Chapter 7 Wedded

The mob was screaming and raging at all corners of their cottage, screaming bloody murder, and banging furiously at the door which was slowly giving in to the weight being applied on it.

In the kitchen, a 10 year old Leila was being shoved into the bottom cupboard by her father. She could feel her heart racing, the premonition that something terrible was about the happen slowly dawning on her. The corners of her eyes could spot her mother on her knees, wailing whilst pleading for strength from The Great Mother.

But Leila could already sense that the pleadings would not be answered, as she had heard severally of how The Great Mother almost always went mute and deaf during times of trial. It was said that she expected her offspring to be able to defend themselves during those times, as she was no caretaker.

Please Great Mother, please help us this one time and we will be forever indebted to you.

"You promise to be quiet, Leila?"

She turned to her father, who had sweat beaded across his forehead and who was breathing quickly and heavily. Tears of fear inadvertently rose to her eyes.

She nodded, trembling. "Yes, pop. Father, what is going on? Are you and mother going to be alright?"

She could feel his burden as he turned away.

"I don't know Leila. But remember this. No matter what happens to you, no matter what trials you face, you will always be able to overcome them. You're a warrior."

.....................

At first, when Leila heard the name Voloukh, her eyebrows had united in confusion.

"Voloukh?"

She was certain no one in the town bore such a name.

She felt someone moving forward close to her and when she turned, she froze as realization hit her.

The Beast of the Woods.

Her mouth instantly felt like sandpaper.

No! She wasn't going to let them do that, she wasn't going to let them wed her to a monster!

She looked around as the eerie silence around dawned on her. People were also frozen, just like she was. And then she heard the first chuckle, and the first snicker and then the torrents of laughter rained on her.

She bit her lips till she tasted blood and felt hot tears stinging her eyes. At that moment, she pleaded for the earth to crumble beneath her and swallow her up.

Her eyes inadvertently turned to her to be husband.

He too was staring at her, his dark eyes boring into her skin, an indiscernible expression on his face.Her heart began pumping in fear and curiosity?

At Odei's call for her to come out, she felt her legs moving towards him. At each step she drew closer, his features became more glaringly apparent. He really was monstrous, as huge and tall as a mountain paired with the most vicious eyes she had ever seen. Long thick black hair fell to his shoulders and he had a thick beard which surrounded lips which were set in a thin line. Around his arms, she could see different scars, some completely healed, some still in the process of healing. One particularly long gash still had blood bubbling on its surface and she felt strangely compelled to help him tender to the wound.

As she approached, her eyes, in a quest for distraction, moved to the mayor and she was right on time to catch him exchange a glance with Odei and smile malevolently.

She gasped. It was all a set up! Of course they had planned to pair her with the Beast of the Woods. What better way to get rid of her for good? Red hot fury blinded her and she was about to run over to start raining blows on the man when she heard a deep voice call out her name.

She turned back to the Beast – No, Voloukh. At first, she just stared at him in shock. Then, her heart racing, she edged closer to him, unable to take her eyes off his dark brooding eyes and wondering what traumas those eyes had experienced.

Probably a lot, just as she had. That would probably be the only thing they had in common. They were both equally broken by the cruel world they were thrust into.

"Leila," he said again, coming close to her. She stepped back a little and saw his expression harden again. He clenched his fists and she could almost hear a growl.

Odei came close to them.

"Stretch your hands."

As they turned to him, stretching their hands, Leila couldn't help but notice that he could use only one hand to strangle her to death. He probably would, considering the fact that they had not even started living together and she had already angered him by stepping away.

As he put a cloth over their hands, Leila felt the urge to run but by the time she turned back, she noticed that a congregation of men had formed an impenetrable wall behind her.

After analyzing her odds of escaping successfully and realizing that it was very slim, she turned back to him, heart racing.

"You are now bound together for eternity, two have become one by the declaration of the great god Deros."

Her eyes closed tight, knowing that this was the point in which they were expected to share their ceremonial couple's kiss. As she felt his heat descending, her heart began literally thumping out of her chest, threatening to burst out. She unwittingly held her breath and waited.

She soon felt his beard near her face and soon after felt his hard lips upon hers. But, to her surprise, the lips barely touched hers and quickly left her mouth.

She popped her eyes open and found herself gasping for breath. She, again, met Voloukh's eyes, which looked murderous. They turned away from her and with a grunt beckoning her to follow him, he walked away, leaving her confused and frightened.

'No matter what happens to you, no matter what trials you face, you will always be able to overcome them. You're a warrior.'

Yes, father, by your dead body, I will overcome this.

She straightened her back, took a quick breath, and strutted after him.