Untamed Love

CHAPTER 1 - The Waterfall

The sun was already high in the sky by the time Can Divit made it to the outskirts of the immense rainforest. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The air was hot and a flow of smells got caught up in his nose. Scents that he was familiar with – water dripping from the leaves, greenery – the very scent of the woods that he had come to love over the years and his many trips. He also caught scents he was not familiar with and the more he was inhaling them, the more he felt his excitement growing. He couldn't wait to discover the treasures that this forest had to offer and finally get to the mysterious town of Mahalle.

Mahalle was rumoured to be a very small town in the middle of a huge rainforest. It was one of those towns where few had been able to return from and that managed to maintain this eerie feel about them. Old tales said that its inhabitants were still hunters and lived in ancestral ways. Nobody had ever been able to photograph neither the town nor its inhabitants and Can hoped that he would be the first to succeed.

He had been contacted by an agency who published travel books as they had come to know about his passion for foreign places and his stunning photographs had gained him quite a few admirers. He had been more than happy to accept this amazing opportunity and not more than a couple of weeks later here he was, ready to cross the border between what people called "civilization" and the "wildness" for a marvellous journey.

Can smiled. He felt like he was coming home after a long tiring trip. He had never felt home in big cities. Just being in nature was what he needed and what his soul was aching for. He had felt it during all his trips. But for some reason, this time was different. The smells, the views, the sounds...everything made his heart race and his senses alert. He felt the nagging feeling that this trip was like no other before. He felt like he was truly coming home.

What a strange feeling, he thought for a moment. Maybe this is just the excitement of being the first to cross the line? Of getting to photograph one of he most hidden cities in the world?

Can shook his head. Now wasn't the moment to dwell on nostalgic thoughts. Now was the time to finally take that step and venture into the vast wild green! With a last whiff of fresh air, Can stepped into the forest.

_ _ _

"Phoenix!"

Sanem sighed before turning around towards the young man who was calling her. It never ended well for her when someone called her by her title. "Efendim Muzo?"

Muzo chuckled. "I was wondering if maybe you cared for some company on your lone trip to the forest."

Sanem sighed. "It is what it is Muzo. A lone trip. I need to go a-lone."

"Tamam. But I could be of use. I don't know. If you encounter any dangerous animal passing by or worse! Travellers!"

Sanem rolled her eyes. She wasn't afraid of wild animals since she very well knew how to defend herself with her bow and arrows. And about the other topic, no travellers had ventured that deep into the rainforest for more than five years now so the probability of that happening was very much nearing 0. Nevertheless she wasn't in the mood to argue so she just shrugged and went on with her path. She would shake him off sooner than later. Muzo was no hunter and he was certainly not fit for long hours of walking.

They travelled at a safe distance from one another. Despite the fact that Muzo had been in love with Sanem from his infancy, he knew not to cross the line when he was with her. She was the daughter of the second most important family of the town and benefited from some privileges to say the least. And not only that, but she was also the town's daydreamer.

As a daydreamer, she had the ability to see things beyond their world and had to warn her people if need be. There hadn't been a daydreamer for decades before her and it made people respect her as well as fear her. That didn't bother her much since they were all very fond of her and she had just the right people in her life she could count on anyway.