MISFIT

CHAPTER THREE

The land of the Binju

801 AD

"Keep up Mabu"

"Well slow down Suri" But Suri was wild and free and swift as the wind, Mabu on the other hand was concerned about the sharp stones under her feet. she kept hopping in turns on each foot to give the hurting one some time to recover.

"Come on, we're almost at the top" Suri screamed.

The forbidden cave just as it name presupposed was forbidden but Suri and Mabu had heard way too much about it to let it remain a mystery. It was believed the cave held all that held the Binju together, some even believed the spirits of the ancestors were in those caves, and to some, the soul stone"

"Father would kill us if he finds out" Mabu said. The village priest had adopted Mabu after the death of her grandfather Zubaku, now she and Suri were sisters. Suri was nineteen and she was fifteen Suri was betrothed to the Village chief's son, Han, he was a Kayoka too and they were so in love.

This is it" Suri said as they arrived at the entrance of the cave,

Mabu appeared panting and struggling to hold her hair together.

"You are crazy, you know that"

"Pinshi" Suri shrugged and then they both giggled.

It was a term that meant, 'that is me"

Together they walked in,

"Is that water?" Mabu asked.

Suri strained her ears.

"Sounds like it, I think there are bats in here, I can smell bat faeces"

Mabu clung to Suri, she didn't like the sound of bats at all, she only liked them in Papouri, otherwise known as bat soup.

They walked in deeper and Suri reached into her bag made from twines and pulled out a jar that had fire flies. She shook it and the flies awakened and adjusted to the dark.

"Look at those drawings, they are so old and ancient" Mabu whispered.

"Seems we're getting closer to the water, it's getting louder"

They went in deeper and just like Suri had said earlier there were bats, hundreds of them above them.

Mabu held Suri tightly.

Soon their feet picked on water and they walked in it till the came to the end of the cave curtained by a waterfall.

"We should go through"

"Are you crazy, it could be the end of the cave" Mabu warned.

"One way to find out" Suri took a few steps forward and put her hand through.

"Suri!" Mabu squealed.

"Feels like wind"

"What next, you're going to put your head through?"

"Not just my head Mabu" Suri laughed and took a few steps back, she had that look on her face. The look of pure mischief.

"No way!"

Suri grabbed Mabu's arm.

"On three…..

"No wait what….!"

"One…two…..

"Suriiiii……" Mabu screamed all the way through, she didn't know what to expect on the otherside but she didn't regret it after all.

" this is beautiful" Suri giggled.

Mabu just couldn’t stop staring.

They had walked into a completely different place, it looked like a garden, there was a pathway covered by an arc of cherry trees, the two girls walked the path, wet and soaked to the skin