Soulmates Across Borders

Chapter 22

"The wise women had much to say about your situation," Waiata said. "It seems there have been some soulmates across borders in the past, though I had never heard of these legends before."

"Really?" Solí sat up straighter. "What happened to them?"

"They all died."

"Oh." Solí's shoulder's sagged.

"Their love was forbidden. They were doomed to die."

Solí felt tears prick at her eyes. "Did the tribal kings doom them to death?"

Waiata hesitated, so Manaia spoke up. "The tribal kings of the past did not have the wisdom they required to know what to do. They failed to listen to their wise women when they tried to explain how sacred the soulmate bond truly is. They forbade the Värian soulmate to be with the beastman soulmate. When the beastmen and beastwomen soulmates came into our nation and were met with the brunt force of our armies, they were killed, and the Värian soulmates died as well. The stories are very tragic."

"We cannot let that happen to you," Waiata said with conviction. "I will not sit by and watch you die, not on my life."

Solí took a big quivering breath. "Do you think my father will let me go be with my soulmate?"

"Maybe. There are records of some soulmates across borders fleeing for their lives. Some died by the hands of the beastmen when they tried to go to Ngaherahe. But others disappeared without a trace."

Ask her if we could stay with the tribe if your soulmate stays in Ngaherahe, Pango suggested.

"What if we stayed separated? Could Pango and I stay with the tribe?"

Waiata bit her lip. Her eyes shimmered with tears. Finally she shook her head. "It wouldn't be safe, Solí!"

The bear tribe's wise woman, Manaia said, "The wise women have learned from the past. We know that soulmates share a bond that cannot be ignored. If you try to stay apart, eventually your soulmate will try to find you, and either he will die when he tries searching the country for you, or when he finds you and tries to steal you from our village, he will die. This is the way it has always happened."

Solí sat quietly for a while, imagining a life where she never saw her family again, but a life in which she lived with Aer'ehk. Maybe a life like that would be enough for her, so that she wouldn't have to live apart from her soulmate and feel like half a person for the rest of her life. But she knew she'd miss her brother and sister and father. She'd long to see them again. Every day, for the rest of her life, she'd think about them and how she wished she could see them again.

What do we do, Solí? Pango asked.

Her throat went tight, and she furrowed her brow and tried to swallow. I think we need to leave with Aer'ehk. Because I don't want to die.

I don't want to leave, Pango said, and he let out a pitiful whine. He came over and put his front paws in her lap. Solí folded herself over him and let herself cry while she held him. Her tears fell from her cheeks and soaked into Pango's fur.

"Will you keep this a secret from my father?" Solí asked once she had cried herself out.

"For how long?" Waiata asked.

"Until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is your birthmoon."

"I know. It's the day before my wedding to Tokah. I can't stay any longer than that, or I'd have to marry him, or else explain why I can't and then everyone would know about my soulmate and my father might not let me go be with him."

"It would certainly be waiting until the last possible moment," Waiata said with scrutiny in her voice.

"I just need to have one more normal day. To enjoy being with my father and sister and brother before everything changes. Please, Waiata?"

The old wise woman stared at her hands for a while. Finally she raised her gaze to Solí and nodded. "I'll keep this a secret for a day longer, then I'll help you disappear and once you are long gone, I'll explain to everyone what happened to you."

"Thank you!" Solí stood and held out her arms, and Waiata slowly got to her feet and gave her a warm hug. Then she gave the wise woman a kiss on her wrinkled cheek. "I'm going to go ask my family to come back to Itaone with me and gather the lilacs."

"What lilacs?"

She realized she hadn't explained it. "The field is full of lilacs, Waiata!"

"Where did they come from?"

Solí shrugged because she didn't know how to explain that her soulmate had grown them, because she had asked him to. "Maybe your blessing makutu made the lilacs grow."

Waiata furrowed her brow. "That has never happened before."

"Well then I can't explain it, but they are there. Many lilacs are growing on the edge of the ruined village. We need to gather them so we can bring everyone to the funeral."

Waiata nodded. "I'll come with you to speak to your father."

So Solí and Waiata left the nohonga of the bear tribe's wise woman and went to find the wolf king.

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