The old man didn’t shake as much as the beautiful girl did. In the heat of the moment, the beautiful girl drew one of her swords from the sheath at her thigh. Without wasting time, she lunged at Prince Juraish, who was standing at the entrance of the hut.
Prince Juraish was utterly astonished at the sight of the beautiful girl’s face. Although he was just a five-year-old boy, with barely five steps separating him from the beautiful girl, she leaped into the air, thrusting her leg forward with the intent to kick him. Just as her foot was about to reach him, Prince Juraish dodged with the agility of a skilled fighter.
The old man shouted at the girl, saying, “You, Lubaina!” The beautiful girl, named Lubaina, was about to launch another attack on Prince Juraish when the old man stopped her.
Prince Juraish stood with his mouth agape, staring at the girl, Lubaina.
The old man approached, took Prince Juraish’s hand, and said, “My goodness, this boy! My name is Halizu, and this is my granddaughter, Lubaina. I went hunting and found you unconscious on a tree, badly injured on your back. You weren’t in your right senses, so I brought you to our camp. Do you understand?”
Old man Halizu sighed and asked, “Who are you, and where are you from?”
When Prince Juraish heard the question from old man Halizu, tears welled up in his eyes. Memories of his kingdom, his town, his father, and his mother surged through his heart like a sharp pang.
Old man Halizu understood the state Prince Juraish was in, so he gently pulled Lubaina’s hand, and they walked into the hut. He said to her, “Stop rushing to judgment. If you had made a mistake just now, you could have killed him. I’m the one who saved his life, so go now and apologize to him.”
With remorse, Lubaina nodded in agreement and turned back to where Prince Juraish was. She found him sitting, his head resting on his arms, tears streaming from his eyes.
She knelt down and touched his hand. He looked up at her. She smiled at him and said, “I’m sorry.”
With a smile, he replied, “I forgive you.” In a playful tone, Lubaina said, “Look, from today, you’ll be my brother, and I’ll be your sister. We won’t fight anymore, okay?”
“Yes, my sister,” Prince Juraish said, standing up.
Lubaina rose from her kneeling position, took Prince Juraish’s hand, and they headed toward the hut where old man Halizu had gone.
