Spirit Of The Centaur

Moonlit Thoughts

FAUNA'S P.O.V

Three weeks before the wedding and I'm having doubts. Everyone thought it was a brilliant idea for me to marry my childhood sweetheart. Except for me. Everything seemed to happen so quickly, and even though I had known him all my life, I felt I could be making a huge mistake. It used to feel like forever until it would actually happen, but now it's in three weeks time! Everyone will think I'm cruel if I back out at this time. If I'm completely honest, I like him, but do I really love him? That is the question.

I take a glance in the reflection of the lake. My long hair in tangles from the night before, even my eyes are sagging from the lack of sleep and the dreams that plagued my slumber last night. My coat is all rugged and dirty from the day's work. The dim light of the moon mixed with the blueness of the lake shows my eyes as more of a blue than their natural green coloring. In this reflection I see a shooting star travel across the night sky, I look up to see if it was real, or whether it's just a ripple in the water, messing with my mind. Sure enough, it is real. I think about making a wish, but what's the point? It's not like it could actually come true. I used to think they did, but it's an old witch's tale. I often wonder how stars are made. Fern says their fairies that got trapped in the sky and are so bright and so high up that you can only see them at night. I'm not sure I believe her, though. How could they fly up so high? Wouldn't they have gotten tired? Why are there so many? There can't be that many stupid fairies willing to get trapped in the sky...

I tell her I believe her though to shut her up. I think we all have one of those friends who just talk too much, but we keep them around because they're interesting people or at the very least they put up with our nonsense most of the time. I only have 2 friends, Fern and Cliff. Fern seems to never shut up while Cliff never seems to talk. Yet Fern only really talks to me and Cliff, she gets very shy around anyone else, but I think that's just because she's a dryad and dryads are known for being very shy and quiet beings. To be more specific, she's an Oread, meaning she guards and protects mountain pine trees. She's only 17 and has a long lifespan, I think it goes up to about 4000 years, but I'm not sure.

I should probably start heading back to the camp. Everyone will be waiting for me to start the bonfire, to mark the start of the preparation for the wedding. It doesn't matter when the wedding was decided, the planning always starts 3 weeks before with a bonfire to signify it. I still can't believe how quickly the time has gone...

I slowly wander back to the camp, the damp earth chilling my hooves. The wind blowing through my hair and on my face. Luckily it's only a short walk back. As I walk further into the woods I can see the arrows in the trees, signaling the way back.

I can hear the sound of my pack talking, shouting, singing. They must really be excited about this wedding... I wish I could be too. I hastily run up to them, not wanting to waste their time any longer

"Ah, there you are Fauna" A voice ahead calls to me. It was the voice of my father, Storm, leader of the pack. "We were getting worried, I was about to send Cliff to find you. We wouldn't want the bride to go missing 3 weeks before the wedding, now would we?" He questions.

"I'm fine, father. I was just out by the lake, thinking..." I answered

"Thinking? About what?"

"Oh, just life, the wedding, my friends, just stuff in general."

"You're not backing out, are you? I understand that you've always been quite happy all by yourself, but it's what's best for the pack, you do understand that, right? Plus it's kinda a bit late to just back out..."

"Yes, I know father... I wasn't thinking about backing out, I actually can't wait..." I lied. I couldn't tell him the truth, he'd be distraught... He always liked Ash and thought he'd be a great leader for the new generation. My father never trusted me to be a leader by myself as, I wouldn't be able to have kids and I've always wanted to do my own thing, rather than follow the rules. He thinks if I have a man in my life then I'll settle down... As if...

"Oh... Are you? Well, it's about time you got some responsibility!" He kidded. He slowly then started wandering back to join the others and talk.

Maybe he's right, maybe I need to be more responsible. He's always said I was like my mother, even though I never got to know my mother, she apparently died when I was born. I always felt sad when talking about her, but I accepted it, things happen and we can't change the past.

I start heading over towards the campfire. Everything's in place, from the burn pit (A small hole of oil we light on fire before lighting the wood) to the stack of logs rising quite high into the sky. I pick up a log from the ground and bring it into the burn pit. It takes only a moment to light and engulf the tip of the log. Everyone goes silent, waiting in anticipation for me to light the campfire. I slowly stretch out my arm, and as soon as it touches, the fire spreads. Flames dancing around wildly, some embers flying around. It was beautiful. It always was. Everyone starts cheering and dancing around... almost as if they're the flames themselves, moving around wildly and galloping about. It was a sight to see. The whole pack, even the youngsters were joining in.

I thought I knew everyone in the pack, I'd grown up with them, lived with them and cared for them. But tonight I saw someone new. Someone I'd never seen before. She had to be the most stunning, beautiful, captivating creature I had ever seen. Her long dark hair, cascading over her shoulders look like a black waterfall, her dark brown eyes were so fierce and seemed to sparkle and shine in the campfire light, and she had the most beautiful skin and coat too, her snow-white skin meeting her coal-black coat, and her lips, a dazzling crimson red. How had I never seen her before? She was just so gorgeous! The way she moved was so enchanting... I could stare for hours, just admiring her... I needed to know her name.