Chapter 6

Chapter 6

-Sondra, the Lone Hunter

The strong woman warrior, Sondra, stood outside of her home, her hut, a hut built around a tree. But she wasn’t the only one, her whole village lived in the trees that their kind according to legends planted trees hundreds of years ago. They planted hundreds of tree crowded so that one day they could live in them, to be real people of the forest. Sondra was surrounded as far as she could see by hut after hut blending into the branches and leaves, all linked together by wooden and rope bridges.

Sondra watched the people of her village go about their daily duties and routines, but she was unlike the rest of the women in the village. She didn’t clean, cook, or make cloth for anyone but herself. She didn’t act like them either, thinking she was weak and had to rely on the men and couldn’t stand for herself. She was different, she was just as strong as a man could be. Sondra was left an orpan from the time she was a child. Her father died soon after she was born and her mother when she was very young. So Sondra learned to stay distant and silent, but she was proud and stubborn like everyone else around her. Honor and pride was held highest in her tribe.

Sondra braided her long, thick brown hair. She would never by like a hut women, that would work and work in their huts all day long for the men. She was a warrior, she was a hunter. She was like her mother, her mother wasn’t some hut woman, she was a strong warrior and her mother wanted Sondra to be a warrrior, too.

Sondra lived up to her mother’s wishes as she was nearing to pass the age of 17 summers. Her mother and father would be proud of her. Today she hunted with the men and proved to them she was a warrior through all of the tests they threw at her. Her mother always told her as a child she was blessed by the Earth Mother. That’s why she could sense things around her, her mother called it a one of her gifts that she was blessed with, even if Sondra could never understand why she had it.

Sondra shook herself from her thoughts, starting to cross a wooden bridge to the hut next to her. The village’s wise woman lived there, she took Sondra under her wing after her mother died, taught her all she knows and then made the men let her take the tests to be a warrior. For all of that, she was to get her mark of a warrior by the wise woman.

Sondra entered the wise woman’s hut as a knife was thrown at her as she entered. Sondra easily caught the hilt of the knife before it hit her. “Old woman….” Stated Sondra as she looked over at the old woman, her back against the tree that grew through her hut. A pile of furs to her right was her bed and to her left led to another room in the her hut and in front was a small fire in a black metal bowl. The old woman’s eyes a smooth light brown started up at Sondra. Silver hair drew back into  a braid that laid over her shoulder down into her lap. Her skin much darker than Sondra’s own, as she was covered in a brown robe sitting in front of the fire.

“Sondra, leni denah. Leni sokelii.” Said the wise woman in the village’s old tongue.

“Thank you.” Said Sondra as she bowed toward the woman then walked over to the side of the woman and kneeled down aside of her, facing her.

The wise woman had a bowl with green paint in it. “Now that you have passed all of the tests to be a warrior of this village. Now you will receive your mark as a warrior.” Sondra handed her the knife she threw at her. The wise woman dipped the knife’s tip inot the paint then brought it down to Sondra’s hand. She pushed the tip of the knife into the top of her right hand but Sondra didn’t cry out in pain or even move an inch.

After so time, the old woman was done, Sondra beared a circle on top of her hand inside the circle was a completely colored in diamond. “Now you are a warrior of this village now and forever. My dear Sondra, I’m so proud of you. You have gone through the worst as this village pushed you the hardest. The real first woman warrior.” Explained the wise woman.

“Thank you for always being there for me, old woman.” Stated Sondra as she stood up. Then walked over to the door. “I will make you proud.”

“You already have made me proud, child.”Sondra nodded at her and smiled then Sondra left her hut walking back to hers. She laid down on her bed of furs, in the back of her hut, tired from the long day of training and hunting. Soon she fell into a deep sleep.

Suddenly Sondra woke up in the early evening of the night. She sat up rested and grabbed her bow and arrows beside her. Sondra would always go out and practice at night with her bow. She would never need a full night of sleep to get rested.

As she left her hut and walked toward the bridge, she saw a flash of light from the inside of the wise woman’s hut. Sondra got an arrow ready in her bow as she ran into the wise woman’s hut. Inside the fire still was burning brightly, she saw the wise woman sitting in front of the fire. But she wasn’t alone, two people she never saw before were in the hut next to her. A pale skinned and light hair woman and child in shining silk dresses. They were different from anyone she saw before. “Get away from her!” exclaimed Sondra as she aim her arrow at the strange woman.

“No, Sondra! They are friends of mine.” Stated the wise woman in a strict tone.

Sondra lower her bow, removing the arrow from it, as she moved to the wise woman’s side and kneeled aside of her. “Are you sure, old woman?” She studied the strange people, not trusting these outsiders.

“Yes, this is the Great Lady Adiya, an old friend of mine from my childhood.” Explained the wise woman.

“But she is so young. How did you know her from the time that you were a child?” asked Sondra confused.

“The Great Lady Adiya is gifted in magic, so gifted that she even ages slower. She must be at least twice mine own age.” Explained the wise woman. “So what do you want, Lady Adiya?”

“If you would believe it but I want that girl next to you.” Stated the woman, Adiya.

“What!?” exclaimed Sondra. What in the world could this woman want with her? As she studied Adiya again the young girl with her.

“So it is time?” asked the wise woman.

“You know about it? Of course you do. You have a connect with Earth yourself, you always knew what is going on. But yes it is time that the girl helps us.” Explained Adiya.

“What are you two talking about?” questioned Sondra.

The wise woman turned toward her and stared straight into her eyes. “Sondra, you were blessed by the Earth even before you were born with a great gift. That gift help you become the warrior you are now. But it is also a burden. You know must go use that gift to fight evil. So that you can save this world and the people that live in it.” Explained the wise woman. Sondra just looked at her confused then looked over at Adiya.

“Sondra, please you must help us. If not, the world will be lost and slowly destroyed, consumed into the darkness.” Stated Adiya.

“But my place is here with my village. I’m a warrior here. My job is to protect it.” Said Sondra.

“But if you don’t help Lady Adiya, this village will be destroyed with the rest of the world. So I trained you to do this journey. You must go, Sondra.” Stated the wise woman. Sondra remained silent in shock and confusion. “Go, child, you will return to this village after it is all over. You will return a greater hero. You will make your mother’s and father’s name in honor.” Stated the wise woman.

Sondra stood up quickly and looked over at Adiya. “I will go and help. In order to put honor into my family’s name and me. That is all I ever wanted to do.”

“Thank you, Sondra.” Stated Adiya.

“Come back to us after it all, Sondra.” Stated the wise woman. Sondra nodded then there was a bright flash of light. Sondra, Adiya and the young girl disappeared from the hut.

 

Then they appeared back in the temple of the Elements, Sondra quickly backed away from Adiya, looking around, shocked. Just a second ago she was in the wise woman’s hut now they were in some unknown stone place, this woman had strange magic unlike anything she saw before.

“Please Sondra, you must wait here with my daughter, Karina. As I will go and collect the rest of the girls.” Stated Adiya. “Please protect her for me, I don’t know how long it was take to get the rest of the girls.”

“Yes, Lady Adiya.”

Without another word, there was a bright flash of light and Adiya was gone.