Nadine - The Beginning

3. Fishing

Age 220. (Human about 11.)

40 years later...

I look at the next stone and wonder if I can make the jump. These river rocks are really far apart. I think I can do it. I start to move my feet and I slip. I can feel myself starting to fall into the river and suddenly someone grabs me and pulls me to the shore.

I get my balance and look at him. "Oh hi Tre."

"What are you doing out there alone? You could have fell in and this big dress would have weighed you down so fast, it would have taken you forever to fight your way out."

I look at him and laugh. "But I'm not alone. You're here now. I bet you can't make that jump."

He looks back at the river. "Oh yes I could." He takes off running for the river.

I run after him laughing.

He starts jumping on the rocks and gets all the way to the one I slipped on. "You watching? I'm going to do it."

"I'm watching!" I yell from the bank.

He jumps and lands on the other rock perfectly. He turns around to look at me. "I tol" He slips and falls in.

I run to the river and start searching. He's right this dress is going to weigh me down. I can't go in. "TRE! TRE! Where are you? TRE?"

He slowly walks up with a fish. "What princess? I just went for a fish. Want to have a fish with me?"

I start laughing. "You did not go in for that fish! You fell in!"

He smiles at me. "I'll make a fire so we can cook this. Can you find some twigs or dry leaves? I'll get some of the bigger sticks."

"Ok. But you fell in." I walk around picking up some little stuff.

We put everything together and he makes us a fire.

Dipak walks up behind us. "What are you 2 doing out here?"

"He was fishing." I say looking up.

Dipak looks at Tre. "There are easier ways to fish. Ways that you don't get soaking wet."

I just laugh.

"Yea, I didn't have a pole though."

Dipak chuckles. "Alright you 2 enjoy that fish and get back to your houses before nightfall. Something has been killing the deer around here."

Tre looks up. "What is it?"

"Don't know. But it seems to be a vicious animal by the way the carcasses look." He looks around. "You 2 just be sure to be home by nightfall."

I nod. "Yes sir. I'll make sure we go back before that."

He smiles at me. "Thank you princess."

"I'm going to get us another fish or 2. These are good."

"Yes they are. You want a pole though? My house isn't far."

"Nah. The cool water feels nice and then the warm fire afterwards. I'll be right back princess."

"Ok." I watch him walk out to the water and I remember the way my mom and dad met. I wonder if he'll be my mate someday. He is nice looking.

He comes back after a few minutes and we sit and eat more fish.

"Ok princess, let's get you home." He holds out his hand to help me up.

"I have to put the veil on tomorrow." I start to cry.

"Why cry?"

"You see me today. Why will I be different tomorrow?"

"Well soon us men will be looking at you differently so you need to be covered."

"US MEN? You're barely older than me. You're not a man yet."

He laughs. "Well someday soon I will be. So I shouldn't see your skin. Maybe sooner than you think princess."

I give him a funny look. I'm kind of confused by that. "What?"

"Never mind. And you know you can see through those veils right? It's just like a sheer fabric over you."

I nod.

"Come on, we need to get you home. It's going to get dark soon."

"I can make it. It's really not that far." I point towards my house.

"Well I'm going to take you to the door anyways. You don't need to be out here alone."

"Oh fine. You can say hi to my parents too. My dad is always asking what your up to. You can answer him yourself." I start laughing. "I'll just tell him you enjoy falling in rivers." I take off running to my house.

He runs after me. "You better not and I didn't fall. I was fishing."

"Yea sure."

We get to door and walk in. "Hi momma, hi daddy. Tre walked me home."

Tre comes in behind me. "Hi sir."

My dad looks at him. "Why are you all wet son?"

"Fishing sir."

"There are other ways to do that."

I bust out laughing. "That's what Dipak said."

"You ran into Dipak, good, good."

"Yes. He said there is something out there killing large animals. I wanted to make sure the princess got home safe."

My dad smiles at him. "Thank you for that son. What have you been up to?"

"I've been having sword lessons sir. Learning to fight."

"Good. Going to be good having you in my ranks someday son."

Mom comes back in from the kitchen. "Would you like to stay for dinner Tre?"

"Thank you but I mustn't impose ma'am."

My dad stands up. "Nonsense. Any man who makes sure my daughter gets home safe can join us."

After dinner I walk Tre to the porch. "Thanks for walking me home. And for the fish today. It was a lot of fun. To bad I'll have the veil on tomorrow."

He smiles and moves a hair off my face. "Don't worry, I'll still remember what you like like under it."

He walks off the porch and I yell. "Be careful."

He looks back and smiles. "I have 4 Kings Guards with me. Pretty sure nothing can get through them."

I laugh. "Yea you're right. Have a good night."

"You too princess. Sleep well."

I sit down on the step and watch him leave.

"I heard mom and dad talking."

"Yea, what did they say?"

"They think that Tre may be your mate someday. They say he's always been protective of you."

I look at Clay. "We're still way to young for that. We're just friends brother."

He sits down beside me. "I don't think I want a mate."

"Why not?"

"Have to spend forever with 1 person. That doesn't sound fun at all. 1 person telling you what to do forever."

I laugh. "Well maybe you'll change your mind when you get older. We have a lot of time before we are old enough for mates." I look around. "Do anything fun today?"

"I took Nile for a ride into the village to pick up some fabric for momma. He's such a good horse. He listens so well."

"Yea, he always seems like a good horse when I'm in there. Really big though. Biggest horse I've ever seen."

I stand up. "I must sleep now brother. I have my veiling ceremony tomorrow. I would like to be awake for it."

He laughs. "Yea mom and dad would be mad if you fell asleep. Good night sister."

"Good night dear brother."

I feel the light hit my face as Mary opens my shade. "Ughhh."

"Oh none of that child. We have your big ceremony today."

"I don't want to cover my skin." I rub the sleep out of my eyes. "At least not my face. How am I supposed to ride with my eyes covered?"

"You can see through the veil."

"And does my mate not want me to be able to touch anything? Why do I have to wear gloves all the time?"

"It is your beliefs. Some say a man will reject his mate if another man seen her skin first. You know this princess."

"I shouldn't have to cover up until I'm old enough to find my mate. This is so unfair."

"Other men will soon start looking at you with l**t princess. So we must keep you covered so that doesn't happen." She fluffs my hair. "Soon this will be all over and it will just be a phase you look back on. Don't let it make you unhappy little miss."

"So what happens in the ceremony anyways?"

"Well we start off getting you dressed up all fancy. You walk into a room with the king and queen and a few other people. Someone declares you a woman. Then they put the veil and gloves on."

"You always make these things sound so short but then they take like 8 hours."

She starts laughing. "Yes, it takes about 3 hours. Really it's just a lot of people talking because they like to hear themselves talk. Just keep your eyes open and you'll be fine."

I sigh.

"If you close your eyes for to long I will pinch you to make sure you're awake."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure princess."

She helps me get dressed and starts doing my hair.

"Will Tre be there?"

"I don't think so princess. It's more of a family thing. Why do you ask?"

"I've heard that people think we will be mates."

"Oh I don't know about that. You are both to young to even speculate about it. I think you're just friends."

"That's what I said."

She laughs as my mom walks in.

"Oh my beautiful daughter." She gives me a big hug. "I can't believe you're growing up so fast. I brought a special necklace for you to wear today. It's real diamonds."

"Wow mommy it's so sparkly."

"Here, let me hook it. It looks beautiful on you."

"Thank you. Can I wear some of your lip tint momma?"

She smiles. "Maybe just a little. I'll finish helping her servant. Can you please go make sure the theater is ready?"

"Yes of course ma'am."

"We're going to be in the theater?"

"Yes, you'll be on the stage. A few people will be sitting in the audience area. Not many though. This is basically just for family and close friends." She starts finishing my hair. "Afterword's we will have a small meal for those who joined us today."

"Will the advisors be there?"

"If they are not out on business they will be here with their families. They are our closest friends."

I nod and stand up. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful darling. You ready?"

"I think so momma."

She gives me a hug and we walk to the theatre. "You are so brave child. Just go take your seat up on the center of the stage there. I'll tell everyone we are ready to begin."

"Blah blah blah."

Oh she really wasn't joking. These people will not stop talking. I look over and Mary's giving me silly look from the side of the stage. I smile at her. She makes a hand gesture about talking to much. I can not agree more. I've been sitting here for an hour and it's just people talking.

"Blah blah blah and more blah."

"Girl turning to woman blah."

"And now the gloves." Oh this is my part to hold out my hand. "These gloves symbolize blah blah blah."

False alarm.

Half an hour later I finally have the gloves on.

Wonder how long they're going to talk about the veil.

An hour. An hour of blah blah blah.

"And with this veil you are now a woman." Well that sure took long enough. I'm hungry and how am I going to eat with this thing on?

I look at Mary. She's giving me the stand up sign.

I stand up and everyone claps.

My mom stands up. "Thank you everyone for joining us today for this special occasion. If you will all follow me, we will be have lunch in the ballroom."

I walk over to Mary. "I'm hungry and how am I supposed to eat with this thing over my face?"

"Follow me child. We will pin it down quick and you can always reach under it to eat. Or take it off completely if no men are around." I follow Mary out of the theater and when she turns around to look at me her mouth falls open.

"Where did the veil go?" She starts looking around frantically.

"What?" I reach up and smack myself in the head. "It's gone. Where did it go? I didn't even notice."

"Oh there it is. It got stuck on the door." She grabs it and we both bust out laughing. "Yea I think we better pin it down. You almost had the worlds shortest veiling princess."

I can't stop laughing. "Yea who knows where we'll find it next time."

We get the veil pinned down and walk to the ballroom. I keep touching my head to make sure it's still there. She did a good job though. It's not coming off.

As soon as everyone is gone, I go outside and sit on the porch. "This is terrible Clay."

"I'm sorry. You can take it off now though. I'm the only one here."

"There's male servants and guards in the yard. I'll never be able to take this off."

"Oh I forgot about them. Want to go for a walk?"

"Didn't you hear inside? The wild animal attacked a bear now. It lived but I guess it was pretty badly hurt."

"Oh." He looks down. "Can I tell you something sister?"

"You can tell me anything."

"Promise not to tell?"

I look at him. "Nicolai."

"Promise or I won't tell you."

"I promise not to tell."

"It was me. I just wanted to see If I could kill it. It was so much bigger than me."

I grab his face and look at it closely. "Are you hurt?" I start looking at his hands.

"No. I mean, he did swipe me with his claws. But I healed fast once I got away from him."

"Did you kill the deer too?"

"Yes, It was just a couple. I was just seeing if I could. They were bigger than me too."

"Clay you could get hurt. I know you like to hunt but you really could have been hurt by that bear."

"I'm sorry. I just had to try when I seen it."

"I'll keep my promise and not tell. But you have to stop. People around here are scared that some crazy animal is going around attacking everything."

He smiles and nods at me.

"You're a good kid Clay. Just sometimes to curious for your own good. Go play with a ball or something. Hey maybe you and Tre could go fishing. He has a very interesting technique he could show you."

He smiles and runs off towards Tre's house.

"Silly kid."