A few weeks later...
Luna had had several failed attempts to escape. She only managed to escape once and this is how it happened:
She was in the Savannah of Togo and her climbing instructor was telling her about the amazing properties of the acacia tree.
Luna was more interested in her lessons so payed attention, though she still wanted to be free.
She got an idea and asked for some water. The instructor signalled a guard and he used a calabash to fetch some water from a pond.
Luna went to drink the water but fell in. After they had fished her out, the instructor glared at her before continuing. She didn't care, she had what she wanted.
She held the oily, green alga in her hand as the instructor continued. She then crushed it in her hand and 'yawned' to blow on it.
She held her breath till a breeze blew then she breathed again.
A few seconds later they began falling down...
The instructor looked at the ten year old child through his half closed eyes, then closed them.
Luna smiled at her accomplishment, sleeping waterweed, a natural source of such a powerful sedative.
She happily skipped away.
She passed by giraffe herds and rhinos, cheetahs on the prowl and leopards lazing in trees.
Through some migrating wildebeests, she saw...
Those peering eyes. She blinked, they blinked twice, she blinked again.
The wildebeests cleared and they closed the space between them.
His eyes widened as he saw her again and she was stunned, she had never realized he was this handsome. She had never seen any boy like him, the only one who came close was... Selasi, she missed him...
"You're the boy...", She said, finally fluent in English.
"And you're the girl..."
"What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Good point.", She said realizing she really wasn't supposed to be there,"...but you have to get out of here, it's not safe, there are Lions, hippos, leopards,..."
"...and Wathambans?"
He doesn't know...
"...yes and Wathambans, but you still have to go."
"... I would, it's just... I'm a little... lost.", He said shyly.
"Don't worry I know the way, so let's go."
He didn't respond.
"Fair boy?"
He was shivering and pointed his finger behind her, she turned back to see...
"Lion.", The boy said.
"Okay, remain calm and when I say go, pump me up and roll to your right as quickly as you can, okay?"
He nodded.
She yelled and ran towards him, he went on one knee, crossed his fingers and threw her up.
She flipped and landed behind him then went straight for the nearest tree.
She ran straight up and picked a twig then flipped and landed, she quickly assembled some other plants.
She shot the projectile at the approaching beast through a Reed and it roared and convulsed for a few seconds till it calmed down.
She walked closer despite him telling her to back down, she then tapped its head and it did a dog pose.
She then climbed aboard.
"Come on."
He didn't move.
She smiled and said,"Trust me, it'll be fine."
He nodded and got on it, it was so fuzzy and soft.
She rode the lion like a horse across Meadows and hills, over streams and under arches.
She got off near a cliff then said,"We have to get off, it will wear off soon."
"How on Earth did you do that?"
"Well I used Impala lilies, acacia and a few others that I'm not sure of their names."
"Amazing! And when we rode through the dandelions and through the birds and..."
"Fair boy, look out!"
Before he could react the clay banks beneath his feet gave way and he fell into the river below.
She ran and saw him fall into the powerful waters, she gasped.
How did the guards find me?
She knew they'd harm him if they saw him, she dived down.
She came up for air and saw him, floating away.
She swam to him then caught him, she then swam to the closest bank.
He wasn't waking up she had no other choice but the heart's kiss.
She pushed his chest five times and turned his head for him to spit out the water, she tried again to no avail.
She couldn't lose him.
No!
She had tears in her eyes, calling him,"Fair boy, please, don't go."
She came closer and directly blew air into his mouth, he coughed back to life two seconds later and she hugged him, surprising them both.
The guards were looking for her and she could hear them shouting for her.
"...follow this river till you get to an oxbow lake, cross the small river near it and go right, you'll find a huge white waterfall, the curtains of water are obscuring caves, enter the first cave in the largest waterfall and follow it, you'll be home free."
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine, I'll catch up."
He nodded and she placed something in his hand, a ruby in the shape of a half heart.
"Keep this."
"I'll never lose it.", He assured her.
He ran.
Her words echoed in his head...
Follow this river till you get to an oxbow lake...
After no more than ten minutes, he was there...
Cross the small river and go right...
He did exactly that.
He found the waterfalls just as she had said it.
He climbed down the rocks and entered the cave...
He walked through the dropping waters and staggering stalagmites, till...
A light.
He ran out and kept running, the sun went down before he saw...
Saggeza, home.
He was still far from his specific dwelling place but he was home.
He stopped right before the border, he couldn't...
Where's the girl?
He decided to sit and wait for her, under the star filled skies, in the cricket chirps and owl hoots.
He waited and waited and waited, seconds turned to hours.
He couldn't stay awake as the pair of feet stopped before him...