The elephant, giraffe and Zebra's wife and many other prominent females came to see the queen. Theirs is to talk about how the recent incidence affect the motherhood plans.
“My daughter-in-law to be is such a nice creature. I am so convinced from the little I have seen her do and say. She comes every day to see me. She’s kind and humble. She’s too good at words. I am very satisfied with her. In as much as we don’t know whether we will ever see the prince again, she still give me hope, she still stick to me. I pray my son returns. She will be my first welcome gift to him. I can’t wait to live with her under same roof. I’m glad i have a son…..” The queen fantasized.
“All we planned for my daughter’s marriage ceased. Everything, up till this day. Almost a complete season. It’s pending till we see the end of these catastrophes that’s befallen us” the female giraffe said.
“This thing have hindered so many things. Our Kingdom right now is in a total mess. It’s just as if I everything is turned upside down. Scattered in a very confusing way” female zebra said.
They were still on the matter when the queen took a closer look on the striped mammal, she noticed changes on her body. And she look sick too.
“Are you okay?”
The Zebra tried to understand her question. She hesitated but still did not catch the point. Her looks had questions written all over her face.
“You look sick”
“Oh yeah! Recently. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I have never felt this way. I feel weak and drowsy and I usually loose my appetite”
“Have you complained to anyone?”
“No, I don’t see it that serious”
“You have to. Meet your fellow female zebras, I believe they will know”
“Looks like she’s pregnant right?” The Giraffe opened the door the queen has been closing with wisdom. She got weak. ‘You are just like your husband' the queen thought.
“I hope so. Go and ask”
“We pray it’s pregnancy. I will be second mother”
There came joy in their midst. The zebra felt like she never did. She was either optimistic or pessimistic. She had mixed feelings that made her wish for a chance to leave their midst and seek for answer as advised.
The owl showed up looking fetish as usual. He sat on something few feet away. All attention was paid to him.
“What news did you bring for us? Is my son dead?”
“l don’t know. The Chief priest is not happy with you?”
“For what?”
“You let a stranger almost wipe out lives from this community if not for the…..”
“We were ignorant of what he had in mind. We did not know his intentions towards us was evil, not a bit. We wanted to get help from him. We thought it would be an advantage for us”
“Anyway, my purpose of coming is to tell you to release whoever that’s locked up. Including the prisoners. Gather everyone here in the palace. The warriors and every grown and efficient youth. Prepare them within thirty minutes and wait for the priest to come. He is on his way now, not far”
“Are we going to Skull-land to fight?” The elephant asked.
“I hope so”
“Awesome! I know how to prepare for this”
Everyone one was released and called urgently to the palace.
“Rest here you had a tough day” a baboon said to the giraffe.
“Those released are to prepare for war. You won’t go, I know”
“Get me out of this place you scoundrel”
“You are insulting me?”
“I will still insult you over and over”
“Alright, you will remain here for now until I am sent back”
All the animals were released and brought to the palace including the prisoners except the giraffe. They sent for their relatives to bring all what they needed to the palace for them.
“if chief priest have sent this message to us through his servant what’s the purpose of him coming again?” Gorilla asked
“We will know when he comes. Maybe to prepare us” elephant replied.
The prepared taking all they needed. But some smaller animals like parrot saved themselves from the burden of armor and foodstuffs. He could sustain from anything he finds on his way. He would fight better without any of those.
The king wore his own armor, took a thick stick with a heavy thorny end and a very large tortoise shell as a shield. His weapons were different from the rest. Coming out from his tree house, he saw thousands of animals in and outside the compound. But they were either half or less the total number of the animals in the entire Kingdom. Some were not there because they avoid to watch their relatives go to war which they would probably die and never return.
“I never knew had more rhinos beside the warder officer in our community” the king said.
“I was surprised too. Chimpanzee gathered them from the extreme South west” Secretary responded.
“Oh youth leader, what a very competent and diligent chimp! The rhinos look even bigger than the warder officer”
“Yes, perceptibly!”
“I never knew we have so much giants in our Kingdom. Some of those animals I have never seen them”
“Hand work of the chimp”
It wasn’t up to ten minutes the chief priest showed up. He may have been in the palace even when the gorilla was still in his house dressing for his slow nature would not allow him go through the crowd easily to the front. He crawled to the front with his rattling staff in hand. In Greenwoods the chief priest is reverence as much as the king of not more, due to his spirituality.
As he reached he went straight to the point. He first of all bemoaned vehemently on mistakes that were made without his consent and blame those involved. He asked if his message is being carried as delivered. The baboon said it’s remaining the giraffe in the guardroom.
“Did I not tell you to release everyone?” elephant asked.
“Yes you did but I thought there’s no use of him since he can’t fight. He’s a very scared creature”
Elephant glare at him. The baboon did not wait for that look be explained with words. He flashed off.
“I am asked to release you” The baboon said to the giraffe through the grill as he came to set him free. “But at least you will be used as a bait since there’s no other way you can help us”
He opened the gate and ran away mocking him for having long legs and neck.
The chimp was given charge over the whole formation. For him alone was trustworthy.
“It will be the best thing for us to do away with all that have happened among us, forget all the wrongs do e to us. Reunite like nothing ever happened. In this battle we are one. Like siblings from the same parents. For I believe it’s only when we agree will can defeat. The more we cooperate the more victorious we become.
Fight in groups of not less than four members. Assist whoever that needs your assistance. Eliminate fear from your hearts otherwise it will be used against you. Do not live a member who is in danger suffer alone, no matter how tough the enemy is, try to intervene.
When we get there, you know how to apply the skills we learnt. Apply them carefully and accurately. The giant among us will shield the smaller ones. And the arboreal experts knows their part well. Birds among us, remember, distraction. Whichever way you can. And be careful how you do It.
I think that’s all for now. If we heed to this then we are good to go. As we will be going if there’s more to tell you, I will”
“Wisdom!” secretary whispered to the king. “He spoke well”
“He is too good at what he does”
“You impress me” chief priest said eventually referring to the chimp.
He remembered there’s something he must not forget to do. He selected some animals who for one reason or the other are not qualified to follow them. The newly married, the females, the sluggish, the tiny, the timid, those that are easily terrified and more.
“The females can’t be left alone. That’s why I have made this selection. And there should be relatives to welcome us and celebrate our victory with us. Because I strongly believe we are coming back victorious.
Now, How do you see this idea of me going with you? Well, the spirits assigned me to”
There was a loud massive applause and whistling in the crowd. That wasn’t usual in the history of Greenwoods. A chief priest doesn’t go to war. And here he is to go. Sent by the spirits themselves. King’s on the other hand goes to battles that affect the entire community and not the minor ones. In this he’s suppose to go, besides it affects him most.
Those heading to Skull-land were a litter fewer than those staying back. Those staying were advices to stay together so that loneliness won’t cause them to feel the absence of their relatives and whereas become scared. The journey was probably going to take not less than fifteen hours and it was getting darker already. It will be a night journey but they will have little or no rest on their way. So they can arrival in Skull-land before noon, the following day. They have to get there on time so that they can do all they had to do before nightfall when the darkness will favor only their foes.
One of the three carts available carried the king and the tortoise, the two others carried foodstuffs but rodents that got tired of trekking hop on them. Each cart was pulled by a horses, bison, buffaloes or elks. The rest of them were on foot.