The Bewitching - Midsummer Aine - Book 2

Chapter 23 - Tribes and Traps

Dewdrop and Shannon sat around the fire with the other members of Dewdrop’s tribe after a long day of introductions and greetings. Torches circled the grassy, open area, casting a soft and welcoming glow. Everyone seemed festive and happy to be together again, although Shannon could tell from the look on Dewdrop’s face that the future was weighing heavily on her mind. Neither of them had told the others yet about the reason for their return. Shannon assumed Dewdrop didn’t want to ruin their night of celebration as it might be the last they’d see in a long while if whatever Shannon had seen in her vision came to pass.

As Shannon sat looking at all the happy faces of the other women, she couldn’t help but feel like she was missing something. There was something oddly familiar about them, and yet she was almost positive she had never met them before. Whatever it was that gave her that feeling, she just couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Are you alright?” Shannon asked as she leaned in close to Dewdrop.

“I think so. It’s getting late. I thought Annette and the others would be here by now.”

“They’re coming here?! Tonight?”

“Yeah. Sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I just found out not long ago myself.”“Okay, but why are they coming here?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. Right now we should try to enjoy the celebration because I don’t know how long it’s going to last.”

“Is everything okay?” Shannon asked with concern in her voice.

Dewdrop smiled sullenly at Shannon, “Like I said, we’ll talk about it later. Now’s the time to relax.” Dewdrop’s words brought a feeling of uneasiness. Shannon sat back and tried to forget about them, to push any worry from her mind just for the time being. It wasn’t much use though. She could feel the heaviness weighing on Dewdrop, which in turn casted a cloud of anxiety over herself.

She looked again at the faces surrounding her, the smiles and bright eyes. It felt like home in some odd way, as if she belonged and had lived here all her life. It was a feeling she had never experienced in the outside world and her normal life. There she had always felt like something of a misfit, but here that was all different. Even around Elyssa, who she considered her best and most trusted friend, she at times felt a lack of belonging.

She grabbed for another drink, one of the tribes own concoctions made using various berries and fruits found in the surrounding area. It had a sweet taste and euphoric effect on its drinkers, all without the worry of becoming drunk. It helped a little in easing Shannon’s mind, but not to the extent that she would have hoped it had. Right now though anything was  better than nothing.

As the night wore on, Shannon noticed another odd occurrence. Here and there, throughout the crowd of celebration, there would be those whispering to one another while glancing in her direction. A quick look of sorrow would pass their faces, and then be quickly hidden, particularly if they caught her watching them. It happened so fast that she wasn’t even sure if she was seeing it correctly. She glanced down at her drink, wondering if the effects were a bit more than she had thought them to be.

It wasn’t long after that one of the tribe members came over and whispered something to Dewdrop. She nodded a few times and then stood, excusing herself from the celebration. Shannon began to stand too, but Dewdrop motioned for her to stay. She watched as they retreated to one of the tents before turning her attention back to the rest of the tribe.

It took a few moments for Shannon to realize that almost all of the others there were females. She had been told by Dewdrop about the history of the tribe, and what happened to the men, although she hadn’t thought about it at all until now. It was odd being surrounded almost only by women, with only a few men dwindling among them. She had finally found a place where she felt like she belonged, and now she realized that her love life, like Elyssa’s, was non-existent. The chances of her finding someone to share her life with, now that everything else felt in place, wasn’t quite so grand.