For the captives of the Cimant Tribe, it certainly didn't feel like it to Lewis. In the last two weeks, under the watchful eye of Ellen and Wilson, talking has been discouraged, and asking questions is practically a crime. With Nirra and the other men towering over her, Ellen had fallen silent, preferring to look anywhere but at them.

They had been walking through the forest for about an hour when Nirra spotted a deer. He took it down with his bow expertly, leaving the other hunters to carry the carcass. Since then, Lewis has engaged Nirra in a conversation about hunting. Unlike Ellen, Nirra was more than happy to answer Lewis' questions; in fact, he encouraged it. For all he knew, Lewis was about to become a part of his tribe when he married his leader's daughter. He didn't know that Lewis was already trying to plan their escape.

'So, the village—what's it like?' he asked.

For a moment, Nirra was silent, pressing on through the forest. 'Take a look for yourself,' he said finally as he pushed a branch aside, revealing a small pond of crystal-clear water that sparkled in the light from the setting sun. To the right of the pond was a small stream, and a bridge crafted from tree trunks crossed it. On the far side stood a collection of single-story wooden houses, each covered in intricate carvings.

'Wow, it's like something out of a dream,' Olivia muttered beside him as she looked on, impressed.

'Come,' Nirra said, beaconing them towards the small bridge. While they had paused beside the pond, the other hunters had disappeared with the deer carcass, no doubt showing off their prize somewhere in the village. 'Eal'vara waits for us.'

In silence, the three of them followed him across the little bridge, following the worn path that led between the houses. At first glance, it appeared that there were only a dozen or so houses, but as they walked between them, rows of houses seemed to unfold around them. For so many houses, it was deadly quiet.

'Where is everyone, Nirra?' Olivia asked.

'They will be waiting in the centre of the village,' Nirra said as he directed them down a narrow path between two houses. 'Today is a special day.'

'What sort of special day?' Lewis asked. What if Nirra had been lying about the wedding and the sacrifices were actually sacrifices?

'Today is the day that you arrive,' he said.

'You've been planning this?' Lewis demanded.

'For four days now,' Nirra said. 'Ever since you first entered our forest.'

'You were watching us?' Olivia asked.

'Of course.'

'I don't like this,' Olivia whispered to Lewis as Nirra moved a few paces ahead of them.

Before Lewis could reply, they turned another corner, emerging into a huge, clear area in the shape of a pentagon. Well, he imagined it would have been clear if not for what must be at least a hundred people. They were all gathered around a huge bonfire in the centre, the flames stretching fifteen or so feet up into the rapidly darkening sky.

Around the edge of what Lewis guessed was the village square, there were dozens of smaller bonfires burning. However, it was the two fires that sat in golden dishes in front of the raised area, which sat against a large log wall, that drew his attention. On the raised area sat six chairs, five of which were occupied.

In the centre sat a couple who looked to be in their fifties, their slightly greying hair and pale skin reflecting the light of the fires. On the left sat another couple. They looked as if they could only be three or four years older than Lewis. Side by side, the two men were engaged in an animated conversation, both unaware that Lewis was watching them.

As he looked on, a woman with golden blonde hair stood up. Turning her back on the conversation, she hurried down the steps to one side of the raised area, her emerald green dress trailing after her.

‘Come, Elder Eal’vara waits,’ Nirra said as he led them around the outside of the square. ‘Don’t forget to bow when you greet Eal’vara. All of you,’ he added with a scathing look at Ellen.

‘How peculiar,’ Ellen muttered as she watched a group of middle-aged couples dancing around one of the smaller fires.

‘I’m sure you have your own customs,’ Lewis said, unsure why he felt the need to defend these people to her.

‘No,’ she said bluntly, backing away quickly as a woman was spun towards her by her partner.

Deciding not to pursue the matter any further, Lewis turned his attention back to the raised area. It wasn’t until Nirra spoke that the two men looked up from their conversation.

‘Elder Eal’vara, I have returned with the one,’ Nirra said, bowing elaborately. When he straightened up again, he clasped his hands in front of him, nodding to the others.

‘So I see,’ Elder Eal’vara said as he got to his feet, examining Lewis as he stepped forward. ‘And to whom do I owe this pleasure?’

‘Lewis, Elder Eal’vara,’ Lewis said, hoping that a simple bow would be sufficient. Something told him he didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of this man by trying to replicate Nirra’s bow.

‘My name is Elder Krora Eal’vara. I am the leader of the Cimant people,’ he said. ‘Am I right to assume that Nirra has told you why you are here?’

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

‘He has, Elder Eal’vara,’ Lewis said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman in the emerald dress return, freezing when she saw him.

‘Excellent. Please call me Krora. All this Elder Eal’vara business is too formal,’ Krora said, extending his hand to Lewis.

With a nod, Lewis shook the offered hand. When Krora looked away from Lewis, he spotted the woman standing at the side of the stage.

Beckoning her forward, Krora turned to Lewis again. ‘Allow me to introduce my daughter, Cassandra,’ he said, directing his attention back to the woman, whom Lewis now realised must only be about the same age as Robyn. ‘Hi,’ she said with a nervous smile.

‘Hello,’ Lewis said politely, unsure whether he should bow or offer his hand. In the end, he decided against both, offering a smile instead.

At Cassandra’s side, Krora smiled, satisfied. ‘I will leave you two to get to know each other,’ he said. ‘I must see that the feast has been prepared according to expectations.’

Giving them both one last smile, Krora disappeared down the steps at the side of the platform, vanishing through a door and into the building that backed on to the village square. When he had gone, Cassandra nodded her head in the direction of the chairs.

Climbing the steps that Krora had just descended, Lewis joined Cassandra on the platform, taking the seat she offered him. As she sat down beside him, he glanced at Olivia and Ellen. Both of them stood awkwardly beside the steps. To her credit, Olivia was taking in the village with curiosity. Beside her, Ellen cut a frustrated figure, hands on hips, as she stared at him and Cassandra unrelentingly.

‘They are your friends?’ she asked quietly. Looking around, Lewis found her watching Olivia curiously.

Travelling companions,’ he replied. Friends seemed like the wrong label after the way Ellen had treated him over the last two weeks.

‘You’re more than welcome to go and join in with the festivities,’ Cassandra said, offering the two women a smile. With a glance at Ellen and then at Lewis, Olivia turned away, wandering in the direction of the nearest fire. Over Ellen’s head, Lewis saw her strike up a conversation with one of the women who was watching the couples dance.

Ellen didn’t move other than to fold her arms across her chest. ‘I have no need for such frivolous activities.’

‘That won’t do,’ Krora said as he appeared behind her. ‘You are a guest of our people; you will embrace our culture if you wish to remain here.’

‘And if I don’t?’ she asked, turning to him defiantly.

‘My hunters will leave you in the forest in the middle of the night,’ Krora said. ‘Or they will offer you as a sacrifice to Oresis, the god of the hunt.’

‘I’m sorry, Krora; she will do as you ask,’ Lewis said quickly. It seemed that she had been determined to get herself killed since they had first met the Cimant hunters in the forest.

‘We need to get to the tower,’ Ellen said, turning to him.

‘We will,’ Lewis assured her. ‘As long as you do as Krora asks.’

Realising that she had no choice, she turned with a huff, marching over to the fire, where Olivia stood deep in conversation with one of the men who had been dancing earlier. Apart from the occasional glare in his direction, she appeared to just stand and listen to the conversation.

‘I don’t know why you didn’t let me kill her,’ Nirra muttered, appearing at his side.

‘I wish I could have,’ Lewis muttered.

‘It could still be arranged,’ Nirra said hopefully.

‘No, I need her alive for now,’ he sighed.

‘Why do you need her alive?’ Cassandra asked.

‘If she dies, then someone I love will die as well,’ Lewis explained, avoiding mentioning the bond. The power that Nirra had seen Ellen display in the forest had scared him enough. The Cimant people didn’t need to know that she had the ability to bind her life to someone else.

Reluctantly, Nirra accepted what he said. ‘The feast is almost ready,’ he said to Krora before disappearing back down the steps.

‘This person must be very special if you are willing to put up with her,’ Cassandra said with a nod in Ellen’s direction. ‘Nirra told us what she did to you in the forest.’

‘No one should have their fate decided for them, Cassandra,’ he said as he watched Olivia dance around the fire with the man under the disapproving glare of Ellen. For the first time since he had met her, Olivia looked happy. Maybe he could still convince her to turn her back on The Dawn and the tower after all.

‘Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work like that. Look at all of this,’ she said, gesturing to all the people gathered in the village square. ‘They are all here because my father has decided that it is time I got married.’

‘You don’t want to get married?’

‘I have no choice. As the daughter of an elder, I have my husband picked for me,’ Cassandra explained. ‘My brother, Wilfred, gets to choose his bride because he is a man.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Lewis said. ‘I didn’t plan on this either.’

‘I love this village and the people, but the traditions, particularly this one, annoy me. I want to be able to decide my own fate,’ she said. ‘Is that too much to ask?’

‘Do you want me to speak with Krora?’ Lewis asked. He had no idea why he was making the suggestion. What chance did he, an outsider, have of persuading him?

‘No,’ she sighed. ‘The last man my father chose for me tried to back out of the marriage.’

‘What happened to him?’

‘He’s over there,’ she replied, pointing to a skeleton slumped against the inside of a metal cage. ‘I can’t imagine what he would do to an outsider if that is what he does to his own warriors.’

‘So, what do we do?’ he asked, his eyes not leaving the skeleton.

‘We get married and pretend to live our lives happily ever after,’ Cassandra said. ‘I won’t let this stupid tradition be the cause of another innocent death.’

‘I can’t stay here,’ Lewis said quietly. ‘If I do not go to the tower, then Ellen will kill Emily.’

Cassandra was on the verge of replying, a confused look on her face, when Krora appeared at the front of the platform, facing the crowd. ‘My people! It is with great honour that we are gathered here tonight to celebrate the arrival of my daughter’s soon-to-be husband.

‘We have waited many moons for this day to come, and tomorrow we must begin the preparations. But, for tonight, we feast!’ Krora shouted, to a roar from the crowd. Clapping his hands twice, the door beside the platform burst open, and dozens of women filed out, each of them carrying a huge platter of food.

In an organised chaos that only the villagers seemed able to understand, they hurried to what Lewis assumed were assigned positions, standing and waiting silently. On the other side of the platform, the sound of a large door opening broke the silence. Turning, Lewis saw Nirra and his men marching out of the door, huge tables carried between them. In silence, group after group of men carried the tables out into the village square, setting them before the villagers.

When the door finally swung shut, the women holding the food moved forward as one, setting their dishes on the tables. ‘Let the feast begin!’ Krora cried, lifting his hands into the air.

With a low rumble of noise, the people moved forward, seating themselves on the long benches, and began grabbing at the food hungrily. As three women appeared on the platform with trays piled high with meat and vegetables, Lewis saw Olivia and Ellen pulled into places at the end of one of the benches by the man Olivia had been talking to earlier.

Facing a proper meal for the first time in two weeks, Lewis put the conversation he had been having with Cassandra to the back of his mind. He could come up with a plan to get out of the Cimant village in the morning. Until then, he was going to enjoy the feast.