Imka was very excited that day on his daily rounds.
As the leader of the Protectors Party, his job involved searching for any intrusion in the assigned area of their tribe. Usually, he takes his job very seriously and doesn't play hooky with his responsibilities. But that day was different. When he told his party that he wanted to go back early today, they all obliged. They knew why Imka was acting that way, and they didnt blame him.
When they came back, Imka, along with the party members, noticed the fire of the tribe already lit. Green, red, and orange powder spread around the fire.
The Holy colors.. Imka thought, Did my boy…
Imka's heart skipped a beat. Without wasting any time, he sprinted towards Groga's hut.
Groga was sitting in his hut, carving a shape out of a piece of wood, when he barged inside, "Is it true?" he hurriedly asked, fearing this might be his dream. "Did Adui get his first kill today?"
Groga looked at him and nodded, "Yes.. Also, how are you so early today? Did you skip the route?"
Imka, with a proud and happy smile, shook his head, "Nah. You know I would never do that. I just pushed the party hard and made them finish the route early."
Groga stood up, "Imka.. You know what is at stake here. We cannot be lax about the route. You should understand that better than anyone,"
Imka nodded, yet he couldnt stop smiling, "Yes. I know. And it won't happen again,"
It is then that Karina barges into the hut as well. Seeing her, Imka went and gave her a very big hug, "Karina! You made a hunter of my son. You have my gratitude."
Karina pushed him away, and with a solemn expression replied, "About that.. We need to talk."
"Not this again," Groga groaned.
Imka sensed tension in the room, so he asked, "Why? Did something happen? Was Adui injured?"
Karina shook her head. While Groga sat down again, working on his wood, "She has gone crazy, that is what it is," he mumbled as he sat down.
Karina ignored Groga and looked at Imka in his eyes, "What happened to Adui Imka? What happened to him when you went to Agora?"
"What do you mean?" he was puzzled by the question.
"He is different. He shot an arrow straight into the head of a Jabber-wokie," she said.
A smile bloomed on Imka's face. "Really?"
Karina put her hands on his shoulder and shook him, "This is not something to be happy about!" She said while gnashing her teeth, "Imka, a kid who had not even held a bow in his life, let alone shot an arrow.. That kid made a shot that most of expirenced hunters couldnt,"
Imka thought about and realized that it was weird as well. But then he realized that it might have been a coincidence, but then Karina added further, "Before you say that this was a coincidence, listen to me. At the hunting sight, when I reprimanded him, he stared into my eyes without fear. It was as if.. He never feared me to begin with,"
Before he could get another word out of his mouth, Karina added further, and started pacing around the hut, "This morning, for a moment I felt that he didnt recognize me. I have been in that boy's life since he was a cub. Yet he didnt recognize me. As if.. I was not meeting Adui. I was meeting someone else,"
"Woman and their antics," Groga mumbled, not showing any interest in the conversation.
"Groga, I know what I felt! I am not crazy!" She said angrily, she knew better not to yell at the chief.
Karina then turned to Imka, "Also.. When I was reprimanding him… I felt something,"
Imka knew that Karina had better instincts than any other tribesman. So he asked, "What?"
She gulped hard and then replied in a normal voice, "I felt my Vita scream at me. It told me to step away from the boy; he was dangerous. Very dangerous.." She looked down at the ground, "It was worse, Imka." She said with a very small voice, "The feeling that I got from the boy was way way way worse than when we encountered… that Watsumono."
The name sent chills down Imka's spine. He remembered that day perfectly, when he and his friends barely survived when a Watsumono attacked their tribe. He remembered the dread he felt that day, and remembers that Karina remained silent for many moons after the attack. That day scared her to the core.
And he was supposed to believe that his son gave her that feeling?
"STOP," Groga threw the wood aside and stood up. He looked straight at Karina and said, "Never, ever.. Talk about this again. You are mad. And I am not going to let a fool of a woman destroy a boy's life with rumors. As the chief of the tribe, I am ordering you. Do you understand?"
Karina didnt say anything and nodded. Then he turned to Imka, "And you.. Be proud that he is the first son who has made it. Go to your family, celebrate with them." Without a word, both Imka and Karina left.
Karina didn't say the word and went her own way. On the other hand, Imka was left with his thoughts.
Ever since they had returned from Agora, Adui had been different. At least that was what his wife told him. According to her, he doesn't act like a kid anymore, doesn't acknowledge his siblings, and doesn't even come to greet her for two mornings, like he previously used to do.
Gremla had been worried sick that something had happened to Adui. But he brushed her concerns aside, as Gremla does worry about her kids a lot.
But with all the events and words of Karina, a doubt started creeping into Imka's mind. The person that he had been calling his son, was he really his Adui? Or someone else had posed as Adui, and had sneaked into their family…