The Lost Tribe: Maliha the Wanderer (Book 1)

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Water dribbled down Maliha's neck as the short strands of her hair lay haphazardly around her. The soft swaying of the river lulling her as she peeled at the long green plants. Wild life moving, chirping as she lay there under the harsh sun.

Alone

The morning portion of the Sanfr Nafti had been over for a few hours now, the heavy beating of the ceremonial drums carrying the people away from the lagoon and deeper into the forest. Travelling further in land to where they would climb the steep mountain to reach the goddess Savuriya's temple.

They had remained tight lipped about what would happen up there, only informing Maliha time and time again that she was prohibited from attending. She was permitted to bathe with them, to swim in their holy waters while they bathed each other but she was forbidden from visiting her temple.

Ujarak had been one of the first to leave, his gaze had lingered on her naked form indecently for quite some time but he hadn't taken those final steps. He hadn't made any move that indicated he was sexually attracted to her though it was clearly obvious to everyone e within the tribe that there was an attraction that never of them seemed willing to act upon.

Maliha didn't want to become another lover, a woman that he loved fleetingly until tell he found his Solah and the true leader of the tribe. She would end up another bitter lover, like Tanzim whose slanted eyes of hate continuously burned into Maliha's back.

She was not like these women. She was not uninhibited when it came to sex, she was relatively new to the practice and though she had her share of lovers nothing would compare to being with a man like Ujarak. She knew he would be demanding, he would expect her to give him everything she had and she would have no other option but to give into him.

It was a good thing she did not plan to stay here for long. She had already been here two weeks. The longest she had ever stayed with a tribe was 9 full moons and she would not surpass that time frame here. Not when there seemed to be so many hidden rules and customs.

Heaving a sigh, Maliha began chewing on the long green plant. Suckling the sweet nectar that lay hidden beneath the sheath of its harder exterior. The clouds rolled above her as she lay there, languidly watching her day fly by.

A darkness climbed over her sky and cast her world into shifting shadowed figurines.

"Razzi said it is bad to miss the Sanfr, he said the goddess will scorch our lands if we all don't pray and make sacrifices" Whispered a familiar voice from above her.

His brown hands were clasped behind his back as he peered down at her with his big grey eyes. His hair was clean now revealing that his natural hair colour was a deep auburn and not the initial brown she had assumed it to be. The dark wavy locks hung around his face and swayed across his little button nose.

"I am not tribe, so I am forbidden from attending," she responded plaintively as she climbed to a sitting position.

"What aren't you there, Enzo?"

Looking at the young boy with long damp eyelashes and a rejected heart. Maliha wanted to take him under her wing and be that person he could turn to. Though she had spoken to Ujarak about being a father to Enzo, she still felt that he needed a woman's soft touch before the world turned him hard and cold.

He sunk down to the floor, his ruddy hands wrapped around his knees as he hunched over, resting his head on his knobby knees.

"It doesn't matter if I am there or not, no one ever notices," he whispered, eyes downcast as he plucked at one of the long reeds that grew along the river bed.