Seeing Red

Chapter Four

Chapter 4

            I woke up with a smile on my face. It was good to be in my natural form. I rolled over and heard a crumpling sound. I lifted up my head and saw a piece of paper on my pillow. Lifting it up I read it out loud:

“At night she sleeps, my eyes are awake

Our love is whole, my heart she did take

She’s peaceful divine beauty, our love is not fake

But does she really need me? I’ll wait at the lake”

            I laughed to myself “Riddles now as well?” Smiling, I reached for the shears and began to cut my waist length hair. I cut it close to my head, in a cut that you often see in men. It looked good on me. I clothed myself and left the tent.

            Dyr’aila was waiting for me outside.  “Are you recovered?” she asked briskly.

"Yes, I am fine” I told her smiling.

She looked over my hair and smirked, “See that it doesn’t happen again!” She began to walk away, until I spoke.

“Dyr’aila!” I called. She turned to look at me.

“Yes?”

“What is wrong my friend? You seemed different yesterday. And now today…”

“Do not call me your friend, Layana! You have responsibilities! To your clan, your race, to every living thing! You cannot just leave! I gave up on you! You left the rest of us to tell the world that their prophesied Savior was dead! Gone! Never to return! Do you not realize the kind of devastation you could have put everyone through? You have duties, Layana! You have purpose! If you ever do that again I swear I will hunt you down and kill you myself!” she spat at the ground by my feet and left, her black feathered cape swinging behind her.

I frowned. It looks like I hurt her feelings. It would take time to fix it. But time was what I had. I walked over to the fire to grab breakfast, pondering her angry words.

“Hello Layana!”

“Red one you have returned!”

“We are glad you are well, Lady”

“Have you any stories for us?” 

People all throughout the camp were calling my name and asking me questions. I was patient with them. Answering their questions and saying greetings. Eventually everyone had said hello. I sighed and headed to the lake.  At the exact spot we had met in the woods when I was a wolf, Zevvran stood. He smiled at me as I approached him.

“Riddles Zevvran?” I teased.

He laughed, “I thought you would enjoy that!”

I shook my head at him, pretending to scold. “If all you wanted to do was get me alone in the woods you could have just asked!”

 Zevvran laughed again. “Actually, I have another poem for you, my love.” He looked at me expectantly.

“Oh… then go on ahead” I grinned in anticipation.

“Every second passes, every minute is a day

I spend every hour thinking about you

When you are away,”

“Aww… cute!” I said to him, leaning towards him for a kiss.

“I-…. I um…” he stuttered.

I smiled at him. “You’re so charming when you’re confused.”

“Ha! Then I will be confused more if you so wish it. I wanted to ask you a question.” He evaded my lips deftly.

I cocked my head at him, curious. “Which would be…?” I asked.

“Um… how do I put this? Err… ah! Yes! Okay. When this is all over, when my Maven and the world is at peace… I was hoping that maybe… you’d like to… marry me?”

My mouth fell open. When I could speak, I asked softly, “This is not a traditional proposal is it?”

“Well, it is a tradition. Just not a well-used one. You see, being the person that you are, you cannot marry in just one way. You would have to marry in all traditions.”

“So dwarf, elf, Jae, Faery, and human? At the same time? Is that possible?”

“Well… yes. It is called The Anaralowve. Or the Love of Anna. It’s a romantic story. If you wish to hear it?” He patted the space on the boulder next to him. I sat down and leaned into him. He put his arm around me

“Centuries ago, when the world was flat, and we only had the two mother moons, Gaana and Iliya, a young and handsome man, well known through his city, fell in love with a pretty little woman named Anna Lowae. She wasn’t the most well known woman around, but she was sweet and kind, with pretty light brown hair and a set of beautiful ffreckles. The man was walking through the city when he first saw Anna. He was instantly infatuated with her small smile and kind words. He was desperate for her marriage, but she would not give it to him. She was a mix of all the races you see.

            ‘I cannot marry you my love! I must represent my origins equally’ she said to him. They both wanted to marry, but Anna loved all her people, and she wouldn’t settle with one custom.

            ‘Then do! Create a marriage made for just us! There can be no other unique love like ours sweet Anna! Let us forge our own lovely path, to continue our current one! Let us continue being original my love! Let us just be us, as we were only meant to be’. Anna was intrigued with the idea. She and her fiancé carefully planned a unique way in which they can be a part of every race, just as Anna wished.

            And so the Anaralowve was created.”

“That is such a beautiful story,” I sighed happily, snuggling into him.

“Sadly, it does not end well. Anna died giving birth to their child Amara, and the man killed himself five days later. But their love is forever recorded.”

“So you want me to marry you in a way that is considered the base of a tragedy?” I asked him, disappointed that the lover's tale ended with sorrow, and irked that he so quickly ruined the story for me.

“Well… I had hoped” He smiled roguishly at me before cupping my chin in his hand and speaking seriously. “I will not ever withhold information from you, my love”

 “Then, I will marry you, Zevvran Trassaria,” I said solemnly.

“And I will love you forever, Layana Mavenblood,” he responded softly.

“I’m keeping you to that promise, you know!” I smiled devilishly, unable to remain solemn for more than a moment. The effort was not worth the reward.

“I’m counting on it!” he mumbled, obviously distracted.

“Good” I said, distracted as well.