"It's the Chief!" A boy shouted, "The Chief is back!"
Agatha sighed in relief when she saw her husband racing towards her with a young doe on his shoulders.
"Markus! Thank God you're back! It's Melissa, she hasn't been back from the woods yet. Have you seen her?" Agatha's worry lines deepened when she saw her husband's pale and ashen face.
"Markus, what is the matter?" Agatha asked worriedly. "And where is Fabian?"
"Agatha, I... I..."
"Markus! Where is my son?" Agatha panicked. She felt her heart beating faster and faster until she saw yellow spots dancing before her eyes. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down before the nausea hit her.
Agatha was nine months pregnant and her energy was sapping away, with frequent nausea and dizziness weakening her each approaching day.
"Agatha!" Markus quickly held out an arm to steady her when she started swaying. She was as white as sheet. Then suddenly, a strong icy hand gripped his arm.
Agatha had sat up and Markus could see a storm brewing behind her stormy grey eyes when she spoke firmly, "Markus. Where. Is. Fabian,"
Markus sighed and pried her fingers off his arm and told her what had happened. He watched fearfully as Agatha became paler and paler until he was sure that even corpses had more colour than her.
She stood up unsteadily and before Markus knew what was happening, she was already walking away from him and towards the woods.
"Wait, you can't go and find them! You're pregnant!" Markus spluttered. "Agatha, you are weak, stay here and rest! I will find them in the morning!"
Agatha turned around stared steadily into his eyes.
"I may be weak, but you are weaker. Melissa and Fabian, are they not your children too? We both know what the Devil is capable of, it will be too late by next morning," And with that, she disappeared into the trees, leaving Markus staring blankly at the spot she vanished.
"Chief, your tea. Should I call the boys to tend your wounds?" A young girl bowed and inquiried repectfully. Markus nodded absently and muttered a "thank you" when she handed him his tea.
Suddenly, Markus didn't feel like a Chief anymore. He was the head of the clan, the protector of hundreds. Yet, he couldn't even protect four.
He glanced around him. There was no one. Even the girl with the tea was gone.
He had never felt so alone.
