Ecuador Joannan silmin - Ecuador in my eyes: The Queen With The Frozen Heart

Thursday, September 11, 2014

The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Night Of The Black Moon

It was a night of black moon.

Iluku had shed her feathery form and stood on a glade, clothed as a woman.

Waiting for her husband, Killa the Moon, to arrive.

The glittery light of the stars lit the deep forest around her.

It was hard, she lamented, it was still so hard to see the sky and know of her husband’s betrayal.

To see the proof of his deceit and dalliance with another woman written in the stars.

Every night, at the wee hours of morning, she would watch the two brothers rising from beyond the horizon.

Announcing the morning and causing her to flee from the pain.

Her husband’s sons, with another woman.

- Are you still angry with me, Killa embraced her and tried to steal a kiss from his wife.

- After all these years, he sighed when she turned her face away from him.

- No matter how many years pass, Iluku answered, they still remain your sons. They still shine on the sky and tell everyone the story of your love affair with my own brother’s wife.

- That is a story for another night, Killa reminded her gently, Didn’t you have some humans to save? Or something?

- Don’t you try to make me forger, Iluku’s voice was filled with rage, We shall save them, yes, we shall. But you shall also remember that a woman scorned is a dangerous foe and not one to underestimate.

Killa sighed.

No matter how many hundreds of years passed his wife never seemed to get over that one little slip of his.

- Where have you left the warriors that were with you, the Moon looked around him, are the hidden somewhere? Or do we have to save them too?

- I have hidden them in a cave, Iluku shook her head, behind the magic of a petroglyph stone. The jaguar men will never be able to find them.

- Then we will have time to make up for my mistakes, her husband sweet talked to her.

- My mistakes won’t make up for yours, the answer was frozen, there is a King waiting for us. And he won’t last forever.

- Come, let’s save the King and his men, Killa finally answered, and then I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you to forgive me.

Iluku did not answer but turned around and entered the jungle.

Together, but apart, the walked through the dark forest, like two beams of light.

Barely touching the ground, floating and darting, sidestepping and eluding the obstacles on their way.

- What are we to do, my only love, the Moon inquired.

Only silence answered him.

- How are we to vanquish the jaguar men, he questioned, am I to attack them with my bare hands and win them with my charm.

Iluku laughed.

- I do wish to be alive still tomorrow night, she finally answered, I have everything ready. You shall soon see!

Women, Killa shrugged his shoulders, he would never understand them.

And never be able to live without them, he sighed while admiring his wife’s beautiful form.

The mountain loomed over them when Iluku finally stopped.

She bent over to retrieve something under a pile of old boards.

When she stood up she held few garments of old clothes in her hand that she showed to Killa.

- What are those rags for, he asked with a laugh, are you going to wipe the dust from jaguar men’s cave?

- No, my beloved and noble husband, she giggled a little, these are your clothes. The ones that you are going to wear tonight.

Killa looked at the horrible old tattered garment that Iluku held in her hands.

- Do not worry, she nodded her head, they are quite clean. Unlike what they look.

- And you, the Moon stuttered, will you enter looking like that? What a fine pair will we be. The beastly beggar and the young noble girl.

- That wouldn’t work at all, his wife shook her head, I have a spare clothing for myself too. Just wait and you shall see.

Iluku hid behind a boulder and after a moment an old beggar woman in rags emerged.

She hobbled over the rocks in ungainly way.

Her back bended, face full of wrinkles and with a hair that had lost its shine.

Hanging from her head with a band, she carried a large wowen basked, filled with mysteriours things.

But even though the Moon was of curious nature, he just hadn't time to indulge himself in wondering what an old woman could be carrying around in the jungle in the middle of a night.

He peaked at the fast but could only see the banana leaves covering the basket.

- Dear granny, Killa asked politely, did you happen to see my wife back there? She is taken an unseemly long time and we really do have to hurry up.

- And what does your wife look like, the ancient woman inquired with her weary voice.

- She is a beautiful young woman, the Moon answered, just like you must have been granny. She was wearing a beautiful blue pacha but she was supposed to change into some old rags.

- Like the ones I am wearing, the granny swiveled around.

Killa felt his face burn and his mouth drop open.

The change was incredible, there must have been magic involved.

To be continued ...