Her Protector (Men of Valor, 3.5)

Igboland, West Africa pre-colonization

Oma stood across the courtyard, hidden in the shadows beside the palace barracks long house. It was a dark night, the silver moon hidden behind ominous clouds. The air stirred. Leaves rustled in the shrubs behind her. 

Pulse thumping, she pushed her back into the cool mud wall and glanced behind into the dense foliage. In the gloom she couldn't see much. Crickets chirped. An owl hooted. 

Body frozen, ears pricked up and breath held, she stood still waiting for someone to spring from the bushes. 

Nothing happened. 

Exhaling the breath nearly busting her lungs, she returned her gaze toward Prince Emeka's quarters. 

The head guard, Jide stood outside talking to another of the prince's guards. The square was lit with bare-flamed lamps hanging on wall sconces several feet apart. From her vantage point she couldn't hear the men's conversation but she could watch them unobserved. 

The two men were a contrast of light and shadows. But she easily recognized their outlines.  

Lofty like an iroko tree, Jide stood a head taller than his colleague. His skin was of the darkest ebony and his bulky muscles tight and hard.  

For a moment she remembered the several occasions she'd walked past him or stood close to him. She'd always been tempted to touch his skin and find out if it was as firm as it appeared.  

A warm shiver crawled down her back. Heat travelled to her belly. A slow ache erupted at her core. 

The sound of conversation drew her back to her location. Her spine stiffened in alertness. Soon the conversation died away as the people talking walked by without noticing her skulking in the shadows. 

She glanced back to where the guards stood together. 

Jide turned and stared in her direction. Her breathe hitched as his gaze seemed to connect with hers. She pressed her bare back against the wall, the rough stones scratching her skin. 

Surely he can't see me. 

She stood still making sure no part of her body was exposed. And held her breath for several moments, her heart pounding in her chest. 

After a while he shook his head, said something to his companion and walked away. 

She let out a deep breath grateful he hadn't seen her. 

The last thing she wanted was to be caught before she'd achieved her objective. 

She had specific instructions to carry out. Her brother's well-being was at stake. 

After another moment, the other guard walked off in the other direction. She knew he'd gone off on patrol and wouldn't return for a while. She'd monitored their routine for a few nights. 

This was her chance to act. 

With haste she glanced left and right across the courtyard. Keeping to the shadows as much as possible, she crept to the prince's chambers. With each step her pulse raced, her hands clammy with fear. 

It didn't matter how often she'd done this. Each time fright and nervousness gripped her.  

The last thing she wanted was to be caught. The penalty for spying was severe. 

Yet she couldn't help it. 

Briefly, she stopped outside the main entrance to the prince's chambers, an archway framed by sculptures of the gods. A prickly sensation raised her skin in gooseflesh. Did the wooden deities know her intent?