Zeudi stepped out of the house, she really needed the fresh air. Granted she was not the one doing the hard labor, but still she didn't have it easy. And naming a child is not a responsibility that should be taken lightly, it was something the child would carry with them for the rest of their lives. If they didn't use the Roho pacha spell to change gender, and changed their name in the process. She shook her head, nature was bound to make mistakes once in a while. But it didn't happen that often according to Arsema, still the possibility was there.

"You have done a great job." Idris said, while stepping out of the house. He sighed and rubbing his hand. She didn't wonder if it was hurting, she knew it was.

"Thank you, so did you." She replied, and he wiggled his head.

"I was simply there because, something had happened to you." He said. "And the witch doctor let me stay because of the herbs." She smiled that was indeed true, and she herself felt a bit calmer when he was inside the room. Knowing that he would have her back, she didn't know how she knew that, but that didn't matter. He looked up at the night sky. "I think it is past midnight. Which means it is Siku ya msichana." Zeudi frowned, it was Siku ya msichana. But why did he bring it up now? He raised his hand, and in it was a flower crown. She looked at it, were those Watazamaji nyota, stargazers? How did he know that those were her favorite flowers? She liked to wear them in her hair, when she was younger. "This one is for you." He lifted the crown and placed it on her head.

"How did you know?" She asked. He shrugged and sighed. "No really, how did you know that these are my favorites?" He shrugged again and he looked at her with his cloudy gray eyes.

"I simply do, is that not enough?" He replied, but she shook her head. No it was not enough. "May I ask you why you are going out on those missions?" Her eyebrows shot up. That was a strange turn of topic, she wondered what the reason behind it was.

"When I was ten, my mother told me that it was the job of the consort to protect the kingdom. But that it was the job of the queen to take care of it. From that day, she started to teach me how to cook, sow and basic medicine. She even took me to a small village Salama, where some kind of illness was plaguing the villagers. Other than the illness here, this one had a natural course. Still she took me, and I helped her cook for the villagers, picking useful herbs. But most of all, I was allowed to be a normal kid for a while. She allowed me to play with the local children." She said, her hand went to the bracelet around her wrist. "There was a boy inside Salama, who was very kind to me, and treated me like a normal girl. He was the one giving me flower crowns made from Watazamaji nyota, and on the festival of the Sun and Moon he gave me a bracelet made out of string. I treasured it, because although simple, it was a reminder of that first mission. The first time I felt connected with the people inside the kingdom. I was one of them, only the day after the festival my little free time had ended and we went back to the castle. There I discovered that I lost my bracelet, and I cried for days. Until my mother entered my chambers and gave me this one." She showed him the bracelet. "I knew it was not the same one, because it didn't have a special bead. But my mother had done her best, and that was good enough for me. Still I mourned the loss of the real one. I only did not know that it was my first and last mission with her. The next time we set out, to help another village after a landslide, she passed away on the road. Now I am taking up this kind of mission to honor her memory." She smiled at him through her tears. It were happy, but yet painful memories. She looked at him and he smiled.

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"So you didn't throw it away." He said, his hand went to his pouch. She frowned, what did he mean? But out of his pouch came the bracelet, she gasped and looked at him. This couldn't be, he couldn't be the boy who had given her those flower crowns and the bracelet? But how else did he know about her favorite flower? How else was he able to have the bracelet? She slowly shook her head. This couldn't be, they were miles away from Salama. "I am sorry about your mother, I was shocked when I learned about the news." He took her hand and lay the bracelet in the palm of it. "But she missed one key in your education. It might be so that the men are responsible for protecting the kingdom, it is your own responsibility to protect yourself. So I will teach you how to use a sword." She shook her head. "I am not going to take a no for an answer. You have being attacked twice, the next time I might not be there to protect you. And if that happens I might not able to life with myself." He stepped closer and laid his hands on her shoulders. "I mean it Zeudi." Somehow she knew that he did.

"Alright then." She said, he nodded. Leaned towards her and kissed her on the forehead.

"Good."

******

Zeudi's arms were quite heavy, she never knew that learning how to fight was so taxing. But she had discovered that Idris was right, she needed to have some skill with the sword if she wanted to protect herself.

"Alright, let's do that one again." He said, and she moved her wooden sword, blocking all, alright, most of his attacks. He nodded. "You are getting better, but that is it for today. I have an appointment with the smithy." He turned around and walked away. She didn't know if he was just boosting her confidence or if he was being truthful. Still she knew that there was a lot of room for improvement. She started to move her wooden sword this time there was no other sword that was attacking her, but that was not the point. She needed to get familiar with the movements, and she could do that without Idris's help.

"Are you going to swing with that thing all day, or are you going back to work." The voice of Arsema echoed in the background.

"Am I allowed to answer truthfully, or..." Zeudi started, while she looked over her shoulder. The witch doctor shook her head.

"Fine, that man was right. You need to be able to defend yourself. Your brother is not going to wait until nature finishes you off. And thanks to the magical amulet, magic illnesses do not affect you." Arsema said, Zeudi's hand went to the neckless. Arsema had made these amulets for everybody inside the village, including the group of rogues and her. Zeudi looked towards the direction of the capital, Arsema was right. Her brother wouldn't wait for long, he wanted her throne and for that she needed to die. She raised the wooden sword and started to go once again through the passes. "You know that stick of yours will not do much, you need a real sword. So until you got one, you should help me with the herbs. That man of yours..."

"He is not my man." Zeudi said quickly, but she could feel her face burning up.

"You could have fooled me, but fine. That man has collected too much, so now I need to preserve a lot of them." Arsema said and she walked away. Zeudi looked at her.

"Fine." She sighed, knowing that it was an excuse. Idris had indeed gathered a lot of herbs, but it was in no way, too many. They already used a lot of the Kiwanda cha peppermint during the birth of Hewan. But she had promised to help out were ever she could and she was not someone who breaks this kind of promises. So she lowered her wooden sword and followed the witch doctor.