Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Weijie looked incredible!!!!
Weijie trailed them from a distance, his movements ghostly and silent, driven by a cocktail of agony and adrenaline.
He watched as they reached a jagged cliffside far from the grassy plains.
He saw Tolief scaling the rock with Ningning in his arms, their bodies pressed close as they navigated the slick, narrow ledges to reach a hidden crevice.
From his hiding spot, Weijie’s heart twisted. He saw the "touchy-touchy" moments, Tolief steadying her waist, Ningning grabbing his shoulders for balance as they reached for something hidden in the shadows of the stone.
To an outsider, it looked like an intimate escape.
But then, he saw it. Ningning pulled back, clutching a handful of shimmering, silver-veined herbs. She didn’t look like a woman in love with her captor; she looked like a healer who had just found a cure.
She looked relieved, even embarrassed, quickly creating distance between herself and Tolief as they began their descent.
The tension in Weijie’s chest didn’t fully vanish, but the lethal edge of his rage softened into profound confusion. She wasn’t running away. She was... gathering weeds?
He stayed in the shadows, watching them return to the settlement.
He saw her thank Tolief with a respectful nod and slipped back into the work cave.
Weijie remained behind the treeline for a long time, his hand still resting over his heart.
He felt foolish, yet the sting of seeing her in another man’s arms, even for a "stroll" lingered like a bruise.
He watched her disappear back into the safety of the work cave, the silver herbs clutched to her chest like treasure.
He realized then that he didn’t fully understand her world or the things she felt she had to do in secret but he understood one thing: she had come back.
Time passed in a blur of nervous energy and ritual. Before Ningning could even process the weight of the previous day’s secret mission, the sun rose on the most important day of her new life.
It was her wedding day.
Xiaoli, Nala, Una, and Puka were like a whirlwind of activity.
They were working overtime, their voices a constant hum of excitement and instruction.
They took her to a spring early in the morning for a ritual bath, the water was cold and bracing, washing away the dust of the cliffs.
After feeding her a hearty meal of honey-soaked nuts and lean meat, the real work began.
They spent hours rubbing scented oils into her skin until she glowed like polished amber.
Puka and Nala worked on her hair, weaving intricate braids decorated with small, beautiful seashells and delicate feathers.
Then came the markings, these were ceremonial lines drawn in dark pigments across her collarbones and arms, symbols of protection and belonging.
Finally, they dressed her.
The jeweled top was fitted snugly, the flowing goat-skin skirt was draped just right, and then, the centerpiece: the mammoth fur.
By the time they were done, the sun had vanished, replaced by a fire so huge it could be seen from the farthest edges of the valley.
The scent of burning cedar and roasting feast-meats filled the air.
As the four women led Ningning toward the clearing, the ground seemed to hum with the drums of the Bear, Eagle, and Fox tribes.
She could finally feel those last-minute jitters, a flutter in her stomach that made her breath come in short, shallow gasps.
But it all died the moment she saw him.
Weijie stood by the towering flames, and for a second, the world went silent.
He was in total awe. His jaw tightened as he looked at her; his mate was stunning, a vision of power and beauty that seemed to radiate from within the snowy white fur.
In that single look, all of Weijie’s lingering suspicion, hurt, and anger disappeared.
In their place came a fierce, overwhelming pride. If she truly hated this life, if she truly wanted another, she would have disappeared into the night.
But here she was, standing right in front of him, having dressed herself in his labor and his love.
[Warning: Emotional overload detected,] Doudou whispered, his voice soft in her ear. [But your heart rate is steadying. Look at him, Dumpling. He’s looking at you like you’re the only star in the sky.]
Weijie stepped forward, the firelight catching the blue of his eyes, which were now clear and bright with a certainty he hadn’t felt yesterday.
He held out his hand, palm up, a silent invitation to join him at the center of the world.
Ningning reached out, her hand disappearing into Weijie’s much larger, calloused palm. The warmth of his skin was an immediate anchor, grounding her against the overwhelming gaze of the Bear, Eagle, and Fox tribes.
Weijie looked incredible.
He stood bare-chested, hia muscles highlighted by the flickering orange glow of the fire.
Bold, dark ceremonial markings, representing the scales of a mountain serpent traversed his shoulders and swept across his pectorals.
Around his waist, he wore a magnificent ceremonial skirt made of dark, layered furs and heavy sun dried panels embossed with bone carvings.
He looked every bit the formidable warrior of the Snake tribe, yet the way he held her hand was incredibly tender.
Side by side, they began the ritual.
Guided by the steady thrum of the drums, they walked around the towering fire three times. With each pass, the heat of the flames pressed against them, symbolically burning away their past as individuals. The three guest tribes watched in a silence so thick it was heavy, witnessing the union of the strongest male in the snake tribe and a not so ordinary female human.
After the third circle, they moved to the center of the clearing, sitting upon a large, flat stone draped in a soft elk skin, their designated spot of honor.
Numa stepped forward, his presence commanding instant silence from the Bear, Eagle, and Fox tribes.
He was draped in an old, weathered hide that looked like it had seen a hundred winters, and his eyes, though clouded with age, seemed to see right through the soul. He raised his arms toward the moon, then lowered it between Weijie and Ningning.