Apeleka had not seen her man for the last one week. He had been by her side since they left the forbidden land. He had helped her avenge her mother and herself. He had also brought them to his home where they were smothered with love. She had heard that Okoth and his father were in the Odindi clan battle ground where she was not allowed to go to. From the information she had obtained, Ochieng' was not there. She was distressed.

In the forbidden land, Ochieng' had agreed with the concerned parties that they would leave for Turka the next day. They did not do much in the battlefield earlier that day so they were not at all fagged.

"You have no idea how she is missing you right now. I can feel her despondency right now, we should hurry brother."

After flying a few distance from the lions clan with Ochieng' on her back, Jakony said in an affectionate voice.

"I am not driving, why are you telling me to hurry alongside you?" Ochieng' asked mockingly.

"Forget it."

The bird only shook its head and increased its flying speed tenfold leaving Ochieng's eyes widened in shock.

It did not take them long before they arrived. As usual, Jakony landed on a place that nobody could see them to avoid trouble. Ochieng' ran to his house because he knew he could find Apeleka there and just as he had prefigured, she was there.

"Where have you been? You have made me sick my dear." The stunner said with her tears welling out after she had left the tight embrace of the man she loved.

"I thought you have a regenerative ability, how can you be sick?" Ochieng' asked with a wicked smile.

"I am serious..."

She wanted to say something but Ochieng's lips were already locked on hers. The osculation was soft, slow and controlled at the beginning but as time went by, their breathing became heavy, their pulsation became faster and louder, their kissing became vigorous and without knowing, they were all au naturel. What followed were gratifying soft moans.

"So, did you go to Turka?"

Apeleka asked shortly after they were done with their drama. They never felt guilty for doing it before they were married officially. Their love knew no bonds already.

"You know I couldn't do such a thing."

"What do you mean?"

"We were to go with you, let me go for a sip of fermented milk." He left immediately he finished saying so.

"Child. He is still a child." She chuckled behind his back while shaking her head as if disappointed in something.

"Ochieng', you are back! Where on earth did you go to?" Anyango gave the young man a tight hug the moment he entered her hut. Sankale and another woman was with her too. After he greeted them, he found himself a stool and held his belly saying shamelessly,

"Mother, I need some milk."

"Some of his teeth should be pulled out Anyango." Laughed the woman Ochieng' did not know.

Apeleka wanted to leave Ochieng's hut when she saw a gray bird with white wings approaching. She went inside and sat on a skin on the floor. The bird landed right on her shoulder.

"Where were the two of you Jakony? I hardly slept."

"To help the tribe."

"How?"

"There was war."

"War? But the tribes agreed to maintain peace among them."

"Do you think that is possible Apeleka?"

"I don't know...Were you with Ochieng' alone?" Apeleka asked throwing an anticipatory look at Jakony.

"No, we were with my father, Mudho and other four lion beasts."

"Which tribe were you fighting against and why?"

"Kalek and Lang, you should go and prepare for the journey to Turka tomorrow morning."

Apeleka still had questions to ask but she couldn't after she saw Jakony was not ready to talk more.

By the time the Lang and Kalek tribe heads were in Lang tribe land, it was already late in the night. They decided to spend their night at a nearby chief's home. Since there was war and all their warriors were killed, their chiefs, especially Lang chiefs all died because they joined the war. Their edifices were not well guarded, so the two tribe heads entered very easily without drawing attention.

"I have been thinking Lokoit, should we just let them go like that?" Luvembe asked the moment they settled.

"You cannot be thinking of revenge Luvembe. You saw the power of those monsters yourself." Lokoit said fearfully.

"That boy must be a Mogwedhi as they are called in Lu language. Those beasts are definitely from the forbidden land. Revenge is not impossible."

"I never thought he was the legendary Mogwedhi. What do you want us to then? You know he has the power to drive all the beasts of the forbidden land to our lands and destroy us."

These were the tribe heads of great clans bordering the forbidden land, it was not surprising that they knew of the existence of Mogwedhi, even though most of them had never seen one. After all, not all the Mogwedhi came back to their homes.

"So long as there is someone like him, not all the beasts can be controlled by him."

"What do you mean?" Lokoit asked confusedly.

"We will leave tomorrow morning, I think you will know what I mean after we get there." Luvembe smiled with glimmering eyes.

Meanwhile, in Anyango's hut,

"You are right Angero Aoro... he is still a child." Laughed Anyango.

Her friend had just mocked her son who had walked into her mother's hut to ask for milk. Ochieng' who had received a gourd of milk was busy filling his stomach. It was as if he was not getting what the women were discussing.

After he was through, he looked at the women and smiled, "You don't have to blame me. I have never been by her side since I was a child. I only survived on meat and fruits wherever I was. Is it bad to have milk after missing it for fifteen years?"

"We are not blaming you child." Laughed Sankale.

"Where have you been for the last one week? Apeleka missed you a lot." His mother asked to get him out of this quandary.

"The Kalek and the Lang tribe decided to attack our tribe because they wanted our land and the gold deposit around lake Luwa for themselves. The Lang tribe's dignity had also been trampled upon when we went to Avenge Apeleka. They wanted revenge and to be sure of winning, they went to seek Kalek's collaboration." He explained in one breath.

"No wonder most of our sons just disappeared. It turns out they went to protect their families and the tribe...What was the outcome of the battle son?" That was Angero Aoro, the woman who had mocked him earlier.

"I only arrived here earlier because I used other means. It will not be late if you hear that from your sons who will be here after a few days." Ochieng' said before giving a wicked smile.

The three women could only shake their heads bitterly as there was nothing they could do to make him spill what they wanted to know.

Apeleka joined them not long after. Her face crimsoned when her glistering eyes met Ochieng's. The women smiled at that sight but chose to keep quiet. After all, these two fellows were more than old to get married. Doing the thing was not all that bad.