Sight Unseen

Chapter Two: Asta Vestuvian

Loud knocking nearly broke down the rugged door that separated Asta's house from the street. She had been taking care of her father, who wasn't able to do many things for himself when the knocking started. She sighed softly as she set the clay bowl down where neither her nor her father would knock her over. The knocking came again as she walked over to the entryway.

"Yes, yes. I am right here!"

Asta nearly growled as she flung the door open, not aware who was at the door. The village knew that she was blind, but didn't realize just how blind she is. The soldiers at the door stiffened when she opened the door, a light blush covering their faces. She was an attractive woman with her waist length dark brown hair and her cloudy blue-grey eyes. Her figure was something that had the men tripping over themselves to please her, and her voice was melodic.

None of them could marry her, though. She was blind, and unworthy of being a part of society, which was just how things worked in their world. When nobody said anything and just stood there staring at her, she clicked her tongue and muttered a soft curse, placing her slender hand on her hip as she held the door open.

"I can hear you breathing. Who is it?"

One of the soldiers gulped loudly and cleared his throat, to which Asta looked directly at him, even though she couldn't see him.

"Varrian. What do you need?"

She had gotten used to tell everyone apart by the noises that they had made. She and Varrian had been childhood friends, so he knew better than anyone just how blind she was, but he wasn't able to help her anymore.

"Asta." He placed his hand on his chest, greeting her as he always did the soldiers. "You're the sacrifice this season." He swallowed loudly, enough for her to hear his nerves. "I couldn't stop them." He whispered the last part, knowing she would hear and not the men.

Asta worried her bottom lip for a moment before she sighed, her body relaxing.

"I see." She lifted her head proudly and smiled at the group of men. "Let me say goodbye to my father." Without a word, she turned on her heel and went to her fathers' side.

"Father." The man groaned softly and turned to face her. "I have to go now. I will not be back for quite some time. I love you." She leaned down to give the man a soft kiss on his forehead and grabbed the bag of Drachma she had been collecting for as long as she had been able to do odd jobs for money.

"Varrian." She spoke gently, holding the bag like it was a baby bird. "Please take care of him. He is all I have left." Her voice cracked softly and the giant of a man nodded, his face softening as he looked at her. He knew that her mother had died in childbirth with her, and that was all that they knew about her because her father didn't speak of her, and Asta didn't tell anyone what her father had told her about her.

"Thank you, dear." Lifting her hand, she placed it upon his cheek and leaned up to give him a soft kiss on his other cheek, causing hissing from the other men with them. "I am ready now. Please lead me to the sacrificial cave." She smiled softly, not allowing her sadness at being picked as the sacrifice to show.

She held her wrists up for them to bind, which Varrian gripped gently and pushed down. "No, Asta. We're not going to bind you. You need your hands." He looked at his men, nodding. "We will be putting a potato sack on your head though, to protect your eyes. I know they're sensitive to sunlight." He murmured as one of his men stepped forward, holding that sack out.

Varrian grabbed the sack and stepped towards Asta. "I'm putting it on your head now, Asta." He explained as he moved towards her, bringing that sack down over her head. "Is that too tight? Can you still breathe?" He asked, concern lacing his voice. She shook her head, then chuckled, realizing that they might not have been able to see her shake her head. "No, I am fine. I can breathe. Thank you, Varrian."