Chapter 5

Arusha was no ordinary girl. She was often told to tone it down by her father. She hated being confined in the mines by the slave masters and she would often flee to the city and see the marvelous things beyond the city gates. She hated being a witch with no power and the mins in the Northern kingdom suffocated her. She didn't like being powerless and being the only child of her parents they often worried she would one day get into trouble and set as an example. On the day Nara was executed she had fled to the city and she witnessed Mira's explode. She stood right behind her when she had released her powers. She hid under the tables and watched the horseman carry Mira away. Arusha walked in the city seeing and hearing things people were saying about Mira. It was at sunset when she heard that the vampires and the werewolves had left the city gates in a rush that she knew something big was about to happen. Arusha got on her stolen horse and headed back to the mines in the Northern kingdom under the vampire Fanah who was known for his ruthlessness and his lavish spending. He killed with no mercy and he ruled the mines with an iron fist. Fanah was evil and he was feared by many of his subjects feared him including other vampires.

Arusha rode her horse back to the village and she tied him up next to a tree just outside the village. When she got to the village she rushed to find her father and mother. She ran down the streets hiding from the partying vampires. It was dark and most of the vampires in the mines could not walk in the sun because Manol had no more green emerald rings to spell for them and they had to keep digging for the green emerald for him to spell and allow them to walk during the day. The mines is where most of the witches had been taken to work for them so they could get those green emerald rings. She could hear and see the vampires drinking the rich wine and drinking blood. They were merry and she just hoped she wouldn't be caught. At home Arusha's father stood by the gate waiting for his daughter with worry. He paced up and down at the gate hoping she would just show up. "Come now Baba, She will be here soon." His wife Taffy comforted her husband. He looked at her and held her hands tighter. "She is stubborn. If the vampires catch her. They will kill her." He told his wife who just smiled and kissed his hands. She just put her heard on his shoulder and they waited for their daughter together. Arusha climbed the back of the walls of her house and she got inside the house through a back window. Her grandmother sat on a chair in the room they shared together. She was knitting and she raised her head. "You went to the city again didn't you?" Her grandmother asked her curiously and Arusha smiled and hugged her grandmother. Her grandmother shook her head. "Your father is not happy young lady but I on the other hand would like to hear all about your day." She always encouraged the young girl. Arusha took her grandmother's hand and helped her out of the chair. "Come with me Nana, I have to tell you what I saw with mother and father. Come on!" she told her grandmother excitedly. She pulled her grandmother to the main room where her parents had just come in worried about her. Her father saw her and he looked relieved to see her. "Arusha, you almost gave me a heart attack. Where have you been all day?" He asked his daughter worried. She helped her grandmother sit on a chair and took her father's hand. "I know, I know father but wait until you hear my story." She explained to her father. Her mother just smiled and sat close to the fire. Arusha sat on the floor next to her father and began telling them about what she saw at the city. She explained to them every detail. "You should have seen her hair father it was glowing and gold. I have never seen such beautiful hair!" She ended up telling her father. Her parents did not say a word throughout the whole conversation, they listened attentively to every word she told them. "Her hair was glowing? The legends are true." Her Nana said quietly. Arusha crawled to her grandmother and asked. "What legends Nana? Tell me all about it." She asked curiously. Her grandmother took her hand and replied. "When we were young the old witches used to tell tales, passed on from one generation to the other. They used to talk about how the great Adara would rise from the lower depths of the earth to bring peace amongst humanity." Nana explained enthusiastically. Arusha's father cleared his throat. "Mother do not encourage the girl." He told his mother but Nana laughed and took her granddaughter's hand. "If there is a chance that this girl you saw in the city is what the legends foretold you need to be by her side Arusha. You were meant for greater things." Her grandmother further encouraged her granddaughter.

That night Nana gave her granddaughter all her scrolls on the legends of Adara. Arusha lit her candle and went through those scrolls and she read through the different stories about the most powerful and first witch. "Nana, do you really think Adara is real?" Arusha asked her grandmother and her Nana sleeping next to her nodded her head. "I think she was the most powerful witch to ever live Arusha and she has come back to life now." Her grandmother explained to her. Arusha put the scrolls down and looked up at the roof. "I will go and join her army when it is time to fight the vampires and werewolves." She said to herself. Her father stood outside her door listening to his daughter. His wife walked up to him. "Eavesdropping are we Baba? You know you are not supposed to eavesdrop." His wife said and he held her hand as they walked away. "She is thinking of leaving this place to find that witch she saw in the city." He said to his wife worried. Taffy helped her husband sit down and she knelt on the floor. "Nana is right, Arusha has never been an ordinary girl. We all knew one day she'd want to spread her wings Baba." She said to her husband. He looked at his wife worried about their daughter.

The next morning the mines were unusually quiet. There were no watchmen and the villagers wondered why. Arusha and her family walked to the gate and they stood there wondering what exactly had happened in the mines. It was misty and the skies were dark. "Baba something is wrong." Taffy warned her husband. He held his wife's hand tight and they stood at their gate in fear. They were loud screams heard from a distance and Arusha ran towards the gate. "Baba the vampires are attacking the witches aren't they?" She asked her father. He looked at his daughter with sad eyes. He knew this was Fanah's way of warning any witches who would think of finding the mysterious witch from the city. Fanah was savage and cruel. He was barbaric and loved torturing the witches. Baba held his daughter's hand and pulled her towards the horses. His wife ran into the house and grabbed a bag with food supplies and water. She handed her husband a coat and the bag. "Baba what are you doing?" Arusha asked her father in tears. "Quick get on the horse and leave this place. Find the witch!" He ordered his daughter as he tied up the horse and put on the supplies. She stood away from her father with tears in her eyes. "I am not leaving Baba! Not without you!" She protested but her mother took hold of her hand. "You have to go. You are our only hope. Find that witch, she needs you just as much as you need her. Now listen to your father Arusha and go!" Her mother convinced her daughter. Arusha looked at her parents and her grandmother. Her father took off his golden necklaces with a symbol of an eagle on it. He put it on his daughter and kissed her on the forehead. "We were once a great people many many years ago. Go and make us great again." He told her and she hugged her father tightly. She ran to her mother and hugged her. Her grandmother walked up to her granddaughter. She was holding back her tears and smiled. "You are the most beautiful gift this family has ever received." Nana said to her granddaughter. She touched her cheek and kissed her hand. Arusha got on the horse fighting her tears back. "Now go ride to Hatali you will hear something about the witch." Her father instructed her. He let the horse go and Arusha rode off. The vampires had been attacking witches. Arusha could hear the screams from her people as she rode off into the forest. She looked back with tears in her eyes and rode as fast as she could away. Her parents and her grandmother hugged and stood outside the house looking the direction she had rode off to. "Do you think we should have told her the whole truth?" Taffy asked her husband. He looked at his wife and replied. "If she is back the prophecy if going to be fulfilled even the oldest vampires know it. The truth will find her." He told his wife and they kept of hoping their daughter would make it safe to the witch.

Arusha rode to the south east heading to Hatali. She got to the close by villages just after the mines. These were human villages mixed with a few vampires, werewolves and witches. She wore her cloak, got off her horse and led it into the village with her head down. She walked down the streets with her ear to the ground listening in hope she'd hear anything about the witch. As she walked she heard whisper of how she had built a wall in the Mirabu valley. Arusha knew then and then she had to go to the valley. She walked through the village and got to the exit gates where she rode her horse heading towards the valley. She rode into the forest avoiding all main roads so she wouldn't bump into any vampires from the mines. She looked at her the pendant on her necklace and the red glowing light was still on so she knew her father was still alive. She rode as fast as she could and as the sun began to set Arusha got off her horse and stopped to rest. She made a fire, sat next to the fire and started eating her food. She looked at her pendant as she ate and the glowing red was still on. She said a silent prayer and curled up close to the fire and she slept.

The next morning Arusha woke up at dawn before the sun was up and she rode towards the valley. She could see the valley from a distance and she rode along the river bank. She rode towards the wall in the valley and she rode to it Xander who stood watch on the wall saw her riding towards them. He called out to his sister and they all climbed the wall stairs they had made to see the rider heading towards their way. Zara took out a bow and arrow she had taken from one of the soldiers aiming at Arusha but Mira stopped her. "She is a witch, don't shoot." Mira told her sister. Zara looked at her sister. "It has been two days since we camped in the valley. This might be a trap Mira." Zara warned her sister but Mira shook her head. "She is one of us Zara we do not turn one of ours away." She said as she walked down the stairs to open a gate in the wall to let Arusha in. Arusha rode inside the wall and she got off the wall. She walked towards Mira and as she got closer her pendant's light went off and Mira collapsed to the ground. Arusha held her pendant and broke down. "No! No! Please! Baba!" She cried as she fell to the ground. Xander rushed to his sister and Zara pointed the bow and arrow at Arusha in defense. "Do not move young lady!" Zara warned Arusha aiming the bow and arrow at her.