A Bride's Story

Chapter 38: Loss

The encirclement tightened, suffocating any glimmer of hope. Amira felt her arm being forcefully grasped from behind, sending shivers of dread down her spine. She turned to face her captor, her eyes wide with fear.

"What are you--" Karluk's defiant voice rang out, his protective instincts flaring. He reached out for Amira, but his attempt was swiftly crushed as a brutal blow landed on his wrist. "Ow!"

The sight of her husband in pain ignited an inferno of terror within Amira. "KARLUK!!"

"Forget the boy," Turlan declared, his voice dripping with venom. "We're here for Amira."

"This is a matter between us and our clan," the rider who had struck Karluk sneered, dismissing their objections with contempt. "You have no say in it."

Amira's eyes darted between Karluk and Turlan, pleading for a reprieve from the treachery that surrounded them. But hope seemed elusive, drowned out by the deafening betrayal that reverberated through the air.

"Move it," Turlan commanded, his voice laced with authority. "Go get her horse, already!"

Pariya's mind raced, recognizing the urgency of the situation. She knew she had to find a way to get word to the others.

"You father commands that you come back!" Turlan's voice boomed, laced with authority. "Are you going to go against him? How dare you think a daughter could disobey her own father!"

Amira's world spun in chaos, her thoughts a jumble of fear and confusion. She felt trapped, torn between loyalty to her husband and the weight of familial expectations.

"Amira!" Karluk's voice rang out, filled with desperation, as he was forcefully pulled away from her.

Tension hung heavy in the air as Turlan's words sliced through the turmoil. "Enough!" he commanded. "Just come back with us. We don't care about the brat! As long as you go home with us, we won't touch him."

Amira's heart pounded in her chest, her gaze flickering between Karluk and the encroaching riders. She felt the weight of their threats pressing upon her, suffocating her spirit.

"What now?" Azel interjected, his voice tinged with concern. "Give up on her horse and let her ride one of ours?"

Turlan sighed, frustration etched on his face. "We don't have enough," he admitted. "Riding double will strain the horse."

Impatience seeped into the words of another rider, who unsheathed his sword. "Come on, let's get this over with," he sneered, breaching the gap beteen himself and Karluk. "We might as well cut any ties that might be holding her back!"

Amira's voice trembled with desperation. "NO! Don't!" she pleaded, her heart wrenching at the thought of harm befalling Karluk. "Stop!!"

Azel's voice cut through the chaos, a glimmer of reason amidst the turmoil. "Don't do it," he warned. "Or things will only get even worse."

Azel couldn't bear to witness the unfolding turmoil any longer. With a heavy heart, he made his decision and turned away from the distressing scene.

"I'll go get her horse," Azel declared, his voice tinged with determination, as he swiftly turned around his steed.

Amira's footsteps quickened, desperate to catch up with her brother. "Azel! What in the world is going on?!" she implored, her voice laced with worry and confusion.

"You heard," Azel responded, his gaze fixed ahead. "Father ordered us to take you back."

Amira's mind whirled, struggling to comprehend the gravity of the situation. "But why? Why would he do such a thing?" she demanded, her voice laced with frustration.

"We need a girl to marry off to the Numaji," Azel explained, his tone filled with resignation. "And there is no one of marriageable age within our clan but you, Amira."

"But I'm already married!" Amira protested, her voice tinged with desperation.

Azel's expression softened, a mix of sympathy and helplessness. "We have no other choice, Amira," he admitted quietly. "The responsibility has fallen upon you."

"No one else?" Amira's voice wavered with disbelief as she walked alongside her brother's horse. "What about our little sisters, Karahiga or Aterui? They are of marriageable age."

Azel's face darkened with grief, and he averted his gaze. "We did marry them off," he confessed, his voice filled with a heavy sadness. "But they... they died."

The words hung in the air, sinking into Amira's heart like a weighty stone. She staggered, her steps faltering as the devastating news of her sisters' untimely deaths washed over her. The ground beneath her feet seemed to shift, and she found herself sinking to the earth, her eyes glazed with tears, watching as her brother continued to ride away.

In that moment, the shattered fragments of Amira's world came crashing down, leaving her to grapple with grief, confusion, and a newfound sense of isolation.