Chapter 25: Ten Days

Mutapa intended on keeping his promise of destroying the Bantu kingdom because Mhare had burnt down his cave and everything he used for his power. So he began gathering everything he had before and never approached his cave.

He wanted to stay safe in case the Bantu people decided to attack him and the caves reminded him of what he had done to Makosi. After gathering all the muti which made him powerful, he began searching for more animals he could use for the battle ahead of him.

The Bantu people, on the other hand, were also preparing for his coming. Mutapa had promised to come after ten days from the east and he wanted to fight in the eastern plain outside their mountains.

But they never trusted him so they protected all sides of the kingdom with traps of all kinds. Women gathered the food and fruits needed to support everyone in this war.

Mhare began leading the warriors since he had recovered from the wounds he incurred when he fell into a trap. He decided to have those who had been injured in the previous battle as archers. They were not fit for fighting with spears but he wanted them to be useful in the battle.

Young men were taken and trained to fight with spears. Pockets were created in the mountains for other warriors to hide and attack Mutapa from behind as they had done in the previous battle.

In the eastern side of the kingdom, deadlier traps were set and the people were warned against visiting that side. In the plain where Mutapa said he would come from, pits were dug and sharp wood arrows were put in place and disguised with grass coverings. An old technique most kingdoms adopted to trap the enemy.

In every occasion that a battle ensues, women were always told to hide in their caves in the northern side of the kingdom without any lookouts or warriors at their aid, however, this time around it was decided that they were to be protected. Their caves were going to be covered in case Mutapa decided to attack from that side and find them.

Watchers covered the summits of every side of the mountains covering the Bantu kingdom. They were very alert and had been charged to light a fire if they saw Mutapa approaching.

Large boulders were set in the mountains to roll them towards the enemy. As his men prepared for a war with Mutapa, the king was devising a plan to clear his name before the other kings.

He sent spies out to find out if they were gone for good and to inquire about the camping location of the three kings and their warriors. Two days were left before the coming of Mutapa and the king was not sure if they were going to believe him.

"I will go to their camp," Mhare said.

"No that's too risky. We can't risk losing you before we fight with Mutapa. There's something we can do but I can't figure it out," Changamire Zama argued.

"With all due respect Changamire, if you take an army there they will destroy it because they still think we are their rival. I will go into their camp with a few men secretly and find a way to tell them," Mhare said.

"We don't have much time we have to tell them the truth. Their numbers will be an advantage to us in this battle," Muchenjeri said.

The king sighed and looked on the ground. He did not want Mhare to leave the kingdom but he knew that help was needed. He nodded and said, "Go. Return tomorrow because the day after that we have a man with animals to fight. But Muchenjeri stays behind."

Princess Ruva had been watching them from a distance. When she saw Mhare leaving the king's presence, she approached him and stopped him. "Where are you going?" She asked.

Mhare looked back and saw the king looking at them. He cleared his throat and said, "I have to tell the other kingdoms about Mutapa's plan. We have to clear our name."

Ruva looked at him for a moment and then she said, "Do what you have to do and return in one piece."

Mhare nodded and began preparing for his journey. Spies sent from the camp of the other kingdoms spent days analyzing how the Bantu were operating. They observed how the Bantu were preparing for war in and outside the kingdom.

The day they returned to their kingdom is the day that Mhare was visiting their kingdom. When the spies returned to their camp, they told the three kings what they saw. "They seem to be preparing for a bigger battle than the one we had with them. It looks like they are sure of who is going to fight them," one of the spies finished by saying this.

The three kings decided to sit alone and discuss this matter. "I am sure after that battle the Bantu are preparing to protect themselves from another attack. They are expecting us to return," Mambo Gwati of the Zezuru kingdom said.

"Of course they expect us to attack again. But there's something troubling me. We all fled before Mutapa, why would they prepare traps again when they know that we fear Mutapa? When he joined the battle it came to an end. I wonder what they are up to," Mambo Tenda of the Karanga kingdom said.

"We are planning to attack them at night. Remember they also think. They know that if we failed to fight them then we will try other means to cripple them. I think that's why they are protecting their kingdom," Mambo Wasu said.

"The Bantu people are proud of themselves. They would never put such tight protection after chasing us from their kingdom. Something is going on in that kingdom. I think they are facing another threat. If someone is going to attack them, then we are going to be there helping that person," Mambo Tenda said.

"Who would attack them? We are the major powerful kingdoms in this land. If the Bantu manage to defeat us, then who will?" Mambo Gwati said.

"This doesn't make sense. There's definitely something that we are missing here. The question is can we manage to attack them again?" Mambo Wasu asked.

"It's too risky our warriors might walk into a death trap. We will have to split and return to our kingdoms to protect our women and children," Mambo Gwati said.

They argued whilst sitting together as they tried to figure out a way forward but in vain. They finally decided to abandon their mission and return to their kingdoms the following morning.

When night came, they all slept and Mhare approached their camp with his men. He saw that their camp was well protected and there were men covering the boundaries of this camp.

Slipping into the camp was going to be risky so he decided to capture of the man protecting the camp. The boundaries were covered with thorns except the entrance. So they approached the entrance and found a warrior standing there alone.

Two warriors quickly jumped over the entrance and captured the man. One covered his mouth and they dragged him outside without anyone noticing. They took the man to a place far from the camp and uncovered his mouth.

They lit a torch of fire and the man began shaking when he noticed that he had been captured by Bantu warriors because he knew them by their red attire.

"My name is Mhare of the Bantu, here is a message I want you to deliver to your king: Mutapa is not one of us. He tricked you into thinking that he is one of us. The man is coming to attack our kingdom. He wanted us to fight amongst ourselves in order for us to get weaker. The day after tomorrow he is going to attack our kingdom from the east because I saved the princess and burnt all his belongings," Mhare said.

Bu... but we saw him. He attacked our people...," the warrior said.

"And he is going attack ours. We are going to fight this man alone even if you don't help us. But know that if he destroys our kingdom he will come for yours to finish what he started. If you want to help us, then approach our kingdom from the northern side. There's a small path there it has no traps," Mhare said.

He described a few more things about how these kingdoms could enter the Bantu kingdom safely and why Mutapa was coming for war. When he was done, he let the man free and took his warriors back to his kingdom. On his way back, he just wished what he had done was enough to get them help from the other kingdoms.

***

Muti- tree or herb