The Challenge
(10/10/09)

"Neferiti, come," a gruff voice calls into the hut. She stirs a little on her bed of hay.

A softer, sweeter voice full of wisdom answers him, "Let me try, son. Neferiti dear, it's … time."

The girl's eyes pop open. The dirty cloth she was lying under flies to the side. A blur of flesh zips past them both. Splash! A raining wind blows back into the structure. She slows to grab her most comfortable deer pants. She puts them on and exits to stand still dripping before her family.

Her older brother grunts, "Are you ready?"

Despite the deeper meanings and her implied inability, she nods her assent.

"Let's go. The tribe's waiting," his words drip with disapproval.

Mother stays behind as the two siblings venture into the woods. Neferiti looks up at her stone faced brother and steels her own. I can do this.

The trip takes longer than usual. They eventually arrive at the meeting spot. In the clearing, an elderly chief is surrounded by all the men of the tribe. Her brother leaves her and joins them across from her. As Neferiti joins the three young men in a row, her brother puts decorative paint on his face and chest.

The old man turns to the four opposite him, "Initiates, you have passed many tests to make it this far. Today, you face the final challenge. Those who pass this will be welcomed into the Hunt. You know the rules. Now, travel into the rising sun. Begin!"

A knife lands at her feet. She looks up to find the four of them alone. She checks her equipment. Rusty and dull. She quickly glances at the others and sees they have the same. Once the boys give chase, she roars into the trees, "I will defeat you. I must!"

As she steps forward, her keen eyes spot what she is looking for, a stone. While training her view forward, she moves and sharpens preparing for what is to come. I must be ready for this is my only chance.

Sufficiently sharp, she readies to drop the rock. Without warning, something snatches at her foot. As she is lifted into the air upside down, she hacks at the knot at her ankle. To make the task harder, once she has reached the pinnacle, the vine starts jerking up and down. She stops and follows the path of the trap.

She hurls the rock and hears a satisfactory 'Oooooffff!' Released, she drops downward. Arching her back and twisting her body she lands on all fours on the ground. She finishes the knot freeing herself. She coils the long plant and throws it over a shoulder. She retrieves her stone and continues into the sun.

Up ahead, she hears a branch straining under a weight. She hops back and takes a second look. She is in another clearing smaller than before. Trees hedge the sides causing someone to walk between them. She ties one end of the vine to her rock. She uses her new tool to loop a high branch on one side.

Using the vine as her support, she runs along the trunks of the trees. As she reaches the other side, she hears a Creeeak! She loosens her grip on her tool and leaps to safety. SNAP! The branch falls and triggers the pit trap. She collects her vine. As she leaves, she hears tribal laughs turn to growls of frustration.

She continues on. She smells them. There are at least three on each side waiting for her. I can't let them stop me. I must succeed. She pulls out her knife and gets ready for anything. Then almost instinctively she runs. Woosh! Woosh! Nets fly at her from either side. She twirls the rock while raising the knife like a claw. The first bats the attack away while the second slices it open.

Suspicious dirt ahead. She releases the twirling vine and it hits the space. The rock clears enough to see a net! Without slowing her pace, she drifts to one side and drags the knife drawing a line in the dirt. They spring the net trap on her, but the rope has been cut. As she leaves she hears someone grunting against their bonds. He will be able to try again next time.

She runs on for a time. She slows to check her stuff and regain her breath. This must be a break area. She rests briefly and takes a drink from a nearby river while remaining attentive. She laps at the water while watching the reflection for anyone sneaking up on her. With her thirst quenched but not overfull, she continues on.

She enters a grove and stops dead. There before her are tracks. She recognizes them instantly. Pig. She tracks it until its scent becomes clear.  She follows the smell and footprints around a corner. There is drops of red on the ground and on the tusks of the Boar! The tribesman wearing the animal's head runs at her.

It takes many men to catch one, but I must catch it alone.  The trees on either side of the path leave no direction to dodge. The beast that is twice her size continues forward.

She spots two young trees on either side, and a plan begins to form. She uncoils the vine and runs forward at him. The excess plant material trails behind her. Just before they meet, she bounds onto one sapling and then the other taking her up and over the charging pig. Her tool, following behind her, clotheslines the animal.

Quickly, she returns and uses the non rock end to tie up the boar's neck to a tree. She takes the knife to its throat in a symbolic gesture of killing. He nods his head in acceptance. She cuts off the unused portion leaving him tied there.

She exits the small patch of woods to a field. Up ahead above the tall grass is the fastest runner of the village wearing an antelope's head and antlers. I must catch him to continue. I must not fail.

She begins to jog toward him. He, in turn, runs away. Saving some of her strength she chases after him. Each time she draws close he darts to one side or the other.  This goes on for a while.

Heaving chest, Neferiti realizes his plan. He's trying to tire me out. Then he wins. I must not quit! She slows her pace to a jog. She notices the fresh and dried blood on his right antler. He favors one side.

That is all she needs. She heads after him with a plan. She waits until he darts left a few times in a row and then sprints at him. Before she's ready, he turns. No, I cannot fail now. As a last ditch attempt, she pounces in the direction he's headed. Her fingers brush one horn and then nothing. She bends her fingers in disappointment. They curl around the other.

Momentum carries her across his path and brings him down to bang his head. She ties his hands together and puts the knife to his throat as before. He also nods defeat.

She heads out of the field with the sun almost straight up into another set of trees. But what she finds there is not expected. There is nothing. No smells. No traps. No tracks. No disturbance. Nothing. She slows her pace suspicious. This continues on for a while. This can't be the end. There's no one here.

As if reading her mind, her brother steps out. "Good job, Neferiti. You have won." She starts to turn toward him, but something nags at her. She stalks around him. "Come with me. Let's go tell Mother of your success." Then it hits her. He's too happy for me. This is another trap. With a snort, she continues past him.

The trees clear, and she skitters to a stop. Not because of the cliff at her toes, but rather the strange gray tree in the distance. This foliage is like nothing she's ever seen before. She tilts her head to try to make sense. It has a thick trunk with moss and plants growing up it and showing that it has been there a long time. But the growth cannot pass the lowest and only branch. The branch extends both directions and is longer than it is high. So long are they that silver vines come from the top of the trunk to various places along the branch to keep it off the ground.

She finally peels her eyes from this strange sight to peer at her feet. She follows the edge to the ash covered tree. It looks like it wants to touch the cliff. She glances to the other side where she sees a lone pole and figure. She can't make him out, but it must be the leader.

She rushes along towards the silver plant. This must be the final challenge. A wind whips at her face. Her black locks fly behind her. As she draws closer the branch gets wider. When she arrives Neferiti sees that the branch is as wide as she is tall. Seeing her goal at the other end she figures she must walk on top of it to get to the other side.

She backs up and tries a running jump to cross the gap. Once her feet touch the gray surface it begins to slide from side to side. Neferiti falls hurting her wrist. With effort she stands again. She takes another step and crashes down again. This scrapes her knee. I cannot fail here.

She pushes herself up. She raises her eyes in determination. The wind comes up again causing the length to sway back and forth like a snake. With this new thought, she stands and fights the shifting.

Foot steps in front of foot. She stays vertical. Slowly she makes progress until she reaches the first silvery vine. It is as big as her fist with grooves that twirl around it. But she barely notices as she presses on. I must defeat this. I cannot fail.

She eyes the next tendril from the trunk. Getting her legs under her, she puts one in front of the other faster and faster until she falls onto it. This pattern repeats until she reaches the smooth gray trunk.

Once she leaves the middle, her steps get more directed and free. Each waypoint comes faster. At last she reaches the final stop. All that stands between her and the end is a long stretch of serpentine gray branch.

She looks to the end to see the wooden pole, from before, just beyond the edge of the breaking branch. At the top is a cloth. I need to finish this, climb the pole, get that, and get down. Her legs begin to shake from exhaustion. No! Not now. I'm so close.

She watches the end sway back and forth passing the goal. She takes a step and her scrapped knee bends under the pain. "no. No. NO!" In her mind she sees her brother looking down at her. All the people in the village telling her she won't make it. That girls shouldn't be in the Hunt.

Her leg straightens as a surge of second wind races through her body. She releases the last support and takes another step. Faster and faster they come. She races to the end as if she knew how to walk on the serpentine path all along.

Without thinking her arm starts moving of its own accord. The vine tool starts swinging. She pounces toward her target. The branch crumbles and she launches her spinning vine. For a moment she soars through the air exhilarated. The coil latches onto the pole, and she lands on her feet on the side. With quick climbing steps, she ascends to the top and claims her prize.

"YES," she roars, "I have done it!" She slides down the final challenge and faces the leader of the pack. After consulting with the testers who return trying to hide their wounds, the chief nods. And this is my first step to become a lioness … a lioness of the Hunt. She smiles to herself.