beach met, using the compact earth beneath our feet to keep our legs from getting too fatigued.
“There’s a port city, I think,” I said to Aurie, pointing to a spot on the map that wasn’t clearly identified.
“Yes, I recall something about that port,” Aurie said, “maybe we can lose those men going where there are more people.”
Calling N’kiri over to look at the map and confer, I pointed out the port city we were headed toward.
“I think it’s name is Akay...something Bay,” I said squinting at the map.
N’kiri’s eyes narrowed, “that is where the slavers were taking us. It is not good.”
She must think we’re going to enslave them!
“N’kiri, no, not what you think,” I stammered, “we aren’t taking you there to make slaves of you.”
“How do I know that?” she asked, “we do not know you. You may have saved us so you could sell us as they were going to do!”
She was getting worked up and I didn’t know what to say to assure her that we were not going to do that. I held up my hands, standing still before her, shaking my head slowly.
“N’kiri, we do not have irons, you can see that. You are free, we only wanted to set you free,” I said, “besides, you said yourself that there was a connection between your goddess and the Twins - would we dare go against that?”
“Perhaps She judges us for our weakness,” N’kiri responded, “She wants to rid Herself of weak women.”
“Weakness?” I asked, “how could you say you were weak? First off, you survived the iron those men put on you. Second off, you probably were treated very badly on your trip from wherever they took you. Third off, you decided not to kill them even though you had every reason to. How is any of that showing weakness?”
N’kiri looked at her feet. I could see she was considering the things I had said. Considering all that had transpired since we arrived at their camp.
“Then it is I who am the weak one,” N’kiri said, “I was supposed to keep all my women safe. And yet.”
“Are you talking about T’koko?” I asked, feeling great empathy for N’kiri. Was she a reluctant leader like me?
“How could T’koko’s death be your fault?” I asked, “you did not kill her. Their cruelty and brutality killed her.”
N’kiri was silent.
“Please, N’kiri, please trust me. We will not enslave you,” I pleaded with her, “and as for your goddess, perhaps you are wrong, maybe she’s not judging you. She’s judging those men. Maybe that’s why we camped close enough to hear them. Why we were able to trick them and help you get free. Please do not be so hard on yourself, you must be strong for your women. Believe me, I know how hard that is. Leading others.”
N’kiri nodded, raising her head, looking me in the eye, “It may be as you say, Betty,” she said, “Oniiye will pass judgement swiftly upon me if she finds me too weak to lead. But know this too - if you should deceive me, deceive us, I will call all my ancestors down upon you. I will call them to protect my women if I cannot and I will see that they destroy you.”
She turned and headed back toward the other women of her group.
“Well that didn’t go very well,” I heard Aurie say to my left.
I watched N’kiri speak with her women. I saw them turn toward me, staring.
“I think I’ll really need to work on getting her trust - all their trust - before we get to, uh, Akay...Niris? Bay,” I said, looking at the dot on the map once again.
“I think you’re going to have to do that soon,” Aurie said. She pointed toward the open sea just off the sandy coast. There were several ships. We were close now.