CHAPTER ELEVEN: I COME TO TELL YOU THE WHEREABOUTS OF YOUR SOLDIERS
The king and the Council of Chiefs sat in silence, their faces etched with worry and concern. It had been fourteen days since their soldiers had departed, and still, there was no word from them. The tension in the room was palpable.
Chief Iyere broke the silence, his voice laced with accusation. "I told you we should have taken things slowly, but you never listened. Now look what's happened. Do you think our soldiers will just waltz back in here after two weeks of silence?"
Chief Ake's face reddened with anger. "Are you blaming me for the disappearance of our soldiers? What fault is mine in this?"
Iyere's eyes flashed with anger. "You were the one who pushed for this war, who convinced us to send our soldiers into battle without proper planning. Now look what's happened. Our soldiers are gone, and we have no idea what's happened to them."
Chief Ake stood up, his finger pointing accusingly at Iyere. "How dare you! You're the one who's always cautioning us to wait, to do nothing. But I say we must act, we must take action to protect our village and our people."
The king slammed his fist on the table, silencing the arguing chiefs. "Enough! This is not the time for blame or argument. We must work together to find our soldiers and bring them home safely."
Just then, a young man burst into the room, out of breath and eager. "I come to tell you about the whereabouts of your soldiers!" he exclaimed.
The chiefs turned to him, shocked and annoyed by his sudden interruption. "How dare you!" one of them exclaimed. "You show no respect for the king or the Council of Chiefs."
The king examined the young man, his eyes narrowing. "Why did you come here uninvited? What do you know about our soldiers?"
The young man bowed low, his voice trembling. "Thank you, my lord. I know I have disrupted your meeting, but I had to come. I have news of your soldiers, and I must share it with you."
The king nodded, his expression softening. "Speak, young man. What do you know?"