Malia’s POV
As we ran down the hill, I could see the bravery wrapped around his cold face, by now we had gone far into the woods. I could still hear the voice of his comrades rallying further to the riverside.
“what if the rogues are not just the ones I saw ?” I said to myself quietly. My mind was running across a thousand realities, well at least I was not alone anymore so whatever happens he would probably help out, just like he is doing now.
” Who could this be? Was this the way the moon wanted to console me in my peril?” I kept thinking. He was dressed in a black jacket with the name Ryder written on the back. Perhaps that might be his name. His blond hair was scattered already and messy.
Before long we got to the edge of the river, although it was a small river the current and waves were ferocious.
“Can you swim?” he asked.
That was the second time I heard his voice. Cold, sweet but deep to an extent.
“Yes, looking at the way things are going I think I can try,” I told him heartedly.
Even though I was not a good swimmer, I knew I would try not to let my phobia have the best of me now.
When I was a child, I followed my age group to see the water pool at the edge of our scout camp. It was my first time entering the water. Although I was naive then my curiosity made me keep asking a single question.
“What is the depth of this pool?”
Mirabel would not answer me but I kept asking her. I had just changed into the swimming suit mom bought for me and I was sitting at the edge of the pool when Mike pushed me in.
I still can not fathom if it was the weight of betrayal or my fear that made me sink. All I knew well was that I saw myself sinking 10ft into the pool.
At the bottom, I could see my life drifting out of my mouth slowly in bubbles. I was helpless, after a few seconds everything became blank to me. I still don’t remember how long I spent under the pool before Zade came to my rescue, that was the first time I met him.
The feeling of betrayal and everyone watching me struggle with my life, underneath the pool without interference made me understand I never had friends indeed. That was years ago now…
“Are you crying?” Ryder asked surprisingly. “If you can, please just let me know now,” he continued coldly.
Oops, I have been so lost in my thoughts I did not know when tears dropped my eyes… well that was years ago perhaps some wounds never heal over time.
“If we cross this river my pack lives on the other side, we’ll be safe,” he said. For some reason, he didn’t jump nor beckoned on me. He looked around as if searching for something. I wondered what he must be looking for until I saw him drag a log of wood out of nowhere.
It was only then it occurred to me that he was looking for a safer passage to cross over due to the density and how strong the waves of the water were. If we had jumped in as planned then it would have been dangerous, as the current was very fast and strong too.
“If we make it out alive from considering this current then I guess we’ll never die again,” he said with a smile.
“We,” I said to myself quietly, since when has it become “we”? I don’t even know his name. Well, thanks to the moon for bringing you to me. After this phase perhaps everything will fall in place with a proper introduction to start with.
He raised the log, dropped it on the river and beckoned me to quickly enter and he followed suit. By now the night was getting darker and I could smell the terror that came with it.
We were about to get on the log when a thought came to me, a melancholic one at that getting on this log means leaving everything I have ever known behind, indeed life flashes before our eyes one or two times before our death.
This flash was that of memories and untold dreams too. Here I was leaving everything I have ever known in my life behind, my culture, my people, and my home, indeed the ways of the are difficult to fathom.
A thought occurred to me at that moment, “no this is the wrong time to think about this” said to myself. The story was a tale that has found itself in the fabric reality of lores told by my people.
It was about a lady called Ania, lovely, beautiful, and well-endowed. She was a friend to everyone in the pack and everyone loved her. Her tale was a tragic one though, many believed the seer had a hand in her death and that of her mate.
The seer had prophesied doom to her and her cub if she continued staying in the pack with her mate. Ania was supposed to marry the son of the seer but since it was a childhood betrothal, it was discovered they were not a match at all when they were 17. Hence the engagement was broken off. The seer was the dread lady whom many never associated with the pack and when she hunted, she hunted alone.
When the stranger sickness came to Eric, many warned Ania to avoid going to see the seer for a clairvoyant hope of living. She was advised to stay put with the healer and if the moon meant well for them, then he would live.
But Ania was the stubborn type who never listened. She went ahead to see the seer, just like everyone had thought, she saw only the worst and even advised both of them to leave to a distant pack where his survival would be sure and old age guaranteed.