Chapter 26: Shadows in the night
The wedding feast had been an adornment of joy woven beneath the star-drunk sky. Everybody was smiling, giggling, and happy. Such occasions brought joyous moods to every house in the village.
Jaenor and Natina were among the crowd, separated after their brief intimate session.
And Valara was quick on the uptake. She already had her hands wrapped around Jaenor’s neck. While Mother was doing the boy, the daughter was elsewhere.
Rena sat slouched against a wooden pillar, her cheeks flushed crimson from the strong ale that had been flowing freely since the sun’s descent. Her wedding gown, once pristine white silk adorned with delicate pearls, now bore the stains of celebration—wine, grease, and the inevitable marks of a truly memorable feast. Around her, the villagers of Thornwick continued their revelries, spinning in circles as they danced to the ancient wedding songs passed down through generations.
The bride and groom sat at the high table, their faces glowing with happiness and perhaps a touch too much wine.
Garlands of summer flowers crowned their heads, and their hands were bound together with ribbons of gold and silver—a symbol of their eternal union. The village elder had blessed them with the old words, calling upon the spirits of the forest and the strength of the mountain to protect their love.
But in the midst of this joyous chaos, something pierced through the revelry like a blade through silk.
A shriek.
Rena’s head snapped up, her ale-clouded mind struggling to process the sound.
It had been high-pitched, desperate, and utterly unlike the sounds of celebration surrounding her.