Rite of Passage: A Daughter is Born

Rite of Passage: A Daughter is Born
A soft rustling caught Sheela’s attention. She’d been tracking a wild boar for nearly five hours, following it into the deepest part of the forest. It was always twilight here. The sun’s rays barley managed to trickle through the layers of dense foliage that formed the ceiling. There was almost as much growth on the forest floor, as monstrous mushrooms protruded from the sides of tree trunks toppled by the fierce storms that sometimes visited this region. Children throughout the Ashwan tribe knew of this area as the Black Woods, a place where witches and fantasy monsters dwelled. Although the adults knew that those stories weren’t true, they still only ventured into that place when it was necessary. Ashwan boars were well-known for their violent tendencies, and more than one man had returned from a group hunt missing an appendage.

Sheela knew the dangers, but pressed forward. This was her first hunt, and she’d decided that only death would keep her from finishing it. The first hunt was an important step for a male adolescent in the tribe. If successful, it signified his transition into adulthood. Women were given a different task to perform to prove their worth, but Sheela had insisted that she be allowed to do this. Many women had tried the first hunt, but none had completed the test since her own grandmother. Sheela had to prove not only that she was as capable as any of the men in the tribe, but also that she was worthy of her namesake.

The rustle grew louder as it approached. She could clearly hear the pit-pat of the boar’s hooves as it crossed the network of roots that laced the woods. Is this the same one I’ve been tracking this whole time? If it was a different one, she could be in real danger. A pack of hungry boars could reduce a grown man to a shredded heap of flesh in thirty minutes. In that amount of time, there’ll be nothing left of me, she thought. She crept a little closer, crouching silently to get a closer look. The markings on the back of the beast would tell her if this was the one she’d been after all afternoon. After glancing its hide, she breathed a sigh of relief. Yeah, it’s the same one. Looks like it’s just me and you out here. No sooner than she thought that, she heard the crackling of branches behind her. Startled, the boar raced off, deeper into the Black Woods. Sheela groaned, and grabbed her spear from beside her. It seemed that there was another predator after her prize. Or is it after me? Either way, it looked like this hunt was going to take a little longer than expected.

* * *

“It’s been over six hours. Don’t you think we should go in after her?” Jevon asked.

“You know the rules. No one is to interfere with the first hunt until nightfall.” Tian said.

“Yeah, I know. How have the negotiations with the Radins been going?”

Tian sighed, rubbing his neck. “I’d be better off talking to a tree stump than their chief. Neither one of them listens, but at least the stump doesn’t yell every five minutes.”

Jevon chuckled. “I don’t know why I’m laughing. That’s not funny at all. With the king leaning on us so hard, now is the time that the tribes need to cooperate. Still, I can’t imagine seeing you sitting at a table across from Radin, trying to negotiate. It must be funny.”

“And that’s another thing! All of their chiefs are names Radin, after their original chief. And it’s such a popular name that a lot of the regular people name their sons that, too! I swear, every time I said his name, about seven different people looked up.”

“Don’t be too critical of them. We may have to be allies with them for a very long time.” Jevon reminded him.

“I know, I know. To think, the Ashwan and Radin tribes on the same side. Father is probably rolling over in his grave right now.” Tian said. “But we can’t beat the Knights by ourselves. If war does come, it’ll affect all of the tribes.”

“And their children.” Jevon said.

Tian understood what he meant, and nodded. “She may be young, but she understands what’s going on. That’s why she took the test, to prove that she’s tough enough. That’s why she has to pass.”

* * *

The stinging pain in Sheela’s left foot nagged at her, but she kept moving. Spears were never supposed to be left behind exactly for that reason. The gash was deep, and the bandage she had fashioned was already burgundy from the blood loss. She could hear the animal though, racing towards a nearby river. Ashwan boars were excellent swimmers, and if she couldn’t catch him before they reached its raging waters, it would escape. That’s not an option, she thought, even as she winced at putting her full weight on her foot. She was also racing against time. This deep into the Black Woods, she didn’t know how much longer she had before the sun completely set. The elongated shadows cast by the few rays of light that broke through the canopy told her she didn’t have much time before nightfall. When night fell, her father would come for her, and the first hunt would be over. I can’t fail, I won’t fail! Sheela repeated the words like a mantra, and soon she found she was running at full speed, the pain in her foot gone. She smiled a little, but then stopped abruptly. She’d been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t notice that the boar had stopped running away from her. How long have I been running in the wrong direction? The dull roar of the river drowned out every other sound, except the thud-thud of her own heartbeat in her ears. I might as well change this bandage while I try to figure out what to do. As she removed the wrapping, she noticed that she was standing in a small pool of blood. All thoughts of the boar instantly vanished. How long have I been bleeding like this? Any predator within 300 meters has my scent now! She could feel the fear rising in her. Sweat began pouring off her forehead, even though she’d been standing still for several minutes. The woods were full of predators. Most of them stayed away from humans, but anything with an injury was fair game. Sheela had heard stories of giant calubras this deep in the forest, some of them as large as grown men…

Calm down! Get a grip of yourself! She forced herself to calm down. Taking in a few deep breaths, Sheela searched around for a landmark, something familiar to tell her which way to go to head back towards her father. Father…I’m sorry, but I couldn’t do it…It was her only real regret. She didn’t feel she had anything to prove to the rest of the men in the village, but she had to show her father that she would be ready. He had so much faith in her, and believed in her. To return empty handed to him was worse than any other dishonor Sheela could face. She spotted a large flower, and remembered that it faced the village. Sadly, she began to head back home. Her first hunt would end in failure.

A low growl brought her out of her despair. Sheela instinctively froze. Some of the predators tracked their prey through movement, and she didn’t want to give it any help. The river was far behind, and she heard the muted footsteps of her foe as it stalked her. She went to tighten her grip on the spear she’d brought with her. My spear! Where’s my spear?! Sheela remembered that she’d put it down while changing her bandage, and forgotten about it in her dejected mood. That meant all she had to defend herself was the 15 centimeter dagger she’d brought along to cut the hide off the boar.
The footsteps crept closer. Sheela tried to silence the deafening sound of her heartbeat. The creature appeared from a thicket to her right, and Sheela turned to face it. It was a calubra, a large feline that dwelled in the deepest parts of the forest. It was known as a scavenger, but there were times when calubras were known to attack wounded and sick animals, even a few young humans. Fortunately it wasn’t as large as Sheela’s imagination had made it, but its claws and fangs seemed to sparkle in the waning daylight. It let out a loud, triumphant roar, as if to say this fight was over before it even started.

Sheela growled back, the way her father taught her to scare away predators. The calubra wasn’t impressed. It hadn’t eaten in days, and this dinner would not escape so easily. Sheela realized she only had two options: fight or run. Her foot wasn’t bothering her anymore, but she doubted that she could outrun any four-legged creature, much less a giant cat. Which only leaves me with one choice. She pulled out her dagger, and growled again.

“Well, come on!” she yelled at the calubra. “It’s either me or you! One of us isn’t leaving this forest alive!”

The calubra seemed confused by all the noise she was making, and hesitated. That was the only opportunity she needed. Screaming at the top of her lungs, Sheela lunged at the calubra, dagger in hand and fire in her eyes.

* * *

“Enough is enough, Tian. Are you really prepared to allow your daughter to die out there?” Jevon asked.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“She went in there eight hours ago. The sun is almost completely down. No one can survive a night in those woods, especially not a 13 year old girl.” he said.

“Is that what this is about? You’re afraid she can’t do it because she’s a girl?” Tian asked. “What about all the training you gave her? All the training I gave her! She comes from the proudest and most capable family in this tribe! I’m the chief, and someday she will be too! There’s nothing that she can’t do!” Tian yelled.

“Don’t you think you’re pushing her too hard? She’s already on her first hunt! Me and you didn’t do that until we were 15! She’s trying to measure up to so many people. You, the other men, her grandmother…she thinks she needs to prove to all of us that she’s tough enough to run the tribe! You don’t think that’s too much for a girl her age to have to deal with?”

Tian sighed again. “Yes, it is a lot to handle, for anyone. She’s going to have a difficult life, no matter what path she takes. Everyone will always tell her that she can’t do it just because she’s a woman. Do you think that she can’t do the things that other boys her age do? She can do things that grown men can’t do well! I’ve talked to Sheela many times about her becoming the chief of this tribe someday. She understands that many of the people in this tribe, especially the council members, will not accept a female as their chief. She could be the strongest, the smartest, the most cunning, but just because she’s a female, they will doubt her. It’s not fair, but she understands that, even at such a young age. So yes, she does have something to prove. Not only to us and the men in this tribe, but to herself as well. She’s the best young person this tribe has to offer, but until she realizes that, it won’t mean anything.”

The two were silent for a while. Jevon was the first to break the silence. “I believe in Sheela. She’ll be a great chief someday, and I’ll always be there to support her. You have my word on that.”

Tian smiled, putting his hand on his shoulder. “Thanks. I appreciate that, and Sheela does too. You’ve always been a good brother, and now you’re a good uncle. Ha, imagine that!” They laughed together, thinking about how much they’d grown up. They fell silent though when they saw someone emerging from the woods. They were limping, dragging something slowly towards them. “Sheela!” he cried, running towards her. She was badly cut, with gashes on her forearms and shins. Her foot had a deep puncture wound, and blood was flowing freely from it. She was covered in dirt, blood, and sweat, but a broad smile cut through all of it.

“What happened to you?” Jevon asked, wiping the grime off her face.

“I passed my first hunt!” she declared, holding up the pelt of a calubra. Tian and Jevon looked at each other in muted shock. Not many people had ever killed a calubra period, and not in recent memory had one been killed on the first hunt. Tian searched for the words to express his pride in her, and his utter joy.

“Well done, Sheela.” he said simply. “Well done.” Jevon smiled, shoving her playfully. Sheela winced, swaying a little on her feet. Tian quickly caught her, and she was asleep in his arms in only a few seconds. “Yeah, you’ve had a long day.” he said, stroking her hair. “Let’s get her home Jevon.”

The sun‘s last gasps lit up the sky in a fiery orange glow. The three headed back towards their village. The biggest day of Sheela’s life was over, but Tian was sure there would be many more tests and triumphs for her tomorrow.