Tanzia ran.
She looked back to see where the rest of the girls were but they were not in sight. She just ran even faster.
Being the fastest in the tribe was difficult but she always pushed on because she couldn't let her future tribe to go hungry.
Her long legs reached for distance. She could she the hogs and hear them painting. They were tiring. She shot one arrow and hit the fastest one on the backside. It stumbled and fell down, but Tanzia just hurdled its body and kept on. She aimed again but missed. The arrow ricochet off the tree and fell flat. Tanzia cursed under her breath but tried once more for the one up ahead thinking that one would cause the rest to slow down and even come to a halt.
But instead, she hit a body like figure.
Eyes wide, she flew to the side of body as it was draped over the squealing hog. The arrow must have pierced both of them which was not good this person.
"Tanzia, step away" Nunu's voice shook from a far.
"She's hurt! We have to help!" Tanzia cried.
"That’s not a woman-" nunu started...
Hands wrapped around Tanzia's throat with a strength of bulls. Wild eyes of liquid gold stared at her, fearful but raging. He held out a stick towards nunu, who jumped back behind the tree.
"What are you doing here?" A deep, raspy voice a rouse towards nunu, in a tongue that only the royals speak . It sounded as if he has not drank for months. Yet, his grip would make you think he has been training all his life.
Wait. HIM!
This was a man. Tanzia’s eyes widened and body showed my anxiety. She tried to remember the royal language with all my might, trying not to look as afraid as she felt but she knows she failed.
"This is our hunting ground" the words rushed out.
"Are you a leader?" He asked, his attention back to me.
"Yes, no, soon-" she stumbled. He gripe loosened, slowly, watching her movements carefully.
He let go, and she ran towards nunu behind the tree. Tears falling, body shaking- those gold eyes all through my mind. To find the strength to run back was tough. Tanzia looked back at him as he began to rip the arrow from his shoulder. His umber skin pulled and ripped as he tugged on the arrow.
"Stop!" She shouted. "You'll damage yourself."  Her voice still shook. His blazing golden eyes met my gaze. He didn’t look away or move.
His dark skin shined just as bright as his eyes. Everything about him was glowing. His hair, sun burnt red, glistening but messy, his skin, rich dark yellow-brown skin but mud painted on his arms. He’s been out here for a while. This must be one of their rituals to prove adulthood.
"Stay here" she spoke taken back by this man, "i'll be back to help you."
Tanzia walked forward and grabbed the hog. He watched her meticulously. Placing the hog on her shoulders, she took off running, and Nunu followed.
"What are you doing?" Nunu said when they reached a safe distance.
"I'm going to help him"
"Why? He’s a man? You cannot interact with men. You are about to mother our next generation and-"
Tanzia stopped and eyed Nunu down, "He's hurt. I will not let anyone die.”
Tanzia took off back to the tribe. She knew she wasn’t allowed to interact with the men tribes, but it wouldn’t be moral to leave a future king to die alone for something she did. So she has to take care of this as quietly as possible.
Stealthily, she dropped the hogs off where the other girl put them. She calmly walked to the herb hut where her mother usually heals the sick, and snacted banana leaves, water, and daisy rub. No one was really watching her they were preparing to cook and still teaching the little ones to speak. She dashed out of the tribe and ran the path back to this man. His image still running through her mind. The tribe would go crazy if they ever found out she was helping a man.
They were said to be overly aggressive and demanding, but this man was easy. He reacted as should would react to being shot. He was reasonable. All she wanted to do was ask if he parented any of the females in her tribe, or others. Is he really soon to be a king? Will they parent a child together?
The thought made Tanzia cringe. She never thought about men like this. She actually never thought about a man before. This was her first time ever seeing one up close. And yet all she could do was think about him and those fierce golden eyes. He made her look so plain. Her brown skin was pale looking next to his. Her hair was never lightened by the sun, but his hair turned this shade of reddish-brown she has never seen on a human. And those golden eyes were new to her as well. They made her chocolate eyes melt with his gaze.
She slowed down as she approached the spot where she found him, but he was nowhere around.
“Uh, man?” she called out.
A groan came from behind a tree.
“Is that you?” She asked moving closer towards the sound.
She began to move the bush branches so she could get on the other side of the tree but a growl came from behind her. Dropping the stuff she turn around to face a jaguar. Her small almond shaped eyes grew twice as wide. A hand wrapped around her waist and picked her up over the bush.
“Stay here” the man said as he jumped over the bush and began to wrestle with the animal.
Making it look effortlessly, he tackled the jaguar and snapped its neck. Of course he ended up more injured than before. Bite marks and scratches all over his chest and stomach. Tanzia climbed back over the bush and picked up the stuff she dropped. As she was about to apply the daisy rub he grabbed her arm and stopped her.
“I cannot have help” he said to her in the royal language, “this is my manhood test, and I have to do it on my own.”
“But you’re badly injured” Tanzia said bewildered. He let go of her arm and she yearned for his touch back.
“I have a couple of hours left, I can make it” he smiled at her revealing pearly white teeth and a grin out of this world.
“Can I at least bring you some food?” she asked with eyes locked on his magnificent smile.
“I have my meal right here” he said, “but maybe you could eat with me?” he asked.
“I...I don’t know about that” she looked back towards the path. “I have to go-”
“Well can I see you again?” he asked.
His wild golden eyes, were not wild anymore. They soften and darkened becoming warm and inviting.
“I’ll be back here soon” she said.
....