I came out of Ààrẹ’s forth with my slave girl. I made sure she saw the lifeless body of Kuruki on our way out. This is the fate that would have befell her had I refuse to beg for her life. I led her out of the place still tied by the hand. From now she is mine, Ààrẹ has given me. I thanked my star her eyes were still closed when I knelt down to beg Aare. She would have seen me at my weak moment, begging like a baby.
To take home a beautiful wife is very common to warriors like me. This is one of the benefits of being a warrior. A farmer would have spent a fortune to get this beautiful girl as a wife.
When we got home, I removed the rope used to tie her hands to the back. Then I asked her what was her name for the first time since I took her as slave. She told me her name is Mere. I wondered what that would means in Baruba, her language. I will have to change here name, but I have not thought of what to call her. I told her to go and kneel down in front of ojúbọ Ògún in front of my house and swear allegiance to me.
She went immediately and swore that she will forever be mine and she will never run away, be a backstabber, for I saved her from the sword of Ààrẹ today.
After drinking the water from the ojúbọ, I told her to inform me immediately she sees her next mensuration. I need to impregnate her and the day of the mensuration is very important in making this happen. I showed her where she will be leaving from now on and she went inside like obedient slave. For the next five days she will help other slaves in preparing the food we will eat and store farm produce.
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The first week was uneventful, living with my new slave. She took care of me to her best. I was beginning to think Aare had forgotten about me when I saw his messenger one evening. The messenger came with a concave double axe which I interpreted as someone is now challenging me to a fight from the clan of Ààrẹ. The messenger also said it is a fight I must lose because that is what Aare want. The wrestling was fix for the evening of that day.
This is the problem with Akogun title in the army of Onikoyi. You could be challenged at any time, provided there is no war. And the target of the challenger is the wife of the person challenged. It is a crazy world. I told my slaves to help me find out who is responsible for this. That is, who the challenger is. One of them told me it is Akindimeji, the son of former Akogun.
I sighed a relief when the messenger left because I accepted the challenge. I am not keen on the title, but I want to do everything I can to hold on to my slave wife. I know the challenge has to do with the girl in my custody.
To be continued….
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