Chapter two

2

After some time Zara's shock as to what had happened earlier wore off,  but she was troubled about her mother , she looked so tensed and sad all day, when asked what the problem was she kept insisting that all was fine, but Zara knew she was far from it.

To top it all she blatantly  refused Zara to go from the house the rest of the day.

After a simple dinner she lay down on their wooden bed and insisted Zara do the same.

Zara reluctantly obeyed, nights like this was always the best, it was a full moon and their healer tribe which consisted of only women would dance around the fire until dawn, it was like a ritual which they carried out to please the goddess.

"Mother I'm not sleepy ,can I........" She started when her mother cuts in sharply

"I've already said no! You stay here with me, you can read that book of yours instead but don't go out!"

At her mother's words Zara's thought went back to what had happened earlier

Thinking about it now, they was no way it could have been possible..........but it had been so real......

She stared at the book in the slightly open chest, like always it drew her like a moth attracted to a flame.......

She'd found it on an old shelve where the tribes women kept their treasure,  she'd taken it and none of them seemed to mind. 

She had read it for countless times since she was born and learned how to read  but still she always felt like she had known those characters before....

Whenever she told her friends and mother they always brushed it off regarded it as one of her illusions.

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*

Herak  carried Ara into the dark cave, with a flick of his fingers the lights suddenly appeared

His Ara never liked it dark ,which was the  opposite of him because he was darkness itself. 

He kept her gently on a large bed-like rock, willing her to return to him, but she was long gone

With his hands he had killed her.......

He traced a finger over her face lovingly, this was the darkest night of his very existence.

He kissed her death cold lips softly before ripping of the jade like pendant on his neck

The one she had given him.....

It had been so precious to her as it had been for him

He wrapped it over her neck gently , he kissed her forehead gently like it was for the last time.

It really was for the both of them......

He looked at her death still face for the last time ,memorizing every little feature. 

"My love...I'll find you in our next life and this token of our love will lead us to each other......it won't end this way..I promise" he whispered brokenly

The pendant gleamed as he casted a spell to it

A spell that would always lead them to each other......

The wind and  rain pounded heavily outside which contrast what it was like inside the cave 

It was warm and filled with lights as Herak closed his eyes in death

His heart could never live without her.............

Zara wiped of the tears of sadness that had escaped from her eyes, it  always made her cry uncontrollably  each time she read through  the ending of Herak and Ara. 

She always felt like she had been there.....

Like she knew how it all happened

She gathered herself into a tight  ball and shut her eyes tight as she willed sleep to come to her....

She clasped the book to her chest like she always did each night

But this night was different........

She like something was going to happen......

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*

She was running, the sound of her laughter echoing the entire castle.....waiting arms were spread out waiting to envelop her into a warm embrace

She flung herself towards the figure and it spun her around playfully, the sound of his laughter like music in her ears

She was reuniting with this strange man though she couldn't see his face, she didn't need to......

Her heart and his saw each other

Then a drop of rain fell on her face, it was no longer her and the strange man...

It was Ara and Herak it suddenly seemed like she was watching them from a distance.

Her eyes followed them as Ara dashed into the woods , her legs splashing against the muddy ground..

Then his loud voice echoed the whole forest

"you are MINE don't run from me love "

"I'm yours Herak....only yours " Ara replied passionately. 

"Then come to me! I've waited for so long"

The intensity of his voice from her dream shook Zara and suddenly she was wide awake.....

Her hands reached up to touch her forehead,  she was sweating from the intensity of the dream. 

She looked up to her mother who was now wide awake and staring at her in concern

She still heard that deep melodious voice from her dream.......

She had really dreamt of Ara and Herak ?

Was it just because she read their story before she went to sleep?

But it had never happened before

Her mother shook her shoulders gently and broke through she  her thoughts , it was still very early in the morning.

The sun wasn't even up yet...

"Zara you had a nightmare? what did you dream about?" Moira asked concern and worry lacing her older features

Zara stared at her mother and sighed inwardly. 

Oh mother, how do I tell you that I dreamt of a man!

Their healer tribe consisted of only young girls and women.....

It was isolated from the rest of the world, they were always taught since young that men were evil creatures and should flee whenever they come across one..

It was unlikely though  since a spell separated them from the rest of the magical world outside. 

Men were forbidden to be spoken of by the elders of the tribe

She had never really seen one herself, unless the portraits from those forbidden books the elders had kept, also  some of the girls that had lived in the outside the boundary before had explained to her as much as they could,  the rest was left to her imaginations.

Some of them had been sent over for punishment of some sort for being rebellious while some had came out of their free will.

But no one ever leave,  the power of the spell which had been casted by the elders couldn't be broken by just  anyone,  it would take powerful magic to do so... 

Which none of them posesssed, the only magic they posessed was the power of healing.

Some of the girls always spoke of the magic of the world outside the boundary and how they hated it being trapped in the tribe of healers and being forced to learn medicines.

Zara had always wondered why anyone would dislike such a beautiful place, though she had never been outside their barrier but she didn't think it would be as beautiful as it was spoken about of. 

Back to the situation at hand,to  tell her mother she had dreamt of a man would  be such a big sin and she would have to go for the cleansing ritual , where she would be immensed in the great rivers seven times, just like how it had been done on some of her friends.

"Mother its nothing ...I...I forgot all about it....." She replied, her cheeks flaming brightly,  thankfully her mother didn't dwell much on it

"Zara my child,you'll be going to see the seer with me today" she  softly spoke instead

"But why mother, is anything wrong?"  her gaze roamed over her mother in worry. 

"Don't ask my child ,you'll know when we get there........also don't go anywhere until we've gone and return"

She couldn't risk Zara going anywhere without her ,not before she got a clear interpretation of what the shaman had told her......

She will visit the shaman today again, nothing must happen to her daughter.

Zara was utterly confused,  ,but she didn't ask as her mother told her not to......

But she couldn't stop the anxiety that spread through her.

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