Chapter Three
-
Yvinne

I walked into the large hall and was immediately surrounded by noise and good smelling food.

I looked down at my attire for the night. It was a pretty dress. Leaves flowed out from my waist to my knees, the end of them tickling the soft skin at the top of my shins.

A pale fawn colour in a swirling design, made up the bodice. The only thing I liked about this dress is the resemblance of it to the roots of the tree I was in.

Just like the Volcano is Fire's sacred place, and the Waterfall is Water's sacred place, the Tree is ours. The Terra – people of the Earth tribe – worship the tree and care for it, as it is our source of new life.

Whenever a Terra dies, their spirit and soul finds home in the Tree and when a Terra is born, it is blessed by the spirits in the tree and a Mark, found on the forearm, is applied. I smiled, looking down at the Mark on my forearm.

I felt a familiar pair of hands circle around my waist. Ryley. "What's a pretty girl like you doing here?" a deep voice whispered in my ear.

I played along with it, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe for the wedding of my aunty and uncle-to-be?"
A deep laugh sounded behind me. It made the once non-existent butterflies in my stomach, flutter around like they have been shocked with electricity.

The hands turned me around to face a brown haired and green eyed boy whose muscly arms circled me. I smiled up at him, marvelling at the affect he had on me. "Hey Vinne." He said.

"Yvinne." I said, emphasizing how my name was meant to be pronounced.

Ryley sighed, "Come on. Don't I get to have a nickname for you?"

I smiled up at him, "It depends. If you keep on calling me that terrible name, then, no."

"Hmph."

I giggled, and kissed him on the cheek, "Come on Ry. Let's go to the food." I took hold of Ryley's hand and pulled him along to the table filled with different kinds of salads and fruits.

"How come you get to call me 'Ry' and I don't get to call you 'Vinne'?"

"Because you let me." Ryley rolled his eyes.

"Chief!" I heard a Guardian call. I've never liked eaves dropping, but I made it look like I was just walking by and happened to catch on to their conversation.

"Yes, Will?" The Chief asked. He was standing next to Damian, my uncle-to-be, and a small boy.

The Guardian bowed low, "There seems to be a problem with collecting the scribes for the wedding. None of us men are small enough to get into the gaps of the roots, to retrieve them.

"I could go get them." I offered, "I mean, I should be small enough to squeeze through everything."

"Thank you, Yvinne. But, there is a lot of sharp and sacred weapons down there. I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Chief smiled at me.

I tried not to frown. "But, I won't. I promise."

"Yvinne." Ryley said, using my full name, indicating that this was a serious matter and that I shouldn't push my luck.

"Well, who else is going to get it?" I asked him, trying to prevent harshness coming through my voice.

"Samuel will." The Chief said, placing a large hand on the boy's small shoulders. The boy was only about eight years old, and definitely tiny.

Damian smiled a small smile at me, as if he was saying, 'better luck next time'.

I liked Damian. He's always understood how I hated to be treated like a flower of the tribe and that I wanted to be treated like all of the males. Respected. Trusted.

But all of the females are treated like flowers – beauties of the tribe that are delicate and can break easily.

Like we are glass.

I'm not glass. I'm human, made of flesh and blood; just like the males in the tribe, yet they are trusted being the superior, and Guardians.

There's a reason why women aren't Guardians. Everybody thinks they aren't strong enough. I just wish we could prove them wrong. But I'm only just one person; I'll need a whole army to get through their thick skulls.

Samuel, the small boy, ran off towards the base of the tree, where the roots hold the precious scribes and memories of the tribe.

He came back ten minutes later, holding the scribe as if it was the most delicate thing in the world – in our culture, it is. "Here you go, Chief." Samuel said, his two hands holding out the scribe to our ruler.

"Thank you, Samuel." Chief smiled at him. As long as the wedding is a success, everything will be fine.

Damian walked into the middle of the room, everybody joining him in a circle, holding arms and swaying side to side, as if we were blades of grass.

I held on to Ryley's hand and Damian's hand, using my power to form vines along our forearms, connecting us in a bond for the start of the marriage ritual.

Green light shone out from every Terra in the circle, spreading our power out in acceptance for the marriage of my aunty and Damian.

Soft music started to play, declaring the arrival of the bride. I craned my neck to see her.

Light brown hair showered in small flowers and weaved with vines reached my sight. As she stepped closer to the circle we made, I heard the breath get caught in Damian's throat. I glanced at him and smirked.

I turned my attention back to my aunty, white petals were brushing her bare feet. Lilac flowers made up most of her bodice and... she just looked beautiful. I've never seen her like this. She was always wearing plain clothes around me – well, as plain as she could be in the Earth tribe.

She smiled brightly at Damian, a glimmer of happiness in her eyes. I smiled at them both. I let go of the bond I had with Damian, so he could join my aunty in the centre of the circle. "Hi." She whispered.

"Hey." He whispered back.

Chief started with the tribe's saying. "Sumus vitae, sumus morte. We are life, we are death. May this bond the Tribe has created bring you to eternal love and commitment as we join you in the ritual of marriage."

"Kyla, Damian." He smiled at them, "Are you ready?" he asked a joking tone in his voice. Kyla laughed. Chief has always had a humorous side to him.

"I believe so, yes." Damian smiled.

"Well," Chief's voice bellowed around the circular space. "May I bring your hands together in harmony as we proceed with this ritual." Chief held Kyla's and Damian's hands and entwined them as they used their power to form a bond. They formed a mini circle inside of the large circle we formed.

Chief proceeded on with the ritual and when he proclaimed them husband and wife, everybody cheered and as every marriage ceremonies end, they kissed celebrating in their titles. I smiled at them, happy that they are happy.

I looked at Ryley.

I can't wait for my day to come.