Untitled Ch.2 Fears Come True

Ch. 2 Fears Come True
Aila woke with tears streaming her face and dampening the flat pillow. Her heart ached; she felt sorrow that surpassed all other sorrows she had ever felt. It was only a dream, Aila said trying to calm herself. If it was only a dream then, why was it so … so real? She questioned herself shaking beyond control. She felt sense of dread hanging over her, a sense of something missing. She couldn’t release herself from this feeling. She got up shakily and pulled on her boots then headed out to look for Meslinda, hoping with all hope she had not left yet. She checked to see if her aunt had left her a note, for she was not there. Finding no note she left the inn.
The early morning dew still hung in the air yet the village was already thriving with people. Uneasiness hung in the air as well; no one spoke a word of this strange sense. Aila felt like she was missing out on some information, but she didn’t know what. A finger tapped the back on the shoulder; it was Tatiana motioning for Aila to come with her. Aila followed her in silence; surely she would know what was going on that morning. The faces of the strangers they past were pail and worried.
Tatiana pulled Aila through the crowd toward as small hut where the ill were treated. She heard people shuffle around inside the hut. Aila followed; why Tatiana was bringing her here she did not know. She was overwhelmed with a sense of uncompromising dread; she could smell the stale stench of death as she was upon the doors entrance.
“My little girl” She heard a man sob. There were figures crowded around something lumped over onto the floor, two of the figures she recognized as Meslinda’s parents.
“Auntie, what’s going on?” She whispered to her aunt. Tatiana just looked solemnly forward and urged her along.
The circle of people, except Meslinda’s parents, turned to face Aila with grave faces. Their eyes scrolled down to the ground and bodies parted as they approached. Aila’s head turned back and forth coolly with question in her eyes. She took notice to the eyes of the people, some were red and swollen from tears; and others were grave and fixated down to the ground. Aila followed their eyes; the lump was covered with animal hide.
A pair of hands reached for the animal hide and withdrew it from the object below. Graven was the face, lifeless the body, Meslinda lie there dead on the ground. Aila’s heart stopped entirely, the room began to spin. The dream was real! She screamed in her head horrified. She couldn’t breath; she felt as though the lungs in her chest had collapsed, her body trembled uncontrollably. The blood drained from her face and she went pale. Her muscles tensed. Her ears clouded, she couldn’t hear, her eyes clouded, she couldn’t see. When her heart regained its beats, in a fit of grief she turned abruptly and sprinted as fast and far away as she could.
Racing through town like a mad woman her heart raced. Her brain flashed the images of her soul sisters death behind her eyes. She reached the gates of town and kept running. She reached a secluded patch of trees just outside of the Sglavi. A little way into the tree grove her knees buckled, and collapsed in a thicket of grass. She pounded her fists into the ground. The tears flooded her face, swelling her eyes and staining her cheeks. She shrieked, “WHY??” she pleaded to an unearthly being. She continued to wail loudly into the ground until her eyes burned for they could produce no more tears. Once again the images of Meslinda’s death played through her grief-stricken mind, her brain convulsed and Aila had fainted in the thicket.
She awoke the next morning, clothes and hair damp, bare skin speckled with beads of dew. Her skin was covered in goose bumps. She pushed herself up from the ground shivering from the cold. She felt nothing, she felt like an empty shell encircling emptiness. Crossing her arms in front of her, and head facing the ground she slowly stalked her way back to Sglavi. The walk was cold and lonely the air hung thick with fog and reeked of dampened soil.
She reached the gates of Sglavi in no time, but never removing her eyes from the ground. As she walked back to the inn she could feel sympathetic eyes sting her.
“The worst is yet to come Old One” The old gypsy woman, from the previous day, called to her as Aila went by.
“Go away you old hag, now’s not the time for your nonsense.” Aila sighed and continued forward.
She heard the gypsy scold under her breath, “Mark my words child this is nothing compared to what’s to come”. Aila paid no mind, her main connection to people had been taken from her, and Aila had watched it all in a dream and was helpless to stop it.
Mindlessly Aila walked up to the room Tatiana had rented for them and began to wash her self down by the basin. Why did I see that horrible, horrible catastrophe in a dream? She questioned. She bathed continuously whispering “why?” to herself every now and then. As hard as she tried to battle the thoughts and vivid images swimming in her head like salmon battling up river to spawn, she was just a powerless over her own thoughts as she was over her dreams.
Aila was bathed, but still felt dirty. She felt responsible for not being able to save her friend from the grim reaper’s tall ghostly scythe. The door creaked open, letting in Tatiana.
“Chil’ now I know that you just lost Meslinda but that is no valid reason to have your life set of the path by a set back. Tonight you’re going to go to that ball and be paired off with I nice boy, just like Meslinda was about to do. She wouldn’t want you to stop your life just because of her bodily absence” Tatiana reasoned to Aila.
“Yes, Auntie I suppose you’re right. Grief, as painful as it is, should not disrupt the cycle of life. However it seems cold hearted to just forget and move on, to me” She said bitterly.
“Quit being a difficult nag. Get dressed in some proper, lady clothes. The Ball will begin soon. And I must leave town soon.” She stated with authority.
“Leave town Auntie? But where do you have to leave to?” She questioned, worried.
“A friend of one of my friends from way back is meeting me in the imported goods store, you’ll do fine at the ball on your own” Tatiana said with confidence hoping that it would rub off on Aila.

“Auntie you’re abandoning me!” She said raising her voice.
“Shut your mouth child, don’t you dare say that ever again. After seventeen years! Seventeen years, of knowing me I know that you know me a lot better than that chil’! Get ready, and keep your mouth shut.” She threatened bobbing her head with oomph, waving a frail accusing finger up in Aila’s face. The anger was easy to see in Tatiana’s face. Her normally soft eyebrows were jutting straight out spike like signally do as I say, no back-sass.
She sucked in her thin bottom lip and went over to her clothes sack and pulled out a pair of nicer, newer ash colored chaps and an ash tunic decorated with red stitched designs. Gruffly, she pulled on the clothes. Tatiana wished she could have gotten Aila a dress instead of her wearing chaps, but this was the best she could do for now. Aila drug her feet against the chalky ground the entire walk to mail hall were the ball was to be held.
She missed Tatiana and felt all alone in the thickly crowded room. She looked for someone she could have associated with in the market but was unsuccessful in spying anyone that the she could feel less alone with. The men were all rough and some foreign looking others probably locals. She sauntered around letting unfriendliness radiate off her to others in hopes of no one coming up to her. She sat heavily in a wooden chair with crossed legs, an elbow resting on her knee and her hand cradling the side of her face. She felt a large hand snake its way onto her shoulder. Startled, her head shot around to find the hands owner. It was Deleon.
“I thought you weren’t going to come?” She questioned as relief swam over her.
“Well I didn’t want the best girl in the world to be lonely” he said smoothly stretching out a hand for her to take, wordlessly asking may I have this dance.
She took his rough hand and followed him to the dance floor. The music played a slow tune, and many people danced but neither Aila nor Deleon paid any mind to them. They danced for a few moments in silence, other than the music and hum of polite chatter in the background.
“Did you hear ab-” Aila ventured being cut short.
“Yes” Deleon replied back stiffly with a set jaw.
Deleon thought to offer his protection over Aila but knew it was no good. Her loner personality and independent manor kept her from accepting such offers. He reflected on possible things he could say to Aila to consol her about Meslinda. They had all been close friends. His mind raced with starting comforts. She’s better off; no, no, that’s not any good; hmm there really is nothing I can say. I can imagine how she feels; no one could comfort me if I lost her. He finally to give up and just be there for her, nothing could console him about Meslinda’s death so obviously no one could console Aila about it either. The music ended and they pulled each other into a hug.
“Well, I hope you don’t get picked. I don’t want to feel sorry for the poor guy that ends up with you” Deleon joked with Aila cocking his head to the left smiling sweetly.
Aila smiled up into his big brown eyes, they held a tear in the corner where when he smiled the corners of his eyes slightly wrinkled. They bid each other farewell. Deleon had to leave because he had snuck out while his master had passed out drunk and was hoping to get back before he woke up. Once he exited Aila was left all alone amongst strangers again. The time passed agonizingly slow. She sat, mingled and focused on objects that normally held on intrigue. A finger rested itself on her shoulder. Her heart jumped, her brain instantly thought yes Deleon’s back now I have some company but it sank as quickly as it arose.
“’Ello I’m Ezek, my, my, my you are a fine young lady” Ezek said kissing her hand and bowing a little.
Aila’s skin crawled and face twisted into disgust. Ezek wasn’t from Sglavi, he had dark skin and hair. He was a tailor from two villages east, Iconic. He dragged Aila away to a corner and began to jabber, at times incoherently, about himself. Aila rolled her eyes and kept her head cocked to the side. When finally Ezek decided to shut his yap it was Aila’s turn to talk. Hmm, this should be easy to drop him, she thought.
Aila went on and on about her stereotyped “male” activities she performed every day and loved to do. She put special emphasis on how she hated cooking, cleaning and other house hold “woman” work and that she would do it for no one but her self. After Aila’s unwelcoming speech about herself she started to rise thinking that Ezek would run for the hills from her and never come back. At the last second he stood up and spun her around.
“Sho’ where ya’ goin’ darlin? Yer perfect!” he exclaimed.
Aila’s face went pallid, “What?!” she screeched in shock.
“Yer perfect! I’s loves a girl who can hold her own in a man’s world. I shall have my parents speak with yer keeper, I’ll give anything fer ya!” He exclaimed like a giddy child.
“Are you crazy? No, I won’t be wed to you!” She wailed in dismay.
Ezek looked at her with hate filling his eyes, “ you will come and be my bride whether you come willingly or if I have kill those close to you and tie you to my back and keep you there till you die” he threatened clenching her wrists as he pushed her against the wall.
Aila stood paralyzed in pure shock but recovered shortly. Her face grew scarlet with anger. She lurched forward and clamped her teeth down hard into his arm. He threw himself back in alarm and agony. She clawed his cheek and drop kicked him causing him to hit the floor with a thump, twitching. Pissed at the audacity and pure barbarianism of the man she strutted out of there slamming the door back.
She brushed her arms and then pulled them closely to her chest as she walked back through the village to the inn to wait for Tatiana. On the way she was delayed by none other than the old gypsy. The old gypsy ran up to her quickly as soon as Aila had blindly snaked onto her radar.
“The young man is terrified of you, good work. However dearie, you have captivated the lustful eye of another. Tragic times lie ahead. You will come to be a shadow running from life-” she droned into Aila’s ear until Aila burst through a crowd and lost her.
Aila stormed into the inn and darted up the stairs and through the narrow hall way. She burst the door open, and slammed it shut. She lied onto her bed and deeply sucked in the air of the room and let is squeeze out between pursed lips.
She felt compelled to have a drink. She picked up a few gold coins from insider her pack and headed from the tavern. She made a point of avoiding the gypsy. Aila decided one encounter a day with her was enough. When she walked into the tavern she saw Tatiana seated with two gentlemen. One was short and doubled over. His face was shallow with wrinkles that scrunched together like a folded paper fan. The other was young, he looked no older than twenty with his smooth face and homely complexion. Tatiana motioned for Aila to come over. Aila walked cautiously over to the table.
“This is my niece Aila, as you probably know. Aila, this is Mr. Jacqui and his son Ton Jacqui. He has come to me for your hand in marriage” Tatiana said pleased.
“Your reputation has nothing on your remarkable beauty” Ton mumbled nervously. Aila thought to herself, this must be a mistake.
“Ton is from Siycle, he is a master hunter and fur trader.” Tatiana paused then continued, “you two will be married tomorrow at high noon. Just before Ton has to return to Siycle the following day.”
Aila dropped heavily into the chair and faked a pleasurable smile. Ton seemed nice but she had no interest to be married to him, so she didn’t want to seem rude. Aila sat there and made polite conversation with them until Ton and his father had to leave. They bid each other a fair well. Ton left with his face glowing and Aila left graven. She couldn’t believe all of this was happening at once.
That night she gazed out the tiny mole hole window at the stars above thinking to herself. How could all of this be? What can I do to change these events? She contemplated the different ways to rearrange and put off the current events in motion. She finally found an answer. Nothing. That’s all she could do was nothing to change the events in place. Run… she heard the word echo inside her brain. It seemed reasonable. She didn’t have much money left, so then it didn’t seem so reasonable. Life’s not so bad that I have to just up and leave is it? she thought to herself. I have Aunt Tatiana and Deleon still, all is not lost. Besides Ton is nice, and married life may not be so bad, although I dread it. She erased all thoughts of running off from her brain.