A Tale of Five Bandits - Episode 2

 

She smirked and stood proud with a bow strung across her shoulder, a short sword and quiver strapped to her back and a pair of daggers on her thighs. She hung a small cylindrically woven basket carrying her valuables and foods across her waist. Her hair was braided backwards in five columns that reached her shoulders, charcoal applied around the contours of her eyes and a drawing of a black scorpion on her left forearm crisscrossed with two lines that depicted her past membership to a gang.    

The men sneered at her in surprise and displeasure. On a normal day, it was rare seeing a woman in the tavern . The only reason for a woman to be there was to get her souse husband. But seeing a woman dressed in a fitted Buba and Sokoto, a man’s attire, was not something you see every day. Not to mention carrying weapons. It was unheard of in their patriarchal land where men were the soldiers and women remained simple housewives. 

She walked to the tavern owner sitting on a long bench with bottles of palm-wine before him. She nodded at him but he only stared blankly at her. 

“I’m looking for someone. I heard he’s named Adekunle Akanbi” she inquired but the man only stared at her wordlessly.

 “He’s this tall”, she said raising a hand above her head, “and bald with two tribal marks on each cheeks. He was once a warrior”. 

The pub owner sighed and arched a brow “Woman, where’s your husband?”

She held his gaze and replied “I’m my own man

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/a-tale-of-five-bandits

. I came here looking for someone and I thought you could help”.

The man nodded and dragged his beard slowly “Then I don’t know who you’re talking about”. 

Sewa folded her arms across her breast and sighed. She inserted her hand into the little basket and brought out two luxurious rings and shoved it in the man’s face. “Now, where is he?”

The man flashed a toothless grin and nodded at her “Now you’re talking. There’s someone like that. He moved in five years ago and he became the village’s blacksmith. In fact, he’s the only blacksmith here. As you can see, this village is cursed. No one wants to stay here, although some of us don’t have a choice. No money, no...”. 

“I didn’t ask for your story. Where can I find him?”

The man hissed and bared his teeth “Go in the direction of the river. To my left”, he said pointing with a finger “At the end of the road is a river and just beside the river is Akanbi’s shop. You can’t miss him”. 

She nodded her head and turned to leave. Her eyes immediately landed on a man with a fila on his face. His arms resting intertwined on his belly as his chest heaved slowly. He appeared to be asleep but she narrowed her eyes at him, her gaze lingering for a few seconds and then she headed for the door.  

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Durojaiye removed his cap and slapped his face in disbelief. 

“She singled me out. How? How did she notice me so easily? That woman was good”. He said, smiling to himself. 

He had been following her the very moment she entered the village. He wasn’t sure the infamous Wolverine would recognize someone like him. Since the day his band clashed with hers over a prolific route to rob, he had been fascinated by her. He had seen how the petite girl stood her ground when faced against two hefty men from his gang during their clash. They had tried to intimidate her, believing her to be weak and fragile. He saw the way her hand moved like a blur as she slammed the pommel of her sword to Eniola’s face and the flat of the blade against Bamidele’s thoat and then ending her dance with a kick to their groins. 

Since that day, he longed to see her again but since there was bad blood between the two gangs, seeing her was nearly an impossible task.

Read " The Missionary's Journey " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. He heard rumours of her leaving her gang and going on a murderous rampage for retired warriors in several villages. But he thought that was all there was to it- just rumours. After all, he couldn’t think of any reason why she would go around hunting down old mercenaries.

 Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined seeing her here at a random bar he decided to visit. She might have suspected that he was watching her but that wouldn’t stop him from following her. He would just have to careful and keep his distance. He heard the conversation she had with the barman. Perhaps the rumours were true. She was indeed searching for mercenaries. 

“Well, next stop, the blacksmith”, he thought to himself and stood up to leave.    

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An hour later, Duro hid behind a tree at the river and calmly watched as Sewa walked out of the blacksmith shop twirling her bloody sword. He watched as she cleaned her sword against the leaves of a tree and turned back when he heard the heavy footfalls of soldiers marching in their direction. 

“What are they doing here? They’ve never been here before” he peered in curiosity and surprise. 

As he watched the warriors stroll closer, his neck tingled as a cold blade rested against his throat. 

“Why are you following me?” a voice called behind him. 

He flashed a smile and whispered “How about we get out of here for now first”, he said pointing in the direction of the oncoming troop.  

He watched as her face tensed, her eyes roamed looking for escape.

“Relax, I know a secret path. Put the blade down and follow me” he said. 

“Why would I follow you? How do I know this is not a trap?” 

“You don’t but believe me you don’t want to take that risk” he reported back. 

She heaved a sigh and lowered her blade. Gesturing at her to follow, he crouched and entered the forest with Sewa behind him.