Past sins

You have come." Grandfather greeted as Sheila came in. Akunna followed behind her and he looked up at her, a question in his eyes. He had clearly not been expecting her.

"You said not to come alone" Sheila explained.

"It is as it should be," he said.

His advice was to keep a guard close; a maid was something else. He took a lance leaning against the wall and led the way, the girls falling in behind in order: the King's daughter first, her maid bringing up the rear.

"When I was much younger, I killed a man. With this exactly."

He did not look at the weapon. It would bring back the look in the man's eyes, it always did. Not that he did not cherish the look of fear in those eyes as he had fed off it that day. For years it had been his one consolation.

"I killed a man," he repeated, speaking each word slowly and distinctly.

"I do not regret it - it is the way of an Ansi to kill. I gutted him and left it at his mother's hearth - for her breakfast."

A smile almost crossed the wrinkled features. "A most rash thing to do if you ask me now, but it had been satisfying. Youth is seldom cautious, and I had lost all sense of caution then." He spoke as though to himself.

"The weather is excellent." Sheila looked around, unable to share the same sentiment towards the cloudy sky. The smell of rain was in the air and she hoped they would get back before it did rain.

"He had killed my cousin and burned down his house. He speared his wife and smashed the little child against a rock."

He spat into the grass.

"He was a prince and no one laid a hand on him." "You should know, every Ansi is bound to his brother. By this, an Ansi cannot be hired to kill another. But he was paid and he could not resist. A prince after all." He repeated.

"His mother's only child. I took his guts out. I should have fed it to the dogs. The witch, she deserved to have them for a souvenir.

"I was banished. It's not as though Ansis live in communities." He said, speaking to himself once again.

"The witch had to weave a curse. As it was, it was not binding. An Ansi is a killer weapon after all.

"Leaving the life behind, I married your grandmother. We could not have children. If she were an Ansi, it would be different, but my tribe would have nothing to do with me. We had your mother eventually. It cost a life to have her."

He paused and and turned back to look at the girls as though someone may have had the heart to steal them off the path while he in the middle of his story.

"When your mother could not bear a child - I was lucky to have her married to a prince." He smiled contentedly, proud of himself obviously. It was a side of him that was rarely expressed.

"I gave half my soul." He turned again to look at his granddaughter.

"Stay." His voice was low and carried a command. Akunna did not move a footstep more.

They were close to the clearing now and Sheila looked at the small hut she had visited before. The inside had smelled damp and then of smoke when she kindled the fire.

"You are a spirit child. I like to think its for this reason that you are switched. Displacing the body from the spirit makes it easier. You need to be careful," he said, in low tones meant for only her ears. "The gods themselves watch over you."

The old man cleared his throat loudly and spat out phlegm. The sorceress emerged.

"What do you want, old man?" she asked, staring at the visitors in displeasure.

"Nice to see you again, too. Is this your doing?" He pointed to Sheila.

"What would you mean by that? I'm not the one who zaps her energy by my company."

The old man turned to look at Sheila.

"She doesn't look sick to me," he said uncertainly. "I'm well, grandfather," she assured him.

"Perhaps, it is the one benefit of the switch you made out of her."

"A Switch?" The witch gave an incredulous look. The old man did not seem to buy the act.

"I thought she merely had... Never mind what." She gave a high pitched laugh.

"Is that why you brought a spear? You cannot gut it out of me either way," she said with an air of nonchalance. At the same time, she moved towards Sheila. The old man watched her intently.

"This must be really excellent work or rather amateurish - the thing has no imprint."

"Don't call her that. She is your princess."

She moved away from them unbothered.

"She may have had it done for all I know. Such sorcery usually leaves its mark. She has none of it. I wouldn't know what to make of this one." Sheila did not like the way she levered at her. "You and I know that is powerful sorcery and not what a child goes asking for." He gave her a scrutinising look. "What is to be done for her?"

"It takes a lot to recall a switch if it is to be done at a. I am wondering what price I can get for that - gold, freedom to go about?"

She tapped a bony finger to her lips. "Maybe a head while I'm at it. Your tribesmen haven't exactly forgotten, have they?"

The old man chuckled, looking rather unbothered.

"The thought of a head off those shoulders will be a pretty sight indeed."

"or I can get my nephew back." She turned her gaze on the old man. "It is not a well-known fact, but the boy, Ka-mo is my sister's son"

"What about this. I let the king know you switched his daughter..."

"Then the sniffers will be brought in. A judge or an avenger of blood comes to get the sorcerer. The girl goes too; a Switch is a Switch, royal or not." She smiled as she finished for him. She had him cornered and was enjoying it.

"You know that is impossible."

"I can say the same of what you ask of me. A switch is so till death except there was left a port for a return."

The old man said nothing. He understood the implication of what was being said. His mind went to the servant still waiting for them some distance away. He should have thought about it.

"Perhaps a messenger from the King could make an impact." It was the sorceress who spoke, breaking his line of thought.

"You know that anyone taken by the judges to avenge blood rarely ever returns. The king has no authority to do what you ask, you know that."

"You know she pushed the girl off the cliff." Her voice was quiet now, threatening.

"And when the avenger of blood was summoned, the king chose to lose a mere servant to his daughter."

"I did not push her." Sheila said for the first time in self defense.

"You see that? She denies it again. She says it to my face that Ka-mo pushed the princess."

"She fell. No one pushed her."

"But you chose not to take the blame. Be it as it is, the boy returns, you have your wish. The life of a switch is only as long as you know. Choose."

With those words, she turned into her hut. Sheila wished her grandfather would say something for her, but he was shaking his head and turned away.