Chapter 5

Loye's father, Kuye, the clan chief, sat alone in his hut, deep in thought. He had been pondering the consequences of his son's decision to train as a mage warrior. While he was proud of Loye's determination and ambition, he couldn't help but worry about how it would affect the clan's standing among the other tribes. The clan had always been known for its skilled warriors and hunters, but they had never had a mage warrior among their ranks. He knew that the other tribes would be envious of such a powerful asset and might even see it as a threat.

As he sat there, he made up his mind to call a meeting of the council of elders to discuss the matter. He knew that it was not a decision he could make alone, and he needed the wisdom and input of the elders to help him make the right choice. He called for the meeting to be held the following day at dawn.

Meanwhile, in another part of the village, Ronu's mother was going about her daily tasks when she overheard the clan chief's call for the meeting. She didn't know what it was about, but she could tell that it was important. She decided to ask her husband about it when he returned from his hunt.

She was a woman of ambition and had always wanted her son Ronu to become the clan chief after his father. She feared that Kuye may choose one of his other sons to become chief despite Ronu, her son, being his first male child. After all, Kuye himself was a third son to the old clan chief.

Normally, a meeting of the elders could not be regarded as a special event, but a messenger had also summoned Kito. Kito was the village diviner who sought wisdom and information from the spirits and guided the clan in several decisions, minor or great. Kito was rarely summoned unless something important was at hand, such as the commencement of a new season, the decision to wage war against a neighboring clan, or choosing a new clan chief.

As she was pondering the implications of the elders' meeting, Ronu came to his mother to tell her about his chance encounter with Loye earlier in the day. Ronu was completely unaware of the upcoming meeting or its purpose, but he mentioned to his mother that Loye revealed his plan to visit the old hunter in Kiji forest, without revealing why he was going in the first place.

Ronu's mother listened intently to her son's words, her mind racing with thoughts of how this information could be used to her advantage. She believed that it was not a coincidence that the clan chief was calling for a meeting at the same time that Loye was planning to visit the old hunter. She believed that both events were connected and could potentially mean that Loye's status in the clan would be affected when he returns, and that he could replace her son's position as the rightful heir to the clan chief.

Ronu's mother's eyes narrowed in concentration. She couldn't believe her luck. It couldn't be a coincidence that a meeting was being held impromptu at the same time Loye set off to the old hunter. She knew what she had to do.

"Ronu," she said, "we must stop Loye somehow. This is an opportunity to eliminate a threat to your position as the clan chief's heir. We cannot miss it." Ronu's mother was filled with a sense of purpose. She had always been ambitious, and now she saw an opportunity to secure her son's position as the next clan chief. Together, they would hatch a plan to remove Loye from the picture.