A Tale of Five Bandits - Episode 16

 

The room became gloomy and dreary. Sewa was taken aback by the genuine look of concern in his eyes. It was there in each of them eyes.
She heaved a rueful sigh, “There was a little girl that came to me. She said her sister was cornered by-..”

“We know that already. The girl came forward and confessed awhile ago . She did it out of fear”, Goke interrupted. He stood relaxed watching his companions quietly but everyone would feel the anger radiating off him “That is not we want to know. I...we...we want to know why you rushed off like that without telling anyone. You could have died if Duro and Moni had arrived a moment later or one of the villagers didn’t tell us on time that you were seen running into the forest with a little girl. You did the same thing the first time we came here, charging on your horse without informing us or working out a plan. Do you want to die so badly or are you just being childish? You are flesh and blood. You are not invincible”.

“That’s okay”, Duro shot in glaring angrily at Goke, “You’ve said enough. When she’s ready to open up to us, she will”.

Sewa patted his arm “It is fine. You are right

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. All of you”, she said with eyes moving from one bandit to the next, “I should have informed you if I was going to charge into battle alone. I’m used to doing things my way, even back when I was still in a gang, there were things only I could do and I did them with no assistance. I’m used to dealing with things on my own”.

She struggled to sit up and directly in their eyes, “I’m sorry” she said loudly. She turned to face Duro and Monifa “Thank you for saving me. I would be six feet under if you hadn’t arrived on time”. Duro held her hand and offered a wryly smile. Monifa nodded and caressed her back. 
“And to answer your question”, she held holding Monifa’s gaze, “The first time we arrived here. I mean before you all met me. I was already battling some of the soldiers. Well, I was almost killed”. She said, looking at their sullen faces and continued “There was a masked man standing on the hut. He fired an arrow at me and that arrow was less than an inch from my face. I nock my own arrow at him but I was interrupted before I could release it. By the time I turned my attention back to him, he was gone. Like he wasn’t there in the first place and I couldn’t find him afterwards”.

“You’re just telling us now?” Monifa said disappointed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to burden you with my problem. I planned on fishing him out later and ending him”, Sewa said sadly.

Goke heaved a sigh “Now, there is nothing like your problem.

Read " Outcast " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. Your problem is our problem. My problem is your problem. We are a team”.

Sewa nodded and smiled. Her smile soon became inverted as she reminisced “Something scares me though. I feel he missed on purpose. I don’t know how but I was sensing a murderous aura around him. I think he was just toying with me”.

“We have an assassin on our tail, a sadistic one at that. It’s possible he sent those mercenaries to simply see how you would react”, Duro said.
“That means he must have been hiding in that forest, watching and waiting”, Leke interjected.                
“By the gods, we should search that forest thoroughly”, Goku said.

Duro stared at him stupefied “Are you listening to yourself? That forest is large”.

“And I highly doubt that he is dumb enough to still remain there” Monifa said.

Sewa nodded her head in agreement “One thing is sure, he will show himself again and this time we will be ready”, Sewa said confidently.

Leke laughed and the other bandits smiled. Sewa stared around in confused, not understanding the reason behind their felicity.

“You said ‘we’”, Duro explained with a grin.

“Now that all the secrets have been laid bare and all issues resolved. Can we finally leave this place and go to Aleshinloye”.

All heads turned to the direction of the voice to see Ajala the herbalist standing at the doorway and nodded simultaneously in approval. Sewa felt a hand squeeze over hers and looked to find Duro staring at her happily as he mouthed “I’m glad you are safe”.