21 Nyangini

The horse's speed was shockingly high. It arrived at the Lu tribe within two days, what an ordinary human could take a week to cover. One thing that goes without saying is the fact that it was still powerful even after turning to an average animal.

The clan at this end of the Karachuo division was the Nyara clan. They had to cross other two different clans before they finally arrived at the Odindi clan. Using a shortcut, they could take just an hour to arrive at his clan. This explains why he didn't take long to reach where they currently were over fourteen years ago. They were at the Lu tribe's land but the forbidden land was still far from there.

After running for that time, they decided to spend a night in a village at Nyara clan. In the ancient African culture, it was a normal thing to take rest in a strange home when one was tired or when one was going for a long journey that could take more than a day and had to rest at night.

They happened to have gone to a village wherea seer resided. This made the hamlet stand out amongst the surrounding hamlets in that clan. From livestock, groceries to huge lands of crops. Even the people there were mirthful compared to others.

Seers, necromancers, witchdoctors, rainmakers and diviners were people highly respected by the people. These people communicated with spirits and the ancestors for heaven's sake. Most of them even communicated with Were Himself, so their position in a clan was slightly lower than that of the tribe head. The tribe head could only be considered higher in power just because he was the general leader of the whole tribe while such people could be found in almost all the clans.

The tribe head could not communicate with 'Were' nor the ancestors nor any spirit, what these people could do. That's why they were superior in power and even the tribe head himself had to bow before them much less other ordinary people. Not even noble professionals like blacksmiths, herbalists, dancers, craftsmen and others could be their match in terms of position. Chiefs and Division Heads could not be mentioned when such comparisons were made.

That is the reason why the village the duo went to looked different.

A place where the above people were was definitely a rich place. If one of them was even more powerful than others in the same metier, his wealth was immeasurable. These people had large number of cattle, sheep and goats. Their garners were never empty. They were visited by individuals and communities. Their help was ever indispensable and so to please them, many had to bring them gifts hence their wealth.

Before they even reached the village itself, a young man at around the age of eighteen had already rushed over.

"The sun has set brother and sister." He greeted.

"It has greatly set brother. " Ochieng' and Apeleka answered simultaneously.

"May I know the reason for your visit brother and sister?" The boy did not dare to be awless before these two people.

What a joke!

Horses were owned by the rich. To be rode by such young couple, it clearly showed that their background was not simple. That aside, even the bizarre bird that was on the horse's neck made him trepid before them.What gave him strength to speak was the fact that these two people could speak in his language.

"We would like to spend a night." Apeleka who sat on the front answered.

The boy nodded and went to inform the seer, it could be better if these people who had the air of nobility around them spend their night in the seer's hut. Not long after the boy left, he returned with a middle aged woman at the age of around fifty years beside him.

The woman was beautiful in appearance. She was gowned with a leopard skin. The atmosphere around her was elegant and unnerving. Many could just topple at her feet by just getting close to her. The two visitorsall the same were tranquil. Apeleka was only confident because she was near Ochieng' who she trusted.

"Ochieng' Lwanda, you are here!" Before the two visitors even spoke, the woman exclaimed.

At first, he was shocked but when he saw the graceful air around her, he knew this woman had to be a fellow who communicated directly with the spirits. He only only nodded in response.

"Yamo has told me you would like to spend a night here. Please come in. I know you must be tired, come and have a taste of 'osuga' ( a traditional vegetable) and 'ngege'( tilapia) prepared by the hands of me, the Great Nyangini...I was forgetting, how is Apeleka doing?" The woman smiled broadly when she asked about Apeleka.

"She can answer that herself."

"I am doing well mama. I am pleased to meet the seer of the south, the great Nyangini." The young woman extended her hand and greeted the middle aged woman.

"You blandish me my daughter, let us go in." The woman laughed and they walked into the village.

The so called Yamo was entirely ignored in this but did not bother as it was not in his place to talk where the great seer was talking.

Ochieng' could not be in Nyangini's hut because he was a male and a visitor at that, so he was escorted to her husband's. Apeleka joined the woman in her hut with her bird. The horse was left in the hands of Yamo to take care of.

"I am Ndori Oluoch, the seer's husband. She talks too much about you." The husband begun the moment they settled.

A gourd of sorghum porridge was already before them.

"I guess she sees me in her dreams, what does she see?" He asked ostensibly worried.

"You don't have to be worried my son. She always see good things about you." Ndori replied.

"I'm happy to hear that my elder." He slightly bowed his head to show respect.

Out of Nyangini's home, Yamo had spread the fact that some formidable guests had visited their village. Many were surprised when they got that story while others refuted it. Because it was dark in the night, nobody could dare go to Nyangini's home just to see the visitors though they were curious to see these people that Yamo claimed the great seer treated with a lot of respect.

In Nyangini's hut where cooking was taking place, the two women were chatting like two old friends. They laughed and joked until the food was ready. After they were done with eating, Ochieng' slept in Ndori's eldest son's hut. Apeleka spent her night in Nyangini's hut.