Chapter 28: warmth and organizing (part 1)

 Meme Nangula refused to release her iron grip on Amutenya’s arm, practically dragging her son through the wooden palisade entrance of the homestead. Her hands fluttered over his shoulders and chest, checking for hidden wounds beneath his thick, high-quality hide armor, completely ignoring his protests.

"Mother, I am perfectly fine," Amutenya laughed, making no real effort to pull away. 

"You were gone for six moons! Six!" she scolded, her voice thick with lingering anxiety. "We watched the irrigation trenches flow, we watched the crops sprout, and every day I wondered if the boy who built it all was lying dead in the scrubland."

"He is not dead, woman, he is standing right in front of you," Tate Amupolo grumbled as he followed them into the courtyard, though the fond, relieved gleam in his eyes completely betrayed his gruff tone. 

As the family crowded into the main clearing of the homestead, the sheer noise of the reunion began to settle. Shivute was still carrying Fifi on his shoulders, the little girl proudly gripping his hair, while Ndapewa clung securely to Amutenya’s side. 

Meme Nangula finally stepped back from her son, her sharp eyes scanning the rest of the group before landing on the quiet, observant figure lingering near the threshold. 

"Ndapandula," Meme Nangula said, her tone carrying the familiar, pragmatic warmth of a village mother who knew everyone. "You look sharper than when you left. It seems the wild agrees with you."

Ndapandula offered a polite, respectful nod. Her sharp eyes were already sweeping across the courtyard, analyzing the domestic flow and the layout of the space. 

"She is more than just sharp, Mother," Amutenya said, his tone shifting toward business. "Ndapandula is going to lead a very specialized unit for us. I brought her here so she could see the fields and observe the women working the irrigation lines. She needs to take her time picking the right subordinates to train."

Meme Nangula raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the level of authority her son was casually handing to the young woman, but she nodded in firm approval. 

"The women will be rotating back from the lower trenches soon. You will have your pick, Ndapandula," Meme Nangula stated proudly, turning back to Amutenya. "The fields are flowing perfectly, my son. We did exactly as you instructed with the scale and the labor. We did not lose a single seed to the sun."

Amutenya smiled, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. The foundation he had left behind had held strong. Before he could ask about the specific crop yields, a steady, unhurried set of heavy footsteps sounded at the palisade entrance. 

Tate Shaningwa strode into the courtyard. Unlike his usual imposing, bearish presence, there was an unmistakable look of dry amusement plastered across his rugged face. He wasn't out of breath, nor was he panicked. He simply leaned his heavy frame against the wooden post of the entrance, crossing his thick arms. 

"Amupolo. Amutenya," Shaningwa rumbled, a low chuckle vibrating in his broad chest. "You two better come back to the omwandi tree."

Tate Amupolo frowned defensively. "What is it, Shaningwa? Are the elders giving Kauna and the men a hard time?"

"No," Shaningwa replied, shaking his head slowly. "We pulled back the tarps to start dividing the meat, just as Amutenya ordered. I have dealt with royal hunting parties before, Amupolo, so I knew what a large haul looked like. But Elder Shikongo and Elder Mwashekele did not." He paused, his grin widening into something almost pitying. "I think Shikongo just forgot how to breathe. You should come manage them before one of the grand elders drops dead from sheer disbelief."

Amutenya let out a heavy, amused sigh. He had intentionally walked away to let the elders discover the true scale of the haul themselves, knowing it would completely shatter their traditional understanding of what a "hunting party" could achieve. He patted Ndapewa’s shoulder, stood up, and brushed the dust from his knees. 

"Let's go, Father," Amutenya said calmly, a confident smirk playing at the edge of his lips. "It seems it is time to show the village exactly what we were doing for the last six moons."

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