"Ife! Ife! You won’t believe what we just heard" Bagoo and Miso shouted, looking up I saw them running at full speed. Toa, Ada and myself were sat under the tree waiting for them to get the drinks before we continued our game.

They stopped when they reached us, hands-on their chests trying to catch their breaths

"what happened?" Ada asked, using her hand to shield her face from the sun, her purple eyes moving side to side, unable to focus on one thing.

"where are our drinks? Don’t you see its hot?" Tao asked, really annoyed. "I knew you two would mess up, I should have gone myself" she continued, but no one paid her any attention which ticked her off even more.

"are we under attack? Do we need to sound an alarm? Oh lord!" Ada panicked running her hands through her short hair. Everyone had something to say, and it was getting annoying

"that’s enough!" No one said anything after that, they turned and looked at me waiting for me to continue.

"why were you running?"

"you would not believe what we just heard" Bagoo started her black eyes twinkling with excitement

"oh shush! Just go straight to the point" Miso impatiently cut her off

"I would if you would just shut up and let me speak" Bagoo snapped her curls bouncing on her shoulders. The others sat there, rolling their eyes

"you were saying?" I interjected before they could continue their bickering

"yes" Bagoo continued "we overheard two women talking she started taking a seat beside me "they said some slaves are being taken away tomorrow" she finished with a big smile

"so? What does that have to do with us?" Tao snapped at her

“will you guys be patient for a minute, let them finish before jump to conclusion.” Zaria interjected seaking up for the first time

"our Parents forbade us from freeing the slaves remember? They said ’leave it to the soldiers’ she finished with a deep voice mimicking her father, and we all snickered

Miso picked up a leaf from the ground "it was so funny how-"

"what was funny about it?!” Tao exclaimed standing to face Miso.

“She is still missing, and we don’t know if she is dead or alive and you’re here telling me its funny? Are you mad?" Tao yelled at Miso, tears welling up in her eyes.

The weather got hotter, so I took off my veil, they fell silent and looked at me "that is enough all of you" I calmed scolded them while repositioning myself

"Bagoo please finish hat you were saying."

Clearing her that she continued "they also said that sometimes they keep some slaves to work on their ships, my point is that she might be on the ship."

"but our parents said –"ada started but was interrupted by an irritated Tao

"forget what they said. I say we go check for her tomorrow" Toa finished with a spark of hope in her voice

"she may be there" she continued sounding more hopeful, I didn’t not want to hurt her by telling her there is a stronger chance she is not there

"and what if she’s not?" Ada interjected,

"what if she is?" Tao argued back

"that enough both if you" Zaria snapped at them pissed at their constant bickering

"the weather is too hot for this. Ife should we do?" she asked, and they turned to look at me. Ada and Miso have fear in their eyes, Bagoo has exhaustion, and Tao has hope, its small but still hope.

Taking a deep breath, I started "we will leave before dawn, check for her, and if she is not there, we will return without any trouble."

"Yes!" Tao exclaimed happily

"without trouble. We don’t look for trouble, trouble finds us." Ada said with a yawn

I smiled at them "well, we best be prepared."

*******

"Ife come on lets go" Zaria called out, checking to see if anyone was following us. It’s almost dawn, but it’s still dark out and the moon is still up.

“,shhhh” I hushed her, “someone is going to hear you.”

Walking out of the dark were my other friends Ada, Bagoo, Toa and Miso.

“can we leave now? If we stay any longer, we are going to lose our target” Tao said sounding rather annoyed with the time wasting, she has the worst temper of all of us, I cant blame her really. With that we made our way as quietly as possible towards the gate of the palace, using the moon as our only source of lighting.

“Ife!”

“Did you hear that?” Bagoo whispered.

“Oh goodness we are so dead. Our parents will lock us up till we are married!” Miso chimed in sounding terrified

“will you calm down?” Bagoo chided her

“No I can’t calm down. We are so dead” she said tears welling in her eyes

”It sounds like your father’s voice” Ada said, sounding worried that we have been caught sneaking out again.

“if you both dont shut up, we will definitely be caught”, I snapped at them. Looking at the bushes beside the gate I made hand gestures telling them to hide there and be quiet while I spoke to my father

“Ife, I know you’re there, come on out”. Hearing that, I had no other choice but to go out so I smoothened my wrapper, held my head high, put on a smile and walked towards him

“good morning father” I greeted kneeling briefly

“good morning my dear, how was your night”, he asked sounding rather amused

“it was okay. Why are you up so early” I replied, looking as innocent as possible? Hopefully he didn’t hear us.

“I should ask you that. Its still dark out and dawn isnt for a while.”

Hiding in the dark near the gate, Ada signalled that we had to leave soon or we would miss our target. While signalling she accidentally stepped on a stick shit I muttered under my breath.

“what was that?” my father asked, turning towards the gate.

“nothing Im sure its an animal” I said hoping it deterred him because if it didn’t then we are completely dead

“uh father I have to go now.” I said hugging him.

“might I ask where to?”

“well, I rather you not” I replied with a big smile and he looks at me with raised eyebrows.

Sighing, I replied, “you caught me” I said looking down. “I wanted to surprise you but you have ruined it.”

Looking down at me and urges me with a smile “Im listening”

“fine, ill tell you. I was going to practice shooting so I can have a competition with you” I said with the most innocent face and biggest smile I could muster.

“hmm a competition” he said, stroking his beard, thinking about something I kept looking at the gate

Noticing I kept my gaze at the gate he replied “am I keeping you from something?”

“oh n-no, not at all” I forced out pretty annoyed by this point.

“data-p-id=c70b006ae4e39f73e5198c4051d2dd7f,ah good, walk with me” he said smiling at my obvious tension.

“no!” I yelled and he replied by raising an eyebrow

“i-its not like I dont want to spend time with you i-its just that I want to practise so I can compete with you”, I said with a smile.

“oh? Okay then. This competition of yours, what would the victor get?” he asked, sounding genuinely interested.

“,bragging rights” I answered boldly puffing my chest out like a man

“bragging rights?” He asked, “yes bragging rights. Youre king and this nothing left to give you so bragging rights”, I replied, smiling widely.

”okay then. Bragging rights it is. Ill let you go.”

“thank you” I said giving a quick hug

Just as I was about to run off he held my hand “I’m walking you to the gate” he said with a smile humming the tune to his favourite song

Getting to the gate he stopped “good morning girls” he said in his ever cheerful voice

“good morning your majesty” they replied in unison sounding stunned stepping out from behind the bushes

“h-how did you know” I asked, looking up at him with bulging eyes.

“I know everything” he said with a smile. “go on girls, I dont want to keep you too long”. With that, we ran off.

“Ife make sure you kick their asses” he said with a wink and a smile.

We gasped and I smiled back “will do” I said proudly puffing out my chest and raising my head high then I hugged him tight “I love you dad”

“love you too” he said and we ran off.