CHAPTER 4

The leaves had lost the morning dew and bashed her skin as she traced her way into the forest. The previously cleared paths were beginning to lose their visibility as the grasses tried to sprout their heads from them. It was becoming difficult to see the white sands, and even more difficult to keep the familiarity away.

The moist decaying smell, the constant whistles of the birds, the shimmering sunlight which filtered from the canopies of the tall trees, creating a warmth that made her remember her evenings with her husband. 

She was trading this path again. Not because she was out to hunt. No, this was different. She was different. Those abandoned children were making her different. 

Gathering her sling on her waist, she rounded the last bend. 

Dried bones and leaves crushed under her weight. Decayed flesh of men and women alike. Fleshes of people who were rejected by the village. Men that had been buried alive. Lost in history. Forgotten.

Ejima knew she was breaking the King's decree. He had placed a curse on this forest three days ago. Iyi. As the locals called it, was now a store for woes, taboos, and other inanity which the society scoffs at. It was an evil forest. A place where the so-called 'abominations' were left to wrought. 

This same name, Iyi, was given to the cursed forest in the distant Village of Alaocha. Stories have it that the Iyi forest in Alaocha used to be the prison that harbored all kinds of mythical creatures until princess Ada's lineage had wiped them out.

Well, nobody knows the truth behind the story. Not that Ejima cared. She was a hunter and a wife. And would be a mother soon if the gods were willing. Too many miscarriages. Too much sorrow.

Ejima rubbed her flat tummy, silent prayers on her lips. She had not told anyone yet. It was her secret and would remain that until the opportune time.

The songs of the birds were present by the time she finally made it to the clearing where she had found those twin babies four market days ago. Her bright eyes searched the parameter, but she breathed out the disappointment when she found nothing. 

There was no basket, no cries, and no babies. 

Maybe the gods were now wise enough to bless mothers with children of 'abominations. They must be reconsidering their choices.

Ejima stroked her nose, gulping down the feeling that was knotting her stomach. It was a good thing that the babies were not here. That should have made her happy, but no. The reverse seemed to be the case.

Turning back, she was about to hit the lonely path, when she heard something. 

It was solemn at first, soft, and could have passed for the voice of the wind. But keeping her ears to the ground, her stomach lifted when she heard the chuckle.

"Babies" she laughed and she returned to her feet.

It was hard to mistake it this time and even as she trotted towards the direction, she couldn't help the bubble that lifted her stomach. 

Why am I happy?

The answer to the question never came. Ejima had suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and before she could think, her hands were already on her waist, ready to draw out her sling.

She hadn't mistaken the chuckle. They were that of babies, resting inside a brown basket, underneath a tree whose name was not forthcoming. What made her eyes dilate was the creature beside the basket.

It was at least twice the size of a dog, with brown rich skin, spotted all around with black. Its tail stood above its body, and the claws were glinting dangerously with the afternoon sun. It had buried its head inside the basket and the children in the basket kept giggling as the animal continued to smear their faces with its slurry saliva.

"Get away from them," Ejima shouted as she drew out her sling.

The brown eyes of the tiger lifted away from the basket as if surprised, but they narrowed with hate, and Ejima could feel the heat as the animal walked towards her.

She readied her sling but cursed when the realization struck her. She had no stones.

The tiger roared and galloped towards her without warning. 

Ejima searched the floor of dried leaves and was glad when her eyes fell upon a stick sitting close to her. She picked it, just in time to gag the mouth of the animal.

The tiger tried to push through but Ejima held the stick, knowing that her life depended on it.

She pushed the tiger back but frowned with disappointment when the stick finally snapped.

The tiger roared and charged again, galloping towards her with a strength that could send a hunter on his heel.

Ejima did not back down. How could she? She was not just a hunter. She was a warrior and one of the best in the kingdom.

Tightening her grip on the broken end of the stick, she waited, just in time for the tiger to leap into the air, aiming for her throat.

Stepping to the right, she swung the stick, making sure her footing was balanced enough to cause severe damage.

The tiger whimpered like a wounded dog as the force of impact carried it back towards the far side of the forest.

Despite the intensity of the situation, Ejima couldn't help the smile of triumph that plastered the side of her face. She had seen worse and had succeeded. This won't be an exception. She was going to kill the tiger and use its skin as a pelt.

The tiger shook its head and trudged up to its feet. It looked at Ejima again as if surprised by her strength.

Ejima did not wait for it as she searched the forest. The stick in her hands was useless now. She was defenseless. And running away was not an option. That was the fastest way to die in the hands of a wildcat. 

And she hated wildcats with passion.

The tiger sneered and circled her. Its face had narrowed, with hate and anger.

Ejima tried to swallow, but there was no fluid in her mouth. Her heart was racing and she could feel each thump trying to hide in her stomach. The hair on her tanned skin was already on their feet and for the first time in twenty years, she felt an ambiance and a sensation that she hated most in the world.

Fear.

Taking some gentle but précised steps back, her feet touched something that was buried under the dried leaf which carpeted the floor of the forest. Her stomach knotted. The object looked like a skull, perhaps, the skull of a baby that had died here. She picked the object but frowned from the rotten flesh that glued her hands. The eyes and mouth were gone, and what remains of the ear were at the mercies of some decomposing worms.

Ejima steadied her grip on the object, placing them perfectly on her sling. She has not used something this heavy on her sling before, but what other option does she have?

The tiger roared and charged again, but Ejima did not wait for it to get so close. She swung her sling with all her might and in one swift motion, she let the skull on her sling fly. 

The empty skull flew in the air, and like a cannon, it found its mark on the Tiger's face, shattering into many pieces.

The tiger flew back from the force, rolling down to the far end of the clearing like a weightless object. It heaved once and groaned, but ceased breathing afterward.

Ejima panted and staggered towards the basket. Unlike the first babies she had seen four moons ago, these looked as if they were just being born. They had blood all over them and looked dirty, barely able to open their eyes.

She picked the basket and walked toward the direction of the river. She was going to let them float into the void, like the rest. She was going to let fate take its course. It was better that way. Better than letting a hungry animal feed on the blood of the innocent.