26, Wedding bells

As the summer got close to its end, it was time for Firlea’s and Jontak’s wedding. The two of them had gone down to her family’s farm a week prior with Jontak’s family to get things started. Sinhera, Hinat, Tenac and Ayya set off together four days before the wedding. It would take them the best part of two days to reach the farm, and then they would have two days to help with the wedding. 

“I hate spending a day on a horse. We should have brought a waggon,” Hinat told them as they stopped to make camp after the first day. 

“You were the one that didn’t want to do that,” Ayya reminded her friend as she groomed Estrela.

“I know, it just looked so clumsy and all of you were riding,” Hinat said with a sigh. 

“Next time I will go on the waggon with you,” Ayya told her. 

They built a small fire to cook the food. Ayya volunteered to cook, and no one objected. Sinhera made sure the horses got oats, Tenac went to get water and Hinat arranged their sleeping bags. As they ate, they talked about the upcoming wedding and relaxed. It wasn’t like when Ayya travelled as a trainee or an aari. It was just relaxing and having fun with friends. 

In the afternoon, on the second day, they arrived at the farm and was met by Jontak and Firlea. They both looked happy as they showed the friends around the farm. Ayya had never been to one before, not one like this, where they both had animals and produced grains. It was fascinating to look at all the equipment, all the different storerooms and the never-ending fields of swaying grain. It was almost time to harvest, and the fields looked like pools of molten gold, where the wind created gentle waves as the grain swayed. 

“This is amazing,” she told Firlea. Her friend smiled at her.

“It is my favorite time of the year to be out on the farm,” she agreed. They all helped Firlea’s family with dinner. With so many guests, they brought out tables and chairs on the farmyard and ate outside. The mood was high. It felt like the celebration had already begun. After dinner, Firlea’s father and brother took out fiddles and started playing. The music and dancing were like the dance Ayya had learned up north. As the farm yard filled with people of all ages dancing and laughing and after dancing with Jontak, Ayya walked up to Tenac that stood to the side, watching.

“Why aren’t you dancing?” she asked.

“I do not know how to,” he said.

“Well, that won’t do. We have a wedding to attend to in two days. Come along, I’ll teach you,” she told him. She more or less dragged him out amongst the other dancing couples and showed him the steps. An hour later, she sat down on a chair, unable to stop giggling.

“I can’t understand how someone that is so good at sneaking and fighting and moves like a cat in training can be so bad at dancing,” she laughed and rubbed her toes. Tenac blushed and Ayya felt guilty for laughing for a moment. She, Hinat, Firlea and even Sinhera had taken turns trying to teach Tenac how to dance. They all ended up with smashed toes and no progress. “It’s okay, you can’t be good at everything,” she comforted him. 

“That’s it, I’m never dancing again,” he proclaimed and looked at her feet.

“Thank the gods for that,” Sinhera said as she joined them, carrying three mugs of lemonade. “I don’t think my feet could survive another round.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Ayya told Tenac, patting him on the arm. 

“No, she is right, I’m a danger to everyone on the dance floor,” he sighed. Ayya looked at Sinhera, which was a mistake. They both burst out laughing. As the summer sun slowly descended beneath the horizon, the men walked off to sleep in the newly brought in hay and Firlea, Hinat, Sinhera and Ayya arranged themselves in Firlea’s old room. 

The following day was spent decorating the farm. Firlea’s mother and younger sister had sewn together long pieces of bright fabric that her and Jontak’s brother were helping hang in bellowing swoops. Firlea’s and Jontak’s fathers took Jontak and Tenac with them to cut down saplings to decorate with and Firlea’s sister went with them to pick flowers. The three aari, supervised by Sinhera, used their magic to decorate. Flowers sprang from the surfaces of the buildings and the ground, tiny sparks that twinkled hovered around and frozen droplets of water were strewn all over to make it look like the ground was covered in diamonds.

“It looks amazing,” Firlea said. Her voice was thick with emotions and a stray tear rolled down her cheek.

“Hey, don’t cry. You will make me cry,” Jontak said, taken her in his arms. Ayya smiled at her friends. She was happy they were pleased with the work that had been done. After resting for a while, Firlea wanted to give her friends a genuine country side experience. She took Sinhera, Hinat and Ayya to the barn and showed them how to milk the cows. Then she handed them each a bucket and looked at them.

“Well?” 

“What do you expect us to do with these?” Hinat asked, eying her bucket as if it would bite her.

“Fill it with milk,” Firlea told her.

“From the cows?” Sinhera asked, looking at the docile creatures.

“Well, yes, we don’t have any other dairy animal on the farm. But a couple of farms over, they have goats if you prefer to hike over there,” Firlea laughed.

“I’m game,” Ayya said. Taking a stool and settling by the cow. She had milked her family’s goats when she was young and she found that once she got going, the difference was not that big. You just needed to watch out for the cow’s tail as it swatted away flies and make sure it didn’t knock the bucket over when it changed positions. 

“We should hire you as a milkmaid,” Firlea said with a laugh as Ayya handed her half a bucket of milk. 

“My mother would have a fit,” Tenac told them from the barn door. “Your mother sent me to tell you they need to make the dinner,” he added.

“Thank you, we are on our way,” Firlea said, looking at Hinat and Sinhera. Hinat’s cow had kicked the bucket and made the milk spill all over her skirt. Sinhera hadn’t mastered the aiming and when she milked the cow, the milk went in all directions but into her bucket. “I’m sorry, but the two of you don’t have a future in this industry,” Firlea told them.

“I’m more than happy with being a rider,” Sinhera grunted.

“There is a reason I’m assigned to the classroom. I don’t like this hands on stuff,” Hinat said, bushing her black braids back. The dinner followed the same pattern as the previous evening. The afternoon and evening were filled with laughter, the families exchanged stories about the couple from when they were children, which amused everyone but the couple. 

The following morning, Ayya, Hinat and Sinhera helped their friend to get ready. Sinhera had her formal uniform, boots and button polished and not a crease insight. Her hair pulled back in a traditional braid, wrapped with grey ribbons. Ayya and Hinat both wore simple white dresses, designed to not take the focus from the bride. The only decorations were the badges and Ayyas bone rose necklace. Their hair was also braided and had white ribbons cris crossing the braids. Firlea had on a white dress, but it was anything but simple. Ayya had taken her friend to see Cheara to have it made. The bodice and skirt were made of pure white silk that had been embroidered with silver thread and white pearls into swirling patterns. The long trumpet sleeves, that almost skimmed the ground, were made from a delicate lace. When she was dressed, Ayya and Hinat went to work and by using magic they made small white flowers, covered in glittering frost, appear to enhance the embroidery and create a train that flowed from her shoulders. She wore her golden hair down and as a final touch, Hinat and Ayya created a coronal of the white flowers. When Ayya took a step back and looked at her friend, she was radiant. 

“You look amazing,” she told her.

“Jontak will be stunned,” Hinat agreed.

“Not too much. He needs to be able to speak,” Firlea said with a giggle. 

“Don’t worry, I will poke him if he makes a fool of himself and starts to drool or something,” Sinhera promised. They all laughed. Sinhera had to leave to join up with Jontak and Tenac. When it was just the three aari left, Ayya turned toward Firlea.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked. Firlea gave her the biggest smile and nodded.

“More than I have ever been in my life,” Firlea told her friends. They all hugged and Hinat and Ayya made a final overlook to see that the dress was in order. Then they walked out of Firlea’s bedroom and into the garden where the ceremony would be held. The garden had been transformed from a quiet place into a space filled with guests and colourful decorations. Firlea started walking, flanked by Ayya and Hinat. From the opposite direction, Jontak came, flanked by Tenac and Sinhera. All three wearing their formal uniforms. Ayya’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Tenac. He was more handsome than usual. But her focus shifted to Jontak when he looked at Firlea. The absolute devotion, wonder and love that he showed was heartwarming, and Ayya actually thought it was a good possibility that he would start drooling. The couple met and took each other’s hands. They said nothing, they just looked into each other’s eyes and there was a moment when everyone was focused on them and all they saw was each other. Then they came back to reality and smiled as they turned towards the sea of guests. All guests held up tiny bells and started ringing them as they parted to give way for the couple. Hand in hand, the two of them walked through the crowd, followed by their four friends, until they were at the other end of the garden, where the local priestess stood waiting for them with a kind smile. Tenac, Sinhera, Hinat and Ayya formed a half circle behind the couple and the rest of the guest and their families surrounded them. The bells stopped ringing and silence replaced the bright sound. 

“We are here to witness the vows of commitment from these two young people,” the priestess started. Ayya stood and watched the ceremony, the second wedding she had attended in her life. She glanced at Tenac, who stood on her right side, and when she saw him glance back, she smiled at him and got a rare smile back. Despite him being grumpy about standing with his friend, he looked like he was enjoying himself. When the priestess wrapped the colourful band around Firlea’s and Jontak’s joint righthand and they recited the oath that swore loyalty, companionship and support toward each other, Ayya had to blink away tears. 

“You have sworn oaths to each other in front of the gods and these people. You are bound as one until you choose to break the bonds that bind you. Go in peace and harmony and may your love be true and strong,” the priestess ended the ceremony and the little bells were again lifted and the sound filled the air as the crowd once again parted to let the newlyweds through. Then the actual party started. Food and wine and music, nothing had been spared. The couple was sitting under a tree on a bench, opening gifts and talking with their guests. Children were running around, people were eating, dancing and laughing. It reminded Ayya of the village feasts she had attended in the north. But this time, she was surrounded by her friends. After a lot of persuasion and with the help of Jontak and Hinat, Ayya made Tenac dance with her. It only lasted one dance. After that, he was mortified that he had stomped on her feet five times and refused to try again. Instead, they sat and talked and laughed, enjoying the food. Jontak asked Ayya for a dance, as did Firlea’s father and brother. She enjoyed the dancing, but returned to sit with Tenac when they were done. She didn’t want him to feel alone, and dancing wasn’t that important to her. It was well past midnight when the newlyweds headed out for the little cottage in the woods that had been prepared for them. The guests saw them off by ringing the bells and shouting well wishes after them. Hinat and Ayya had fun sending sparks through the air in the couple’s direction. When they had left, the party simmered down. People gathered in smaller group to talk and eat a little more before heading to bed. 

“Did you have fun?” Tenac asked as he and Ayya walked along the edge of a field swaying with barley. 

“I did. It was an amazing wedding. They looked happy, don’t you think?” she said.

“They did,” he agreed. He and Ayya headed for the house. They would start the journey home the next day and needed a few hours of sleep. Ayya knew that this day was one she would remember forever. It had been one of those rare, perfect days.