Chapter 14 - The Seeds of War
The plan was reckless—dangerous—but if it worked, it could change everything.
Khisa sat before his father and the village elders, his expression calm yet determined despite the storm brewing in the cramped hut. He had just finished outlining his idea, and for a long, heart-stopping moment, silence reigned.
Then Lusweti exploded, slamming his hands onto the wooden table so hard that the clay cups trembled.
"Are you out of your mind?!" he bellowed.
"You want to send our enemies back to their own people—as if we could ever trust them? Do you think we are fools, Khisa?"
The elders murmured in bitter agreement, their faces twisted with disbelief and fury. Omolo, one of the older men, pointed a gnarled finger at Khisa.
"We fought and bled to protect our people, and now you expect us to kneel beside those who would have slaughtered us?"
Khisa's jaw tightened, but he remained resolute.
"If we want to get our people back, we must outthink our enemies. The Angwenyi warriors we captured have just as much to lose as we do—if their own families have been taken, their loyalty is broken."
Lusweti paced, his eyes dark with anger and sorrow.
"And what happens when they run back to their chief and report our victory?"