Way of The Pride

12| The Revelation II

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Whispering Caves
Esu Village
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Night came quicker than usual, eager to reign the skies in place of its eternal companion, Day. Tonight looked especially beautiful with stars that shined proudly. The trees rustled to the wind, sounds of crickets and the animals of the night singing excitedly, announcing their presence to all who cared to hear.

If someone had told Iweobi that he would one day wait on a maiden, he would have called the person a fool. Yet here he stood - waiting under the shade of a waning moonlight - like a woman eagerly anticipating the arrival of her lover.

The unforgiving cold of the night seeped into his bones, stealing warmth from his body. He drew on the wrapper over his shoulders to conserve his body heat - a vain effort against the chill of the wind. In order to blend in he had worn a commoner's waist-garment in place of his usual palace wear. Now he regretted not putting on extra clothing.

Iweobi shifted on his feet, his mind growing restless as the appointed time drew closer. Where in the name of the goddess was the maiden?

Why was he here believing the woven tales of a mere maid when a warm bed waited for him back at the palace. Any maiden could have walked up to him with the same tale and he would never have given it a moment's thoughts.

So why had he listened?

Because as much as he hated to admit, Mma was different from the rest of the maids in the palace. He had quietly been observing her movements and what he saw proved that she was different, responsible. Never for once had he seen her associating herself with palace gossip. Soft spoken and naive, she had not a mean blood in her bone.

He was once again reminded of how brave she stood up to him back at the King's chambers, a trait that was hard to find maidens of nowadays.

For some reason he did not want to acknowledge, he believed her and that was the root of his fear. A disturbing feeling grew in him, the fear that what he will see will put truth to words. Deep down he knew that after tonight things shall never remain the same.

Huddling closer to a tree, he stood a few distance away from the entrance of the cave. The Whispering Caves was a popular spot for couples to meet secretly away from the eyes of all. At night, when the moon is high, the light reflects on the pools of water within making the inner walls of the cave glisten a wondrous blue. The ethereal glow was a sight favoured by the maidens of Isimir and men looking to impress brought their besotted here.

Fortunately, the moonlight was weak so no one would visit the caves tonight. As planned they were to meet here by nightfall to find out whatever truth Mma wished to reveal to him. It had not been easy to sneak out of the palace unseen. He had to wait for the guards to change shifts before he could escape.

Could she have been held back by the guards?

A hand was suddenly upon him. He reacted on instinct and twisted to grab the arm. The sight of a frightened female stopped him just in time to avoid punching her face.

''It is j-just me.'' Mma rose her hands in surrender.

Iweobi sighed in relief, relaxing now that danger was out of sight. ''Apologies.''

The fairness of her skin stood out in the night, illuminating her features. A sensation crawled up his hand, warm and unusual. Iweobi realized he was still holding onto Mma's hands. He should let it go, he wanted to, yet his thumb caressed the smooth skin. How can a woman's skin be so unbelievably soft and warm to the touch?

The thought had him tearing his hands off like it was on fire. What possessed him to act in such a manner? He had more control than this. Iweobi saw her shoulders shake as she looked anywhere but at him.Was she...laughing? He frowned, what could possibly be amusing about this situation? Maybe it was a womanly thing.