Runako : A Short Story {Part 4}

4.I was in a forest, surrounded by evergreen trees and blooming flowers.
"My child, you must concentrate. The quicker you learn this, the faster we can get back to the kraal and then you can marry your prince. You are fortunate to have fallen in love with royalty. In our days love did not matter, only royal blood."
She was exactly like she appeared in my dreams. It seemed that she did not scare me in this trance or dream or whatever this was. This time she looked regal in the traditional gown she wore. Her long brown leather cape had eagle feathers on it showing her royal status. She was a dark beauty, dark coiled hair, brown skin, tall and it seemed she embraced this with an air of grace as if she was likely to glide through the air at any moment, her eyes full of wisdom and yet behind them one could sense the mystery. She looked young for her age which I somehow knew to be the late 50s yet how I knew I don't know. It was like I was reliving some past life. I was in some other realm, in some other ancient time.

"Must we do this? I already know which herbs to use, we can skip the lectures.”
I was seated in a circle of grass as green as can be on its edges were stones wrapped in moss perfectly arranged. Before me was a gourd with some ancient writing. It was filled with herbs and plants and from the scent I could tell I knew each different kind.
"You are the princess, soon to be queen. You have no leeway to abandon your training. You had best start acting like one. Now fill the pot with water from the sacred spring."
I had not noticed the spring to my left that was flowing so freely and softly. It was strange however, that it flowed in the middle of the forest and yet its source I could not fathom. I drew water from it and mixed it with the herbs.
"For Musikavanhu to hear you he must first smell you, the aroma of your sacrifice…your gratitude for the life he gives through plants, earth wind and rain…dip your hands into the mixture."
I dipped my hands which had colourful beads on them a trinket passed down from generations of queens. "Focus and concentrate, embrace the power in sync with the elements… "
As I followed the sound of her voice it was as if the elements responded. The atmosphere was charged, the wind began to slowly breeze around us the clouds became darker but only in our part of the forest as far as I could tell.
” …and now the chant…"
I began to speak and chant as if driven by some past memory. "Oh Great one..Ye who knows no end, bringer of rain, creator of life. The mysteries of the clouds are yours and the rumblings of thunder, the flashing of lightning a telling of your majestic power. Hear our humble pleas, Grant us ,Musikavanhu, life…May the dew water our plants, may the rain cool our thirsty tongues…For who else can grant us life but the one who lives forever. To you we offer our thanks."
Lightning and thunder roared and at once rain began to pour. I shouted an exclamation of joy and wonder. Had I really made rain? But the satisfied sigh that came out of my mentor confirmed it.
"Now, my princess, you have completed your training and are officially the Rain Queen…well after the crowning ceremony that is. Your mother would be proud."

We went back to the kraal, which happened to be a castle very old stone building made of rock. A very rough picture it made and yet its solitary existence among a number of clustered huts made it so majestic. There were maidens all around and a few guards stationed around with their spears in hand.
"Princess and Mother Superior…the Prince awaits inside", the elderly and trusted advisor said as he led us inside. Mother Superior Chinoera was my mother's younger sister who in this ancient culture was trained in rain making as my mother had been except that her training had always been theoretical since only the heir apparent to the Rain Queen could practise. It had always been the ancient way to train both heirs as a precaution in case the reigning queen in future died before their time and the then heir had to be trained. The Rain Queen's direct descendant and heir to the throne always had the gift but all the others only had training. So Chinoera had training, but my mother and her mother before her had been the chosen Rain queens from birth, being the first born also had the gifting and needed only to perfect it in training.
"Before we meet the Prince, you must listen carefully my child", said Chinoera, "I have been your mentor, advisor and mother since you could only crawl. This I did just as your mother wished. I have also been the Heir presumptive, residing Queen and Guardian of the throne….till now. But now you have grown and blossomed and are ready to take the throne. I am very proud. But there are things you must now know which have been kept from you. But first you must see your love.”
"I don't understand, what is it?"
Her tone was grave and it worried me. But she hurried me off, saying that it could wait.