All Things Begin - The Anmah Series Book 1

When Sophyra opened her eyes the next morning just before first light, Ga’briyel was gone, and she frowned as she dressed. She knew he had not slept well the night before, for he had woken her up as he left the bed sometime in the night. She had watched him silently as he dressed and left the room, and she had thought about following him, but in the end, she had let him go. Now she got up, washed quickly, and got dressed. The dress she would wear for the ceremony was being sewn by Daline, so she put on her violet gown, hoping to get a smile from Ga’briyel when she found him. When she was ready, she left the room.

She checked the library first, but he was not there. The book he had read the day before was still on the small table by the couch, and she walked in and replaced it on the shelf. She went to the kitchens next, to the square, and even to the makeshift stable next to the house, but he was nowhere to be found. She was standing at the open door of the stable, scowling when Dinton spoke from behind her.

“He is not here, Sophyra.”

She slowly turned and fixed her scowl on him. “I know that, Dinton. Where is he? He had better be back by last light.”

Dinton smiled. “He will be. He said he needed some time alone.”

“When did he say that?”

“About two hours ago. That was after he trained for over three hours in the square. In the dark.” Dinton shrugged. “He said he could not sleep.”

“Where did he go?” Sophyra was not scowling anymore. In fact, she looked worried.

“East. He was on foot, so I doubt he went very far.”

Sophyra spun on her heel and stormed out the door. When she got to the eastern gate, the boy in the nearest watch tower gave a signal, and someone cranked the wheel that caused the gate to swing open. When the gap was barely wide enough, she slipped through and started down the dirt path that led away from the town. She passed by the pile of charred corpses with a grimace and continued into the trees. She had not gone much farther when she heard the unmistakable sound of Ga’briyel’s sword whistling through the air, and it sounded angry. She kept walking until she reached a clearing in the trees about eight or nine paces across. Ga’briyel was in the center of the circle, bare to the waist, and his chest and back muscles rippled as he moved. Sweat streamed down his torso despite the early morning chill, and the ominous look on his face would have given most people pause. Sophyra seated herself on the ground at the edge of the clearing to watch him, wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm.

He glanced at her silently before returning his attention to what he was doing. He looked to be performing one of his patterns, but it was not the smooth, flowing movements she had seen him do in the square. This pattern was being done with harsh, violent strikes. His feet moved in his usual way—fluid, light steps that always looked like dancing to her eyes, but the severe sound of the sword took away from the gracefulness of his motions. He really was beautiful when he trained, although to think of him that way disturbed her a little, for she knew that at that moment he was picturing Daitya or Azazil or some other evil at the receiving end of every stroke, and as he moved, she could picture it, too. She had seen him fight enough that she could see his blade piercing a body or taking off a head or cleaving a limb. She could see the other sword that block deflected or that parry redirected. It was as if she was seeing what he was seeing.

The sun’s rays were peeking through the trees, lightening the green of the leaves, when she stood up to return to the town. Ga’briyel had not stopped moving the entire time she watched him. Even when she turned to walk back, he said nothing to her, and she frowned as she trudged back through the forest and through the eastern gate, hearing the swish of his sword in her ears the entire way. She was worried about him. She had brushed off his comments from the night before, but now she wondered if he was more upset than she had suspected.

“Sophyra! There you are!” Telara exclaimed, rushing up to her. “Everyone has been looking for you.”

“I was watching Ga’briyel.” Her eyes filled with tears. “He is hurting, Telara, and I cannot do anything about it.”

“Hurting? Still?”

“Not physically. His wounds have healed. This pain is inside of him. He tried to talk to me about it last night, but I paid him no mind. I thought he was being melodramatic. But he has been training for the last five hours or more, and I have never seen him like this. He is so angry.”

Telara put her arm around Sophyra’s shoulders and pulled her close. “I cannot imagine what goes on in that mind of his,” she said softly as she guided the younger woman toward the square, “and I cannot even begin to comprehend what he must be going through. I think that all you can do is love him and let him know that you are there for him always. The rest he must find a way to deal with on his own, and if that means training for hours on end, then that is what it will be. You cannot fulfill his destiny for him, Sophyra, but you can support him in what he must do.”

Sophyra nodded, and a single tear ran down her cheek. “I sometimes think I know what is happening to him, but I do not. No one does, and I think that makes him feel very alone sometimes.” She wiped the tear away. “But he is not alone! How can I get him to see that?”

Telara gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Tell him often, Sophyra. Make sure he hears it from you daily if necessary.” They had reached the square, and Sophyra was surprised to see how much had already been accomplished in the hour or so she had been watching Ga’briyel.

Tables and benches already filled the square, much as they had done for Ga’briyel’s first feast, but there was a large open area along the north side. Dinton and Tero were there, hammers in hand, constructing a small platform that would hold Ga’briyel, Sophyra, and Nikale for the ceremony. Mathi and Zahin and several other boys stood by watching them and handing them iron pins as needed. The sound of the men’s pounding filled the square as girls and women of all ages decorated the tables with sprigs of prairie grass tied in red ribbons and dozens of candles.

“Come on,” Telara said with a smile. “Daline needs you to make sure the dress fits.”

The next several hours were spent in a flurry of activity. So much so that Sophyra almost missed it when Ga’briyel entered the square nearly three hours later. His torso was still bare, but his sword was sheathed, and the menacing look was gone from his face. He ignored everyone’s stares and disappeared into the house. Sophyra took one step in that same direction but stopped when Tero put his hand on her shoulder.

“Let him go, Sophyra. Let him come to you.”

“Why?”

“He said he needed some time to himself. Give it to him.”

Sophyra’s shoulders slumped, but she nodded and returned her attention to the preparations.

Minutes before last light, everything was finished, and Sophyra was in Daline’s house with Nayna, Wamil, and Heena. The dresses that Daline had sewn were beautiful. Sophyra’s was a pale pink linen with white lace around the wrists, neckline, and hem, and it hugged her curves from her neck to her waist. From there it flowed out into a wide skirt that hung to her feet. The little ones’ were similar but in a bright red, and they did not cling quite as much. The girls danced and spun to make their skirts billow out, and they giggled as they did so.

“Almost time,” Daline said as she clipped a pink ribbon into Sophyra’s hair. “Are you excited?”

“Oh, yes,” Sophyra said. Her heart had been pounding for the last half hour, and she could barely breathe. A large part of her was terrified that Ga’briyel would not be standing on the platform when she emerged in the square, but she knew that was just foolish. Daline just smiled at her and then corralled the girls and clipped red ribbons in their hair.

When she finished with them, she asked, “Are you ready, Sophyra? It is time.”

Sophyra took a deep breath and clasped her hands at her waist. “I am ready. I sure hope Ga’briyel is.”

“Do not worry. He has been ready for almost an hour. I saw him when I went to the square earlier.”

Sophyra nodded, and they exited Daline’s house.

“Now remember, little ones, walk slowly. No running,” Daline said to the girls. They smiled up at her and walked in front of Sophyra to the edge of the square, and then they started up the aisle in between the tables.

Sophyra kept her eyes on the ground for a brief moment, and then she raised her head to follow the girls, but her breath caught in her breast when she saw Ga’briyel. He was standing on the platform, looking magnificent in his red coat, white shirt, black breeches, and black boots. He towered over Nikale who stood just beyond him, but the thing that stood out to Sophyra the most was the smile on his face. It was as if the morning had never even happened, and she was glad for it. She walked down the aisle slowly, keeping her eyes fixed on his. When she reached the stairs leading up, he was there, holding out his hand to her, his eyes blazing. She placed her hand in his, and he ran his thumb over her knuckles.

“You look absolutely beautiful, my heart,” he said softly as he helped her up the stairs. She just nodded, unable to wrench her eyes away from his. When they got on the platform, Ga’briyel took both of Sophyra’s hands in his and faced her. His smile never dimmed or faltered.

When they were ready, Nikale spoke. “Friends and citizens, you are here to witness a first for our town. A wedding. More specifically, the wedding of our savior, Ga’briyel Mistri el’Adama, the man who rescued us all from the tyranny of our husbands and sons.” When Ga’briyel glanced at her with raised eyebrows, she just grinned. “Friends, I am one hundred and ten years old, and this is the first time I have been blessed to perform this ceremony. I would love to go on about how much we owe this man, but I will not.” Her grin broadened when Ga’briyel stared at her briefly before returning his eyes to Sophyra.

“Ga’briyel Mistri el’Adama el’Altyara el’Illyama, do you promise to love this woman, to cherish her, and to always be true?”

Ga’briyel squeezed Sophyra’s hands lightly and again ran his thumbs over her knuckles. “I so promise,” he said softly.

“Sophyra me’Dirgha el’Jonsa el’Sala, do you promise to love this man, to cherish him, and to always be true?”

With a smile, Sophyra said, “I so promise.”

“Please kneel and bow your heads.”

Ga’briyel helped Sophyra to her knees before gracefully doing the same. When their heads were bowed, Nikale placed one of her hands on each of their heads.

“Yisu apanara bibaha asirbada ebam apani prema ebam ananda ebam sukha dorgha bachara dite pare. May Yisu bless your marriage and give you long years of love and joy and happiness.” She took her hands away and said, “Stand.” When they were standing, Nikale continued, “Friends and citizens, I present to you Captain Ga’briyel Mistri el’Adama and Sophyra Mistri si’Adama. You may seal your commitment with a kiss, Captain.”

This time it was Ga’briyel’s turn to grin, and he gathered Sophyra to himself. He dipped his head and covered her mouth with his, forcing himself not to take it too far. Sophyra’s hands came around him and fisted in his coat. Even keeping the kiss fairly chaste, Sophyra was breathing heavily with her eyes closed when he pulled back. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she smiled when she saw the satisfied grin on Ga’briyel’s face.

“You have definitely gotten better at that, Captain,” she said quietly, and he laughed.

“I love you, my heart. More than life,” he said softly as he released her. “Never forget that.”

She cupped his cheek. “And I love you, Ga’briyel. More than anything. Never forget that.”

It was only then that they realized that the square was echoing with the pounding on the tables from the citizens of Grama. They turned toward the square, and a cheer instantly went up, overpowering the pounding. The smiles on the faces of the crowd were a welcome sight, and Ga’briyel took Sophyra’s hand and helped her down the steps.

For the next several hours, the population of the town ate and talked and celebrated. Small children ran around the square, delighted that they were allowed to stay up late. Elders sat quietly at the tables and watched them. A few people played instruments while others danced. Several clusters of women dotted the square, but Ga’briyel and Sophyra just sat at the head table and watched everything.

“I am glad you are feeling better, my love,” Sophyra said at one point.

With a shrug, Ga’briyel replied, “For now.” Then he grinned. “How could I not feel good? I have just married my heart, my reason for living, and, as soon as this crowd will allow it, I will take you to bed and show you just how much I appreciate the honor of being your husband.” Then his eyes blazed, and he looked around the square. “That reminds me. I have something for you.”

“You do? What is it?”

He finally found who he was looking for. “Dinton!”

Dinton walked to them. “Yisu’s blessings be on you both, my friends,” he said when he reached them, and then he reached into his coat pocket. “I assume you want this now?” He handed Ga’briyel a small package wrapped in linen and tied with twine.

Ga’briyel took it with a smile. “Thank you, my friend.” When Dinton just stood there, Ga’briyel elbowed him. “You can leave now.”

“Touchy,” Dinton said, but he grinned as he walked away.

Holding out the package to Sophyra, Ga’briyel said, “This is for you. I made it this afternoon.”

Sophyra raised her eyebrows but took the package and pulled the twine. The linen fell open, and in Sophyra’s palm was a ring made from gacha wood. It was sanded smooth and polished to a shine, and Ga’briyel picked it up.

“This is so that you will never forget that my love for you is eternal, my heart.” He took her right hand and slid the ring on her first finger.

“Ga’briyel!” she breathed as she stared at her hand. “Thank you! But I have nothing for you.”

“You have already given me everything I could ever ask for, Sophyra.” He leaned forward and kissed her softly. “You have given me yourself.” He tried to sit back, but she reached around the back of his head, and pulled him down. When she kissed him, there was nothing soft or gentle or chaste about it. The heat flowing from her threatened to consume him, and he quickly broke the kiss and stood up. Within seconds, the square quieted.

“Thank you all for this joyous time, but it is time for my wife and I to leave you.” He pulled Sophyra to her feet. “We have some celebrating of our own to do.” Amid the cheers and pounding on tables, he led Sophyra to their house to spend their first night as husband and wife.