The Queen With The Frozen Heart - A Cup Of Chicha

The jaguar men lay around the cave, snoring and drooling.

Iluku grabbed an ear and twisted it.

She yanked a piece of fur.

But the two men only moved lazily.

The first one tried to scratch behind his ear and fell down to the floor where he continued to snore even louder.

Finally she was happy.

A pilche of chicha under her arm she marched towards the entrance.

- Take the big bowl, she commanded her husband, the one that is full!

The passage under the mountain was dark and damp.

They were moving further and further inside the rock and the earth, away from the air and the open sky.

She could feel the weakness in her bones.

Just like an old, rheumatic woman would.

When they finally reached the dungeons she was limping and holding her back in pain.

- Do you really have to keep your prisoners all the way back here, she groused at the guards, at least get someone younger to bring you your chicha! Do you think that I’m a maid born just day before yesterday to be walking down all those passages!

- If you wish I can save you the trouble of walking back, one of the guards growled showing his teeth, I don’t think Kasike minds if we have one more or less closed in behind the bars.

- Wouldn’t you just love that, Iluku hissed at the guard, but I’ll just ask who’ll make you chicha then?

- Stop bothering her, another guard warned the first one, I’ve been hankering that chicha since she first came here.

- Don’t think that I’ll take just anything woman, the first jaguar man’s hackles were up, but a big pilche of chicha would help to forgive you.

- Then that is exactly what I’ll give you, Iluku held her pilche out and let the guard drink it all up.

She smiled at the guard and nodded, that’s the way to do it. Give me more old man, so I can offer chicha to the other fine warriors here.

She let everyone of the jaguar men drain his cup and then stayed to talk with them for a while.

Little by little the warriors eyelids started to droop and they fell into sleep and onto the floor.

To be continued...

This is the thirtyfirst part of the story.

To read the first part of the story, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 1  

To read the second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 2 

To read the third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 3. 

To read the fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 4. 

To read the fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 5.

To read the fourteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 14

To read the sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 6

To read the seventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 7

 To read the eight part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 8

To read the ninth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 9

To read the tenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 10

To read the eleventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 11

To read the twelth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 12

To read the thirteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 13

To read the fifteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 15

To read the sixteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 16

To read the seventeenth part, go to the The Queen With The Frozen Heart 17

To read the eighteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 18

To read the nineteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 19

To read the twentieth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 20

To read the twenty first part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Night Of The Black Moon

To read the twenty second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - To The Enchanted Night

To read the twenty third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - At The Mouth Of The Cave

To read the twenty fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Visiting Star

To read the twenty fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Time To Leave The Home

To read the twenty-sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - A Suitable Wife

To read the twenty-seventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Down In The Dungeons

To read the twenty-eight part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Savouring The Chicha

To read the twenty-ninth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Flying With The Stars

To read the thirthieth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Monster Awakens

The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Monster Awakens

A stony monster rose from the mountain in the twinkling light of the stars.

Sisa could not understand how it could possibly be Amarun.

The monster had the head of a snake and the feathered wings of a bird and a long feathery tail.

It looked like a statue of the feathered monster from the tales told to children to scare them.

Slowly she moved towards the stone figure.

The play of the shadows and light made it look alive and moving.

Like it were still breathing.

She touched the stone and for an instant it felt like feathers in her hands.

She heard the sound of the drums that Kuyllur was playing.

His brother, Lusiru, sang in a monotone voice and danced around the stony monster.

He was smoking a cigar made of fresh tobacco leaves and puffing the smoke over the figure.

The waving and weaving of the smoke over the statue made it look even more alive.

Like it was breathing smoke from its nostrils.

Sisa shivered and grabbed the stone harder.

Again she could feel the feathers and the beat of a large heart.

Scared she kneeled in the earth next to the monster and waited for what would happen.

Lusiru took a large swig of the bottle he had in his hand and sprayed the alcohol from his mouth over Sisa.

He kept chanting and waving the branches in his hand.

Dispelling the smoke and strong alcohol around in the night.

Weaving his footsteps to the beat of his brother’s drum he danced closer to the statue and puffed more smoke over it.

Then he took another swig of the alcohol and sprayed it over the stone monster.

He waved the branches in the air and urged the monster to wake up.

Urged Amarun, Sisa thought.

It was not a monster, it was Amarun.

Finding courage from the thought she stood up and walked to the stone figure.

Slowly she touched it again, feathers, warmth and a strong heartbeat.

She climbed to its back and grabbed hard.

Lusiru screamed to the air and hit the monster to the head with his branches, urging it to wake up.

Sisa felt the monster shaking under her.

Then it raised its huge head to the sky and roared.

She grabbed harder and got hold of a handful of feathers.

Opening its wings Amarun leaped to the sky.

To be continued...

This is the thirthieth part of the story.

To read the first part of the story, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 1  

To read the second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 2 

To read the third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 3. 

To read the fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 4. 

To read the fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 5.

To read the fourteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 14

To read the sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 6

To read the seventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 7

 To read the eight part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 8

To read the ninth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 9

To read the tenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 10

To read the eleventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 11

To read the twelth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 12

To read the thirteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 13

To read the fifteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 15

To read the sixteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 16

To read the seventeenth part, go to the The Queen With The Frozen Heart 17

To read the eighteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 18

To read the nineteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 19

To read the twentieth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 20

To read the twenty first part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Night Of The Black Moon

To read the twenty second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - To The Enchanted Night

To read the twenty third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - At The Mouth Of The Cave

To read the twenty fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Visiting Star

To read the twenty fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Time To Leave The Home

To read the twenty-sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - A Suitable Wife

To read the twenty-seventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Down In The Dungeons

To read the twenty-eight part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Savouring The Chicha

To read the twenty-ninth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Flying With The Stars

The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Time To Leave The Home

Silently the warriors passed under the canopy of the giant trees.

The early morning sun shone golden through the leaves.

The men warmed themselves in its rays while walking from the waterfall to the jaguar men’s cave.

 Their magic fluttered in the air, jumped from tree to tree and skulked behind the green growth of the forest floor.

The vats of chicha were heavy on their backs but they trudged on.

They have promised Iluku to have everything ready for her at the cave’s mouth by the night fall.

The walk was long but they did not falter.

It was not in their nature.

Nor was to care about the cold or the heat, the insect bites or the sun in their eyes.

They were warriors and their skills were needed, tonight.

Sisa stared at the sun’s play on the river.

She had not been able to forget Amarun or shake the feeling of threat.

The village was quiet, everyone worried about the faith of their men.

What had happened after they left?

Why had not they returned with the snakes?

Her magic had finally taken the shape of an ocelot.

Small, but fierce and dangerous, feline hunter.

Not something that the village was accustomed to see as a female’s guardian.

It purred and pushed its head against Sisa’s feet, trying to calm her down.

- My soul can’t rest, she petted the magic, not until I know what happened.

- And you won’t be able to rest then either, her magic answered her.

It had gotten its voice as soon as it had chosen a definitive form.

- What do you mean, Sisa’s voice trembled.

- You will only want to help, the magic laughed, you say that you will be at rest when you know what has happened. But when you do, you won’t be at rest until you can help and make everything right. That is your nature, embrace it.

She shook her head.

It was not a female’s place to change the world.

Her place was at home, taking care of the hearth.

- It is time you accept who you are, her magic demanded, you cannot keep hiding and living here anymore. Not with a magic like this.

Sisa looked around her.

She saw the worried faces of the women, the silent looks and eyes evaluating her.

Their backs so eloquently shown to her.

The way the women huddled together, closing their circle and shutting her out.

- You don’t belong here anymore, the magic repeated, and they all know it.

- What am I to do, Sisa bursted and then drew a shuddering breath.

- You know it, the magic shook its head, take your things and find the queen. She is the only one who can help you!

Inside the cave the king roamed in his cell.

He could hear his men, their desperate sobs when they remembered their homes and families.

There was no more hope, nothing to look forward to.

- Tonight, the jaguar kasike had told them, tonight we feast. And you will be our main course.

To be continued... 

This is the twenty fifth part of the story.

To read the first part of the story, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 1  

To read the second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 2 

To read the third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 3. 

To read the fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 4. 

To read the fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 5.

To read the fourteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 14

To read the sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 6

To read the seventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 7

 To read the eight part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 8

To read the ninth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 9

To read the tenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 10

To read the eleventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 11

To read the twelth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 12

To read the thirteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 13

To read the fifteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 15

To read the sixteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 16

To read the seventeenth part, go to the The Queen With The Frozen Heart 17

To read the eighteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 18

To read the nineteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 19

To read the twentieth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 20

To read the twenty first part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Night Of The Black Moon

To read the twenty second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - To The Enchanted Night

If you wish to read the twenty third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - At The Mouth Of The Cave

If you wish to read the twenty fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Visiting Star