“What’s the maiden’s run?” Freydis lifted her bright brown eyes up from her needlework and couldn’t understand why the other three women were looking at her so skeptically. “What?”
“I know you’ve not celebrated Fødsel before, and you’re a couple of years younger than us but seriously?” Valdis pointed at the younger brunette with her polishing rag. They were all shining up special black pebbles for the final night of the festival, carving into them and painting a different number of dots on each one. Some had large white circles painted onto them with a red rune for fertility in the center. “You’re helping us paint sorting stones and you don’t know what they are for?”
“…No?”
“It’s ok Freydis.” Talita chuckled and placed a hand on the pouting teen’s shoulder. “Fødsel comes from an ancient word for Birth and fertility. At the end of Winter the Maker comes down and readies all wombs for impregnating as he chases the Earth Mother. When she is caught and receives his seed, then Fødsel is complete. That means the fields are prepared for planting and a bountiful crop, the next generation of healthy cattle and of course, in the literal sense women that are of the age to bear children are blessed. That’s why most marriages take place after Fødsel.”
“…ok…” Freydis still didn’t understand where this was going. “I understand what Fødsel is, but what is the Maiden’s run?”
“Oh sweet Marker.” Freydis pulled a hipflask from…somewhere in her red dress…took a swig and then pointed at the kid. Evelda and Talita were too busy blushing and chuckling. “What do you think it is? The Maker chases Mother Earth to impregnate her.”
“So?” Valdis blinked slowly at Freydis, and turned side on from them all to concentrate on not swearing and chug back her wine.
“SO.” Evelda chuckled and took over before Valdis could give her a colourful answer. “To symbolize this the women of Douma all reach into a large wicker basket and will retrieve one of the pebbles we are painting. Sorting stones.”
“Ok. And what are they being sorted for?” Freydis held up the one she was painting that had four white dots on the bottom.
“The Maiden’s run.” Talita composed herself and held up the stone she was working on. It was one of the ones with a white circle and red rune on it. “If you pull out any of the stones with just white dots on, you are free to carry on as normal. If however you pull out one of these stones, you are one of the chosen Maidens. You have to wear white to symbolize purity and vitality. You then line up at the gates of the village and run into the forest…”
“What?! The forest? But that’s forbidden! It’s too dangerous!” Freydis flustered and started playing with one of her long brown plaits nervously.
“Not anymore.” Freydis shrugged and put her empty hipflask down on the table. “Now we are under the demon’s protection, the Forest is easy pickings. The monsters are gone. We can come and go, travel to other villages, hunt, and of course, carry out an archaic and demining display of male ownership.” Waves of ‘displeasure’ rolled off the ebony haired beauty. Her icy blue eyes looked even sharper than normal; matching her mood. “A ram’s horn is blown, and whilst wearing big clumsy dresses, the chosen maidens have to run through the forest. If they are married then their husbands chase them and fuck them in the forest.”
“V-nn-Valdis?!” Poor Freydis turned pink with embarrassment.
“Oh that’s shocking to you? Really? At least the wives are getting caught and seeded by their own husbands. What do you think happens to the maidens that aren’t married?”
Talita and Evelda flustered and busied themselves with their
current pebbles. Freydis looked to her soon to be sister in law for answers.
With a roll of her eyes and a grunt, Valdis obliged. “Well it’s a free for all.
First come, first serve, if you get
my meaning.”
“Unless you can hide.” Evelda placed her pebble into the small bowl before her.
“Wait it out until morning.”
“Yes. That’s my plan as well.” Talita nodded in agreement with the redhead.
“Wait a minute.” Freydis chucked her pebble into the bowl and pointed at Evelda. “The shadow demon said no weddings and all virgins to remain pure until he has his lions share, right? So…why did he tell the chief to fulfil all aspects of Fødsel?”
Evelda gulped and realised that they were all looking at her. She tried to hide her fear. After all, they couldn’t know how much she knew about Turuk and his motives, right? Luckily this was one occasion where she was blissfully ignorant.
“Hell if I know.”
“Did he mention it when you last spoke?” Talita of all people pressed her. “He has paid you quite the attention since…the deal was rekindled.”
“He mentioned the fact that it was sacrilege that we didn’t celebrate Fødsel but didn’t acknowledge the fact that he’s the reason.”
Damn pendent. Sometimes the truth just leapt from her lips before she could think about her reply. Thankfully she didn’t let slip that this conversation had taken place in her home, or that Turuk had a ‘special task’ for her to perform when he saw her again. As much as she wanted to trust her friends, she just couldn’t take the risk.
For Valdis and Talita she wished she could take the risk, but Freydis was still a new acquaintance and the sister of Anor. If Turuk chose either or both his little sister and his betrothed, and he found out her level of involvement…well Evelda was haunted with the images of her without her head…
“Well it’s been nice to get back to normal for a while anyway.” Talita tactfully changed the topic. All this talk of chasing maidens had gotten her quite flustered. “With the demon’s absence the mood of the village has settled. Everyone was on edge with him around. And having him stare at us all the time…” The lovely blonde shuddered and retrieved a clean pebble to start working on. “Well it’s been nice to be free of his gaze.”
“I bet that’s a trick.” Valdis folded her arms, bored with work for now and much preferring to gossip. “I bet he’s been watching from the shadows all this time to see how we behave.”
Evelda gulped. That’s exactly what Turuk had done. She wouldn’t put it past him to have lied to her about being absent for a few days and observe them on his own. The thought made her skin crawl. “I bet he’s watching right now. I bet-”
“Good afternoon.” Chief Bryne, looking very fresh faced and pink in pallor stood behind his daughter and smiled down at them all. He certainly looked like a chieftain once more. He had even gained some muscle mass with all that training he’d gotten these last few weeks. “We need the sorting stones taking to the central wicker basket in the town center. The choosing will begin soon and then the Maiden’s run will commence.”
“We better hurry then. We still need to change.” Talita elegantly rose to her feet and ushered them all into action. “Remember to wear white. It’s important to do this right. If you’re right Valdis and the demon is watching…then we better not insult the Maker or the demon by not presenting ourselves properly.”
Evelda thought back to her wardrobe. She had an off white dress that was too big for her and sat like a sack over her shoulders…but that was before her clothing was magically changed by Turuk. Did she even own a white dress anymore?
“Yup. Well I’m wearing a breast knife just in case, and I suggest you all do the same.” Valdis darted her eyes nervously over to Freydis. Clearly she was concerned that Anor would use the maiden’s chase as an excuse to have his way with her if she was one of the chosen.
“Come now. It’s all just good fun.” Chief Bryne brushed it off. “Let’s hurry. Fødsel is approaching!” He was grinning through his golden beard. From his rosy cheeks he’d clearly started the merriment already. When he hiccupped, he proved he had.
With minimal small talk they, and many other women, carried their bowls of painted pebbles to the center of town and poured them into the large wicker basket. It was big enough for a person to hide, so it could carry many stones. The women parted ways to return to their homes and change before the choosing.
When Evelda walked into her home she strangled a scream in her throat. Turuk was sat on her bed waiting for her. His fiery orange eyes flickered when he first saw her reaction. Both however took a moment to calm before sharing an exchange.
Come on Evelda you idiot. She chided herself. He told you he’d be back today. At least he’s meeting me privately and not out in the open so everyone can see. Less chance of getting lynched.
“Good afternoon Master.” She bowed and waited with her hands together over her front.
“Have you had a restful week?” Evelda raised a coppery brow. Why would he care if she’d had a restful week or not? Fine, if he wants to be polite, then I can be polite.
“Yes thank you Master. Did you?”
“No. I was very busy.” He then stood to his full height. Even with a week’s separation he was still as menacing as ever. And all he was doing was standing on the other side of her fire pit. “We demons celebrate Fødsel differently to mortals.” Turuk side stepped and revealed a white dress on the bed. “You should change for the choosing ceremony. It’s about to begin isn’t it?”
“Yes Master.” She was glad for an excuse to stop talking to him…but something occurred to her. “Master? You said you had a task for me?”
“Yes. Change first.” He stalked around the fire pit and turned his back to the bed. “I will speak to you as you become properly attired.”
Evelda chewed her lips, took a deep breath, and hurried over to the bed. She grabbed a bowl of water by her side and washed her face and neck first. Next she checked over her shoulder to confirm he wasn’t looking, and was glad to see only the back of his long black hooded cloak. “I trust all is in place for the Maiden’s run and the bonfire dance later?”
“Yes Master.” She hurried out of her clothes and ran the cloth over her body. It was then she noticed that she could no longer feel her ribs without pressing her fingers into her sides. Finally the pale woman was starting to fill out into her subtle but curvy shape. Good diet and a week of no stress did wonders.
Too bad Turuk had returned to renew her torment…
“You will carry a message to your chieftain. The Maiden’s run will continue as planned. I will not, however, allow the virginity of those on my list to be taken.”
Evelda gulped. Was he about to make his choice? Was her servitude coming to an end?! “At the bonfire tonight I will read out the names of the women I have collected on my list this last week.”
“This last week?!?” She blurted out before her mind could get a hold of her treacherous lips. “Y-you mean you have been watching us this last week?”
“Yes. Without you by my side actually proved to be very useful. I couldn’t ask questions of course, but it did allow me to watch my targets for longer.” He chuckled. “I would have continued to use you but you were stressed.” Turuk mocked her. Evelda pouted but didn’t dare bite back. She instead busied herself with changing her small clothes, pulling on a long white linen dress. It was actually very soft and light, but thick enough to shield her body from view. The neckline was square and the sleeves were long to loop around her middle fingers. An odd style, she thought. It clung to her shoulders, arms and small bust, but flowed freely from her waist downwards. Simple, yet elegant. Evelda pushed her feet into white pumps like she’d never seen before. Not the normal leather sandals or boots she was used to. They were also made of fabric. Not practical in the least. “Are you dressed?”
“Yes Master.” Evelda pulled her long messy ginger hair out of the back of the dress to sit around her shoulders. Before she could blink Turuk was stood before her. He looped a finger around the golden cord around her neck and pulled the pendant from down her cleavage. “I-I didn’t take it off. But I hide it to stay safe. I-”
“Relax.” He chuckled at her discomfort at the familiar way he handled her, and allowed the pendant to land with a bounce on her bust. “I shall do with my property as I please.” He then chuckled and returned his hand to the depths of his cloak. “Your task is to tell your people to enjoy themselves tonight. As long as virgins remain that way, I don’t care what else happens. And there are many ways to enjoy each other without-”
“Yes Master.” Evelda’s face nearly matched her hair. “I get the, erm, idea. I’ll tell the Chief so he can relay that…more tactfully.”
“As you wish.” Turuk chuckled again. “Well? You’re going to be late Evelda. You should…hurry.” He seemed to find something very funny. He side stepped and used his hand to gesture towards the door. “After you.”
He is up to something. She knew it. But the last time she asked Turuk directly about his motives she nearly felt his wrath. Hopefully it was just mirth she saw glinting in those orange eyes from the darkness of his hood. Amusement, even.
Though, it was more likely to be scheming intent, but the former was easier to digest. The feeling that she was his pawn was stronger than ever. I just want to survive this…
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