Chapter Five
Awana had sent Druna to inform the head of her tribe of their imminent arrival. The squire had returned with good news: Simona and Artemisia were already in the village, and to honor the Amazons the chief had decided to organize a day of competitions and dances.
The column was marching behind Rodrigo and Awana, with the soldiers at its sides. Rodrigo had to hold Mkomo's reins firmly: the giantess was so eager to meet her people that every now and when a hearty tug on her neck was needed to slow her down. The doctor had not touched Awana since that first night; except for Kango's daily massages, his cock had been idle since the day he had taken Mkomo's cherry.
He looked around. It had rained during the night, and the air was balmy. The landscape was magnificent: a luscious tone of green on the low vegetation and on the small clusters of trees indicated abundance of water. The mountain ridge to the East was impressive, and above them the fleecy clouds formed shapes that changed quickly as a gentle breeze pulled them against each other.
The Talunga village was already on sight. Two horses were galloping towards the column; on their backs, Awana recognized her fellow Amazons, who had decided to come and join her for that last stretch of road. A few minutes later, they stopped by her side.
Simona spoke first. She was tall, roughly the same age as Awana, and clad in what seemed a casual outfit: a short skirt, comfortable for riding, a stripe of cloth covering her breasts, and open sandals on her feet. Her bright red hair was waving over her shoulders; her face had that strange beauty of her tribe - green eyes, a straight nose over a delicately shaped mouth, and a rather square chin. She stood erect on the horse's back, and her expression showed utter bewilderment: she had noticed Rodrigo on top of Mkomo.
"Hail, Awana! What is
this
?"
"This man is a foreign doctor I am bringing to Erimanton", Awana replied, savoring her friend's amazement. "Found him in the Kimbundo village. Rodrigo, this is Simona, and at her side you have Artemisia."
The Portuguese bowed his head:
"Noble Ladies, Awana has been very generous and invited me to visit your capital. I am Rodrigo de Toledo, at your service", he said in Greek.
"Oh, you speak our language", Simona exclaimed. "Be welcome, foreigner. Awana's friend is our friend."
As they began to move again, Artemisia gave a good glance at Mkomo's collar. She was somewhat rounder than Simona, a bit less tall, and her blonde hair was tied in a sort of ponytail, leaving bare her small ears and lovely neck. Her skirt and top were like Simona's, and Rodrigo noticed that she had one of the finest pair of legs had ever seen.
"A Talunga harnessed! This is new for me", she said.
"Still being trained, but a good mount", Rodrigo smiled.
"Have you had a good trip?" asked the first Amazon
"Uneventful", replied Awana "And you – did you fulfil your mission?"
"Yes. The Pukari and Shanti are already in the village. We were waiting for you to continue to Erimanton."
Simona glanced at the trunks on the shoulders of the Kimbundo, which were walking just behind them.
"Your lot seems first-class. What are they carrying – tributes?"
"No, Simona. These are things I am bringing to your town. Clothes and other objects from my land", Rodrigo said, and pulled again on Mkomo's reins.
"With the horses, not ahead of them!" he said sternly.
They were entering the village, which was composed of some dozens of wooden
kubatas
, covered with straw and distributed in concentric circles around a wide central square. The doctor shuddered: at the angles of the square, four gigantic skulls were tied through their empty orbits to poles about twenty feet high. Such enormous heads could only have been severed from Talunga necks; the doctor wondered if they were from males or females, and turned his head from that macabre sight.
A portly Nubian in her mid-forties, with sagging tits that suggested she had breastfed several kids, was standing at the center of the square, waiting for them. Her pelt was made of lion hide and on her right ankle she had a circlet made of yellow beads. Although she had no staff in her hand, Rodrigo guessed that she was the head of the tribe.
All the Talunga who happened to be in the village at that time had gathered to greet the Fighting Ladies and to welcome their sisters. Rodrigo evaluated their number at some hundreds. The females were bare breasted and wore the same kind of pelt he was already familiar with; the men, still taller than the women, had a sort of girdle around their hips and going under their crotch. They did not kneel as the Kimbundo had done, but remained standing
Awana raised her hand and the column came to a halt.
"Welcome, Awana!" the chief said, her eyes glued to the collar on the giantess's throat. What did that mean? Why was Mkomo carrying that man on her shoulders?
"Thank you, Matunga! I am glad to be in your village again. You see that I have brought with me Mkomo and a foreign man; she will tell you later how she lost her eye."
The Amazon looked at the group of Kimbundo youths, who were packed against each other and clearly frightened at the sight of so many Talunga, and gave a series of quick orders:
"Aisha, take the Kimbundo to join the Pukari and Shanti; see that they receive water and food. The trunks are to be put in a
kubata;
it will also house the foreign man. I can stay in the same hut as the other Ladies. Druna, take care of my horse and bring me some fruits and fresh water. Then you all may go and have some rest. "
She dismounted and turned to the chief:
"I heard that we will have competitions and dances?"
"Yes, Awana. Talunga want honor Fighting Ladies. Competition when sun gets less hot."
Druna went to carry out her tasks, while Aisha and four other soldiers prodded the Kimbundo towards the area reserved for the slaves - a group of
kubatas
near the end of the village, surrounded by a high palisade. The sentinel opened the gate and the youths marched in; ten Pukari were sent to bring buckets of water from the nearby stream. As they arrived back, the gate was closed; three soldiers mounted guard in front of it, while others climbed ladders posted on the palisade and sat on its top.
The forty-odd Shanti and about fifty Pukari had already spent some days in the enclosure and had grown accustomed to the watchers' presence. But to find themselves in a closed space, under surveillance and with people they had never met, was a new and rather frightening experience for the Kimbundo. They quenched their thirst and stayed together, intimidated by the situation.
The atmosphere remained tense until a Pukari produced a drum and started to hammer on it. Some girls formed a circle and began to thump their feet to the beat.
Nwanze pulled the hand of a girl form her tribe:
"Come! Who knows how long we will have to wait here? Let's dance with the others!"
The Nubian rose to her feet and joined the circle. Soon all the girls followed their example, swaying their hips and moving their arms, while the males clapped their hands to mark the rhythm. The natural sociability of the race had broken the ice.
Rodrigo had gone with Kango and the bearers to the
