Chapter 2
Gabriel hadn’t woken up early enough to see Kaiden set off on his solo hunt but a solo hunt was a right of passage and it was something Kaiden needed to do alone. It signified that a man was ready to leave the protection his family provided and make a life of his own. Each man needed to prove that he could not only support himself but his future family as well.
By the time Gabriel left his hut, most of the villagers had set about doing their usual tasks for the day, although it was an excepted practice for the hunters to be given time to rest once they returned. Everyone he passed on his way down to the heart of the village, wished him a good morning and thanked him for the food he had provided, a usual tradition.
As usual, Gabriel smiled at them and acknowledged them but he didn’t stop to chat. Instead he continued and found himself standing in front of his mother, the displeasure in her eyes told him that he should have gone to her the night before.
“You may be a man now Gabriel but it is no excuse for not visiting your mother” she said, her voice hardened but he could still hear the love she had for him in there.
“I’m sorry but I was tired” Gabriel told her, hoping it was a good enough excuse. “All that matters is that I’m here now, right?”
“That is a weak excuse” she sighed but excepted his kiss on the cheek and smiled at him. “Now when are you going to speak with the seer, she asked about you last night.”
“What did she want to know?” he asked, knowing the answer.
“Just like me, she wanted to know when you will be visiting her” she answered, not at all surprising Gabriel.
“I thought that with her abilities she would already know” he said smartly.
“You know that’s not how it works” she growled, frowning at him. “Now when are you going to visit her?”
“When I’m ready and not before” he sighed, wondering when his mother was going to leave him alone but he knew she wasn’t going to until he had visited the seer, even then it was guaranteed she would leave him alone. “Now where would you like me to start today?”
“Most of the huts need maintenance, so take your pick” she answered, running her hand down his arm before dropping it to her side and stepping away from him.
Shrugging his shoulders, Gabriel stared at his mother for a moment, her soft face a soothing sight for him. He had always been able draw from her strength and while he wished she would stop pushing him to see the seer, he still loved how gentle and loving she was. Before he left to tend to one of the elders huts, he kissed her on the cheek and promised to return later.
Days passed by, as Gabriel made his way around the village fixing the damage winter had caused. He started on the eldest members of the village and worked his way to the huts of the woman and children who had lost a husband and/or father but he avoided Ava’s hut, he couldn’t bring himself to deal with whatever temptation she would present him with. He just couldn't find the strength to deal with her.
Gabriel was happy to work his days away, it kept his mind busy and away from thoughts of his dream and gave him a good excuse not to visit the seer. He had told himself many times to see her but he still feared what she was going to say and had convinced himself that it was probably because he wasn’t ready, even though he knew he was lying to himself.
A month had passed by the time Kaiden returned with enough food for a week, giving the other men more time to prepare for the next hunt. Everyone in the village had been recovering from the winter and the strength of the men was needed to prepare the crops and ensure the wild animals did not find their way into the village.
The night of Kaiden’s return the village celebrated his passing into manhood. He was given the right to build his own hut and to ask the seer who he was to be paired with, something he was excited to find out.
“I’m going to see the seer in the morning” Kaiden told Gabriel, as he sat down beside his brother. “You should come.”
“Do you need me to hold your hand?” Gabriel joked, biting into a piece of meat.
“No but you do” Kaiden laughed and gave Gabriel a playful shove.
“Don’t you start” Gabriel groaned, reaching for his cup of wine.
“You should do it before you're too old” Kaiden pointed out. “She might not like old men.”
“Kaiden, I’ll go when I’m ready” Gabriel growled, looking annoyed into his cup as the red fluid gently moved with his own movements.
“Lighten up, you should just come with me, even if you don’t see her” Kaiden suggested, guzzling some of his own wine. “Besides afterwards you will need to help me build my hut, I can’t do it on my own.”
“You’re a better builder than anyone here” Gabriel said, between drinks. “But I’ll come if you shut up about my visit to the seer.”
“Fine I'll leave you alone” Kaiden said, holding his hands up in defeat. “But what is mum going to say when I marry before you?”
“Does it matter, she’s already on my back” Gabriel sighed. “Besides we’re going to need to start preparing for winter soon, which means we’re also going to need to start hunting more often. I don't believe she's going to disturb me on a hunt, so I'll be safe for a while.”
“Yes but do you want another winter where she will be in your face about it, you can’t escape her during winter” Kaiden pointed out.
“Damn it Kaiden, just leave it alone” Gabriel hissed, knowing Kaiden was right, which was frustrating more than anything.
“What are you two arguing about?” Tiria asked, as he helped Arika sit down before taking a seat between her and Gabriel.
“We can’t decide where I should put my hut” Kaiden answered, knowing that if he said anymore about the seer or started anyone else on the topic, Gabriel was not going to help him and even though Gabriel thought that he was the best builder, everyone knew Gabriel held that title. “Gabriel thinks I should position my hut to capture the morning sun but I think the afternoon sun would be best.”
“What does it matter, winter is cold either way” Tiria laughed, placing some vegetables in front of Arika. “I hear talk of a long winter and heading south.”
“We've never needed to head south” Gabriel said, wondering where they would go since no one knew what was south of the mountains.
“Gabriel we barely had enough to make it through last winter and if we are going to have a short summer, we won't have enough time to prepare for another long winter” Tiria said, reaching across to rub Arika’s belly. “Besides we are going to have more mouths to feed and I’m not prepared to risk the lives of my family.”
“But we don’t even know what is south of the mountains, we could be heading for disaster” Gabriel debated. “The trek through the mountains alone could be too dangerous.”
“Perhaps someone is going to have to make the trek during the summer to find out” Kaiden suggested, knowing Tiria would not be keen on leaving Arika for such a long period of time, especially with a child on the way.
“So are you volunteering?” Tiria asked, glancing at Arika.
“I’ll go but not alone” Kaiden answered, looking between his two brothers.
“I’ll go too, it will be a good excuse to hide from mum” Gabriel offered, sure he was going to regret it in the morning, once the wine had worn off.
"You know mum will be worse when you get back” Tiria pointed out, with a knowing smile. “She’ll probably find a way to remind you while you’re gone as well.”
“You are both lucky this wine is good because I wouldn’t put up with your crap otherwise” Gabriel groaned, finishing his cup of wine before pouring another.
"You should just get it over with" Tiria sighed, as he glanced at Gabriel with a frown on his face. “I don’t know what is wrong with you, most people don’t wait.”
“Why are you so interested anyway, you’ve already been paired?” Gabriel questioned bitterly before downing his entire cup of wine.
“You know you’re not the only one mum bugs
about your disinterest in visiting the seer” Tiria groaned. “Usually I wouldn’t care but mum has become quite persistent and I’m over it.”
“Why don’t you just tell her that?” Gabriel growled, annoyed that they were even talking about it. “At least when I trek through the mountains, you won’t have to worry about it because neither of you will see me. Now drop the damn subject.”
Frowning at Tiria, Gabriel pushed himself up and stepped away from the group. He didn’t want to listen to them anymore and even though he didn’t like the idea of trekking south, he was quickly warming up to the idea.
“Where are you going?” Kaiden called outi to Gabriel.
“Anywhere but here” Gabriel answered and made his way down to the river.
Gabriel knew the river well, in fact he knew the entire area well. He had spent many hours exploring as a child and often found himself looking for hiding places to hide from his mother. She had always been very overbearing with him, she wanted him to be like Tiria and their father but for some reason he could never measure up to them in her eyes, at least that’s how he perceived it.
As he thought about his family in his drunken state, it became blindingly obvious that he either needed to leave for his trek soon or visit the seer. His numb mind told him that there was no reason to avoid the seer, he was going to have to find out sooner or later and it was probably better for his sanity to find out sooner rather than later.
The seer always used discretion and left it to the ones she told to tell everyone else who they had been paired with. She also would, however, step in if a lie were to be told.
After staring at the dark river for what seemed like hours, Gabriel finally got off the rock he had been sitting on and made his way to his hut. He was happy to find his bed without running into anyone, he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be arguing with anyone and didn’t think he had the strength to keep his eyes open much longer either.
By the time the sun woke Gabriel from his deep slumber, the wine had finished with him but had left him with a pounding headache. He didn’t want to get out of bed and even tried to bury his head into the soft furs that sheltered him from the cool night air but it wasn’t long before he heard Kaiden’s voice outside and he knew he couldn’t hide.
Kaiden didn’t bother to knock, he’d seen his brother in all states, some he’d rather forget but he also knew that Gabriel had seen him in worse states than he figured he would ever find Gabriel in. To Kaiden, Gabriel had been a voice of reason and although he did enjoy some wine from time to time, he didn’t drink nearly as much as most of the other men and because of this, Gabriel usually had his wits about him.
“I brought you some breakfast” Kaiden said, as he placed some food and a cup of fruit juice beside Gabriel’s bed.
“Why aren’t you laid out with a sore head somewhere?” Gabriel groaned, as he reached for the fruit juice.
“My wine consumption was not what it should have been” Kaiden answered, with a shrug.
“Why?” Gabriel asked, not caring what the answer was but he felt obligated to ask.
“I like the idea of seeing what is south of the mountains, so I spent most of my time thinking about that” Kaiden told Gabriel. “That and Iris wouldn’t shut up about babies, so I left. You know I can’t wait until she is paired, she needs a husband to control her.”
“I completely agree with you, she’s out of control” Gabriel sighed, as he put down his cup and started eating. “So when are you going to visit the seer?”
“As soon as you are ready” Kaiden answered. “I know you have your concerns about it but I think it will be nice to finally know. Besides, there is nothing that says we have to be with whomever we are paired with.”
“You know that’s a really good point” Gabriel said, thinking that even if he knew, he wouldn’t have to tell anyone, at least until he was ready and even then he would be able to give her time to warm up to him as well. He knew he wasn't the easiest person to get along with and figured he would have to give his partner every opportunity to understand what she was getting herself into before their paring ceremony.
“Yeah, I have my moments of wisdom” Kaiden laughed.
“Alright let's go” Gabriel said, as he got to his feet, knowing that it wouldn't take long before he started talking himself out it. “We have a seer to visit and a hut to build before we head south.”
Kaiden smiled at Gabriel as he followed him outside, he knew Gabriel would warm up to the idea and hoped he had done enough to convince him to actually speak with the seer.
The two brothers walked in silence as they made their way through the village and out to an old hut that sat closer to the forest than any other hut. It was surrounded with herb gardens and smelled of wild flowers, a beautiful and welcoming sight.
Gabriel stopped in front of the entrance and stared at it, blocking Kaiden’s path. He wasn’t sure what he was doing but this was the closest he had come to the seer since he had returned from his hunt. He had successfully avoided the kind looking woman he had spent so much time with before his solo hunt.
“I want to go in eventually” Kaiden whispered, as he gently placed his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder.
“Sorry” Gabriel breathed, stepping aside but not taking his eyes from the door. “No matter what happens I don’t want you breathing a word of this to anyone.”
“I swear no one will even know you looked at the door” Kaiden said, placing his hand over his heart.
“If you do, I swear I’ll make you pay” Gabriel warned, watching Kaiden knock on the door.
They waited only moments before the seer popped her head out and smiled at them both. “It’s wonderful to see you both” she said, moving to the side and gesturing for them to enter.
The hut was filled with different herbs and spices, some of which neither brother recognised but they all combined to give an aroma so pleasant that both men wanted to stay just to breath the place in. The hut itself was the largest in the village and had been built over three generations ago but no one cared that the seer had the largest hut, in fact most saw it as a necessity since she was also the village healer and needed the space for her potions and for her patients.
“So what can I do for you both today?” she asked, gesturing for them to sit down.
“We both want to know who we are to be paired with” Gabriel answered before Kaiden could say a word.
“And who will be going first?” she questioned, watching Gabriel curiously.
“You go first Gabriel” Kaiden said, smiling at Gabriel and knowing that if he didn’t go first, he was going to loose his nerve.
“Okay” Gabriel agreed nervously.
“Kaiden will you wait outside please” she told him, warmly smiling at them both.
With a slight nod, Kaiden gave Gabriel a resourcing pat on the back and stood up. He then smiled at them both before disappearing outside.
“Now give me your hands” she instructed, holding out her own hands.
Gabriel took a deep, shaky breath and carefully placed his hands in hers. She then closed her eyes and dropped head, appearing as if she was deep in thought.
He waited, while she remained completely still, his heart wildly beating in his chest. It seemed like a life time had passed but in reality it was mere minutes before she opened her eyes again.
“Gabriel I don’t know what to tell you” she sighed, causing his heart to drop into his stomach.
“What do you mean?” Gabriel breathed, wanting just a name but fearing the worse.
“I can not give you a name” she told him, knowing he wasn’t going to be happy with what she had just told him. She knew that this was what he feared and was the biggest reason why he had avoided her for so long.
"Why?" he questioned, shock consuming him.
“She has not been given one yet” she answered, looking at him with pity in her eyes. “But I can tell you that when you do see her, you will know that she is your match.”
&nbs
p; “How?” Gabriel growled, shocked but angry that he wasn’t going to be given a name. “Your suppose to give me her name.”
“I know but I can’t, I’m sorry” she said sympathetically. “But when you see her, she will take your breath away and your heart will ache when she is not in your presence. Gabriel I assure you, you will know it’s her when you see her.”
Without a word, Gabriel looked away from the seer, he was too angry to even look at her. He then got to his feet and walked out of her hut, afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would do something stupid that he would regret.
“What happened?” Kaiden asked, looking at his brothers stunned face.
“Just go in and meet me at the waterfalls afterwards” Gabriel told Kaiden, his voice barely audible.
“Okay” Kaiden breathed, concerned for his brother and not sure if he should leave him alone.
Not sure what to do, Kaiden watched Gabriel walk away and didn’t let him out of his sight until he disappeared into the forest. He wanted to know what had happened to Gabriel but he knew pushing him wouldn’t get him anywhere. Instead Kaiden went into the hut and sat down where Gabriel had sat only moments earlier.
The seer didn’t have to say anything, she just held out her hands and waited for Kaiden to take them before closing her eyes. She again dropped her head and stayed like this until she had what she was looking for but when she opened her eyes, she looked at Kaiden with fear in her eyes.
“Kaiden I’m sorry but I can’t see her and I don’t have a name for you” she told him, still holding his hands but now she was only holding his hands in an attempt to comfort him.
“What are you talking about?” Kaiden questioned, thinking that perhaps he was part of some joke.
“I don’t have a name Kaiden” she told him again. “But there is someone out there for you and you won’t know it’s her until she leaves your presence.”
“Is this some kind of joke?” Kaiden growled, frowning at her. “Just give me a name and quit joking around because this is not funny.”
“Kaiden I don’t know what Gabriel told you but this is not a joke” she reassured him, as he pulled his hands from hers.
“Gabriel said nothing” he growled.
“You have to understand that I take this very seriously and I have no intention of hurting you or anyone else for that matter but you have to believe me when I say I don’t have a name” she told him, trying to keep her own confusion from her eyes.
“Why don’t you have a name?” he asked, afraid that he would be left alone for the rest of his life.
“She hasn’t been given one yet but I assure you, your heart will tell you it’s her because you will ache for her and she will consume your thoughts” she answered, trying to give him as much information as she could before he stormed out. “Please don’t see the negatives in this, you need to remain positive.”
“I can’t believe this” Kaiden breathed, as he pushed himself to his feet.
“I’m sorry Kaiden but I have given you all I can, the rest is up to you but please if there is anything I can do for you, don’t be afraid to come back” she said before he disappeared out her door, confused and angry.
Feeling like he had just been betrayed, Kaiden stormed into the forest and down to the river. He had thought his meeting with the seer would have gone much differently, he thought he would have left with a grin on his face and a spring in his step but he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt like his life was in a shamble. Now he felt like it was falling apart and there was nothing he could do about it.
The sound of the water bubbling over rocks helped to soothe his heart but not near as much as he needed to suppress the anger his was feeling. He had planned his life based on what the seer would tell him and he had wanted her to give him a name so he could start a family of his own.
When Kaiden arrived at the waterfall, Gabriel was furiously pacing along the sandy bank at the base. He knew that if he had gone first, he would be doing exactly what Gabriel was doing and in that moment he knew Gabriel hadn't been given the information he had hoped for either.
“So who is she?” Gabriel asked, pacing toward Kaiden.
“She didn’t give me a name, in fact she said she didn’t have a name yet” Kaiden answered angrily, unable to keep the anger and hurt from his voice or eyes.
“What the hell?” Gabriel roared, curling his fists into tight balls. “Is this some type of sick joke?”
“She assured me it was no joke” Kaiden grumbled. “What did she say to you?”
“Sounds like we were both given the same news” Gabriel growled. “I’m not sure if she was trying to tell me there is no one for me or if my partner has not been born yet but I can tell you I don’t ever want to see that woman again. I can’t believe we base our futures on what she tells us.”
“Maybe we should get out of here and head south” Kaiden suggested, wishing he could just run until he clasped from exhaustion or pound something until there was no skin left on his knuckles. “We are both free men now, there will be no one to stop us.”
“You’re right, I need to get out of here before I loose control” Gabriel said, wanting nothing more than to leave the future he thought he had behind. “Besides I don’t think I could handle mums reaction when she finds out. We will have months before we have to return.”
“We will have to tell mum but at least we won’t be around long enough for her to completely loose it” Kaiden said, hating the thought of even speaking to their mother but felt better in the fact that Gabriel would be with him. “We should tell her just before we leave.”
“She still has Iris to annoy and will be a grandmother soon, so that will at least take the spotlight from us” Gabriel said, more for his own benefit. “You can stay in my hut until we leave, we have a lot to prepare and I don’t want anyone knowing any of this until they have to.”
“What are they going to say when they figure out we are not building my hut?” Kaiden questioned.
“We can tell them that we are preparing for the hunt” Gabriel suggested, as he ran through a list of things they needed to prepare before they left. “So we should probably go and get started while everyone else is doing exactly that.”
Kaiden nodded and looked at Gabriel with determination in his eyes. They both needed a distraction and someone had to head south to see if it was safe or even viable.