Secret of the woods

chapter 6

Angel gulped. His nails digging into his pants. His heart was racing and he suppressed the urge to move. The air suddenly felt thicker and it felt harder to breath.

Just...relax...

He told himself.

"Now, before we begin. Let us take a moment to pay out respects to those who have passed on, and those who were not fortunate enough to see this glarious day." The elder chanted with his arms outstretched.

All the elves bowed there heads, hands on their laps. Angel did the same naturally. The elder spouted a chant. But it was distant for Angel. He thought of it for a moment, all those who couldn't be here today...Obviously he didn't mean the elders. But that phrasing sent chills up Angel's spine.

He remembered something...something he heard as a child. One of the first things that had sprouted his whole curiosity honestly, A part of him wished he'd never heard it. Maybe he would be happy then.

It had been something his brother told him. A story to scare him into behaving when he'd started to get to that age were he was a bit too curious. It was the story of a little boy, not much older than seven and he'd been curious too. He snuck out into the forest late at night. Curious about what lay beyond those woods. It was said he'd planned for it, packed food, water and such. But when the elders found out about what he was doing...well, they silenced the kid. But when a young Angel brought this up to his mother, she'd scolded Aaron for telling 'lies' and 'scary stories'. And reassured Angel that the elders loved them all and would never do such a thing. But that he would be punished if he didn't behave. She never said what that punishment was.

Angel himself had no way of knowing if that story was true, because according to his brother. When it allegedly happened he hadn't been born much less convinced. The boy would have been two years older than him. But from what Aaron told him about this supposed child he was a darker skinned kid who was a brunette and a bookworm. He didn't recall the name though. Just that the kid disappeared and nobody acknowledged him ever existing.

To this day Angel wasn't sure if the story was true or not.

He didn't want to believe it was.

No...it wasn't.

"-Out further ado. Let us begin." He snapped out of his thoughts and looked around in a daze. He blinked and shook his head trying to settle back into reality.

Everything would be okay...

Angel held his breath for a moment, and then let it go with relief when his name was not called first. It was the name of someone he honestly did not know. "Darfin." A pale male elf rose from the seat behind him. His hair long and dark black, his eyes blue like the sky. Everyone watched him take the steps to the alter. Were he waited for his mates name to be called. To meet his mate.

Giving a glance at the scroll in his hands, the elder called the females name. "Seraphina" A female elf rose her hair black like the males. She had dark almost red eyes and she seemed stoic and mature as she met her mate at the alter. Angel had to admit, they seemed to match. In a weird way. Standing across from each other, both stoic neither showing much emotion.

The elder went on speaking, instructing the two elves to go about the ritual. First taking eachothers hands and looking into one anothers eyes. They smiled, seeming happy the first ounce of emotion to flicker on their faces. She female chuckled, squeezing the mans hands tighter. They both spoke one phrase together. Before leaning in and sharing a kiss.

The crowd did not applaud, or cheer. They only thing everyone did was bow their heads in silent respect and congratulations for the new mates. And with that they were ushered away to the back of the chapel to foresee the rest of the ceremony and pay their respects to the rest of the elves. Angel couldn't help but stare as they walked down the aisle to the back and sat together, there hands still clutched together. And though still very much stoic, they seemed happier.