The Hunt

3. When the Wise Woman Wants to Speak, You Listen

Biting cold temperatures seemed far outside of the realm of possibilities as she lay sleeping. She was warm, cozy. The sounds of owls, crickets, and moon-toads orchestrated a lullaby that surrounded her like a hug. Wrapped in the scent of Sana's earthiness and underlying floral notes, Meridia was calm and content.

Until it was shattered by a frantic hand jerking her awake. "Meridia!"

She startled, jerking awake with eyes half-open. "Hmm? Wha—?"

The darkness around her gave way to a single torch and the faint image of a person. She rubbed her eyes, clearing them of sleep, and could now see Seion before her. His eyes were huge, frantic, as he stared down at his youngest sister on the forest floor.

"Seion?" she murmured, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head. "Where are we?"

Behind her older brother was the faint light of the bonfire up the hill.

The village.

Looking around, she realized she was lying on a bed of flowers and clovers, her discarded berry basket from earlier in the day beside her under the underbrush of the shrub. Sleepily, she reached for it, fingers grasping nimbly onto the woven handle and successfully pulling it from the underbrush. She set it in her lap, yawning.

"Meri, where were you?" he asked, desperate. He knelt, his hand reaching out and assessing for injuries.

She peered up at him, puzzled. "What do you mean...?"

She analyzed him further — scrapes on his arms and cheek, tears on his pant legs, mud on his shoes. He was dirty and visually unnerved, sweat sticking his curls to his forehead and hands visibly quaking. The only time she saw him this rattled was when...

When her younger sister drowned and he nearly broke himself combing the forest for her.

All too quickly, her adventure came back to her, sleepiness subsided, and anxiety took over.

Her lip trembled. "I... I, um..."

Sana... Where is she? Where did she go?

"Meridia. Where were you?" Seion urged.

Meridia looked all around her, never catching sight of the Amera, only ever seeing black shadows of trees and the occasional glimpse of small nocturnal creature eyes reflecting the firelight as they hid in the berry bushes. She spotted some torches off in the dark, the wind carrying their calling voices, calling for her.

How long was I gone? Was that all a dream?

"Meridia! Answer me! Where were you?" Seion shouted suddenly, shaking her arm and startling her further.

But a glimpse of soft white held her sight captive, twisting her insides with nausea and the sinking sensation of validation. A white fur tunic laid on Meridia's body, embracing her in the confirmation of the warmth and fragrance of the God who blessed her. Meridia blinked, mouth agape. Peering up at her brother, her face blanched. She had fallen asleep on the adventure. Who knows if that displeased the God? Their village could be overtaken by her wrath at any moment. She might have just doomed them all by her insolence.

A cold sweat broke out over her entire body, and she held back tears, swallowing hard.

He was awaiting an answer, relief and fear evident on his chiseled features — fear from where she disappeared to and relief to have found her. But that relief would not last long.

The only thing she could do was hold the fur tunic higher to the firelight and say a single word in a shivering voice:

"Amera."