Nomvula

54. And All Its Blinding Light

"Use your head or I'll make the stupidity hurt," she said.

The tears in his eyes had nothing to do with pain. When his shoulders slumped, Asanda let go of his hand and pressed her own to his heaving chest.

"You're smart on your feet, boy, and hard." Ndlovu kicked the club, sending it sliding to Khaya's feet. "But it'll be a few years before you're strong enough to hurt anything worth fighting."

"Enough," Asanda said, wheeling on Ndlovu. "Release us. Please."

When Ndlovu knelt to pick up Khaya's spear, his knees popped, drawing a grunt out of him. He rose and tossed it out the closest window.

"I can't," he said. "Not until noon, at least. That was the promise I made your mother two nights ago."

Two nights... The warmth of kitchen ovens seeped into Asanda's skin, the fragrance of olive oil filled her nose, and the simple comfort of watching her mother kneading dough in the early hours filled her vision in a flash. When it faded, the afterimage of Ma's tight smile was layered over Ndlovu's pitying eyes.

"I am many things you do not respect in the Hundred Hills," he said, "but I do not break oaths."

His words robbed her of whatever had kept her going these last few hours. Asanda fought against the fatigue that weighed down her mind and made her back throb. She looked for... something. Anger. Desperation. In the end, she fell back on a sigh and simple logic.

"You know my mother, Great Chief."

Ndlovu's brow twitched.

"Better than any of us do," she continued.

"As well as I wish you did," Ndlovu said.

"Then you know that, whatever she's plotting, you'll be the first to hate it."

"Of course I will."

"Then why won't you let us go prevent it?"

Ndlovu massaged two of his fingers which had started to swell. He sighed, even deeper than she had. "Because if she goes through with it, I won't be the last."

"To shadowless graves with all of that," Ndoda said, climbing through the far window. He had a black hide shield in one hand, a black club in the other. "Khaya, pop your fingers back in and pick up your club. We're going home."

"The crowned prince graces my home," Ndlovu said. "Nomvula said you'd be the trickiest one to handle."

Ndoda stepped into the middle of the room. "We're leaving, Chief."

"The door's right behind me. If you're half the man you came from, you're welcome to it."

Ndoda bashed with his shield but Ndlovu caught it in two massive hands, a moment before Ndoda whipped his spear into the Chief's ankle with a thunderous crack. Ndlovu had the wherewithal to yank the shield away as he stumbled back. Ndoda let him have it and struck again, this time at the outside of the knee. Off balance, the best Ndlovu could to was stumble out of range as a third strike grazed the inside of the same knee. Ndoda had barely moved from where he'd started. 

"That's Qaqamba's wickedness." Ndlovu was chuckling as he armed himself with the spear. "Try that again and let me show you mine."

Ndoda turned to Asanda. "Grab the Princess and go. We'll hold him off."

"You won't," Asanda said. "And even if you did, he'll just call the guards."

"Athi can lead you through the guard points."

"Not while we're carrying someone," Khaya said. In the brief chaos of Ndoda's arrival, he had followed his brother's instructions and fixed his fingers, though they were too swollen to bend. He had his club in his left hand. "Besides, I'm not done mourning."