Dreams
A Mystic Realm short piece.
By:  SlyFox

“Something tells me there is another reason you dragged me out here besides hunting,” Nahima said as she and Redwolf made their way through a more densely grown area of Shirish Forest, both carrying their spears at the ready.
“What gave you that idea?” Redwolf asked, taking a quick glance at Nahima out of the corner of his eye.
“For one thing, a two fur hunt is, well, unusual.  Then…” Nahima’s voice trailed off as she thought about whether it was wise to put her leader’s actions to question.
“Then…?” Redwolf said in a questioning voice.
“Then there is the fact that you wanted to leave the village without the rest of the hunting party before the first bird sings.  I mean, it isn’t even first light, yet,” Nahima quickly finished.
Redwolf didn’t reply but, instead, continued on his pre-planned path.  He had woken Nahima up early that morning and had requested that she accompany him on a hunt.  Nahima, feeling the way she did about Redwolf, had been all too happy to join him.
Nahima loved the hunts she went on with the rest of Redwolf’s hunting party.  The thrill of the chase.  The anticipation of the kill.  The praise she received from her fellow hunters.  It all appealed to her.  But something kept surfacing at the back of her mind.  No matter how deeply she tried to bury it beneath other thoughts, it was still there.  She shrugged.  Maybe she was just nervous.  This would be, after all, the first time since her test that she and Redwolf had hunted alone.
Now, she was beginning to become uncomfortable.  The cold morning breeze was beginning to get to her as it ruffled her fur and blew past her legs.  She stole a glance at Redwolf walking beside her.  “If he’s bothered by this, he sure does a good job of hiding it.” She thought to herself.
Before long, Redwolf led Nahima to the edge of a cliff where the trees had been cleared away and the ground was blanketed with a soft layer a grass.  “I used to come here with Bhadrak when we were cubs.  We would place a large basket at the bottom of the cliff and try to throw pebbles into it from up here.  I haven’t been here in years,” he told her.
“So, what are we hunting for?” Nahima asked, her voice betraying her excitement.
“Nahima…” Redwolf said hesitantly, “I didn’t really bring you out her to hunt.”
“Hah!  I knew there was another reason!” Nahima exclaimed as her tail twitched excitedly.
Once Nahima had calmed down, Redwolf spoke, gazing into her soft, cool, blue eyes.  “It is almost time.”
Redwolf saw the puzzled look on Nahima’s face and said, “Look, out there,” as he pointed a single claw out over the cliff toward the rising sun.  He stood behind Nahima as she stared in the direction in which he had pointed.  Her eyes widened in awe as the cold, blue darkness of the night sky gave way to the warm, inviting reddish golds of the early morning sun.
While Nahima gazed at the scene, Redwolf busily removed a stunning, silver bead from his hair.  He gently, but firmly, took hold of Nahima’s wrist and raised it until it was level with his.  Slowly, he opened her paw.  After placing the bead in her palm, Redwolf slowly closed her paw around it.
Nahima suddenly snapped back to attention and looked at Redwolf cradling her paw in his.  Still holding her spear in her other paw, she carefully opened the paw that held the bead and was shocked by what she saw.  The tiny, silver bead dazzled with the reds and golds of the rising sun.
Nahima just stood there, shocked.  She knew what the bead meant and had even seen this ritual once or twice back in the village.  Each hunter was given one finely crafted, pure silver bead for his sixteenth birthday.  The bead could only be given to the female whom he chose to grant his eternal love to.  As soon as Nahima tried to speak, she found that she couldn’t.  Her muzzle opened and closed but no words came out.  All that could be heard was a faint gurgling sound coming from deep in her throat.
As Nahima struggled with her emotions, Redwolf calmly slid the spear from her other paw and dropped it on the grass beside her.  When she had regained control over her senses, Nahima said in a shaky voice, “I… I cannot accept this.  I cannot take this from you.”
A warm, comforting smile crawled over Redwolf’s muzzle.  “Yes, you can take it.  I want you to have it.  You, Nahima, are the only female whom I will ever give that bead to.  Not Akuti.  Not Jwala.  Not anyone but you,” he said, staring into Nahima’s deep, sapphire eyes.
Nahima opened her muzzle to say something but was cut off when Redwolf gently pressed his paw over it.  When she had closed her muzzle again, he lowered his paw and continued, “I know we have been rivals in the past, but I have come to realize something – I have feelings for you.”  He paused and gave Nahima time to let his words sink in before speaking again, “Nahima, I cannot be sure of your feelings toward me but I can honestly say that I love you.”
Redwolf quit speaking and allowed Nahima to collect her thoughts and say what she had wanted to say earlier.  Again, Nahima tried to speak but had no success.  She nearly felt herself choke as her throat muscles tightened in her neck.
They both stood there, Redwolf still holding Nahima’s paw while Nahima, in turn, held the silver bead in her palm.  After what seemed like an eternity, Nahima finally spoke up.  “But what about Akuti?” she asked, still in disbelief, “Chief Inesh has already given you her hand in marriage.”
Redwolf was ready for this and explained to Nahima, “According to the ancient laws of our clan, a male may refuse a female’s hand in marriage even if it is given by a clan member whose authority exceeds his own.  The ancient laws also state that a female may also turn down a marriage proposal given to her by any male.”  He stopped to catch his breath.  “That means I am still a bachelor and you may refuse me if that is what you want.”
“No!” Nahima snapped before she realized what was happening.  She looked at Redwolf and saw the stunned expression on his face.  “I mean… I don’t know what to do,” she sobbed as a lonely tear trickled down her cheek.
At this, Redwolf let go of Nahima’s paw and backed away from her.  “I will leave you to decide,” he said as he walked to the edge of the cliff and sat down, letting his legs dangle over the edge.
Nahima watched him go before turning around and walking into the forest.  She hadn’t meant to leave behind the spear her father had given her but she had other things on her mind now.  She found an old tree and sat down, leaning back against the trunk.  Thoughts raced through her head, coming and going before she even had a chance to focus on them.  She picked a single thought from the jumbled mass in her head and began running through everything that was happening in her life now.  “Do I want this?  What have I got to lose?  Is this the right time?  Will I ever get another chance?” she thought to herself.
Suddenly, she remembered something her father had told her – “Good things can be found easily but happiness is hard to come by.  If you find it, hold it tight and keep it close to you.”
“Happiness?  What is happiness? She thought.  Suddenly, she knew the answer to her own question.  “Redwolf!” she blurted out without meaning to.  Redwolf was who made her happy!  She stood up, stretched, and made her way back to the cliff… and Redwolf.
Nahima stepped out into the clearing.  Redwolf was still where she had left him, as if he hadn’t moved at all.  She walked up behind him.  “Redwolf…?” she said, getting his attention.
He looked up over his shoulder.  “Yes, Nah…” he began but never finished when he saw the pure, silver bead glistening in Nahima’s shining hair, an obvious sign that she had accepted his proposal.  Redwolf was on his feet in a flash.  He held Nahima’s paws firmly in his and smiled at her.
Nahima slid her paws from his and moved them upward, placing her arms around Redwolf’s neck.  She smiled back at him as he slid his paws down her sides to rest on her back a few inches above the base of her tail.  Slowly, she moved her muzzle up toward his until their noses met.
“Nahima, will you marry me?” Redwolf whispered softly as she nuzzled against his cheek fur.
“I believe you already know the answer to that, dear,” Nahima replied in a hushed voice before opening her muzzle to his.
As Redwolf brought his open muzzle to meet hers, he pulled her body closer to him, wrapping his tail around her.  Nahima did the same with hers, coiling it around his legs as they both shut their eyes and closed the gap in a passionate embrace.

###

It had been four days since Nahima had accepted Redwolf’s marriage proposal.  With the aid of the ancient texts, Redwolf had been able to persuade Chief Inesh that he was still officially a bachelor and could turn down Akuti’s hand in marriage if he so wished.  As for Nahima, she had been wearing her new silver bead with pride, showing it off at every chance she could get.  When Jwala had seen the gleaming, silver trinket, she had run over to Nahima, throwing her arms around her best friend, saying, “Who’s the lucky guy, Nahima?!”
Nahima had simply replied, “Well, he’s tall, he’s handsome, and he’s red.  Does that help?”
“Way’da go, girl!  You did it!  You finally got him!” Jwala had screamed, temporarily deafening Nahima.

It was now the day of the wedding.  The stage had been set up to accommodate a wedding ceremony.  A row of benches had been removed from the audience to form a narrow walkway leading up to an arch built from thin, flexible branches on the stage.  The arch itself was draped with lavender, courtesy of Jwala, and shaded a podium where the ancient texts were placed, behind which stood Chief Inesh.
The members of the hunting parties, including Redwolf and Nahima, had all been working overtime, stocking the food storage huts full, preparing for the ceremonial feast.
Redwolf now stood dressed in his blue, silken robe, before the podium, facing Chief Inesh, who smiled back at him in return.  After a few moments, Chief Inesh raised his paws, signaling for the audience to stand.  Turning around, Redwolf saw his beautiful bride-to-be, Nahima, dressed in her own yellow-gold silken robe, walking up the aisle to the slow, yet steady, beat of the drums, her tail swaying hypnotically behind her.  As she joined him, Redwolf noticed the red and white rose petals scattered throughout her flowing silver hair.
Chief Inesh, then, lowered his paws and the audience seated itself.  As it did so, Nahima spied Akuti glaring at her from the back row.  She smiled devilishly at Akuti before turning back to Redwolf and the podium.  “That ought to drive Akuti nuts.” Nahima thought to herself with a satisfied chuckle.
Finally, Chief Inesh spoke.  “Today, a hunter and a huntress shall be wed.  Two life-forces will join as one to form an unbreakable bond.  A bond that will last two lifetimes.  A bond that will be based on the ideals of love, …unity, …and trust.
“Today, we bare witness to the marriage of Nahima Heiki and Redwolf, the huntress and the hunter.”  Then he spoke to both Nahima and Redwolf, individually.  “You, Nahima Heiki, have chosen Redwolf as your lifemate, is this true?”
“Yes, this is true,” Nahima calmly confirmed.
Chief Inesh spoke again, this time to Redwolf.  “And you, Redwolf, have agreed to take Nahima Heiki as your lifemate, is this true?”
“Yes, this is true,” Redwolf answered, his tail twitching with excitement beneath the robe.
“Both, Redwolf and Nahima Heiki, have agreed to take each other as their lifemates,” Chief Inesh’s voice bellowed, “and to form the unbreakable bond of marriage.  As the leader and chief of this clan, I now unite you in marriage.”
Redwolf and Nahima turned to face each other and smiled, their elation and joy evident.  They wrapped their arms, as well as their tails, around one another and closed their eyes as their open muzzles met.

###

Nahima opened her eyes to find herself in her bed back in her hut.  She looked around and saw the spear her father had given her resting against the wall where she had always put it at night.  As she peered out her window, she realized that it was still early in the morning, before dawn in fact.  “So, I guess it was all just a dream, or was it?” she thought aloud as she searched her hair for the silver bead.
That’s when she heard a knock at the door to the hut.  Knowing full well that her mother wouldn’t answer the door this early in the morning, Nahima slid out of bed, Quickly put on a fresh change of clothes, and went to the hut’s front door.
Upon opening the door, Nahima saw Redwolf holding his spear and hunting gear in one paw and preparing to knock on the door again with the other.
“Hello Nahima,” Redwolf greeted her cheerfully, “Would you care to go on an early morning hunt?  Just you and me?”

The End