Then my eyes found his. The deep black orbs that reflected everything—never failing to absorb all within them. He seemed almost worried, but when his eyes found mine, my lips pulled into a wide grin. He met mine with his own brighter-than-the-sun-smile that nearly stops my heart every time I see it, even in wolf form. He matched me in the way that he wore white leather. His hair was also pulled back and braided with beads and white leather laces. The designs on his vest, pants and boots were far more detailed and intricate than I could ever describe. The blend of bright colors, blues, reds, yellows, and greens made it difficult to discern one from the other. I’m sure it was a special symbolic thing for him, even though he could’ve gone naked, and I would think he was the most beautiful creature in the world.
The music changed, and I was drawn out from within the sheltering trees toward the center of the circle—toward Marren. He met me halfway, taking my hands into his. His eyes were filled with love and the distracting reflection of the fire. I couldn’t help the blush that came to my cheeks. Marren lifted the back of his fingers, gently brushing away the rush of heat from them and causing all sorts of flux emotions within me. After tucking my hand into the crook of his arm, he led me to the other side of the fire, under the window to our room.
The man in charge spoke a prayer in his native language. The enchanting words danced around me as Marren explained that it was a prayer of blessing, symbolic of a lasting love and bond that would withstand the test of time, even death. Because that was the way of true love. He did another blessing over the rest of the crowd as he walked around and moved his hands in an up and down motion. I turned back around as our hands were lifted and tied together with a white cloth that was soft as silk and reflected the orange-yellow glow of the fire behind us, shattering it into beams and tiny balls of light. When the man returned to us, he smiled and bowed his head.
A woman approached with an oddly shaped leather flask with two spouts. The man directing the ceremony took the flask and said something in his native tongue. Marren moved our bound hands toward it. I helped him grab the odd contraption, bringing it forward to hold in between us.
Drink, he whispered to my mind.
It was awkward but sweet in gesture at the same time. When the last drop was done and the flask lowered, a loud silence fell around us. We were beckoned forward then, and a blanket was placed over our shoulders. The man presiding turned his attention to Marren and gestured to him. Marren faced me and grabbed a hold of my other hand. He leaned in, lowered his lips to mine and filled me with such joy and love. I wasn’t sure on whether to laugh, cry, or kiss him back. I decided on the latter, stepping closer to him as the hoots and hollers of all the races filled the air.
He pulled away from me slightly and rubbed my upper arm with his free hand. “We did it!”
I smiled. “Yes. Yes, we did.”
The rest of the night was spent dancing, eating, and having fun. Marren sat with me while we watched all of the rhythmic dances that circled the fire, not moving from our spot until only bright red coals were noticeable. The loud, roaring, commotion had dulled out to a quiet hum as the night grew late and many of the guests left. A bucket of water was poured over the coals, dousing them with a loud hiss and plume of smoke that headed straight for me.
“Uh-oh,” one of the dancers had commented.
“What?” I asked full of alarm.
“You realize what that means…” It was a statement more than a question.
I shifted my gaze to Marren, who chuckled to himself then said, “When smoke travels to a pregnant woman, no matter what the reason, she’ll have an easy birth, and it will happen on a full moon.”
“Well, it isn’t going to be this full moon. It’s too early still,” I argued.
“It isn’t specific.” It was Okelo who walked up to us with Serid on her hips.
“It is so amazing how much this boy grows when you are not paying attention,” I said.
“I know. Soon, we’ll be going through his rite.” As she spoke the words, a flash of sadness crossed her eyes, making me believe she thought about her lost love. I was almost filled with guilt for having saved mine, but she never seemed to mind and was thrilled to be in charge of arranging our ceremony. She shook the sadness from her eyes and said, “At least we have a good idea of a time. Helps us to prepare for the big event!”
“But I thought you said it wasn’t specific?”
“Well, you aren’t going for longer than another month! Otherwise, you’d be carrying for too long,” Okelo said. I gulped. She smiled with a slight bow of her head. “My master and lady, I bid thee a good evening.”
“Thank you, Okelo,” Marren spoke. He sounded at peace, and for once, Jiren wasn’t on his mind.
Once she left, I stared at Marren and dropped my eyes down to our hands. “How do we get these off?”
“I take them off…with my teeth.”
I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me. He chuckled along with me. Our hearts dancing to the song of our joy. On that night, there was only us, together, with no one else on our minds but each other.
***