╚╩╩╩╝ Charlotte Renae ╚╩╩╩╝

The brisk, cold air blew past my face, stealing away the warmth from my face. It didn’t matter too much, though. The warmth of the bonfire would bring more than enough back, and the wrappings kept the rest of my body isolated from the cold. My face was the only thing left open to the air.

Honestly, though, I probably don’t even need the fire. I was blushing hard enough that it felt like my face was actually on fire.

I wasn’t alone, either. There were at several dozen other women, waiting anxiously for the festival to start. Some were already married, others were hoping to be sometime soon.

“You girls ready?” The village head’s wife asked, skipping into the grove where we all waited.

She was getting on in age, but was acting just as giddy as some of the girls here.

Several girls cheered in response to the question. I tried to do the same, but felt my voice catch in my throat.

The village head’s wife came over to me, placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled. Chuckling slightly, she said, “Charlotte, out of every girl here, I think you have the least to worry about. You and that boy are practically inseparable. Go out there, have fun and don’t let anyone else take hold of him.”

Nodding, I breathed deep and straightened by back.

Letting go, the woman looked up at me and, with a wide, toothy smile, shook her head before stepping back to face the entire group.

“Let’s all get in line! Remember! Youngest in front, right behind me!” She shouted at the group before turning to face the village center.

Feeling my stomach twist, I stepped up right behind her.

The crunch of the snow beneath our wrapped feet echoed in my mind, growing louder with each step.

The light of the bonfire quickly came into view, as well as the men and children who sat, waiting for them to arrive.

Silence took over the village center as we broke through the tree line. I could feel countless eyes on me. With everything besides my face covered with a pale, gray cloak and silk strips, a part of me wondered if anyone could recognize me.

Off to the side, I spotted Hamil. He was sitting on a large blanket, surrounded by the children that I taught. Seeing him surrounded by them, I pictured what our children could look like and felt my face turn even brighter when he looked right at me.

A simple smile spread across his face as he tipped his head.

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Turning away from him, I focused on following the village head’s wife as we surrounded the bonfire.

Then the dance began. Spinning, each and every woman in the lineup would dance in the inner circle, letting the children toss handfuls of dyed snow at the cloaks, covering them in an array of bright colors.

Hamil must have pointed me out to the children, since they completely covered me.

After everyone a minute, everyone was covered, and we all returned to surround the bonfire. Untying the cloak, I whipped it around me, like we’d all practiced, and threw it into the fire. The flames consumed the cloak and exploded into a burst of a brilliant shine of every color imaginable.

Beneath the cloak, I wore a long, fiery red dress. Other women wore the same red, as well as blue and green. Each color meant something; blue was for the women who were already engaged or married, green was for the women who were there just to dance, and red was for the women who were looking for romance.

Dancing away from the fire, I made a beeline for Hamil, unwrapping the silk from my head. Hamil was already standing when I turned toward him.

Stopping right in front of him, I held out the ends of the silk strip, staring deep into his eyes. I wanted to say anything, but even if I could, we weren’t supposed to. The anxiety was almost enough to keep me from hearing the children giggling. Oddly enough, their laughter relieved me.

Without looking away from me, Hamil took the ends of the silk, letting me pull him into the circle.

Together, we danced for nearly an hour, surrounded by dozens of other couples. The fear and anxiety had long since disappeared from my heart. I was having fun.

After the dance was finished, we were exhausted, but it wasn’t completely over. Returning to surround the bonfire, we watched as the village head and his wife climbed atop a stone pedestal positioned just beside the pit. Together, they tossed a handful of powder into the fire.

The powder ignited, causing the flames to grow even more brilliant. The colors reflected against the snow on the ground and atop the trees and houses and lit up the town with a myriad of vibrant lights. It reminded me of when we’d buried Pert, causing my heart to ache.

As the light covered the village, the rest of the village joined in the dancing.

While they were all dancing, millions of tiny lights appeared in the air over the town. A multitude of spirits gathered together to share in the celebration. Hamil tipped his head to look at the sky.

“What are they saying?” I asked.

Closing his eyes, Hamil let his purple aura envelop him for a moment before it went away.

“They’re thanking us for showing them something beautiful.” He turned to look me in the eyes.

I felt my face brighten, but held his gaze. There was no point in trying to hide how I felt, since he could just use his power to know.

Leaning down, I closed my eyes and kissed him. It was something we’d done many times, but it still felt magical.

Taking me by the hand, Hamil led me down to the edge of the bonfire. The village head and his wife were standing, watching over the crowd. Unwrapping the silk strip from my arms, we stopped right in front of them.

I could feel my heart swelling in my chest as he took my hand and lifted it up, holding the silk between us. Hundreds of eyes were focused on us at this moment. The village head’s wife looked at me the same way she had before.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Veria, dressed in vibrant green. She had quite possibly the biggest, widest smile on her face that I’d ever seen before.

The village head and his wife took each end of the silk and wrapped our hands together. Once the silk was tied, the crowd erupted into a roar of cheers.

We were now officially engaged, according to the traditions of this village at least. Though, it didn’t matter who would take it seriously, as long as we did.

Closing my eyes, I thought to the future and what it held and breathed out softly, letting go of the worries that had been building in my heart.

I was happy.