9 Walk in the Valley

Definitely the night shouldered upon the Earth and its breath gave darkness throughout of Ifa-ile and every of the other villages at large.

What vexed the eldest priest in his range and continuous bashing of words on the young priests were the slowness of their preparation of the sacrifice. In his mouth were the words which told the tales of how hard it was to get the meat for the sacrifice and a question he backed his words with if it should be more difficult to prepare the sacrifice?

Maybe he would have been taking for granted, perhaps they found amusement in his words as one of the young priest widens his cheek for a smile but was caught by a surprise for a slap that landed on his face and in that strength caused him to get more serious in what they have been ordered to do.

The lion might be relaxed in a sleep should not mean an antelope to dare him for what it will do were the words the eldest priest preached in his range before left the chamber; giving the young priest little time to make the sacrifice ready or face the wrought of the King.

The already quiet village became more dead as the royal town crier delivered the message of the King to all the villagers where he was walking from corner to corner, and street to street.

That, no man or woman or child born from a woman should step out their foot at the presence of the full moon lest, whatever their eyes should see they should bear for they have been warned and no one shall be spared.

Sleep was another medicine that saved a lot of lives as many in Ifa-ile compelled themselves into a sleep for the day to come was going to be innocent and washed the remembrance of their present agony and panick.

Osabiegun who rose up from his seat dabbled into his chambers for a changed of appearance with his slaves who then began to wash his body and one other his face that everything was done at once before he was dressed anew.

He wore his cap as a signatory of the King and the beads on his bare chest; around his neck, with the beads on his both wrist, and the horsetail whisk he carried, plus a white wrapper tied around his waist though long to his feet and, a pair of royal shoes he wore which was different from the shoes on the legs of everyone yet in the whole of Ifa-ile.

Oranmiyan gathered himself into some red beads around his neck and both of his wrist and another white wrapper tied around his waist and yet another royal shoe in the fashion of slippers different from any kind of shoe in the whole of ifa-ile just like that of his father.

The Chiefs and Elders who had been in the palace since the day break didn't have a chance for a change of clothes as they remain steadfast in their native attire waiting on the arrival of Osabiegun and Oranmiyan back into their present.

The eldest priest as the rest of the priests plus the young priests also remained in their steadfast love for their white garment as the young priests who prepared the sacrifice had done it carefully enough that no bloodstain had trampled their holiness.

In the presence of the full moon had everyone gathered in a sequence stepping, slowly as they marched out straight down to the end of Ifa-ile into the T-junction.

Definitely, the slaves who carried the calabashes in which the sacrifice was prepared into led the fore front followed closely by the eldest priest who continued to sing a poem of adoration for the witches who in their divine realm ruled the Earth.

The young priests followed closely the eldest priest who in that prompt responding to the poem of the eldest priest and some certain bells they continued to shook alerting the witches for their sacrifice which traveled slowly to them. Osabiegun who followed closely behind the young priests remained in his silence as same was Oranmiyan who followed behind him closely and the rest of the chiefs and elders.

The long queue was closed by the rest of the priest who in their own strength continued to shook their gourds which served as a response to the laudable poem of the eldest priest.

But a person will not encounter the present of the witches without the conquering signs that they were around as the winds started blowing heavier as they walked closer to the T-junction, the grounds on its own began to wave like the storm of the sea, yet they have not stopped walking. For these signals were not new to them, no matter what, they sacrifice must be made.

The closer they walk to the witches does not mean their bravery as Oranmiyan was already overwhelmed with fear even Osabiegun and the rest of the chiefs and elders who continued to look both right and left in their own trepidation.

If there was a sudden appearance of the witches will be an alarm for even Osabiegun to carry his legs triple the time of the speed of a rabbit. Not to mention Oranmiyan who was already shivering in fright.

Even so, the continuous cackle of the witches laughter exploded into the atmosphere as some words underneath their repugnant sneer instructed the eldest priest and the rest of them to keep walking to them.

A sudden stop was announced the moment they hit the T-junction just before the Iroko tree which in their unseen realm the eldest witch stood to her feet and the rest of the witches gathered firmly behind her.

Even though they cannot be seen, their presence was strongly felt as the preceding silence prevailed for a short time. A strong old female voice was what struck their ears for what they wanted as all the priests and Osabiegun, Oranmiyan, chiefs and elders looked quietly at one another in total surprise.

That they had been asked to bring to them a woman of four weeks pregnancy was the answer of the eldest priest gave to them but even the question of which slapped him by the ear as quick as he answered caused him another great silence; how they were able to tell the exact weeks the woman was pregnant for.

The long quiet of the eldest priest was another cause for the witches menacing laughter which caused the eldest priest into a long plead for forgiveness and that their sacrifice to be accepted irrespectively.

The witches berating laughter struck on their faces yet again and as the eldest priest and the rest of them wished they stopped, their laughter grew more loudly.

If at all the sacrifice will be accepted will be a need for a shrine were their words to the eldest priest. But even the eldest priest had no idea what they meant.

If they agreed was the question the eldest witch struck them with as their silence was getting prolonged than it should. Or, a word that reminded them about their forefathers approach would satisfy their regret. Since their ancestors were the one who called on them to rule on Ifa-ile as their had been covenant between them which no one on earth can break, or free Ifa-ile from their shackles.

For their silence that remained unwavering, the witches busted out with a quaking laughter that even the river that flows behind the Iroko tree flew upwards in storms and loudness.

That, they will build a shrine for them where their name will be worship was the answer of the eldest priest which caused another round of mocking exploding laughs from the witches as the river and the wind and the ground now appeared to be calm.

Osabiegun and Oranmiyan and the rest of the chiefs and elders were definitely shocked and had their heart raised. Surely, an ant who will face the fraught of a lion must at least have a wing. But what happens when their crippled selves have not a savior to help them.

If deviated from this promise would rise calamity in the whole of Ifa-ile. That, every of their sons shall begin to die one after another starting from the prince himself were the words of the eldest witch in her most serious tone.

That, the shrine must be built in three days and the blood of a goat must be spilled around the shrine and after this is done should they come back to hear their words.

And for the sacrifice has the eldest witch commanded them to lay down as every slaves present laid down the calabashes on their heads which in the prompt the eldest witches commanded again for their immediate leave.

Not a word had the eldest priest had said that he turned back as well as the slaves whom he allowed walking in his front and Osabiegun and Oranmiyan and the rest of the chiefs and elders and the young priest plus the rest of the priest who began walking slowly back to the palace.

A strict warning the eldest witch announced as the evil laughter of the other witches surrounded her words that if they looked back they shall fall dead and become a goat to celebrate in their feast.

The calabashes which disappeared in that manner into their realm began the largest feast the witches had ever celebrated in the time and reign of Osabiegun for not only they would eat the yolk sac of pregnancy but also the embryo that came of it and same time, the woman's very flesh and blood.