Chapter 5: The Woman in the WoodsShikoba woke early in the morning, for her journey would be long. She woke up Nizhoni to tell her why she would be gone.
"Shikoba, what is it?" Nizhoni yawned groggily.
"I just need to tell you that I will be leaving for a few suns. I have heard of rare plants in the rivers and lakes of the east, and I wish to bring them back to Tribe Isi." Shikoba lied, though she was interested in the plants.
"Very well then. Alun will take care of the garden." Nizhoni went back to sleep.
As dawn approached, Shikoba pet her new cowplant, knowing it would be a while before she would see the bovine creature again.
And then, just before the sunrise, she went off on her journey to the mysterious forests of Newcrest.
Days had passed, and Shikoba eventually found herself at Forest Falls, a magnificent temple for Aquani, the spirit of water. Strangely, the Hanalani daughter of the temple and her slaves were not present.
She walks over to the pond next to the temple, said to be filled with the holy waters of the east. Seeing as this is likely to be the only time she will be here, Shikoba decides to swim in the water, which is said to clean the soul with the powers of Aquani.
However, she does not have time for relaxing at the temple. She must find the mysterious Shaman of Newcrest. She follows the map in the book and goes deep into the woods before coming across a small cottage.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Shikoba asks, knocking at the door.
"Yes, yes, come in!" The voice of an old woman replies.
Shikoba walks into the cottage, but finds that nobody is inside, so she heads for the back door.
As she walks out onto the back porch, she finds a beautiful garden and a sweet-smelling cowplant playing with an elderly woman.
"Hello, would you happen to be the Shaman of Newcrest?" Shikoba asks, but the elder is more focused on their cowplant.
"
Calm down, Aroma... Oh, hello! Yes, I am Nala, one of few Shamans still alive. Now, what would you seek?"
"Well, I have come here from the west to request a potion. The Creator of my tribe is becoming older, but there are still no eligible fathers. Can you make a potion to keep her young until there is a new Creator Heiress?" Shikoba explained.
"That sounds like a troubling situation. One of those potions can take moons to make. However, I do have a spare! A foolish heiress from tribe Ojor who didn't want to lead asked for a potion to keep her mother alive as the Creator, but by the time I finished her mother was an elder!" Nala chuckled. "The potion should be on the dresser in my bedroom. I wish you good luck on your travels!"
Shikoba went back inside, and found a potion with a gold aura. This had to be the Potion of Youth.
So, she traveled back home, and found Tribe Isi had not changed much since she had left. She searched around, and found Nizhoni relaxing inside.
"Hi, Nizhoni. I wasn't able to find many plants, but I did learn the recipe for an amazing drink. It's made with Teal Sage, mixed with Water Daisies. I know you'll love it, so I brought one for you to taste." Shikoba lied again, pulling out the potion.
"Thank you, Shikoba." Nizhoni walked outside and took a gulp of the glowing drink. Suddenly, she felt energized and young, as if time had been reversed. When she finished the drink, she was younger again.
