55 Old Friends and New Foes

Dropping her bow, Ubong rushed to Seun's side and painstakingly tried to stop the bleeding in his left hand while screaming for help.

The caravan crew had rich experience with battle and injury so quickly attended to themselves and came to assist Ubong with Seun's wounds. When every injury had been dressed as best as possible they quickly went over the battlefield dispatching any last stranglers. It was then that they stumbled upon an old woman who looked rather unusual- she had no stains or marks that would suggest she had just been in a chaotic battle.

They paused their looting and waited for the leader of the caravan crew to decide what to do. But before he could even state his verdict, the old woman began introducing herself, "Hello, I am Madam Taiwo a sound elemental Warrior with the ability to applify other people's abilities. As you may have observed, I am not really suited for heads on confrontation. But my girls are all I have left to cherish in my last days as I have raised some of them from a tender age. However, now most of them are dead or suffering worse injustices due to my curiosity. I will not run from the death I deserve but I ask you to save the girls of the Flowersnow Sect; they did not join this madness willingly."

The old woman's story and tone contained so much guilt and loss that everyone was frozen. Then Seun's pre-cog ability triggered.

"We have to hurry to the prisoners from your caravan, we will soon miss the best window to save them." Seun turned and said to the leader of the caravan crew.

Ikemefuna, the leader of the caravan crew, ignored how Seun knew who they were and what they were up to. He also ignored the tearless, silent sobs of the old woman. Rather he was more interested in Ubong's lethality.

"Hey Lassie, we be one of the best caravans on the continent and in this troubled times we be needing a firecracker like you. What do you say Lass, hahahhahhah?"

"Thank you, good sirs but…" Ubong began.

"Ahh, don't you be answering too soon...let's do as youngin over there suggested and save me crew then we can talk. Old biddy you be coming along with us, no death for you yet...your ability be very useful… Hahahhhahahhaha.

The new team set off, with Seun leading them on a way counter to what they had initially guessed but Ubong persuasion convinced them. By the time they caught up with the prisoners, they discovered that Osaze had tried to trick them by changing routes in order to buy time for reinforcements as most of the guards were used in the trap operation.

However, this last ditch effort was useless.

Seun had led the team to a vantage point overlooking the route of the diversion which gave Ubong maximum lethality. In addition, they struck at twilight with the guards ill prepared.

It was a rout.

***

Turayo was disappointed.

She had earned her place in the ruling council of the resistance but with varying views, multiple factions and lack of leadership, they stood little chance of success.

However, she had nowhere else to go, so she trained heavily, advised sparingly and waited anxiously.

Suddenly, there was news that a great number of people had escaped from the enemy's territory and they were mostly Warriors who had come to join the resistance. It was only news like these that cost Turayo not to abandon all hope; just a few days earlier, they learnt that some countries on the border had started preparing their regular armies for war.

Turayo rearranged her leather armour and weapons then proceeded to greet the new arrivals.

However, Turayo was shell shocked when she saw the woman in front of the group. She quickly shouted, "WAIT! IT IS A TRAP!" Before unleashing her whip at Ubong.

With the suddenness of the attack there was nothing anyone could do except for Seun whose pre-cog ability had sensed danger which though he found odd but him on alert. He quickly pulled Ubong away from the fatal strike such that the whip only grazed her neck leaving her with a nasty scar that was healing visibly.

Turayo paused at the quick reaction and even more so for the self healing.

It was at this point that Ikemefuna stepped forward blocking Turayo's line of sight and bellowed, "WHAT IN THE BLAZERS ARE YOU DOING LASSIE!"

By now the other elders of the council had arrived and all watched Turayo's face off against the new arrivals with different expressions.

Turayo not been one to beat around the bush, said "I suspect that lady amongst you is a spy as she was one of the people who destroyed the Abacha clan. She is our enemy and I was taking my revenge. Now, step aside."

Silence reigned in the centre of the outposts where the new arrivals entered the camp from at this declaration until Ikemefuna just shrugged and responded, "Huh, you must be mistaking a wee bit. Her name is Ubong and she has killed more of those bastards than all of us combined."

Unlike everyone who was looking at Ikemefuna, Seun was focused on Ubong who was gripping her left hand fiercely. He then turned his body to face the resistance council but also shielding Ubong further and said, "I met Ubong being tortured by that wretched empire and we have been battling against them ever since. But if you don't wish to fight together with us, we will just leave."

Then a different voice, a cold, passionless, nonchalant voice asked, "Oh, is it that easy to leave?" After this question drifted around the entire camp, partial darkness engulfed the entire mountain terrain they were using as an outpost.