Legacy: one made out of blood

They are close, I could hear them. My heart slammed against my chest, beating like a war drum in preparation of war. I stumbled as I ran through the forest, stumbling but never falling because I knew deep within me, my feet knew that the moment they stop running, my life was over. I knew I was dead long before my race started, I was the maiden selected from my tribe, for the maiden hunt, a gory event practiced by the Dariths, our lords and masters, the race that controls seven tribes for as long as time.

I was selected because I was the last of my family, my father died less than a fortnight ago. He died a disgrace, all because he could not stomach one of his people being given over to the Dariths for the maiden hunt, he stepped down and how was he repaid? His only daughter was sent as the maiden representing my tribe the very cycle he died.

A tortured scream rose from my left which served as motivation for me to run faster. That was the scream of a maiden as she is caught and being raped to death and if the warriors of Dar got tired of her before her death, she is taken to the other side of the forest where she is be being burnt alive along with the bodies of her fellow maidens that participated in the hunt. If any maiden reached without being caught is granted clemency and a place to live among the Dariths, our salvation or demise happens in the same field, it just depends on how we reach there.

That is the hope of all of us, the maidens. To achieve the impossible goal. Impossible because for more than 400 years, a maiden has never outrun the warriors of Dar. The closest they let us get to, was the middle of the forest before they start picking us one by one like flies.

I hear the heavy breathing of a man behind me as I released a sharp scream but unlike the rest, I am not screaming out of fear. I have accepted my fate, it had been sealed for some time now, my scream was one of warning. Warning any maiden close to me to get far away as possible since a group of warriors will soon join the one behind me to enjoy the spoils of the hunt.

I used the last of my energy to run and when I focused in front of me, I saw the clearing ... I am almost at my freedom until my legs got entangled and I fell. The warrior landed on top of me and my breathing halted. The real torture is about to begin. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the tearing of my clothing and the mauling to begin, it did when the warrior to place his hand underneath my clothing and shove a finger in me. My eyes flew open as I tried to buckle the warrior off me but I was pinned down by his heavyweight on top of me, I was not as ready to give up as I originally thought I was. I yanked as hard as I could on the warrior's head only for him to chuckle at my efforts.

"A virgin." He muttered. He hauled me up and hung me from his shoulder like a sack of potatoes as he walked briskly to the clearing, I struggled as much as I could but it did not make any difference, I was going to be burnt without ravaged, a virgin sacrifice, maybe they will task my village to be providing only virgins for the hunt. The Idroms were tasked to provide their weakest female fighters for the hunt and nobody knows why. I refused to be the reason why untouched girls from my tribe suffer.

As soon as we reached the clearing, he dropped me to the ground where I stared wide-eyed at him, he was bigger than every other man I have seen.

"Orel, what is the meaning of this?" an old man in dirty robes asks as gasps permeated the air when they realized that I was not dead or raped.

"my bride." My captor replied tautly.

"don't be ridiculous Orel, you cannot choose a Maiden Of The Hunt as your bride." A woman richly dressed replies, her manner of clothing meant she was of noble birth.

"my lady, he can." The dirty dressed man said as the field went quiet. "the warriors of the hunt can choose a bride from the hunt only when he is satisfied with everything that she is. Are you Orel, son of Bryman satisfied with the maiden before you?"

"I am." Orel, my captor replied.

"There is nothing she has to offer you, how can you be satisfied with her. You must be jesting" the noblewoman shrieked in anger.

Orel spared her a look then turned back to me and speared me with the full force of his gaze, dismissing her as unimportant of his gaze. "if I was not satisfied, I would not have chosen her."

"How can he do this? He is trying to get out of the marriage arrangement, can't you see? He cannot tell she is his by one glance." She shrieked again

"actually, he can." The dirty man said again as the murmuring swells. The old man raised his voice high above the dim of the crowd and continued "many things are expected of the warlord, great things. It has been 500 years since a warlord picked a bride from the hunt. Terrible but great things happened. Today, another maiden was picked. Let us hope that the fates are with them. I bless your union."

"I bless your union." People repeated in the crowd, some hesitant, others confused.

"you can leave with your bride." The dirty man said as Orel gave a quick jerk of his chin and picked me up.

I raised my head only for me to see the noblewoman glaring at me in hatred and other warriors as they pile maidens on the pyre in the clearing, some of these maidens begging and crying, I hid my face in Orel's cloth as the old man took a torch and set the pyre on fire as the people started chanting. I shook as I heard the screams in a distance. I just narrowly escape death clutches but I am still in harm's way and saddled with a husband it seems. I have a deep feeling of dread in me. Something told me that this is just the beginning.

Orel dumped me on the neck of a horse and quickly mounted it then the horse took off as I tried my best to stay on the saddle. That should be impossible to achieve and I don't know how he did but I was too busy trying to remain in the saddle to worry about it.

Orel's palm landed on my back which meant that he kept just one hand on the reins and the horse was moving so fast that I am sure it was like an arrow flying through the air. "stop struggling, you will not come to any harm, not under my watch."

"that is nice to know but you keeping one hand on the reins is not very reassuring sir." I bit out with a sarcastic edge, I was purposely antagonizing him and he knew it... his reaction was what I was hoping to help me survive in the minefield I just found myself, better a minefield than death I suppose.

Orel chuckled again as if my biting words were that of a jester to make people laugh. "Stormpacer is an intelligent beast. He knows the way, I don't need to hold his reins to guide him."

I did not know that it was possible for my stomach to drop but it did as everywhere went blurry at his words. If I had anything in my stomach, it would be threatening to make a reappearance now but there was nothing there. "please, do not let go of the reins." I begged as he released a burst of laughter, the sound was rich and full so much that it shocked me to turn and look at him the best I could.

"Don't worry wife, I don't plan on scaring you into old age, I plan on sharing your bed with you while you are still youthful," Orel said as I snapped my eyes down and kept my mouth shut. Saved or not, it doesn't change the fact that I am going to be raped. For the rest of the journey, I was quiet, thinking about my fate and I think that Orel had noticed that I was thinking because he did not't bother me to offer with conversation which was surprisingly considerate of him.

Close to the settlement, Orel took his hands off Stormpacer reins and my heart jumped to my throat when the horse increased its speed and within minutes we were at the other end of the settlement. I tried to keep my stomach from revolting but there was nothing I could do, it refused to settle. As soon as Orel came down, I started moving restlessly on the horse and he was forced to remove me quickly from Stormpacer back, as soon as my feet landed, I wrenched myself out of his hold and fell on the ground just to dry heave, there was nothing more in my stomach.

"Orel" a voice boomed close to my left that had me jerking in shock. "welcome back." A large man with the voice said as he clasped hands with Orel then drew him into a back pat, between two of them, it looks more like punches to the back.

"it is good to be back Elison," Orel said with his voice warm with happiness.

I must have made a sound because the large man's gaze turned to me as he eyed me with an ill-concealed interest, not a sexual interest but more of a strange little being.

"and who is this?" he asked as Orel grinned as he replied the man.

"my wife."

*******

"what do you mean your wife?" Elison asked his friend who seemed to have returned with a gentle-looking doe for a wife instead of a glorified nag who is never pleased with anything and cannot keep her mouth shut to save her life. "have the stress of having such a shrew as a betroth gotten to you?"

Orel released a smile at his friend's words, best friends since the cradle, the two of them were practically twins but from different parents. "I mean exactly that. The only woman whom I am required to spend my life with is in my tent calming her mind and wondering how she is not dead yet."

"where is she from and what is she that she canceled out your arrangement with Lady Estrid without much controversy? Something you have been trying to do for the better part of a decade," Elison asked as he pours some ale into a goblet for his friend.

"oh there will be controversies but nothing we can't handle, I don't know where my bride is from or what is even her name, what I do know is that she was a maiden at the hunt," Orel said as the goblet fell from Elison sudden loose grip.

"Have you any idea what you have just done?" Elison thundered at Orel.

Orel calmly looked at his friend straight in the eyes and answered without any doubt in his voice. "yes, I do"

Elison started to pace around the room ranting to himself in low tones, certain that his friend will be the doom of them all. "of all foolhardy stunts for you to pull to try and get out of bad situations, this by far, is the most idiotic one that has ever graced your mind. Why will you be playing with the edict of fates in this way? The prophecy has been there for ages and it doesn't speak of all things being good and wonderful, I don't know why you are in such a rush to make it come to pass."

"Eli." Orel thundered as Elison paused in his pacing to glare at his friend. "I did not't just do it to escape Estrid, I went to witness the hunt when she started pestering me about when the wedding will take place, then I saw her, her spirit was not broken yet she has accepted her fate, she was kneeling in front of men who were calling out taunts and offensive words yet she had the bearing of a queen. Why will I settle for a noblewoman when I could have the queen?" Orel grinned and when Elison looked ready to bash his head into his neck he continued.

"Something pushed me to join the hunt, Estrid thought that it was a way for me to release sexual tension since she has warned all women away from me unless they want to suffer for the rest of their lives. She was like a doe Elison, running without stopping or giving up, she outran all of us, including me, the only way I caught her was when her leg got tangled because of some roots and I had to jumped and keep her down with my weight lest she would have taken off again and eventually got away. She was going to be the first maiden in 400 years to get away, you know what that means don't you?" Orel asked Elison who was suddenly white as if he had seen a ghost.

"if the white doe gets away, the Dar empire will fall. With her help, it will continue to thrive." Elison whispered under his breath, a small piece of the prophecy that foretold of the hardest times in Dar history."

Orel nodded grimly. "somehow, my wife will save us all, we know what threatens to fall our empire." He looked toward the direction of his tent, "now we also know our salvation."

When I came out of the tent after my bath the next morning as we prepared to leave, when Elison saw my hair, he went pale and when Orel saw him looking in my direction, he looked at me too and frown when he saw my hair. "the hair of the women in my family has always been silver, I dye the hair to avoid stares and I haven't washed the hair since before the hunt so the dye was still there." I explained, Orel nodded at my explanation.

"that explains why the hair on your body are invisible to light, I could feel them but I could not't see them" Orel said as my eyes widened at his words then narrowed into slits when he started laughing at the look which was on my face. It must have been comical enough for him because he did not stop laughing at once. His chuckles died down slowly.

"your eyes widened like that remind me of a doe, wife." Orel said as he stretched of his hand for me to hold.

I walked into his hold and he pulled me to his side and continued his conversation with Elison and some other warriors who I always see with him, I will learn of their names later but I could tell that this are his commanders. "we will take Stormpacer..." Orel said and I froze.

"I cannot ride on Stormpacer" I whispered to Orel who was fighting a grin, he knew why I was scared of his horse, he made me scared of the darn horse.

"don't worry, you will not." Orel said and when I looked at him in confusion, he let out a whistle and a white horse raced toward him. "this is Tyra, she will answer to me and you only."

"are you not scared that I will run away with her." I asked Orel leaning into his body but Orel eyes sparkled with humor.

"no, I am not scared or worried, you can try if you want to." Orel said with humor as if he knew something that I did not.

"hey girl" I said softly as I left Orel embrace and walked softly to her. I never had a horse but my father did, I learnt how to ride on his and he taught me everything I knew about horses, one of the things he taught me was that a bonding between an owner and his horse is the most important moment of their relationship. Where the level of trust each display and the length they will go through for each other is determined. I kept my gaze on Tyra steadily without blinking as I extended my hand to her. She bared her teeth and let out a neigh in warning and I stilled my hand in mid air, the rest was her step to make.

Her eyes left mine for a second to look over my shoulder and whatever she saw was enough for her to bring her head into my outstretched palm and allow me to pet her.

"good girl." I said with pride evident, in my voice as I rubbed her head. Orel stepped to me as he rubbed her too and gave her a carrot stick to eat, as she munched on it, I asked him "is she of good breed?"

"the best, she is the daughter of Stormpacer." Orel said and when I glared at him, he just laughed as he shook his head at my expression.

"bond with her while I make the last preparations then we are good to go." Orel said as he moved off while I spent some more time with Tyra.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

OREL POV

We arrived at the capital mid-day which was all my wife fault well... my fault considering that I made her scared of Stormpacer and Stormpacer wanted to be close to his offspring. She tried her very best to make Stormpacer leave Tyra alone but eventually she gave up. I think that Stormpacer have the same amount of love for her that she has for him. Me and Tyra just allowed them to do whatever they wanted without any interference from us and my men were having the time of their lives, laughing at my wife and my horse who refused to come to any agreement.

When we arrived in front of the merchant king house, I stared at the house for long and was tempted to reject his offer of staying in his house because I would prefer mine to his. Mine was less dangerous for my bride with less barbs flying in the air from the tongue of a woman who was a shrew second to only Estrid, that is why they are both good friends, they both have the same malicious spirit living in them. Most times I could not't help but wonder how Cale survives with his wife. The only reason why I haven't made my decision about where to sleep for the night is because I refuse to undermine Themis power, she needs to fight her battles and the sooner she realize those battles and her adversaries, the easier it will be for her in the long run. There are some fights that even the warlord is not allowed to participate in.

The doors of Cale home swept open as Cale booming voice was heard even from their place at the edge of his gates. "welcome warlord, my home is open to you and your people."

I released a sigh when Themis looked at me with worry, she knew that I did not't want to enter the house, she was not 't aware of the reason but she sensed my reluctance. That is more than anybody has ever come to understanding me. "let us get this over with." I gruff out as I stirred Stormpacer into a trot that Tyra soon followed to keep up with me. As soon as I arrived close to the front door, I dismounted and helped Themis down from her saddle too as other dismounted around me and without waiting I moved to Cale with a brisk pace that Themis matched, staying close to me at all times. Something I noticed she has adopted when we were together in presence of other.

As soon as I got to Cale, I clasp him in a hug pounding his back the way he pounded mine too, although I just made him lose some wealth the day before with my demand, I knew that Cale will not hold it against me. He respect ruthless dealings and tradings more than he respects his wife to cause harm and damage to his wealth. "it has been long friend."

"too long." Cale replied. When we finally let each other go. Cale eyes went to my companion besides me, he was never one to hide how much he was curious about an event. "and this is your new wife?" he asked and when I nodded he smiled at Themis with warmth. "I guess congratulations are in order."

Themis licked her lips before offering a tentative smile then she replied in her amazing voice that has the power to turn the necks of everybody who heard it. "thank you my lord." She said as she curtsey, something that clearly shocked Cale and would have shocked me too, if I did not't know of the fact that she was the daughter of a chieftain.

"my wife will like to meet us but she uncertain if you are still angry at the stunt she pulled this morning." Cale said with the barest hint of unease in his voice and I caught it. He did not want to be in non-speaking terms with another ruler just because his wife could not use her insults well.

"maybe later." I said as I pulled Themis closer to me as she rubbed her eyes. "if it is important that she apologize, we would like to hear her apology after we have taken off our travelling fatigues and washed, Themis is not used to being on a horse for long periods and maybe over meal." I said and I watched Cale grit his teeth before offering a smile I knew that my bride would describe as charming.

"of course. Follow me to the quarters prepared for your arrival." Cale said as he led the way through his home and me and Themis followed slowly behind him.

"you should not push his control that way." Themis quietly admonish me as I smile at her. She is proving to be predictable in her actions regarding two of us, she was acting like a wife.

I told her something she never expected to hear but it did shut her protests and feelings about the way I was egging Cale on. I said. "he would have done worst to me if reverse was the case. He has his pride but mine is bigger. Sometimes he lets his wife annoy me just to get under my skin, but this time he knew that the boundaries were overstepped."