Nume jumped. She quickly turned around to see where the voice had come from but there was no one to be seen. 'Hello?' she carefully asked.

'Close your eyes.' the voice ordered. Nume hesitated. She looked around again but she still couldn't see anybody. Then she looked at the pond again. She could see tiny waves emerging from the centre. Unknowingly, Nume blinked and when she opened her eyes again, she jumped backwards.

A woman hovered about a foot above the water. The woman looked like a phraio but her skin was blue and her eyes were completely white. She had a sharp nose and her ears were very tight to her head, from where long black curly hair flew over her shoulders down to her waist.

'Who are you?' Nume asked with a shaking voice.

'I'm the one who waited long enough.' the woman replied. 'And you are the one who will listen to my warning.'

Nume didn't know what to say.

'You have come here for a reason, haven't you?' the woman asked.

'Yes, but...' Nume stumbled.

'Of course you have. People don't go to places for no reason at all...' the woman said and smiled. 'Now, you are the chosen one.'

'I'm what?!'

'The chosen one. I've chosen you. Since you're already here, you can do me a favour, can't you?' the woman explained impatiently.

'The chosen one?' Nume asked again.

'Yes...' the woman said with a sigh. 'I don't really have much of a choice so I must choose you, you see?'

'So you choose me just because I'm here?'

'Exactly.'

'Can I send someone else then?'

'I haven't even told you what this is about and you already want to back away? Oh come on, you look like you don't want to go back where you've come from... I think you're just perfect. Your mind is screaming, you want out, want something new, away from what you already know. I can hear your thoughts...' the woman came closer without even moving a foot, still hovering above the pond. 'There's a man all over your mind, you like him, but not like that, no, you are afraid of losing the friend you have in him.'

'Stop it, that's private!' Nume heard herself shouting. The woman stopped coming closer and smiled again.

'You are indeed the right one. Now listen to me, I have a prophecy to foretell and you must listen very carefully for there is no one else to help you remember.' the woman paused to make sure Nume was listening. 'There is a race in K'haren, a race that terrorizes all others, a race that takes but never gives, a race that doesn't even know how much it hurts the whole world around it. Somebody must stop them, show them how to be better or bring them down for good. That somebody is you now, for you are the only one who knows. But you must gather an army to fulfil this quest, an army that must not know about this prophecy. For if you tell anybody, faith will change and you may lose, so be sure not to tell anybody, not even your closest friends. You will make them follow you, make them trust you and lead them to victory, but tell them and they will suffer.'

Nume was startled. But before she could say anything, the woman disappeared into thin air. 'Go now, go and save us all...' she heard the voice once more. Nume blinked and stumbled backwards, she then turned around and started running. After just a few steps, she turned around to look back but the pond had disappeared already. Despite being very confused and uncertain, Nume felt no fear. Hope filled her heart and she now knew what to do. First of all, she had to find the way back out of the forest again.

The sudden sunlight hurt Nume's eyes as she stepped out of the forest. Only then she remembered her flight with the gseirut and that everybody must be on the lookout for her. She blushed and felt an immense shame filling her heart. Quickly she ran over to the rows of tents and managed to find the way to Kran's tent while keeping her head low. She unknotted one of the ropes at the back of the tent and crawled in.

When she got up and looked around, she saw her friend standing at the other end of the tent, completely naked.

'Oops...' Nume said and swung around. 'I'm so sorry...' she muttered. Kran was too surprised to say anything, he just dressed as swiftly as he could.

'You can turn around now.' he said.

'Did you sleep up to now?' Nume asked, keeping her voice low, while she walked about the place to distract herself.

'No, father said I should dress properly because he wants to talk to me and grandfather.' Kran explained. He watched as Nume touched one of his rings that were laying around. 'You could have said something before you came in... Or, you know, take the front door... There's a bell on that one...'

She answered with an angry glance. 'How would I know you're not dressed? After all, it's the middle of the day...'

'Anyway.' Kran said in an attempt to overcome the uncomfortable topic. 'Why are you here?'

'I...' Nume started. 'Well...'

'Well...?' Kran wasn't used to her not speaking her mind straight out.

'There's a problem.'

'Alright, what's the problem?'

'I know what your father wants to talk to you about.'

Silence.

'And you won't like it.' she added.

'Then tell me, what is it?' Kran demanded to know.

Nume couldn't find the words.

Kran sighed. 'You know I really should go so if you won't tell me, they will anyway.'

She still didn't say anything.

'See you later then?' he asked and turned around to leave. Nume held him back by touching his arm. 'What is it?' he asked softly.

'They...' Nume took a deep breath. 'They want us to get married.' she spat the words out like disgusting food. Then she watched as Kran's expression changed. His gentle smile disappeared and was replaced by blankness. He swallowed. 'Would you please say something?' Nume asked after an uncomfortably long silence.

'They can't do that.' he stumbled.

'Actually, they can...'

'No.'

'You think you can change their mind?' she asked, her heart filled with hope.

'No...' Kran admitted. 'But there must be something we can do.' he hastily added.

'There isn't. At least nothing they would accept. There is however...'

'What?'

'Well, there is the option of running away. And before you say anything, I did think this through. We wouldn't both have to go, it suffices if I leave. You can stay and marry somebody else.'

'No way.'

'What?' For a moment, Nume wondered whether he meant that there was no way for her to leave on her own or for him to marry somebody else.

'I won't leave you alone. Also, I won't bear the shame of being turned down by the cities least wanted woman.'

'How dare you!'

'Oh come on, it's true, isn't it? We're both the same age but you're a woman, you should have married years ago... but everybody knows how stubborn you are. You always just cause trouble...'

'Shut up...' she said, knowing that he was right.

'Listen, stay here, and promise me not to leave before I'm back. I have to go and talk to father and grandfather, maybe things aren't as bad as they might look right now.' he waited for her to say something. 'Promise?'

Nume sighed. 'I promise, I'll wait for you. But I won't wait in your tent... try explaining that to your father if anybody notices...'

'Good point.'

They smiled at each other. Then Nume crawled back out of the tent, knotted the rope again and went home. She prayed her mother wouldn't be waiting for her there. This time, she was lucky.

The tent was empty and she had time to pack her things. Nume wanted to leave by sunrise, as soon as the gseirut would fly. She knew that the male wouldn't listen to her and the others wouldn't leave him so her only chance was to find a young male just about the age to be kicked out of the herd anyway, such a male would listen to her and the rest of the gseirut wouldn't mind him leaving. But Nume wasn't sure the breeder had such an animal so she decided to go to the field again and look out for one.

Once she reached the far end of the tent city, she realised that had been a stupid idea. The breeder had gathered his whole family and made them take up station around the gseirut. They were obviously looking for her. After all, she had attempted to steal one of the gseirut earlier on. But coming back after dark wasn't an option either for then she'd terrify any gseirut.

Nume stayed out of sight and looked around, once one of the guardians was distracted for a moment, she ran over to the gseirut and quickly ducked behind the first one. Then she entered the living maze again. It wouldn't be difficult to find a male, other than the females, they were nearly black. The females however were rather grey. Nume gently stroke the gseirut as she passed them to make sure they always knew where she was. They were certainly not aggressive but because of their massive size they could easily injure a phraio if they moved carelessly.

After a while, she found the leading male. Once more, she noticed how huge he was. She walked along his side and then climbed over his long tail. The male got nervous and made a buzzing sound. Nume quickly moved away from him. Then she spotted some dark fur and walked towards it. She nearly gave a shout when she saw how lucky she was indeed. A very young male stood in front of her. It was already the size of a nearly fully grown female but its fur was still much fluffier than that of grown-ups. It looked at her with both curiosity and fear in its eyes. Nume moved closer slowly reaching for its neck so it could sniff her hand. When it continued grazing, she knew it was alright for her to touch it so she climbed onto its back.

Nume kept her body close to the creature's so she wouldn't be seen from outside the herd and talked to the gseirut for a while before she made her way back. This time, she wasn't so lucky. One of the men spotted her on her way back and quickly ran over to her while shouting loudly.

'Shit!' Nume hissed. She considered running away but it was already too late, several men and women surrounded her and moments later, the breeder himself showed up. He shouted at her and threatened to hit her but he didn't and Nume didn't really understand a word he said because she was too busy being frightened. Then her mother showed up. After a short discussion and many apologies, the others left and Nume stood there alone with her mother who looked more disappointed than ever before.

'Mother, I'm...' Nume started.

'Oh don't, just don't. I've had enough. You have been such a disappointment. I've done everything for you and you just keep hurting me. Please, just don't. I don't want to hear your excuses anymore.' her mother said coldly. 'You're coming home with me now, we'll dress you up and you'll eat with the Great Leader's family tonight. And don't you dare speaking up to me now!'

Nume swallowed hard, lowered her eyes and nodded.

// Remember the last time you were scolded? If you liked it (the chapter, not being scolded!), please, leave a vote and a comment below, I'd appreciate it ;)