Chapter twelve.

Manøvie.

I watched unconsciously as the girls whirled endlessly in my chambers, bringing in all the sections of clothing I was to wear for the post advent. The coronation of the new high priest.

I had a big role to play during these preparations, I had to be up and about with a vast excitement however, I wasn't one least bit excited; I was frustrated- even the maids had an eagerness hotter than mine and yet they were going to be the smaller part of this ceremony.

All I did was sit and zone out into my mind, drowning more and deeper into my sombre. My body quivered with a strong vile of agony such that numbed me out of feeling; I was a deep hollow void inside.

I didn't understand this,any of it! I mean,this is what I wanted, what I had worked so hard for. Sobêiski had been fully approved; he had successfully finished his classes and in afew days would be crowned High priest of Modëus.

Then-why? Why did I feel like this, like I was already dead, just waiting to close my eyes for the darkness to consume me? I had even failed to cry from the melancholy,my eyes actually hurt only from me staring into oblivion.

I did say once that I'd be happy with this decision but I'm starting to rethink it.

I don't even know what emotions I'm feeling right now. The emptiness, the emptiness is so deep- I'm not sure of who I am anymore.

My gaze drifted to the bronze rail that was hinged to the free wall next to my closet. The numerous adornments swung freely from the hangers, one of the girls setting each of them in line according to the whole ceremonial agenda.

The event would start with mass in the morning, with lord Lucaí leading the prayers one last time then we'd change to Levite appropriate clothing and ride out to their province where the second part of the event would be held.

Here, Sobêiski will be consecrated by the Levite elders and would be given his new priesthood robes and signet of power. After, the whole town will flicker in celebration, dancing and playing all kinds of music as we proceed to the Temple square where Sobêiski will finally be crowned High priest.

The entire scenario played the imaginary verse in my head, prophesying what I was afraid would come. Sobêiski taken from me forever even before I had a chance to have him. Nonetheless, this was far better than having to watch him die for named treason by the village leaders.

I for sure could never have that- ever!

"My lady!"

I jumped at the sound of a snap flashing at my face, conjuring my withering soul back to reality. I searched about to find Karla calling upon me again.

I raised my eyebrows for her to speak.

"My lady, Tõrontõ, son of Sovæ is here to see you," she informed me.

Tõrontõ? What was he doing here?

"Should I let him in?" She asked.

Karla walked away shortly after I nodded a yes of approval to her. She lingered beyond my peripheral vision and I was back to my thoughts again but not longer than I anticipated.

"Manøvie?"

I quickly recognized that soft murmur, my head snapped to the left and I met his eyes. Tõrontõ stood few feet from the door, a tinge of worry inscribed all over his face.

He wore a loose shredded shirt over his usual fitting Solorato farm pants. His arrow wasn't stripped around his shoulders to his back this time, I guess he wasn't hunting after he left. I gathered all my exuberance and came to his side.

"Are you....are you okay?" concern slapped his face instantly and he touched my cheek.

I bit my lip and stifled the tears threatening to seep out of my frail eyes. I couldn't break down now, I couldn't let all the girls and Tõrontõ get a hint about my enigma. I had to be forever strong- no matter what!

"Uh, yeah..yeah I'm fine just over excited for the celebration," a fabricate smile curved my face but I didn't maintain eye contact with him.

"Oh, Okay." he huffed suspiciously "So, I wanted to take you out to the fields. I want to show you something but if you're busy with the preparations I can...

"No!" I cut him off and he frowned nebulously "I mean, I'm not busy...at all."

I wanted to get out of this place, to interlude and take a hiatus from all this emotional suffering. I wanted to go about and be free from these gripping thoughts. I wanted to be wild and laugh openly without being buried behind tears and sadness.

"Okay then, let's go." He smiled and took my hand.

I wasn't sure I should have let him do that but right now, nothing mattered to me as long as I could let loose from these shackles of frustration.

"Are we going hunting again?" I asked after the small stream we crossed.

"No,much better." his smile was full of life and authentic.

I loved his positive mood and vitality, he had this good vibe going on that spread to all those around him. I noticed how free I could be when I was with him and although my insecurities and fears stepped in, he always found a pliant solution for me and I was happy.

We didn't take the path to the forest or the resident area. We instead cut through some bushes and shrubs, then deeper into I guess a different area of the forest.

Tõrontõ kept holding my hand as I struggled against the poking branches in speculation of where he could be taking me. I shielded my eyes as a stray branch that hang low slapped at my face.

"Argh!" I gasped when a spec of dust slithered into my eye.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"My eye!" I panicked at the irritating roughness within my visual orb. I was blinking endlessly and waving my hand at my eye as tiny seeds of tears trickled out.

"Lemmi see, calm down- calm down!" Tõrontõ urged yanking my arms down.

He pulled me closer to him and my skin tensed. I kept my eyes closed as he held my cheeks in point to aid my disturbed eye.

"Try not blink, I think I see it." he whispered

I felt Tõrontõ dab a soft garment somewhere in my eye and swiftly, the rough feeling was gone.

"Got it!" he declared with a smile as I opened my eyes, blinking somewhat to scrutinize for any thing uncomfortable. "It was an eye lash by the way," he told me, showing me.

"That's a relief. I was scared to death thinking perhaps it was an insect or something," I held my chest out of relief.

"You're very lucky, now come-on. I don't us to be late."

Tõrontõ took my hand again and led on,keeping me close to his side this time as we approached a clearing at the front where a spear of saffron fading light peeked in past the leaves. He and I lapsed through some scratchy bushes and onto soft sand.

We were at the beach?

I squinted my eyes paradoxically at Tõrontõ in question of this interval. He only smiled and pointed ahead of which I meekly followed his finger to the other side of the calmly waving waters.

My eyebrows spontaneously rose at the sight I ogled at. It was the other side magestic volcano,the side I had not seen. I could clearly see the dried balls of lava along its dark ragged impediment,some of it touching the ocean.

"Tõrontõ..." I huffed still in awe of the beautiful exhibition.

"C'mon, let's get a closer view." he said eagerly returning somewhere in the bushes.

"Huh?" I searched around for him. Tõrontõ dragged a small boat from the thickets and drove it quickly into the water and motioned out for me to follow.

I stood becalmed for a moment, taking a hiatus to contemplate. I didn't know what to expect of the discoveries to supersede but I was curious. With instinct, my gaze slapped back to the volcano immersed in the ocean.

It was invoking me, crying out for me to reach out to it. Begging me with a slight plea to take sail and merge with it. This was the most insane feeling ever, it was like part of my soul was on the other side and it was calling upon me with an intensity so strong I felt my bones spasm.

"C'mon,Manøvie let's go." Tõrontõ's voice struck me back to the timeline.

I made haste to his side, taking his hand and stepping into the water then exclaimed with laughter at the touch of the cold liquid before Tõrontõ wafted me into the boat and got in as well.

Glad that I had brought my shawl with me, I wrapped it around my self as Tõrontõ paddled on gradually across the water. We both fell silent, with him repeatedly rowing- and the muscles in his shoulders and back twitching from the impact.

I cuddled myself and unconsciously drifted to my thoughts. Not Sobêiski related thoughts but about the volcano and what we would find inside if at all there was a way in.

Part of me was worried, most of me actually. If the goddess that bathed the village with blessing covered gems was real, would she be glad to see me? Would she know who I was? But what if she wasn't real and wasn't the one who created me, then who did and how did I come to be?

These nipping questions always bothered me but I never once let them surface this way. This curiosity had taken me whole now, conjuring up all the inquisitive queries I had roaming loose in my hazed mind.

"Tõrontõ?" I scooched next to his side and nudged him out of his engrossed trance.

"Mmh?"

"Are you sure this is safe?" I asked

"Yes it is. I've always come here during harvest to pick the ripe permanganate fruits." He divulged with a calm smile of acclamation.

I relaxed and kept by the solace of his side,feeling the way his body contracted and flexed as he rowed to advance.  The sight of tall fig and permanganate trees appearing below the dark wall risen into the sky.

Minutes later, our boat came to land. The soil was dark and moist; sticking at the bottom of our sandals as we seceded from the boat. Tõrontõ took my hand and led the way as usual, bringing me into the tall trees.

The vast scent of the sprouting orange fruits stung my nose with their raw whiff along with something else, something foreign to me. I kept looking above us to the volcano hidden in-between the shrubs we fought to get past.

"Here we are," my attention drew back to Tõrontõ who's face was gleaming with a rich smile.

We were at the foot of the large mountain and I now recognized the unfamiliar scent that reeked from the crust of it's hard walls. My fingers lingered above it,hovering in hesitated suspense as my disturbing thoughts came to me.

I seceded and glanced back at Tõrontõ who was still smiling. I figured he hadn't noticed my odd demeanor,maybe he had but just didn't care.

I heaved a sigh and started to walk away from the wall when suddenly something tugged me back. I gasped and leaned back, noticing a pair of fangs plunged into my dress.

"I'm stuck!!" I cried out and kept on pulling at my dress from the thorny bush.

"Don't move!" Tõrontõ urged me,stepping to my side. "These aren't ordinary thorns, they're poisonous hatiffs; they cling onto anything and release toxic oils that paralyze their prey then digest slowly," he explicated

My chest and stomach churned with discomforted fright that made me try to pull myself away however, the more I struggled to my defense, the more the fangs grew into the thin piece of fabric I was trapped into.

"Tõrontõ..." I couldn't help the sob that escaped from my throat, giving him a hint on my alarm.

"Keep still, I'll have to cut you out of your dress," he told me

"What?!"

"It's okay, just the piece caught up in the hatiffs." He declared.

Tõrontõ bent over, bringing his right arm over my waist to my side that was fanged. My body convulsed as I felt him grab prudently at my dress to lift it off my skin. I watched him pull out his pocket knife and start to gnash threw the cloth.

"Don't move,Manøvie." He suddenly stopped "Or this plant will bite you and it won't let go if it does," Tõrontõ added and my heart was instantly gripped by fear, I swear I could feel my bones tremor as he held onto my lower half to keep me steady.

The sound of slow tearing rose into the silence and the quick touch of a cold zephyr told me that he had been successful.

Without warning, Tõrontõ wafted me away from the small plant to the side. I screamed from shock and pulled back, making us lose our balance. I held my hand forward to hold us against the pungent wall but was taken otherwise as a sheer light lit from it and we both fell into and past the wall.

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