Soulmates Across Borders

Chapter 3

Solí let Awai go, and the woman stumbled into her daughters' arms. Before the four beastmen could even blink, Hake pulled out an arrow from his quiver and unslung his bow from his back. Solí followed suit.

"Taumaha!" Hake shouted with his hand holding the black arrowhead of his arrow, and his moonstone bracelet sparkled. The arrowhead glowed purple. He nocked his arrow.

Solí pulled an arrow from her quiver. She grasped the arrowhead in her palm where the circle of her moonstone bracelet would imbue the arrowhead with gravity makutu. Then she cleared her mind and reactivated her mana, which was already awakened and easily harnessed thanks to the other makutu she had performed.

"Taumaha!" she said, and the word mingled with her spirit to imbue the arrowhead with gravity makutu. She nocked the arrow.

The two Värian warriors aimed their arrows at the feet of the beastmen who had already proceeded to charge at them.

Hake let loose his arrow at the feet of the first beastman on the left while Solí aimed and let loose her arrow at the beastman farthest to the right. The arrows struck the ground with a purple blast that rippled out across the ground, and the beastmen sank down under the crippling gravity makutu.

The other two beastmen kept coming. Hake repeated the gravity makutu and aimed a gravity arrow at the feet of the beastman on the left. Solí pulled out another arrow and used the word to imbue the arrowhead with gravity makutu once more. With the tip of the arrow rippling with purple light, she nocked the arrow, aimed, and let loose her attack.

The enchanted arrows pulled the beastmen to the ground. They shouted in alarm in their strange language as the purple ripples spread outward on the ground and held them still under the weight of the distorted gravity.

Hake slung his bow over his shoulder and scooped up Awai. Solí followed suit, reaching out to take each twin by the hand.

They ran.

Hake's wolf Kanapa raced after them, and Solí knew the white wolf would attack any beastmen who tried to pursue them.

The Värian warrior and princess led the woman's twin daughters into the woods. As they ran, they coughed to expel the smoke from their lungs. Solí turned back to make sure the beastmen did not follow them. It seemed that the only ones who had seen them were now pinned to the ground unable to pursue them.

They entered the depths of the forest, and Solí began to feel safe, though the smell of the fire lingered.

I'm relieved you're alright, Pango told her, and Solí knew the wolf had been eavesdropping on her, observing what was happening with their shared sense of sight.

Who has died? Solí couln't help but ask.

Taruta, Ekara, Pai, Irirangi, and Rua. Your brother and sister and father are all safe.

Solí closed her eyes as the relief and grief took hold of her chest, making her head swim and her chest tighten.

Are you all still gathered on the shade's side of the village? Solí asked. She could feel her connection to Pango pointing her in the direction away from the sun.

Yes, we have started our trek toward Panui.

Solí gave a mental nod. They were headed for the large village where Tokah Mahuta lived. The high chief's son. And Solí's betrothed. The news made sense, as Solí's father had already planned to take Solí to Panui after her birth-moon, which was three days away. But the attack on the village had ruined everything. Now there would be no midspring moon festival. Celebrating Solí's birth-moon right now would make a mockery of the death and destruction that had just befallen the village of Itaone.

The thought brought Solí to her knees. She let out a pained cry as she tumbled in the grass. Awai's two daughters clambered next to Solí; they embraced each other on their knees in the shade of the forest's swaying trees.

Off in the distance, Solí's wolf howled, and other wolves joined in, their cries mingling with the cries of the Itaone women who mourned the losses of their village.

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690 Words; 4277 Words Total